KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia says it is planning to block children under 16 from signing up to social media accounts next year, in a move to tighten access over child-safety concerns. Communications minister Fahmi Fadzil said Sunday the government was looking at how Australia and other countries dealt with imposing online age restrictions. &ldquo;We hope that by next year, social media platforms will comply with the government&#39;s decision to bar those under 16 from opening social media accounts,&rdquo; Fahmi said in a video posted online by Malaysian daily The Star. &ldquo;So I believe ... if the government, government agencies and parents each play their respective roles, we can ensure that the internet in Malaysia is not just fast ...but most importantly, safe, especially for children and families,&rdquo; he added. Rising cybercrime&nbsp;Malaysia in recent years has tightened its oversight of social media services in an attempt to combat rising cybercrime. This includes requiring platforms and messaging services with more than eight million users in the country to obtain a license under new regulations that took effect in January. Several MPs in October backed the government&#39;s plan to ban under-16s, calling for proper mechanisms to verify the ages of users when they register for accounts. A survey by Ipsos Malaysia Education Monitor 2025 released by local media in September, revealed that 72% of respondents in Malaysia agreed that the use of social media should be restricted among children. New Zealand to introduce bill&nbsp;In Australia, social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, will be forced to remove users under the age of 16 from December 10 onwards or face hefty fines. New Zealand&#39;s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will also introduce a similar bill to restrict children&#39;s social media use. And the Dutch government advised parents this year to forbid children under 15 from using social media apps such as TikTok and Snapchat. Meanwhile, five EU countries -- Denmark, France, Greece, Italy and Spain -- are testing an app aimed at preventing children from accessing harmful content online by checking users&#39; ages.

Viral

The country in recent years has tightened its oversight of social media services in an attempt to combat rising cybercrime; New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will also introduce a bill to restrict children's social media use.

Malaysia mulls social media ban for under-16s

WELLINGTON: Blair Tickner and Zakary Foulkes made decisive contributions with bat and ball to secure a tense two-wicket win for New Zealand over England on Saturday and a clean sweep of the three-match ODI series.&nbsp;The two tail enders put on an unbroken stand of 30 for the ninth wicket to lift the home side to 226-8 in the 45th over after England had once again struggled with the bat to be dismissed for 222.&nbsp;Seamers Tickner and Foulkes took six wickets between them after England collapsed to 44-5, the visitors&#39; top-order failing once again.&nbsp;England&#39;s top four made a total of 84 runs across the three matches, the fewest by any team in a comparable men&#39;s ODI series or tournament.&nbsp;England were dismissed for 223 in the opening match and 175 in the second.&nbsp;Tickner (4-64) claimed four wickets for the second successive game, while Foulkes (2-27) removed Jamie Smith and Root inside the first four overs.&nbsp;Foulkes&#39; new-ball partner Jacob Duffy (3-56) then accounted for Duckett, Brook and Jacob Bethell.&nbsp;Jamie Overton&#39;s maiden ODI half-century was the foundation of an England recovery, with the all-rounder the last man out for 68 in the 41st over.&nbsp;Brydon Carse also achieved a career-best score in the format, blasting four sixes on his way to 36.&nbsp;New Zealand opener Rachin Ravindra scored a bright 46 and Daryl Mitchell continued his fine form with 44, but a steady loss of wickets set up an exciting finish.&nbsp;Overton and Sam Curran took two wickets each, while the home side lost two batsmen to the same unfortunate means of dismissal.&nbsp;Devon Conway and Tom Latham were both run out, caught short of their crease at the bowler&#39;s end following the deflection of straight drives from another batsman.&nbsp;Foulkes was unbeaten on 14 and Tickner not out 18, with their late heroics extending New Zealand&#39;s exceptional run of ODI results on home soil.&nbsp;New Zealand have won 25 of 29 ODI matches on home turf since February 2019, with two losses and two no-results.&nbsp;

Cricket

New Zealand beat England by two wickets to win the ODI series 3-0. Blair Tickner and Zakary Foulkes shone with bat and ball, while England’s top-order struggles continued throughout the series.

England's batting exposed as New Zealand seal ODI series sweep

Reuters

The opening game of New Zealand&#39;s three-match Twenty20 series with England was abandoned due to heavy rain in Christchurch on Saturday, with the hosts denied the opportunity to chase down a modest total for victory.&nbsp;Play was called off following a long delay after England&#39;s innings, in which the tourists scored 153-6 in 20 overs on a difficult wicket, with Sam Curran (49 not out) finishing well after Jos Buttler (29) failed to build on a good start. The second match takes place at the same venue on Monday before the finale in Auckland on Thursday,&nbsp;as both teams step up their preparations for next year&#39;s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, likely to be held in February-March.&nbsp;New Zealand fast bowlers Matt Henry (1-26) and Jacob Duffy (1-45) made full use of early swing and bounce at Hagley Oval to restrict England to only 44-2 in the opening six powerplay overs before Harry Brook (20) looked to cut loose.&nbsp;Jimmy Neesham (1-20) conceded a couple of huge sixes to the England skipper in the eighth over but gained revenge by getting through his defense, and the tourists&#39; momentum ground to a halt again when Mitch Santner (1-20) removed Tom Banton for nine.&nbsp;The dangerous Buttler also fell to spin shortly afterwards, holing out in the deep while looking to attack Michael Bracewell (1-10),&nbsp;before rain halted play in the 17th over with England on 110-5 and seeking a late charge to boost their total.&nbsp;Kyle Jamieson (1-27) removed Jordan Cox for 16 after the break, but Curran persevered, benefiting from a dropped catch and surviving a loud appeal for lbw to take England to a respectable total with 19 runs in the final over.

The second match takes place at the same venue on Monday before the finale in Auckland on Thursday, as both teams step up their preparations for next year's T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

New Zealand v England T20 series opener abandoned due to rain

<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline !important;" id="isPasted">WELLINGTON:&nbsp;New  Zealand is reimposing sanctions on Iran due to concerns about Iran&#39;s non-compliance with its nuclear obligations, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement on Friday. The statement said the reimposition of United Nations sanctions is a result of Iran not complying with the terms of the internationally recognised Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action which was signed in 2015, and will take effect on October 18. The announcement comes after Britain, France and Germany also reimposed the U.N. sanctions citing Iranian breaches, and after Australia in August accused Iran of directing two antisemitic arson attacks in the cities of Sydney and Melbourne and gave Tehran&#39;s ambassador seven days to leave the country. The sanctions introduce a range of restrictions including an asset freeze and travel bans for sanctioned persons, import and export bans on certain nuclear and military goods, and a duty on New Zealanders to exercise vigilance in dealings with Iran, it added. &ldquo;This reimposition of U.N.-mandated sanctions reflects the international community&rsquo;s deep concerns about Iran&rsquo;s non-compliance with its nuclear obligations and unjustifiable levels of uranium enrichment activity,&rdquo; Peters said. &ldquo;New Zealand has consistently supported diplomatic efforts to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons from any source. We strongly encourage Iran to re-engage in negotiations and resume full cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.&rdquo; Peters said New  Zealand will also be introducing a compulsory registration scheme for New Zealanders who intend to do business with Iran, which comes into effect on February 1, 2026.

FILE PHOTO: New Zealand's Foreign Minister Winston Peters attends a press conference, following his meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in Beijing, China February 26, 2025. 

Middle East

Europe

Reimposing sanctions on Iran due to concerns about Iran's non-compliance with its nuclear obligations, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement on Friday.

New Zealand reimposes sanctions on Iran over nuclear non-compliance

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Tazmin Brits struck her fifth century of the year to guide South Africa to a six-wicket victory over New Zealand in the Women&rsquo;s World Cup at Holkar Stadium on Monday. New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat first, but their innings got off to a disastrous start. Suzie Bates was dismissed for a golden duck by Marizanne Kapp on the very first ball of the match. Georgia Plimmer (31) and Meli Kerr (23) managed to steady the ship, adding 44 runs for the second wicket before Kerr fell. Plimmer then combined with Sophie Devine for a 57-run partnership. Devine, who had scored a century in New Zealand&rsquo;s opening match, scored 85 runs off 68 balls, including a half-century. She and Brooke Halliday (45) forged the best partnership of the innings, adding 86 runs together. However, the introduction of Nonkululeko Mlaba turned the tide. Mlaba took key wickets in her second spell, triggering a collapse as New Zealand lost their last seven wickets for just 44 runs, including two run-outs.&nbsp; Mlaba finished with figures of 4-40 from 10 overs, the best by a South African bowler against New Zealand in a World Cup. New Zealand was bowled out for 231 in 49.4 overs. South Africa&rsquo;s chase began with an early setback, losing Laura Wolvaardt for 14. However, Brits took charge, racing to 50 off 44 balls. She and Sune Luus then put together a record-breaking 159-run partnership for the second wicket, the highest in South African World Cup history and the second-highest in ODIs against New Zealand. Brits brought up her century with a knock of 101 from 89 balls, surpassing Australia&rsquo;s Meg Lanning to score seven ODI hundreds in the fewest innings. Luus, who played a patient knock, finished unbeaten on 83 off 114 balls, guiding South Africa to victory. Brits was dismissed in the 32nd over, and Kerr struck twice to reduce South Africa to 213-4. But Luus ensured there were no further hiccups, hitting the winning runs with 55 balls to spare. South Africa reached 234-4 in 40.5 overs to secure their first win and points of the tournament after their opening loss, when they were bowled out for just 69. The victory moved South Africa up to fifth place in the standings.

Scores her fifth century; Nonkululeko Mlaba takes 4-40; record 159-run partnership with Sune Luus secures South Africa’s first World Cup points.

Tazmin Brits century guides South Africa to six-wicket win over New Zealand

LONDON: New Zealand maintained their record of never losing back-to-back matches at the Women&#39;s Rugby World Cup with a 42-26 win over France in the third-place play-off at Twickenham on Saturday. The Black Ferns had the match all but won at half-time, leading 26-7 after outscoring Les Bleues four tries to one in the opening period with three of those scores coming in the closing eight minutes of the half.&nbsp;New Zealand teenage wing sensation Braxton Sorensen-McGee struck twice in the second half to take her tally for her debut World Cup to 11 tries.&nbsp;It all meant New Zealand, the record six-time women&#39;s world champions, had enough in hand to withstand a France fightback in the last quarter as Les Bleues scored three more tries of their own.&nbsp;New Zealand found themselves in unfamiliar territory after their run of 18 consecutive World Cup wins ended with a 34-19 semi-final loss to an inspired Canada, the Black Ferns&#39; first loss at the tournament since 2014.&nbsp;&#39;Heart and passion&#39;&quot;That was for the wave of Black in here and at home,&quot; said New Zealand full-back Renee Holmes, the player of the match. &quot;It means everything, and that&#39;s what this team means. Thank you to the 50,000 in the crowd.&quot;&nbsp;New Zealand captain Ruahei Demant added: &quot;First of all, I&#39;m really proud of the way not just we but the French girls as well were able to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and play with real heart and passion today.&nbsp;&quot;I&#39;m sure as we go home and sit and dwell, there&#39;ll be a lot more reflections to come around the growth in our game, the resourcing... there&#39;s been lots of positives as well.&quot;&nbsp;France, who have never reached the final, suffered a second defeat in their eighth bronze-medal game. They lost 35-17 by tournament hosts and favourites England in the semi-finals last weekend.&nbsp;&quot;When we went into the dressing room at half-time the score was quite heavily against us,&quot; said France co-head coach Gaelle Mignot. &quot;We tried to give them the right words.&nbsp;&quot;I was really impressed with the reaction in the second half, so I think there&#39;s a lot to believe in for the future.&quot;&nbsp;With Twickenham already two-thirds full ahead of an expected 82,000 sell-out for the final between England and Canada later Saturday, France scrum-half Pauline Bourdon Sansus crowned a flowing move for a 10th-minute try converted by Carla Arbez.&nbsp;New Zealand equalised when centre Stacey Waaka&#39;s sharp inside pass sent in fly-half Demant for a try between the posts.&nbsp;Black Ferns centre Sylvia Brunt, after several carries by the forwards, showed good strength to stretch over for a try eight minutes before the break.&nbsp;There was still time for New Zealand, increasingly dominant up front, to add two more tries before the interval.&nbsp;A give-and-go between Brunt and Renee Holmes ended with Holmes finishing unopposed before converting her own try and the fit-again Jorja Miller then set up second row Laura Bayfield.&nbsp;Sorensen-McGee sprinted in from some 30 yards out early in the second half.&nbsp;There was an emotional moment when New Zealand great Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, who reversed her retirement from 15-a-side rugby to play at this World Cup, was replaced in what could be the wing&#39;s last match at this level.&nbsp;At the other end of the age spectrum, Sorensen-McGee surged in for her second score of the match on the hour mark.&nbsp;France&#39;s Lea Champon and Gabrielle Vernier pulled tries back before Emilie Boulard went over with eight minutes remaining.&nbsp;But it was too little too late for France, with Holmes having the final say with a last-minute penalty.

Rugby

New Zealand beat France 42-26 in the Women’s Rugby World Cup third-place play-off at Twickenham. Teenage star Braxton Sorensen-McGee scored twice, securing 11 tries in her debut tournament, as the Black Ferns rebounded strongly after their semifinal defeat.

New Zealand over-power France to secure Women's Rugby World Cup Bronze  

ISLAMABAD: &nbsp;New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in New York on Friday that New Zealand will not be recognizing the state of Palestine at this time. &ldquo;With a war raging, Hamas remaining the de facto government of Gaza, and no clarity on next steps, too many questions remain about the future state of Palestine for it to be prudent for New Zealand to announce recognition at this time,&rdquo; Peters said in his speech at the United Nations General Assembly, according to Reuters.<div class="fr-embed responsive-video"><div class="video-wrapper aspect-video"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1971718983637520693&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=021308110e693a6d0f1abb490d3dbc366f94e567&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="width: 550px; height: 761px; min-height: 0px; position: static; visibility: visible;" data-tweet-id="1971718983637520693"></iframe></div></div></div>A New Zealand government&rsquo;s press release on Saturday, quoted the foreign minister as saying, &ldquo;We are also concerned that a focus on recognition, in the current circumstances, could complicate efforts to secure a ceasefire by pushing Israel and Hamas into even more intransigent positions.&rdquo; &lsquo;When the time is right&rsquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;New Zealand has long been a staunch advocate of the two-state solution and a defender of Palestinians&rsquo; right to self-determination,&rdquo; Peters said. &ldquo;What is needed now more than ever is dialogue, diplomacy and leadership &ndash; not further conflict and extremism. &ldquo;New Zealanders are shocked by the harrowing images of famine in Gaza, revolted by the grossly disproportionate military action from the Israeli Government and disturbed by Israeli rhetoric and actions aimed at dismantling future prospects for a Palestinian state.&rdquo; He said, &ldquo;New Zealand&rsquo;s position remains that it is a matter of when, not if we recognize the State of Palestine.&rdquo; &ldquo;Like every other New Zealand Government over the past 80 years, we hold the position that we will recognize a Palestinian state when the time is right. &lsquo;Complex issue&rsquo;&ldquo;What we are looking for now are real actions towards the full viability and legitimacy of the State of Palestine, rather than rhetoric in that direction; Israel to stop and reverse all actions aimed at destroying the two-state solution, including illegal settlements in the West Bank, and to return to meaningful negotiations with the Palestinians; the release by Hamas of all the hostages it holds; the disbanding and disarmament of Hamas; and the renouncement of violence by all Palestinian leaders who have yet to do so.&rdquo; Recognition of Palestine is a complex issue on which reasonable people can disagree, Peters said. &ldquo;Some of our close partners have chosen to recognize Palestine, and others have not. We do not question the good intentions of those who have chosen to recognize Palestine at this time. Indeed, we have a shared objective of trying to help bring about a two-state solution. Where we differ with some of our partners is on the issue of whether recognition now by New Zealand will make a tangible, positive contribution to the realization of a two-state solution.&rdquo; Immense suffering in GazaNew Zealand remains committed to doing its part to alleviate the immense suffering in Gaza, the New Zealand foreign minister said. The New Zealand Government has also today released Cabinet material associated with its decision on the recognition of Palestine, the New Zealand government&rsquo;s statement said.

Australasia

New Zealand will not recognize Palestine at this time, citing ongoing conflict, Hamas' control in Gaza, and unclear future prospects. It supports a two-state solution but stresses recognition must occur when conditions are right.

Articles tagged with "New Zealand"