CBC News Barbados

Seoul, South Korea (CNN) — Seoul residents awoke to a gleaming world of white this week, as record snowfall caused both disruption and delight across the South Korean capital. The city recorded 16.1 centimetres (6.3 inches) of snow on Wednesday – the heaviest daily snowfall in November since records began in 1907, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). The previous record, set in 1966, saw 9.5 cm (3.7 inches) of snow. Further heavy snow fell throughout the day and overnight; by Thursday morning parts of Yongin city, south of the capital, had recorded 47.5 centimetres (18.7 inches) of snow, according to KMA. Photos of the capital show trees sagging under the weight of the snow, and Seoul’s iconic palaces blanketed in white. Residents bundled up in thick coats, with some throwing snowballs, building snowmen and revelling in the fluffy snow. They weren’t the only ones enjoying the wintry wonderland. The country’s first-ever twin panda cubs – born to nationwide enthusiasm last July – were seen frolicking at the Everland theme park and zoo Wednesday, sliding down a snowy field. It was the cubs’ first time experience in the snow after keepers kept them indoors last winter to protect them from the elements, Reuters reported. People walk along Gwanghwamun Square amid heavy snowfall in central Seoul. (Anthony Wallace/AFP/Getty Images via CNN Newsource) But the snow also brought widespread disruption, with travel halted in many places and transportation services suspended. Hundreds lost power in cities near the capital including Gwangju, the Associated Press reported. More than 150 flights nationwide were cancelled or delayed between Tuesday and Thursday, while over 100 ferry services were restricted, the Interior Ministry said. At least 18 roads around Seoul faced restrictions due to the snow, with authorities adding extra subway trains to accommodate the extra demand on public transit. Local authorities said they were investigating three deaths that were potentially linked to the bad weather. In Wonju, southeast of Seoul, there was a multi-car pileup on a highway, with videos showing emergency workers surveying damaged cars and directing slow-moving vehicles to other lanes. President Yoon Suk Yeol was briefed on the snowstorm on Wednesday and ordered “thorough management to avoid damage to the people,” according to his office. Yoon also asked authorities to ensure there was enough capacity on public transport to cope with rush hour on Thursday. (SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)

Barbados now has a diplomatic presence in Tanzania. William Alexander McDonald, the island’s High Commissioner to Kenya has been formally accredited as the Non-Resident High Commissioner of Barbados to the United Republic of Tanzania. He presented his letters of credence to Tanzanian officials including the President, Samia Suluhu Hassan. The accreditation extends Barbados’ footprint in East Africa and underscores its commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation with Tanzania.

Brisbane, Australia (CNN) — Australia’s parliament has passed a world-first law banning social media for children under 16, putting tech companies on notice to tighten security before a cut-off date that’s yet to be set. The Senate approved the social media ban late on Thursday, the last sitting day of the year, following months of intense public debate and a rushed parliamentary process that saw the bill introduced, debated and passed within a week. Under the new law, tech companies must take “reasonable steps” to prevent underage users from accessing social media services or face fines of nearly 50 million Australian dollars ($32 million). It’s the world’s toughest response yet to a problem that has seen other countries impose restrictions but not hold companies accountable for breaches of a nationwide ban. The ban is expected to apply to Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit and X, but that list could expand. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told legislators that “every serious government” was grappling with the impact of social media on young people, and the leaders he’d spoken to had applauded Australia’s initiative on the issue. “We know that social media can be a weapon for bullies, a platform for peer pressure, a driver of anxiety, a vehicle for scammers. And worst of all, a tool for online predators,” he told Parliament on Monday. Defending the age limit of 16, he said children at that age are better able to spot “the fakes and the danger.” The bill was backed by most members of Australia’s main opposition party, the Liberal Party, with Liberal Sen. Maria Kovacic describing it as a “pivotal moment in our country.” “We have drawn a line in the sand. The enormous power of big tech can no longer remain unchecked in Australia,” she said Thursday before the vote. But it met fierce opposition from some independents and smaller parties, including Greens Sen. Sarah Hanson-Young, who accused the major parties of trying to “fool” Australian parents. “This is a disaster unfolding before our eyes,” she said. “You couldn’t make this stuff up. The prime minister says he’s worried about social media. The leader of the opposition says, ‘Let’s ban it.’ “It’s a race to the bottom to try and pretend who can be the toughest, and all they end up with is pushing young people into further isolation and giving the platforms the opportunity to continue the free-for-all, because now there’s no social responsibility required. “We need to make social media safer for everybody.” A rushed process The government has faced considerable criticism for the speed of the legislation. Submissions to a Senate committee inquiry into the bill were open for just 24 hours before a three-hour hearing on Monday. The inquiry report was released Tuesday, and the bill passed the lower house on Wednesday – 102 votes to 13 – before progressing to the Senate. More than 100 submissions were made and “almost all submitters and witnesses expressed grave concerns that a bill of such import was not afforded sufficient time for thorough inquiry and report,” the committee said in its report. However, the committee recommended that the bill be passed with some changes, including prohibiting the use of government documents, such as passports, to verify users’ age. In their submissions, tech companies raised issues with the law, pointing to arguments from opponents about privacy risks and the dangers for children who circumvent the ban. Snap Inc., whose messaging app Snapchat is popular with children, said “device-level age verification” was the “best available option.” X, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, said the platform was “not widely used by minors” but expressed concern about the law’s impact on their freedom of expression. Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, said it had steadily invested in tools to make the platform safer, and “strongly” recommended that the government wait for the results of age assurance trials, which are expected next year. Meta’s submission said that excluding YouTube and online gaming from the ban was “fatal” to its purpose because they offer “similar benefits and risks” as other platforms subject to the ban. Despite those objections, surveys suggest Australians back the law. A poll by YouGov conducted this month showed that 77% of Australians support the under-16 ban. The survey was conducted in the second half of this month and sought the views of 1,515 people with a margin of error of 3.2%. Now the law has passed, consultation is expected to take place before the government sets a switch-off date. After that, all children under 16 with accounts on social media platforms subject to the ban will have them deactivated. Parents and children won’t be penalised for flouting the ban, but companies will need to show that they’ve taken reasonable steps to keep underage users off.