Pakistani authorities have imposed severe new restrictions on international media, including barring them from reporting in most of the country, in a move that has provoked a significant backlash from journalist organisations.

According to the new rules anyone, including Pakistani nationals, should seek permission first if they want to report from anywhere Pakistan except three cities – Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore.

Pakistan is ranked 153 out of 180 on the World Press Freedom Index. Successive regimes there have imposed restrictions and censorship on local media. But this is the first time they have put restrictions on international media.

The sudden announcement of new rules came after the killing of dozens of protesters in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, which was only reported by international media.

Al Jazeera’s website was restricted in Pakistan after it reported on the bloody protests and the news that people were boycotting regional elections from Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan’s Kashmir.

Pakistan’s information ministry derided Al Jazeera’s reporting as “yellow journalism”, a derogatory term used for sensationalised reporting.

Authorities have not publicly announced a ban of the news website, but it remains inaccessible without a VPN.

The BBC reported from Pakistan-administered Kashmir and quoted protesters and people who accused Pakistani security forces of firing at unarmed protesters. Pakistani authorities issued a strongly worded denial and asked all journalists to immediately leave Kashmir.

The new rules, which the ministry of information called the Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines 2026, do not specify a timeframe for how long it would take for journalists to be granted permission to report.

Nasir Zaidi, a former general secretary at the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists and a senior journalist, said that international media has been objectively reporting on protest movements, crackdowns on opposition parties and the repressive political situation in Pakistan.

“For decades, various governments have always tried to kill the news and they failed because of the reporting of international media and now it came up with these repressive rules to curb the movement of journalists. They don’t want the truth to be reported,” said Zaidi.

The government denies that the new rules are a blanket restriction on the movement of journalists or constrict media.

Zaidi, who was subjected to public flogging during the military dictatorship of Gen Zia ul-Haq for raising his voice for media rights, said that he had never witnessed such times before.

“Despite the fact I have worked during martial laws, but, such curbs and restrictions on international media were unseen. It is worse than martial law,” he added.

According to the new guidelines, the accreditation and registration is mandatory for international media outlets and journalists in the country.

The new rules also state that journalists can lose their accreditation for “acts against ideology, sovereignty, security or public order of Pakistan”.

Legal experts and journalists have said that these stipulations are vague and difficult to interpret.

“Pakistan is sending a very wrong message to the world with all these rules curbing free speech and freedom of international media,” said Zaidi. (The Guardian)

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Britain will introduce a default overnight curfew on  social media  apps for 16- and 17-year-olds, the government said, adding new restrictions for older teenagers to its plan to introduce a sweeping ban on social media for under-16s.

Affected users would be blocked from using apps between midnight and 6 a.m. unless they change the default setting. Features designed to keep users scrolling for longer, including videos that automatically play one after another, would also be switched off by default.

The new measures aim to prevent a cliff edge for those who will gain access to social media when they turn 16, and offer some protection from the negative effects of late-night scrolling.

“These measures will be crucial in helping young people get the sleep they need, focus on school and college, and spend more quality time with family and friends,” technology minister Liz Kendall said in a statement.

The move underlines global concerns among parents and policymakers about safeguarding young children from the harmful effects of social media on their mental and physical health.

Results of a study published on Tuesday showed restrictions led to improvements in sleep, concentration and wellbeing, and that an overnight curfew was the easiest measure for families to maintain and produced the most consistent sleep benefits.

The first set of regulations on social media restrictions will be laid before parliament by the end of this year, with measures expected to come into force in spring 2027, the government said. It promised “robust implementation and enforcement”.

However, a team that advised Australia — the first country to ban social media for children — found that online platforms were stumbling at the very first step of implementing age-verification checks, rendering the ban ineffective.

Google and TikTok have in the last month separately settled a U.S. lawsuit brought by a minor who claimed that social media platforms damaged his mental health. (Reuters)

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The Ministry of Women and Child Affairs has launched preliminary discussions with stakeholders to explore proposals for banning or restricting social media use among children under 16, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya said. 

PM Amarasuriya said that the consultations focus on the social, mental, and health impacts of social media, digital security, and global developments. 

Work is underway to draft national guidelines on prohibiting access for under‑16s, alongside awareness campaigns aimed at safeguarding children’s mental and physical wellbeing, she said.

The Prime Minister further said that the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs has also rolled out a programme to help children under 18 overcome mobile phone addiction, which has already shown positive results. 

PM Harini Amarasuriya made the remarks while addressing the Parliament of Sri Lanka today (08). (Newswire)

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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that under-16s will be banned from major social media platforms, including TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram.

The UK government says the measures are part of a plan to keep young people safe online and help address late-night scrolling on phones.

Mr Starmer explained that: “A full ban is the right choice” and saying it was needed to protect the wellbeing of children.

The new rules follow a UK government consultation on social media restrictions, which took place at the start of the year, where children and adults were asked their opinions at what they think should happen.

It found that most people supported a ban, however campaigners have warned that the planned measures could cause more problems. (BBC)

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Malaysia on Monday began enforcing rules barring millions of children younger than 16 from owning social media accounts, joining a global effort to tighten online safety protections for young users.

The rules require social media platforms to implement age-verification systems and block users under 16 from creating accounts. They apply to platforms with at least 8 million users, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

Companies that fail to comply could face penalties of up to 10 million ringgit ($2.5 million). But parents whose children manage to bypass the law will not be penalized.

The government said the measures are aimed at protecting children from harmful content, cyberbullying and platform features designed to encourage excessive use.

Other countries including Australia,Brazil and Indonesia have introduced or announced age-based restrictions or requirements for children’s access to social media. Countries including Britain, France, Spain, Denmark, Thailand and South Korea are also studying or developing similar approaches.

Malaysia’s Communications and Multimedia Commission said the rules are not intended to prevent children from accessing the internet or digital technology. Instead it set expectations for service providers to address online harms and ensure age-appropriate safeguards are in place.

“These measures help strengthen the protection of children in the online environment, while providing added reassurance to parents in navigating increasingly complex digital risks,” the regulator said in a statement last month.

Platforms will be required to introduce safety-by-design features, including protections against manipulative design that encourages compulsive use, and take action against underage accounts and harmful content.

Technology companies have yet to detail how they will comply with Malaysia’s new requirements.

The regulator said a grace period will be given for platforms to complete implementation of age-verification systems.

Clara Koh, Meta’s director of public policy for Southeast Asia, had cautioned in April that Malaysia’s blanket under-16 ban could backfire by driving teenagers away from protected apps and into unregulated corners of the internet.

She said Meta has launched “teen accounts” for those under 18 that limits contact, screen time and exposure to inappropriate content.

Malaysia’s curbs come as governments face growing pressure to address concerns about social media’s impact on children’s mental health and online safety.

In March, a U.S. jury ordered Meta and YouTube to pay millions of dollars in damages in a case alleging that platform design features contributed to harm suffered by a young user.

Despite support from many parents, Malaysia’s move has also raised concerns over data privacy.

“It is very much following the trend but in a way that is raising alarms due to requiring a government ID for age verification,” said Benjamin Loh, social science lecturer at Monash University in Malaysia.

Loh said experiences elsewhere suggest age-based restrictions have yet to prove consistently effective. Without parent penalties, he said families can easily bypass the law by creating accounts for their children.

“This is a major gap that unless regulators are willing to fix, will result in the law having little effect in stopping children from using social media,” he added. (ABC News/ AP)

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A ban on mobile phones in schools in England is to be introduced by the government to ensure that “critical safeguarding legislation” is passed.

The government will table an amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill in the House of Lords after the bill was held up by peers on opposition benches.

It will make existing guidance on mobile phone bans in schools statutory, a move that ministers have resisted until now.

The government had consistently argued that the vast majority of schools had already banned mobile phones, and that there was no need to add a legal requirement. They finally capitulated, however, describing it as “a pragmatic measure” to get the bill through.

Announcing the move on Monday, the education minister Jacqui Smith told the Lords: “We recognise the strength of feeling on this issue, both in this house and beyond.”

“Notwithstanding the fact that we think the guidance we already have in place provides headteachers and schools with a range of approaches to be able to deliver the objective that we all share, we are committing to tabling an amendment in lieu which will place the existing guidance on a statutory footing on the face of the bill, creating a clear legal requirement for schools.”

“We’ve listened to concerns about how we support headteachers in delivering on this policy and we have listened to parliament.”

The bill is regarded by many as the biggest piece of child protection legislation in decades and includes proposals for a compulsory register for children who are not in school, a crackdown on profiteering in children’s social care, and a “single unique identifier” to help agencies track a child’s welfare.

Pepe Di’Iasio, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “A statutory ban on mobile phones in schools doesn’t really change very much. Most schools already have policies in place under which pupils are not permitted to use mobile phones.

“What would really be helpful is for the government to make funding available to schools for the safe and secure storage of mobile phones, such as storage lockers or locked pouches.”

The education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has previously written to headteachers in England to stress that schools should be phone-free throughout the entire school day, but the guidance has been non-statutory.

Research from the children’s commissioner for England last year found that 99.8% of primary schools and 90% of secondary schools already had policies in place that limited or restricted the use of mobile phones during the school day.

However, many headteachers, dealing with challenges from parents, will welcome the move, which will provide clarity in classrooms.

Ministers have only grudgingly agreed to it. A government spokesperson said: “The repeated attempts by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats to kill off some of the most far-reaching child protection legislation is utterly abhorrent, and a dismal failure of some of the most vulnerable children in our country. (The Guardian)

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The US Federal Communications Commission has moved to ban foreign-made Wi-Fi routers, according to a fact sheet released Monday afternoon. 

The ban includes “all consumer-grade routers produced in foreign countries.” Router manufacturers can apply for an exemption, but so far, none have been granted Conditional Approval on the FCC’s website. 

This is a monumental development for the US Wi-Fi router market. Nearly every router available for purchase in this country is at least partially manufactured outside the US, including TP-Link, Asus and Netgear. 

According to a list of FAQs published by the FCC, a router will be considered foreign-made if “any major stage of the process through which the device is made, including manufacturing, assembly, design and development” occurs outside the US. The ban does not apply to any existing routers that the FCC previously authorized.

“I welcome this Executive Branch national security determination, and I am pleased that the FCC has now added foreign-produced routers, which were found to pose an unacceptable national security risk, to the FCC’s Covered List,” said FCC Chair Brendan Carr in a statement. 

This doesn’t mean you have to replace your existing router. The FCC clarified that it doesn’t apply to previously-purchased routers, but you won’t be able to buy new routers that the FCC hadn’t already authorized before today’s ban. 

TP-Link specifically has been in the US government’s crosshairs for over a year, stemming from its ties to China, with more than half a dozen US departments and agencies reportedly backing a ban at the end of 2025. But today’s FCC action goes well beyond TP-Link and will affect nearly every router company. 

CNET has reached out to the FCC, Asus, D-Link, Eero, Netgear, Razer and TP-Link for comment, but representatives did not immediately respond. We will continue to update this story as we collect more information. (CNET)

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France’s Lower House passed a Bill banning social media for those under 15, a move championed by President Emmanuel Macron as a way to protect children from excessive screen time.

The lower National Assembly adopted the text by a vote of 130 to 21 in a lengthy overnight session from Jan 26 to 27.

It will now go to the Senate, France’s upper house, ahead of becoming law.

Mr Macron hailed it as a “major step” in protecting France’s children and teenagers.

The legislation, which also provides for a ban on mobile phones in high schools, comes after Australia’s ban on social media for those under 16 in December, a world first.

As social media has grown, so has concern that too much screen time is arresting child development and contributing to mental health problems.

“The emotions of our children and teenagers are not for sale or to be manipulated, either by American platforms or Chinese algorithms,” Mr Macron said in a video broadcast on Jan 23.

Authorities want the measures to be enforced from the start of the 2026 school year for new accounts.

Former prime minister Gabriel Attal, who leads Mr Macron’s Renaissance party in the Lower House, said he hoped the Senate would pass the Bill by mid-February so that the ban could come into force for new accounts on Sept 1.

He added that “social media platforms will then have until Dec 31 to deactivate existing accounts” that do not comply with the age limit.

‘Destiny of our country’

In addition to combating the impact of screens and social media on the mental health of young adolescents, Mr Attal stressed that the measure would counter “a number of powers that, through social media platforms, want to colonise minds”.

“France can be a pioneer in Europe in a month: we can change the lives of our young people and our families, and perhaps also change the destiny of our country in terms of independence,” he said.

France’s public health watchdog ANSES said in January that social media platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram had numerous detrimental effects on adolescents – particularly girls – while not being the sole cause of declining mental health.

The risks listed include cyberbullying and exposure to violent content.

The legislation stipulates that “access to an online social networking service provided by an online platform is prohibited for minors under the age of 15”.

The draft Bill excludes online encyclopaedias and educational directories from the ban.

An effective age verification system would have to come into force for the ban to become reality. Work on such a system is under way at the European level.

The hard-left France Unbowed’s Mr Arnaud Saint-Martin criticised the ban as “a form of digital paternalism” and an “overly simplistic” response to the negative impacts of technology.

On Jan 26, nine child protection associations urged lawmakers to “hold platforms accountable”, not “ban” children from social media.

Mr Macron has also backed a ban on students having mobile phones in high schools.

In 2018, France banned children from using mobile phones in “colleges”, the schools attended between the ages of 11 and 15.

Former prime minister Elisabeth Borne expressed reservations about the measure on Jan 26.

“It’s more complicated than that,” she told broadcaster France 2. “We first need to make sure that the ban is properly enforced in middle schools.” (AFP)

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The sale, storage, and slaughter of beef, mutton, and pork have been banned in the Mannar District for one week starting December 3, the Public Health Inspectors’ Union of Sri Lanka announced.

The ban follows reports of widespread livestock deaths during the recent disaster, particularly among cattle.

The Union said the measure is aimed at preventing the sale of potentially unsafe meat in local markets.

Public Health Inspectors will monitor for any violations, and the public is urged to report suspected cases to their local PHI or the Health Ministry’s Disaster Management Unit via the 1926 hotline. (Newswire)

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Papua New Guinea’s government has shut down social media platform Facebook, in what it describes as a “test” to mitigate hate speech, misinformation, pornography and “other detrimental content”. 

The test, conducted under the country’s anti-terrorism laws, began on Monday morning and has extended into Tuesday. 

Facebook users in the country have been unable to log-in to the platform and it is unclear how long the ban will go on for.  

The government’s move was not flagged ahead of the “test” on Monday — a move opposition MPs and media leaders have described as “tyranny” and an “abuse of human rights”. 

In a statement, PNG’s Police Minister Peter Tsiamalili said the initiative was to ensure “responsible usage” of social media platforms like Facebook while keeping “harmful content” out of public discourse.

“However, the unchecked proliferation of fake news, hate speech, pornography, child exploitation, and incitement to violence on platforms such as Facebook is unacceptable.

“These challenges increasingly threaten the safety, dignity, and well-being of our populace.”

Facebook is by far the most popular social media platform in the country, with an estimated 1.3 million users, or about half of the country’s estimated 2.6 million internet users. 

In comparison, Instagram has about 106,000 users. 

The platform is a critical tool for public discourse in the country, with many highly active forums used to discuss PNG politics and social issues. 

Yet, the government has been highly critical of Facebook with the platform often blamed for helping spread misinformation, particularly in light of a recent spate of tribal killings in the country.

It has long threatened a move against Facebook, after announcing a parliamentary inquiry into “media disinformation” in 2023.

Meta, Facebook’s parent company, has been contacted for comment. (ABC)

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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.” (CNN)

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Sri Lanka film directors have called for a ban on mobile phones at movie theatres, following the recent incident of an illegal recording and uploading of a movie on social media. 

Addressing the media, teledrama and film director Jayantha Chandrasiri said mobile phones must be banned from cinemas to protect the hard work of movie producers and their income. 

Stating that cinema owners must take measures in this regard, he added that the Sri Lanka Film Corporation must also issue an official directive in this regard.

Jayantha Chandrasiri further pointed out that the public is not allowed to take cameras or mobile phones to stage plays overseas, which must be implemented in Sri Lanka, including at theatres. 

He made the comments referring to the recent illegal recording and uploading of the film ‘ Sinhabahu’ on social media.

A 24-year-old man from Kandy was arrested in connection to illegally recording and uploading the film, directed by the President of the Film Directors Guild of Sri Lanka Somaratne Dissanayake, on YouTube. (Newswire)

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The Government of India on Tuesday (May 14) extended the ban imposed on the now-defunct Sri Lankan militant group, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), for five more years.

According to Indian media, The Hindu, the ban has been extended as it continues to foster a separatist tendency amongst the masses and enhance the support base for it in India, particularly in Tamil Nadu.

The Union Home Ministry imposed the ban invoking the sub-sections (1) and (3) of section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

In a notification, the Home Ministry said the Central government is of the opinion that the LTTE is still indulging in activities which are prejudicial to the integrity and security of the country.

It said that even after its military defeat in May 2009 in Sri Lanka, the LTTE has not abandoned the concept of ‘Eelam’ (an independent country for Tamils) and has been clandestinely working towards the ‘Eelam’ cause by undertaking fundraising and propaganda activities and the remnant LTTE leaders or cadres have also initiated efforts to regroup the scattered activists and resurrect the outfit locally and internationally.

“The pro-LTTE groups/elements continue to foster a separatist tendency amongst the masses and enhance the support base for LTTE in India and particularly in Tamil Nadu, which will ultimately have a strong disintegrating influence over the territorial integrity of India,” the notification said, citing a few other reasons too. (Newswire)

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The Sri Lankan Government is considering lifting restrictions imposed on vehicle imports, subject to conditions, it was reported.

According to NewsFirst, a senior spokesperson for the Ministry of Finance said plans are underway to lift the vehicle import restrictions, subject to conditions, by the end of 2024 or the beginning of 2025. 

The senior Finance Ministry spokesperson further said that recommendations from the Committee appointed by President Ranil Wickremesinghe in this regard would also be considered when arriving at a final decision on the matter. 

The move comes at a time when State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe had also recently revealed that discussions were ongoing related to the restrictions imposed on vehicle imports.

Earlier this month, State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya also announced that the ban imposed on the importation of vehicles will continue to be relaxed in phases going forward.

State Minister Siyambalapitiya told the media that the government has taken to relaxing the vehicle import ban in phases based on the requirements of various sectors. 

Sri Lanka imposed a ban on vehicle imports following the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic in 2021/2022 and continued with the decision due to the subsequent economic crisis faced by the nation. 

However, the government commenced providing exemptions to vehicle imports in phases from 2023 subject to conditions and based on the necessities of various sectors, such as health and tourism. (Newswire)

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Congress finalized legislation on Tuesday that could lead to a nationwide TikTok ban, escalating a massive threat to the company’s US operations.

The bill passed the Senate as part of a wide-ranging foreign aid package meant to support Israel and Ukraine. It was approved by the House on Saturday. It now heads to President Joe Biden’s desk. If he signs the bill, as he is expected to do, TikTok would be forced to find a new owner within months or be banned from the United States entirely.

Here’s what we know and how it could affect you.

What does the TikTok legislation do?

The bill approved this week is an updated version of a bill that House lawmakers approved in March. It gives TikTok’s Chinese parent, ByteDance, 270 days to sell TikTok. Failure to do so would lead to significant consequences: TikTok would be prohibited from US app stores and from “internet hosting services” that support it.

That would effectively restrict new downloads of the app and interaction with its content. If signed this week, the deadline for a sale would fall in January 2025. Under the legislation, however, Biden could extend the deadline another 90 days if he determines there’s been progress toward a sale, giving TikTok potentially up to a year before facing a ban.

How did this wind up in a bill about foreign aid?

The earlier TikTok bill had been passed by the House, but it stalled in the Senate. In a procedural move, House Republicans this month attached the revised TikTok bill to the foreign aid package in hopes of forcing the Senate to vote on the TikTok legislation. Bundling the bill with the foreign aid — a top US priority — fast-tracked the TikTok bill and made it more likely to pass.

Will Biden sign the TikTok bill?

Since the bill is part of the foreign aid package that Biden has vocally supported, he is expected to sign it, and quickly. Biden has also been on record supporting the earlier TikTok legislation, so there is little reason to think he would oppose the latest version of it that gives TikTok a slightly longer runway and the White House additional input in the forced sale.

What does this mean for my use of the app?

If and when Biden signs the bill into law, it would start the 270-day clock for TikTok to find a buyer. If it can’t separate from ByteDance, then TikTok users could hypothetically be cut off by January. But that is still a big “if.” So for now, TikTok fans can continue using the app as before, though they might begin to see more creators — or the company itself — speaking out in the app to oppose the legislation.

What are TikTok’s options?

TikTok has promised to take the US government to court if Biden signs the bill. In a memo on Saturday, a top TikTok executive wrote to employees that this would be the “beginning, not the end” of a long process to challenge what the company calls unconstitutional legislation that censors Americans’ speech rights and that would harm small businesses that depend on the app. In March, TikTok CEO Shou Chew vowed to continue fighting, “including (by) exercising our legal rights.”

Does TikTok have a case?

First Amendment experts say a bill that has the ultimate effect of censoring TikTok users could be shot down by the courts.

“Longstanding Supreme Court precedent protects Americans’ First Amendment right to access information, ideas, and media from abroad,” said Nadine Farid Johnson, policy director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University. “By banning TikTok, the bill would infringe on this right, and with no real pay-off. China and other foreign adversaries could still purchase Americans’ sensitive data from data brokers on the open market.”

A court challenge could lead to the measure being temporarily blocked while the litigation plays out, likely over multiple years. But if a court declines to grant a temporary injunction, TikTok could have to scramble to comply with the law.

So what if TikTok gets sold to someone else?

The trouble is that TikTok’s parent is subject to Chinese law, and the Chinese government is on record opposing a sale.

In recent years, China has implemented export controls governing algorithms, a policy that would seem to cover the incredibly successful algorithm that powers TikTok’s recommendation engine.

If the Chinese government doesn’t want to let ByteDance relinquish TikTok’s algorithm, the thinking goes, it could block the sale outright. Alternatively, it may allow TikTok to be sold but without the lucrative algorithm that forms the basis for its popularity.

Can TikTok still succeed without its algorithm? That would be the difficult question facing the company in the event of a forced sale. Without the secret sauce that has propelled the app to 170 million US users, the app could be as good as dead. (CNN)

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The Parliamentary Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Sustainable Development has recommended banning the use of lunch sheets in Sri Lanka.

According to a Parliament statement, the recommendations have been issued to the Central Environment Authority considering the serious damage caused to health and the environment.

The Committee which met this week under the Chairmanship of MP Ajith Mannapperuma further discussed the reduction of plastic and polythene use and the development of the recycling process in Sri Lanka.

A group of officials representing the Ministry of Environment, Central Environment Authority, Sri Lanka Customs and Department of Agricultural Development were called before the committee recently.

A discussion was held at length regarding the environmental damage caused by the use of lunch sheets in this country as well as the effect of phthalates, a carcinogen, on human lives. 

Accordingly, the Committee gave recommendations to the Central Environment Authority to ban the use of lunch sheets, while also giving a grace period of 6 months to remove it from use and introduce alternatives. 

The officials of the Ministry of Environment pointed out that lunch sheets are not used in any country in the world and pointed out the importance of not using lunch sheets in Sri Lanka.

Amendments currently presented to the Environment Act were considered by the Committee, with the officials stating that several special points have been proposed to reduce the use of polythene and plastic. 

Meanwhile, the Committee suggested that the responsibility of re-collecting plastic bottles for recycling should be given to those who produce and distribute them. 

Accordingly, the officials stated that it is expected by amending the Act to prepare a system to find out whether the plastic bottles distributed for various consumption needs are recollected and added to the recycling process by using QR codes using new technology. 

The Committee emphasized that to make the returning process of plastic bottles for recycling more efficient, a considerable amount should be given to the empty bottles.

Moreover, the Chair of the Sectoral Oversight Committee instructed the officials present to identify the single-use plastic equipment and materials currently being imported to Sri Lanka, list them and submit a report in this regard.

MPs Jayantha Ketagoda, (Dr.) Thilak Rajapakshe, and Waruna Liyanage, and a group of officials representing the Ministry of Environment, Central Environment Authority and Sri Lanka Customs were present at the Committee meeting. (NewsWire)

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A Gazette notification has been issued, lifting the ban that was imposed on five (05) organisations following the Easter Sunday terror attacks in 2019. 

As per the Gazette, the proscription of the United Thowheeth Jama’ath (UTJ), Ceylon Thowheeth Jama’ath (CTJ), Sri Lanka Thowheeth Jama’ath (SLTJ), All Ceylon Thowheeth Jama’ath (ACTJ), and Jamiyathul Ansaari Sunnathul Mohomadiya (JSM) has been lifted.

The Gazette has been issued by President Ranil Wickremesinghe in his capacity as the Minister of Defence. 

In April 2021, the then Attorney General (AG) Dappula de Livera authorized the proscription of 11 Islamic Organizations in Sri Lanka in connection to the Easter Sunday attacks.

AG Dappula de Livera proscribed the organizations over links to extremist activities.

The United Thowheeth Jama’ath (UTJ), Ceylon Thowheeth Jama’ath (CTJ), Sri Lanka Thowheeth Jama’ath (SLTJ), All Ceylon Thowheeth Jama’ath (ACTJ), Jamiyathul Ansaari Sunnathul Mohomadiya (JSM), Dharul Adhar @ Jamiul Adhar, Sri Lanka Islamic Student Movement (SLISM), Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Al-Qaeda,  Save the Pearls, and Super Muslim were the proscribed Islamic Organizations.

The new Gazette notification lifting the ban on five of the proscribed organizations is as follows:

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The Ministry of Environment is considering prohibiting certain single-use plastic products this year as part of its roadmap for plastic pollution control from 2022- 2023.

Ministry Secretary Dr. Anil Jasinghe told the media that regulations are being formulated to ban certain plastic products, including plastic string hopper trays, forks and spoons, and garlands.

The importation of pellets will also be prohibited due to existing stocks and also to help mitigate the foreign exchange crisis, he said. 

Dr. Jasinghe further stated that the new regulations will come into effect in the coming months. 

Alongside the regulations, the Environment Ministry is also looking at other measures such as recycling and reducing the use of plastic products.

The Ministry is also focussing on replacing certain plastic products with locally found reusable materials which will help improve the livelihoods of those in the local industries, Dr. Jasinghe said. (NewsWire)

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The Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval to the proposal, presented by the Minister of Environment, to ban several plastic products in Sri Lanka.

Cabinet spokesman Minister Bandula Gunawardena told the media today that the production, importation, selling and use of the following items will be banned in Sri Lanka with effect from 01st June 2023.

• Single-use plastic straws and stirrers
• Plastic yoghurt spoons, plates, cups (except yoghurt cups), knives, spoons and forks
• Plastic flower garlands
• Plastic string hopper trays

The move comes after an expert committee was appointed to look into the proposal submitted in August 2021 seeking permission to prohibit seven single-use plastic polythene and plastic products in Sri Lanka.

The Cabinet has decided to ban certain plastic items based on the recommendations of the report submitted by the expert committee on the matter. (NewsWire)

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