Round-the-clock breaking news from Malaysia.
A Singapore court has sentenced a 22-year-old man to over nine years in prison and 12 strokes of the cane for sexually abusing two teenage girls after posing as a younger person online. He also faced charges related to scams and harassment.
Police in Jakarta have arrested a 34-year-old resident living near an elementary school for allegedly sending a WhatsApp message threatening bombs at the institution. No explosives were found despite a thorough search by specialist units.
Police in Melaka have arrested a 36-year-old trader on suspicion of sexually abusing ten young boys over a five-month period. The suspect allegedly employed enticement tactics to lure his victims.
The European Commission has launched formal proceedings against Meta, alleging that Instagram and Facebook employ deliberately addictive design features that harm young users. Potential fines could reach €12 billion if the company fails to comply.
The European Parliament has failed to reach consensus on revamping child safety mechanisms for online platforms, with disputes over encrypted messaging and privacy protections leaving the bloc's regulatory framework in limbo.
EU lawmakers have approved temporary rules permitting Google, Meta and other platforms to combat child sexual abuse material online, whilst carving out protections for encrypted messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal.
Malaysia's Social Welfare Department has issued a formal warning against publishing children's identities on digital platforms, emphasizing legal consequences and child protection under the Child Act 2001.
India's technology ministry has ordered Meta to remove child abuse material from Instagram and disable related advertisements, following a BBC investigation revealing such content in Indian ads.
A child's death in West Bengal's Baruipur triggered widespread mob violence, resulting in a lynching and police clashes that disrupted traffic and rail services for hours.
Authorities in Shah Alam have arrested a college employee suspected of sexually assaulting and sodomising two teenage students. The suspect worked at a Glenmarie institution and was apprehended following investigations into the offences.
Five caregivers at a Bengaluru IT company daycare have been charged following allegations of physical abuse against toddlers, with videos showing children placed in washing machines and sprayed with water jets. The facility has been shut.
A senior citizen appeared in court in Melaka facing charges relating to the sexual assault of two primary schoolgirls. The alleged incidents occurred in a mosque storeroom.
French President Emmanuel Macron and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus have jointly called for tighter regulation of digital platforms, warning that inadequately controlled online spaces pose significant risks to children's wellbeing and development.
Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid has offered condolences to the family of a six-year-old autistic child found dead in an oil palm plantation near Sungai Sumun, Perak, following a search and rescue operation.
A UNICEF study reveals children are embracing artificial intelligence three times faster than adults, with 20 million already using AI systems. The agency warns of inadequate safeguards protecting young users from exploitation and misinformation.
A US federal judge has rejected Meta's attempt to dismiss a lawsuit filed by dozens of state attorneys general alleging that Facebook and Instagram were deliberately designed to be addictive to children.
The US House has approved a children's online safety bill requiring age verification and parental controls, though Senate Republicans push for tougher 'duty of care' standards that would hold tech firms legally liable for harmful content.
Australia is moving to strengthen laws banning children from social media platforms after the original legislation, introduced in December, failed to prevent underage users from maintaining accounts. The government is considering enhanced enforcement powers and digital duty of care rules.
TikTok and YouTube have deactivated 4.7 million accounts belonging to children under 16 in Indonesia following new government restrictions aimed at protecting young users from cyberbullying and addiction.
Police have remanded a babysitter for three days as investigations continue into the death of an 11-month-old girl in the Bedong area of Kedah, raising fresh concerns about childcare safety standards in the state.
Malaysia's Communications Ministry has implemented mandatory age-verification systems for social media platforms, requiring users to be at least 16 years old. The measure, part of the new Online Safety Act 2025, aims to shield children from online harms.
The European Commission is preparing preliminary findings against Meta, alleging its platforms use addictive design techniques targeting children. The move intensifies global scrutiny of social media's impact on youth mental health and safety.
India's government investigation has documented widespread use of Telegram for sharing child sexual abuse material and perpetrating financial fraud. The report, filed during a court defence of a brief app ban, found the platform received over 688,000 cyber fraud complaints since 2023.
The European Commission is intensifying its investigation into Meta Platforms, preparing preliminary findings that accuse Facebook and Instagram of employing design tactics specifically engineered to addict children to their services.
Authorities in Setiu have detained a man following allegations of sexual abuse involving his 15-year-old biological daughter. Police are conducting investigations into the matter.
A Malaysian paediatrician practising in Perth, Australia, faces 33 child sex-related charges following an expanded police investigation. The charges involve nine alleged victims.
The UAE has announced a cabinet resolution banning social media use for children under 15, making it the first Arab nation to enforce such restrictions. Platforms have one year to implement age verification systems or face blocking.
A foreign woman appeared in Johor Baru Sessions Court charged with child neglect after her son died and daughter sustained severe injuries falling from a 12th-floor apartment in Tampoi.
Florida's attorney general has filed a lawsuit against TikTok, claiming the platform violates state law by permitting underage account creation and exposing children to inappropriate material.