Australia's world-first social media ban for children has taken effect, with throngs of teenagers waking up to find their accounts have gone dark.

Others tell BBC they have already snuck past barriers and will continue scrolling and posting freely until they are caught.

The new law means social media firms - including Meta, TikTok and YouTube - must take "reasonable steps" to ensure Australians aged under 16 don't hold accounts on their platforms.

The ban, eyed with excitement by global leaders and trepidation by tech companies, was justified as necessary to protect children from harmful content and algorithms - though critics have argued blanket prohibition is neither practical nor wise.

This landmark policy has been one of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's pet projects, and speaking to media on Wednesday he said he believed it has the power to change lives around the world.

"This is a day in which my pride to be prime minister of Australia has never been greater," he said, flanked by parents and media figures who had pushed for the ban.

"This is Australia showing enough is enough."

"I think it will go [down] with the other great reforms that Australia has led the world on."

Various governments, from the US state of Florida to the European Union, have been experimenting with limiting children's use of social media. But, along with a higher age limit of 16, Australia is the first jurisdiction to deny an exemption for parental approval in a policy like this - making its laws the world's strictest.

Countries like Denmark, Malaysia, Singapore, Greece and Brazil are among those who have said they're looking at Australia as a test case.

The Australian government has named 10 social media platforms as a start, including all of the most popular ones, but has also warned others it's coming for them next.

Online safety regulator, Julie Inman Grant, said her agency will start checking compliance from Thursday. Parents and children won't be liable under this law, only social media firms, which face fines of up to A$49.5m ($33m, £24.5m) for serious breaches.

"Tomorrow, I will issue information notices to the 10 major platforms and we will provide information to the public before Christmas on how these age restrictions are being implemented and whether, preliminarily, we see them working," she said.

There is broad agreement in Australia that social media companies are failing to shield users, particularly children, from harm on their platforms.

Tasmanian student Florence Brodribb - known as Flossie - told the press she believed the ban would help kids like her grow up "healthier, safer, kinder, and more connected".

"Our brains are going through one of the biggest rewiring periods of our lives... Social media is designed to take advantage of that," the 12-year-old said.

"Young people deserve better than that."

Polling shows the ban is wildly popular with parents, who hope it will also help reduce cyber bullying and child exploitation. But it is far less popular with children.

Backed by some mental health advocates, many have argued it robs young people of connection - particularly those from LGBTQ+, neurodivergent or rural communities - and will leave them less equipped to tackle the realities of life on the web.

"My closest friend would be 30km (18.6 miles) away from me... and my next closest friend is probably over 100km," 15-year-old Breanna told the BBC.

"When our Snapchat is taken away, so is our communication."

Experts are also worried kids are going to circumvent the ban with relative ease - either by tricking the technology that's performing the age checks, or by finding other, potentially less safe, places on the net to gather.

Many critics have been advocating instead for better education and more moderation, with Sydney father-of-two Ian among them.

"There's a good idea behind [the policy], but is it the right way to go about it? I'm not sure," he told the BBC.

Tech firms, which are desperate to stop other countries from implementing similar bans, have argued the government is overreaching, and pointed to recently strengthened parental controls on many of their platforms as a solution.

While the government has insisted the social media companies have the money and the technology to make this ban happen, it has also sought to manage expectations.

"I've been asked... what will success look like? Success is the fact that it's happening. Success is the fact that we're having this discussion," Albanese said on Wednesday.

"We do acknowledge it won't be perfect and we'll work through it."

Ms Inman Grant said Australia is playing the long game, and while stories of kids getting round the ban will make headlines, regulators will not be deterred.

"The world will follow, like nations once followed our lead on plane tobacco packaging, gun reform, water, and sun safety," she said.

The leader of France's far-right National Rally (RN) Jordan Bardella has welcomed "for the most part" concerns raised about Europe in US President Donald Trump's new National Security Strategy.

Last week, the White House published a document which outlined Trump's vision of the world and the state of the European continent, which many have characterised as harshly critical of Europe.

Speaking to the BBC's Nick Robinson for his Political Thinking podcast, Bardella praised what he said was Trump's "appeal to American pride" - but he made clear he did not want Europe to be "subservient to any major power".

He said there was a "wind of freedom, of national pride blowing all over Western democracies".

In a wide-ranging interview, the 30-year-old, who opinion polls suggest leads in the race to be France's next president, was also challenged on the RN's political history and his stance on immigration.

Bardella said he shared the majority of the concerns outlined by the Trump administration about Europe facing "civilisational erasure", which the White House said is being fuelled by a range of policies, including on migration.

"Mass immigration and the laxity of our governments in the last 30 years with regards to migration policy are shaking the balance of European countries, of Western societies, and namely French society," Bardella said.

Snap parliamentary elections in June 2024 made the RN the largest single force in parliament, although an alliance of left-wing parties clinched victory.

The next French presidential election is due to be held in 2027. A recent poll for Le Figaro suggests Bardella would win with 44% of the vote - just ahead of Marine Le Pen, the RN figurehead whose candidacy is in doubt after she was found guilty of embezzling EU funds and barred from standing in an election for five years.

An appeal due early next year will determine whether Le Pen can run - otherwise, the expectation is that Bardella will step in.

Bardella batted away suggestions this was sparking tensions between them, stating they were united by "trust and friendship".

"I will fight by her side so she can win the appeal. Until the appeal we will campaign together, as we will after, hand-in-hand," he said in his interview.

The RN was founded by Le Pen's father Jean-Marie in 1972. Known then as the National Front (FN), it has since become a decisive force in French politics. Jean-Marie Le Pen was convicted several times for Holocaust denial and was an unrepentant extremist on race.

In his interview with Nick Robinson, Bardella distanced himself from Jean-Marie Le Pen's comments, as have many other RN politicians in recent years.

"I am fighting against the caricature of my political movement, of my ideas," he said, adding his responsibility was to bring together the French people and present the country with "a project of national recovery".

"My people's expectations for a break with the past are numerous," Bardella added.

Challenged on the racist and antisemitic history of the RN's precursor, Bardella rejected accusations that the National Front had ever put forward arguments that could "offend" some sections of the population

"A lot of Jewish people vote for us and consider us a bulwark against extremism," he said.

The RN is primarily known as an anti-immigration party and has long pushed for France to have stricter immigration rules, including limiting social spending to French citizens.

"If tomorrow I am the head of government, France will no longer be the target of mass immigration," he said, adding that if elected his first provision would be to trigger a referendum on immigration. "It will allow us to take back control of our borders."

However, according to the French constitution, a referendum can only be held on certain subjects which do not include immigration, so the constitution would have to be amended first. In order to do so, the RN would have to clinch the presidency and have either an absolute majority in Parliament or enough allies.

Bardella - who grew up in the Paris region but himself has parents of immigrant origin - drew a clear distinction between people who he said were born in France but "reject republican institutions like the police or values like secularism", and others who "do everything to become French - espouse the language, culture and national patrimony".

When pressed on what it means to be French if being born in the country is not sufficient, Bardella said he felt being French was an "honour" that transcended bureaucracy.

"Being French is adhering to some values and lifestyles, believing in equality between men and women," he argued.

"I defend secularism and I feel that Islamism has today become a separate political project... which wants to impose its rules on French society," Bardella added, before promising to close down radical mosques and banning "hate preachers" from the country if elected.

Although he did not expand on France's frequent and longstanding financial woes - the country's debt is more than €3 trillion, or around 114% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) - Bardella said the French economy was "sick".

"We face two ailments – excessive taxation and excessive regulation," he said, promising to free the country from the "shackles" that limit growth. The RN has repeatedly voted down the yearly budgets put forward by governments since last year, and has promised to similarly vote down this year's.

Bardella's position on Ukraine also bears some differences with that of the current centrist government. While he stated Russia represented a "multidimensional threat to French and European interests", and that Kyiv will need security guarantees even in the event of a peace deal, he also said that he was "firmly opposed" to sending soldiers to Ukraine.

Emmanuel Macron's government, on the other hand, has proposed deploying a steady military presence, albeit far from the front line.

But such a decision "would contribute to an escalation," Bardella said, "especially given that we have nuclear weapons and that President Putin has intentions whose limits are unclear".

If Bardella does stand at the next presidential election and wins, he will be 31.

Macron was 39 when he became France's youngest ever president in 2017. While Macron was finance minister for two years under François Hollande, Bardella, in comparison, has never been in government.

"It's true I am 30 years old. Unfortunately I can't do anything about that," he argued.

"I recognise the existential questions facing our country... And I'd rather be told that today is 'too soon' rather than tomorrow is 'too late'."

Sporadic gunfire and explosions have been reported as M23 rebels advance towards a key city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, in an offensive that has forced thousands to flee across the border into Burundi.

Residents and military sources said soldiers were fleeing the assault on Uvira, the last government-held city in the mineral-rich region.

US President Donald Trump brokered a peace deal last week between DR Congo's President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwanda's Paul Kagame to end the long-running conflict.

Shops and schools have closed, with terrified residents staying indoors amid fears that rebels had taken control of some government buildings.

But South Kivu Governor Jean-Jacques Purusi dismissed reports that the rebels were in the city as "completely unfounded rumours".

Residents told local media that the rebels were patrolling central Uvira under the cover of darkness on Tuesday night, while the city remained deserted early on Wednesday.

A local rights official told AP news agency that there was a "risk of a massacre" if the remaining soldiers mounted strong resistance.

"It's chaotic, nobody's in charge. Uvira is done for," a Burundian officer told AFP news agency.

"Three bombs have just exploded in the hills. It's every man for himself," a resident told AFP, while another added: "We are all under the beds in Uvira - that's the reality."

Military and security sources said the rebel fighters advanced from the north, near the Burundian border.

In an interview with UN-backed Radio Okapi, Purusi denied Uvira had fallen to the M23, saying the city remained under the control of government forces.

The US, European Union, and eight European nations have accused Rwanda of supporting the rebel offensive, and have called for an immediate halt to the fighting

In a joint statement, they voiced "profound concern" about the violence, and said it had a "destabilising potential for the whole region".

Rwanda has denied any involvement in the fighting, accusing DR Congo's government and its ally, Burundi, of violating a ceasefire.

UN experts say Rwanda's army is in "de facto control of M23 operations".

About 200,000 people have fled their homes in eastern DR Congo since the latest round of fighting started early this month, the UN says.

It said at least 74 people had been killed, mostly civilians, and 83 admitted to hospital with wounds.

A Burundian administrative source told AFP that he had recorded more than 8,000 daily arrivals over the past two days, and 30,000 arrivals in one week.

The latest offensive comes nearly a year after the M23 rebels seized control of Goma and Bukavu, the other two main cities in eastern DR Congo.

The M23 is not part of the US-brokered peace deal, and is in separate talks with DR Congo's government in mediation efforts led by Qatar.

In a national address on Monday, Tshisekedi accused Rwanda of "deliberate violations" of the peace accord.

"This is a proxy war aimed at challenging our sovereignty over a highly strategic area, rich in critical minerals and economic potential that is crucial to the future of our nation," Tshisekedi said.

For its part, Rwanda accused the armies of DR Congo and Burundi of bombing villages near its border, forcing more than 1,000 civilians to flee into its territory.

Eastern DR Congo has been wracked by conflict for more than 30 years, since the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Several peace deals going back to the 1990s have collapsed.

Numerous armed groups have competed with the central authorities for power and control of the potential fortune in this vast nation.

More about the DR Congo conflict:

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President Donald Trump has told a campaign-style rally that consumer prices are falling "tremendously" as he sought to allay voter anxiety about the US cost of living.

In a speech at a casino in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, the president told supporters he had "no higher priority than making America affordable again".

But while gas and egg prices have fallen, other food is more expensive and Americans remain unhappy about the cost of housing, childcare and healthcare.

Democrats have capitalised on Trump's political vulnerability on the economy in recent off-cycle votes, leaving many Republicans uneasy about next year's midterms elections.

Tuesday's event in a swing district of Pennsylvania was the first of what the White House says will be a series of campaign-like rallies aimed at bringing its economic message to voters.

But at one point in his remarks, the Republican president again portrayed concerns about affordability as a Democratic "hoax".

In recent weeks, his administration has removed tariffs from dozens of food products and touted its rollback of fuel efficiency standards and Trump-branded retirement accounts for children as cost-of-living fixes.

In an excerpt from an interview with Politico released on Tuesday, Trump was asked what grade he would give the economy.

"A plus-plus-plus-plus-plus," he said.

In a sign the policy pivot might be cutting through, Trump's approval rating rose three points to 41% in a new Reuters/Ipsos poll.

But many Americans remain downbeat on the economy.

Alaina Hunt, 37, who lost her job as a designer at a construction company in Oklahoma City, told the BBC her position was in part a casualty of Trump's tariffs on steel and aluminium.

The construction sector "really took a hard hit very early on", she said. Ms Hunt says she has applied for at least 75 jobs in web design and development since April, to no avail, amid a broader slowdown in hiring.

She says rising grocery bills - about $25 extra per week - have added to the strain.

"I was able to scrape by a lot easier in years before," said Ms Hunt, who voted for Kamala Harris. "I don't think that the federal government is listening at all."

Economic data paints a mixed picture.

US consumer confidence fell in November to its lowest level since the spring.

But the stock market continues to hover near record highs. And forecasters expect the economy to expand by 1.9% this year, slower than last year's 2.8% but still better than expected.

Some recent data also indicate the job market may be picking up, after a significant hiring slowdown earlier this year.

As of September, inflation stood at 3%, the same rate as in January when the president took office and stubbornly above the Federal Reserve's 2% target.

It is still way below a peak of 9.1% under former President Joe Biden when the US faced its worst inflation in four decades.

Overall prices have surged 25% over the last five years, generating widespread frustration, despite wage growth over that period.

Beth Richardson, a 45-year-old from Kansas, said she had been floored by some of the prices at the grocery store near her, recalling a pack of Mentos gum she picked up recently that rang up to almost $5 with tax.

"I'm like, I'm just going to go die now because this cannot be," she said.

Ms Richardson was laid off from her job in sales support at a tech-related company in late 2023, after the firm shifted jobs overseas. She voted for Kamala Harris last year.

She said while she knew presidents were often blamed for economic forces over which they had little control, she felt in this case Trump and his policies, like tariffs, were "shooting ourselves in the foot".

On Tuesday night, Trump called tariffs his "favourite word", pointing to hundreds of billions of dollars of US revenue from import taxes.

The White House blames Biden and the Fed, arguing high interest rates are hurting the economy.

The US central bank has twice reduced rates to about 3.9% and may cut them again on Wednesday.

Many Trump supporters have said they still back the president, despite feeling the pinch themselves.

John Mohring, 60, of Kenosha, Wisconsin, has backed Trump since 2016, though rising prices worry him.

Mr Mohring, who works in construction and has lived alone since his wife died three years ago, said grocery prices started rising before Trump returned to the White House "and it doesn't seem like it's going down".

He now typically spends $100 on groceries just for himself, even when avoiding buying meat and sticking with cheaper items.

Still, Mr Mohring said he backed the Trump administration's sweeping tariffs on imported goods and his border policies.

"I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt," Mr Mohring added.

Brad Smith, a corn and soybean farmer in north-western Illinois, was hurt earlier this year when China, previously a major buyer of US soybeans, froze its purchases amid a trade war with Washington.

But the market, he said, had been gradually recovering since late October, when the two countries reached a trade agreement and China resumed some purchases.

Trump on Monday also announced a $12bn aid package for US farmers.

Mr Smith said he still believed in Trump's plans for the economy, despite being getting caught in the crossfire.

"There's probably bigger things at play other than just the soybean and corn market," Mr Smith said.

"The whole America First idea is good."