Australia has passed a legislation banning minors under 16-year olds from social media platforms, with the bill receiving bipartisan parliamentary support. We speak to Dr Bejamin Low, Director for Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions Impact Lab at Taylor’s University to discuss the impact this bill will have on Australian youth concerning their physical and mental health as well as the potential drawbacks of implementing this ban.

· Catastrophic floods hit the East Coast: The government is expecting ongoing floods on the East Coast to reach nearly catastrophic levels, with current numbers showing over 84,000 displaced people and 3 casualties so far. Nor Eliza Binti Alias from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s Hydraulics and Hydrology Research Group shares insights on whether the situation will worsen.

· Spousal abuse on the rise: Spousal abuse remains the top form of domestic violence in Malaysia, according to statistics from the All Women's Action Society (AWAM). The organisation's services officer, Pavitra Muniandy, joins us to speak about current trends of gender-based violence.

· Restaurant owner lauded for feeding stray dogs: Kak Masha, a restaurant owner in Johor Baru, recently gained support from the public after sharing her story of being threatened by people who were unhappy about her feeding stray dogs. Nurul Ain Abdul Hamid, co-founder of S.I Shelter, speaks to us about her experience as a Muslim who takes care of dogs, and why she feels its important for us to show compassion for all animals.

· Defining 'holding space': This phrase recently became a meme on social media, after it was used in an interview with Wicked cast members Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. Dr Anasuya Jegathevi Jegathesan, Dean of Psychology and Social Sciences at the University of Cyberjaya shares her thoughts on what this term means in relation to therapy and mental health.

Image Credit: Thaspol Sangsee, Shutterstock

Produced by: Sudais Ferhard, Tee Shiao Eek, Alia Zefri

Presented by: Lee Chwi Lynn, Dashran Yohan

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Categories:  politics,  government,  international,  Law/Activism,  controversies,  education

Tags:  australia social media ban,  Kak masha,  holding space,  social media,  flooding,  spousal abuse,  awam,  stray dogs,  Wicked Music People,