Afternoon Update: ‘proud’ PM hails social media ban; Trump fact-checked; and an uninvited bear

Anthony Albanese and Anika Wells mark the beginning of the under-16s social media ban at Kirribilli House in Sydney on Wednesday. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Good afternoon.

Anthony Albanese has called the beginning of Australia’s under-16s social media ban a “proud day” for him to be prime minister. Albanese told an event celebrating the launch that the ban would not be perfect from day one, but suggested it would one day stand alongside Australia’s other great world-leading reforms.

The prime minister’s admission came as some platforms, including Twitch, Reddit and YouTube, were still allowing accounts registered for 14-year-olds. Matilda Boseley’s video explainer clears up misinformation around the ban, including whether children who sneak on to social media are breaking the law.

Top news

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In pictures

A 250kg bear has laid claim to the crawl space under a California home, remaining unmoved by a “lure” of caramel and cherry smells for more than two weeks.

What they said …

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“We had a meeting and I said, ‘Why is it we only take people from shithole countries, right?’” – Donald Trump

The US president spoke at a rally-style event in Pennsylvania, unleashing a blitz of false claims about the economy alongside xenophobic attacks on immigrants from Somalia. Sam Levin fact checked Trump’s comment on the economy, boat strikes and transgender people.

Full Story

‘No playbook for this’: the eSafety commissioner on her world-first social media ban

Today more than a million teenagers woke up to find themselves locked out of social media sites as Australia’s world-first ban for under-16s came into force.

Guardian Australia technology reporter Josh Taylor has spoken to Julie Inman Grant about how she plans to enforce the move, why it could fail and how taking on the tech firms has come at a personal cost.

Listen to the episode here.

Before bed read

It’s two years since we were told “the age of fossil fuels will end”, and Guardian Australia’s climate and environment editor, Adam Morton, wants to know: when will the country finally get prepared?

Daily word game

Today’s starter word is: MUN. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.

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