Facebook memo’s “ugly” truth

Bullying at school, or "ijime", is a persistent problem in Japan. In 2020, there were 612,000 recorded cases at schools across the country – more than three times the number a decade ago. What begins as a joke among friends can end in insults and violence. Bullying leads to academic failure, isolation and, in some cases, suicide. Last year, 80 percent of Japanese schools reported bullying incidents. Our correspondents Louis Belin, Ryusuke Murata, Aruna Popuri and Justin McCurry report from Tokyo.

For the first time since inception in 2004, Facebook lost about 5 lakh users on a daily basis during Oct-Dec 2021. That saw the shares of its parent company, Meta, plunge 20 percent on the exchanges, wiping off $200 bn in market capitalisation.

The UN Human Rights Council is opening an investigation into violations surrounding the latest Gaza violence, and into "systematic" abuses in the Palestinian territories and inside Israel. DW's Tania Krämer reports on tensions in Israel's mixed cities.

Fear mongering content became viral on social media this week, as Ukrainian civilians prepare for an imminent Russian attack.

Here are a few reasons to pick up a copy of The Guardian on Wednesday⁣.⁣

Many posts on social media claiming to pertain to the current conflict in Ukraine are in fact videos and photos different events in other regions that happened several years ago. We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.

Many posts on social media claiming to pertain to the current conflict in Ukraine are in fact videos and photos of different events in other regions that happened several years ago. We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.

Social media posts may seem insignificant when compared with the brutality on the ground in Ukraine, but what goes viral is directly affecting the war and Russia knows this. This Friday, the chairman of the Russian parliament Vyacheslav Volodin railed against foreign social media, calling it a "weapon" that Russia "must oppose". This comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky secured a series of victories against Russia on the international stage, thanks in no small part to his internet star power.

We bring you the front pages, which focus on the victims of Vladimir Putin's brutal war in Ukraine. Also, we look at the origins of the "Z" symbol, which has become a way to express support for Putin and the invasion. Papers dedicate their editions to the women of Ukraine, whether they are fighting on the frontlines or giving birth in basements. Finally, we look at how Ukraine's first lady has emerged from the shadows to rally Ukrainians and boost morale.

Facebook and Instagram's parent company, Meta, has been designated as an "extremist" organization by a Russian court. But Meta's WhatsApp is excluded from the ban.

We look at the Russian commander dubbed the "butcher of Mariupol" by the Times of London. We also discover a photo from a paediatric hospital that has come to define the war in Ukraine. Plus, Prince William and Kate are accused of colonial overtones in their official tour of the Caribbean, Italy crashes and burns in its World Cup qualifier and the founder of modern Internet culture, the GIF, passes away.

Sri Lanka's government said restrictions on access to social media platforms came a day after protesters defied a nationwide curfew to demand government accountability.