Eurotopics.net

A new law banning children under the age of 16 from using social media comes into force in Australia today. Platform operators are required to ensure that children in this age group can no longer create an account. Commentators in Europe discuss whether the ban makes sense and can be effective.

Just over two months after the Czech parliamentary elections, the winner, multi-billionaire Andrej Babiš, has been appointed prime minister by President Petr Pavel. What this means for the country's foreign policy and the EU is a hot topic among commentators.

At a meeting in London on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer discussed how to proceed on the war in Ukraine. The 28-point peace plan presented by the US was shortened to exclude positions that were 'anti-Ukrainian' (Zelensky) and now comprises 20 points. Once the details have been ironed out, the plan will be sent to Washington.

On Friday, it seemed to be a done deal: Netflix and Warner Bros. jointly announced that the streaming giant would be taking over the media and film company for around 71.3 billion euros. But in addition to the competition watchdogs, whose approval is still pending, US President Donald Trump also voiced criticism of the takeover. Shortly afterwards, film production company Paramount submitted an offer of around 93 billion euros.

The EU Commission looks likely to backtrack on its plans to ban the combustion engine in 2035: in an interview with Handelsblatt newspaper, Sustainable Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas has declared himself "open to all technologies". Previously German Chancellor Friedrich Merz wrote a letter to Brussels asking it to continue to allow "highly efficient" combustion vehicles in addition to hybrid cars.