The Austrian government has announced plans to introduce a mandatory ban on social media use for children under 14 years old. Conservative junior minister for digitisation Alexander Proll confirmed the decision at a joint press conference on Friday, stating that draft legislation would be prepared by June, with cabinet members from other governing parties in attendance.
Yemen's Houthi rebels, allied with Iran, are not currently actively participating in the war against the United States and Israel. However, an Iranian military official told the Tasnim news agency that if the US attacks Iran's oil facilities on Kharg Island, Tehran could choose to destabilize the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait off Yemen's coast.
France’s Sports Minister Marina Ferrari has condemned the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) decision to introduce genetic testing for women’s events as a “step backwards”, warning it raises major ethical, legal, and scientific concerns. In a statement on Friday, Ferrari expressed the French government’s “deep concern” over the ruling, opposing any broad use of genetic screening that conflicts with French bioethics legislation. She highlighted that such tests, initially introduced in 1967, were discontinued in 1999 due to scientific reservations, and France regrets this regression.
In the war initiated by the US and Israeli regimes, the initiative currently lies with Iran. Over the past month, the conflict has not moved toward resolution but instead toward escalation. The US and Israeli leadership had hoped to eliminate Iran's leadership and collapse its political system, but this failed to materialize, leading to a protracted war.
Mohaddeseh Fallahat recalls combing her children's hair on the morning of February 28, tying their shoes, and lifting their backpacks before kissing them goodbye. Addressing a session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva via videolink on Friday, she stated, "That morning was like any other. There was no sign that this would be the last time. As they walked out the door, they simply said, 'Mum, come pick us up after school.' That simple sentence now repeats in my mind 1,000 times, and each time my heart burns with pain."
The World Bank has approved a $10.6 million grant to Uzbekistan aimed at reducing leaks in the country's aging gas transmission infrastructure and ensuring supply to households and industrial enterprises. The bank's representative office in Uzbekistan officially announced this decision.
The Pakistani government has announced the resumption of military operations in Afghanistan. According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 26, the temporary ceasefire that was in effect during the Ramadan holiday has ended, and expectations for a long-term cessation of hostilities have not been met.
The European Union (EU) regime has announced it will introduce handling fees for small packages arriving from outside the bloc starting November 1. This fee will be charged in addition to a customs tax on such items that goes into effect in July. The EU Parliament and the European Council on Thursday voted to introduce the handling fees, with the European Commission required to set the amount, which is likely to be around €2 ($2.30) per package.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned that the military operation by the United States and Israel against Iran has spun out of control and could escalate into a broader regional conflict, threatening global stability. He stated that the situation has already surpassed boundaries once considered unthinkable, posing risks of increased human suffering and deeper global economic disruption, with the world allegedly standing on the brink of a larger war.
The prosecutor's office in Iran's Golestan province has ordered the confiscation of assets belonging to former Iran national team striker Sardar Azmoun and 15 other individuals. This decision is based on allegations that they, while residing outside Iran, have purportedly provided support to the Israeli and U.S. regimes, with charges framed as "assisting the enemy."
The Indian government has announced a substantial reduction in fuel taxes in response to soaring global energy prices, a situation exacerbated by the United States and Israel's alleged pressure campaign against Iran. Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri stated on social media that authorities faced a choice between drastically hiking fuel prices or absorbing financial losses to shield consumers. This move comes as oil prices have surged past $100 per barrel following attacks by Israel and the US on February 28, which purportedly aim to curb Iranian influence.
Officials in the administration of US President Donald Trump are conducting simulations to assess the economic consequences if oil prices rise to $200 per barrel. According to Bloomberg, such modeling is regularly performed during periods of geopolitical tension and is not considered a baseline forecast, but aims to prepare the administration for various scenarios.