02/04/2026

THURSDAY | APR 2, 2026

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France eyes teen social media ban PARIS: President Emmanuel Macron is hoping France will become one of the first European Union countries to ban social media for under 15s. Both houses of parliament seem to have different visions for the ban, meaning they will likely need to reach a compromise before it can become law. But even if the legislation is adopted, questions remain over whether it could be enforced. The lower house National Assembly in January passed legislation demanding all social media platforms refuse new users under 15 and suspend accounts belonging to children under that age. Authorities want the Bill, which also provides for a ban on mobile phones in high schools, to be enforced from September. But the right-leaning Senate, which adopted the Bill on Tuesday, did so with some reservations and attached several conditions through amendments to the text, which could delay the Bill being adopted by both houses. A committee in the upper house has instead suggested a two-tier system, distinguishing between platforms flagged as harmful to a child’s “physical, mental, or moral development”, and those that could still be accessed with parental consent. Their revised version of the Bill excludes encyclopaedias and educational platforms. France’s public health watchdog last year said platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram were detrimental to adolescents, particularly girls, though it was not the sole reason for their declining mental health. The president has said the emotions of children and teenagers should not be “for sale or manipulated by American platforms and Chinese algorithms”. Nine child protection associations in January said lawmakers should hold the platforms responsible, not ban children from social media. Hard-left lawmaker Arnaud Saint-Martin said such a ban would amount to “digital paternalism” and be an “overly simplistic” response to the negative impacts of technology. While backing France’s right to impose such a ban, the European Commission in January said that any enforcement would lie with the European Union. – AFP Pope floats ‘off-ramp’ ROME: Pope Leo XIV expressed hope on Tuesday evening that President Donald Trump is looking for an “off-ramp” for the Iran war, German Press Agency (dpa) reported. “Hopefully he’s looking for an off-ramp,” the pontiff said when asked by a journalist outside his residence in Castel Gandolfo near Rome. “Hopefully he’s looking for a way to decrease the amount of violence, of bombing.” The 70-year-old is the first head of the Catholic Church from the US. The pope had been asked whether, in view of the Iran war, he wanted to make an appeal to Trump. Leo replied: “I’m told that President Trump recently stated that he would like to end the war.” He then expressed his hope for a way out of the conflict. An end to hostilities would be a “a significant contribution to removing the hatred that’s being created and it’s increasing constantly – in the Middle East and elsewhere,” Leo said. Since the start of the military escalation following US-Israeli attacks on Iran, the pope has repeatedly spoken out in favour of an end to the violence. He also used his sermon on Palm Sunday at the weekend for an urgent appeal for peace: “Jesus is the king of peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war ... He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.” – Bernama

Greenpeace accuses big oil of reaping ‘war profits’

o Increase in margins much greater for diesel

European introduce permanent additional taxes on the profits of oil and gas companies, the proceeds of which would be used to reduce energy bills and accelerate European energy independence,” the environmental group said. The United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb 28, triggering a regional conflict that has caused global oil and gas prices to surge and sparked fears of fuel shortages, especially in import-reliant Asia. Last week, the price of diesel in France hit its highest level since 1985, surpassing the peaks reached after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Under increasing pressure, many governments have rolled out measures to limit the impact of supply difficulties and soaring energy prices. – AFP governments to

“The report shows that the rise in prices at the pump is far greater than that of underlying crude oil prices,” Greenpeace said in a statement. The increase in margins was much greater for diesel fuel than for petrol. “Compared with the pre-war months, the oil companies earned a daily excess profit of €75.3 million from the sale of diesel fuel to cars and trucks,” the report said. “Petrol sales contributed €6.1 million a day.” Margins were expanded predominantly in countries with high purchasing power such as the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Austria and Germany, the report said. In Germany, excess profits stood at €23.8 million a day, followed by France, at €11.6 million a day. “Greenpeace France is calling on

PARIS: A study commissioned by Greenpeace said yesterday that oil companies have been making more than €80 million (RM373 million) a day in “war profits” in the European Union since the start of the war. “If this level persists, the oil companies can expect additional operating profits of approximately €2.5 billion for the month of March alone,” the study said. The study examined the difference between the price of crude oil and the price of fuel at the pump between January and February, and the first three weeks of the war in March.

A villager walks by apricot trees in Ghanche, Gilgit-Baltistan. – AFPPIC

Spring brings calm in a troubled world GILGIT: The harsh days of winter are over in Pakistan’s high north and while snow still tops the towering peaks that dominate the landscape, spring has arrived in the foothills. But this year, visitors who have come to witness the region’s cherry and apricot blossoms see it as the perfect tonic to the war in the Middle East and its knock-on effects. “There’s war going on all over the world right now. It’s petrol crisis, this and that, everything has become more expensive, everyone is in a depression,” Hatib, 27, from Karachi, told AFP. “But to get out of depression, you need to

lakes and glaciers of Gilgit-Baltistan are a magnet for the daring and adventurous. But more sedate visitors can instead take selfies in the orchards of the flowering deep valleys, under a clear blue sky with only the chirrup of birdsong and the bleat of foraging goats to break the surrounding silence. “No matter how much inflation there is in Pakistan today, no matter how much petrol prices are going up, tourists still don’t want to miss the cherry blossom and apricot blossom season,” said local visitor Maria Akbar, 29. “Even if we have to spend extra money, it’s not a problem, but we’ll enjoy this view.” – AFP

step outside, go out somewhere, see places, explore and relax the mind,” he said. The blossoms that turn bare trees into a vibrant shade of pink carpet the thawing farmland of Gilgit-Baltistan from late March every year, marking renewal and the promise of fruit harvests to come for local people. “The best part is when these flowers are falling. It literally feels like a dream,” Hatib said. The region, home to about 1.7 million people, has some of the world’s highest mountains, including K2, which soars to 8,611m, second only to Mount Everest. The jagged mountain ranges, high-altitude