Australia introduced a social media ban for under-16s in December, the first country to do so

International News via Reuters:

Austria’s conservative-led, three-party government plans to introduce a ban on social media use for children under 14, it said on Friday.

Cabinet members from the three ruling parties announced a deal between them on the principle of a ban, aimed at protecting children from “algorithms that are addictive” and content including sexual abuse, but could not say when it would begin, and they have yet to agree on how it will be implemented.

“We will decisively protect children and young people in future from the negative effects of social media,” Vice Chancellor Andreas Babler of the Social Democrats said.

“We will no longer stand by and watch while these platforms make our children addicted and often also sick … The risks associated with this use were ignored for long enough, and now it is time to act,” he added.

Australia introduced a social media ban for under-16s in December, the first country to do so. Various countries are considering or moving towards similar bans. France’s lower house of parliament approved a ban for under-15s in January.

Draft legislation for Austria’s ban would be drawn up by the end of June, Babler and conservative junior minister for digitization Alexander Proell said.

Babler also said the government would not list individual platforms the ban would apply to but rather would decide based on how addictive their algorithms are and whether they include content such as “sexualised violence”.

Reporting by Francois Murphy; Editing by Alison Williams

Oil and gas prices have spiked since the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran began on ​February 28, creating a price shock similar to the energy crisis Europe went through after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022

International News via Reuters:

European Union finance ministers will seek to coordinate on Friday their response to the energy price surge due to the Iran war, ensuring that the measures aid the vulnerable and move Europe further away from fossil fuels, while keeping the fiscal cost and demand in check. 

Oil and gas prices have spiked since the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran began on ​February 28, creating a price shock similar to the energy crisis Europe went through after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, even as EU countries are now getting a lot more energy from renewable sources.

“EU-level coordination is essential to prevent market fragmentation and leverage economies of scale, thereby reducing the overall need for intervention,” the European Commission said in a note preparing the ministers’ discussions.

But because European governments don’t know how long the disruption to oil and gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz will last, they are cautious about launching fiscally costly policies that might soon be unnecessary but will be hard to roll back.

EU finance ministers have invited the head of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol, to brief them on the latest developments.

“Short-term measures to provide relief to consumers (households and industries) could be considered,” the Commission said. “However, a key lesson from the 2022-2023 energy crisis is that many of these measures were broad and untargeted, leading to inefficiencies and very large fiscal costs.”

EU BETTER PLACED THAN BEFORE BUT STILL VULNERABLE

The Commission said the EU’s position had improved since 2022 as renewable sources now account for 48% of its energy, up from 36% in 2021.

But most of Europe’s cars and trucks still run on petrol, and almost 20% of Europe’s oil came from the Gulf, now largely shut off from business.

To reduce the impact of the more expensive oil and gas, the Commission proposed that governments could, as a preferred option, support the income of the most vulnerable households because that would not distort market price signals too much.

They could also encourage energy savings, such as the use of public transport, housing renovation, and energy efficiency in industry.

EU countries could also lower their taxes on electricity, but this measure should be used with caution because it could cut budget revenues at a time when most EU countries already struggle with high debt and relatively slow growth.

Finally, governments could consider price interventions for vulnerable consumers and firms in the form of two-tier pricing for electricity or natural gas, the Commission said.

The advantage of an arrangement where the price grows with usage is that it would provide price relief for vulnerable consumers and firms while keeping an incentive to save energy.

The Commission said any such measures should include a clear end-date. They could be financed from the carbon Emissions Trading System revenues, as well as taxing possible windfall profits of energy firms linked to high energy prices.

Reporting by Jan Strupczewski, editing by Andrei Khalip

According to the deal, reached after four rounds of talks, the basic salary for ground staff will be raised by a total of 4.65% in two steps, said trade union Verdi

International News via Reuters:

Lufthansa Group has reached a collective bargaining agreement for more than 20,000 ground staff in Germany, winning some breathing room as labour disputes with other unions continue.

According to the deal, reached after four rounds of talks, the basic salary for ground staff will be raised by a total of 4.65% in two steps, said trade union Verdi.

Lufthansa said that an initial 2.2% raise was agreed retroactively at air freight as well as maintenance and repair units from January 1 this year. For staff at passenger business Deutsche Lufthansa AG, that will be one year later because of a “challenging business environment”.

There will be a further 2.4% raise from March 1, 2027, across businesses.

The airline remains in protracted disputes over benefits with pilots and flight attendants, who have gone on strike.

Reporting by Klaus Lauer, writing by Miranda Murray and Ludwig Burger, editing by Thomas Seythal

The government officials, from Canada, Argentina and Brazil, told Reuters they expect the deal to be concluded in 2026

International News via Reuters:

Canada and South America’s Mercosur bloc are advancing toward a free‑trade agreement that could be signed by the end of the year, with another round of negotiations scheduled for next month in Brasilia, according to three sources familiar with the talks.

The government officials, from Canada, Argentina and Brazil, told Reuters they expect the deal to be concluded in 2026, with one noting that talks were progressing well and could be wrapped up before September. 

The Argentine government official said that the agreement is expected to be signed in September or October, marking roughly a year since negotiations formally restarted.

Another diplomat, based in Brazil, also told Reuters negotiations are going at a record speed and extremely well, confirming the countries will probably reach a deal this year.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to visit Brazil in the next quarter, said this source. Although neither government plans to announce an agreement during the visit, it may serve as a push to finalize one as soon as possible, the source said.

Mercosur’s office in Montevideo and the Canadian trade ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. 

The renewed momentum follows months of technical exchanges after Canada and Mercosur agreed last year to relaunch the talks that had been stalled since 2021. Mercosur is composed of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, with Bolivia expected to become a full member in 2028.

Canada has intensified efforts to diversify trade amid uncertainty linked to tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump and South America, especially Brazil, said this source, is a trade partner Canada cannot do without. For Mercosur, a major exporter of beef, soy and minerals, an agreement with Canada would expand access to developed markets and help attract investment in key industries such as mining.

Earlier in March, trade officials from Ontario, a province central to Canada’s economy, visited Argentina and Uruguay as part of efforts to lay the groundwork for a future deal and showcase support for increased bilateral trade. Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, Victor Fedeli, met with technology and mining industry representatives as part of the trip, building on a visit to Brazil late last year.

Fedeli said Ontario was stepping up outreach to South America partly due to what he called the “Trump acceleration” effect, noting that roughly 80% of the province’s trade is with the United States.

“We’re building on that momentum,” Fedeli said in an interview with Reuters in Montevideo. “The Canadian government is serious about diversifying away from the U.S., working to unlock new opportunities for trade, partnership, and investment,” he added. 

The talks with Canada come after Mercosur signed a trade agreement with the European Union in January, following 25 years of negotiations. Earlier this month the European Commission said key trade elements ​of the accord, which ​has proven contentious in Europe, will apply on a provisional basis from ​May 1.

Reporting by Lucinda Elliott in Montevideo, Lisandra Paraguassu in Brasilia. Additional reporting by Lucila Sigal in Buenos Aires; Editing by Cassandra Garrison and Lisa Shumaker

The lawsuit escalates a years-long dispute over what Ben & Jerry’s and its board say were Unilever’s efforts to undermine their autonomy and the brand’s social mission

International News via Reuters:

Unilever and its recently spun-off Magnum ice cream unit were sued for defamation on Thursday by Anuradha Mittal, who was ousted in December as chair of Ben & Jerry’s independent board, saying the companies vilified and discredited her for supporting Palestinian rights.

The lawsuit escalates a years-long dispute over what Ben & Jerry’s and its board say were Unilever’s efforts to undermine their autonomy and the brand’s social mission, including by removing former Ben & Jerry’s Chief Executive Dave Stever.

In separate statements, spokespeople for Unilever and Magnum called Mittal’s claims “unfounded,” and said they were confident the legal process would bear this out.

Mittal said in her complaint that her support for Palestinian rights and a ceasefire in Gaza “rankled” Unilever, with the acrimony escalating after Unilever announced the Magnum spinoff in March 2024.

She said the defamation included claims she engaged in self-dealing, received improper benefits, diverted funds from the nonprofit Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, created a toxic work environment, and was unfit to remain board chair following internal investigations.

“Defendants achieved their goal of thoroughly humiliating and discrediting Ms. Mittal,” harming her reputation and causing depression and chronic insomnia, according to the complaint filed in the federal court in Oakland, California.

Unilever retained a 19.9% stake in Magnum following the December spinoff. Magnum brands also include Breyers, Klondike and Wall’s.

FOUR-DECADE RELATIONSHIP UNRAVELED

Mittal is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages. She said Unilever and Magnum acted with “actual malice,” meaning they knew their statements were false or had reckless disregard for their truth.

Raised in Kanpur, India, Mittal is the founder and executive director of the Oakland Institute, a think tank focused on the rights of farmers, forest dwellers, indigenous communities and pastoralists.

Ben & Jerry’s has had a socially conscious mission since its 1978 founding by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, and was acquired by Unilever in 2000.

The relationship began unraveling in 2021 when Ben & Jerry’s said it would stop selling ice cream in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Ben & Jerry’s sued Unilever in November 2024 to stop alleged efforts to dismantle its board and end its progressive social activism, which has also included attempts to criticize U.S. President Donald Trump.

That lawsuit remains pending, and the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation obtained court permission last week to join as a plaintiff.

Magnum has called that litigation “regrettable” and said it was committed to supporting Ben & Jerry’s.

Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Matthew Lewis, Chris Reese and Lincoln Feast.