The corresponding notification is currently being sent to the European Commission, the newspaper reported citing sources in the government

International News via Reuters:

Germany will extend checks at its borders by a further six months beyond March 15 due to the ongoing security situation, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told Bild newspaper in comments released on Monday.

The corresponding notification is currently being sent to the European Commission, the newspaper reported citing sources in the government.

“We are extending controls at the borders with our neighbouring countries – border controls are one element of our reorganisation of migration policy in Germany,” Bild quoted Dobrindt as saying.

Writing by Linda Pasquini, Editing by Friederike Heine

Britain, which has warned of the risks posed by Russia, said in February 2025 that it would increase annual defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 and target 3% in the next parliament

International News via Reuters:

The British government is considering bringing forward the target date for spending 3% of economic output on defence, a year after it last increased its planned budget for the military, the BBC reported on Monday.

Britain, which has warned of the risks posed by Russia, said in February 2025 that it would increase annual defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 and target 3% in the next parliament, which is expected to begin after an election due in 2029. 

The BBC said Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s aides were now looking at proposals to meet the 3% ambition by 2029. It said no decision had been taken but the government recognised current plans would not cover rising defence costs. 

Starmer told the Munich Security Conference on Saturday that Europe had come together to support Ukraine with the supply of weapons and munitions, adding: “it is clear that we are going to have to spend more faster”. 

The latest NATO estimates show that Britain spent 2.3% of GDP on defence in 2024, above the 2% NATO guideline. But in line with other European countries it has come under pressure from the United States to spend more to protect the continent.

Struggling with high debt and spending commitments, the government last year cut its international aid budget in order to fund the hike in defence spending to 2.5% of GDP but is yet to publish an investment plan with spending priorities, something that has frustrated the defence industry.

Britain’s budget watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility, said last year that increasing spending to 3% of GDP would cost an additional 17.3 billion pounds a year ($24 billion) in 2029-30.

Finance minister Rachel Reeves has struggled to remain on course to meet her targets for repairing the public finances. The BBC said the finance ministry was believed to be cautious about the new defence spending proposals. A government spokesperson declined to comment on any revised plans.

“The government is focused on delivering for defence,” the spokesperson said. “We are delivering the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War, with an extra 5 billion pounds for defence this financial year alone.”

($1 = 0.7332 pounds)

Reporting by Kate Holton; Editing by Kirsten Donovan and William Schomberg

Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government last month launched a consultation on a social media ban for children under 16

International News via Reuters:

Britain could bring in an Australian-style ban on social media for children under 16 as early as this year and close a loophole that left some AI chatbots outside safety rules, as part of government efforts to respond more quickly to digital risks.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government last month launched a consultation on a social media ban for children under 16 and is now working to change legislation so it could bring in any changes within months of the consultation concluding.

Spain, Greece and Slovenia have also said they are working on bans after Australia became the first country in the world to block access to under 16s. Scrutiny has since intensified further after Elon Musk’s flagship AI chatbot Grok was found to be generating nonconsensual sexualised images.

GLOBAL PRESSURE GROWS ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

Britain’s 2023 Online Safety Act is one of the world’s strictest safety regimes, but it does not cover one-to-one interactions with AI chatbots unless they share information with other users, a loophole technology minister Liz Kendall said would soon be closed.

Britain cannot allow regulatory gaps to persist after the act took nearly eight years to pass and come into force, she said.

“I am concerned about these AI chatbots… as is the prime minister, about the impact that’s having on children and young people,” Kendall told Times Radio, saying some children were forming one-to-one relationships with AI systems that were not designed with child safety in mind.

She said the government would set out its proposals before June.

Speaking to British media on Monday, Kendall said tech firms would be responsible for ensuring their systems complied with British law.

The government would also consult on changes to bring in automatic data-preservation orders when a child dies, allowing investigators to secure key online evidence – a measure long sought by bereaved families. The consultation would also consider powers to curb “stranger pairing” on gaming consoles and to block the sending or receiving of nude images.

The new measures will be introduced as an amendment to existing crime and child-protection legislation being considered by parliament.

While aimed at shielding children, such measures often have knock-on implications for adults’ privacy and ability to access services, and have led to tension with the U.S. over limits on free speech and regulatory reach.

Some major pornography sites have blocked British users rather than carry out age checks, but those blocks can be circumvented by using readily available virtual private networks, which the government is considering restricting for minors.

Many parents and safety advocates back a social media ban for children, but Kendall said some child-protection groups worry it could push harmful activity into less regulated spaces or create a sharp “cliff edge” at 16. She added that the government still needed to define legally what counts as social media before any ban can take effect.

Reporting by David Milliken and Sam Tabahriti; Editing by Alexander Smith and Peter Graff