France to ban social media access for minors under 15

France's National Assembly and Senate formally passed a bill on Tuesday banning minors under the age of 15 from using social media.

The legislation is regarded as one of the key reforms during French President Emmanuel Macron's current term.

According to the newly approved bill, the ban will be rolled out in two phases. Effective September 1, minors under 15 will be prohibited from registering new accounts on social media platforms.

The restrictions will then be expanded in the following year. From January 2027 onward, any existing social media accounts belonging to minors under 15 will be suspended or permanently closed.

Falling water levels on the Danube River, driven by persistent heat, are disrupting Serbia's grain exports along the key shipping route.

The Vojvodina Province in northern Serbia, a crucial grain-producing area for the country, has been particularly hard hit. As the Danube shrinks, ships are being forced to reduce their loads to stay afloat, driving up transportation costs and squeezing profit margins for farmers and exporters.

"Today, the water level at the monitoring station in Novi Sad stood at minus 44 centimeters. Normally, it should be around 150 centimeters this time of year. So the river is now roughly two meters lower than usual. This has created significant shipping difficulties. Some sections of the river have become nearly impassable, forcing ships to reduce their loads just to get through," said Bozidar Belos, advisor to the director of public water management company Vode Vojvodine.

Serbia's hydrometeorological department has warned that Danube water levels are expected to fall even further in the coming days.

To address the crisis, Serbia is working with neighboring countries on dredging the river and building sluices and dams to ease pressures on both navigation and irrigation.