Briefly

FRANCE

Lawmakers support social media ban

French lawmakers on Monday took the first step toward banning social media for under-15s, an effort championed by President Emmanuel Macron to protect children from excessive screen time. The lower National Assembly backed key elements of the bill in a first vote after a lengthy debate. A second vote on the full text, which was proposed by centrist lawmakers, was to follow later in the session before the bill goes to the Senate, the upper house.

EUROPEAN UNION

Bloc concludes trade deal with New Delhi

India and the European Union on Tuesday announced the conclusion of a bilateral trade deal, saying it would give a big boost to the manufacturing and services sectors and benefit both sides. "We have created a free-trade zone of two billion people, with both sides set to benefit," visiting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a post on X. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was quoted as saying that the trade deal was a "perfect" example of partnership between two major economies.

Agencies - Xinhua