Europe

Vienna: Slovakia on Wednesday announced it was repealing restrictions on diesel sales, including higher prices for foreign drivers, which the European Commission said ran afoul of EU laws. Slovakia had decided on the measures in March, citing the suspension of oil supplies from a pipeline through Ukraine, as energy prices soared globally due to the war in the Middle East. Russian oil supplies to the landlocked EU member were restored last month after Ukraine fixed the pipeline -- damaged by Russian strikes -- after a long-running spat. The abolition of the dual pricing system -- charging drivers with foreign licence plates more -- will take effect from Friday, Slovak Economy Minister Denisa Sakova told reporters after a cabinet meeting. The government also removed a 10-litre limit on refuelling an external tank, she added. The European Commission said in March that Slovakia's decision to make foreign drivers pay more for diesel was "highly discriminatory and against EU law" and that it would "take the appropriate legal action". Sakova said that by lifting the restrictions, the grounds cited by the commission for potential legal action "no longer exist".

Europe

London: Britain's Princess Catherine, will next week carry out her first overseas royal visit since her cancer diagnosis when she travels to Italy, Kensington palace said Wednesday. The trip to Reggio Emilia in northern Italy will focus on the Princess of Wales's work in early years child development, said a palace statement. "The princess is very much looking forward to visiting Italy next week and seeing first-hand how the Reggio Emilia approach creates environments where nature and loving human relationships come together to support children's development." Catherine, who is married to heir to the throne Prince William, announced in January 2025 that she was in remission from cancer, and has been gradually returning to public royal duties. During the two-day visit Catherine, also known as Kate, will learn about the Reggio Emilia Approach, an educational philosophy which focuses on the idea that children have the potential for self-development. A palace spokesperson said the specialist approach would help build on work by her Centre for Early Childhood. The centre was founded by Catherine in 2021 to raise awareness of the importance of early years experiences. The princess, who has three children, revealed in March 2024 that she had been diagnosed with an unspecified cancer and had begun chemotherapy. The announcement comes on Wednesday's third anniversary of the 2023 coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, with a host of events planned in London, including a 62-gun royal salute at the Tower of London.

Asia

Jakarta: Indonesia's government is mulling an e-commerce ban for under-16s, the communications minister told AFP Wednesday, hot on the heels of Jakarta imposing a sweeping social media prohibition for teens. "E-commerce (platforms) are next, because we found children who became scam victims through e-commerce," Communications and Digital Minister Meutya Hafid said in an interview in Jakarta, without providing further details. In March, app-addicted Indonesia started enforcing a social media ban for under-16s in a bid to shield some 70 million children from the threats of immoral content, cyberbullying and internet addiction. The policy followed Australia's landmark move in December to stop teenagers holding accounts on many popular platforms. The Indonesian regulation initially targeted eight "high risk" platforms: YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, streaming service Bigo Live and gaming platform Roblox. But it will eventually apply to "all digital platforms", Meutya said Wednesday, including online shopping sites. The Southeast Asian archipelago of more than 284 million people boasts among the highest concentration of social media users in the world. Meutya said the government's aim was to help parents take on the "big platforms" to protect their children. "Letting them face off against (the platforms) alone, without rules, is like letting parents play chess against a grandmaster. They won't win, or it will be very hard to win," Meutya told AFP. Global reckoning Roblox became the latest platform to comply with the new regulations, introducing age verification technology and restricting content based on users' age, the government said last week. More than half of Roblox's 45 million Indonesian users are children under 16, the government said. Social media giants are facing a global reckoning as governments increasingly worry about their impact on users' wellbeing. The Turkish parliament last month approved a law to prevent children under 15 accessing social media platforms. Some European countries, including Norway, Greece, France, Spain and Denmark, have said they will introduce similar restrictions. Like in Australia, the Indonesian rules place the onus on platforms to regulate teen access. Non-compliance with the ban, which will be phased in over time, will put defaulters at risk of a fine or even suspension of their services in the country.