The UK government is considering extending its planned social media restrictions for under-16s to online marketplaces eBay and Vinted, amid concerns that their messaging features could expose children to online grooming.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said ministers were examining whether the resale platforms should be included in the ban, which is scheduled to take effect in March next year.

Asked on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg whether the government intended to prevent under-16s from using the websites, Nandy said: “We are looking seriously at doing so in order to keep children safe.”

The move follows a report by The Sunday Times that the government was considering adding eBay, Vinted, Depop and Facebook Marketplace to the list of restricted platforms. The newspaper cited concerns that private messaging could allow strangers to contact and groom children.

An eBay spokesperson said the company was committed to providing a safe marketplace for its customers and wanted to understand more about the proposed legislation.

“While the details of the proposed legislation are not yet clear, we look forward to understanding more and continuing to work constructively with the government,” the spokesperson said.

Vinted had not responded to requests for comment.

Both eBay and Vinted already require users to be at least 18. eBay says membership involves entering into a contract, while Vinted’s platform is primarily used to buy and sell second-hand clothing and other fashion items. The company has grown to around 17 million users in the UK.

Scope of the proposed restrictions

The government announced the under-16 social media ban in June, initially identifying 10 major platforms that would be affected. YouTube is also expected to be restricted, although YouTube Kids, its child-focused service, will remain available.

Ministers have not yet published the complete list of affected services. The proposed rules are intended to cover platforms designed to enable social interaction and allow users to post material.

Restrictions could also apply to services offering livestreaming or features through which strangers can contact children, including some gaming platforms. Roblox, popular among children aged eight to 12, is not expected to face a complete ban, although features such as its chat function could be restricted.

The UK is following Australia’s introduction of similar restrictions last year. Although some children there have found ways to bypass the rules, British ministers have said they intend to adopt a tougher enforcement approach.

Egypt has announced a natural gas discovery in the Mediterranean Sea, with initial estimates suggesting the reservoir could contain around 200 billion cubic feet of gas.

The discovery was made at the exploratory well Nasim-1X in the Taiba concession area. Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources said on Friday that drilling and appraisal work had identified a gas-bearing layer with a net thickness of approximately 15 metres.

The ministry said the layer had distinct geological and petrophysical characteristics, indicating the presence of natural gas. However, further technical and reservoir studies are required to establish how much gas can be recovered and whether the discovery can be developed commercially.

The studies will also assess potential daily production rates. The ministry has not provided a timetable for the start of production.

Egypt hopes the discovery will help strengthen domestic gas supplies and reduce its dependence on imports, which have increased following a decline in local production in recent years.

Pipeline planned to connect new well

Authorities plan to connect Nasim-1X to existing production infrastructure through a pipeline measuring about 22 kilometres. The proposed link will connect the well to the Abu Madi-El Gamil pipeline, allowing the partners to use existing facilities and potentially reduce the time required to bring the discovery into production.

Italian energy company Eni operates the Taiba concession in partnership with Australia’s Woodside. Egyptian company Petrobel conducted the drilling on behalf of the partners.

The ministry attributed the discovery to increased investment and exploration activity, pointing to improvements in the investment climate and progress in settling overdue payments to international companies operating in Egypt’s energy sector.

The government has been seeking to encourage foreign energy companies to expand exploration and development work, as payment delays and financial obligations have previously affected investment activity.

Egypt seeks to rebuild gas production

Egypt is working to increase natural gas output after domestic production fell in recent years, leaving the country more reliant on imported supplies to meet demand.

Natural gas remains important to the country’s electricity generation and industrial sectors, both of which require substantial and reliable supplies. Higher domestic production could help ease pressure on import requirements and reduce exposure to international energy prices.

The government is pursuing new discoveries and faster exploration programmes as part of its efforts to improve energy security. The Nasim-1X find offers a potential addition to the country’s gas resources, although its contribution will depend on the results of ongoing technical assessments and the commercial development plans agreed by the concession partners.

For now, the estimated 200 billion cubic feet remains an initial assessment rather than a confirmed recoverable volume.

Spanish maritime rescue teams brought 854 migrants ashore from seven small fishing boats off the Canary Island of El Hierro on Friday, as authorities prepared to transfer around 700 people to Tenerife to ease pressure on local reception facilities.

The migrants were escorted to the harbour of La Restinga, in the municipality of El Pinar, where they received initial medical and humanitarian assistance. Several people required hospital treatment, while nine migrants rescued in recent days remained at Nuestra Señora de los Reyes Hospital with various health problems.

Spain’s Maritime Rescue Service, Salvamento Marítimo, deployed three vessels for the operation: Salvamar Navia, Diphda and Mizar. The first boat was located about four miles from La Restinga and reached the harbour at approximately 1am carrying 134 people.

Six further vessels arrived at intervals throughout the morning. The second boat docked at 4.45am with 174 people, followed 15 minutes later by another carrying 166 migrants.

The largest vessel arrived at 8.30am with 235 people on board. A fifth boat brought 54 people ashore at around 9am, while a sixth arrived at approximately 10.15am carrying 39. The final vessel reached the harbour at 12.30pm with 52 people.

Of the 854 people rescued, 350 were transferred to Tenerife on the scheduled morning ferry. Authorities planned to move another 350 on the afternoon crossing, leaving fewer people for local services on El Hierro to accommodate.

Health and emergency services said those rescued were of sub-Saharan African origin. Most were men, although women and minors were also among the passengers. Their departure points and specific nationalities had not been established.

The operation involved the Red Cross Immediate Emergency Response Team, the Canary Islands Emergency Service, port security personnel, the Civil Guard and the National Police.

After receiving initial assistance, the migrants were taken to the Temporary Foreign Nationals Reception Centre in San Andrés, within the municipality of Valverde. The non-governmental organisation Corazón Naranja-Ebrima Sonko was expected to provide support while they remained in police custody pending transfer to other reception facilities.

Further arrivals reported on other islands

The rescue operation followed additional migrant arrivals elsewhere in the Canary Islands.

At around 10pm on Thursday, Salvamento Marítimo brought an unconfirmed number of people ashore at Arguineguín, on the southern coast of Gran Canaria, after rescuing them at sea.

On Lanzarote, two groups arrived between 9pm on Thursday and 8.30am on Friday. The first consisted of 27 men of North African origin travelling in a small boat. A second group of 61 people was also brought ashore.

The latest arrivals add to the pressure on reception services across the archipelago, where authorities continue to coordinate rescues, medical assistance and transfers between islands.