Protests have sprung almost spontaneously from social media in France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and elsewhere. The inspiration of much of it is Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old Swede who has called for school strikes against global warming.

Impact: After meeting with climate activists this week, Prime Minister Charles Michel of Belgium said he was prepared to act, but he also alluded to the financial concerns of the “Yellow Vest” movement in France — a sign of tensions in Europe between fighting global warming on the one hand and economic troubles on the other.

Here’s what else is happening

Italy: The country officially went into recession, and Europe as a whole is essentially at an economic standstill, a possible signal that the world is headed for a significant slowdown.

India: The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which came into power five years ago vowing to create millions of jobs, has been accused of suppressing an official report on unemployment that apparently showed it had reached a 45-year high in 2017.

E.U.-Iran relations: After months of delay, Britain, France and Germany unveiled a way to continue doing business with Iran despite U.S. sanctions. It is unclear when the vehicle, a new company called Instex, for bartering, will become operational.