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A Paris court has rejected an effort by the French government to suspend the website of fast-fashion giant Shein in response to it selling childlike sex dolls on its platform.

The court said the request for a three-month suspension was “disproportionate” – but did order age verification for the sale of adult products.

The action against Shein was taken after France’s consumer watchdog last month reported it to authorities for selling “sex dolls with a childlike appearance” and weapons.

Shein said its priority remained protecting French consumers and ensuring compliance.

The court acknowledged the seriousness of selling the childlike sex dolls and weapons in its judgement, but said these had been isolated incidents.

It noted that the Chinese company had taken action to remove the offending items once it had been made aware of them, and that the issues related to a small number of the hundreds of thousands of products on sale on its site.

In response to the initial controversy, Shein announced it would be banning the sale of all sex dolls on its site internationally.

A request by the French government for Shein to be forced to suspend the sale of third-party items on its website – the source of the initial offending items – was also rejected.

In ordering age verification measures to be put in place for the sale of adult items, the court said the fine for each breach would be €10,000 (£8,700; $11,700).

The decision to suspend Shein’s website in early November coincided with the company opening its first physical store in the French capital.

Its launch drew both shoppers and protesters, with opposition related to the sale of childlike sex dolls, and also its profile as a fast-fashion retailer.

Shein said in a statement: “We remain committed to continuously improving our control processes, in close collaboration with the French authorities, with the aim of establishing some of the most stringent standards in the industry.

“Our priority remains protecting French consumers and ensuring compliance with local laws and regulations.”

This year, Sudan’s civil war has continued with both sides accused of committing war crimes.

As international efforts go on to end the hostilities, there has been a focus on the roles that other countries may be playing in the conflict.

One has come under particular scrutiny – the United Arab Emirates. It has faced allegations of supporting the RSF – the paramilitary group that is fighting the Sudanese military – which it strongly denies.

The BBC’s Analysis Editor Ros Atkins looks at the alleged links between the UAE and Sudan’s civil war.

Produced by Katerina Karelli. Verification by Peter Mwai. Graphics by Jacqueline Galvin.

The widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has said the Turning Point USA organisation he founded will help elect JD Vance as president in 2028, despite the current US vice-president having yet to announce he is running.

Erika Kirk’s endorsement on Thursday came on the opening day of Turning Point’s annual America Fest conference, the organisation’s largest gathering since her husband was shot dead in September.

“We are going to get my husband’s friend, JD Vance, elected for 48 in the most resounding way possible,” Kirk said, referring to the 48th president. Trump is the 47th.

Vance, meanwhile, is scheduled to speak at the event on Sunday.

Turning Point has been credited with helping Republican President Donald Trump expand his coalition of support, leading to his 2024 presidential election victory.

Her announcement ahead of Trump’s one-year mark in office signals early jockeying to be his successor ahead of the 2028 election.

After Kirk gave her opening remarks, the stage at the Phoenix Convention Center in Arizona turned into a political mudslinging contest as tensions within the conservative movement were laid bare.

Podcaster Ben Shapiro lobbed attacks at media rivals Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly and Steve Bannon, calling them “fraudsters and grifters”.

“The people who refused to condemn Candace’s truly vicious attacks – and some of them are speaking here tonight – are guilty of cowardice,” Shapiro said.

Owens, a former Turning Point employee who hosts a popular podcast, has been a thorn in Republicans’ side and pushed various conspiracy theories, including baseless suggestions about Charlie Kirk’s murder.

It comes at a time when there has been growing speculation about Trump’s hold on the Republican party and infighting among factions of the president’s supporters about the future of the Maga movement.

Shapiro also criticised former Fox News host Carlson for interviewing Nick Fuentes, a far-right political commentator and Holocaust denier, on his podcast in late October, drawing widespread condemnation.

After Shapiro, Carlson took the stage and shot back at Shapiro.

“That guy is pompous,” Carlson said. “Calls to deplatform at a Charlie Kirk event? That’s hilarious.”

Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point events were known for addressing controversial and divisive topics. Supporters saw it as necessary for free speech. Critics saw it as hate-mongering.

Authorities said Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin – Tyler Robinson – told his romantic partner that he killed Kirk because he “had enough of his hatred”.

Erika Kirk told the Turning Point conference: “You won’t agree with everyone on this stage this weekend. And that’s okay. Welcome to America.”

Since the assassination, she said, “we’ve seen fractures, we’ve seen bridges being burned that shouldn’t be burnt”.

Trump has recently encountered a series of setbacks within his Republican party, including a public falling out with his former ally Marjorie Taylor Greene and the impending release of the Epstein files, which a majority of Republicans voted for despite Trump’s initial discouragement.

The four-day America Fest conference was scheduled to continue through the weekend, with Vance and Donald Trump Jr scheduled as guest speakers on Sunday.