Missile attacks in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen on Saturday (20 January) threw into sharp focus the increasing risk of the war in Gaza triggering a wider regional conflict pitting Iran and its allies against Israel and the United States.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on Saturday (20 January) said neighbouring Ukraine was not a sovereign nation but was under the absolute control of the United States.

A commission of the French National Assembly published an opinion on Thursday (18 January) recommending amending the EU's Copyright Directive to elaborate an international AI treaty and regular reviews of the EU's AI Act.

The EU has drafted a 10-point plan for a "credible, comprehensive solution" to the Israel-Palestine conflict, according to a draft document, seen by Euractiv, though securing EU member states' and regional buy-in will be hard-fought.

European Union justice commissioner Didier Reynders on Friday (19 January) applauded Poland's new government for efforts to restore the rule of law, which he said could lead Brussels to unblock frozen EU funds.

The EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell late Friday (19 January) accused Israel of having "created" and "financed" the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which launched unprecedented attacks on Israel on 7 October.

The European Union will have the capacity to churn out at least 1.3 million rounds of ammunition by the end of this year, a top official said Friday (19 January), as the bloc struggles to both arm Kyiv and refill its own stocks.

European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde and German finance minister Christian Lindner both suggested that the global economy has undergone profound changes, with higher debt levels, disruptive technologies, and increasing geopolitical fragmentation leaving the world facing a future radically unlike the past.

The European Commission shared commitments by Apple to allow third-party payments on Friday (19 January) and invited comments on them due to competition concerns over restricted access to the technology used for contactless payments on mobile devices.

The European Commission will next week propose new rules requiring EU member states to screen foreign direct investments (FDIs) into the bloc's sensitive industries to determine if they pose a security risk, according to a draft regulation, seen by Euractiv.

Last week we reported on the EU bubble agri-food sector's long wait (and need) for the launch of a complex and overdue Strategic Dialogue with the EU institutions. The announcement came yesterday.

European Socialists' frequent bemoaning of the threats to Europe's democracy is depressingly undercut by their nomination of a bland lead candidate - an underwhelming challenger to the political right as the electoral campaigns ramp up.

Belgium stands ready to join the European Union's future maritime security mission in the Red Sea with the Louise-Marie frigate, the government announced on Friday (19 January).

France's draft energy sovereignty bill will not include any targets at all, at least for now, the office of French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire has confirmed, responding to criticism about the bill's lack of consideration for renewables and over-emphasis on nuclear.

Speculation is mounting that Ireland will head to the polls in the autumn, and healthcare is one of the leading issues, driven by medicines shortages, a staffing crisis, an ageing population, and a stalled modernisation agenda.

The European Commission is expected to table five new initiatives as part of its recent push towards a more comprehensive economic security strategy, according to a draft economic security package, obtained by Euractiv.

EU foreign ministers on Monday (22 January) will hold a series of meetings with counterparts from Israel, the Palestinian Authority and key Arab nations about Gaza and prospects for a future peace settlement.

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Vienna, Paris and Rome, along with nine other EU countries, are set to argue that meat grown in a laboratory is a threat to "genuine food production methods", a claim a diplomatic source told Euractiv is "exaggerated and premature".

The European Parliament voted on Thursday (18 January) in favour of two own-initiative reports on EU fisheries pushed by the conservative EPP, which drop some environmental bans and focus on fleet competitiveness, effectively calling for a reform of the bloc's Common Fisheries Policy.