The WerteUnion (Union of Values), a group of mainly members of the centre-right CDU (EPP), voted on Saturday to defect and create a new party as the battle for right-wing voters in Germany intensifies amid public anger over the rise of right-wing extremism.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ended his fading presidential campaign on Sunday (21 January) and endorsed Donald Trump just two days before the pivotal New Hampshire primary.

Russian energy company Novatek said on Sunday (21 January) it had been forced to suspend some operations at a huge Baltic Sea fuel export terminal due to a fire started by what Ukrainian media said was a drone attack.

The proposed fast-track procedures for approving new medicines in the EU risk weakening the evidence on benefits and safety, key stakeholders in Sweden warn.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Sunday (21 January) denounced Israel for the "heartbreaking" deaths of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and called it unacceptable to resist statehood for the Palestinian people.

In this week's edition: An EU peace plan for the Middle East, the EU executive's economic security blueprint previewed and a stark NATO warning.

Drug smugglers in the EU have become so "very creative" that the bloc's seaports should join forces to combat their ever-changing tactics, Belgian Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden told AFP.

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.