The European Union has postponed signing its long-awaited free trade agreement with the Mercosur bloc until January, after failing to secure sufficient backing from member states, according to media reports.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told EU leaders on Thursday that the deal could not proceed as planned, with opposition from countries including France and Italy preventing the required qualified majority, French broadcaster BFMTV reported.
Von der Leyen had hoped to finalise the agreement at a Mercosur summit this weekend in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil. The deal, concluded last December after more than 25 years of negotiations with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, must be approved by a qualified majority of EU governments.
Resistance from France, Poland and other countries has slowed the process, with concerns focused on protecting European farmers from increased competition.
Thousands of farmers protested in Brussels on Thursday against the pact, with some demonstrations turning violent and prompting Belgian police to use tear gas and water cannons.
European lawmakers have approved measures to cap sensitive agricultural imports such as beef and sugar, but critics say these safeguards have been weakened during negotiations between the European Commission, the European Parliament and Denmark, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency.
Earlier on Thursday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni spoke with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, saying Italy supported the agreement in principle but needed up to a month to secure domestic backing from farmers. Lula confirmed the call and said he would consult Mercosur partners at their upcoming summit on the next steps.
Supporters of the deal, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, have highlighted its strategic importance, saying it could boost EU exports and reduce reliance on China. French President Emmanuel Macron said reciprocity and strong safeguards were essential before opening European markets to South American goods.
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President Ilham Aliyev met President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Monday, where the two leaders reaffirmed that Azerbaijan–UAE ties are built on a strategic partnership.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are expected to meet in Istanbul on Friday for renewed discussions on Iran’s nuclear programme, according to reporting by Axios.
Limited crossings took place at Rafah on Monday, as patients and families moved through the gates for the first time in months. Photographers captured the tension, relief, and emotional toll of separation at a crossing long marked by both isolation and hope.
The Kremlin has confirmed that the next round of trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States will be held in Abu Dhabi on 4–5 February, after the meeting was postponed last week to align the schedules of all delegations.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States has begun negotiations with European leaders over Greenland and that an agreement is already taking shape.
The United States accused Cuba of interfering with the work of its top diplomat in Havana on Sunday (1 February) after small groups of Cubans jeered at him during meetings with residents and church representatives.
Dmitry Medvedev, said European countries have failed to defeat Russia in Ukraine and have instead inflicted serious economic damage on themselves, as he criticised EU policy, praised Donald Trump as a leader who seeks peace, and said Russia would “soon” achieve military victory in the war.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned that any U.S. military attack on Iran would spark a wider regional conflict, Iranian semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday.
U.S. president Donald Trump said Iran is “seriously talking” with the United States and expressed hope that negotiations could lead to an outcome acceptable to Washington.
Yanis Varoufakis delivered a blunt assessment: the European Union has missed every major chance to reform, poisoned its own democratic debate and is now entering a prolonged period of structural decline.
The Kremlin has confirmed that the next round of trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States will be held in Abu Dhabi on 4–5 February, after the meeting was postponed last week to align the schedules of all delegations.
Hungary has vowed legal action against the European Union over a planned ban on Russian gas imports by 2027, after Brussels said national objections would not override EU law.
Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has accused French President Emmanuel Macron of authorising intelligence operations aimed at eliminating “undesirable leaders” in Africa, claiming that Paris is pursuing a political comeback after losing ground in several former colonies.
Türkiye, Egypt, and Qatar are trying to organise a meeting in Ankara between White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and top Iranian officials, according to reports in the U.S. and Turkish media.
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