European Union

After the birth of the world's first genetically edited babies criticism of Chinese scientist He Jiankui continues. Europe's media fear unpredictable medical risks and warn of a future in which the genetic makeup of a child depends on its parents' incomes.

Ukrainian President Viktor Poroshenko and US President Donald Trump have called on German Chancellor Angela Merkel to mediate in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict in the Kerch Strait. Some commentators argue that Merkel bears some of the blame for the escalation of the conflict. Others are more disappointed by the US president's conduct on the issue.

German security services have revealed that critical national infrastructures such as government and military networks have been the target of a series of cyberattacks in November, raising broader concerns about their overall resilience.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May has embarked on a frantic two-week campaign to persuade sceptical MPs to back her Brexit deal when it comes before the House of Commons on 11 December. But it is increasingly clear that it won't wash with the Scottish National Party.

Committee and political group meetings, Brussels

Source : © European Union, 2018 - EP

Cyber-attacks on communication networks and critical infrastructure have become an increasing military threat. NATO's biggest cyber defence exercise, the three-day Cyber Coalition held in Estonia this week, aims to prep the Alliance for zero hour.

Overuse of antibiotics has made Europe’s hospitals danger zones for patients, but the fightback against this deadly risk is being led by COPMA and a team of Italian researchers which has developed ‘PCHS®’.

French president Emmanuel Macron has threatened not to sign an EU-Latin America trade deal if Brazil's president-elect Jair Bolsonaro withdrew from the Paris climate pact. "I am not in favour of signing major trade accords with powers who have announced that they won't respect the Paris agreement," Macron said. The trade deal with the Mercosur club, which includes Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay has been 17 years in the making.

Border checks between Schengen countries should be limited to a maximum of one year, instead of the current two-year period, the European Parliament said in a draft law on Thursday, backed by 319 votes against 241, with 78 abstentions. Negotiations with EU ministers are now set to begin. Austria, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway have internal checks since the 2015 migration crisis. France has special measures due to terror threats.

Slovakia's foreign minister Miroslav Lajcak announced on Thursday he would resign in protest over a decision in parliament to reject the UN migration accord. Lajcak was president of the UN General Assembly when the migration pact was adopted. The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration is set to be formally adopted in Morocco in December. One out of every 30 people worldwide is a migrant.