Ukraine-EU Security Finance: EU member states approved the UK’s participation in the bloc’s €90bn Ukraine Support Loan for 2026-27, letting Kyiv buy defence goods from UK firms while splitting aid into €60bn for defence industry and €30bn for budget support. EU Competition Watch: The European Commission cleared Paramount’s $110bn Warner Bros. Discovery takeover, but only after Paramount agreed to end its Universal distribution JV in Europe and avoid co-distribution deals with Universal for 10 years—while the U.S. legal fight continues. Digital Identity Rollout: The EU Digital Identity Wallet is set to launch in 2027, aiming to let people store and share documents securely from their phones across member states. Kids Online Rules: France became the first EU country to ban social media accounts for under-15s, but lawmakers removed key enforcement mechanics, leaving verification largely to France’s privacy regulator. Energy Sanctions Tangle: EU talks on extending limits on Russian LNG exports face Greek resistance, with diplomats pushing a compromise to keep gas shipments flowing. Transport Emissions in Focus: Cyprus transport emissions hit 37.9% of total in 2023, and drivers lost 40.2 hours to peak congestion—above the EU average. Media & Privacy: Meta is rolling out parental controls on Threads after the EU flagged shortcomings in Meta’s teen safety measures.