Brussels

• The European Commission's €5 billion tech fund has yet to make a single investment despite its stated commercial mission. • Sweden's EQT was selected to manage the vehicle, winning the final round over the UK-based firm Atomico, while France's Eurazeo was eliminated earlier. • The situation has sparked tension between France and the UK, highlighting how national interests may complicate the fund's operational goals.

• Massive flight disruptions hit Europe today, resulting in 132 cancellations and 2,348 delays across multiple countries, including the UK, France, Italy, Austria, and Spain. • Major hubs such as London Heathrow, Paris Charles de Gaulle, and Rome Fiumicino were heavily affected, disrupting airlines like ITA Airways, Air France, and Virgin Atlantic. • The widespread chaos left thousands of passengers stranded across key cities including London, Paris, Rome, Vienna, and Amsterdam.

• European AI researchers have released a viral fictional doomsday scenario designed to warn Brussels about the potential consequences of falling behind in technology. • The narrative highlights a deep cultural and strategic divide between the European Union's regulatory approach and the fast-paced innovation of Silicon Valley. • This warning matters as it exposes internal tensions regarding AI safety, digital sovereignty, and the risk of Europe becoming technologically irrelevant.

• EU officials in Brussels have issued new guidance to member capitals regarding the accreditation of social media influencers to cover summits. • The plan allows YouTubers, TikTokers, and Instagrammers to report on EU officials, provided they are "Europhiles" and not critical of the bloc. • This move comes as the EU faces rising euroskepticism and the potential for "Frexit," "Dexit," or "Italexit" as anti-EU parties gain political momentum.

Rights campaigners and MEPs say meeting would normalise regime that erases women from public lifeEU officials are facing fierce criticism over plans to host the Taliban in Brussels on Tuesday, with rights campaigners and MEPs warning that the meeting risks normalising a regime that has banned girls from school beyond the sixth grade and sought to erase women from public life, while its ranks include two leaders accused of crimes against humanity.The Belgian foreign ministry said on Monday it had issued five single-day visas to a Taliban delegation to attend a meeting in Brussels. Sources told the Guardian the meeting was expected to take place on Tuesday. Continue reading...

• European Union leaders are convening for a summit in Brussels on Thursday, notably excluding Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for the first time in 16 years. • Orban's absence follows a bruising election loss, which many EU leaders viewed as a rebuke of his combative relationship with the bloc and his close ties to Russia. • Despite the defeat, Orban met with far-right allies in Brussels on Wednesday, asserting that his loss does not halt the "historical process" of rising patriotic and anti-migration movements across Europe.

• EU Council President António Costa’s office has initiated contact with a senior official close to Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss potential peace talks regarding Ukraine. • These diplomatic outreach efforts mark a strategic move by Brussels to explore avenues for negotiation as the conflict continues to destabilize the region. • The initiative is significant as it signals a potential shift or expansion in the EU's diplomatic approach to ending the war and securing a sustainable ceasefire.