After more than 25 years ofegotiations, the free trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur is close to being finalised after a qualified majority of EU ambassadors approved it on Friday, overruling countries like France and Poland. Now, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen can put her signature to it with the partners in South America, and then the EU Parliament must also vote on it.

The situation in Iran is coming to a head. The regime has responded to ongoing protests, which began at the end of December, with increasingly lethal force and mass arrests. The internet has been blocked for days, making it difficult to get a clear picture of theews situation. Europe's capitals are taking a tougher stance towards Tehran, while US President Trump has openly threatened military intervention.

Protests against the violent actions of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) and Donald Trump's harsh immigration policy spread across the US over the weekend. They began after an officer shot and killed a woman who was acting as an observer in her car during an ICE raid in Minneapolis on Wednesday. According to US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, the government will deploy an additional 2,000 federal police to the city.