With more than half of its population in need of humanitarian assistance and 20% internally displaced, the Central African Republic is struggling to restore peace and stability. The country experienced a coup in March last year and violence escalated in December. As the Parliament will debate on 5 February Europe's role in the troubled country, we asked MEPs Michael Gahler, a German member of the EPP, and Louis Michel, a Belgian member of the ALDE group, how the EU could make a difference.

On 28 January, the United Nations Security Council adopted a Resolution, extending the mandate of the UN Integrated Peace-building Office in the Central African Republic (BINUCA) for one year. The resolution also authorized the EU operation in the Central African Republic in support of French military endeavours.

'Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov has handed in his resignation,' - has informed a press service of the Council of Ministers in Kiev on Tuesday morning. The head of the government has decided to leave the position because of the very serious political crisis in his country.

Our European hopes, wishes and efforts for closer association with Ukraine did not materialise. And the disappointment has only worsened as the situation in Ukraine has continued to deteriorate.

On 23 January, Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Ukrainian Ambassador to Lithuania Valeriy Zhovtenko. He was requested to convey to the Ukrainian authorities Lithuania's position on the recent events in Kyiv, during which people were killed and wounded.

The President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, met the President of Iran, Dr Hassan Rouhani, in the margins of the World Economic Forum in Davos today.

Speaking at the United Nations Security Council Open debate, which took place on January 20, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Lithuania to the United Nations Ambassador Raimonda Murmokaitė expressed deep concern about current situation in Syria and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities.

Trade wars can prove bad for business for everyone involved. However, sometimes countries feel it is worth reaching for trade restrictions because of concerns over health or unfair competition. On 21 January the international trade committee discusses new rules stipulating when and how the EU can impose anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures following last year's conflict on solar panels with China. Read one to find out more about past trade disputes involving the EU.

The EP passed three separate resolutions on Thursday, voicing concern at the situation of rights defenders and opposition activists in Cambodia, and demanding clarifications on the investigation into the Sombath Somphone case in Laos; calling for an immediate halt to the repression in Bangladesh; and condemning the threats, discrimination and restrictions faced by LGBTI people.

The European Commission welcomes President Obama's remarks and presidential directive on the review of U.S. intelligence programmes. We in particular welcome the President's willingness to begin to address wide-spread concerns related to the large-scale data collection by the NSA, concerns which are shared by many European citizens.