NATO's Jens Stoltenberg has a wet dream : "NATO must become more political and global", says alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg

NATO needs to become politically stronger in order to face the challenges of the next decade, the head of the alliance said on Monday, highlighting that the rise of China is "fundamentally shifting the global balance of power".

Note EU-Digest: Yes indeed this is a wet dream, specially given the derogatory comments  President Trump of the US has made about European members of the NATO

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NATO must become more political and global, says alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg | Euronews

Israel: Emboldened by Trump, Israel Approves a Wave of West Bank Settlement Expansion - by Isabel Kershner

n a pointed act of defiance against international pressure, Israel on Tuesday approved a huge new wave of settlement construction in the occupied West Bank.

The announcement made clear that just a few days into the Trump presidency, the Israeli government feels emboldened to shake off the constraints imposed by the Obama administration and more willing to disregard international condemnation.

Leaders from 70 countries met in Paris more than a week ago and issued a warning that the two-state peace solution was imperiled by Israel’s expanding of settlements in Palestinian-claimed territory in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, as well as violence against Israelis. But even though Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has endorsed the principle of side-by-side states, in the past few days Israel’s campaign of settlement building has only accelerated.

The first step came on Sunday, when the Jerusalem City Council approved 566 new housing units in East Jerusalem that had been delayed over President Barack Obama’s objections.

Read more: Emboldened by Trump, Israel Approves a Wave of West Bank Settlement Expansion - The New York Times

Eurozone recovery still slow, but Germany and France doing better than expected

Europe's overall economy may be weak, but eurozone growth continues.

Indeed it was slightly stronger-than-expected in the bloc’s two biggest economies – Germany and France – in the final three months of last year.

Analysts said the growth was mainly driven by exports and investment.
German GDP expanded 0.4 percent from the previous quarter, France’s by 0.3 percent and Italy’s by 0.1 percent

The figures, from Eurostat, the EU’s statistics office, show 0.3 percent growth region-wide compared to the previous quarter.

Upwardly revised third quarter numbers meant France managed to avoid slipping back into recession and had growth of 0.3 percent for the whole of last year.

French company and public investment rose and household spending recovered. But the finance minister said faster growth was needed to create more jobs with unemployment at nearly 11 percent.

Italy, which is once again in political turmoil, dragged itself back to growth for the first time since mid-2011.

But the final quarter’s 0.1 percent expansion was not enough to keep GDP from contracting by 1.9 percent over the whole of 2013.

One positive sign is that – significantly – for the first time in almost three years, all of the six largest eurozone economies did manage quarterly expansions.

Read more: Eurozone recovery still slow, but Germany and France doing better than expected | euronews, economy