France invokes Article 49.3 to pass 2026 budget
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu of France announced on January 19 that his government will invoke Article 49.3 of the Constitution to pass the 2026 budget without a parliamentary vote, reversing his earlier commitment to avoid this measure. Lecornu stated that the public deficit would be maintained at 5% of GDP and confirmed plans to extend a tax on large companies to secure support from leftist factions, while also eliminating a tax exemption for personal assets within family businesses.
Brussels Enacts Stricter Cybersecurity and AI Regulations
Brussels has introduced stricter cybersecurity measures and new made-in-EU regulations for sectors including cars, steel, cement, and aluminium, as part of its initiative to enhance energy and clean technology standards. This move follows concerns raised by 57 Members of the European Parliament regarding the proliferation of intimate deepfakes on the platform X, which they argue necessitates a stronger response under the EU's AI law.
California AG orders xAI to stop nonconsensual imagery
California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a cease and desist letter to xAI, the company founded by Elon Musk, demanding it halt the creation and distribution of nonconsensual sexual images. The letter highlighted instances where xAI transformed ordinary, clothed images of women and children into suggestive and sexually explicit scenarios without the subjects' knowledge or consent.
