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EU-China talks fail to deliver breakthrough on electric cars dispute

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EU-China talks fail to deliver breakthrough on electric cars dispute

Brussels and Beijing have agreed to take a new look at price undertakings, which could avoid extra tariffs on China-made electric vehicles.

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A high-profile attempt between the European Commission and the Chinese government to solve the ongoing dispute around battery electric vehicles (BEVs) failed to deliver a breakthrough, as differences remain entrenched.

Hope, however, is not yet lost as both parties vowed to intensify negotiations. Brussels will offer Chinese carmakers a new chance to set minimum prices for their products.

“Both sides agreed to intensify efforts to find an effective, enforceable and WTO-compatible solution to the BEV case (…) without prejudice to the EU investigation and its deadlines,” Valdis Dombrovskis, the Commission’s executive vice president in charge of trade, said after a “constructive” meeting with Wang Wentao, China’s minister of commerce, on Thursday.

Brussels has accused Beijing of lavishing its BEVs with subsidies to artificially lower their retail price and push European competitors out of the lucrative market. Following a months-long investigation, the Commission found public money spread across the entire supply chain, creating a risk of unsustainable economic losses for the EU industry.

The executive then proposed a raft of additional import tariffs that will apply to BEVs made in China, including those assembled by Western firms in the country. The proposed duties, ranging from 7.8% to 35.3%, according to the brand and their level of cooperation with the investigation, will come on top of the existing 10% rate.

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The top-up is supposed to ensure fairer competition and close the price gap between EU and Chinese manufacturers.

Member states need to ratify the tariffs in a vote that should happen sometime before November. If they do so, the rates will become permanent for five years.

From the onset, Beijing has adopted an antagonising position in public, calling the Commission’s inquiry a “naked protectionist act” that “constructed and exaggerated the so-called subsidies.” In a tit-for-tat, it launched several probes against sensitive European exports, such as pork, brandy and dairy.

Behind the scenes, however, Chinese officials have sought to achieve a negotiated solution to the dispute and shield domestic companies from the steep tariffs.

This effort reached a peak on Thursday when Minister Wang met Vice-President Dombrovkis in Brussels.

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During the encounter, Dombrovkis defended the Commission’s proposal as being “based strictly on facts and evidence” and solely intended to “compensate” for state subsidies, according to a spokesperson. Dombrovkis censured Beijing’s retaliatory probes into pork, brandy and dairy as “unwarranted” and called for them to be “terminated.”

In a readout, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce reaffirmed its willingness to achieve a solution through “friendly dialogue and consultation” but warned of reprisals to protect domestic companies “if the EU insists on implementing unreasonable tax measures.”

The day before, Wang spoke at a roundtable of BEV producers in Brussels and said negotiations should continue “until the final moment,” that is the vote by member states. “If the consultations fail, the responsibility does not lie with the Chinese side,” he said.

The most notable development of Thursday’s meeting is a mutual commitment to re-evaluating the option of price undertakings, a trade tool that companies can use to increase the price and control the volumes of their exports to avoid anti-subsidy tariffs.

Last week, Brussels rejected the price undertaking offered by Chinese firms subject to the hiked duties, like BYD, Geely and SAIC.

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Intense lobbying

In parallel to the negotiations, Beijing is stepping up its lobbying efforts to convince certain member states to vote against the tariffs and derail the Commission’s plan.

A qualified majority of 15 countries representing at least 65% of the bloc’s population needs to oppose the duties to prevent them from coming into force. The Commission has never been defeated on tariffs.

Hungary, which plans to attract Chinese investment, is firmly against the measures. Germany, under pressure from its all-important automotive industry, is leaning heavily towards voting them down and is reportedly working the phones to make that happen.

The Chinese lobbying scored a big win last week when Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez publicly called on the Commission to “reconsider” the proposal.

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“We need to reconsider all of us, not only the member states but also the Commission, our position towards this movement,” the Spanish prime minister said in Shanghai, the last stop of his official four-day visit to China.

“As I said before, we don’t need another war, in this case, a trade war. We need to build bridges between the European Union and China.”

The remarks caught Brussels by surprise: until then, Spain was considered supportive of the extra tariffs, having voted in favour during a non-binding consultation in July.

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The apparent U-turn was seen as a direct consequence of what Ursula von der Leyen once described as China’s “divide-and-conquer tactics,” given that Sánchez had just sealed a €1-billion deal with a Chinese company to build an electrolyser plant in Spain

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A spokesperson of the German government welcomed Sánchez’s position, saying that “the direction of travel is one that we share.”

This piece has been updated with more reactions.

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Hyun Bin, Jung Woo-sung Crime Thriller ‘Made in Korea’ Sets Disney+ Debut

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Hyun Bin, Jung Woo-sung Crime Thriller ‘Made in Korea’ Sets Disney+ Debut

Hyun Bin and Jung Woo-sung go head-to-head in “Made in Korea,” a 1970s crime noir that launches Dec. 24 on Disney+ with a two-episode premiere.

The series stars Hyun Bin (“Crash Landing on You,” “Confidential Assignment”) as Baek Kitae, an ambitious KCIA agent in 1970s South Korea who leads a dangerous double life. By day, he works as a government operative, while by night he runs an illegal operation, using his underworld connections to consolidate power, protect his brother and generate substantial revenue for the agency.

Jung Woo-sung (“Tell Me That You Love Me,” “12.12: The Day”) co-stars as Jang Geonyoung, an incorruptible prosecutor determined to bring Kitae down. Woo Dohwan (“Bloodhounds,” “Mr. Plankton”) plays Kitae’s brother Baek Kihyun.

The series is written by Park Eunkyo (“Mother,” “A Normal Family,” “The Silent Sea”) and Park Joonseok (“A Normal Family”), directed by Woo Minho (“The Man Standing Next,” “Inside Men,” “Harbin”), and produced by Hive Media Corp (“Inside Men,” “The Man Standing Next,” “12.12: The Day”).

Following the two-episode premiere, “Made in Korea” will release two additional episodes on Dec. 31, with the final two episodes rolling out weekly through Jan. 14. The series has already been renewed for a second season, which is currently in production.

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The thriller joins Disney+’s expanding slate of Korean drama content that launched in 2025, including “Unmasked,” “Nine Puzzles,” “Hyper Knife,” “Low Life,” “The Murky Stream” and “Tempest.”

The streamer has additional Korean series slated for 2026, including “Gold Land” starring Park Boyoung, “Perfect Crown” starring IU and Byeon Wooseok, and the return of “A Shop for Killers” for a second season with Lee Dongwook and Kim Hyejun.

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Pope Leo XIV says he’s ‘very disappointed’ after Illinois approves assisted suicide law

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Pope Leo XIV says he’s ‘very disappointed’ after Illinois approves assisted suicide law

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Pope Leo XIV said Tuesday he was “very disappointed” after his home state of Illinois approved a law allowing medically assisted suicide.

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Leo, who grew up in Chicago, said he had spoken “explicitly” with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker while the legislation was on his desk and urged him not to sign the bill into law, saying the measure undermines respect for human life from “the very beginning to the very end.”

“Unfortunately, for different reasons, he decided to sign that bill,” Leo told reporters outside Rome. “I am very disappointed about that.”

The Medical Aid in Dying Act, also referred to as “Deb’s Law,” was signed into law by Pritzker on Dec. 12 and allows eligible terminally ill adult patients to obtain life-ending medication after consultation with their doctors.

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Pope Leo XIV met with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker during an audience at the Apostolic Palace on Nov. 19 in Vatican City, Vatican. (Simone Risoluti – Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)

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The measure was named after Deb Robertson, a lifelong Illinois resident with a rare terminal illness who had pushed for the bill’s approval.

The law takes effect in September 2026, giving participating healthcare providers and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) time to implement required processes and protections.

Leo said Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich also urged Pritzker not to sign the bill, but his efforts were unsuccessful.

BISHOPS, CATHOLIC GROUPS SLAM CARDINAL CUPICH’S PLAN TO HONOR PRO-ABORTION SEN DICK DURBIN: ‘GREAT SCANDAL’

Pope Leo XIV said he was very disappointed” that Illinois passed a law allowing medically assisted suicide. (Alberto Pizzoli/AFP via Getty Images)

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“I would invite all people, especially in these Christmas days, to reflect upon the nature of human life, the goodness of human life,” Leo said. “God became human like us to show us what it means really to live human life, and I hope and pray that the respect for life will once again grow in all moments of human existence, from conception to natural death.”

The state’s six Catholic dioceses have also criticized Pritzker’s decision to sign the bill, saying it puts Illinois “on a dangerous and heartbreaking path.”

Illinois joins a growing list of states allowing medically assisted suicide. Eleven other states and the District of Columbia allow medically assisted suicide, according to the advocacy group, Death with Dignity, and seven other states are considering allowing it.

After signing the bill, Pritzker said the legislation would allow patients with terminal illnesses to “avoid unnecessary pain and suffering at the end of their lives,” and said it would be “thoughtfully implemented” to guide physicians and patients through deeply personal decisions.

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Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Medical Aid in Dying Act on Dec. 12, allowing eligible terminally ill adult patients to obtain life-ending medication after consultation with their doctors. (Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Fox News Digital has reached out to Pritzker’s office for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Europeans show solidarity with Denmark after Trump’s Greenland threat

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Europeans show solidarity with Denmark after Trump’s Greenland threat

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Exactly one year after Donald Trump first announced his intention to integrate Greenland into US territory on grounds of “national protection”, he’s back for more.

The US president has appointed Governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, as the new US special envoy for Greenland with the stated objective of “integrating Greenland into the United States” and repeated the US needs the territory for its national security.

His comments have been taken seriously by EU heads of state and government, who are presenting a united front against what they describe as American expansionist ambitions towards the autonomous territory, which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark.

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France’s President Emmanuel Macron and his Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, both responded to the announcement by reaffirming their support for the integrity of Denmark’s territory.

“Greenland belongs to its people. Denmark stands as its guarantor. I join my voice to that of Europeans in expressing our full solidarity.”

On Tuesday, Trump told reporters the United States “needs Greenland for national security, not for minerals or oil, but national security. And if you take a look at Greenland, there are Russian and Chinese ships all over the place. So, we need this for protection.”

He also chastised Denmark for what he described neglecting the territory, “they have spent no money, they have no military protection, they say Denmark arrived there 300 years ago with boats – we were there with boats too, I’m sure. We’ll have to work it all out.”

Adding to the European voices pushing back on the US ambitions and the criticism of Denmark, Commission Ursula von der Leyen insisted that “territorial integrity and sovereignty are fundamental principles of international law”. Despite the tone coming out of Washington, she appeared to refer to the US as an ally in arctic security.

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Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez echoed those remarks. “Respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity is central to the EU and to all nations of the world,” he wrote on X. “Security in the Arctic is a priority in which we seek to work with allies and partners.”

The US and Denmark are part of NATO, which is supposed to ensure mutual defence in the event of aggression against one of its members. That principle has never been tested by conflict between members of the alliance if one were to seize territory from another.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has so far remained silent on the issue. During a press conference with Trump in the White House’s Oval Office in March, he also chose not to comment after a question from a journalist.

“When it comes to Greenland, if it joins the US or not, I will leave that outside of me in this discussion because I don’t want to drag NATO into that,” he said.

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