The EU’s carbon border levy is ‘unfair’ and ‘discriminatory’, China’s commerce ministry said in a statement on Thursday – Bloomberg: ‘vowing to take countermeasures to defend the country’s interests.’

In 2026 Britain and Canada will double down on their relationship with an “ambitious” new strategic partnership, Ralph Goodale, Canada’s High Commissioner to London, has told POLITICO. www.politico.eu/article/cana...

Chinese armed forces launch live-fire drills around Taiwan simulating blockade of major ports – The Guardian: ‘The exercise, named Justice Mission 2025, was a “a stern warning against ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces and external interference forces”, said a spokesperson’

King Charles and Prince William to visit US in 2026 to revitalize trade talks. www.thetimes.com/uk/royal-fam...

NEW: Tens of thousands of documents appearing to be from "Dataset 8" of the Epstein files went live on a Justice Department website today, only to be pulled down hours later without explanation. w/ @eorden.bsky.social www.politico.com/news/2025/12...

Trump appointed Louisiana’s governor as Washington’s special envoy to Greenland, reigniting a fight over the fate of the Arctic island. www.politico.eu/article/dona...

🌽 FINAL LONDON PLAYBOOK PM OF 2025 ... 🪖 Loads on Ukraine 🏗️ Crumbling commons scoop from @estwebber and @danbloom1 🇺🇸 Scoop on another top US visit in Jan 🌈 Read the full thing and subscribe (free) here: www.politico.eu/newsletter/l...

As the Trump administration turns its attention away from Europe, Britain and Canada will double down on their relationship in 2026 with an "ambitious" new strategic partnership, Ralph Goodale, Canada’s High Commissioner to London, told POLITICO.

SCOOP: Starmer and Carney are working on a new strategic partnership that could see Canada buy the U.K.'s 6th-gen fighter jet, forge critical minerals deals and resolve thorny trade and tariff issues, High Commissioner Goodale tells POLITICO as he steps down. www.politico.eu/article/cana...

Exclusive: Britain is advancing a new "home defence programme" preparing for Russian attacks on home soil Plans for a new force to protect critical national infrastructure will be presented to the government next year, and the police are scoping different scenarios www.nytimes.com/2025/12/19/w...

Prime Minister Mark Carney says U.S. access to Canada’s critical minerals is not ‘assured.’ www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...

SCOOP: Starmer and Carney are working on a new strategic partnership that could see Canada buy the U.K.'s 6th-gen fighter jet, forge critical minerals deals and resolve thorny trade and tariff issues, High Commissioner Goodale tells POLITICO as he steps down. www.politico.eu/article/cana...

Christian Turner has been chosen as Britain’s new ambassador to the United States. The UK government confirmed it has chosen the career diplomat to take on the key transatlantic diplomacy role.

Speaking to POLITICO, Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo framed the agreement as a response to the rapidly shifting global trade order. www.politico.eu/article/uk-s...

Britain will investigate how hostile states like China and Russia are financially interfering with U.K. democracy and elections, ministers have announced. www.politico.eu/article/brit...

🚨BREAKING: US envoys in Berlin signaled they are ready to give Ukraine security guarantees for a future peace deal that correspond to the same levels of protection as Article 5 in the NATO alliance. Full story: ow.ly/gNNz50XJNY8

“.. Over the course of the gala, a club member struck an attendee in the face .., Trump was endorsed for a third term and a protester wearing a Nazi armband and waving a swastika-laden banner popped up .. to shout, ‘I guess we’re all Nazis!’” @politico.com www.politico.com/news/2025/12...

Two peace deals Trump took credit for appear to unravel at the same time www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...

Britain moves to combat Chinese overcapacity amid Trump’s trade war www.politico.eu/article/brit...

Trump’s attacks force Europe to speed up post-America defense plans www.politico.eu/article/dona...

London mayor Sadiq Khan has hit back at Donald Trump Tuesday for suggesting he owes his election victories to the rising number of migrants in the U.K. www.politico.eu/article/lond...

🚨🚨Major #EU news: More than 80 percent of Europe’s companies will be freed from environmental reporting obligations after @europarl.europa.eu and @consilium.europa.eu reached a deal on a proposal to cut green rules on Monday. 🧵 www.politico.eu/article/eu-s...

Scandal-hit Fujitsu dropped from Brexit border system Via @sophie-inge.bsky.social and me www.politico.eu/article/post...

Top US official Christopher Landau says EU regulation ‘undermines’ NATO ties – POLITICO Europe: ‘policies that he described in a separate post on Saturday as adverse to U.S. interests and a form of “civilizational suicide”’

‘Yes, there’s a strategy’: Trump’s trade chief hits back at tariff critics www.politico.com/news/magazin...

Britain vows to ‘wrest control’ of critical mineral supplies from China www.politico.eu/article/chin...

Britain’s trade chief told reporters he hopes to fly to Washington before Christmas to keep bargaining as businesses continue to pile pressure on No. 10 to relieve the tariffs — and deliver on the Starmer government's main mission to spur economic growth. www.politico.eu/article/uk-u...

Germany wants to undermine the EU's 2035 clean car mandate and allow "highly efficient combustion engine cars" after that. What, you may ask, is a "highly efficient combustion engine car"? "A highly efficient combustion engine car is a combustion engine car that is highly efficient," per the govt.

UK drops funding for massacre-linked gas project www.politico.eu/article/uk-d...

A prominent member of Mark Carney’s Cabinet quit Thursday in protest of the Liberal government’s decision to roll back Canada’s environmental policies and clear the way for a new oil pipeline. www.politico.com/news/2025/11...

EU-UK talks on defense deal break down www.politico.eu/article/eu-u...

UK and EU explore ‘pay as you go’ model to break defense talks deadlock The two sides are hoping to strike a deal on access to SAFE procurements by Sunday. www.politico.eu/article/uk-e...

Cash-strapped Britain looks to sell off embassies www.politico.eu/article/cash...

Top EU official accuses US of ‘blackmail’ in trade talks www.politico.eu/article/top-...

I hate that this is necessary, but it is. So it’s good that things are moving. www.politico.eu/article/euro...

The Chancellor announced a plethora of policies at the budget. But what are people going to remember? The OBR's analysis, which included the key policies, being published online *before* she started speaking. Our writeup of the leak and key policies here. www.politico.eu/article/uk-b...

Trump and Takaichi speak by phone amid Japan-China spat asia.nikkei.com/politics/int...

EXCLUSIVE: US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff advised Russia on how to pitch Ukraine plans to Trump, in audio files reviewed by Bloomberg

BREAKING: Europeans finally get seats at Trump’s negotiations on Ukraine peace deal, starting tomorrow. www.politico.eu/article/ukra...

NEW: Climate summit proposal dodges call to accelerate move from fossil fuels www.politico.com/news/2025/11...

In an interview with POLITICO, Sudan’s top envoy in Brussels, Abdelbagi Kabeir, called on EU countries to stop selling arms to the UAE. He said the bloc is “bound by its own values” to ensure its weapons do not end up being re-exported to war zones such as Sudan. 🔗  politi.co/4r2J3FX

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is preparing to unveil a new agreement with major investment groups at next week’s budget in a bid to get more Brits plowing their money in British companies. www.politico.eu/article/rach...

Former US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said Trump’s tariffs are likely to outlive his administration, sustained by political fears that removing protectionist barriers will alienate workers who fear losing their jobs to off-shoring and AI

The UK is too dependent on the United States for its defense and has not adequately invested in a back-up plan should America pull away from Europe, a damning report by a cross-party group of lawmakers has warned.

A Russian spy ship has fired lasers at British forces deployed to monitor the vessel after it entered UK waters, the defence secretary has said.

An ABC News reporter asked about U.S. intelligence findings that MBS ordered the killing of Jamal Khashoggi. Trump interrupted, attacked the reporter, then defended MBS: "He knew nothing about it. You don't have to embarrass our guest by asking something like that."

NEW: When Andrew Tate landed in the US, Customs & Border Protection seized his electronic devices. But @propublica.org found that a White House official told DHS to return the devices, emphasizing that the request came from the White House. By @robert-faturechi.bsky.social & Avi Asher-Schapiro

British lawmakers are being actively targeted by agents of the Chinese state with lucrative job offers on LinkedIn, according to the UK’s intelligence services.

US trade negotiator Jamieson Greer tells FT that the EU is being too slow in cutting tariffs and red tape - and that the relationship remains “unbalanced” - ahead of talks in Brussels this week @aimewilliams.bsky.social & @andybounds.bsky.social with the scoop, as ever