- Liverpool suffer Alisson injury blow
- Habosi helps Racing beat Vannes before Auradou's playing return
- Thousands march in London in support of Palestinians, 1 year after Oct 7
- Israel readying response to Iran missile attack
- Schutt, Mooney help Australia beat Sri Lanka in Women's T20 World Cup
- Liverpool extend Premier League lead with win at Palace
- Djokovic 'shakes rust off' to make third round of Shanghai Masters
- 'Imperfect' PSG fighting on all fronts - Luis Enrique
- Struggling Pakistan look to thwart adaptable England
- Child 'trampled to death' in asylum seekers' Channel crossing: minister
- Gauff fights back to set up Beijing final against Muchova
- Guardiola claims Premier League won't delay season for Man City
- Israel to mark October 7 attack as Gaza war spreads
- Gauff fights back to reach China Open final
- Recovering Stokes ruled out of first Pakistan Test
- Hezbollah battles troops on border as Israel pounds Lebanon
- Alcaraz, Sinner breeze into third round of Shanghai Masters
- Bagnaia wins Japan MotoGP sprint to cut Martin's lead
- Alcaraz breezes into third round of Shanghai Masters
- Gaza cultural heritage brought to light in Geneva
- 'Bullet for democracy': Trump returns to site of rally shooting
- Italy targets climate activists in 'anti-Gandhi' demo clampdown
- South Korean cult-horror series 'Hellbound' returns at BIFF
- Nepalis fear more floods as climate change melts glaciers
- Honduras arrests environmentalist's alleged murderer
- Padres pitcher Musgrove needs elbow surgery
- Supreme Court lets stand rules to curb mercury, methane emissions
- Boston beat Denver in NBA exhibition season opener, but Jokic says omens are good
- Chagos diaspora angry at lack of input on islands' fate
- Biden says 'not confident' of peaceful US election
- US trade chief defends tariff hikes when paired with investment
- Lukaku stars as Napoli beat Como to hold Serie A top spot
- Ohtani set for MLB playoff debut as Dodgers face Padres
- Pogba's drug ban cut to 18 months from four years
- Devine leads New Zealand to big win over India in Women's T20 World Cup
- Bosnia floods kill 16 people
- EU court blocks French ban on vegetable 'steak' labelling
- Prosecutors seek dismissal of rape charges against French rugby players
- Meta AI turns pictures into videos with sound
- Bolivia's Morales says claims he raped a minor are a 'lie'
- MLB Reds hire two-time champion Francona as manager
- Daniel Maldini receives first Italy call-up for Nations League
- US dockworkers return to ports after three-day strike
- Ancelotti points finger at Madrid's 'lack of intensity'
- Haiti reeling after 70 killed in gang attack
- Five Czech kids in hospital over TikTok 'piercing challenge'
- What happens next in Iran-Israel conflict?
- Country star Garth Brooks denies rape accusations
- Stubbs hits maiden century as South Africa make 343-4 against Ireland
- DR Congo to begin mpox vaccination campaign Saturday in east
EU meets facing subsidy race with US in trade spat
EU leaders meeting in Brussels on Thursday will focus on a trade dispute with key ally the United States that threatens to trigger a subsidy race between the economic superpowers.
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen sent a letter ahead of the summit urging leaders to back a plan to compete with billions of dollars in new US subsidies and tax cuts for car makers.
Brussels views the "Buy American" condition for purchasers of electric vehicles mainly made in the United States as discriminatory against European car manufacturers.
It is also concerned Washington's plan will drain investment from the EU to the United States and that they violate World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.
But, with US President Joe Biden refusing to change course beyond some promised "tweaks", the commission is now looking to match the US move by loosening its own state aid rules and boosting public investment in cleaner energy.
Von der Leyen said the e-vehicle subsidies contained in a broader US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) "risk un-levelling the playing field and discriminating against European companies".
The EU emphasises its close cooperation with the United States -- especially on supporting Ukraine and fighting climate change.
But it is worried Washington is working up a trade advantage over it while it was going through an energy crunch, economic headwinds and was still recovering from the coronavirus pandemic.
- Against a 'trade war' -
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, whose country is the EU's main car exporter, said Wednesday that Europe was united in the dispute, but should solve it through talks "rather than a big conflict".
Commission Vice President Margrethe Vestager told the European Parliament the US move was "counter-productive in terms of climate and sustainability... it's also a violation of international trade rules".
She added: "We already have war in Europe. The last thing we need is a trade war on top."
Von der Leyen's spokeswoman sought to calm the rhetoric, insisting the commission was avoiding any mention of "a subsidy race, or on anything linked to a trade war".
She and other officials emphasised that talks were continuing with the US administration on the issue through a special task force, and preferred that route before resorting to the WTO.
The EU summit was to also examine the situation, and consequences in Europe, of Russia's war in Ukraine, which European Council President Charles Michel said was at "the heart of our concerns".
The gathering was set to be less fractious than initially feared, after EU member Hungary this week dropped its veto of 18 billion euros ($19 billion) in financial aid to cash-strapped Kyiv.
In exchange, the bloc's other countries agreed to reduce the amount of EU funds frozen because of Hungary's democratic backsliding to 6.3 billion euros, from 7.5 billion euros initially recommended by the commission.
Another 5.8 billion euros from a post-Covid recovery fund was conditionally approved for disbursement next year -- if Budapest showed progress in restoring EU rule of law.
T.Vitorino--PC