Another good, necessary and very appropriate statement from a senior political figure Micheál Martin

Dublin is one of the cities I am always looking forward to coming back. This morning due to a very special reason …

Exclusive. Delaying the ban on new petrol cars will just open the door wider to Chinese. CEOs of Volvo and Polestar hit out at efforts by Germany to get the EU to delay the 2035 ban in new petrol cars theguardian.com/business/2025/…

Interview “Pausing 2035 is just a bad, bad idea. I have no other words for that,” says German-born Michael Lohscheller, boss of Polestar, the EU's only all-EV producer. If EU does not take EV lead,“Rest assured, other countries will do it for us.” ie China theguardian.com/business/2025/…

Interview: Volvo boss Haken Samuelsson Von der Leyen should wait on EV decision Opposition to ICE ban by Merz etc is like row over catalytic convertors + seat belts “If they were not mandatory, we would probably have 30% of our cars without seatbelts" theguardian.com/business/2025/…

Interview: Polestar CEO, Michael Lohscheller if Von der Leyen axes 2035 petrol car ban “The Chinese will not pause.They will take over. If Brussels ... says: ‘Stop we will give you another 5 years,’ they are really putting 100s and 1000s of jobs at risk.” theguardian.com/business/2025/…

EXC: Polestar, Europe's only 100% electric vehicle manufacturer excluded from the EU's strategic dialogue on future of the industry which will pronounce on 10 December. “I wrote twice, I’m not even sure we got an answer to the second letter,” says CEO theguardian.com/business/2025/…

NEW: EU says it would make it "compulsory" for industry to diversify for China if they do not do so under a new €3bn initiative launched today. "This is not what we are proposing today, " said commissioner Stephane Sejourne, "but this is a wake up call" theguardian.com/world/2025/dec…

"The cost of independence is lower than the cost of dependence," said Sejourne at press conference just now on the launch of the 3bn strategy on critical raw materials.

Sefcovic on the new €3bn critical raw material strategy. "Openness without security [can] become vulnerability around the world as trade is being weaponised”. “Today's proposal shows the EU is shifting into higher gear …" theguardian.com/world/2025/dec…

This is an extraordinary threat for the EU, which feels that its continuing rules-based open market is being exploited by China.

Hardline slogans such as UK’s “smash the gangs” having opposite effect according to biggest piece of qualitative research involving interviews with 80,000 migrants and 458 smugglers theguardian.com/world/2025/dec…

Voting on whether to discuss Israel's participation in the Eurovision Song contest - wrapped up in a question on reforms to the contest. 65% voted for "no vote required on ESC participation".

Slovenia broadcaster’s full statement on Eurovision - it will not be taking part

NEW: Elon Musk's X platform fined €120m by the EU in first clash over digital regulation in Europe theguardian.com/technology/202…

NEW: Nexperia standoff breakthrough Wingtech has invited Nexperia Dutch managers to China to try and resolve ongoing dispute over governance of the Chinese owned chip maker following Dutch govt intervention

NEW: Iceland not to take part in Eurovision

The re-set between the UK and the EU continues. "roadmap is clear", says Sefcovic. UK did no media .

FULL STORY: Iceland becomes fifth country to boycott Eurovision. theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2…

Manfred Weber, head of EPP, the conservatives group in EU parliament, tells Bild the 2035 ban on combustion engine cars, agreed by the parliament in 2022, will be modified, paving way for continued sale of hybrid cars. Victory for German car industry theguardian.com/business/2025/…