x     A qualified majority of European Union (EU) member states voted Friday to approve the landmark Free Trade Agreement with the Southern Common Market (Mercosur). The decision marks a historic geopolitical shift, positioning the EU to counter rising US tariffs and Chinese competition, even as it ignites a firestorm of domestic unrest in France. The approval allows European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to proceed to Asunción, Paraguay, on Monday to sign the treaty alongside