By Philip Blenkinsop and Lisandra Paraguassu BRUSSELS/BRASILIA, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni asked Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday for more time to back the contentious EU-Mercosur trade deal,

France is not ready to sign a EU trade deal with the Mercosur group of Latin American countries, French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated ahead of a EU summit in Brussels on Thursday, adding more w...