Author: staff

If Putin stays away, that could sway the mercurial Trump to back Ukraine more strongly, said Ukrainian political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko, head of the Penta Center for Political Research. “If Putin refuses, it means he does not want negotiations, it means he may look like a loser in Trump’s eyes. Although how Trump perceives all this is still a big question,” Fesenko said. Trump made that warning in his Truth Social post, saying there needs to be an effort to reach a deal. “At least they will be able to determine whether or not a deal is possible, and if…

Italian UniCredit SpA upgraded its financial expectations for this year, after the lender posted an unexpectedly high net profit rise of 8.3% to €2.8 billion year-on-year for the first three months of 2025.Net revenues were up 2.8% to €6.bn, driven by fees up 8.2% to €2.3bn in the same period, driven mainly by strong growth in investment and financing fees. This offset the declining net interest income, which was down 4.8% quarter on quarter to €3.5bn.“UniCredit posted an outstanding set of first quarter results, beating across all KPIs and widening our positive gap vs. peers,” Andrea Orcel, Chief Executive Officer…

BERLIN — Germany’s Labor and Social Affairs Minister Bärbel Bas is expected to take over as co-leader of the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), POLITICO has learned from party insiders. The decision comes just days after Germany’s new government — a coalition between Friedrich Merz’s conservative bloc and the SPD — was sworn in. Bas would lead the SPD alongside Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil, replacing outgoing co-chair Saskia Esken. Bas, 56, is a highly respected figure across the political spectrum. She recently took on the role of labor minister and previously served as president of the Bundestag, Germany’s parliament, where…

Burkina Faso’s army directed and participated in a massacre by pro-government militias of at least 130 civilians in March around the western town of Solenzo, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said. The findings, published in a new report on Monday, were based on witness testimony and an analysis of footage shared online. The attack was directed against the Fulani ethnic group, who have been displaced en masse in recent months from Banwa province. After the March massacre, the Al Qaeda-affiliated Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) retaliated with a series of attacks in Sourou, a province to…

Britain’s Labour government is inundated by think tanks hoping to catch its ear — and given the party’s struggles and rise of Reform UK, it may appreciate the help. POLITICO runs through the main players. 7 HRS ago 15 mins read

An EU-Ukraine Task Force to boost defence industries’ ties is meeting for the first time on Monday with Brussels keen to replicate Kyiv’s innovation and production prowesses since the beginning of Russia’s aggression.”Today, we announce the creation of the inter-institutional EU-Ukraine Task Force. And today Ukrainian and European experts of that group will convene for the very first meeting to assist integration of our defence industries, to facilitate development of joint projects or joint procurement processes,” Andrius Kubilius, the European commissioner for defence and space, told the second edition of the EU-Ukraine Defence Industry Forum.Supply chain issues and capability areas identified as…

China’s first corgi police dog has once again captured public attention — this time by snatching a sausage while on duty. Fuzai, a one-and-a-half-year-old pooch based at a police dog training centre in Weifang, Shandong province, has built a reputation not just for his bomb-sniffing skills but also for his mischievous nature, according to local media. He was discovered at just two months old by police dog trainer Zhao Qingshuai, who was immediately taken by the young dog’s curiosity and instincts. Fuzai officially joined the ranks in October 2024 after successfully completing his training in explosive detection, vehicle inspection and obstacle…

The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) announced Monday that it will disband and disarm, ending 40 years of conflict with Turkey. The announcement follows a February call by PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been imprisoned on an island near Istanbul since 1999, for the group to hold a congress and formally dissolve. According to Öcalan, the PKK has outlived its original mission. In March, the PKK declared a unilateral ceasefire with Turkey amid political signals from Turkey’s ruling coalition suggesting the PKK leader could be granted parole if the group disbanded. The group, which had been designated a terrorist organization…

Sky News’ Sam Coates and Politico’s Anne McElvoy preview how the day will play out in British politics. Today’s the day when Sir Keir Starmer finally reveals his big shake-up of migration laws. Sam and Anne discuss the focus on low-skilled workers that will be big for the social care and university sectors, and how there’s a growing concern in government that the benefits of migration are being overstated. That’s how the PM wants to start the week, but his agenda might be overshadowed by international events. The Foreign Secretary David Lammy will be part of today’s efforts to make…

The nub of the issue is whether text messages should be classed as documents and therefore eligible to be published in the name of transparency. While campaigners and many external observers say they should be treated just like any other means of official communication when related to policymaking, the Commission says not. Major embarrassment The case is legally tricky for von der Leyen because she not only personally signed off on the bloc’s largest vaccine contract — worth billions of euros — she also presides over the very institution tasked with enforcing EU law, which includes principles of transparency and…