Author: staff

The office of French President Emmanuel Macron has denied reports that he is considering the possibility of calling snap elections later this year.In a post on X on Wednesday afternoon, the Élysée Palace denied the suggestion — first reported by Bloomberg on Tuesday — that a vote could be held as soon as the autumn. “The Presidency of the Republic denies this, as it already did prior to the publication of the article,” the official Elysée account wrote on X in reference to the Bloomberg story.However, the message did not directly address Bloomberg’s claim that Macron and his inner circle…

The Volvo Group said on Wednesday that its net profit fell to SEK 9.89bn (€910 million) in the first three months of 2025, from a little more than SEK 14bn (€1.29bn) in the previous year. The drop was driven by a 7% decline in the group’s net sales, amounting to SEK 121.8bn (€11.15bn) in the same period. Volvo Group, which manufactures trucks, buses, construction equipment and engines, reported that its vehicle sales decreased by 9% and service sales declined by 1%. Meanwhile, the operating margin was 10.9%.The company’s earnings per share amounted to SEK 4.86 (44 euro cent). Truck deliveries were down by…

“I can only repeat that he is a journalist who has done journalism,” Dagens ETC Editor-in-chief Andreas Gustavsson said. “Joakim is not a criminal, definitely not some kind of terrorist.” Gustavsson argued that Turkey was “trying to claim that all the journalistic work that Joakim Medin has produced about Turkey is terrorism.” “This is of course an absurd accusation,” he said. Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said earlier this month that she had raised Medin’s case with her Turkish counterpart, and called for him to be allowed to “come home.” Relations between Sweden and Turkey have previously been rocky,…

The body of Pope Francis was transferred to St Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday, where he will lie in state for three days ahead of his funeral on Saturday.A solemn procession carried the pontiff’s coffin through the central door of the basilica — the same entrance he used to greet the faithful on Easter Sunday, his final public appearance before his death.Thousands of mourners are expected to file through the Vatican over the coming days to pay their final respects. Pope Francis broke with tradition by simplifying the papal funeral rites and choosing to buried not in the Vatican grottoes but…

US aerospace giant Boeing Co reported its first quarter 2025 earnings on Wednesday, recording robust revenues, while operating margins also became positive. This was mainly due to aircraft deliveries rising in the first quarter, with Boeing delivering 105 737 jets in the three months ended 31 March, compared to 67 in the same quarter in 2024. Revenue for the first quarter of the year soared 18% on an annual basis to $19.4 billion (€17.1bn), with earnings from operations coming up to $461 million (€405.8m). Operating margins were 2.4% in Q1 2025, compared to -0.5% in the first quarter of 2024. Net loss narrowed…

Solar panels made with slave labour in China won’t be used by the UK’s new state-owned energy company, the government announced today. GB Energy was launched by Labour in July, in a bid to boost renewables and lower energy bills, and will be formally established when the Great British Energy Bill is passed by Parliament. After weeks of debate on the issue, energy secretary Ed Miliband is introducing an amendment to the legislation to try and ensure GB Energy’s supply chains are free of slavery.“Unfortunately, there’s a problem right the way throughout the renewables sector with state-imposed forced labour in China,” Luke…

Freddie Mercury’s sister secretly spent around £3 million (€3.5 million) to buy items from an auction of the Queen singer’s possessions. Kashmira Bulsara reportedly spent the huge sum at the 2023 Sotheby’s auction of 1,400 possessions owned by the late Mercury. The auction was the biggest single sale of the singer’s possessions. It was organised by Mary Austin, the close friend and former fiancé of Mercury, who inherited a vast amount of his estate following his death in 1991. “For many years I had the joy and privilege of living surrounded by all the wonderful things Freddie sought out and…

While it is not uncommon for Elysée officials to deny media reports, it seldom takes to social media to refute press articles. Last month, however, it shot down reports from the online outlet BLAST, which reported that Macron planned to buy a €200,000 Aston Martin. The Elysée’s Wednesday tweet was responding to a widely cited story from story from Bloomberg. POLITICO reported last week that several people close to the president — though not Macron himself —had discussed the prospect of snap elections. The French presidency’s press service told POLITICO that the president did not intend to call new elections…

MEPs in the budgets’ committee (BUDG) have said no to the European Commission’s idea to have one cash pot per member state under the EU’s next long-term budget (2028-34), the so-called Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), and instead called for a bigger and more ambitious budget.  By 23 votes in favour, nine against and two abstentions, MEPs adopted their vision for a simpler, more flexible, and people-focused budget—one that prioritises climate action, the digital transition, and employment, while responding to ongoing geopolitical challenges. “We want people and regions at the centre of the next MFF. We need strong investments to boost strategic autonomy, economic…

A spokesperson for the U.K. prime minister was tight-lipped when questioned about the reports Wednesday afternoon. “We’re having trade talks with the U.S. to seek to reduce barriers to trade between the U.K. and the U.S. so I’m not going to get ahead of those talks,” they told reporters. “But obviously we’re having constructive discussions with the U.S.” However, the spokesperson stressed that animal food standards were a “red line” for U.K. negotiators, suggesting the U.K. would not back down on a ban on imports of hormone-treated beef. The reports come as U.K. Chancellor Rachel Reeves kicks off a three-day…