Author: staff

A painting by Mark Rothko has been damaged by a child during an “unguarded moment,” according to a Dutch museum.  The abstract painting from 1960, “Grey, Orange on Maroon, No. 8”, was “scratched” by a child visiting the Rotterdam gallery Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen where it was on display. The museum shared a statement: “The painting Grey, Orange on Maroon, No. 8 by Mark Rothko has sustained superficial damage after a child touched the painting when it was on display. As a result, small scratches are visible in the unvarnished paint layer in the lower part of the painting. Conservation expertise has…

It was a week when penguins, bonds, the new German coalition, Louisiana soybeans, fossil fuels, the EU’s Digital Markets Act, France’s creaking politics and American bourbon all became one news story. POLITICO explains what got us all yippy. Apr 11 11 mins read

While Malta suspended the scheme for Russian and Belarusian citizens following the invasion of Ukraine, recipients before the ban took effect included sanctioned Russian businesspeople, according to media reports. Malta’s government said it would comply with Tuesday’s ruling and update its laws accordingly, according to local media. “As always, the government of Malta respects the decisions of the courts,” the government said in a statement. “At this moment the legal implications of this judgment are being studied in detail, so that the regulatory framework on citizenship can then be brought in line with the principles outlined in the judgment.” The…

Four children were killed and several others were injured when a car crashed through a after-school camp building Monday afternoon in a town outside of Springfield, Illinois, police said. According to the local authorities, the officers responded at about 3:20 p.m. (22:30 CET) to calls about a vehicle fatally hitting three people outside, ramming through the building and then hitting another person before exiting the other side, Chatham Police Department Deputy Chief Scott Tarter said. Those killed were between the ages of 4 and 18, Illinois State Police said in an emailed statement. Several other people were hurt and taken…

Putin announced Monday a three-day ceasefire in Ukraine, from May 8-11. The proposed truce is supposed to mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s triumph over Nazi Germany in World War II, coinciding also with Russia’s Victory Day celebrations on May 9. Later on Monday, Zelenskyy harshly criticized Putin’s truce announcement as “another attempt at manipulation.” “For some reason everyone is supposed to wait until May 8 before ceasing fire — just to provide Putin with silence for his parade,” Zelenskyy said. According to Meloni, the meeting between Zelenskyy and United States President Donald Trump, held on the sidelines of Pope…

The Trump administration has signalled tariff relief on auto parts following intense lobbying by industrial leaders. On Monday, White House officials confirmed President Trump’s plan to reduce tariffs on auto parts for cars manufactured in the United States, as first reported by The Wall Street Journal. The administration will also prevent automakers from paying tariffs on top of existing levies, such as those on steel and aluminium. A proclamation formalising the change is expected to be signed by the president as soon as Tuesday.“President Trump is building an important partnership with both the domestic automakers and our great American workers,”…

Europe’s largest bank, HSBC Holdings Plc, has announced a fresh share repurchase programme of up to $3 billion (€2.6 billion) for the first half of 2025 as it reported its first-quarter earnings results on Tuesday. HSBC shares rose by 2.28% as of 09:30 CEST in London.However, the UK-based lender reported a pre-tax profit of $9.5 billion (€8.4 billion) for the first quarter, down 25% from a year earlier, despite beating the company-compiled estimate of $7.8 billion (€6.9 billion). The bank noted that the profit was driven by a strong performance in the Wealth business within its International Wealth and Premier…

In dieser Sonderfolge des POLITICO Berlin Playbook Podcasts hört ihr den Mitschnitt eines Live-Gesprächs mit Bayerns Ministerpräsident Markus Söder aus der Eventreihe ⁠„Let’s find common ground“⁠. Gordon Repinski spricht mit ihm über den Koalitionsvertrag, notwendige Wirtschaftsreformen und den Umgang mit Migration und Grenzschutz. Söder erklärt, warum Bürokratieabbau, Eigenständigkeit in der Sicherheitspolitik und Investitionen in Technologie und Raumfahrt entscheidend für Deutschlands Zukunft sind. Außerdem diskutieren sie die politische Herausforderung durch die AfD, die Bedeutung sozialer Fragen für den gesellschaftlichen Zusammenhalt und die Rolle der CSU im neuen politischen Umfeld. Ein Gespräch über Stilwandel, Sicherheitsfragen, transatlantische Unsicherheiten – und die Frage, wie…

Updated: 29/04/2025 – 12:25 GMT+2Emergency services handed out food, water and blankets to stranded travellers at Madrid’s Atocha station on Monday evening, after a widespread blackout brought much of Spain and Portugal to a standstill. … More The outage disrupted rail services, phone networks and ATMs across the Iberian Peninsula, turning stations, sports centres and airports into temporary shelters.Some 35,000 train and underground passengers were rescued by emergency workers in Spain.By early Tuesday, power had been restored to over 92% of Spain, with officials promising full recovery by the end of the day.Authorities say the cause is still under investigation,…

Swiss drug firm Novartis reported on Tuesday that it had generated a better-than-expected profit in the first three months of the year.Net sales were up 15% on a constant currency basis to $13.2 billion, compared to the $13.12bn estimated by analysts.Core operating income came to $5.6bn, up 23% in the last quarter, while core net income increased 22% to $4.5bn.On the strong results, the firm increased its outlook for the year, predicting that sales will rise by high-single digits and core operating income will grow by low double-digits. In January, the firm gave a wider range.Sales in the last quarter…