Author: staff

After the funeral of Pope Francis in the presence of numerous world leaders, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at Palazzo Chigi.The conversation between the two lasted just under an hour. According to a note released by Palazzo Chigi, during the talks “the leaders reiterated their support for President Trump’s efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace, capable of guaranteeing a future of security, sovereignty and freedom for Ukraine.””Meloni expressed, also on behalf of the government, her condolences for the victims of the recent Russian attacks, renewing her firm condemnation of such acts and…

Read More

In their brief exchange, President von der Leyen and President Trump agreed to meet. https://t.co/2UA60vfNJb— Paula Pinho (@Pinhopau) April 26, 2025 Until Saturday, the two leaders hadn’t met since before Trump’s inauguration in January, with Trump appearing to deliberately — and repeatedly — snub the European leader in favor national leaders such as Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni.  The need for a diplomatic meeting is particularly acute for the European Union, which faces tariffs of 20 percent on all its exports to the U.S., plus 25 percent duties on automobiles, steel and aluminum, if it is unable to work out a new…

Read More

Ivan Mastrosimone, a scout leader from Sicily, said he had travelled by bus for 12 hours to see the funeral, saying it was his “duty” to come because of the pope’s forceful stance on climate change. Christian Wahl, a German logistics manager sporting a panama hat and waving a German flag, said the turnout reflected the pope’s popularity compared to his German predecessor, Benedict XVI, a reserved theologian who died in 2022 after a shock resignation in 2013. “I came for Benedict’s funeral too, but there are more people here,” said Wahl. “Francis is more popular even in Germany as…

Read More

Committed to the poor, migrants, and the environment, Pope Francis devoted his pontificate to the most disadvantaged. But was he really that progressive?The Argentine pontiff, who died on Easter Monday at the age of 88, dedicated his first visit to the Italian island of Lampedusa on 8 July 2013. On that occasion, he paid tribute to the migrants who had died in the Mediterranean and denounced “the globalisation of indifference” to their fate.”He was a man of peace, a man for human dignity, and he always spoke out when people were mistreated and when migrants were scapegoated and demonised by…

Read More

As Europe accelerates its shift from combustion engines to zero-emission mobility, a new generation of affordable contenders is delivering surprising levels of style, safety, and substance. For those conscious of value for money, we have you covered.Here are six standout EVs priced at or around the €25,000 mark that prove going electric doesn’t have to mean compromising on quality. We have included guide prices for three countries.Citroën ë-C3The ë-C3 blends French charm with everyday practicality. A 44 kWh LFP battery offers a range of 320 km, supported by 100 kW direct current (DC) charging – impressive at this price point. A…

Read More

“Most of the major points are agreed to,” Trump said in his social media post shortly after arriving in Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis. “They are very close to a deal, and the two sides should now meet, at very high levels, to ‘finish it off’,” Trump said. “We will be wherever is necessary to help facilitate” an end to the conflict, he said. Ukraine was not represented at the U.S.-Russia meeting in Moscow. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said late Friday that “real pressure” needs to be applied to the Kremlin to accept an unconditional ceasefire. “Real pressure…

Read More

Kaum oder kein Wachstum – und kaum Hoffnung auf Besserung. Die Wirtschaftsweise Veronika Grimm erklärt, warum die strukturelle Krise in Deutschland längst vor Ukrainekrieg und Energiepreisschock begann. Sie spricht über fehlende Steuerreformen, bürokratische Bremsen, verpasste Chancen bei Digitalisierung, Bildung und KI – und warum die Bundesrepublik Gefahr läuft, wirtschaftlich den Anschluss zu verlieren. Ein Gespräch über den deutschen Standort, grüne Illusionen und den gefährlichen Mythos vom „Wirtschaftswunder 2.0“. Das Berlin Playbook als Podcast gibt es morgens um 5 Uhr. Gordon Repinski und das POLITICO-Team bringen euch jeden Morgen auf den neuesten Stand in Sachen Politik — kompakt, europäisch, hintergründig. Und…

Read More

Attendees gather at St Peter’s Square. | Andreas Solaro/AFP via Getty Images Emmanuel Macron sits alongside his wife with Finland’s President Alexander Stubb during Pope Francis’ funeral ceremony. | Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images The coffin of Pope Francis is carried during the pontiff’s funeral ceremony. | Fabio Frustaci/EPA-EFE U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrive at the Funeral. | Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Ursula von der Leyen arrives to attend the funeral ceremony of late Pope Francis at St. Peter’s Square. | Andreas Solaro/AFP via Getty Images Former U.S. President Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden…

Read More

There are several things that most runners do before a marathon: carb-load, warm up and – perhaps most urgently – queue up for the loo to relieve pre-race jitters.This year’s TCS London Marathon is giving one part of that routine a second life.For the first time, urine from thousands of women runners will be collected and recycled into fertiliser to evaluate its ability to grow wheat.It’s the latest sustainability initiative to come from the world’s most popular marathon – and it’s making a splash in more ways than one.Can nervous wee be turned into nutrient-rich fertiliser?The campaign is powered by…

Read More

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump Saturday morning in Rome, Zelenskyy’s spokesman Sergii Nykyforov said, in the two leaders’ first encounter since their disastrous meeting in the White House in February. Trump and Zelenskyy are in Rome to attend the funeral of Pope Francis. Their meeting took place before the funeral started, Nykyforov said. No details of their discussion were available. Trump late Friday said that Kyiv and Moscow “are very close to a deal” on a ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict. Trump’s comments on Truth Social came hours after his special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian…

Read More