Author: staff

A spokesperson for the WEF said in statement Wednesday that the organization’s board of trustees had “unanimously supported the Audit and Risk Committee’s decision to initiate an independent investigation following a whistleblower letter containing allegations against former Chairman Klaus Schwab.” They added: “This decision was made after consultation with external legal counsel and in line with the Forum’s fiduciary responsibilities. The investigation will be led by the Audit and Risk Committee with the support of independent legal experts.” The WEF said that while it takes the allegations against Schwab “seriously,” they “remain unproven, and will await the outcome of the…

From 11am on Wednesday 23 April, hundreds of thousands of faithful Catholics will be able to bid farewell to Pope Francis in St Peter’s Basilica,where the pontiff’s body will be on display until Friday.For many devout Catholics, being able to see the pope after his death is not just a ritual but a gesture charged with spirituality and gratitude.To ensure they can see him in person, Francis has undergone the preservation technique of tanatopraxy to allow public veneration without resorting to more invasive methods.His body is displayed in a simple zinc coffin inside a wooden one, which will remain open…

Musk said on a conference call with analysts on Tuesday that “now that the major work of establishing Department of Government Efficiency is done,” that he will be “allocating far more of my time to Tesla” starting in May. Musk said he now expects to spend just “a day or two per week on government matters”.Tesla struggled to sell vehicles as the company faced angry protests over Musk’s leadership of DOGE, a jobs-cutting group that has divided the country. The Austin, Texas, company reported a 71% drop in profits and a 9% decline in revenue for the first quarter.“Investors wanted…

U.S. Vice President JD Vance told reporters in India on Wednesday that the U.S. had issued a “very explicit proposal” to Russia and Ukraine to end the conflict, adding: “The current lines, somewhere close to them is where you’re ultimately, I think, going to draw the new lines in the conflict.” ‘We will work for peace’ The ditching of talks leaves the high-level European delegations traveling to London — from France, Germany, the U.K. and Ukraine — in a bind. The U.K. Foreign Office decided that the meeting of “the Quad” — the U.K., U.S., France and Germany — with…

Leading automakers will be showcasing their latest designed-for-China models at the Shanghai auto show this week – in a bid to stay competitive in the world’s largest car market.Some industry experts view this year’s show in the sprawling industrial outskirts of Shanghai as a tipping point. Three decades after Beijing set out to build a world-class car industry, local manufacturers account for about two-thirds of sales inside China, and a growing share of global exports.The exhibition opens to the public on Thursday and runs until 2 May.Increased demand for EVsEncouraged by government subsidies for scrapping older cars for the latest…

“I initially hesitated to join the FIDE presidential campaign, but seeing the deep ties between chess and politics, and inspired by my wife’s insights on Ukraine and Lithuania’s role, I felt it was my duty to stand up for transparency and integrity in the chess world,” he said. Ukraine’s uphill struggle For Ukraine’s Kamyshin, the chessboard represents more than strategy: It is a battleground where principles, diplomacy and national identity intersect. Kyiv’s former minister for strategic industries, who ran the country’s rail infrastructure in the early days of Russia’s war, Kamyshin was elected as president of the country’s chess federation…

Updated: 23/04/2025 – 10:01 GMT+2Relatives of Venezuelans imprisoned in El Salvador held a protest outside the UN offices in Caracas on Tuesday, denouncing what they called “kidnappings” by Salvadoran authorities. … More Many expressed anger at Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele’s proposal to exchange Venezuelan political prisoners for migrants deported from the US and currently held in El Salvador.President Nicolás Maduro condemned the plan as “illegitimate” and “abusive,” saying it confirmed the migrants were being held without due process.Bukele revealed the swap proposal on Sunday via X, formerly Twitter, naming detainees including relatives of opposition figures, activists and journalists, many arrested…

“I have no intention of firing him,” Trump told reporters on Thursday about Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.The US president had previously said he could fire Powell if he wanted to, having been frustrated by the Fed putting a pause on cuts to short-term interest rates. Trump’s frustration led him to post on social media last Thursday: “Powell’s termination cannot come fast enough!”The Fed chair’s term ends in May 2026.Powell said that Trump’s tariffs are creating uncertainty about slower growth and higher inflationary pressures. Meanwhile, the president maintains that inflationary worries are essentially non-existent, energy and grocery prices are falling,…

With news overnight that a peace conference in London today would be going ahead without UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy or US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, are peace talks over Ukraine going backwards? Sam and Anne discuss what’s going on. And Rachel Reeves is landing in Washington today for what promises to be one of the most important IMF spring meeting in years – will she make any progress on a trade deal for the UK? Also, Sam has obtained a leaked recording of former Tory leadership contender Robert Jenrick vowing to “bring this coalition together” to ensure that…

Jannik Hartmann, a fellow at the German Council on Foreign Relations, confirmed that a U.S. pullback — from Germany’s Ramstein Air Base, for instance — would leave Europe without basic loading gear like ramps and flatbed wagons. Europe also has few forward stockpiles of military hardware, whereas the U.S. has pre-positioned supplies across Germany, Poland and the Netherlands, Kruijver said. Air-to-air refueling — essential in contested airspace — is still largely a U.S. domain. Europe’s defense of its eastern flank relies on American-financed NATO fuel networks stretching across the continent. If Washington retreats, countries like France and Germany would scramble…