Author: staff

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

Palestinian Christian communities in Gaza and the West Bank have mourned the death of Pope Francis, who consistently supported their plight throughout his papacy, but especially in the last 18 months of his life.He was “not just our pope, he was our brother, our friend, our dear friend for Bethlehem,” proclaimed Tony Tabash, a Catholic souvenir store owner in the biblical birthplace of Jesus.On Monday evening, Catholics in Gaza held a mass for Pope Francis at the Holy Family Church, the only Catholic church in the enclave.”I was very sad, and my feelings were sad, because the Pope was our…

The 7th ADA Political Forum took place in Azerbaijan under the theme “Facing the New World Order”.The event brought together 80 participants from 44 countries to discuss changing global dynamics, the decline of unipolarity, energy security and climate challenges. Held in both Baku and Khankendi, it was the first international event to be held at Karabakh University.Debates focused on the growing role of the Global South, evolving international partnerships and regional stability.Speakers stressed the importance of open dialogue and multipolar cooperation in a time of complex geopolitical shifts. 

“These videos promote extreme thinness. Protecting minors online is one of my priorities,” the minister said in a video posted to TikTok on Friday. Following a request from Chappaz to French media regulator Arcom to look into the matter, Arcom told POLITICO it is working with the European Commission to investigate “given the public health risk” the trend may pose.  Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier told POLITICO that the Commission is “aware of the issue raised” by France and is “ready to cooperate” with them. The Commission opened a probe into TikTok’s algorithm and how it affects minors last February under…

Big tech’s “Magnificent Seven” companies – a group consisting of Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Amazon, Tesla, Google parent Alphabet and Facebook parent Meta Platforms – have seen their combined market value plunge by $4.2 trillion (€3.7tn), or 24%, since Donald Trump’s inauguration through to Monday.The financial damage was more severe a few days after Trump’s 2 April unveiling of sweeping reciprocal tariffs due to the heavy toll on Big Tech’s supply chains in China and other key markets around the globe. A temporary freeze on the majority of the most punitive tariffs and an exemption from most of the fees on…

Pope Francis, who died aged 88 on Monday, was seen as a progressive who spoke openly about technology, and more recently artificial intelligence (AI), something he even became a victim of. In 2023, the Pontiff was spotted walking down St Peter’s Square at the Vatican wearing a stylish Moncler white puffer jacket and a long necklace with a bejewelled crucifix. Except, it was an AI-generated image that looked very realistic and had viewers convinced it was his new style. Since his passing, a flurry of memes has ensued online about the appointment of his replacement. While the Pope welcomed social media to…

Previously, the country only aspired to meet the NATO goal by 2029, but in recent months Washington and Brussels have been pressuring Madrid to speed up that timeline. During a meeting with Spanish Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo last week, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent insisted that Spain needed to boost defense spending. Around a third of the new funds are set to be used to improve conditions for members of Spain’s armed forces, who will receive significant raises. Another €3.26 billion will be allocated for telecommunication and cybersecurity expenditures, which Sánchez said would reinforce the country’s “digital shield,” and €1.9…

At least 14 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza, officials in the Strip have said, adding that bulldozers and other heavy equipment that had been supplied by mediators to clear rubble had also been destroyed.Israel’s 18-month offensive against Hamas has destroyed vast areas of Gaza, raising fears that much of the enclave may never be rebuilt.The territory already had a shortage of heavy equipment, which is also needed to rescue people from the rubble after Israeli strikes and to clear vital roads.A municipality in the Jabaliya area of northern Gaza said a strike on a…

Global financial markets have been turned upside down so far this year with uncertainty running high due to US President Donald Trump’s trade tariff announcements. Tariffs are one of the major geopolitical risks, listed in the IMF’s latest Global Financial Stability Report, including wars, sanctions and diplomatic stand-offs that are directly affecting the financial markets. The report warns that the impact of geopolitical risk events can spill over to sovereigns and firms in other countries through trade and financial linkages, increasing the risk of financial contagion, and resulting in volatility on the markets. For the first few months of this…

The temporary truce in Ukraine that Russia declared for Easter was a “charm operation” intended to appease US President Donald Trump, France’s top diplomat said on Tuesday.Russian President Vladimir Putin unilaterally announced a 30-hour ceasefire on Saturday, and Ukraine said it was ready to reciprocate any genuine pause in the fighting. However, both sides accused each other of attacks that violated Moscow’s truce. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Putin had declared the ceasefire to appeal to the Trump administration, which is pushing for peace in Ukraine and has threatened to walk away from its efforts unless there are signs…