Author: staff

Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires on 17 December 1936, was elected Pope on 13 March 2013, becoming the first Jesuit and the first Latin American to occupy the throne of St Peter. His papacy was marked by a strong focus on social justice, the fight against poverty and a call for global peace.Despite his connection to Argentina, Francis never made a pastoral visit to his native country during the 12 years of his pontificate. Speculation about this decision varied: some analysts suggested that he was avoiding involvement in the country’s political polarisation, while others pointed to…

A once-in-a-generation collection of Roy Lichtenstein’s art is heading to auction in May, with Sotheby’s expecting the vibrant selection to pull in more than $35 million (€30.8 million). The sale will feature 40 pieces from the late pop art pioneer’s personal trove – a treasure chest of paintings, drawings, sculptures and prints, many of which have never been seen publicly.Many works come directly from the Southampton home Lichtenstein shared with his wife Dorothy, including rare pieces made in the artist’s own studio – a space usually kept private and rarely photographed.“From drawings to paintings to sculpture, this phenomenal group of…

The global order is “shifting more deeply than at any time since the Cold War ended,” von der Leyen added. Trump announced the reciprocal tariffs on April 2 — hitting the EU with a 20 percent levy and most of the rest of the world with a baseline tariff of 10 percent. As financial markets melted down a week later, Trump suspended the higher tariffs for 90 days to open the way for talks on a trade deal. In the EU’s case, it is still paying that 10 percent rate, as well as 25 percent on exports of steel, aluminum…

Ils sont élus, hauts fonctionnaires, grands patrons ou activistes du climat : tous contribuent au débat sur la transition vers la neutralité carbone, qu’ils cherchent pour certains à l’accélérer, pour d’autres à la ralentir. Alors que la France s’est engagée dans une transition énergétique, POLITICO liste ceux qui l’accompagnent, la dessinent, l’infléchissent. Avec une prime, cette année, à ceux qui incarnent une forme de stabilité… dans la tempête. 1. Patrick Pouyanné PDG de TotalEnergies Tant qu’il y aura des automobilistes et des voitures, il faudra les faire rouler. Et tant que la majeure partie de l’énergie consommée viendra du gaz ou…

“Trump’s policy will lead everyone to agree to develop trade relationships with the rest of the world and therefore also further increase the number of free-trade agreements,” said Jean-Luc Demarty, who headed the Commission’s trade department during the first Trump administration. Overall, EU countries such as France, Belgium or Austria, which once dragged their feet on opening up their sensitive markets, are starting to see deals as a geopolitical necessity — not just an economic bonus.  A case in point is France, whose entire political class had rejected the EU-Mercosur trade deal as politically and economically toxic, but which is…

US President Donald Trump intensified pressure on Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell for interest rate cuts on Monday, calling him “a major loser” and warning of an economic slowdown.“There can almost be no inflation, but there can be a SLOWING of the economy unless Mr Too Late, a major loser, lowers interest rates, NOW,” he posted on Truth Social. Trump also compared the Federal Reserve with the European Central Bank (ECB), which has reduced interest rates seven times. “Powell has always been ‘Too Late,’ except when it came to the election period when he lowered rates in order to help…

– Zurückdrehen der Ampel-Politik: Wie die Union die jetzige Klima-Außenpolitik neu aufstellen und damit nicht nur das Wirtschaftsministerium sondern auch das Auswärtige Amt beschneiden könnte, berichtet Hans von der Burchard.– Im 200-Sekunden-Interview dazu: Jennifer Morgen, Staatssekretärin im Auswärtigen Amt und Sonderbeauftragte für internationale Klimapolitik.– Neue Messenger-Vorwürfe gegen Pete Hegseth: Wie lange sich der US-Verteidigungsminister noch halten kann, schätzt Jonathan Martin von POLITICO in Washington ein.– Trauerfeier für Papst Franziskus: Wie sich Olaf Scholz und Friedrich Merz (erneut) gemeinsam in Rom wiederfinden könnten.  Das Berlin Playbook als Podcast gibt es morgens um 5 Uhr. Gordon Repinski und das POLITICO-Team bringen euch…

The official also claimed the ECB has recently been hyping the stablecoin menace to bolster political support for its controversial digital euro project, an effort to build a pan-European payment system that, it says, would shield Europe’s financial infrastructure from crypto-assets. Stablecoins denominated in dollars, which are backed primarily by U.S. treasuries, account for 99 percent of the $240 billion market, according to Frankfurt. The central bank fears that allowing dollar-backed stablecoin issuers to offer their product in both the U.S. and the EU could also favor “existing non-EU stablecoin issuers who have already established an oligopolistic market position,” and…

Pope Francis passed away due to a stroke and irreversible cardiovascular arrest, according to the death certificate released by Vatican doctor Andrea Arcangeli. The document, which was released by The Vatican, also noted that the pope had fallen into a coma before his death. In addition to his recent lung infection, Arcangeli stated that Francis had been battling high blood pressure and diabetes.The 88-year-old pontiff recently spent five weeks in a Rome hospital, battling against a life-threatening bout of double pneumonia, but returned to the Vatican and lighter duties towards the end of March.It was not his first encounter with…

Harvard University has announced it is taking legal action against the Trump administration in an attempt to block a freeze on more than $2.2 billion (€2bn) in federal grants. The university’s lawsuit comes after it declared its intention to resist the administration’s demands to limit political activism on campus.Earlier this month, the Trump administration sent a letter to Harvard outlining a series of requests, including sweeping reforms to the university’s leadership and operations, changes to its admissions policies, and an audit of diversity initiatives. The administration also urged Harvard to revoke recognition of certain student organisations.Harvard’s president, Alan Garber, made…