Author: staff
The same factors could push global inflation above 6 percent next year, it cautioned. Finance ministers and central bank governors from around the world are set to talk about little else at the IMF-World Bank spring meetings this week in Washington, D.C., and the IMF’s numbers — like many from private-sector forecasters — make clear how serious the risks of a protracted major conflict are. Hoping against hope To be sure, the IMF’s baseline forecast still clings to the hope that things will return to normal by the middle of the year, leaving little more than a small dent in…
The event launched an 11 day tour across four African nations and highlighted efforts to strengthen Christian Muslim relations in a country of about 47 million people. Despite rain, the pope addressed clergy and visitors at the hilltop basilica overlooking the Mediterranean, stressing peace and coexistence at a time of global tensions. Pope Leo XIV was welcomed by Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, Archbishop of Algiers, who received the pontiff as host of the visit and accompanied him to key religious and symbolic sites, including the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa. Known for his commitment to interfaith dialogue, Vesco has long…
Payan posted in March on X that he did not want West performing in his city. “I refuse to let Marseille be a showcase for those who promote hatred and unapologetic Nazism. Kanye West is not welcome at the Vélodrome,” Payan said. The push comes as other European governments take a harder line on West, who now goes by Ye. The rapper was recently barred from entering the United Kingdom in early April, with officials arguing his presence would not be “conducive to the public good,” prompting the cancellation of London’s Wireless Festival. West has repeatedly drawn condemnation for antisemitic…
Published on 14/04/2026 – 14:41 GMT+2•Updated 16:14 Italy has suspended the automatic renewal of its defence agreement with Israel, which involves the exchange of military equipment and technology research, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Tuesday. “In view of the current situation, the government has decided to suspend the automatic renewal of the defence agreement with Israel,” Meloni said on the sidelines of an event in Verona, according to Italian news agencies. Approved by Israel in 2006, the agreement is reviewed every five years. It calls for cooperation across defence industries, education and training of military personnel, research and development,…
The meeting, held during a two‑day visit, comes as Spain seeks to position itself between major powers while pushing for diplomatic solutions to the conflict in Iran. Sánchez is also scheduled to meet Premier Li Qiang and top legislator Zhao Leji before departing on Wednesday, underlining the importance of the trip for Spain’s foreign policy. The visit marks Sánchez’s fourth trip to China since 2023, an unusually high frequency among European leaders. Spain, a country of about 48 million people, has recently taken a more independent stance, including restricting US military access to certain bases during the Iran conflict, which…
According to a statement from the National Financial Prosecutor Pascal Prache, the failed raid was conducted as part of a probe linked to contracts over the organization of memorial ceremonies. French presidency staff told investigators they could not search the Elysée Palace, because the premises are covered by presidential immunity, the statement said. The investigators were looking into allegations of favoritism, corruption, influence peddling and unlawful conflict of interest with relation to the holding of memorial ceremonies at the Panthéon in Paris, per the prosecutor’s statement. The Panthéon mausoleum holds the remains of France’s great men and women, and several…
Ukraine to hold talks with the European partners this week focused on creating a joint defence system, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced before visiting Berlin on Tuesday. “I am confident: either Ukraine becomes an integral part of Europe’s security system, or some in Europe risk becoming part of the ‘Russian world,'” Zelenskyy said. Ukraine’s president reiterated that Kyiv stands ready to “support those who support us”. “Our Ukrainian security experience and our military expertise are now the most sought-after products for dozens of countries worldwide,” Zelenskyy said, referring to Kyiv’s recently signed defence agreements with the Middle East. Ukraine has…
… easier to freeze out Ultimately, whether Várhelyi continues to hold sway in the Berlaymont is largely in his own hands. According to a commissioner who was granted anonymity to speak candidly, commissioners cannot be removed, but if they start working against their country of origin — in the event, for example, that the government direction changes back home — they can become sidelined and will lose credibility with the rest of the college. Indeed, if Brussels has learned anything over the years, it’s that a commissioner doesn’t need to be removed to become irrelevant. Take Janusz Wojciechowski, Poland’s agriculture…
Published on 14/04/2026 – 17:37 GMT+2 Plans for a new EU fund to help heavy industry cut carbon emissions have been criticised by the European Court of Auditors (ECA), which warns the proposal may be flawed in both design and impact. The proposed Temporary Decarbonisation Fund, put forward by the European Commission in late 2025, aims to support sectors such as fertilisers, aluminium and steel. These industries are seen as at risk of relocating outside the EU due to strict climate rules. However, in an opinion published on Tuesday, EU auditors questioned whether the fund would deliver real results, warning…
Published on 14/04/2026 – 19:33 GMT+2 The retrial of disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein on a rape charge on which a jury was previously deadlocked started on Tuesday, although he will remain imprisoned for other offences regardless of the verdict. Weinstein is accused of the third-degree rape of Jessica Mann, who starred in the 2015 romantic comedy “This Isn’t Funny.” The judge declared a mistrial last June after the jury foreperson refused to return to deliberate the case amid a jury-room feud. Weinstein is being retried on that count in the Manhattan court and the process of jury selection began…