Author: staff
Inflation to rebound Rising energy prices will likely push inflation back toward 3 percent this year and next, the government said — prompting financial markets to expect two European Central Bank rate hikes this year. ECB officials say they won’t overreact to what may be a short-lived blip, but have warned that they will raise rates if they see any signs of inflation taking root again, only four years after the last such shock. German Economy Minister Katherina Reiche — whose past employment at energy giant E.ON has made her a target for criticism from the left and environmentalists —…
Published on 22/04/2026 – 19:06 GMT+2•Updated 19:08 The “Global Sumud Flotilla” is ready to sail to Gaza again, after its previous mission was intercepted last October by Israeli authorities and failed to reach the Strip. Almost a hundred boats with around 1,000 people on board will be involved in the new mission, meant to deliver humanitarian aid in Gaza, bypassing Israeli controls. The new initiative is considered even more dangerous than the last one, given the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. The last boats are expected to depart on Saturday from Augusta, Sicily, and join up with other vessels…
Chinese artist Kong Ning presented a new installation, ‘Journey through peace’, in Beijing on Wednesday to mark World Earth Day. She wore a costume made of balloon dinosaurs, with a headset of greenery and a green sphere. The look drew attention from passers-by in a central district, mixing playfulness with a quiet message about the planet. Kong said the outfit invites the Earth to dream, offering a space to rest and recover. She sees it as a way to restore energy needed to sustain human life. The artist has staged wearable works every Earth Day for more than a decade,…
The note, which was included with papers relating to Mandelson’s appointment released on March 11, throws additional light on how Starmer approached questions about Mandelson. The episode has already cost Mandelson, the PM’s chief of staff and the head of the foreign office their jobs and Starmer is facing calls to resign over his handling of the scandal. At the center of the crisis for the government is the issue of whether Starmer took enough care to make sure Mandelson — a known friend of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — was a suitable person to be U.K. ambassador to…
Published on 22/04/2026 – 20:40 GMT+2•Updated 21:06 Thousands of high school and university students marched through the Czech capital on Wednesday to protest against a government plan to overhaul and reduce funding for public radio and television. “We won’t let you take the media,” protesters chanted. Smaller protests were organised across the country. The new coalition government led by populist Prime Minister Andrej Babiš drafted the plan to scrap the fees that individuals, households and businesses pay to access the outlets. Instead, the public media would be fully dependent on the state budget. Critics say that would compromise their independence.…
Cybercriminals hacked a messaging app on the phone of German Bundestag President Julia Klöckner, the second-highest ranking German official, according to a report by Der Spiegel. The magazine reported that Klöckner is among the victims of a recent phishing-style cyberattack targeting the messaging app Signal, amid a broader wave of attacks on European politicians in recent months. The outlet reported that Klöckner was part of a Signal group chat with members of the executive board of the conservative Christian Democratic Union. Chancellor Friedrich Merz is also part of the group, although German domestic intelligence reportedly found no evidence his phone…
By Gavin Blackburn & Matthieu Durand Published on 22/04/2026 – 21:25 GMT+2 A second French soldier died on Wednesday from wounds suffered in a weekend ambush against UN peacekeepers in Lebanon (UNIFIL) blamed on the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, President Emmanuel Macron said. A first soldier, staff sergeant Florian Montorio, was shot dead in the Saturday ambush, for which Hezbollah has denied responsibility. “Corporal Anicet Girardin…brought home yesterday from Lebanon, where he was badly wounded by Hezbollah fighters, died this morning of the consequences of his wounds,” Macron wrote in a post on X. One of three soldiers hurt in the same attack,…
Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev met in the historic city of Bukhara over the weekend, as the two Central Asian nations continue to strengthen economic and strategic cooperation. Bilateral trade between the two countries reached nearly $5 billion (€4.3 billion) last year, with both sides now aiming to double that figure in the coming years. Joint projects are already under way across a wide range of sectors, including automotive manufacturing, infrastructure, logistics, electrical engineering and construction materials. The leaders outlined new areas for cooperation, focusing on digital technologies, water management and environmental protection. A joint Clean…
EU leaders on Thursday and Friday meet in Cyprus to discuss how to deal with the situation in Iran, and the energy crisis that it has caused, as well as broader security questions and the bloc’s next long-term budget. Scroll down for news and analysis.
Published on 22/04/2026 – 20:01 GMT+2 According to Kontroll, the son of the outgoing Prime Minister, Gáspár Orbán, the son of Hungary’s outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has been discharged from the Hungarian Defence Forces, local media report. Sources at 444.hu confirmed that Orbán, who held the rank of captain, submitted his demobilsation request before the parliamentary elections on 12 April which saw his father’s Fidesz party trounced by the opposition in a landslide. Gáspár Orbán was born in 1992 studied law and first became a footballer, playing as a midfielder for Videoton FC Fehérvár and Puskás Akadémia FC before…