Author: staff

Ukraine has struggled to make itself heard in international talks about its own future, initially being frozen out by Russia and the U.S. Kyiv is more involved now, but is under huge pressure from Washington and Moscow to make galling concessions regarding its land and mineral wealth. American Vice President JD Vance said Wednesday that Ukraine will have to agree to give up territory or the U.S. will walk away from mediating negotiations, adding that the conflict needs to be frozen on the current front lines. The Americans have proposed recognizing Crimea — which Russia illegally annexed in 2014 — as…

According to the ministry, the MPs targeted had made “hostile statements and unfounded accusations” against Moscow. “Being targeted by this thuggish, criminal regime is a compliment,” Labour MP Blair McDougall, among those sanctioned, told POLITICO. “That amongst the reasons is that I have been rude to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin shows how brittle and pathetic his regime is. This won’t stop British MPs from speaking up for the people of Ukraine.” Labour MP Phil Brickell said Putin “has another thing coming” if he thinks the ban will silence them. Liberal Democrat defense spokesperson Helen Maguire, also on the list, said…

The university outlined a set of guidelines and best practices for academics and students traveling to the U.S., highlighting increased border controls, shifting attitudes toward the LGBTQ+ community and the possibility of arrest for researchers who have publicly criticized the Trump administration. UGent also advised researchers working on projects in partnership with U.S. institutions —particularly on “topics the U.S. government considers sensitive (climate change, transgender rights, diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) programs)” — to store their data on internal servers. “This way you avoid that the data can be deleted if it is on a U.S. server,” the university said.…

Lombard said a new partnership with Washington should also be based on reciprocal investment, the rule of law and sustainability. President Donald Trump slapped tariffs on all imports into the U.S. earlier this month before backtracking amid financial turmoil, suspending the highest tariffs proposed for 90 days to create an opening to negotiate a trade deal. Lombard said he hoped the EU and U.S. could avert the trade war with “a win-win” solution, but also stressed the EU was working “on a targeted and measured response, in case we cannot reach a deal rapidly.” The olive branch comes after French…

The office of French President Emmanuel Macron has denied reports that he is considering the possibility of calling snap elections later this year.In a post on X on Wednesday afternoon, the Élysée Palace denied the suggestion — first reported by Bloomberg on Tuesday — that a vote could be held as soon as the autumn. “The Presidency of the Republic denies this, as it already did prior to the publication of the article,” the official Elysée account wrote on X in reference to the Bloomberg story.However, the message did not directly address Bloomberg’s claim that Macron and his inner circle…

The Volvo Group said on Wednesday that its net profit fell to SEK 9.89bn (€910 million) in the first three months of 2025, from a little more than SEK 14bn (€1.29bn) in the previous year. The drop was driven by a 7% decline in the group’s net sales, amounting to SEK 121.8bn (€11.15bn) in the same period. Volvo Group, which manufactures trucks, buses, construction equipment and engines, reported that its vehicle sales decreased by 9% and service sales declined by 1%. Meanwhile, the operating margin was 10.9%.The company’s earnings per share amounted to SEK 4.86 (44 euro cent). Truck deliveries were down by…

“I can only repeat that he is a journalist who has done journalism,” Dagens ETC Editor-in-chief Andreas Gustavsson said. “Joakim is not a criminal, definitely not some kind of terrorist.” Gustavsson argued that Turkey was “trying to claim that all the journalistic work that Joakim Medin has produced about Turkey is terrorism.” “This is of course an absurd accusation,” he said. Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said earlier this month that she had raised Medin’s case with her Turkish counterpart, and called for him to be allowed to “come home.” Relations between Sweden and Turkey have previously been rocky,…

The body of Pope Francis was transferred to St Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday, where he will lie in state for three days ahead of his funeral on Saturday.A solemn procession carried the pontiff’s coffin through the central door of the basilica — the same entrance he used to greet the faithful on Easter Sunday, his final public appearance before his death.Thousands of mourners are expected to file through the Vatican over the coming days to pay their final respects. Pope Francis broke with tradition by simplifying the papal funeral rites and choosing to buried not in the Vatican grottoes but…

US aerospace giant Boeing Co reported its first quarter 2025 earnings on Wednesday, recording robust revenues, while operating margins also became positive. This was mainly due to aircraft deliveries rising in the first quarter, with Boeing delivering 105 737 jets in the three months ended 31 March, compared to 67 in the same quarter in 2024. Revenue for the first quarter of the year soared 18% on an annual basis to $19.4 billion (€17.1bn), with earnings from operations coming up to $461 million (€405.8m). Operating margins were 2.4% in Q1 2025, compared to -0.5% in the first quarter of 2024. Net loss narrowed…

Solar panels made with slave labour in China won’t be used by the UK’s new state-owned energy company, the government announced today. GB Energy was launched by Labour in July, in a bid to boost renewables and lower energy bills, and will be formally established when the Great British Energy Bill is passed by Parliament. After weeks of debate on the issue, energy secretary Ed Miliband is introducing an amendment to the legislation to try and ensure GB Energy’s supply chains are free of slavery.“Unfortunately, there’s a problem right the way throughout the renewables sector with state-imposed forced labour in China,” Luke…