business

Week of geopolitical poker over Ukraine ends with no endgame in sight | Ukraine

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This week began with four European leaders, standing defiantly in Kyiv alongside Volodymyr Zelenskyy, issuing an ultimatum to Vladimir Putin: sign a ceasefire now, or together with Donald Trump we will force you to do so, with sanctions and other tough measures. Over the subsequent days, there followed a series of offers, counter-offers, ultimatums and … Read more

Why is Israel still in Eurovision? The answer is more complex than you might think | Chris West

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As they get ready to watch this year’s final on Saturday, many Eurovision fans will be feeling conflicted. Some will not watch at all. The reason is the participation of Israel. Isn’t Eurovision supposed to be about “love, love, peace, peace” (as the 2016 contest’s Swedish hosts so memorably portrayed it)? If so, they may … Read more

The Guardian view on Europe’s growing wealth divide: back to the world of Balzac | Editorial

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In a recent study picked up in the French press, the academic Mélanie Plouviez cites one of her country’s best-loved novelists to make a damning point. The power of inherited and unearned wealth in the France of 2025, she argues, replicates the social injustices found in Honoré de Balzac’s 19th-century chronicles of ambition and despair. … Read more

UK asking other countries to host ‘return hubs’ for refused asylum seekers, Starmer confirms – UK politics live | Politics

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Starmer confirms UK talking to other countries about getting them to host ‘return hubs’ for refused asylum seekers Q: [From Christopher Hope from GB News] To Starmer – Which countries are you talking to about hosting ‘return hubs’ about migrants from the UK whose applications for asylum have failed? Starmer says he is interested in … Read more

EU and UK at loggerheads over fishing rights and youth mobility | European Union

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EU member states have rejected UK positions on fishing and a youth mobility deal, as tensions mount before a much-anticipated summit between Keir Starmer and Ursula von der Leyen next week. Senior EU diplomats meeting on Wednesday expressed disappointment and frustration over the British positions on fishing rights and youth mobility to the European Commission, … Read more

Romania might be about to make a Trump-admiring former football hooligan its president. This is why | Andrei Popoviciu

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At first glance, Romania’s presidential race, which comes to a head in a second round of voting this Sunday, might look like a de facto referendum on Europe. The far-right George Simion – a former football hooligan who is banned from entering Ukraine for what Kyiv calls “systematic anti-Ukrainian activities” – surged to first place … Read more

Starmer ‘completely rejects’ suggestion he echoed Enoch Powell in immigration speech, No 10 says – UK politics live | Politics

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No 10 says Starmer ‘completely rejects’ suggestion he echoed Enoch Powell with ‘island of strangers’ comment Downing Street has said that Keir Starmer “completely rejects” suggestions he echoed Enoch Powell in his speech on immigration yesterday. (See 9.43am.) At the Downing Street lobby briefing, asked about the criticism he has attracted for using a phrase … Read more