Today
Slovakia’s populist prime minister shot in assassination attempt
Robert Fico was gravely wounded after a political event in an attempted assassination that has shocked the small country and reverberated across Europe.
- Updated
- Bela Szandelszky and Karel Janicek
This Month
Blinken visits Ukraine as Russia’s military closes in
The US secretary of state arrived in Kyiv to reassure Ukraine of America’s commitment to help the push-back against Russian advances that have gathered pace in recent months.
- Matthew Lee
New lawyers to earn $341,600 as London talent war explodes
Wages for new hires at Quinn Emanuel will rise by tens of thousands from next month in a recruitment blow to Magic Circle rivals.
- Eir Nolsoe
Putin replaces defence minister in rare cabinet shake-up
The Kremlin said Russia’s ballooning defence budget warranted putting economist Andrei Belousov in charge.
- Paul Sonne and Anton Troianovski
Russia ‘captures key villages’ as Ukraine races reinforcements
Military bloggers say the assault in the north-east could mark the start of an attempt to carve out the “buffer zone” sought by President Vladimir Putin.
- Updated
- Olena Harmash and Tom Balmforth
Lex Greensill alleges his UK pursuers were protecting David Cameron
The fallen Aussie financier alleges a media leak by Britain’s Insolvency Service, which is seeking to ban him as a company director, was politically motivated.
- Hans van Leeuwen
Bank of England boss ‘optimistic’ interest rate cuts are coming
The BoE left its benchmark unchanged at 5.25 per cent, but the UK economy is looking ripe for a rate cut.
- Updated
- Hans van Leeuwen
- Analysis
- Renting
Why Australia’s long-suffering renters are not alone
Rents are soaring not only in Australia but also in the US, UK and Canada, preventing inflation from declining closer to central banks’ targeted levels.
- Swati Pandey, Irina Anghel and Enda Curran
- Analysis
- EU
Europe’s far right is becoming mainstream
Anti-immigration parties with fascist roots, and an unclear commitment to democracy, are emerging as Europe’s new leaders, the New York Times reports.
- Roger Cohen
Russia not looking for global power clash: Putin
Vladimir Putin now casts the war as part of a holy struggle with the West, which he says has forgotten the role played by the Soviet Union in defeating Nazi Germany.
- Updated
- Guy Faulconbridge
Garrick Club of London votes to accept female members for first time
The vote – a margin of roughly 60 per cent to 40 per cent – will open membership to women for the first time since the club’s founding in 1831.
- Mark Landler
Xi urges Macron to help avoid a ‘new cold war’
The Chinese leader told his French counterpart that the two nations should uphold mutual benefits, and jointly oppose decoupling and the disruption of supply chains.
- William Horobin, Samy Adghirni and Li Liu
France’s cognac exports to China could be hit like Australian wine
China opened an anti-dumping investigation into brandy imported from the EU in January, sparking fears cognac could suffer a similar blow to that taken by Australian wine.
- Emma Rumney
Russia plotting sabotage across Europe, intelligence agencies warn
Russia has begun to more actively prepare covert bombings, arson attacks and damage to infrastructure on European soil, directly and via proxies, officials say.
- Sam Jones, John Paul Rathbone and Richard Milne
Macron set to press visiting Xi on trade, Ukraine
France is backing a European Union probe into Chinese electric vehicle exports and in January Beijing opened an investigation into imports of brandy.
- John Irish and Ingrid Melander
Sunak clings on as PM by the skin of his teeth
The local elections were disastrous for the British PM, but rebel Tories have paused because the outcome suggests Labour may not be on course for a landslide.
- Hans van Leeuwen
Tories suffer historic losses in UK local elections as voters revolt
The Conservative have lost dozens of seats on local councils - a result that suggests the party faces one of its biggest-ever defeats in the upcoming general election.
- Pan Pylas
‘Twenty-five times salary’: Goldman scraps bonus cap for bankers
Goldman will allow star traders and deal makers to earn up to 25 times their salary. The bank is trying to make London more attractive to top bankers after Brexit.
- Eir Nolsoe and Michael Bow
Russia using WW1 chemical weapons in Ukraine: US
The US made the accusation as the French president stepped up calls for Europe to consider sending troops to Ukraine in the future.
- Constant Méheut and Marc Santora
- Analysis
- UK politics
Angry, broken Britain set to push its PM off a cliff
If Rishi Sunak can’t prevent a complete hammering at 100-plus mayoral and council elections, his party might kick off yet another leadership spill.
- Hans van Leeuwen
