First came the letter to the Central Bank’s staff on the day of the Governing Council meeting, followed by the official announcement. The two most likely candidates for the post are the Spanish banker De Cos and the Dutchman Knoot

It is a necessary manoeuvre, and if one does not wish to use the term ‘meagre’, one can use ‘austere’ instead. Giorgetti, ‘Gianca’ as Meloni calls him (‘stay here, Gianca, don’t run off’), says that this is ‘a serious manoeuvre’. There are so many documents and tables that Meloni asks in the Council of Ministers, ‘help me understand what I’m supposed to say’.   

The new report by Aid to the Church in Need is clear: in more than half of the countries analysed, the situation has not improved. Quite the contrary. From sub-Saharan Africa to Asia, right through to Nicaragua, Christians are being targeted

Healey’s first Budget focuses on public investment and support to tackle high energy prices, but postpones decisions on defence until 2027. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has cut its growth forecasts and reduced the budget surplus, whilst the Conservatives accuse the government of putting off the toughest
decisions

The state, portrayed as an enemy to be fought, ensured that Youssef Siher had an independent judge and the right to a defence, and opened the door to his cell. It is hard to imagine a clearer demonstration of the strength of democracy and the failure of the authoritarian drift he advocated

Sánchez admitted that two incidents in a year “are unacceptable”, then announced three days of national mourning. The PSOE was even climbing back up in the polls, but keep an eye on the figures over the next few days

There is something notable about the idea of treating national creativity – the peninsula’s only resource that has never run dry – as a mining concession to be leased out at a rate of so-and-so per letter on a number plate. The imagination will run wild, and how. And the state will rake in the cash
.

The Ides of March in Campo Largo are drawing near. Conte would like the primaries to be held in December, whilst the PD is aiming for 14 March. We asked the key figures what they think, amidst saints’ days, birthdays, Napoli matches and songs by Achille Lauro   

Netanyahu, Eisenkot and Trump’s plans. The Israelis are making a choice regarding their right wing

Melodrama is being introduced into secondary school curricula. A minor revolution that could have happened a few decades ago, given that opera was the true collective narrative of the Italian people, capable of bringing a whole world to life in a single evening. But, to quote "The Barber of Seville", there is some trickery afoot

In this climate, will there be a showdown for those from the north? Some are still hoping for a place in the new executive committee, but their chances are slim. The rebels will certainly not find a place on the electoral lists that would guarantee them a safe seat in Parliament    

The centre-right senator has spoken out against the measure that has caused friction within the centre-right, which was ‘saved’ by votes from Futuro Nazionale: “The Forza Italia representative who voted in the committee had only just joined from the Lega. Then there are those who claim not to know…” Her appeal: “Let us follow the position of Berlusconi and Mattarella”

“The power structure of the contemporary art world, characterised by impunity fuelled by money, increasingly resembles the political sphere, where plutocrats accumulate wealth unhindered.” Interview with the author of “Quel che luccica” 

In Israel, left-wing and Arab parties are showing the global left a reality that the progressive camp often chooses to ignore. A reality in which the left, to be true to itself, does not define itself through leniency towards Hamas. A reality where supporting the creation of a Palestinian state does not mean downplaying the events of 7 October 

“Had it been a personal matter, I would have kept quiet. I speak as group leader and in the name of a political culture and a concept of justice rooted in the rule of law, in the concept of a fair trial before an impartial third-party judge, and in the presumption of innocence,” says the leader of the centre-right senators.