European leaders to focus on future of European economy as Donald Tusk says if words were bullets, Europe would have the world’s strongest power Croatia’s ruling conservative party won the most seats in parliamentary elections, but not enough to form a government, according to almost complete official results. The prime minister, Andrej Plenković’s Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) has won 60 seats in the 151-member assembly, results from more than 90% of the polling stations have showed. In the previous 2020 election, the party won 66 seats ..read more

Pope Francis to attend installation that includes short film featuring Zoë Saldaña and Giudecca inmates Originally a convent dating to the 13th century, and once a reformatory for prostitutes, the Giudecca women’s prison, set on an island in the Venetian lagoon, will this summer perform a quite different role: as the official pavilion for the Vatican at this year’s Venice Biennale. Pope Francis is due to attend on 28 April – the first pontifical visit to the Biennale since it was founded in 1895. In the women’s prison he will see a work by Maurizio Cattelan, who notoriously created a hyper-rea ..read more

Closer alignment between a Labour government and the EU is a certainty. But the divisive binary choices of 2016 are ancient history “Who do you think will lead the Labour government’s revolt on Europe?” asked my walking companion, steeped in politics, as we battled a cold morning headwind on a Chiltern hillside this week, the hedgerows around us suddenly in full leaf again and the chalkland remarkably dry after that pitiless early April rain, before he added: “And when will it come?” These are both good questions. But they are hard to answer in a fierce wind and going uphill. Back in the dry ..read more

Led by prime minister Andrej Plenković, the Croatian Democratic Union won 60 seats out of 151 but face tough talks to gather a majority Croatia’s ruling conservative party won the most seats in parliamentary elections, but not enough to form a government, according to almost complete official results. The prime minister, Andrej Plenković’s Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) has won 60 seats in the 151-member assembly, results from more than 90% of the polling stations have showed. In the previous 2020 election, the party won 66 seats ..read more

Foreign minister warns of environmental catastrophe in Baltic Sea as he accuses Moscow of using unseaworthy vessels Russia appears prepared to create “environmental havoc” by sailing unseaworthy oil tankers through the Baltic Sea in breach of all maritime rules, the Swedish foreign minister has said. Speaking to the Guardian during his first visit to London since Sweden became a Nato member, Tobias Billström called for new rules and enforcement mechanisms to prevent the ageing and uninsured Russian shadow fleet causing an environmental catastrophe. About half of all Russian oil transported by ..read more

Olaf Scholz tells EU to send more Patriot batteries as Nato chief urges members to prioritise Ukraine’s air defences; airstrikes on Chernihiv kill 17. What we know on day 785 See all our Ukraine war coverage Calls to support Ukraine’s defence against Russian air strikes have grown after at least 17 people died when three missiles hit the centre of Chernihiv, a city in northern Ukraine near the border with Russia. The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, on Wednesday urged his fellow EU leaders to follow Germany’s lead and send Ukraine more Patriot air defence systems. Germany on Saturday announce ..read more

Thousands of Georgians gathered in the centre of Tbilisi to protest against a bill on 'foreign agents', which critics see as authoritarian and Russian-inspired. Earlier in the day, Georgia's parliament approved the first reading of the bill, which has provoked several days of protests. Riot police have clashed in recent nights with large rallies outside the parliament building opposing the bill, which is viewed in Brussels as a threat to future EU membership Georgia footballers protest against Tbilisi’s ‘foreign influence’ bill ..read more

The opposition is right to recognise that a dangerous international climate demands closer security partnership with the EU For most of the period since the decision was taken to leave the EU, British politicians have overestimated how much thought the continent gives to Brexit. Once shock at the referendum result receded, relations with the UK came to be seen as a technical problem to be solved by hard-headed negotiation. At critical moments, when deadlines neared, Brexit leapt up the agenda. After the treaties were signed, they dropped right down, overtaken by the other issues facing a large ..read more

Ruth Rosenthal reflects on Tehran’s mission to dominate the Middle East, Adrian de León has little faith in diplomatic channels, Phil Tate takes issue with David Cameron’s remarks, Alfredo Louro fears the game is rigged, and the Rev Graham Murphy says the UK’s position is hypocritical How strange that my interpretation of the situation in the Middle East is the reverse of Simon Tisdall’s (After Iran’s attack on Israel, the world must act: this is a crisis that threatens us all, 14 April). I believe that everything from 7 October to date has been carefully orchestrated by Iran and that the ..read more

Charities say authorities want to clear homeless people from streets and squats to make city look better for Games Police have evicted hundreds of people from the biggest squat in France, in a southern suburb of Paris, prompting fresh accusations from charities that authorities are seeking to clear refugees, asylum seekers and homeless people from the capital area before the Olympics. The squat, in an abandoned bus company headquarters in Vitry-sur-Seine, had been home to up to 450 people, many of whom had refugee status, legal paperwork and jobs in France, but who could not find proper housin ..read more