Why Trump is the anti-Reagan
The Republican presidents appear to have much in common. But their policies are poles apart and Donald must turn his back on Ronald to make his MAGA agenda work
Spain’s parrot pandemic
Flocks of green parrots, or monk parakeets, have invaded Barcelona
Estonia’s culture fights for independence from Putin’s Russia
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has reignited fears in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia
Brexiteers should be ashamed of their attacks on Olly Robbins
The new senior civil servant at the Foreign Office is a force for good
If the facts change, Rachel Reeves can change her mind
Whatever the chancellor has to do to maintain fiscal credibility has to be done, but there is no reason it has to be spending cuts
How the internet broke our elites
Just look at what it did to Elon Musk – he bought Twitter, and it was all downhill from there
Kosovo: where women will decide the election
Though many women are stuck at home, they are now the best educated section of the electorate. If the Kosovan government stays in power, it will be down to them
Social media: the tool of a new, aggressive US foreign policy
Musk has used his social media platform as a lever to break into German and UK politics. But Zuckerberg’s changes at Facebook are even more insidious
Musk’s German ally takes the extreme mainstream
Alice Weidel spouts fake facts and demonises Muslims – and she is getting closer to becoming Germany’s chancellor
Beneath the laughter in Greenland, there’s fear
This is not a game or a spectacle – it’s about the fate of a nation whose path towards independence is still unfolding
Badenoch the opportunist tiptoes towards disaster
The Tory leader did nothing about rape gangs she was the minister responsible, and is only interested now that she thinks there might be votes in it
Farage and Badenoch must decide: Are they British patriots, or do they support Elon Musk?
The billionaire cares nothing for our sovereignty or democracy and must be cut loose
Jess Phillips lives and breathes women’s safety. Elon Musk can’t be forgiven for putting her in danger
If you really want to know who cares about the victims of the grooming gangs, look at the people who actually try to help, rather than score points on social media
Does this development mean Starmer is secretly planning to Rejoin?
Mark Francois has sounded the Brexit betrayal claxon over a big change at the Foreign Office
Why Donald Trump wants Greenland
He wants it for the same reason Putin wants Ukraine
PMQs Review: Kemi Badenoch’s opportunism is shameless
The child grooming scandal, said the Tory leader, was one of the worst in British history. So why had she never mentioned it before?
How to wake up woke
The clamour for social justice got waylaid by too much virtue-signalling and too little action. Trump says it’s dead. But it is needed more than ever
ARD and Germany’s first media scandal of the year
The scandal, which involves toxic masculinity, sexism and cancel culture, asks if this century allows for second chances
Do humans need to hibernate?
The Oxford-based sleep scientist Vladyslav Vyazovskiy believes so, but it would just make life blander
Italy’s heroes are fighting the government
Each government pledges to boost resources to the police, fire fighters and other emergency services, but it’s never enough
What can Beethoven teach us about genetics?
The great German composer’s genetic makeup illustrates the dangers of polygenic screening
Welcome to the Lords. Mind the buckets…
Previous governments have known that the Houses of Parliament need urgent attention, but have baulked at the potential bill. Will the current administration be any different?
Elon’s little helpers
The neofascist billionaire at Trump’s side is spewing out dangerous lies about Britain. And our complicit right wing press is amplifying them
Macron and Le Pen squabble among the ruins of Mayotte
The next battleground for the French president and Rassemblement National’s leader is the cyclone-hit, French-owned archipelago in the Indian Ocean
Lie of the week: Suella Braverman on Italy’s ‘borders’
Letters: Immigration, the thing voters love to hate
In reality, reducing immigration is likely to make any government very unpopular, so the narrative needs to shift so it’s seen as an advantage
Robert Jenrick: exploiting the victims of sexual abuse for his own political gain
He did nothing about it when he was a government minister, but now, Jenrick is promoting himself as a campaigner for justice. He’s nothing more than a race-baiting grifter
Jean-Marie Le Pen: the death of a hate-monger
Dead aged 96, the founder of the Front National spent a lifetime injecting hatred, bigotry and division into Europe’s political bloodstream
Robert Jenrick is a cynical opportunist
His car-crash Today interview reveals much about the man who would be Tory king
Cartoon: The right (wing) kind of love
We must make a better job of the way we work
Labour promised to produce the highest growth in the G7. But, few people understand what it will take to do that
The Charlie Hebdo attack – ten years on
When the staff of the French satirical newspaper were murdered by extremists, France was united in defiance and grief – but the consensus soon began to fall apart
Starmer slaps down Musk and points the finger at Badenoch
The PM’s response to the far right billionaire was overdue… but near-perfect
The cost of Elon Musk’s dangerous lies
The ranting billionaire embarrassed himself, Donald Trump… and Nigel Farage. Now he has to pay the price
This is how Starmer can communicate better in 2025
The prime minister and his cabinet have been quietly underwhelming so far and that is partially because they do not look like they know where they’re headed
Keir Starmer must slap Elon Musk down – before someone gets killed
This deranged, disgusting attack on Jess Phillips deserves a public rebuke, not just behind-the-scenes diplomacy
The dangerous lies of Elon Musk
His ill-informed backing for Tommy Robinson and slurs against Jess Phillips say it all about Trump’s right-hand man
Wait until Elon Musk works out what’s really hurting investment in Britain
Brexit, not Keir Starmer’s policies, are causing a lack of confidence among investors
The Telegraph is wrong (again) about Brexit damage
A right wing economist says leaving the EU has been less traumatic than Remainer say – but still concedes we’re losing out
Farewell to 2024: a stupid, awful year
Could 2025 possibly be any worse?
Elon Musk enters German politics
The entrepreneur’s foray into European politics and obsession with the AfD is troubling, given his megaphone X
Meet America’s new boss, Elon Musk
The US voted for Trump. But in just over two weeks’ time, they will be getting Musk
The outsiders rise again
Surprise political forces were the story of 2016. Now the world knows they are here to stay – and Britain should brace itself
2025: The year of living dangerously
The 12 months ahead are fraught with danger for both Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch
A Gaza peace deal to believe in
Could a plan put together by a former Israeli PM and a nephew of Yasser Arafat finally break the deadly cycle of retribution and reprisal?
Letters: All-out attack is needed to counter the threat of Reform
Farage’s party is the most significant threat to UK democracy in living memory. Failure to learn the political lessons will hand him the keys to No 10
The poisonous message behind capital punishment
How could anyone believe that it is right to murder someone else to make a political point?
Lie of the week: Nigel Farage on Elon Musk
Belarus, the country that Europe forgot
President Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled the country for more than three decades, will run against several token challengers on January 26
In Georgia, a president becomes a protester
After the crisis of October’s parliamentary elections, president Salome Zourabichvili has been the country’s most prominent voice of dissent
The Hague explosion was a tragedy waiting to happen
The deadly incident on December 7 has left Dutch law enforcement looking shockingly weak
Turkey celebrates the fall of Assad
Thousands of Syrians living in exile celebrated, including in neighbouring Turkey, which hosts more than 3.5 million refugees
The end of Italy’s largest glacier
The rapid speed at which the Adamello is melting shouldn’t come as a shock; the past two years have been unbearably hot in Italy
Cartoon: 2025, the board game
Brexit broke the immigration system – can Starmer fix it?
Trump’s threatened crackdown on immigration could drive more highly skilled workers towards Britain. The government must be ready to welcome them
Even for politicians, death is the great leveller
The prime minister should be spared social media’s grief voyeurism as he mourns the loss of his brother
Why did Robert Fico go to Moscow?
It’s not the first time the Slovak leader allowed himself to be used as a tool of Kremlin propaganda – it won’t be the last
Make 2025 the year we get real about Brexit
A little humility from the Tories, a lot more help for Ukraine and a ban on BBC interview platitudes are all on my wishlist for the new year
Sorry, Daily Telegraph, but a UK-to-US brain drain isn’t going to happen
The paper’s Sam Ashworth-Hayes thinks catastrophe is on the cards – but there are several factors he’s overlooked
Georgia’s two presidents
Georgia’s new pro-Moscow president is determined to fight his own people – meanwhile, his pro-EU predecessor has left office and gone into the streets to join the protests
How can Britain survive Trump? Send in the royals…
Deploying the monarchy – and even Nigel Farage – might go some way to protecting us from four years of madness
Labour’s work conundrum
The pandemic changed the way people work and Artificial Intelligence is about to drive even more change. But the government isn’t keeping up – and that’s a big problem
Five radical steps that will make Starmer beat Farage
Labour can only put its stumbling start behind it if it constructs a compelling narrative to match the one peddled by populists
The Badenoch v Farage membership row is the shape of politics to come
The Tory leader has given her rival even more free publicity – but she’s right to have picked this fight
On the hunt for Tony Blair in Kosovo
In Kosovo, there’s a statue to a former British PM, where he’s regarded as a hero. But if you want to see it, you need to take the bus
Trump means war
A series of conflicts are spreading across the globe and becoming increasingly entwined. The next US president could make it all much worse
Hey, politician! Tell us your story
If you don’t someone else will tell it for you – and chances are you won’t like what you hear
Spain’s cocaine problem
With increased security at the well-known drug ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam, South American drug traffickers have moved operations to the north-west corner of the Iberian Peninsula
How Labour can prove it stands by Ukraine
The strategically important city of Pokrovsk is in Putin’s sights. The government should do everything it can to stop him – starting with donating surplus MoD equipment to Volodymyr Zelensky
Starmer has reached the moment of truth on Europe
Britain has made up its mind on Europe. The PM must do the same, before it’s too late
Magdeburg, Manhattan and the age of rage
The suspects in two acts of violence are united by limitless narcissism posing as just rebellion
The Magdeburg attack and the politics of horror
A torrent of fake news has sprung up around the tragedy – but when the truth finally emerges, Germany’s far right voters probably won’t even hear it
The wrestler who fought the Nazis
Once a forgotten figure, athlete turned activist Werner Seelenbinder is finally getting the credit he is due
Farage, Trump and abortion
The culture war argument over abortion helped Trump get back into the White House. Now Farage wants to use the same trick – can it work over here?
Reform shamed by their sick attempt to weaponise Magdeburg
Nigel Farage rushed to judgement again – and got it wrong again
How can Starmer deal with the populists?
Labour is a swirl of competing interest groups and right now “the Deliverers” are in charge. But will they be able to see off Musk, Reform and the populist right?
The lesson Gisèle Pelicot teaches us all
The trial that shocked France and the world is a pivot point for relations between the sexes. Men everywhere must learn from the verdict
My faith in how Ahmed engages with reality
News editor of the Jewish News, Justin Cohen, on a meeting that changed his thinking on how to make progress in the Middle East
Interview: Stella Creasy – ‘Brexit is a bad dream… but there’s no Bobby Ewing moment’
The chair of the Labour Movement for Europe explains why the group is not campaigning to rejoin the EU – but trying to salvage relations instead
Caroline Lucas and Dominic Grieve: It’s time to reset, rebuild… and rejoin
The former Green and Tory MPs lay out their vision for the end of Brexit and the future of European Movement UK
Nigel Farage has just made his first huge mistake
Reform’s leader will regret his dalliance with Elon Musk – even if it nets him $100m
Keir Starmer – a man without a plan
First, Labour had “missions” and then it came out with “milestones” – but what it doesn’t have is a plan for government, and it seems incapable of making one
The right wing papers’ new Brexit hysteria
From the Sun to the Times, the papers and Boris Johnson are losing their marbles over Keir Starmer trying to get Britain a better deal
Why is Starmer so afraid of free movement?
Refusing to negotiate with Europe to allow Brits greater access to the continent is a bewildering position for the government to take
The Commons laughs at Badenoch and Brexit
The Tories’ struggling leader fluffs her lines at prime minister’s questions once again
Lights, camera… I’m off
Norway is testing an extraordinary new format for its party leadership debate
How Volkswagen stalled
Like its most famous car maker, German industry has been left behind. And with Trump in the White House, things could get a lot worse
2025 can be the year where we get the small things right
Much has been said about the increasing polarisation of people in the social media age. We need to remember that no man is an island
Alastair Campbell’s winners and losers of 2024
In many cases over the last 12 months, the people who looked like winners also turned out to be losers
We were always going to betray Ukraine
Zelensky has done all he can. But as the final sell-out approaches, the west has not done nearly enough
The five political lessons of 2024
Forget polling and lifetime party loyalty – all that’s gone. In their place we have a broken system, Reform as the main opposition party, and a growing threat from disinformation
Germansplaining: Happy birthday boomers!
2024 marked a milestone for Germany’s biggest demographic cohort
2024: a year of magical thinking
Looking back on 12 months in Brexit, our only hope is that the government comes to its senses – because Trump is on his way
Letters: Thank you Gisèle Pelicot from all of us
Madame Pelicot’s bravery in shining a light on shame has provided inspiration and courage for others who have been violated by men
2024 in pictures
Images of a tumultuous year around the world
Welcome to Switzerland’s Christmas inferno
During the festive season, the usually risk-averse Swiss suddenly throw caution to the wind
How to enjoy your Christmas dinner
For anyone who cares about animal suffering, it should be a no-brainer that eating intensively farmed turkey is unethical
What does the future hold for AI?
The scientific developments in AI in 2024 were just the tip of the iceberg
Cartoon: Good luck this Christmas…