Forget Elon Musk โ hereโs whatโs really terrifying the UK government
A return to austerity was not in Keir Starmer’s plans โ and it risks shredding Labour’s credibility while populists snap at its heels.
The Independent
Bashar Assad is finished but Syriaโs fight for democracy is just beginning
The countryโs fragile, post-revolutionary landscape doesnโt inspire confidence.
British politics has a sandwich problem
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch is just the latest big name to cause a stir with her culinary choices.
Justice Department obtained records of Democrats, journalists during Trumpโs first term
During leak investigations, Trumpโs DOJ obtained phone and email records of two House Democrats and dozens of congressional staffers.
Keir Starmerโs reset, rated
POLITICO rates the prime minister’s six new “milestones” as he tries to drive change โ and turn the polls around.
Trump victory could torpedo UKโs Chagos Islands deal
Britain’s government is being warned deal over home of U.S. military base will only rile the president-elect.
Is Donald Trump about to wreck Brexit?
The U.S. president-electโs return to the world stage comes as Britain and the EU are resetting relations. Brussels sees an opportunity.
Border data shows North Korean โstudentsโ (not troops) are loving Russia
The apparent surge in academic interest in Russia comes shortly after Moscow and Pyongyang signed a military cooperation treaty.
Britain cranks up taxes by ยฃ40B and gambles on growth
Labour’s Rachel Reeves signaled that the new British government plans record tax rises on the wealthy and on business.
Digital euro sparks sovereignty battle between EU governments and ECB
Politicians are vying with technocrats for control of a revamp of the single currency that both say poses serious economic risks.
Britainโs new MPs rage at parliamentโs old traditions
Newly elected lawmakers set their sights on archaic customs like “bobbing” to win the Commons speakerโs attention.
The king and Keir
Two men, worlds apart, are Britain’s diplomatic double act in Samoa. But there’s more to connect Keir Starmer and King Charles III than meets the eye.
In Sweden, the far right is waging open war on the Swedish Committee for Combating Antisemitism
In a series of articles published in the newspaper ‘Aftonbladet,’ the Swedish Democrats, who support the right-wing government, have accused the independent body โ which systematically points out its regular slip-ups โ of being a political player.
Britainโs heading for a nuclear power crunch. Blame the French.
A once proud fleet of power plants is about to be reduced to one last, lonely nuke.
Farage: England appointing a German football manager is a โterrible mistakeโ
Right-wing populist Reform UK leader asked why England can’t “have an English manager?”
Israel pursuing โwantonโ destruction of Gaza health system, UN commission says
An inquiry by the world body found Israeli forces deliberately killed and tortured medical personnel.
Budget will be key to Barnierโs survival
The French prime minister understands the scale of the emergency heโs been confronted with โ and that it will determine the fate of his minority government.
Navalny may have been killed by poisoning, documents suggest: Report
Russian politician showed signs of poisoning before dying suddenly in prison in February, according to documents obtained by The Insider.
Who are โthe Irishโ? History shows weโve been a mixed bunch for centuries | Maurice J Casey
The far right demands a pure โIrishnessโ. But our island story has long been interwoven with other ethnicities and diasporasWhen lecturing on Irish immigration history, I usually start by asking: in which decade was the first footage of people of colou…
From dire to iconic: 6 times European leaders tried to make the power hoodie work
Not all world leaders can pull off a hoodie.
Harris pulls ahead of Trump in battlegrounds, poll finds
Harris is polling ahead of Trump in Georgia, Michigan, Nevada and Wisconsin โ but her slight lead is either within or just barely outside the margin of error.
How Britain took its eye off the far right
In the wake of this summer’s riots, Keir Starmer’s new Labour government is seeking answers.
UK rail minister got engineer sacked for raising safety concerns
Peter Hendy threatened to withhold public contracts while seeking disciplinary action.
Trump taps presidential race drop-out RFK Jr. for his transition team
Kennedy and Gabbard join a team that includes co-chair Linda McMahon.
Liz Truss considered charging UK cancer patients, new book claims
Britain’s shortest serving prime minister explored ending NHS cancer treatment to find savings to stave off economic turmoil.
Biden pledges more air defense missiles ahead of Ukraineโs Independence Day
“Make no mistake: Russia will not prevail in this conflict,” U.S. president says.
RFK Jr. endorses Trump as he suspends his campaign
The independent candidateโs exit will add yet another twist to the already chaotic 2024 race.
Sex, drugs andโฆ paperwork: Brexit steals spotlight from British bands
A diminishing number of grassroots U.K. musicians are performing at the continentโs festivals.
The European Commission hopefuls with one thing on their mind
EU governments are battling for their people to get roles linked to the economy.
The mainstreaming of Islamophobia in the UK
Decades of hostile media rhetoric and discriminatory government policy have resulted in the normalization of Islamophobia. And the failure to tackle it guarantees weโll see a repeat of these ugly riots.
Starmer reportedly scraps holidays amid fears of new far-right violence in UK
British prime minister warned that authorities must stay on โhigh alert.โ
How Britainโs far right rallied on Telegram
Far-right agitators have long enjoyed an unparalleled level of impunity on Telegram.
Now you see him, now you donโt: How did Carles Puigdemont pull off his great disappearing act?
The fugitive separatist leader snuck into Spain, gave a speech in Barcelona and then vanished into thin air.
Lawmaker who called Israel โapartheid stateโ faces tough Tuesday primary
AIPAC has spent $8 million to unseat Rep. Cori Bush, who once called Israel an โapartheid state.โ But thatโs not mentioned in the deluge of advertising.
Labour plots radical shake-up at heart of British government
Cabinet Office faces being stripped back to core functions with 80 percent of staff moving out of the department, under plans for reform.ย
5 ways Labour says Britain is broken
Labour attack dossier lays out holes in Britain’s finances โ which the Tories dismiss as simply a political excuse to raise taxes.
Albanian man taken from UK psychiatric ward to deportation flight โ report
Watchdog raises concerns about Home Office decision in annual report about incident last summerAn Albanian man who was being held in a secure psychiatric unit was taken directly from his hospital bed to a Home Office deportation flight, a report has re…
The Trump assassination attempt rattled the US. Hereโs what we know about the investigation.
The latest on how the would-be assassin got a gun, the Secret Service headโs regret and the startling unknowns about the shooter.
Russia unleashes fresh crackdown on the Moscow Times
Publicationโs founder vows the independent news provider will continue with โquality journalismโ
Survey reveals surge in burnout and suicidal thoughts among ECB staff
Staff committee warns burnout situation could induce poor decision-making at one of Europeโs most powerful institutions.
Can Nigel Farage ride the wave of right-wing populism?
The Reform party’s success in capturing votes in the U.K. general election could only be the start.
Franceโs existential election
This could be the most destructive election since the war โ not only for France but also for the EU, NATO and the Western liberal order.
Macron joins Brazilโs Lula to tax billionaires โ but is it all itโs made out to be?
France’s rich-loving president now backs a plan to target them. There’s a high possibility it’s all just a bluff.
Sunak protection cop arrested over alleged bets on UK election date
Met Police says officer in question has been ‘removed from operational duties.’
Is Macronโs gamble Franceโs Brexit moment?
This could be the most destructive national election in the 70-year history of the European project. ย
Hungaryโs Viktor Orbรกn stumbles in EU election
In a new rival Peter Magyar, the prime minister’s Fidesz party ‘has a real challenger.’
Labourโs Keir Starmer: Weโd still work with Trump after guilty verdict
Britain’s potential next prime minister said the verdict is ‘unprecedented’ โ but vowed to make it work if Americans pick Trump in November.
How a supervolcano on the Italian coast became a problem too big to tackle
Earthquake this week finally jolts authorities into action after decades of runaway construction puts half a million people at risk.
Man facing UK charge for helping Hong Kongโs spy agency found dead
Police say Matthew Trickett’s death is ‘being treated as unexplained.’
โUncharted terrainโ: How officials, campaigners and fact-checkers tackle AIโs influence on elections around the world
Developing countries, many of which hold elections this year, struggle to keep up with the emerging tech absent regulations and technical know-how.
Sir Tony OโReilly obituary
Irish rugby international who went on to become one of his countryโs most charismatic businessmenAs Irelandโs best known and most flamboyant businessman, Sir Tony OโReilly, who has died aged 88, was instrumental in changing the image of his country fro…
Tuesday briefing: How Russiaโs advance on Kharkiv might end
In todayโs newsletter: A major new attack on territory known for Kyivโs biggest victory has led to a sense of Ukraineโs prospects viciously unravelling, town by townโข Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. In September 2022, …
Slovakiaโs Fico plots to dismantle the free press
Journalists warn new populist prime minister is trying to sideline those in the media he disagrees with.
A new EU Body for Ethical Standards: Final destination or important interim step?
Markus Frischhut, Jean
Monnet Professor (EU law, ethics and values) at Management Center Innsbruck,
Austria and Adjunct professor at โAlma Mater Studiorum – Universitร di Bolognaโ,
Italy
Art credit: William Hogarth, An Election: the Polling
…
US presidential candidate claims doctor told him a worm ate part of his brain
The claim comes from a 2012 deposition during divorce proceedings.
Ukraine war briefing: Russian attacks kill three during Orthodox Easter
Volodymyr Zelenskiy urges prayers for soldiers on frontline amid attacks in Kharkiv and Sumy regions; Xi Jinping arrives in Paris under pressure to harden stance on Russia. What we know on day 803See all our Ukraine war coverageRussian attacks on Ortho…
UK local elections: How to watch like a pro
From declaration times to the top TV pundits, POLITICO has the true nerds covered in the crucial local fights.
How a climate U-turn broke the Scottish government
Scotland’s governing coalition has fallen apart โ and a stalled drive to cut carbon emissions played a major role.
Ukraine war briefing: attacks on nuclear plant are Russian โfalse flagโ, Kyiv tells UN security council
Zaporizhzhia โgetting dangerously close to a nuclear accidentโ says IAEA chief, as Russians and Ukrainians trade accusations. What we know on day 783See all our Ukraine war coverageUkraineโs UN ambassador, Sergiy Kyslytsya, has accused Russia of a โa w…
Sack Andrew Bailey as Bank of England boss, says Liz Truss
Ex-PM describes the Treasury, the Bank of England and the Office for Budget Responsibility as a ‘three-headed hydra.’
Putin the autocrat comes of age
ะขhe Moscow attack by radical Islamists could have been a wake-up call. But it doesn’t seem like it will be.
Independent to take control of BuzzFeed and HuffPost in UK and Ireland
Media companies to combine publishing and advertising platforms to target gen Z and millennialsThe Independent will take control of BuzzFeed and HuffPost in the UK and Ireland with the intention to create โBritainโs biggest publisher network for gen Z …