40 h. ago Syria swears in new transitional government 4 months after Assad's removal

Syria’s new transitional government has been sworn in nearly four months after the Assad family was removed from power and as the new authorities in Damascus work to bring back stability to the war-ton country

Politics

4 d. ago Donald Trump faces 'massive loss of authority' after 'total lies' in leaked war messages scandal

The Atlantic magazine editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg was minding his own business when he received an invite into a Signal messaging chat where secret war plans were being discussed by the key players in Donald Trump's team

Politics

4 d. ago Starmer accuses Putin of 'hollow promises' on ceasefire as 'coalition of willing' allies hold talks with Zelensky in Paris amid fears Trump will drop sanctions on Russia

Keir Starmer is co-hosting the gathering in Paris with Emmanuel Macron, and Volodymyr Zelensky is attending.

Politics

7 d. ago Starmer promises to clamp down on local authorities in war on potholes

Ministers ‘want to get our sleeves rolled up’ and fix potholes for good, the prime minister said

Events

9 d. ago Chilling World War 3 warning as former British Army officer predicts nuclear hell

General Sir Richard Shirreff, whose military career spanned nearly four decades, believes we are on the verge of World War 3 - and the expert, now an author, has explained why

Events

1 week ago Starmer promises 'unwavering' support for Ukraine as fears grow of Trump sell

The Russian leader rejected the US president’s push for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine

Politics

2 w. ago Arrest of Palestinian student activist raises alarm about free speech – US politics live

American Civil Liberties Union decries attack on free speech after immigration authorities arrest Mahmoud KhalilGood morning, and welcome to our US politics blog.The Trump administration’s decision to have immigration authorities arrest Mahmoud Khalil – a vocal critic of Israel’s war on Gaza – for alleged support of Hamas is an attack on free speech, the American Civil Liberties Union has warned. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago How did deadly Syria clashes start and who is responsible for civilian killings?

More than 1,000 people are believed to have died so far in fighting between security services and Assad loyalistsClashes between Syrian security services and fighters loyal to the ousted Assad regime erupted on Wednesday, kicking off five days of still-ongoing fighting which has killed more than 1,000 people, including 745 civilians, according to a war monitor.The clashes, some of the deadliest in the country since the beginning of its civil war in 2011, were the biggest challenge Syria’s new authorities faced since taking power in December. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago Starmer: Civil Service reforms will ‘maximise collective power of the state’

Sir Keir Starmer has written to half a million civil servants promising to ‘transform your work for the better’.

Politics

3 w. ago Sir Keir Starmer praises 'phenomenal courage' of Eli Sharabi as he meets freed Israeli hostage whose wife and two daughters were killed in Hamas' October 7 attack

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has promised to 'redouble' the UK's efforts in helping secure the safe release of hostages after meeting with freed Israeli Eli Sharabi at Downing Street on Friday morning.

Events

3 w. ago When the horror stops, the key to peace in Gaza and Ukraine will be how power is shared | Simon Jenkins

Constitution-building offers no headlines – but what it can do, history tells us, is stop hundreds of thousands of people dyingSyria is reportedly sliding back towards civil war, as its various factions demand devolved authority. It is at root the same issue, that of local autonomy, that led to regional unrest in Ukraine and splintered leadership in Palestine. It underlies the devastating conflicts in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. All these places are flush with guns, allies and bombast. What they lack are national constitutions that allow their citizens sufficient local control to live at peace with others in one nation. They lack the skills of political federation.The present Ukraine war followed the failure of peace accords reached in Minsk in 2014 and 2015; critically, they depended on the technical details of how self-determination was to be allowed in eastern Ukraine. A later failure was that of the Istanbul deal after the Russian invasion in 2022. It appeare...

Events

3 w. ago Martin promises Irish help as Starmer seeks trade reset with EU

Sir Keir Starmer and Micheal Martin are leading talks at a major UK-Ireland summit in Liverpool.

Politics

3 w. ago UK plans joint bid to host 2035 Women’s World Cup in ‘monumental moment’

England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland involvedKeir Starmer promises ‘government’s full support’The home nations are to join together in a bid to host the Women’s World Cup in 2035, a move which, if successful, would mark a “monumental moment in our nation’s sporting history”, according to Keir Starmer, the prime minister.A formal expression of interest in staging the tournament, which could be comprised of as many as 48 teams, is to be submitted to Fifa this month on behalf of the football associations of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, the governing bodies have confirmed. Continue reading...

Politics

4 w. ago French Riviera authorities backtrack on war against cruise ships

After the Mayor of Nice launched an attack on ‘floating hotels’ last month, a new proposal has been put forward

Events

4 w. ago ‘This will cost lives’: cuts to UK aid budget condemned as ‘betrayal’ by international development groups

Widespread alarm at Keir Starmer’s decision to slash funds, amid warnings of dire consequences for world’s poorestKeir Starmer promised at the UN last September that the UK would “be a leading contributor to development”. Just five months later few expected an announcement that could result in UK aid spending falling to its lowest level this century.Overseas development aid will fall from 0.5% of the UK’s gross national income to 0.3% – a cut of about £6bn – in order to pay for increased defence spending. Continue reading...

Society

4 w. ago Author William Boyd explains how Nigerian Civil War experience shaped his work

The novelist, who wrote Jame Bond novel Solo, moved to Nigeria with his family in 1964, three years before the Biafran War began.

Politics

last month ‘Trump is abandoning Ukraine and wants a weaker EU’: Dominique de Villepin on Europe’s moment of truth

The former French PM says the US is no longer an ally of Europe – but has joined Russia and China as an ‘illiberal superpower’Dominique de Villepin made his name with a memorable speech to the UN security council in February 2003, just before the US-led invasion of Iraq. De Villepin, the then French foreign minister, in effect signalled France’s intention to veto a UN resolution authorising the war, forcing the US and UK to act unilaterally. He warned that Washington’s strategy would lead to chaos in the Middle East and undermine international institutions. The prophetic plea was met with applause, a rare event in the security council chamber. It led to the career diplomat’s inclusion as a character in David Hare’s 2004 anti-war play, Stuff Happens.Now the veteran statesman, who warned about the risks of Europe’s over-reliance on the US many years before it became a mainstream opinion in Paris or Berlin, is back with advice on how to respond to the most serious breakdown in Europe’s...

Politics