62 m. ago Zelenskyy joins EU leaders’ meeting over €800bn defence plan after Macron’s stark Russia warning – Europe live

Leaders gather to discuss €800bn plan to boost military capacity and help Ukraine as French president says Europe has to be ready to defend itself without US helpSee all our Ukraine war coverageFrance is offering intelligence to Ukraine, French defence minister Sébastien Lecornu said on Thursday, with Paris stepping in to help and fill the void left after the US suspended its intelligence sharing with Kyiv.Speaking to France Inter radio, he also said that president Macron asked him to accelerate the French aid packages “to compensate” for the suspended US aid.In a famously cautious political culture, Mr Merz’s bid to bypass legal restrictions on government debt represents a seismic shift. It would permit a step-change in defence spending for years to come, putting Germany in a leadership position as Europe seeks strategic autonomy from the United States.Mr Merz, a former investment banker, has been a deficit hawk and economic liberal throughout his career. It is an irony of fate tha...

Events

76 m. ago India condemns security breach as protester disrupts foreign minister's London visit

India condemns security breach as protester disrupts foreign minister's London visit  Reuters India

Politics

82 m. ago Voices: I have no idea what a ‘situationship’ is, but I think I’m in one – and it’s dreadful

The Independent’s agony aunt Victoria Richards is here to help. Email dearvix@independent.co.uk for advice on love, work, family and relationships

Politics

1 hour ago Nearly 200 fired CDC employees invited back to work, two weeks after job cuts

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has invited some employees back to work, just two weeks after laying them off

Society

2 h. ago The US embrace of Russia is an existential threat to the EU. Germany must step up to save it | Catherine De Vries

To counter the crisis caused by Trump, Friedrich Merz has little choice but to abandon decades of military and economic cautionIn February 1945, three world leaders – Winston Churchill, Franklin D Roosevelt and Josef Stalin – met in Crimea for the Yalta conference, to discuss the new world order they would implement after the soon-to-end second world war.Smaller nations were given no say in deciding their fate. The Soviet sphere of influence would infest eastern Europe for decades and US foreign policy dominated the second half of the 20th century. Churchill resisted the end of the UK’s global empire and independence for Britain’s colonies came piecemeal; they were let go with bitterness.Catherine De Vries is professor of political science at Bocconi University in Milan Continue reading...

Events

3 h. ago Voices: Under Trump, the global order that America helped to build is crumbling

It is already clear the US president is hellbent on ushering in a new dawn in which traditional alliances are abandoned – and nations must fend for themselves, says Tobias Ellwood

Politics

3 h. ago China vows it will ‘fight to the end’ with US in trade war – or any other war

Wolf warrior-style comments mark China’s strongest rhetoric on US president Donald Trump since he entered the White HouseChina’s ministry of foreign affairs has promised that China will “fight to the end” with the US in a “tariff war, trade war or any other war”, marking China’s strongest rhetoric on US president Donald Trump since he entered the White House.On Tuesday, in response to Trump imposing an extra 10% tariff on Chinese goods, taking the cumulative duty to 20%, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said: “Exerting extreme pressure on China is the wrong target and the wrong calculation If the US has other intentions and insists on a tariff war, trade war or any other war, China will fight to the end. We advise the US to put away its bullying face and return to the right track of dialogue and cooperation as soon as possible.” Continue reading...

Events

4 h. ago Is Trump’s America still an ally to the UK? – Politics Weekly UK

The news that the US had suspended military aid to Ukraine stunned world leaders and led to a rapid reassessment of how much we can really rely on our American ally. Is this the end of the western alliance? John Harris asks our diplomatic editor, Patrick Wintour. Plus, as the UK pledges to boost defence spending by slashing our foreign aid budget, ActionAid’s CEO, Taahra Ghazi, tells John about the fallout for organisations working on the ground.Send your questions and feedback to politicsweeklyuk@theguardian.com Continue reading...

Politics

4 h. ago Moon missions, Musk v scientists, sperm and longevity – podcast

Madeleine Finlay and Ian Sample discuss three intriguing science stories from the week. From two private moon landings to the controversy over Elon Musk’s continued membership of the Royal Society, and a new study making a link between men’s health and their sperm qualityStriking images show Blue Ghost Mission 1’s successful moon landingElon Musk survives as fellow of Royal Society despite anger among scientists Continue reading...

Events

4 h. ago Elon Musk’s Doge to expand blitz against spending on consultants

Firms including Deloitte and Accenture told to justify billions of dollars’ worth of contracts

Economics

5 h. ago Husband caught by wife 'having sex' with mistress in work van insists he's 'done nothing wrong'

A video of Warren Cherowbrier, 34, - which was filmed by wife Charmain Cherowbrier - being confronted by his fuming partner, has gone viral on social media

Events

6 h. ago New Zealand’s high commissioner to the UK loses job after Trump comments

Phil Goff questioned Donald Trump’s grasp of history at a Chatham House event in London, prompting the foreign minister to say his position is ‘untenable’New Zealand’s high commissioner to the United Kingdom has been removed from his role after publicly questioning US President Donald Trump’s grasp of history – remarks that have rendered his position “untenable” in the eyes of New Zealand’s government.At a public Chatham House event in London this week, high commissioner Phil Goff asked a question of Finnish foreign affairs minister Elina Valtonen, who was speaking on how to keep the peace with Russia, with which Finland shares a border. Continue reading...

Politics

8 h. ago FAA workers threatened with firing if they ‘impede’ Elon Musk’s SpaceX federal deal: Report

Elon Musk has been at the center of potential conflicts of interest since his political ascendance

Economics

9 h. ago Lesotho ‘shocked and embarrassed’ by mockery in Trump’s Congress speech, says foreign minister

Lejone Mpotjoane says behaviour is unexpected from head of state, after Trump claimed ‘nobody has ever heard of’ the countryLesotho was taken aback by US President Donald Trump’s mockery of the southern African nation, its foreign minister has said, vowing that the country was “not taking this matter lightly”.Trump called Lesotho a country “nobody has ever heard of” as he defended his sweeping cuts in aid during an address to Congress on Tuesday. He singled out a past US aid project of “eight million dollars to promote LGBTQI+ in the African nation of Lesotho”. Continue reading...

Politics

9 h. ago The glamorous Botox salon beautician pictured with Elon Musk at Trump's joint session speech

Heather Valentino sparked speculation as the mystery woman seen chatting to the SpaceX founder during the joint session on Tuesday.

Politics

10 h. ago Putin warned 'don't be charmed by Trump – he will try to bend us' by Kremlin mouthpiece

Dmitry Popov has spoken about Trump's latest comments on Ukraine and has noted that military aid to the country is still paused, despite Zelenskyy saying he was ready to negotiate

Events

10 h. ago Hundreds of US diplomats decry dismantling of USAid in letter to Rubio

Officials say slashing of US Department for International Development leaves power vacuum for adversariesHundreds of diplomats at the state department and US Agency for International Development have written to the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, protesting against the dismantling of USAid, saying it undermines US leadership and security and leaves power vacuums for China and Russia to fill.In a cable expected to be filed with the department’s internal “dissent channel”, which allows diplomats to raise concerns about policy anonymously, the diplomats said the Trump administration’s 20 January freeze on almost all foreign aid also endangers American diplomats and forces overseas while putting at risk the lives of millions abroad that depend on US assistance. Continue reading...

Politics

10 h. ago Trump risks new rift with Prince Harry after 'belittling' one of royal's favorite countries

President Donald Trump has risked a new rift with Prince Harry after slamming one of the royal's favorite African countries: Lesotho.

Politics

10 h. ago Is Rachel Reeves about to fix Britain’s public finances on the backs of the poorest members of society?

Editorial: As the chancellor prepares to present her plans for social security reforms she must assess whether her cost-cutting measures are unnecessarily punitive, or indeed realistic

Politics

11 h. ago A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story on ITV review: a riveting portrayal of a monstrous miscarriage of justice

Toby Jones is on characteristically excellent form as the doomed Ruth’s barrister in ITV’s latest true crime series

Politics