1 hour ago Canada won’t become the 51st US state – but could it join the EU?

Donald Trump’s extraordinary threats have angered Canadians and Europeans, and the idea of a new kind of transatlantic alliance is gaining traction Joachim Streit has never stepped foot in Canada. But that hasn’t stopped the German politician from launching a tenacious, one-man campaign that he readily describes as “aspirational”: to have the North American country join the EU.“We have to strengthen the European Union,” said Streit, who last year was elected as a member of the European parliament. “And I think Canada – as its prime minister says – is the most European country outside of Europe.” Continue reading...

Politics

66 h. ago Starmer to meet Nato’s Rutte amid US pressure to spend 5% of GDP on defence – Europe live

US defence secretary Pete Hegseth says there is ‘near consensus’ on funding commitment for Nato member statesUK trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds has also called for reforms of the WTO including changes to the much-criticised dispute resolutions system which can also take years to settle disputes between trading nations.“We do recognise that reforming and repositioning the WTO so that it can respond more effectively to the challenges of today is the only way to safeguard long term stability and growth tomorrow. Continue reading...

Events

2 d. ago NATO nations must spend 5% GDP on defence and end 'reliance' on US to defend them, Pete Hegseth tells meeting of alliance chiefs

'Our message is going to continue to be clear. It's deterrence and peace through strength, but it can't be reliance,' Hegseth said at a meeting with counterparts in Brussels.

Politics

3 d. ago How to protect yourself from the bad air caused by Canada's wildfires

Plumes of smoke are blanketing large swaths of the U.S. and parts of Europe, presenting risks for those breathing it

Events

3 d. ago Will Nato states have to find $325BILLION a year more for defence? Alliance chief heaps pressure on Starmer saying Europe and Canada must 'equalise' contributions with the US

Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte warned that the current target of spending 2 per cent of GDP on defence is no longer sustainable after very public criticism from Donald Trump.

Economics

3 d. ago Head of Nato suggests alliance should look to ‘equalise’ US defence contribution

Mark Rutte said allies will find themselves ‘in great difficulty’ if the current 2% GDP spending target is maintained.

Politics

3 d. ago Europe could see skies turn red as Canada wildfire smoke reaches continent

High-altitude plumes of smoke have already reached Greece

Events

4 d. ago Starmer’s defence spending plans under pressure as Nato pushes for more

Sir Keir Starmer will meet Nato leaders later this month with the alliance under pressure to increase spending.

Events

5 d. ago Keir Starmer to unveil strategic defence review and put UK on ‘war

Prime minister to launch strategic defence review in Glasgow this morningStarmer repeats his claim that he has an ambition to get defence spending up to 3% of GDP in the next parliament.Q: But “ambition” is not a commitment. I can have a commitment to lose weight. That does not mean it will happen.What you can take from this is, yes, that 3% but I am not, as the prime minister of a Labour government, going to make a commitment as to the precise date until I can be sure precisely where the money is coming from, how we can make good on that commitment, because I don’t believe in performative fantasy politics, and certainly not on defence and security.Nato has been the single most effective alliance for keeping the peace for 80 years, and our job is not just to celebrate that as we do, but to ask ourselves the searching question as I ask myself on a daily basis, which is, how do we ensure that Nato preserves the peace for decades to come for this generation? Continue reading...

Events

6 d. ago Keir Starmer comes under pressure to sack his top legal adviser after he likened Right

Sir Keir Starmer is under pressure to sack his Attorney General over controversial comments he made in a speech last week that were seen as directed towards the Tories and Reform UK.

Events

1 week ago Trump’s foreign policy is not so unusual for the US – he just drops the facade of moral leadership

The US has zagged from isolation to imperialism, but Trump has ‘emptied the ethical and moral frame’ of diplomacyJD Vance is an Iraq war veteran and the US vice-president. On Friday, he declared the doctrine that underpinned Washington’s approach to international relations for a generation is now dead.“We had a long experiment in our foreign policy that traded national defence and the maintenance of our alliances for nation building and meddling in foreign countries’ affairs, even when those foreign countries had very little to do with core American interests,” Vance told Naval Academy graduates in Annapolis, Maryland. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago RAF pilots who saw UFOs say they fear going public over for five grim reasons

Rumours of possible UFO sightings by RAF pilots are rife, and now a pressure group is urging PM Keir Starmer to bring in rules protecting whistleblowers who shed light on potential extraterrestrial interactions

Politics

1 week ago ‘An autoimmune disorder’: how Trump is turning American democracy against itself

Unlike autocracies such as Russia or China, the US has strong liberal guardrails to prevent a dictatorship. But Trump has a plan for dismantling themThere is some mystery surrounding Donald Trump’s moves to dismantle many cherished principles of American history and its culture of governance: his globalization denialism; his romance with Russia; his demolition of universities; his contempt for European values and histories; his campaign to humiliate Canada. These are all known examples, but it can be hard to see across them to discern anything like a unified theory of Trumpism.There are two possibilities here. One is that there is no rhyme or reason to Trump’s actions. He is simply a randomizing generator of chaos. The other is that there is a method. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Angela Rayner piles pressure on Keir Starmer over winter fuel U

The Deputy Prime Minister used a TV interview to suggest pensioners should be told within weeks whether and when they would see their payments restored.

Events

2 w. ago Labour Party under growing pressure to ditch its winter fuel payments policy after nearly 80 per cent of voters say it needs to change

The findings will pile pressure on Sir Keir Starmer to climb down over the cuts to the payments, worth up to £300 a year for vulnerable pensioners.

Events

2 w. ago Starmer poised to sanction top Israel ministers over Gaza crisis as pressure mounts for tougher UK action

MPs from five different political parties made it clear that the measures announced by foreign secretary David Lammy on Tuesday were not enough

Politics

2 w. ago German finance minister calls for swift resolution to Trump tariff wars as G7 finance ministers meet in Canada – Europe live

Finance ministers are meeting in Banff, Alberta to discuss Ukraine and Trump’s trade policy Finance ministers of the world’s seven largest economies – G7 – are meeting in Banff, Alberta in Canada to discuss their ideas on Ukraine and concerns about disruptions resulting from Donald Trump’s unorthodox trade policy.Before the meeting, German finance minister Lars Klingbeil warned that trade disputes with the US should be resolved as soon as possible, as he stressed they were a burden on the economy and job security. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Trump's tariffs will test unity among allies at G7 finance ministers' summit

Leading financial officials from the world’s richest countries are gathering in a Canadian mountain resort this week for what may prove a contentious meeting in the wake of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs

Politics

2 w. ago As key Israel allies threaten action over Gaza catastrophe, Washington is largely unmoved

As Palestinians are told to evacuate before ‘unprecedented attack’, the White House continues to publicly back IsraelAs Israel orders Palestinians to evacuate Khan Younis in advance of what it calls an “unprecedented attack” on Gaza, much of Washington remains largely unmoved, even as Canada and European countries threaten “concrete actions” if Israel does not scale back its offensive.Despite reports of growing pressure from the Trump administration to increase aid into Gaza, where widespread famine looms, the White House continues to publicly back Israel. National security council spokesperson James Hewitt told the Guardian in an email: “Hamas has rejected repeated ceasefire proposals, and therefore bears sole responsibility for this conflict,” maintaining the policy stance inherited from the previous Biden administration despite mounting evidence of humanitarian catastrophe. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Starmer and European leaders in talks to ramp up pressure on Putin at summit

Starmer says Putin must ‘pay the price’ for delaying peace ahead of talks with European leaders.

Politics