How Germany turned a bookshop prize into a culture war
Culture minister Wolfram Weimer has cancelled grants for three left-leaning stores
The Africans dying in Putin’s failing war
The Russian army is luring Kenyans to fight in Ukraine. Processed and sent to the front after minimal training, most of them are dying before their first pay cheque has even cleared
How Europe can win the war after the war
Reshaping our place in the post-Trump, post-Brexit, post-Iran world is about strength, not virtue
It’s football, but without the oligarchs
Union Berlin was on the verge of going under, when the fans decided they would rebuild the club, starting with the stadium. And it worked
The bold Brexit moves that could save Labour
A royal commission on the effects of leaving the EU would reboot Starmer’s reset and steal a march on the Greens
Lucie Aubrac, the pregnant spy who outwitted the Gestapo
Her remarkable wartime exploits – including a dramatic prison break – made her a legend of the French Resistance
How Van Gogh got yellow fever
A new exhibition explores why the colour inspires artists to create some of their greatest work
This is the last chance for the French left
They are the only political force that can keep the extreme right wingers out of power in France. And so, of course, they have just fallen out
A dangerous development for the AfD
The German right wing extremists are guilty of the very thing they criticised in other parties. Hypocrisy is not a good look, especially in an election year
The lose-lose politics of dealing with Trump
The German chancellor is in Washington meeting Trump, a man who sees Europe as irrelevant, who supports Merz’s opponents and who is political poison. What can he hope to gain?
Viktor Orbán, the man who broke Hungary
Even if he loses the general election, Viktor Orbán will retain his grip on the country’s institutions, which he has stacked with his placemen. That could spell disaster for whoever wins – and for Hungary
Abortion and democracy in the EU
European funds can now be used to provide abortion across the continent. Campaigners have faced personal and political obstacles fighting for this result. Has a real moment of change arrived?
Nerd’s Eye View: 14 things you need to know about the Channel Tunnel
Digging into the detail and data to separate the noise from the news
The unbreakable Gisèle Pelicot
Her memoir, A Hymn to Life, details unimaginable abuse at the hands of the man she loved – and still manages to leave you with hope
Why are snowy bumps and VIPs both called moguls?
Ski-slope bump or influential person? Two similar-sounding but unrelated words have merged
What the hell are ICE agents doing in Milan?
When I heard that ICE would be attending the 2026 Winter Olympics, I was shocked – but not surprised
The return of the German military
There is a strong anti-military strain in German culture and the introduction of national service has not been popular. But times have changed
Will populism wreck Poland’s dream?
A booming land of opportunity, of young entrepreneurs and start-ups, is locked in a 50-50 culture war that could see it replace Hungary as the EU’s biggest internal nightmare
A cure for political extremism
Smoking and drinking might be bad for the health, but sitting around with people who see the world differently can have profoundly beneficial effects
Valentino and the twilight of the Italian fashion gods
An icon’s death marks the end of the era of brilliant individuals who lived like deities
The German army’s women problem
Beliefs about equality are colliding with a constitutional ban on female conscription as a drive to increase Bundeswehr numbers ramps up
What do the French call a ‘French exit’?
The art of slipping away from a party without saying goodbye is known across the Channel as ‘leaving in the English style’
Jordan Bardella, the extremist with a smiling face
The far right populist is likely to be the next president of France. A new book explains why
Bonn’s £190m ode to the joy of Beethoven
A rebuilt concert hall delivers mid-century style with a dose of EU symbolism – but with big queues, and a heavy price
When Gen Z goes to war
From Mariupol to Tehran, Cecilia Sala’s new book captures young people forced into extraordinary acts of resistance
The man who made your furniture grin
Alessandro Mendini turned corkscrews into characters and armchairs into art. An exhibition of his work is on at the Estorick in London
Ralph Steadman and the death of fun
The Welsh illustrator is staring down the barrel of 90, but still raging about an ‘unimaginably awful’ president – and laughing about the Gonzo genius of his own partnership with Hunter S Thompson
Donald Trump stuffs the Slovakian parrot
Robert Fico went to Washington in the hope of a photo opportunity with Trump. It now looks like a disastrous political mistake
Should we be kicking out the children?
French trains have caused a stir by introducing age limits on certain services. Unfair, perhaps. But do you like peace and quiet? Or do you prefer screaming toddlers?
Killing time with the wild boar hunters
To succeed, you have to forget a fundamental law of walking in the Pyrenees: what comes down must go up
This EU act of self-sabotage makes no sense
The Mercosur trade agreement has been 25 years in the making and would boost growth – but it’s been kicked in the long grass
Carney spoke to the world. Trump rambled to himself
The US president and the Canadian PM’s speeches at Davos showed the contrast between bluster and leadership
Mark Carney’s speech in full: We can’t work with Trump, so build a new world
Full transcript of the Canadian PM’s stunning speech for the ages
My journey into Hades
I found Greek mythology a bit stuffy and dull when I studied it at school, but now I get why so many people got hooked over the centuries
Turner and Constable, forces of nature
A joint exhibition at Tate Britain reveals the story of two geniuses who did some of their best work in the worst weather
The men who made AI think it might kill us all
Artificial Intelligence already lies, manipulates and threatens. And we’re still feeding it, without setting any guidelines
Nerd’s Eye View: Nine things you need to know about Burns Night
Digging into the detail and data to separate the noise from the news
A message from Denmark: no, America – not a damned chance
Trump thinks he can simply take Greenland? If he tries, he’s got a fight on his hands.
Trump’s supersized Suez moment
In 1956, Eisenhower humbled Britain. In 2026, Trump wants to humiliate the entire Western alliance
The fear and dread of living in Greenland
A peaceful nation now has planes full of soldiers landing at its main airport. As Greenlanders look out into the world, we ask: who will stand up for us now?
Fault! Berlin’s mayor played tennis during the city’s blackout
Locals are blaming Kai Wegner for poor service after he crossed the line by taking on his girlfriend while 45,000 homes were without power
The largest fascist rally held in Europe since WW2
A Croatian rock singer is using Nazi salutes to gee up his crowd. Even worse, the prime minister is apparently a fan
Letter of the week: Forget Britishness, we need to be more European
Write to letters@thenewworld.co.uk to have your views voiced in the magazine
It’s time for a European army
Keir Starmer wants Britain to get closer to the EU. The war in Ukraine and Trump’s military posturing put European security at the heart of that realignment
In Greenland, the threat of Trump hangs over us like Covid
The uncertainty of the plague years are back in the form of the US president, and we are left wondering who wants to help us
Brigitte Macron’s difficult court victory
Online trolls who claimed the French president’s wife was secretly a man, have been convicted in a Paris court. Does that mean misgendering someone – including trans people – now means jail time?
Europe still doesn’t trust Britain
Former Brussels foreign minister Cathy Ashton says the union would be ‘insane’ to take back the UK without consensus that we wouldn’t leave again
Carona, the Swiss village where art hid out
A sleepy Alpine mountain retreat offered shelter for surrealists, LSD prophets and weary hippies
The case for a firework-free zone
Some Germans revel in a state of emergency during the new year’s celebrations. Should their lawlessness restrict responsible fireworks enthusiasts’ fun?
If you want to understand Iceland, go to the swimming pool
When it’s freezing and dark, there’s only one thing Icelanders want to do – take all their clothes off and jump in an outdoor pool