Sarah Vine’s Windsor knot
The Daily Mail commentator thinks bringing the late Queen into politics is distasteful. It’s hard to imagine a more hypocritical view
Politics
The rehabilitation of Putin
It’s easier for Xi to make friends abroad when he has the Russian dictator by his side
Did Farage just lie to US congress under oath?
At a hearing in DC, the leader of Reform said that he does not ban journalists from his party’s conference – just hours after his party banned The New World
Chicken Farage bans The New World
Reform claims to be the party of free speech, but this last-minute decision to stop me attending its conference tells a very different story
The tough guys who learned to love tyranny
For decades, US survivalists have warned about a future with troops on the street and plain-clothes goons disappearing the White House’s enemies. Now it’s all happening under Trump, they are silent
Letter of the week: The far right are preventing a civil conversaiton on immigration
Write to letters@thenewworld.co.uk to have your views voiced in the magazine
Tommy Robinson’s long shadow
Easily dismissed as a diminutive thug, the unfortunate reality is that he understands perfectly the role he has to play in propagating hateful racist nationalism in a country increasingly receptive to his message
There is no plan to rescue Seattle’s Fenty Folders
Fentanyl, the synthetic opioid 50 times more potent than heroin, is posing a health crisis in the US. But the Trump administration are happy to pretend it isn’t happening
Convenience as a way of life
Taiwan’s convenience culture isn’t going anywhere. When it’s become a way of life, how could it?
The legal thriller that’s gripping Germany
Forget Prime or HBO, Germans are fixated by the case unfolding live in a high-security Hamburg courtroom usually reserved for terrorism cases
How Trump lost the moral high ground to China
Right now, Xi Jinping is letting Trump do all the soft power heavy lifting for him
Why Authoritarians can’t silence journalists
In today’s world, media doesn’t need AI – it needs real journalists
Social media has ruined politics
The right have been radicalised, while abuse forces moderates off the platforms. This can’t go on
Rejoin isn’t the issue of the era. Racism is.
Britain is drowning in hate. We can’t let Farage remake us into a truly nasty nation
Rachel Reeves is not the answer
The chancellor lacks the calibre and clout to spell out Britain’s challenge – and the inevitable pain involved in fixing it
Donald Trump, grifter-in-chief
Questionable foreign deals, crypto gambles and putting the squeeze on media opponents have seen Donald Trump make $3.4 billion from the presidency. And he’s not finished yet
Fertility rates have hit an all-time low. But why are you shocked?
Costly childcare and housing, short paternity leave, poor support for the self-employed – no wonder more people are choosing not to have babies
France is on the brink – again
The country’s rentrée – the return from summer holidays – is in progress… and so are political blackmail, mass protests, corruption and the probable collapse of the government
The Reform voters who think Brexit has failed
Labour have failed to connect Farage with economic disaster in the minds of ordinary people. That must change
Nigel Farage, the man who broke Britain
The man who would be PM has already spent a decade getting much of what he wanted – and none of it has worked
The Ukrainians reclaiming Odesa’s history
Vladimir Putin claimed the city was Russian in 2023, but staking the claim doesn’t make it so
This is the moment Britain went wrong (and it’s not Brexit)
The financial crisis left Britain weaker, poorer and more vulnerable to liars – and we’ve never recovered
Why xenophobes love flags
A cross of St George or a union jack flown today means the same as it did in 1977: ‘You’re not welcome here’
When the special relationship goes up in smoke
A new book sheds light on the growing gap between the US and the west. It’s time to prepare for the break-up
The chilling future of pregnancy without women
Stories about a Chinese ‘artificial womb’ seem more science fiction than fact – but reveal uncomfortable truths about the ethics of reproduction
Letter of the week: Faith is not to blame for the rise in populism
Write to letters@thenewworld.co.uk to have your views voiced in the magazine
The great university rip-off
Debt, remote classes and the rise of AI are making the student experience less fulfilling than ever. But there is still hope
Sven Liebich, Germany’s trans neo-Nazi
Now formally a woman, Liebich has received an 18-month prison sentence for incitement of hatred and cheering on Russia’s war in Ukraine
Sicily’s bridge too far
The Italian government has given the green light to the Strait of Messina Bridge, a €13.5bn project to build the longest suspension bridge in the world – but not everyone is on board
South Africa’s winter is here
Unfortunately, this time comes with unique reminders of the inequality and suffering that is the core experience of South Africans
India’s stray dog problem
With 50 to 60 million dogs on the streets, India’s cities have struggled for decades to balance compassion for animals with the duty to protect human life
Emma Monk, the one-woman debunking machine
In an age of far right disinformation, scientist Emma Monk wages war against the prophets of rage
Crime scene cinema from Gaza
Two films about unfolding tragedy shock the Locarno Film Festival
Does Trump deserve the Nobel?
His desperation to follow in Barack Obama’s footsteps deepens day by day, unsolved war by unsolved war
Is Nasa’s nuclear moon plan sheer lunacy?
Nuclear power may be essential for a future lunar base, but Nasa’s latest announcement looks more like a flag-planting contest than a serious mission plan
A birthday salute to Daniel O’Connell, the prince of paradox
O’Connell campaigned against the oppression of not only Catholics, but slaves, European Jews and indeed anyone. Today, Ireland could do with him back
A British scandal in Slovakia
As criticism grows, prime minister Robert Fico’s far-fetched tirades are looking increasingly desperate
Bashir Noorzai, the Taliban’s godfather
Drug tycoon Bashir Noorzai was seized and jailed for life by the US. Yet somehow he is free – and has reinvented himself as gatekeeper to Afghanistan’s trillion-dollar rare earth treasure trove
Measles: The return of a killer
Anti-vaccine lies mean the disease is now spreading in Britain, the US and around the world. And this is just the start
Bring on the United States of Europe
There’s only one way to stand up to superpowers such as the US and China, and to the authoritarian bullies like Putin
Dear MPs, please leave Twitter. Now
The site has become an actively malignant force, and the playground of racists and fascists. How can politicians still justify posting on the platform?
Will Aldi and Lidl win the UK supermarket wars?
The German discount retailers are piling pressure on Asda and Morrisons. But they will find Tesco and Sainsbury tougher to beat
Why retirement isn’t working
Raising the state pension age assumes people can walk into new jobs in their sixties. It’s not as easy as that
The Bell Hotel ruling incentivises the far right
By factoring extremist unrest into his judgment, a British judge has signalled that disorder works
Is Tesla doomed?
Elon Musk’s DOGE tried to cut wasteful US government spending, but his car company would benefit from the same plan. First target: his own pay packet
A very British hatred
Fuelled by the far right and the media and endorsed by other politicians who should know better, Islamophobia is becoming a new national pastime
Why Trump can’t end the Ukraine war
Donald Trump says his interventions have brought Ukraine and Russia close to peace. So why does it feel further away than last week?
This is how Netanyahu will face justice
He is a criminal, and has led Israel to commit criminal acts. If he does not stand trial, then international law will be shown as worthless
Meeting a Rupert Lowe fan on the Piccadilly line
Our conversation felt like a scroll through far right Facebook – but reminded me that we’ve got to keep talking to each other
Slovakia, the country at risk of dissolving from the inside
Putin’s influence is spreading in Slovakia. The country is now a test case for the confrontation between Russian fascism and western democracies
Trump’s war on scientific truth
Ideologues don’t like science because it confronts them with truths they can’t dismiss. Donald Trump seems to think he has a workaround
Nerd’s Eye View: 16 things you need to know about exams
Digging into the detail and data to separate the noise from the news
Britain’s real immigration scandal is not the one you think
A so-called national crisis isn’t being driven by migrant boats – but by a cynical political class that would rather feed fears than fix anything
Nigel Farage is borderline delusional
The EU’s new travel rules look suspiciously like the ones he’d approve for Britain – so naturally, he’s against them
The warm embrace that could freeze Europe
Donald Trump has favoured Ukraine over Russia in recent weeks. But when he meets Putin in Alaska, all that could change
Inheritance tax: Rachel Reeves’s political cowardice
There is one obvious way to avoid spending cuts and tax rises – but Labour lacks the guts to try it
‘Farage’s fillies’ are insincere and ghastly. But they’re winning
Reform’s xenophobia is going to convince a lot of voters unless Labour shows it really cares about women
There are no prizes for trophy hunting
Like bullfighting, this practice shows little respect for animals’ capacity to suffer and turns their deaths into a spectacle
God is back… and He’s trending
In the age of Trump and Vance, celebrity-led ‘Godcasts’ and prayer apps are pulling in millions, and liberal ‘New Atheism’ can’t match their energy – or offer of meaning
Letter of the week: Benjamin Netanyahu’s demise is wishful thinking
Write to letters@thenewworld.co.uk to have your views voiced in the magazine
Why Merz will pay the price for challenging Netanyahu
The chancellor’s policy change will do little to alter the course of the conflict in Gaza. It has, however, alienated his party
Do we dare rebuild the UK around defence?
With Nato poised to ramp up spending, a bold new financing plan could create an engine of national renewal
What cricket tells us about life
Americans may have Apple, Amazon and the lead in the AI race, but Donald Trump is killing their soft power
The unpardonable sins of Ghislaine Maxwell
The woman who aided, abetted and abused alongside Jeffrey Epstein should be in prison until 2037 – at least. But as Trump allies flirt with pardons and political revenge, could she go free?
Javier Milei’s broken chainsaw
Argentinians like what their president has done on inflation. The problem is that plenty of them hate everything else about him
The world’s first geothermal record press
In Iceland, where the boundaries of what’s possible are often pushed, Thermal Beets is ditching the harmful plastic ordinarily used to make records
School’s out for Rohingya child refugees
Education is not a luxury in emergencies; it is a lifeline but the lack of it in the Rohingya camps is a crisis of will, not resources
Does China have its eye on Siberia?
The vast landmass has the oil, gas, metals and water that China craves – and Moscow may be too weak to stop them
The last of Turkey’s carpet weavers
With more and more people moving to the cities, a shortfall of workers in the countryside means authentic Turkish carpets are a vanishing commodity
One-in, one-out is not enough
Labour’s new asylum scheme is at least a start. But it leaves thousands in limbo and does little to silence Reform’s toxic mantras
The government has lost the argument on Palestine Action
Yvette Cooper must reveal the ‘secret’ reasons for proscribing the group, or tell the police to stop arresting supporters
Labour have lost the moral high ground
The resignation of housing minister Rushanara Ali shows Starmer’s government mired in the same ethical scandal it once condemned
Trump has shown Europe that it needs a stronger union
Only more centralisation can save the EU from fragmentation, irrelevance – and China
Whisper it, but Starmer is getting one big thing right
The PM is floundering at home but abroad, he may have quietly saved Britain’s global relevance
The next India-China war
The two nations have been fighting border skirmishes since the sixties. But a new issue threatens something much worse
Why Ghislaine Maxwell deserves nothing
Thanks to Trump, the convicted sex offender is getting more consideration than her and Jeffrey Epstein’s victims ever did
The lie that could finish Trump
The president’s eagerness to distort economic facts is a sure-fire way to follow Greece and Argentina into crisis
Karoline Leavitt, the queen of gaslighting
A belligerent and terrifyingly effective liar, Leavitt isn’t just Trump’s press secretary – she’s the very embodiment of his media strategy. But signs of strain are beginning to show…
Will Jeremy Corbyn’s new party back Brexit or Rejoin?
The new movement is claiming 700,000 signups – and a fair proportion of those will have a very different view of the EU than its joint-leader
Letter of the week: Why Gary Lineker is better off out of the BBC
Write to letters@thenewworld.co.uk to have your views voiced in the magazine
The trial of Benjamin Netanyahu
From petty corruption to genocide, the charges continue to mount. But the Israeli prime minister’s actions since October 7, 2023, show he is determined to escape the shadow of justice
Britain, an unserious country with serious problems
The silly season is now permanent as UK politics is overwhelmed by the emotional, the irrational and the plain ridiculous
Nerd’s Eye View: 14 things you need to know about Mount Rushmore
Digging into the detail and data to separate the noise from the news
America’s rotten food culture
I tried to buy cheap healthy food in the US – but it’s impossible
The Online Safety Bill is in danger of going too far
We’re on the road to surveillance hell but there’s still time to change direction
My ultimate guide to Germany’s music festivals
From politicians and A-listers to Jägermeisters at 2am, our big three festivals have all bases covered
Péter Magyar, the man who can beat Orbán
With the government’s failing economic policies and rampant corruption, Magyar’s ascent is accelerating each day Orbán spends in office
How Taiwan has learned to live with threat
The Taiwanese are not unaware of the danger posed by China – but the air-raid drills and military exercises are now just part of everyday life
You’re the wrong kind of migrant
The Torreo-Pacheco riots in southern Spain expose just how selective Vox’s anti-immigration rhetoric is
Kerry, the greatest team of all
The ‘Kingdom’ emerged victorious in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship yet again – a far cry from when the county used to be the butt of Ireland’s jokes
The crisis in Italy’s schools
Teaching errors made in the country’s classrooms are now making their way up to university level. Textbooks should be binned and the Italian education system needs to be rewritten
Britain hates Brexit. When will our leaders admit it?
A new poll shows the tide has turned. But Keir Starmer and others, paralysed by old fears, aren’t listening
Why is Corbyn’s party so posh?
Many hard left leaders went to private school. Do they view socialism as a hobby?
Trump isn’t World King, he’s a narcissist
The president’s trip to Scotland proves there’s a real harm in not holding his actions to account
Voices of the Cambodian war
A border dispute with Thailand broke out into sudden, intense conflict. A ceasefire has been called – but that is not the end
Have Trump’s tariffs shot the Celtic tiger?
After decades of benefiting from investment, Dublin now finds itself stranded – with plenty of problems and few friends – in a dangerous new world
Is Gen Z turning Catholic?
We have come of age in an era of pandemic, economic turmoil, war and climate change. No wonder so many of us have gone looking for reassurance
France’s ‘3-6-9-12 rule’ beats the Online Safety Bill
Simple screen-age guidance offers what Britain’s crackdown doesn’t: clarity and trust
How Britain can make it
The country needs a new way of looking at politics and economics. This might just be the answer
After Hiroshima, why did Britain need the bomb?
On the 80th anniversary of Hiroshima, the world is no closer to containing the spread of nuclear weapons