The worst US spy chief in history – until this idiot came along
Obedient to Trump and with America’s security apparatus at his disposal, Bill Pulte has the potential to cause huge damage
Politics
How the global far right is attacking your mind
A brutal murder in Southampton has exposed the way political extremists influence and distort politics in other countries
The White House UFC fight will have one loser: Trump
His gaudy White House UFC event is taking place just as those who love and take part in the sport are deserting his presidency
The shocking lesson of the BBC’s Brexit: A Very British Civil War
They lied and lied, we were complacent – and the culture war began in earnest
How Elvis Costello predicted the rise of Farage
As the singer-songwriter tours his early material, it’s starting to sound like prophecy
Did mad cow disease cause Brexit?
The BSE crisis – and Europe’s response – set in train many of the arguments that resurfaced in the referendum 20 years later
The internet is lying to you about politics
Political ads on TV are subject to strict guidelines – but on social media, the rules are weak to the point of dysfunction. Add AI into the mix, and things begin to look downright sinister. It’s time to rewrite the law
The worst and best bits of the Burnham v Kenyon Question Time
When the would-be next PM squared up to the sexist plumber in a Makerfield by-election special, there was only going to be one winner
The New IRA terrorists who turn men into bombs
No one here wants the guns, the bombs or the terrorists. Yet here they are all the same, desperate to drag Northern Ireland back into the misery of the Troubles – and their list of victims is longer than you think
I’m 34, with £1,600 in my pension. When can I retire in comfort?
It’s petrifying, but I’m one of the three-quarters of UK workers who aren’t on course for a “moderate pension income”
Ignore the Daily Telegraph: the Brexit horror stories are true
The paper claimed that ‘Project Fear’ was pure propaganda – but the economic facts show it was all too real
Will Trump’s Iran War cause a global economic crash?
After the 2008 crash, it took a global effort to get the world economy back on track. But if another disaster did occur, with Trump in power, cooperation would be much harder
Tommy Robinson and the dark art of turning words inside out
Claims that Henry Nowak’s death shows police are guilty of “institutional racism” against whites are a manipulative reversal straight from the US far right playbook
The right wing mob’s dirty little secret
The violent chaos in Southampton, sparked by the murder of Henry Nowak, was all over social media. That’s because most of the rioters were hoping for one thing above all – to make money out of it
Our ‘pure cold rage’ should be at Farage and Robinson
The police made a terrible mistake with Henry Nowak. But deliberately stoking racial tensions for personal advantage is despicable
The issue that makes voters angriest of all
It’s housing. There simply aren’t enough homes. Successive governments have promised to solve the problem, but none of them have managed it, perhaps knowing any policy would benefit their successor. It’s time for that to end
My airport row with a Trump supporter
It started badly – and when he said the UK was unreliable, I lost it
Getting rid of Starmer might be good for Labour, but is it good for the country?
The PM has made some dreadful mistakes, has governed with a tin ear for current affairs and his explanations about why he’s struggled don’t add up. But Britain needs stability – getting rid of him would provide the opposite
Donald Trump’s war on taste
His desecration of the White House and plans to build a huge arch in Washington DC are abominations. But for something truly hideous, check out the statue he’s put up at his golf course in Florida – if you dare
When the Sudeten Germans went to Brno
The populists hated it and the liberals welcomed them. But the lesson from the events in the Czech Republic is clear – that all human tragedies are worthy of remembrance
Letter of the week: It’s tough out there for the kids
Write to letters@thenewworld.co.uk to have your views voiced in the magazine
Nigel Farage and the politics of murder
The brutal killing of Henry Nowak has been seized upon by Farage as a means of political self-promotion. But if he and the hard right push the idea of an inter-ethnic conflict, they could crack apart the basis of British society
A whole lot of Americans still support Donald Trump – why?
The corruption and lack of concern for voters is getting so bad that former supporters are beginning to ditch him. But not all. In fact, some seem more convinced than ever
The dangerous rise of Restore
Yes, Rupert Lowe’s party might take votes from Farage – but they are quietly nudging Reform, the Tories and even Labour towards the far right
What Labour’s essay crisis is really about
Whether it’s Peter Mandelson or Tony Blair, this Starmer government is struggling to escape the shadow of its predecessor
Your new car is spying on you
You’ve just purchased a new electric vehicle? Congratulations – you are now the proud owner of a surveillance machine on wheels, in which all the sensors are pointing directly at you
Why have we let Putin get away with it for so long?
The Intelligence and Security Committee demanded a full inquiry into Russian meddling in British politics. It never happened. A new report makes clear that it needs to happen – now
Whatever happened to the Brexiteers?
In 2016 Britain voted to remain in the EU, which meant the poor eurosceptics all had to rebuild their careers from scratch. Here is the story of what happened to them all
The NHS has let women down. Now, social media is taking advantage
Online spaces are being colonised by those hoping to profit from the lack of information and help available in women’s healthcare
Three countries, three referenda and one helpful example of what not to do
As Iceland, Switzerland and Alberta go to the polls, all have one warning ringing in their ears: Brexit
Pope Leo: the moral voice of the technological world
The Pope’s encyclical on the dangers of technology looks back to the last industrial revolution, and delivers a stark warning to the technology corporations of today – that transformative progress can destroy lives on a colossal scale
What Andy Burnham’s by-election playlist says about him
Relatable but unadventurous – and why has he snubbed artists from Liverpool?
Exclusive: Reform failed to tell the UK’s data watchdog about Farage’s ‘hacked’ phone
Party faces new questions over the alleged Russian cyberattack it claims sparked the £5m Harborne donation scandal
The Iranian opposition, let down by the west, turns to the hard right
The campaigns for justice and dignity all ended in slaughter. Now members of the Iranian diaspora are marching with Tommy Robinson in London
Is Trump quietly abandoning Taiwan?
He is trying to absorb the Taiwanese computer chip industry into the US economy. If he does, it would give America one less reason to defend the island against China
Dear Tony Blair: Please shut up
The former PM’s latest intervention on Labour’s direction is flawed – and compromised by the millions he has taken from AI’s backers
Letter of the week: Brexit is old news – but the UK joining the EU is not
Write to letters@thenewworld.co.uk to have your views voiced in the magazine
I asked an audience of building experts if Starmer should stay – you’ll be amazed by the response
If you listen to the 24/7 media blah factory right now, you’d think it would be a landslide for the PM to quit
We regret to announce that your train has been delayed by 10 years
HS2 has been a decades-long, multi-party disaster that encapsulates everything that’s wrong about UK government decision-making.
Could post-Trump Brit Steve Hilton win California?
Less rage, more delivery is the former David Cameron adviser’s message in the race to become the state’s next governor
More snakes than ladders: the life of a young NEET
Britain’s 16-24-year-olds face too many barriers and not enough opportunities. This is how we can help them
A musician, an al-Qaida fan, a war criminal – and now he’s our ally
The fighting in Mali is forcing the anti-government forces into some difficult alliances. And when the fighting stops, what then?
The VP who dreamed of decapitating the president
Vice president Sarah Duterte of the Philippines, daughter of the deposed strongman Rodrigo, might be on the verge of following her father into political history – and infamy
Did Donald Trump just sell Taiwan out to China?
If the president did betray Taiwan, other US-aligned countries in the region will start making other plans. And Trump might not like the new alliances that emerge
Quiz time: Can you pick the real from fake reasons new Reform councillors have already quit?
Globalist Quakers, a swastika tattoo, dead for 30 years – are these true or false?
Angela Merkel – Germany’s back seat driver
Merz is trying his best, but his approval ratings are now in the dirt. To make things worse, he’s now being offered a steady stream of advice, almost all of it unwanted
Inside the EU’s crisis war room
A hidden Brussels unit plans the continent’s disaster response – and citizens want it to do more, not less
Putinism has failed, and a new kind of threat has arrived
More than a million Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded in Putin’s war in Ukraine. But he cannot back off. Instead, he will switch tactics. Ukraine – and the west – must be ready
The Westminster media’s fatal addiction to crisis is breaking politics
Keir Starmer has made mistakes – but he’s been trapped by journalism’s endless psychodrama
Porn, drugs, self-harm, eating disorders: What young teens can see on TikTok
Our findings contradict claims from tech giants that they have made their platforms a safe space for schoolchildren
Israel, Gaza and the one state solution
After the assault on Gaza and the huge number of settlements being built in the West Bank, the idea of two people living side by side, each with their own state, is over. There is now only one state – and it is in total control
Trump, Farage, Milei – this is why populists fail
Populist leaders share the same weakness – their unrealistic promises can’t survive contact with reality, so their governments are doomed from the start. And when failure inevitably comes, voters must suffer the consequences
If you think Trump’s foreign policy is bad, wait till you see the Democrats’
The current president is clueless on the world stage. But, if the Democrats ever get back into power, they won’t turn the US into an open, internationalist peacebroker. Their focus is their voters – it looks set to stay that way
Why do politicians want to cut special educational spending in schools?
The government wants to do it. And Reform are committed to massive benefit cuts. If they get their way, it will be a catastrophe
‘I photographed the Tommy Robinson march – here’s what I saw’
Rollie Kahaani’s photos from populist rallies are grabbing attention
Brexit was for the rich, and they’re not even pretending anymore
Brexiteers used to claim their victory was for “real, ordinary, decent” people. Now they openly boast it was for billionaires
Should robots decide whether or not you get a job?
Companies are using AI systems for recruitment, arguing that it’s a way of removing bias from the system. But it brings with it a whole load of other problems, some of them just as bad
IPSO can stop this escalating war of lies against Misan Harriman. Not doing so is a failure of regulation
A new letter signed by more than 60 MPs and Lords is based on the original smear published by the Daily Telegraph
The death of the after-school job
That first step into the outside world is harder now than ever before – the starting jobs simply aren’t there. The consequences of that are being felt across an entire generation
Elon Musk’s next plan: to become a space invader
He’s about to list his rocket company on the US stock market, which will make him even richer. With that money in hand, Musk will launch his most audacious plan yet
The ghost of Willy Brandt has some lessons for Labour
Germany’s once-powerful SPD is crippled by caution – Starmer and his possible successors must take note
India’s lessons for the world on defence, trade – and Trump
Successful countries need alliances, but not to be shackled to old obligations. They need to be open to partners, but to push hard in their own interests. They need, in other words, to be more like India
There is no more room for failures. Andy Burnham, you’ve been warned
A prime minister cannot trample over parliament. It doesn’t work that way and the ones who try it invariably go down in flames. Whoever follows Starmer into No 10 should keep that in mind
Letter of the week: Farage’s path to power? Lies, deception and hypocrisy
Write to letters@thenewworld.co.uk to have your views voiced in the magazine
How to put the wind back in Britain’s sails
Labour’s caution has left us drifting into Farage’s waters. But a universal basic wealth, massive devolution and a new voting system could help turn the ship around
Can the US hold together as a country?
A former senior US spy chief has watched the spread of conspiracy theories, political hatred and outright cruelty under Trump, and has come to a worrying conclusion about the nation he once served
USAID looked like an act of generosity – but it wasn’t
African governments always knew western aid came with strings attached. When the US, UK and France cut their aid budgets, the time had come for a change. The results could transform the continent
Xi gave Trump nothing
Despite Trump’s enthusiasm, the president has returned home with little more than a hint that if he avoids displeasing Xi, it could turn into something more substantial
No one wants a trial – they just want him dead
One of Bashar al Assad’s henchmen is charged by a Syrian court of horrific crimes. When senior members of a deposed regime are put on trial, is justice ever possible?
I doubted that Burnham had a ruthless streak. Not any more
If I had to put my life on it, I’d guess that he will be PM by Christmas
Forget Burnham, what about making the tub of lard our next PM?
The Labour leadership contenders each have their strengths – and a lot of weaknesses
The science is clear – the world is heading for water catastrophe
Scientists predict that, during the next century, entire regions of the earth will run out of water. And the day that a tap is turned on and nothing comes out, it will all be too late
The washed up revolutionaries’ favourite side-hustle? Armed robbery
A German court has heard a story of hardcore politics, shootings and hold-ups. The accused denies all charges, but doesn’t seem moved by the suffering of the victims.
Economic growth? So what?
In the first part of this year the UK economy grew and no one felt a thing. That’s very bad news for government – and for everyone
The manufactured outrage machine comes for Misan Harriman
The right wing press has launched an attack on the head of the Southbank Centre over something he didn’t even say. This time they may have met their match
‘Ungovernable Britain?’ Don’t be absurd
The UK has deep-seated problems its political leaders refuse to confront. But that doesn’t make it a dystopian wasteland beyond the powers of reasonable statecraft
We don’t look back 10 years. We look forward
Voters aren’t fed up with talk of Brexit. They’re fed up with government paralysis
My problem with Rivals? It’s making the Tories look human again
If Badenoch had any sense, she’d order her party to embrace Jilly Cooper energy and show a bit of personality
Will Reform take the unions off Labour?
Labour and unions have been drifting apart since the 1930s, and the Green party is pushing to gain union backing. But breaking Labour’s link with the unions could have terrible unintended consequences
Tommy Robinson’s pointless, confused, US-funded march
If the hard right rabble rouser has to cross the Atlantic for financial backing, what does that say about his level of support in Britain?
The far right declares war on Kylian Mbappé
In a Vanity Fair interview, the star footballer said he was worried by the rise of the hard right. The result was a wave of race-baiting, and the return of the big Le Pen lie: that unless you’re white, you’re not really French
Trump’s money-grubbing World Cup plans are thrown into reverse
Prices were so high for tickets that the tournament risked becoming a festival of pure greed. But fans simply weren’t buying it – and so Trump and FIFA have had to think again.
Goodbye and good riddance to the age of paralysing political caution
An addiction to risk aversion has stalled progress. Now with Burnham, the dam has burst
Will we all end up as Chinese AI death clones?
A company in China now creates digital avatars of dead people. And now it seems Mark Zuckerberg is looking at how to keep users glued to his platforms, even after they’re gone. Are we heading for eternal digital life?
Burnham is risking it all to show he won’t flinch from big decisions
His Makerfield move is a gamble – but also a signal of intent
Is Wes Streeting the man to take Britain back into Europe?
Under a Streeting premiership, it is highly likely the government would take on a far more pro-EU approach
Right wing papers don’t scrutinise Farage – they suck up to him
The Sun, Telegraph, Mail and Times cover the Reform leader less like a politician and more like a star
Keir Starmer’s diary: his final, doomed expedition
A revealing look into the prime minister’s journey across the political wastes of his career
Why there will be no coronation for Streeting
At odds with party members, his path to No 10 is narrow – but he figures it’s now or never
Letter of the week: The case for a healthy party of the right
Write to letters@thenewworld.co.uk to have your views voiced in the magazine
Can Reform really call themselves Christians?
Nigel Farage’s party waves the Bible but opposes loving thy neighbour and helping those in need
Why one-nation Tories can’t vote for compassionless Kemi Badenoch
She comes across as nasty and rejects compromise – that’s no recipe for a leader
This is Putin’s most transparent move so far
Donald Trump sends friends and family round the world to negotiate on his behalf – is it any surprise that Putin should do the same?
Why I wish hantavirus hadn’t come to South Africa
Whenever something bad happens, it always has to happen to us. Haven’t we been picked on enough already?
How to beat Farage
Reform haven’t peaked – and their march to No 10 can only be stopped if we face up to why they’re winning
Cheap drones have made modern wars unwinnable
As Trump has discovered with Iran and Putin in Ukraine, a new, cheap method of warfare has come along to make those ultra-high-tech, ultra-expensive, weapons redundant
Gaza: the killing continues and the world looks away
It has been six months since Trump announced a ceasefire in the Gaza war. But the killing continues, food and water are scarce, and children are being attacked by rats. Where is the international response?
The nation where 1.7% of the population is now behind bars
In one of the largest mass trials in the country’s history, 486 alleged gang members are being tried together in a single proceeding in El Salvador
How PM Andy Burnham could change British politics forever
The man who might be our next PM wants a new electoral system to replace FPTP
Traitors, renewables and Trump’s time running out: 18 reasons to be cheerful
The news is relentlessly bad – but, statistically speaking, things will have to get better at some point. Here are some positive thoughts to cling to amid the gloom