This week began with four European leaders, standing defiantly in Kyiv alongside Volodymyr Zelenskyy, issuing an ultimatum to Vladimir Putin: sign a ceasefire now, or together with Donald Trump we will force you to do so, with sanctions and other tough measures. Over the subsequent days, there followed a series of offers, counter-offers, ultimatums and … Read more
As they get ready to watch this year’s final on Saturday, many Eurovision fans will be feeling conflicted. Some will not watch at all. The reason is the participation of Israel. Isn’t Eurovision supposed to be about “love, love, peace, peace” (as the 2016 contest’s Swedish hosts so memorably portrayed it)? If so, they may … Read more
In a recent study picked up in the French press, the academic Mélanie Plouviez cites one of her country’s best-loved novelists to make a damning point. The power of inherited and unearned wealth in the France of 2025, she argues, replicates the social injustices found in Honoré de Balzac’s 19th-century chronicles of ambition and despair. … Read more
Starmer confirms UK talking to other countries about getting them to host ‘return hubs’ for refused asylum seekers Q: [From Christopher Hope from GB News] To Starmer – Which countries are you talking to about hosting ‘return hubs’ about migrants from the UK whose applications for asylum have failed? Starmer says he is interested in … Read more
EU member states have rejected UK positions on fishing and a youth mobility deal, as tensions mount before a much-anticipated summit between Keir Starmer and Ursula von der Leyen next week. Senior EU diplomats meeting on Wednesday expressed disappointment and frustration over the British positions on fishing rights and youth mobility to the European Commission, … Read more
At first glance, Romania’s presidential race, which comes to a head in a second round of voting this Sunday, might look like a de facto referendum on Europe. The far-right George Simion – a former football hooligan who is banned from entering Ukraine for what Kyiv calls “systematic anti-Ukrainian activities” – surged to first place … Read more
My train rolled into Kyiv last week as Russian ballistic missiles and drones hit the city, killing a mother and her son. I had last been in Ukraine just over a year earlier. Back then, in April 2024, the mood was dark. Frustrated by delays in western military aid, people had a palpable fear of … Read more
No 10 says Starmer ‘completely rejects’ suggestion he echoed Enoch Powell with ‘island of strangers’ comment Downing Street has said that Keir Starmer “completely rejects” suggestions he echoed Enoch Powell in his speech on immigration yesterday. (See 9.43am.) At the Downing Street lobby briefing, asked about the criticism he has attracted for using a phrase … Read more
It seems strangely appropriate that 76-year-old French movie star Gérard Depardieu was found guilty of sexual assault and given an 18-month suspended prison sentence on the eve of the 78th edition of the Cannes film festival. Both Cannes and Depardieu, born in the 40s, belong to an old world, but it seems only one of … Read more
Britain and India have agreed a long-desired trade deal that ministers said would cut tariffs and add £4.8bn a year to the UK economy by 2040. The agreement, which was finalised on Tuesday after more than three years of negotiations under successive governments, has long been touted as one of the biggest prizes of Brexit. … Read more