The Observer view: Europe must now come of age as a global player | Observer editorial

Britain and Europe are together facing a watershed moment, a turning point, a second Zeitenwende, a paradigm shift, a new world order. Regardless of which of these overused phrases best describes the dramatic shifts unfolding since Donald Trump began his second US presidential term in January, politicians, diplomats and analysts all agree: nothing will be … Read more

Being Putin’s stooge won’t win Trump a peace prize. The Order of Lenin, though, is in the bag | Simon Tisdall

Donald Trump’s sinister affinity for Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, has long been the subject of intense speculation. Former KGB officers claim Trump was recruited in Moscow in 1987 and cultivated as an asset in the years prior to his 2016 US election victory. Two retired Russian spies weighed in again last month, alleging that the … Read more

Trump’s polarising appeal leaves European populists in a tight spot | Europe

Europe’s rightwing populist parties are split over how far to distance themselves from Donald Trump’s pressure on Ukraine, with some fearing unflinching solidarity with the US president’s brand of nationalism will damage their efforts to widen their domestic support. Broadly, unease over Trump’s treatment of Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and the ominous encroach of authoritarianism … Read more

When the horror stops, the key to peace in Gaza and Ukraine will be how power is shared | Simon Jenkins

Syria is reportedly sliding back towards civil war, as its various factions demand devolved authority. It is at root the same issue, that of local autonomy, that led to regional unrest in Ukraine and splintered leadership in Palestine. It underlies the devastating conflicts in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. All these places … Read more

Trump dreams of a Maga empire – but he’s more likely to leave us a nuclear hellscape | Alexander Hurst

In 1965, the British government blocked the BBC from broadcasting The War Game, a pseudo-documentary film it had commissioned depicting just what a nuclear attack on the UK would entail. The film, the government judged, was simply too “horrifying” for the public. Two decades after that, The War Game finally aired, prior to the release … Read more

Debris Rains Down After SpaceX Starship Test Flight

new video loaded: Debris Rains Down After SpaceX Starship Test Flight transcript Back transcript Debris Rains Down After SpaceX Starship Test Flight While the Starship’s booster successfully returned to the launchpad, the upper-stage spacecraft failed in space and lost several engines and attitude control, tumbling in space. “What an incredible sight to see. The super … Read more