Today
The real reason Britons voted for Brexit
As the concept of Cool Britannia fell apart under the weight of austerity, an army of angry English voters found common cause and bridged the traditional north-south divide.
- James Hawes
Yesterday
EU to extend vaccine controls that scrapped Australian exports
The move comes after Germany’s vaccine regulator extended its approval for the AstraZeneca vaccine.
- Francesco Guarascio, John Chalmers and Giselda Vagnoni
Why Russians still choose Putin’s stability over Navalny’s revolution
In the run-up to Russia’s parliamentary elections, resistance to change isn’t just about simple economic self-interest.
- Felix Light
This Month
- Opinion
- Global economy
UK’s woes not just deep but worryingly enduring
The British government has no growth strategy. One might describe this as old-fashioned realistic Conservatism. An alternative label might be defeatism.
- Martin Wolf
Britain ramps up company tax to curb spiralling debt
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative government lavishes another $3 billion on the UK’s world-beating vaccination drive in its latest budget.
- Hans van Leeuwen
Musk’s Putin Clubhouse invite a ‘misunderstanding’, says Kremlin
Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted in English and Russian to the Kremlin’s Twitter account, asking President Vladimir Putin to join him on the social media platform.
- Ilya Arkhipov and Andrey Biryukov
The chef with three Michelin stars and 20,000 dinner cancellations
Core restaurant’s Clare Smyth, the first British woman to be awarded that accolade in her own right, saw her moment of triumph turn into a battle for survival.
- Richard Vines
Former French president Sarkozy sentenced to jail for corruption
The conviction was the culmination of one of the long-running legal entanglements that are coming to a head for Nicolas Sarkozy who led France from 2007 to 2012.
- Aurelien Breeden
February
Russia moves Navalny from Moscow jail, possibly to prison
President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent critic was sentenced for failing to check in with the authorities while recovering in Germany from a near-fatal nerve agent attack.
- Irina Reznik
Jeweller in $2.5b alleged fraud can be sent to India
Shortly before Nirav Modi was arrested, he was filmed walking around London in a distinctive ostrich-leather coat,
- Updated
- Jane Croft and Amy Kazmin
The many lives of Cold War double agent George Blake
I was beguiled when I met the notorious British spy in Moscow, but the charm wore off fast when I considered the man’s life.
- Simon Kuper
- Opinion
- World politics
Super Mario will give Italy more sway in Europe
The new Prime Minister will put Europe and the US at the centre of his foreign policy – a marked shift from his predecessor, who had aligned Italy more closely with China.
- Melvyn Krauss
Paris is unrecognisable as curfew creates a city of fear
Apéro hour has become the latest victim of COVID-19 as the 6pm lockdown turns what was once the city of liberty into a city of fear.
- Andrew Hussey
Virus variants deliver fresh blow to Europe’s open borders
Fearing the highly contagious new variants first identified in Britain and South Africa, both Germany and Belgium introduced new border restrictions last week, adding to steps already taken by other countries.
- Matina Stevis-Gridneff
The failures needling Germany
The country’s early success at managing COVID-19 has melted down into alarm over the roll-out of vaccinations.
- Melissa Eddy
- Opinion
- Culture wars
How America ships identity politics back to France
The French are unhappy about the flow of politically correct ideas from the US. It’s just a case of what goes around, however.
- Daniel W. Drezner
- Analysis
- Global economy
Why Europe’s GDP league table isn’t all it seems
The British economy was last year’s G7 laggard, and this quarter looks grim too. But if you look at how they count things up, a different picture emerges.
- Hans van Leeuwen
Harry and Meghan make final split with British royal family
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have told the Queen they will not return as working royals, just days before a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Time to get tough with ‘bully’ Facebook, say British MP and publishers
The chairman of Britain’s digital and media committee said Facebook’s ‘bully boy action’ in Australia would ignite the same long-term ire as the likes of big oil and tobacco.
- Guy Faulconbridge and Kate Holton
New WTO boss puts vaccine supplies at top of her in-tray
Nigerian-American economist and politician Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala will take the helm of the battered World Trade Organisation on March 1.
- Hans van Leeuwen
