The Global Story

Russell Brand and the unfinished MeToo reckoning

Russell Brand’s conviction for rape and sexual assault has brought renewed scrutiny to the actor and comedian, who cultivated an image of provocation and promiscuity befo

Are governments preparing for the apocalypse?

Preppers have long been planning for the worst-case scenario. Are governments now doing the same?  The UK government has launched a national “Be Ready” campaign, urging

What a ‘blue tsunami’ means for US foreign policy

Can a new crop of Democrats in Congress end the war in Iran? Democrats have taken control of both chambers of Congress in the US midterm elections, dealing a major blow

They fled Russia. The US sent them back

After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, many Russians who opposed the war – or feared being sent to fight in it – fled the country. In much of the West, they were welcomed

Anthropic warns its AI could be dangerous. So why do people want to invest?

The AI juggernaut Anthropic could "pose catastrophic or existential risks to humanity,” its owners warned last week, “if not developed, deployed, and operated with approp

Can London’s black cabs survive driverless cars?

Londoners can now travel in autonomous cars for the first time, after Uber was granted a licence to operate a test fleet of self-driving vehicles. Each vehicle must have

How Trump’s Cuba policy is shaping Miami’s midterms

Latino voters in Florida — including 68% of Cuban-Americans in Miami-Dade County — helped fuel Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential victory. But now, ahead of next week’s m

Did Melania Trump broker a ceasefire in Ukraine?

A ceasefire has come into effect in the Ukrainian city of Oleshky, on the front line of the war with Russia. Thousands of residents have been trapped there, cut off from

How Lula held on to Brazil

Brazil has just come through a fierce electoral campaign that saw left-wing incumbent Lula face Flavio Bolsonaro, son of Jair Bolsonaro, the former president convicted of

Why young Israelis are more conservative than their parents

The polls suggest a tight race in Israel’s upcoming election. Candidates are doing all they can to win the approval of young and first-time voters, who are set to play an

What happened to missing journalist Austin Tice?

The American journalist and former marine, Austin Tice, disappeared 14 years ago while covering the civil war in Syria. Despite the best efforts of US officials and Austi

Europe protests: A continent in crisis?

“They've surrendered their country to vandals,” claimed Donald Trump this week, as videos of protests and looting across France spread across social media and TV news bul

Who gets to decide Ukraine's future?

Can Ukraine still rely on America? More than 80 years after the Yalta conference reshaped post-war Europe, some observers fear a new era of great-power diplomacy could o

They were loyal Democrats. Then came Gaza

Midterm elections in the United States are normally about domestic issues such as the economy and the cost of living. They’re often a pulse check on voter sentiment towar

Is Trump sacrificing Ukraine for cheaper diesel?

America’s pain at the pump could have major implications for the future of the war in Ukraine. US President Donald Trump wants to bring down fuel prices for Americans. O

America’s rogue ambassadors

A diplomat’s job is traditionally to represent their country’s interests while maintaining good relations with their host nation. But some of Donald Trump’s ambassadors a

Why Trump is not going to war with the Houthis

Is Washington leaving Saudi Arabia to fend for itself? Last week, Houthi rebels launched a series of missile strikes on Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital. Surveillance foota

Could Gen Z bring down India’s Modi?

This week tens of thousands of young people have taken to the streets of Delhi, India’s capital, demanding changes to the electoral system and the resignation of the coun

Was World War Two worth it? Some US conservatives have doubts

Since World War Two ended, most people living in the United States or Europe have generally upheld a consensus about its morality; that it was a just war fought against a

Are we really living in unprecedented times?

Politicians and commentators keep telling us we are living through unprecedented times. But how unusual is the world we are living in, really? John Simpson has spent 60