Politics

As many people know, after-work drinks can occasionally get embarrassingly out of hand. But for two government employees in Japan, a night on the tiles resulted in the loss of files containing information about an ongoing drug-smuggling investigation. Booze-fuelled blunders …

Elections in Germany “are usually dull affairs” but, as Germans head for the polls this weekend, “this time it’s different”, said Sky News commentator Adam Boulton. The country’s proportional voting system, and the decades-old agreement between the mainstream parties to …

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Britain is “ready and willing” to deploy peacekeeping troops to Ukraine, Keir Starmer has said, but experts have questioned whether the UK’s military is prepared for such an undertaking. Starmer stressed, in The Telegraph, that “securing a lasting peace in …

The Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, has condemned Hamas for its “despicable and cynical” exploitation of hostages, after three men freed in this weekend’s prisoner swap were forced to mount a stage and answer questions before their release. While the men …

On the hit zombie TV show “The Last of Us”, cordyceps fungus mostly turns people into “superstrong killing machines”, said Bloomberg. But in traditional medicine, the chilli-shaped fungi are “prized as a panacea” and “an aphrodisiac” – so much so …

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“Trade wars are good, and easy to win,” Donald Trump said in 2018 – and he has begun his second term launching one against China. But until relatively recently, most of the world was in a continuous state of trade …

With its glorious mountains, idyllic villages and spectacular ancient monasteries, Armenia is a place of rare beauty. But this landlocked country in the Caucasus remains something of an “enigma”, said Tim Moore in the Financial Times, receiving far fewer visitors …

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What a depressing spectacle is the melodrama now playing at Spain’s National Court, said Fernando Palmero in El Mundo (Madrid). Its focus is Luis Rubiales, former president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), who faces up to two-and-a-half years …

Former President Ronald Reagan entered office known as a fire-breathing hawk. He left office having signed major agreements to limit nuclear arms. President Donald Trump wants to follow suit, but his policies could complicate that goal. Trump on Thursday said …

To say that Ye, the rap superstar and fashion mogul formerly known as Kanye West, is no stranger to controversy is like saying that the pole in a New York City subway car is no stranger to germs. Nevertheless, despite …

What happened Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove’s order to drop the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams triggered the resignations of six senior Justice Department officials Thursday, starting with Danielle Sassoon, the acting U.S. attorney tapped …

‘Is vaping really as bad as smoking?’ Maia Szalavitz at The New York Times “Slashing nicotine levels in cigarettes could save millions of lives,” but it “creates a conundrum for regulators,” says Maia Szalavitz. They “fear that the very products …

What happened President Donald Trump Thursday ordered the Commerce Department and U.S. trade representative to assess all foreign trading partners to determine “reciprocal tariffs” he would impose on countries deemed to be treating the U.S. unfairly. The review would look …

What happened The Senate Thursday confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services secretary, putting a noted vaccine skeptic in charge of America’s massive public health system. The 52-48 vote was mostly along party lines, with Sen. Mitch …

Whether you are looking to escape from wintery weather or just get a break from the news, you deserve a vacation as much as the next person. But there is no reason to spend more than is necessary to enjoy …

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As lonely hearts have begun to call time on dating apps, artificial intelligence has arrived to try to woo them back. From virtual ‘wingmen’ to ‘baldness predictors’ and tools that choose your profile photo for you, AI is being used …

“America is under new management,” said the BBC‘s Jeremy Bowen. And Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “is joining a growing list of US allies who are finding that the world according to Donald Trump is a colder, more uncertain and potentially …

Why is Trump calling time on the penny? What does the Chagos Islands deal mean for the island’s inhabitants? And do personality tests discriminate against neurodivergent job applicants? Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what …

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The author of the Women’s Prize-winning “A Girl is a Half-formed Thing” chooses her six favourites. Her latest novel, “The City Changes Its Face” – a love story set in 1990s London – is published this week. The Transylvanian Trilogy …

Denali National Park and Preserve checks all of the Alaska boxes: unspoiled wilderness, roaming wildlife, massive glaciers and snow-covered peaks. Covering more than 6 million acres and home to the highest mountain in North America, Denali is the rugged last …

Valentine’s Day is here again, and while some people are spending it with their partner, others might be getting unknowingly scammed online. Federal agencies and tech companies are sounding the alarm on “romance scammers,” many of whom live overseas and …

Led Zeppelin were, for a time, “the world’s biggest band”, and at long last we have an “official documentary” about them, said James Mottram in NME. Directed by Bernard MacMahon, the film interweaves archive footage with interviews with Zep’s three …

Performers take part in the opening ceremony of the Asian Winter Games in Harbin, China (Image credit: Issei Kato / AFP / Getty Images) A thrush holds a berry in its beak in Tallinn, Estonia (Image credit: Sergei Grits / …