Affairs
Why Pete Hegseth’s ‘no rules of engagement’ approach could turn the US military into a Russian-style force
As Trump’s allies call for an end to “political correctness” in warfare, former Nato commander Ben Hodges warns that scrapping rules of engagement would edge US military closer to the lawlessness it condemns.
Opinion
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Visionary ‘sponge city’ architect Kongjian Yu dies in Brazil plane crash
The pioneering architect’s death casts new light on his radical vision for greener, flood-resilient cities – ideas he shared with The Urbanist in a 2024 interview.
Trump biographer Michael Wolff on the ‘moron’ president’s ‘incredible incompetence’
Trump’s second act is less a comeback than a test of the US system. This, at least, is the argument advanced by the author who has chronicled Trump’s rise, chaos and survival.
Recognising Palestinian statehood is largely symbolic – but symbols are powerful
Update 22nd September 2025:The UK, Australia and Canada have formally recognised the state of Palestine in a joint move ahead of the UN General Assembly. The decision, which follows similar steps by France and…
US mayors have a chance to keep the White House at bay – but they must be more vocal
The eternal internal conflict of the US is often delineated as between the federal government and the states. “States’ rights” regularly serve as a battle cry for the kind of conservatives – including, up…
Trump’s UK state visit: The true cost of glitz and glam diplomacy
Helicopters, motorcades and champagne banquets – Donald Trump’s second UK state visit was diplomacy at its most extravagant. But at what cost – and to whose benefit?
Corporate activism is melting under Trump 2.0. Ben & Jerry’s is the latest casualty
Jerry Greenfield’s exit from Ben & Jerry’s reflects a broader reckoning: socially minded business is struggling to survive in an era where activism is seen as a liability, not a strength.
Inside Paris’s secret gardens: How rooftop re-wilding projects are turning the city green
The busy boulevards and architecturally alluring buildings of Paris are, at first glance, unlikely to nourish green spaces - but there are plenty of people determined to bring nature to their city.
Lula turns Bolsonaro’s downfall into a win for Brazil’s democracy
The fall of Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s mercurial hard-right former president, came gradually and then suddenly. After a steady, years-long drip of revelations about his time in office and months of judicial procedures and hearings,…
The perils of prosperity: inside Norway’s struggle to spend its €1.7tn oil and gas fund
It’s not always easy being rich – just ask Norway’s prime minister. Following re-election last week, Jonas Gahr Støre holds the nation’s purse strings as a cast of competitive coalition partners and critics from…
