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Latest opinion, analysis and discussion from the Guardian. CP Scott: "Comment is free, but facts are sacred"
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Mathis Albert’s Dortmund debut is exciting and newsworthy. One day, it shouldn’t be
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/apr/29/mathis-albert-borussia-dortmund-us-soccer-fandom
Published: April 29, 2026 11:00
American soccer will have truly progressed when cases like Albert are common enough to be unremarkableThere’s something about a 16-year-old making his debut among fully filled-out senior team professionals that makes him look like a fawn. A scrawny, wobbly…
We detected Aids through a federal early warning system. Trump has decimated it | Robert B. Shpiner
https://www.theguardian.com/global/commentisfree/2026/apr/29/aids-national-science-board-mmwr
Published: April 29, 2026 10:00
On Friday, the presidential personnel office sent termination notices to members of the National Science Board. This will undermine our public health effortsIn June 1981, I was a young pulmonary fellow at one of the three Los Angeles hospitals where the…
Luka Dončić and the manosphere: why the scrutiny of his body never ends
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/apr/29/luka-doncic-body-scrutiny-manosphere
Published: April 29, 2026 09:00
The Lakers star can dominate a game, but still be judged for what his physique supposedly reveals about himIn Louis Theroux’s Netflix documentary Inside the Manosphere, he interviews podcasters, streamers and influencers from across the Red Pill ecosystem.…
A non-controversial public health policy? The UK's gradual ban on smoking has been a PR success | Devi Sridhar
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/29/uk-gradual-smoking-ban-success
Published: April 29, 2026 08:00
The world will be watching to see how the ban for anyone born after 2009 works out. So far it’s been a win with smokers and non-smokers alikeLast week saw the passage of the tobacco and vapes bill, which has a very ambitous aim: to create a “smoke-free…
In the coming AI future, Britain must not end up at the mercy of US tech giants | Rafael Behr
Published: April 29, 2026 05:00
Trump is volatile, capricious and unreasonable – but he belongs to the old world of analogue power. What comes next will be harder to manageDonald Trump is not impressed by soft power. He respects hard men with military muscle. But he can be moved by…
Avalanche deaths have surged in the Alps this season. Here’s why | Johan Gaume
Published: April 29, 2026 04:00
As an ex-pro snowboarder, I know the temptations of fresh snowfall. And as an avalanche researcher, I know how easily people can get into troubleMany avalanche accidents occur just after a storm, when blue-sky conditions return and people head to the…
By echoing the hateful policies of One Nation, the Liberal party risks becoming a recruiting agent for extremist groups | Malcolm Turnbull
Published: April 29, 2026 02:53
People who promote hatred of Muslims risk driving them to Islamic State. They are making Australia less safeThe Farrer byelection looks as though it will be a contest between the local independent, Michelle Milthorpe, and the One Nation candidate, David…
The fuel crisis is about to whack Australia. Jim Chalmers’ budget must tread a fine line between panic and preparation | Peter Lewis
Published: April 29, 2026 00:02
As the economy turns south, the treasurer will be faced with choices in how he responds. This calm before the shitstorm is an opportunity for reforms to energy, the NDIS and housingWhile the treasurer puts the finishing touches to a budget that was to be…
Labor’s news levy for tech giants is much needed – but leaves too much bargaining power with platforms | Rod Sims
Published: April 28, 2026 23:17
We need the news bargaining incentive to be operational by mid-year – but more work is needed to ensure scheme is equitable and addresses rise of AIFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news…
Starmer seems to think he can do no wrong – two weeks of Mandy-mania hearings point to the opposite conclusion | Marina Hyde
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/28/keir-starmer-mandelson-hearings
Published: April 28, 2026 15:19
Bereft of any big ideas, or indeed policies, the PM is in his happy place: a never-ending parliamentary procedural processHave his enemies done it? Have the rebels managed to find a thermal exhaust port in the Death Starmer that would enable them finally…
Why is Jimmy Kimmel being held to a higher standard than Donald Trump?
Published: April 28, 2026 15:16
The talkshow host has found himself targeted by the president once again but his jokes fail to have the influence or tastelessness that the right like to claimIn an episode of the classic sitcom Arrested Development, dutiful son Michael Bluth (Jason…
A dead person’s fat pumped into your body? Why the ‘zombie filler’ trend has some experts spooked | Antiviral
Published: April 28, 2026 15:00
While not approved in Australia, the procedure is on the rise in the US. But there are questions of safety – and the ethics of using donated tissue to plump up the livingRead more in the Antiviral seriesWith people getting everything from salmon sperm to…
Turn on, tune in, cash out … The US right used to fear psychedelics. Now it wants to sell them | Kojo Koram
Published: April 28, 2026 14:00
Hallucinogens have come a long way from the 60s counterculture to Trump’s White House – propelled by veterans’ lobbying and Silicon Valley capitalKojo Koram’s new book, The Next Fix: Winners and Losers in the Future of Drugs, is out on 4 JuneOn 13 May…
Is Tucker Carlson eyeing a 2028 presidential run? | Arwa Mahdawi
Published: April 28, 2026 12:32
He has said he is ‘tormented’ by his previous support for Donald Trump – and some suggest the former Fox News host is positioning himself for the GOP nominationA few years ago, Tucker Carlson was sleeping peacefully alongside his wife and four dogs when,…
Sectarianism? Family voting? No, what British Muslims are doing with their votes is called democracy | Taj Ali
Published: April 28, 2026 12:00
I’ve been speaking to Muslims across the country, many of whom are deserting Labour. They are as angry about potholes, traffic and litter as anyone elseTaj Ali’s Guardian documentary, The Muslim Vote: Democratic threat or Islamophobic myth? | On the…
If it feels like the world is rejecting science and truth, here are five ways to fight back | Helen Pearson
Published: April 28, 2026 10:20
All of us can choose to consider facts, not vibes, in our next decision. One simple hack is go and look up some easily accessible peer-reviewed studiesHelen Pearson is an editor for Nature and author of Beyond Belief: How Evidence Shows What Really WorksIn…
Shrugging at calamity: America is reacting in strange ways to our chaotic times | Francine Prose
Published: April 28, 2026 09:00
The reaction to the Washington DC shooting shows that Americans are swinging between outrage, exhaustion and numbness In the early hours of Sunday, I awoke to check the time on my phone and learned that there had been a shooting – apparently, an…
It’s time MPs levelled with us: Britain is already at war, and we’ll need to do two things to survive it | Gaby Hinsliff
Published: April 28, 2026 07:00
Cyber-attacks, disinformation and blockading of supplies. This is what living in a war zone can look like nowWe are at war. Four words that sound ludicrously melodramatic on a sunny spring day, when all may not be exactly right with the world – but when…
Giorgia Meloni clung to her relationship with Trump – now it’s starting to look like a liability | Riccardo Alcaro
Published: April 28, 2026 04:00
The Italian PM has walked a tightrope between Europe and the US. But the Iran war – and Trump’s attacks on her – have changed everythingThe news last week that the Trump administration sounded out Fifa, world football’s governing body, about replacing Iran…
Capital gains discounts were meant to usher in an Australia of ‘shareholders’ – not property speculators | Saul Eslake
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/28/cgt-capital-gains-discounts-tax-australia
Published: April 28, 2026 03:48
Defenders of the Howard-era discount say ‘if you tax something more, you’ll get less of it’. But less investors in the housing market is a good thingFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news…
Angus Taylor’s claim that Iran is a ‘bad country’ erases the courage of those who resist the regime at all costs | Nos Husseini
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/28/angus-taylor-iran-bad-country-comment
Published: April 28, 2026 01:13
Australian opposition leader’s comments reveal he is unable to tell the difference between authoritarian regimes and the people forced to live under themFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily…
The Guardian view on King Charles’s state visit: a regal exercise in damage limitation | Editorial
Published: April 27, 2026 17:30
The monarch must do his best to wrest some diplomatic advantage from an ill-timed trip, which Donald Trump will treat as a personal tributeWhen King Charles’s mother became the first British monarch to address the United States Congress in 1991, she spoke…
What does Britain need from Labour? Not another new PM, but a government with the guts to take radical action | Polly Toynbee
Published: April 27, 2026 16:25
There’s no point searching for a saviour without a genuine change in direction. Real courage is necessary – because Labour still has time to fix what is brokenIf not Keir Starmer, then who? That’s altogether the wrong question. What matters is not who but…
My beloved grandfather is dying. I’m so grateful for the intergenerational joy we’ve shared | Hannah Bambra
Published: April 27, 2026 15:00
Pa is a cheeky and playful person. He taught me how to joke, negotiate, heckle. His warmth is his immeasurable wealthMy grandfather, who I have always called Pa, is dying. He grew up working class in the north of England and went on to have a spectacular…
A brutal wrestle on a plane, passengers outraged, attendants helpless: I saw the UK’s deportation policy at work | Hugh Muir
Published: April 27, 2026 14:00
On the tarmac at Gatwick, the visceral reality of forced removals was laid bare. If only more could see what is done in our nameIt’s Gatwick airport, mid-afternoon, and on the runway there is turmoil. Public policy playing out in full view of the public.…
I thought Alito was history’s worst supreme court justice. But Thomas has outdone him | Robert Reich
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/27/supreme-court-judges-alito-thomas
Published: April 27, 2026 12:00
The supreme court justice recently condemned an entire philosophy of government. How can we believe in his impartiality?I’ve long assumed that Samuel Alito was the worst.Alito – who authored the majority opinion in Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health…
Orbán may be gone, but his prejudices are now baked into the European political mainstream | Shada Islam
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/27/orban-europe-eu-racism-migration-border
Published: April 27, 2026 11:31
EU leaders have normalised once fringe racist narratives in their migration, border control and even foreign policiesFor years, Viktor Orbán, with his anti-migrant and white Christian nationalist rhetoric – sentiments that endeared him to Donald Trump and…
Democrats think swearing will fix their authenticity problem. It won’t | Alex Bronzini-Vender
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/27/democrats-authenticity-politics
Published: April 27, 2026 11:00
Outrage is a legitimate political emotion. It is not, by itself, a politicsBefore sexual assault allegations ended his California gubernatorial bid, representative Eric Swalwell had carved out a niche as one of the Democrats most enthusiastically willing…
Why is the US media silent about Israel’s role in Trump’s decision to go to war? | Jason Stanley
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/27/trump-israel-trump-war
Published: April 27, 2026 10:00
I suspect the main reason they avoid criticizing Israel is that they believe that would be antisemitic. But this is both dangerous and wrongIn an extraordinary article published on 7 April, the New York Times described how Donald Trump decided to go to war…
Michael is a highly selective version of the singer’s life, and that suits more people than you might think | Nadia Khomami
Published: April 27, 2026 07:00
It’s not just the money-making studio execs – fans, too, are often happy for the darker parts of a subject’s life to be ignoredLike millions of other people, I went to see Michael this week. I knew what I was getting into – most reviews have been brutal.…
Zombie politics is the new norm and Starmer’s dying premiership is the latest instalment | Nesrine Malik
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/27/zombie-politics-keir-starmer-labour
Published: April 27, 2026 05:00
Distracted, listless and unambitious – the PM’s true form has finally emerged. But whatever comes next must end this ruinous cycleFinally, belatedly, an honest portrait of Keir Starmer has been allowed to form. It’s been a hell of a journey. At first he…
The Guardian view on Trump and the Washington shooting: political violence and gun culture endanger all | Editorial
Published: April 26, 2026 17:26
Determining the attacker’s motivation may take time. But toxic rhetoric, polarisation and the ubiquity of firearms are a dangerous mixForty-five years ago, John Hinckley Jr attempted to assassinate Ronald Reagan as he left the Hilton hotel in Washington,…
Scrolling and worrying: the hidden dangers of DIY diagnosis
Published: April 26, 2026 15:00
Clients no longer just describe their symptoms, they arrive with screenshots of dense articles, AI chatbot information and the phrase ‘I’ve done my research’The modern mind is a column where experts discuss mental health issues they are seeing in their…
Pitched as a uniting force, the 2026 World Cup has been anything but | Jules Boykoff
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/apr/26/2026-world-cup-bid-tickets-politics-trump
Published: April 26, 2026 14:38
The original plans for this summer’s tournament could scarcely sound much different than what we seem to have in storeSign up for the World Behind The Cup newsletterWhen Fifa announced that the United States would host the 2026 World Cup, everyone knew…
Gunfire at the White House correspondents’ dinner is another grim sign of our times | Robert Reich
Published: April 26, 2026 14:30
A Washington DC event rapidly descending in fear and panic and fear after gunshots is, sadly, of a piece with the chaotic tragedy of our timesFor as long as I can remember, the White House correspondents’ dinner was where the Washington press corps and…
Why are people pumping their bodies with fat from corpses? | Tayo Bero
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/26/alloclae-cadaver-fat-filler
Published: April 26, 2026 13:00
The cosmetic procedure raises concern about the tissue donation process – and our own anxieties about our appearanceThere’s a buzzy new diva in the world of cosmetic injectables and she’s quick, easy to recover from … and came from a dead body.Indeed,…
To win in 2028, Democrats must embrace justice – not shy away from it | Steve Philips
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/26/democrats-justice-2028-election
Published: April 26, 2026 11:00
The party has been pressured to avoid ‘woke’ policies. Instead, Democrats must stand firmly for equality and invest in mobilizationToo many Democrats believe that fighting for justice and equality is a losing proposition. This gets boiled down to the…
Iran didn’t have a nuclear weapon before this war. But you can see why it would want one now | Simon Tisdall
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/26/iran-nuclear-weapon-war-develop-one-now
Published: April 26, 2026 10:30
If lawless aggression by ‘might is right’ nuclear-armed powers spreads unchecked, what other option do middle-ranking countries have?With every bomb dropped, ship seized and blood-curdling threat of annihilation, Donald Trump increases Iran’s incentive to…
Why are we dragging apologies out of celebrities for the most innocuous things? | Elle Hunt
Published: April 26, 2026 07:00
They’re just the latest stars whose banal pronouncements have triggered a wave of controversy. Surely no one, in their heart of hearts, cares that muchDo you have an opinion on the state of contemporary ballet or keeping cats as pets? There are no right or…
Shoplifters aren't just bad to the bone or mums stealing nappies. The truth is more complex| Emily Kenway
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/26/career-shoplifters-motivation-crime
Published: April 26, 2026 05:00
Speaking to career thieves as part of my research, I learned that childhood abuse, a life in care and little education has led them to this placeEmily Kenway is a social policy doctoral researcher at the University of Edinburgh and author of Who Cares: the…
Online dating is a cesspool, so I decided to try 47 hobbies to meet the man of my dreams | Matt Bell
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/26/finding-love-offline-hobbies
Published: April 26, 2026 00:00
You will do things you regret in the name of love. Twenty-eight kilometres into a marathon, I realised I didn’t like runningGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailAs anyone who’s downloaded a dating app knows, looking for love online is an absolute…
As the Anzac Day bugles echo, it’s time to burst Australia’s defence complacency | Julianne Schultz
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/26/anzac-day-australia-defence-complacency
Published: April 25, 2026 20:00
In this dangerous, unpredictable era, we cannot cling too long to old alliances and ignore the strategic importance of our regionGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAs a child in western Victoria, Anzac Day was either the last day of…
Trump fan Caitlyn Jenner learns elections have consequences | Arwa Mahdawi
Published: April 25, 2026 13:00
She backed the president as he ran millions of dollars in anti-trans ads. Now she’s disappointed her passport has the wrong genderThoughts and prayers for Caitlyn Jenner. It seems that it’s starting to dawn on the Olympian and reality TV star that being a…
Will I ever retire? It doesn’t look like it | Dave Schilling
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/25/retirement-finances-work
Published: April 25, 2026 11:00
Being financially equipped to retire feels like a fantasy. And yet plenty of people who could do so are avoiding it“Retirement.” A word I can hardly spell anymore, it seems so abstract and impossible – like a science-fiction concept from a tattered old…
Even without social media, phones have a subtle, damaging effect on our mental health | Devi Sridhar
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/25/phones-social-media-damaging-mental-health
Published: April 25, 2026 09:00
Digital communication in its most basic forms can push us into an ‘always on’ state – and generate feelings of exclusion or rejection When I first started teaching at Oxford in 2005, I would offer “office hours” a couple of times a week. They were…
Dyslexic thinking made me the scientist I am today. If we could harness its power, imagine what could be possible | Maggie Aderin
Published: April 25, 2026 07:00
Progress has always been made by people who think differently. Neurodiversity helps us think outside the box – and when we do, the sky’s the limitOne of my favourite pieces of scientific equipment is something called a retrospectroscope. I admit that it…
I witnessed the dying days of Boris Johnson’s premiership. Keir Starmer’s position is uncannily similar | Simon Hart
Published: April 25, 2026 05:00
For all his sins, Johnson didn’t sacrifice others to save himself. That’s not leadership – and Starmer may learn that all too soonSimon Hart was government chief whip from 2022 to 2024Sitting at the back of the public gallery watching Olly Robbins give his…
The AFL bans disruptive racists. Surely the police can do the same for morons who boo welcome to country on Anzac Day | Marcia Langton
Published: April 25, 2026 03:50
To dishonour the memory of Indigenous and other Australians who served during wars is despicable, ignorant and a moral crimeIndigenous speakers booed at services while Ben Roberts-Smith attends separate Gold Coast eventHundreds of thousands of Australians…
It’s no surprise Trump has met his match in Pope Leo – the US president represents the polar opposite of Christianity | Jonathan Freedland
Published: April 24, 2026 16:59
Name the deadliest of sins – cruelty, deceit, avarice – and Trump will both exhibit them and celebrate themIt’s no accident that the figure emerging as the global challenger to the might of Donald Trump is a priest in white, known as Pope Leo XIV. In…
The Guardian view on Germany, Japan and the end of the postwar order: as US alliances crumble, a new world emerges | Editorial
Published: April 24, 2026 16:48
Developments in Berlin and Tokyo show how far the strategic environment has shifted in response to authoritarian threat and American unpredictabilityWhen Donald Trump hosted Sanae Takaichi, the Japanese prime minister, last month, he could not resist a…
My assisted dying bill has a democratic mandate – the Lords who blocked it today do not | Kim Leadbeater
Published: April 24, 2026 15:03
There is a way to bring this back to parliament. We owe it to the brave terminally ill people who have been so let down to tryKim Leadbeater is Labour MP for Spen ValleyToday has been a sorry day for democracy in this country. After more than 220 hours of…
Anzac Day isn’t what it used to be – 111 years on, what place does it have in modern Australia? | Paul Daley
Published: April 24, 2026 15:00
The further we get from the Gallipoli landings, the more hard historical perspective the events warrantThe pageantry and celebratory nature of today’s Anzac marches are a far cry from the gatherings of sombre recollection that characterised this day in the…
Behold the riches to riches tale of Lauren Sánchez – the girlboss Cinderella who bought the ball | Marina Hyde
Published: April 24, 2026 14:39
She’s already taken Paris and Venice – now, with husband Jeff Bezos, she’s stormed New York’s Met Gala. And for a mere $75,000, you can be there with herWe live in an age when the most successful revolutionaries are not the peasants but the Silicon Valley…
Can Matt Brittin save the BBC – and how should he do it? Our panel’s advice for the new boss
Published: April 24, 2026 12:00
He is not a programme-maker or a politician, but he must rapidly develop a feel for both disciplines – and the stakes could not be higherThis panel comprises extracts from Letters to Matt Brittin: The New Director-General of the BBC, edited by John Mair…
Ban fur farming or risk a new pandemic | Neil Vora
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/24/fur-farming-pandemic-risk
Published: April 24, 2026 12:00
Banning an industry that is brutal to animals could be one of the most consequential public-health measures in decadesEvery year, millions of captive animals are gassed or electrocuted and then turned into multithousand-dollar fur coats. Though the…
Ousting Starmer over Mandelson would be madness – yet it’s open season in Westminster | Simon Jenkins
Published: April 24, 2026 11:26
Defenestration has become the modus operandi in politics, instead of MPs working through the real issues of the dayDoes the United Kingdom really need a new prime minister? In particular, does it need Wes Streeting, Angela Rayner or Ed Miliband, reportedly…
Trump cannot bear the judgments of Pope Leo | Sidney Blumenthal
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/24/trump-pope-leo-catholics
Published: April 24, 2026 10:00
The political gap between US evangelicals and Catholics is widening. And Trump won’t tolerate authority outside his own“Who will rid me of this meddlesome priest?” Henry II was reputed to have muttered. His knights heard his pointed remark as an order.…
Rightwing populism is littered with broken promises. Its opponents need to make those failures count | Andy Beckett
Published: April 24, 2026 07:00
As Trump lurches from tariffs to wars and Farage makes unrealistic pledges about immigration, their impunity needs to endRightwing populists always promise they will get things done when they get into power. Immigration will be halted. Government waste…
Two men made mistakes over Mandelson – only one has lost his job. That should haunt Starmer | Gaby Hinsliff
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/24/two-men-mistakes-mandelson-haunt-starmer
Published: April 24, 2026 05:00
As the bodies pile up and he continues to blame everyone but himself, respect for the prime minister is draining steadily awayA good leader never asks their people to do something they wouldn’t do themselves. Hold others to the highest standards, by all…
Europe is in a profound state of crisis. Luckily, we know what to do | Nathalie Tocci and Anu Bradford
Published: April 24, 2026 04:00
We assembled a group of the continent’s leading thinkers to assess the threats: their warnings are stark, but the remedy is within reachCaught between Vladimir Putin’s Russia, Donald Trump’s US and Xi Jinping’s China, Europe appears in a state of profound…
The day of the baby boomers is finally done in Australian politics | Michelle Grattan
Published: April 24, 2026 01:16
Labor is well aware of the resentment from younger people who see themselves as paying for their elders while struggling to afford housingFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news…
James Valentine showed us what public broadcasting could be at its very best. It’s a legacy I hope to live up to | Jess McGuire
Published: April 24, 2026 00:45
The public grief is enormous but it keeps giving way to joy, to moments of hilarity that have stayed with listeners for years‘On his own terms’: James Valentine chose assisted dying but barriers remain for Australians wanting to access itLike so many of…
The Guardian view on Anthropic’s Claude Mythos: when AI finds every flaw, who controls the internet? | Editorial
Published: April 23, 2026 17:27
Tech can scale cyber-attacks and defences alike, raising questions about private power, public risk and the future of a shared internetAnthropic announced its latest AI model, Claude Mythos, this month but said it would not be released publicly, because it…
In less than a year, I’ve watched all 15 seasons of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. I am not alone in this obsession | Caitlin Cassidy
Published: April 23, 2026 15:00
Cohabiting with my partner meant addressing my addiction to the lives of extremely rich women I have never metWhen you move in with a partner, you can no longer hide the embarrassing or unattractive parts of yourself. Your dirty laundry is metaphorically…
The Foreign Office should have intervened to stop Mandelson’s deeply flawed appointment | Richard Dearlove
Published: April 23, 2026 15:00
If Olly Robbins stood firm the government could have avoided this disastrous episode of bad political judgment that could cost the PM his jobRichard Dearlove is the former head of the British Secret Intelligence ServiceThe restricted compartments of the…
Trump’s war has backfired spectacularly: Iran is now more influential than ever | Fawaz Gerges
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/23/donald-trump-iran-war-tehran-strait-hormuz
Published: April 23, 2026 14:44
Tehran has shown that its grip over the strait of Hormuz is its most potent deterrent – arguably more consequential than its now defunct nuclear programmeFawaz Gerges is professor of international relations at the London School of EconomicsDonald Trump’s…
Shabana Mahmood’s expletive was shocking. But not for the reason you think | Zoe Williams
Published: April 23, 2026 13:25
With her four-letter-word riposte to a heckler, the home secretary played the victim and cynically puts the blame for her immigration plans on liberalsIf all you know about Shabana Mahmood’s interview with the comedian Matt Forde, which was recorded live…
Trump’s pardons are harming violent crime survivors | Johnny Olszewski
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/23/trump-pardons-violent-crime-survivors
Published: April 23, 2026 12:00
Pardons have reportedly eliminated $113m that would have supported a victims’ fund. I’m advancing legislation to create accountabilityDonald Trump’s aggressive use of the presidential pardon power isn’t just controversial – it’s also stripping resources…
Why are White House journalists partying with Trump? | Margaret Sullivan
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/23/white-house-correspondents-dinner-trump
Published: April 23, 2026 10:00
The White House correspondents’ dinner has always been a questionable affair. It’s even more worrying under an anti-press administrationEven in the pre-Trump era, I had reservations about the annual black-tie celebration in Washington that some have dubbed…
The international right has CPAC. Has the left finally found its answer? | Owen Jones
Published: April 23, 2026 10:00
Spain’s PM, Pedro Sánchez, hosted the inaugural meeting of the Global Progressive Mobilisation. Keir Starmer and other social democrats were notable by their absenceCan progressives push back the rising tide of authoritarianism? Thousands of people…
With his Bible readings, Trump is doubling down on his God complex. Somehow, evangelical Christians are buying it | Emma Brockes
Published: April 23, 2026 08:00
The US president is making a desperate plea to the one group that seemingly hasn’t deserted him – yetHe has lost the Catholics, the foreign policy isolationists and the millions of people affected by ICE’s immigration raids. But Donald Trump is still…
A catastrophic climate event is upon us. Here is why you’ve heard so little about it | George Monbiot
Published: April 23, 2026 06:00
Scientists say a crucial Atlantic system is more likely to collapse than previously thought. But the billionaire death cult that steers humanity’s destiny doesn’t do existential crisesThe poor and middle pay taxes, the rich pay accountants, the very rich…
To be human is to live with friction. That’s something AI boosters will never understand | Alexander Hurst
Published: April 23, 2026 04:00
We’re being sold a world where there’s no room for reflection or spontaneity. This is the Black Mirror stage of capitalismHow fast do you have to strike a match to get it to light? Not the chemistry of the ignition, but the actual speed, in metres per…
Mark Butler’s NDIS cuts will force people with disabilities like mine to withdraw from society | Clem Bastow
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/23/ndis-cuts-disability-australia-life-impact
Published: April 23, 2026 00:30
The inclusive world disability advocates fought so hard for is being torn apart by ruthless, ableist bureaucracyAt times of extreme dysregulation, I turn to the safest of safe foods: a particular frozen cheeseburger that has changed its recipe once since…
Capital gains tax changes are on the table, and yet Armageddon has not arrived. Has the tide on housing turned at last? | Greg Jericho
Published: April 22, 2026 22:30
We are less than a month out from the budget and Labor’s mooted adjustments to tax concessions for property investors have barely registeredGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA funny thing happened on the way to the budget: changes…
The Guardian view on the Vatican v the White House: Pope Leo is carrying on Francis’s good work | Editorial
Published: April 22, 2026 17:51
The pontiff’s criticisms of Donald Trump’s illegal war in Iran indicate a welcome resolve to follow in his predecessor’s footsepsOne year after the death of Pope Francis, the Vatican this week hosted the premiere of a documentary tribute by Martin…
I was wrong about the danger of smartphones in schools. It’s far, far worse than I thought | Lola Okolosie
Published: April 22, 2026 15:12
The new ban in England should be welcomed. But teachers like me know that enforcement is time-consuming – and even, sometimes, dangerousIt seems unbelievable now, but a decade ago we were debating the potential positive merits of mobile phones in schools.…
People once cited romcoms to describe the love they hoped for. Now the doomscroll has replaced the meet-cute | Lisa Portolan
Published: April 22, 2026 15:00
The search for connection persists but it’s seen as a task to be completed rather than a story waiting to unfoldWhen I first researched dating apps and intimacy almost a decade ago, participants would regularly reach for romantic comedies to describe the…
After Starmer and Robbins, McSweeney faces a grilling on Mandelson. Can this government survive? Our panel responds
Published: April 22, 2026 13:39
The civil servant says he was pressured by No 10 to get Mandelson’s vetting done; the PM says he wasn’t informed. Who emerges most damaged? Continue reading...
What have I done? I forced my kid to listen to Usha Vance's podcast - now she's a fan | Arwa Mahdawi
https://www.theguardian.com/global/commentisfree/2026/apr/22/usha-vance-podcast
Published: April 22, 2026 13:30
The second lady has launched a serviceable children’s podcast. That seems strategic given JD Vance’s potential presidential runI know that child labour is generally frowned upon but, in this economy, sometimes you’ve got to put your kid to work. Last week…
Trump taught us to prioritize our own wallets. Now he’s paying the price | Jamil Smith
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/22/trump-gas-prices-iran-war
Published: April 22, 2026 12:00
The reckless Iran war shows up for most Americans as a number at a gas pump, not as images or moral reckoningThe airport in Las Vegas last Friday afternoon was what you might expect for a WrestleMania weekend. Packed terminal. Delays stacking up. Nobody…
‘Petro-masculinity’ is destroying the planet. Can eco-masculinity help save it? | Andrew Boyd
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/22/masculinity-gender-climate-crisis
Published: April 22, 2026 10:00
It’s crucial to understanding how gender is affecting our ability to rally behind a shared ecological visionFeminist influencer Liz Plank opens her groundbreaking book For the Love of Men with a bold statement: “There is no greater threat to humankind than…
It is obvious now, Keir Starmer, that you made a mistake. Reinstate Olly Robbins for the good of the UK | Simon McDonald
Published: April 22, 2026 07:33
That is the inescapable conclusion from all we know. I’m fairly sure that had the PM initially heard his full account, he would not have sacked himSimon McDonald was permanent secretary at the Foreign Office from 2015 to 2020The most difficult thing in…
What my zen week with a virtual power-washer taught me about gaming – and life | Imogen West-Knights
Published: April 22, 2026 07:00
Some of the most popular simulator games are outlandishly boring. But curiously, it’s satisfying to complete pointless tasks when the stakes are so lowWhen I was at university I had a friend who had a strange hobby. He would sit in his room and play a…
Are Aussies being fleeced over gas profits?! Yes! What should we be doing instead? | First Dog on the Moon
Published: April 22, 2026 06:53
Even considering our usual slavish enthusiasm for giving all our shit to billionaires for free this is badSign up here to get an email whenever First Dog cartoons are publishedGet all your needs met at the First Dog shop if what you need is First Dog…
It’s time to reset the NDIS to ensure it is there for those that need it the most | Martin Laverty
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/22/ndis-disability-scheme-reset
Published: April 22, 2026 05:27
Mark Butler’s proposed plan offers a significant opportunity to redefine the scheme for people with permanent and significant disabilitiesThe federal health minister, Mark Butler, outlined a plan to the National Press Club today that will reset the NDIS to…
The rush to appease Trump led Keir Starmer into this ethical void | Rafael Behr
Published: April 22, 2026 05:00
Peter Mandelson’s flaws were mistaken for credentials to represent Britain in the court of a rogue presidentYou can’t kill something that is already dead. New details about Peter Mandelson’s disastrous appointment as Britain’s ambassador to Washington can…
From Barcelona to Paris, cities thrive with women in charge. It’s all about sharing public space | Melissa and Chris Bruntlett
Published: April 22, 2026 04:00
Female mayors have had notable successes in making transport in urban areas benefit everyone, not just a wealthy fewAccording to the UN 68% of the global population will be urban dwellers by mid-century. Urbanisation at this rate, unprecedented in modern…
I thought being scammed once made me immune to it happening again. I was wrong | Lindy Ralph
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/22/being-scammed-twice
Published: April 22, 2026 00:59
These dodgy operators are very good at the shady work they do: they crank up the terror, drown out the logical part of your brain and then move fastFor the second time in the space of three years, I was sitting on my bed screaming, “They’ve stolen all my…
The IOC’s decision to protect the female category is a victory for fairness | Tanya Aldred
Published: April 21, 2026 22:00
Trans athletes and those with DSD must be treated with respect, and the new testing regime must be run with sensitivity. But this is a step forwardThe decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to exclude transgender women and most athletes with…
The Olympics’ trans policy polices womanhood | Moira Donegan
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/21/olympics-trans-policy-ioc
Published: April 21, 2026 19:00
Sports bans have humiliated trans women and girls across America. Now, the Olympics joins inLast month, the International Olympic Committee announced that transgender women athletes would be barred from competing in all Olympic events in the women’s…
The Guardian view on the true cost of the Iran war: bombs kill – but so does the economic fallout | Editorial
Published: April 21, 2026 18:40
There is growing international concern as the fragile two-week ceasefire reaches its Wednesday deadline. Whatever happens next, the poor will payMore than 3,300 Iranians, including 383 children, have been killed since the US and Israel launched their…
Terrible poll ratings would bother some politicians. Donald Trump isn’t one of them | Arwa Mahdawi
Published: April 21, 2026 17:08
A low approval rating will not cause the US president to hang his head in shame. He’s more likely to dig inYou’ll know the famous quote, bastardised from a 1926 column by the Baltimore journalist HL Mencken, that “No one ever went broke underestimating the…