This Month
The oil trader, the alleged con and the crushing sanctions that followed
Niels Troost and one of his directors are the only two Europeans who have been sanctioned for dealing Russian oil. He says he was duped in an elaborate con.
- Tom Wilson
The transformation of Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s intelligence tsar pick
The once rising-star of the Democratic party is now a MAGA champion with unorthodox views on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and ousted Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad.
- Amy Mackinnon
Greta Thunberg is no longer Nobel Prize-winning material
Time magazine’s youngest-ever Person of the Year has entwined her climate views with extreme pro-Palestinian activism.
- Marianka Swain
- Analysis
- Middle East tensions
Have Syrians fought just to replace Assad with an extremist?
The man behind the ouster of Bashar al-Assad has changed his name, his clothes and his brand from global jihadist to nationalist Islamist, but many remain sceptical.
- Anchal Vohra
The replicas that could end the Elgin Marbles row
The Greek and British governments are thought to be close to clinching a deal to return the treasures to Athens.
- Simon de Bruxelles
This is why the US military takes Elon Musk’s Martian dream seriously
The Pentagon figures a rocket transport system could shuttle troops and weapons to Asia within 90 minutes if a war broke out with China – and SpaceX’s Starship rocket is about a decade ahead of any rival.
- Eva Dou and Aaron Gregg
How Shanghai’s ambition to be the ‘future of finance’ fell apart
The port city was meant to be China’s answer to New York, but trade tensions and changing domestic priorities have taken a toll.
- Thomas Hale and Cheng Leng
- Opinion
- Streaming
Bugger Spotify, I’m going to make my own playlist
Even by the internet’s grim standards, Spotify Wrapped is a wretched gimmick.
- Tom Gatti
- Opinion
- Royal family
How Prince William became a seasoned statesman
The Prince of Wales was scrambled at very short notice to woo Donald Trump whose four-year term will have significant foreign policy implications for the UK.
- Victoria Ward
Angela Merkel’s autobiography is a ‘stunning disappointment’
The former German chancellor provides only the most superficial explanations for her controversial actions and decisions, particularly those to do with Vladimir Putin.
- John Kampfner
Yoon’s actions remind investors of all they dislike about South Korea
After briefly declaring martial law this week, the South Korean President can kiss goodbye to his plan to boost the nation’s notoriously depressed stock market.
- Shuli Ren
Bill Gates believes the world is at a dangerous tipping point
The philanthropist has been fighting global disease for 25 years. He is now wrestling with the optimist’s dilemma.
- Jason Cowley
Oliver Sacks’ letters from a beautiful mind
The great neurologist offered a lesson in treating our fellow humans with care and true attention.
- Erica Wagner
Will Ozempic crush the junk-food business?
Developers inventing products for big food companies are trying to work out how to sell convenience food to those who suddenly crave fresh fruit.
- Tomas Weber
November
The father-son rift that prefaced the break-up of an empire
A boardroom coup at John Fairfax Limited helped pave the way for the family to lose control of Australia’s oldest newspaper company.
- Alexander Edward Gilly
- Opinion
- Defence
This is why we don’t need to worry about the Brits and AUKUS
The alliance sets the tone for the UK to make a distinctive contribution to NATO’s ability to retain sea control of the North Atlantic.
- Alessio Patalano
I’m from Iran and this is why boycotting Israel won’t work
Writers the world over have backed a call for a cultural boycott of Israel, similar to that imposed on South Africa during the apartheid era. What good will that serve?
- Arash Azizi
What’s it like to be stuck in space? Horrible says this astronaut
Astronauts know missions can go awry but still, an extended stay is tough on your body and your relationships. It’s also kind of boring.
- Aaron Gregg
Fluoride fight is a decades-old cultural war America can’t quit
Trump’s pick for health secretary Robert F Kennedy is the latest in a long line of sceptics who refuse to believe the science.
- Petula Dvorak
- Opinion
- Advertising
This new Jaguar ad screams panic
A brand once redolent of speed, glamour and petrol has now resorted to car-less pap.
- Ed Cumming