The Odyssey of identity: Why we must fight for the face of Helen of Troy
As Helen of Troy is about to be portrayed as black in Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey, the latest episode in the war for the soul of the West questions our very fundamentals.
Society
Latest reporting and analysis on society.
Updated: Man who killed girl in metro train horror was in Germany via UN humanitarian programme, newspaper reports
A South Sudanese man who killed an 18-year-old woman by pulling her with him in front of an incoming subway train in Hamburg was flown in directly from Africa by…
Long-term Belgian unemployed rush to social welfare after entitlements run out
Belgian local social services are seeing a sharper-than-expected influx of long-term unemployed people after the country’s recent reform ended unlimited unemployment…
Ban on road salt puts Berliners on a slippery slope
For days on end pedestrians in Berlin have had a difficult time moving around the German capital.
EU migration law ‘could cost Ireland €1.5 billion’
Irish ministers were warned as early as late 2023 that the annual cost of accommodating asylum seekers could spiral to as much as €1.
Twisting history to dishonour history’s victims and democracy’s principles
Across the Western world, a troubling pattern has emerged: Historical memory is being weaponised against democratic preferences.
Far-left riots shake Italy
Far-left demonstrations in Turin erupted into violent clashes, widespread destruction and attacks on police officers over the weekend.
Austria to cut Latin lessons in favour of teaching AI and ‘democracy’
Austrian pupils will soon study ChatGPT more than Cicero in upper secondary schools throughout the country.
Council of Europe expands definition of ‘conversion practices’ to include questioning of gender identity
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has urged member states to ban so-called conversion practices, adding questioning gender-identity to the…
Every great collapse begins with a crack
At first glance, a headline about the University of Mainz removing french fries from its cafeteria menu seems trivial.
Dutch watchdog probes Roblox gaming platform over possible ‘risks to children’
The Dutch consumer watchdog has launched an investigation into Roblox to see if the popular gaming platform was doing enough to protect children amid reports they…
EU eyes migration clampdown with push on deportations, visas
The European Union today laid out plans to overhaul its visa system and step up deportations as part of a five-year migration strategy that cements a hardening line…
Polish minister Sikorski’s wife says Trump administration is ‘fascist’
The wife of Polish foreign minister Radosław Sikorski has warned that the US is starting to resemble a fascist state.
Germany’s population declines despite mass migration
Germany's population shrank by around 100,000 people in 2025, marking the first decline since the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
US Republicans slam EC and ‘censorious’ online law after X fine
The US House Judiciary Committee Republicans have ramped up their blistering assault on the European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA), exposing what they call…
Four scenarios for the post-rules world
The Greenland psychodrama together with some of the startling opinions aired in Davos last week – especially Mark Carney’s definitive language on the end of…
Tusk’s Polish courts ‘are tearing down justice’
In Poland governed by Donald Tusk’s coalition, the justice system no longer operates independently in political cases.
Sweden ponders jail for 13-year-olds after explosion in gang violence
Sweden's justice minister Gunnar Strömmer said the government is pressing ahead with plans to allow 13-year-olds to be sentenced to prison for the most serious…
MCC Brussels wins landmark free-speech court battle
The Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC) Brussels, a leading conservative educational and think-tank organisation associated with Hungary's Government, has won its final…
Spain to regularise 500,000 undocumented migrants
Spain's left-wing government approved Tuesday a plan to regularise around 500,000 undocumented migrants by decree, the country's latest break with harsher policies…
Germany sent abroad more than €500m in child benefits in 2025
The German state has paid out a record sum in child benefits to recipients abroad in 2025, latest numbers by the Federal Employment Agency (BfA) show.
Italy summons Israeli ambassador after officers threatened at gunpoint in West Bank
Italy has summoned Israel's ambassador to Rome in a sharp diplomatic protest following an incident in which two Italian military policemen were threatened at gunpoint.
Europe forgets real genocide and cuts loose from all historical knowledge
“Performative” surely is the political cliché of our times. Yet nonetheless it is the only word that describes the vapid behaviour of so many western societies.
Polish opposition leader calls on PM Tusk to fund spot on Trump’s Board of Peace
The leader of the Polish opposition has called on the centre-left government to provide the $1 billion (€840 million) required for Poland’s President Karol Nawrocki…
Former Austrian minister slams home country in Russian podcast
Karin Kneissl, Austria’s foreign minister from 2017 to 2019, has used an appearance on a Russian podcast to settle scores with her former home country.
Russia jails schoolgirl for four years for posters of pro-Kyiv fighters
A Russian court Thursday upheld a four-year prison term for a 17-year-old girl who hung posters of pro-Ukraine Russian fighters in her school, Russian independent…
Austria introduces mandatory summer schools for children lacking German skills
The Austrian Parliament has adopted a law introducing a mandatory two-week summer school for children who do not speak German sufficiently well.
Poland to end preferential treatment of Ukrainian refugees
The Polish Government has prepared legislation to end special support for Ukrainian refugees put in place in 2022 following the onset of war with Russia.
European Parliament votes against flight delay compensation reform
The European Parliament has voted overwhelmingly to preserve the existing three-hour threshold for flight delay compensation.
Austrian Right and Left team up to prevent government eavesdropping on private messages
The right-wing Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) and the left-wing Greens Party are teaming up to thwart the government coalition’s plans for extended surveillance…