Newspaper
The Observer
Groomed to lead the far right, Le Pen's young messiah is skilfully putting her in the shade
The charismatic Jordan Bardella is meant to be National Rally's plan B. Many believe he might be better than plan A
5 min |
January 18, 2026
The Observer
Global chaos renews purpose at Davos as red carpet is rolled out for the agitator-in-chief
Geopolitical upheaval and Donald Trump's attendance have given the Swiss economic summit a shot in the arm, despite the fact its founder Klaus Schwab will be absent for the first time in 55 years.
4 min |
January 18, 2026
The Observer
'I offered myself as a friend for hire. The requests came in... and they were crazy'
The Japanese concept of paid companions is the basis of new comedy Rental Family, but the reality of being a by-the-hour buddy is a sadder, riskier affair.
5 min |
January 18, 2026
The Observer
Council tax hikes loom in areas run by Reform
Last April, householders in West Northamptonshire were leafleted by Reform UK warning that their local council was broken, with a 23% increase in council tax in five years and debt interest payments claimed to be running at £65,000 a day.
2 min |
January 18, 2026
The Observer
'It's time to hand over Greenland,' Trump tells Europe as Starmer slams tariff threat
Prime minister says US president is 'completely wrong' to hit European countries with punitive rises to exports
4 min |
January 18, 2026
The Observer
At last, Europe finally understands: the US is no longer its ally
Since Donald Trump reentered the White House nearly a year ago, European governments have tried to convince themselves that their alliance with the US can survive.
3 min |
January 18, 2026
The Observer
Today meets tomorrow as presenters jump ship
Departing BBC stars make more from their own shows in big switch-off
4 min |
January 18, 2026
The Observer
No right to rule
Iran's theocracy could have chosen humanity, but it chose murder. It cannot remain in power
3 min |
January 18, 2026
The Observer
Childhoods on ICE: too scared to play — and terrified Dad won’t come home
Children look on in horror as immigration agents snatch their parents and storm their schools. 'This is not safety,' residents tell Charlotte McDonald-Gibson in Minneapolis
4 min |
January 18, 2026
The Observer
Social media creates child terrorists, PM warned
Keir Starmer has been urged by senior figures from the worlds of intelligence and counter-terrorism to ban social media for under-16s for the sake of national security.
1 min |
January 18, 2026
The Observer
Record offshore wind auction speeds path to decarbonisation
The UK has awarded subsidy contracts for offshore wind projects to generate enough power for 12m homes, giving a new lease of life to an industry that is being throttled on the other side of the Atlantic.
2 min |
January 18, 2026
The Observer
The left and right are spinning Iran’s story for their own ends, while its people suffer
Kenan Malik
4 min |
January 18, 2026
The Observer
It's personal
When Donald Trump accepted the Republican nomination for president in 2016, he nailed his colours to the mast.
1 min |
January 18, 2026
The Observer
Punctured by privatisation, the fortunes of the bus may finally be turning around
Few public services sit closer to politicians’ hearts than the lowly bus.
4 min |
January 18, 2026
The Observer
Netflix snaps up podcasts in TV turf war with YouTube
In a quieter but no less significant move than its $83bn bid for Warner Bros Discovery, the streamer last week moved into the spoken word as the first of three exclusive podcast deals came online. The battle for our ears has only just begun, writes Stephen Armstrong
4 min |
January 18, 2026
The Observer
Gifting a family home? Don't forget the taxman and council
Over half of under-35s need help from parents to get on the housing ladder.
2 min |
January 18, 2026
The Observer
Greenland's minerals lure billionaires but they'll have to dig deep to get them
Tycoons eyeing the island's wealth of metals, oil and diamonds will first have to tackle its vast ice sheet, which is 3km thick in parts, writes Robin Pagnamenta
3 min |
January 18, 2026
The Observer
A16z ventures into new territory
Andreessen Horowitz, also known as a16z, is rewriting the rules of venture capital.
1 min |
January 18, 2026
The Observer
Parliament may question water outage investors
Investors in South East Water, which left tens of thousands of households without water in Kent and Sussex last week, could be brought to parliament to answer questions on the crisis.
1 min |
January 18, 2026
The Observer
Jacob Elordi
The Australian actor who plays the creature in the new Frankenstein, and Heathcliff in Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights, has a knack for picking roles that show off his talent, writes Barbara Ellen
4 min |
January 18, 2026
The Observer
Life sciences district could create 20,000 jobs by 2035
London's life sciences district is blossoming.
1 min |
January 18, 2026
The Observer
Iran confirms thousands of protest deaths but blames US
Jon Ungoed-Thomas & John Simpson
2 min |
January 18, 2026
The Observer
My first visit to India — and blow me down if they didn’t fly the flags
‘d flown to India for the Jaipur Literary Festival.
2 min |
January 18, 2026
The Observer
‘First they cut off our connection to the outside world. Then they really started killing’
Human rights groups and Iranians with satellite links helped The Observer compile this report on the regime’s bloody crackdown on mass protests.
6 min |
January 18, 2026
The Observer
Labour needs to rediscover that EU membership works
Tony Blair's famous justification for his policy decisions was that, above all, he believed in “what works”.
3 min |
January 18, 2026
The Observer
Paracetamol not linked to autism, study shows
Robert F Kennedy Jr's department has rejected the findings of a “gold-standard” study showing there is no link between autism and taking paracetamol during pregnancy.
1 min |
January 18, 2026
The Observer
Chaos at Oxfam as trustee quits over ‘cruel’ treatment of ex-CEO
An Oxfam trustee has announced he is resigning from the charity’s board after infighting among senior leadership and claims of poor governance.
1 min |
January 18, 2026
The Observer
'Damaged goods' Tory influx leads to grumbling in ranks of Reform
While Nigel Farage revels in the defections of Robert Jenrick and Nadhim Zahawi, some in his party are concerned that the slew of former Conservatives will bring only problems
2 min |
January 18, 2026
The Observer
The Tories should not mourn losing Jenrick. They should celebrate
Every crisis is also an opportunity.
2 min |
January 18, 2026
The Observer
Dark, delicate art of choosing the Traitors
The twists of the latest show have astonished even the man who picks the mix of personalities who enter the castle.
3 min |