Ideas | The Observer

Davos

Starmer dodges a bullet – but the worst may be yet to come

The US president brutally mocked most of his Nato ‘allies’ in his Davos speech, while conceding he does not intend to bomb his way into Greenland

By Andrew Rawnsley

Columnists

Sarah Manavis

Sympathy for the rebel Beckham, who has always been tabloid fodder

The Beckhams’ eldest son has been harassed by the press since before he could walk. His decision to break with the parents who made that choice for him deserves no further mockery

Matthew Bishop

Who’s the daddy? A Davos diary

Go behind the scenes as the world’s political, tech and banking elites invade the Swiss town

Kenan Malik

The left and right are spinning Iran’s story for their own ends

Protesters are neither CIA puppets nor Mossad assets. They are citizens confronting tyranny with courage and autonomy

Marie Le Conte

Snooker is like a large-scale piece of experimental theatre

I was in the audience and could have looked up the rules but what was happening in front of me felt silly and absurd beyond words – I loved it!

The Observer view

Iran’s theocracy could have chosen humanity, but it chose murder

The real special relationship

Might is not right

Britain cannot afford Reform

I’m estranged from my parents – I know how Brooklyn Beckham feels

The media frenzy around the famous family’s feud has drowned out an ordinary and deeply private pain

Opinion

Giles Whittell

Fake news: the Greenland emergency is an elaborate confection

Donald Trump’s audacious demand may turn out to be a masterclass in strategic make-believe

Vanessa Thorpe

Lost in translation at the Jaipur literature festival

My first visit to the country prompted an unravelling of assumptions about a place I’d only encountered in books and films

Will Hutton

Reeves v the OBR: what really happened

The former OBR chair has taken aim at the chancellor, but he misunderstands the scope of the watchdog’s role in shaping economic policy

Rob Macaire

With a unifying leader, Iran’s protests could become a revolution

‘Gorbachev moments’ happen only when it is clear who will be taking power

Law and disorder

With his eye on Venezuela’s oil and Greenland’s minerals, Donald Trump has done his best to blow up the rules-based order. But the barrister and academic Philippe Sands believes humanity will find a way to work together again soon, because we always do

Opinion and ideas

Trump’s actions are illegal – but his greed may hold him in check

Opinion and ideas

Trump’s actions are illegal – but his greed may hold him in check

Profile

Barbara Ellen

Jacob Elordi, the Aussie actor with movie star good looks and an eye for standout roles

The Australian’s name has been a mainstay this awards season – his gorgeous profile is a mere adjunct to his genius for picking roles and being ‘in it for all the right reasons’