International

Sondos’ choice: face Israel’s bombs or flee and lose her home

As Israel ramps up its attacks on Gaza City, residents have nowhere safe left to go

The UN must get back in the ring and fight

The institution has been paralysed by a hostile US government – but the world needs it to keep the peace

Netanyahu faces tough battle at home

Latest Israeli bombing is tied to keeping prime minister in power, as he and his far-right allies face growing anger over the fate of hostages

Football’s toughest spot kick is through a French window

The shootout in a Paris suburb began as a viral trick that Messi fluffed. It’s now a reminder of the pure joy of the sport

Charlie Kirk killing puts America to the test over the freedom to disagree

There’s a risk that political violence becomes a weapon in the culture wars

Brazil’s frail democracy puts the shining city upon a hill in the shade

The sentencing of Jair Bolsonaro reminds us that democracy isn’t dead – and shows what can happen when democratic institutions have the courage to stick to their principles

Will a total ban on all Democrats come next? I wouldn’t be surprised

I fear politics has become not a competition between ideas but a civil war between two sides

Puzzle over motives of alleged shooter who ‘confessed to his dad’

Search for the killer of the conservative icon ended not with a dramatic shootout but a quiet family drama

How Melania is raking in millions as first lady

Instead of waiting until Trump’s reign is over, his wife is cashing in on her role

Analyst warns of extremists’ reactions online

Uncensored viral footage of Charlie Kirk’s murder has created a febrile and divisive mood online, experts say

Maga loses the man who brought the youth vote to Trump

The first family mourn the White House insider whose extremist views reflected the Republican party’s major shift to the right

Jeffrey Epstein’s ‘birthday files’

Personal notes written for Jeffrey Epstein's 50th birthday by his family and friends, including Peter Mandelson and Donald Trump, give a disturbing insight into the character and behaviour of both Epstein and those who knew him best.

How a western charity helped the Syrian regime abduct children

Hundreds of children were kidnapped by the state and placed in orphanages during the Syrian civil war. One charity, SOS International, helped disappear them, colluding with military intelligence to break their parents. SOS was able to keep their complicity a secret – until the regime fell

Russian spies are grooming Ukrainian saboteurs

Vulnerable Ukrainians are being groomed as assassins by Russian spies. Amidst a surge in drone strikes, Ukrainians must now confront the enemy within

China’s strange bedfellows signal a new world order

After two striking images in China, Rana Mitter asks whether we’ve just witnessed the start of the Asian century

France’s political future could be won or lost by bots and memes

The country’s PM has lost a confidence vote, toppling his government – but what comes next may be shaped online

The Ukrainian unit with one task: shoot all Russian drones down

Citizens fall asleep every night to the hum of killing machines that turn buildings to dust and snuff out lives. In a sunflower field near Kyiv, we witness the race to stop the carnage

Pitcairn Island is trying to escape its grisly history

The mutineers’ island still bears traces of its violent origins and recent catalogue of sexual crimes