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Voices

<p>‘Trump is a T-rex,’ said Newsom. ‘You mate with him or he devours you’</p>
Joel Stein

The Gavin Newsom I know is ready to take on ‘T-rex’ Trump

The tough-talking California governor – and Democratic frontrunner for the presidency – showed a moral fibre at Davos that Europeans haven’t seen so much of from us Americans recently, says Joel Stein. The US – and the world – needs his backbone now more than ever

<p>Sir Keir Starmer said he ‘will not yield’ to President Trump in his stance on Greenland</p>
John Rentoul

‘I will not yield’: at last, Keir Starmer has stood up to Donald Trump

    <p>Perhaps next time Donald Trump questions whether Britain and other Nato countries would shed “blood sweat and tears” for the US, perhaps he should be sent a list of the names of those who gave their lives in Afghanistan</p>
    Simon Walters

    You’re wrong, Mr Trump, Nato DID stand by America in its hour of need

    <p>Ryanair Group CEO Michael O'Leary in front of his ‘big “idiot” sale’ press conference screen showing a cartoon Musk and O’Leary</p>
    James Moore

    Starlink’s Musk vs Ryanair’s O’Leary: Guess who’s come out on top...

    <p>Brooklyn Beckham, pictured with his wife Nicola Peltz Beckham, has launched an astonishing attack on his parents, David and Victoria Beckham</p>
    Victoria Richards

    The Beckham family feud is every mother’s worst nightmare

    <p>The High Court has deemed the use of Pava spray in youth offenders’ institutions to be lawful </p>
    Andrea Coomber

    Using pepper spray in youth prisons is not a solution – it’s a failure

    <p>Let’s talk: ‘We are systematically shutting children out of public life, and social media is one of the few spaces left where they can exist’</p>
    Chris Stokel-Walker

    Banning under-16s from social media will do more harm than good

    <p>Only politicians who really matter get booed – and it turns out that Robert Jenrick did not </p>
    John Rentoul

    Robert Jenrick was heckled at his own rally? At least someone cares

    <p>The chancellor is taking every opportunity at Davos to stress that Britain has kept its head while all around are losing theirs</p>
    James Moore

    At Davos, Rachel Reeves has finally had a sensible idea

    <p>Protesters demonstrate against the proposed new Chinese ‘super-embassy’ (AP Photo/Joanna Chan, File)</p>
    Rahima Mahmut

    I had to flee China – don’t let them build a ‘super-embassy’ here

    <p>Trump’s letter was apparently forwarded to multiple European ambassadors in Washington before being leaked to PBS News</p>
    Voices

    Donald Trump is now using the language of an abusive husband

    <p>For now, Donald Trump must be managed by Keir Starmer in the national interest</p>
    The Independent View

    Can the steady diplomacy of Keir Starmer win the day?

    <p>With his trusty Staffordshire bull terrier ‘Spike’, the dog bedecked in a union jack waistcoat, Andrew Rosindell hardly conveyed an image the inclusive Tory party wanted to send</p>
    Chris Blackhurst

    The latest Tory MP to defect to Reform is a new low for Farage

    <p>Men are racing to embrace AI, while women are more cautious</p>
    Olivia Petter

    The men I know love AI and the women don’t – and I understand why

    <p>Donald Trump can try to push him around all he likes, but Keir Starmer will do anything rather than get out of the way</p>
    Voices

    Donald Trump’s ambition is up against Keir Starmer, diplomatic bollard

    <p>How do I respond to my friend who was rude about my life choices?</p>
    Dear Vix

    My friend criticised my career – and I’m furious

    The Independent’s agony aunt Victoria Richards is here to help. Email dearvix@independent.co.uk for advice on love, work, family and relationships

    <p>Carrie Bradshaw in designer shoe heaven in 'Sex and the City' </p>
    Glenda Cooper

    And just like that, did Carrie Bradshaw kill off Saks?

    <p>Robert Jenrick denied personal ambition played a role in his decision to join Reform UK after being sacked from the Conservative shadow cabinet</p>
    David Aaronovitch

    The ambitions of Robert Jenrick and Nigel Farage spell trouble ahead

    Explore news for you

    More Voices

    <p>US TV series ‘Gossip Girl’ was iconic for its relationships (and its rows)</p>
    Voices

    Help! My teenage daughter has an evil ‘frenemy’

    Voices

    Help! My teenage daughter has an evil ‘frenemy’

    Victoria Richards
    <p>US TV series ‘Gossip Girl’ was iconic for its relationships (and its rows)</p>
    The Independent View

    Abandon your Greenland fantasies, Mr President, and remember Ukraine

    <p>Kemi Badenoch dramatically fired of Robert Jenrick</p>
    UK Politics

    ‘Farage effect fading’: Readers say Reform slump helps Badenoch

    <p>Did Nigel Farage persuade Donald Trump to scupper the Chagos Islands treaty?</p>
    Voices

    Farage despises Davos. So what on earth is he doing there?

    <p>After 20 years of warnings and now research on what social media might be doing to our brains, naturally, the biggest human concern is for the youngest generations – Gen A and Gen Z</p>
    Voices

    Why those calling for a teen social media ban need to check privilege

    <p>After 20 years of warnings and now research on what social media might be doing to our brains, naturally, the biggest human concern is for the youngest generations – Gen A and Gen Z</p>
    Voices

    Why those calling for a teen social media ban need to check privilege

    <p>US president Donald Trump is due to speak at the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday</p>
    Voices

    Is ‘toddler’ Trump on the brink of completely losing it?

    <p>Donald Trump’s fury keeps spilling over as he insults allies, leaks confidential conversations, and ridicules nations</p>
    The Independent View

    After an irascible first year, Trump is more dangerous than ever

    Most commented

    Trump claims he’s reached ‘framework deal’ on Greenland and drops tariff threat: Live

    2586 comments

    Trump backs down on tariffs for Europe over Greenland

    135 comments

    Ukraine-Russia war latest: Trump says Putin and Zelensky ‘stupid’ not to strike deal

    215 comments

    Nigel Farage failed to declare ‘£380,000 external earnings’ on time

    338 comments
    Join the Conversation

    More Voices

    <p>US president Donald Trump is threatening tariffs on the UK and other Nato countries as part of his efforts to seize control of Greenland</p>
    Voices

    Trump is xenophobic and paranoid – and he’s too old to change his mind

    <p>French president Emanuel Macron has been at the sharp end of Donald Trump’s tongue</p>
    Voices

    Why does Trump treat his enemies better than his friends?

    <p>Tottenham manager Thomas Frank during the loss against West Ham</p>
    Football

    ‘It’s the culture’: Readers say Spurs’ problems run deeper than Frank

    <p>The actions of US president Donald Trump mean that the US can no longer be treated as a dependable ally</p>
    Voices

    Without the United States, Nato must be Europeanised

    <p>Donald Trump, right, seems ready to rehabilitate Vladimir Putin’s standing on the world stage by inviting him to join a ‘board of peace’ </p>
    Voices

    For Putin, Trump’s second term just keeps on getting better and better

    <p>More young adults have been staying at home with their parents due to property costs</p>
    Voices

    At last some good news! Rental house prices are coming down

    <p>The actions of US president Donald Trump mean that the US can no longer be treated as a dependable ally</p>
    Voices

    Without the United States, Nato must be Europeanised

    <p>Donald Trump, right, seems ready to rehabilitate Vladimir Putin’s standing on the world stage by inviting him to join a ‘board of peace’ </p>
    Voices

    For Putin, Trump’s second term just keeps on getting better and better

    <p>More young adults have been staying at home with their parents due to property costs</p>
    Voices

    At last some good news! Rental house prices are coming down

    <p>Nigel Farage, left, with Nadhim Zahawi </p>
    UK Politics

    ‘Voting Reform is now like voting Tory’: Readers slam defectors

    UK Politics

    ‘Voting Reform is now like voting Tory’: Readers slam defectors

    Independent
    <p>Nigel Farage, left, with Nadhim Zahawi </p>
    <p>In academic circles in the US, there is an active debate going on about whether the word ‘fascist’ should now be applied to Donald Trump</p>
    Voices

    Trump is an authoritarian who believes in his divine right to rule

    <p>Trump has developed a close friendship –some would say unhealthily so – relationship with head of Fifa Gianni Infantino</p>
    Voices

    Could a US World Cup boycott over Trump’s Greenland threat work?

    <p>People in Greenland protest against Trump’s attempt to make the island part of the US</p>
    UK Politics

    ‘No quick fix’: Readers split on Greenland threat and rejoining the EU

    <p>Prime Minister Keir Starmer can no longer sit on the fence following Trump’s threats of tariffs over Greenland takeover</p>
    The Independent View

    Starmer must choose between Trump and Europe after Greenland tariffs

    <p>Prime Minister Keir Starmer can no longer sit on the fence following Trump’s threats of tariffs over Greenland takeover</p>
    The Independent View

    Starmer must choose between Trump and Europe after Greenland tariffs

    <p>A protester holds a poster with an image of detained civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi during demonstrations against the military coup in Yangon on 13 March 2021</p>
    Voices

    Aung San Suu Kyi has spent 20 years imprisoned – will she see freedom?

    <p>Nigel Farage described Reform mayoral candidate Chris Parry’s comments about David Lammy as ‘over the top’</p>
    Voices

    Farage and Reform cannot claim respectability while excusing racism

    <p>A woman fixes her makeshift tent in Zawaida, central Gaza</p>
    Voices

    A hundred days of Gaza ceasefire? For us, the war continues

    <p>Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has countered Reform’s argument that Britain is ‘broken’</p>
    The Independent View

    Good for Kemi Badenoch: no, Britain is not broken

    <p>Keir Starmer’s allies have rounded on health secretary Wes Streeting, accusing him of disloyalty</p>
    Voices

    Starmer is undermined by his allies saying Streeting is disloyal

    <p>Esme Gordon Craig: ‘I found his profile, messaged him asking for career advice, we went for a coffee – and sparks flew...’</p>
    Voices

    I’ve deleted the dating apps – now, I’m looking for love on LinkedIn

    <p>Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams in Sky Atlantic’s gay hockey romance, Heated Rivalry</p>
    Voices

    As in ‘Heated Rivalry’, I didn’t come out – I was found out

    <p>‘Despite the UK tax burden being at close to record highs, outcomes keep getting worse – we are spending more and getting less’</p>
    Voices

    One thing could improve all public services… and it’s not more money

    <p>Why readers say electric won’t replace fuel any time soon</p>
    Electric Vehicles

    Why readers say electric won’t replace fuel any time soon

    <p>One partnership was sternly criticised in the fallout from the Post Office Horizon scandal</p>
    Voices

    Top law firms are doing very nicely by behaving badly

    <p>Aung San Suu Kyi herself has not escaped accusations and blame for the fate of the massacre of the Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state, many fleeing to neighbouring Bangladesh for their lives and giving first-hand accounts of the mass killings</p>
    The Independent View

    Aung San Suu Kyi has spent 20 years imprisoned – she must be freed

    The Independent View

    Aung San Suu Kyi has spent 20 years imprisoned – she must be freed

    Editorial
    <p>Aung San Suu Kyi herself has not escaped accusations and blame for the fate of the massacre of the Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state, many fleeing to neighbouring Bangladesh for their lives and giving first-hand accounts of the mass killings</p>
    <p>Something of the night?: Robert Jenrick may suffer the same ignominious fate as another aspiring right-wing prime minister, Michael Howard</p>
    Voices

    Robert Jenrick has a fatal ‘something of the night’ image problem

    <p>‘You can give me the cutthroat Rachel, or cheeky chappy Stephen any day over a Faithful’</p>
    Comment

    I’m raising my kids to be little Traitors – lying is a vital skill!

    <p>A standard British adult passport costs £94.50, but ordering one overseas may cost more</p>
    News & Advice

    ‘Money-spinner:’ Readers slam new UK passport rules for dual citizens

    <p>Past defectors have spoken about the loneliness of losing a network of friends and the difficulty of gaining acceptance in their new party</p>
    Voices

    Robert Jenrick’s great betrayal: ‘Treachery with a scowl on its face’

    <p>Past defectors have spoken about the loneliness of losing a network of friends and the difficulty of gaining acceptance in their new party</p>
    Voices

    Robert Jenrick’s great betrayal: ‘Treachery with a scowl on its face’

    <p>Robert Jenrick was depicted as a Traitors character by the Liberal Democrats</p>
    Voices

    Party ‘Faithfuls’? Kemi’s ‘TraiTories’ must face a tricky round table

    <p>Jenrick’s star has been falling and Badenoch’s rising for some months</p>
    The Independent View

    Badenoch and Starmer are the winners in Robert Jenrick’s Tory betrayal

    <p>Donald Trump told Iranians ‘help is on the way’ – so where is it?</p>
    Voices

    America’s new Iran policy? Keep the ayatollahs guessing

    <p>Green shoots?: ‘There may well be a reason for Britain’s beleaguered chancellor to smile, or perhaps to breathe a sigh of relief’</p>
    Voices

    Whisper it, but we might have reasons to be cheerful about the economy

    <p>Labour’s membership has shrunk by almost 200,000 since its peak in 2019</p>
    Voices

    Labour forgets the first rule of politics: let the people have a say

    <p>Hockney is one of art’s true campaigners and intellectuals. And there is no doubting that creative minds can make their causes inspire millions</p>
    Voices

    David Hockney’s Bayeux outburst seals his revolutionary status

    <p>Hockney said movement of the tapestry could cause ‘irreversible damage’</p>
    Home News

    Why readers say the Bayeux Tapestry should stay in France

    <p>Upgrades to the Northern Powerhouse Rail network won’t be completed until the 2040s (Danny Lawson/PA)</p>
    Voices

    £45bn for Northern Powerhouse Rail? There’s a better way to spend it

    <p>‘The Starmer administration has changed its mind on everything from trans rights to child benefits to the fiscal rules. Some of the reversals have been disastrous’</p>
    The Independent View

    Never mind the barnacles, HMS Labour is lost at sea

    <p>‘Over a million Rohingya languish in refugee camps in Bangladesh, robbed of their dignity as international aid dwindles, many without hope, waiting to die’</p>
    Voices

    The Myanmar trial is a test case for international justice credibility

    <p>YouTube’s Hot Wings and BBC One’s Happy Valley: ‘YouTube can play far more roles than TV ever did’</p>
    Voices

    YouTube feels like TV should – no wonder people choose it over the BBC

    Voices

    YouTube feels like TV should – no wonder people choose it over the BBC

    Sophie Wilkinson
    <p>YouTube’s Hot Wings and BBC One’s Happy Valley: ‘YouTube can play far more roles than TV ever did’</p>
    <p>The PM is undermining his credibility within the group he needs the most: the parliamentary Labour Party</p>
    Voices

    Do Starmer’s U-turns really matter if he ends up in the right place?

    <p>Ava Vidal on Mock the Week</p>
    Voices

    Appearing on Mock the Week was a nightmare I won’t repeat

    <p>Protesters in Iran are risking everything for freedom</p>
    Voices

    Stop calling Iranian protesters ‘foreign‑backed’ – they’re not puppets

    <p>‘Apple is planning to call upon Google’s Gemini models for the next generation of Siri and Apple Foundation Models, despite the gazillions it has been pouring into AI itself’</p>
    Voices

    Elon Musk is right about Apple and Google deal – that should worry us

    <p>‘Apple is planning to call upon Google’s Gemini models for the next generation of Siri and Apple Foundation Models, despite the gazillions it has been pouring into AI itself’</p>
    Voices

    Elon Musk is right about Apple and Google deal – that should worry us

    <p>‘Trump is of an age when he can well remember what happened to President Jimmy Carter when a daring rescue raid to release Americans held hostage in the US embassy in Tehran failed so humiliatingly back in 1980’</p>
    Voices

    Trump has stumbled on a proper target for his ugly tariff war

    <p>‘Such has been the ferocity of the violence ordered by the supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, that some people may be too frightened to take to the streets, with the high risk of immediate death attached’</p>
    The Independent View

    The eyes of the world are on Iran – and Donald Trump

    <p>‘Musk is likely betting that a UK ban on X would be politically explosive and diplomatically fraught with the US, making it hard for either the UK government or Ofcom to stand up firmly to him’</p>
    Voices

    The knight vs the edgelord – can Keir Starmer stand up to Elon Musk?

    <p>People protest outside the proposed site of the new Chinese embassy in London</p>
    Voices

    Don’t say we weren’t warned about China’s ‘super-embassy’ plans

    <p>Nigel Farage said he would simply “break” any such deal</p>
    Brexit

    Why readers say EU is right to futureproof any Brexit reset deal

    <p>Home secretary Shabana Mahmood</p>
    Voices

    Gimmicks get in the way of Shabana Mahmood’s migrant arrest record

    <p>The anonymity of people using Grok and X to make and publish such images is to be removed</p>
    The Independent View

    Elon Musk’s inhuman AI is stripping women of their most basic rights

    <p>Hamptons estimated that in 2025, almost 15 per cent of sellers in London sold their home for less than they had paid</p>
    Voices

    Negative equity is back – is this the reason you can’t sell up?

    <p>An autistic Barbie doll has been created</p>
    Voices

    Sorry, trolls, Mattel’s autistic Barbie is its best doll yet

    <p>Iran’s UN ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, listens at an emergency meeting in the United Nations Security Council chamber</p>
    Voices

    If Iran falls, the United Nations will be first to feel the shockwaves

    <p>US president Donald Trump has turned his sights on Jerome Powell, who was his nominee to become chair of the US Federal Reserve</p>
    Voices

    Why Trump is gunning for the Fed’s Jerome Powell

    Voices

    Why Trump is gunning for the Fed’s Jerome Powell

    Chris Blackhurst
    <p>US president Donald Trump has turned his sights on Jerome Powell, who was his nominee to become chair of the US Federal Reserve</p>
    <p>US president Donald Trump has is discussing options for acquiring Greenland</p>
    Voices

    What if Trump’s not bluffing about invading Greenland?

    <p>Rubina Aminian, the 23-year-old fashion student, was shot dead in Tehran by Iran’s security forces</p>
    Voices

    When Tehran falls, it will be due to brave women like Rubina Aminian

    <p>For many long-term partnerships, the earliest signs of trouble are everyday moments of emotional withdrawal that go unnoticed</p>
    Love & Sex

    ‘Unhappy do us part’: Readers reflect on marriages that didn’t last

    <p>Iranians gather while blocking a street during a protest in Tehran, Iran</p>
    The Independent View

    Trump’s military threats risk sabotaging Iran’s moment of change

    <p>Iranians gather while blocking a street during a protest in Tehran, Iran</p>
    The Independent View

    Trump’s military threats risk sabotaging Iran’s moment of change

    <p>US President Donald Trump vowed to end America’s wars</p>
    Voices

    Trump promised to end wars, yet the US acts like a rogue superpower

    <p>David Carrick, who received 37 life sentences, was able to join the Met Police despite a history of allegations</p>
    Voices

    Message to the Met: predators still serve on your force, lying low

    <p>‘Nit Blitz’: Laura (Emily Lloyd-Sani) helping to stop the spread of nits as it sweeps the school in BBC’s ‘Motherland’ in 2021</p>
    Voices

    Am I being scammed by Big Nits?

    <p>How do we teach critical thinking to young children who dismiss history as fake?</p>
    Voices

    What ‘AI slop’ is really doing to distrusting Gen Alpha kids

    <p>Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei</p>
    Voices

    This Iranian uprising could be as pivotal as the French Revolution

    <p>Wayne Williams, Leroy Douglas, Abdullahi Suleman, Shaun Anton Lloyd and Joshua McRae are just some of those given IPP sentences</p>
    The Independent View

    Life in prison for stealing a phone? End this outrage, prime minister

    <p>The prime minister’s plan to ease the ‘cost of living’ is a familiar policy </p>
    Voices

    Keir Starmer’s plan for 2026 looks familiar – and risky

    <p>A poster mourning Renee Nicole Good is pasted to a light pole near the scene of her shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota</p>
    Voices

    Poets are dreamers and idealists: It’s what makes them so dangerous

    <p>Wayne Williams, Leroy Douglas, Abdullahi Suleman, Shaun Anton Lloyd and Joshua McRae are just some of those given IPP sentences</p>
    The Independent View

    Life in prison for stealing a phone? End this outrage, prime minister

    <p>The prime minister’s plan to ease the ‘cost of living’ is a familiar policy </p>
    Voices

    Keir Starmer’s plan for 2026 looks familiar – and risky

    <p>A poster mourning Renee Nicole Good is pasted to a light pole near the scene of her shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota</p>
    Voices

    Poets are dreamers and idealists: It’s what makes them so dangerous

    <p>A collage of prisoners jailed using IPP</p>
    Voices

    Indefinite jail terms are indefensible – why are thousands trapped?

    <p>Women are leaving the social media platform X due to deepfake sexualisation of their pictures</p>
    Voices

    If women quit X over Grok deepfakes, predators win – so I’m staying

    <p>Donald Trump demonstrated last weekend, in the new world order, that ‘international law is for chumps’</p>
    Voices

    Trump has ushered in a new era of chaos and mindless militarism

    <p>Vladimir Putin</p>
    Voices

    Russia’s shadow war with us is just starting – be ready for trouble

    <p>Iranian forces use teargas to disperse anti-government protesters in the Tehran bazaar</p>
    The Independent View

    Regime change in Iran would be welcome

    <p>Ed Davey, Liberal Democrat leader and our preferred coalition PM (PA)</p>
    Voices

    The surprise winner of the ‘least unpopular’ PM prize? Ed Davey!

    <p>Many of us will have done our best to erase the memory of her ill-fated 49 days in No 10</p>
    Voices

    The Liz Truss Show is deeply odd – but prompts this serious question

    <p>The City of London prefers greater flexibility over closer ties with the EU</p>
    Voices

    The City’s message to Starmer: we move faster without the EU

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