The Guardian Articles

Creaking, overcrowded, neglected, Germany’s railways, once a source of national pride, have taken a battering to their image in recent years. Amid wider concerns about the health of Europe’s stagnating largest economy, the state of its trains has become something of a metaphor for a more general sense of malaise.

On Friday, the South Korean columnist Yang Sung-hee

asked

Yang’s question, asked in the Korea JoongAng Daily newspaper, …

Standing under the shade of trees outside the Cook Islands parliament this week, Fe’ena Syme-Buchanan questioned a controversial deal signed with China that has sparked concern across the Pacific country.

The photographer from Rarotonga feels mixed emotions about the agreement

prime minister Mark Brown struck with …

Is Donald Trump a feminist?

There was a time when anyone asking such a question could reasonably expect to be laughed out of the room. Yet, just three weeks into Trump’s second term, the man responsible for stripping women in the US of the right to an abortion was declared …

Halfway to a billion journeys, and it’s only just begun. Amid the recent gloom, struggles and doubts besetting Britain’s railway there is a bright beacon of hope: the Elizabeth line.

Now accounting for one in seven national rail journeys, the east-west cross-London railway has smashed forecasts and remoulded the travel …

The UK competition regulator has fined four major banks, including HSBC and Citi, more than £100m after it found traders had been using Bloomberg chatrooms to share sensitive information about government bonds.

The penalties follow

a long-running investigation

As Donald Trump swings his sights from one region to the next, upturning diplomatic relations and confounding allies, leaders of

former US partners have clashed with him

But so far, one – Mexico’s

Claudia Sheinbaum

Germany is used to running its economy with the brake on. Ever since the 2008 financial crisis Berlin has sought to burnish a reputation as the world capital of fiscal discipline, with a near-pious aversion to debt and pride in strong government finances.

Under a rule known as the “debt …

Monday

For a long time I’ve found myself baffled by Kemi Badenoch’s performances at prime minister’s questions. To put it bluntly, she’s just not very good. Borderline hopeless. She seems to have put in little or no preparation and has made what should be an awkward session for Keir Starmer …

London’s St Pancras railway station and the Channel tunnel operator have agreed to work together to open up more trains from Britain to France, and routes to Germany and Switzerland.

The agreement is the latest sign of growing

momentum for new passenger rail links