USA - The “Signalgate” scandal confirmed what Europeans already knew. The Trump administration’s disdain for Europe is deep and the transatlantic fracture is structural. While our leaders publicly play down the significance of the unravelling that is manifestly under way, few actually sound as convinced in private. Hopes persist that Europe can prevent the most extreme manifestation of the collapse in the relationship, be it an invasion of Greenland, the withdrawal of US forces from Europe’s Nato member states or an all-out trade war. Most urgently, European leaders are focused on ensuring that if (or perhaps when) the US throws Kyiv under the bus, it is Europe collectively that will somehow succeed in securing a free, independent and democratic Ukraine.

ISRAEL - The US military aid package is substantial, but not decisive. It accounts for less than 3% of Israel’s national budget. We can – and we should – replace it ourselves. Israel is stronger than ever – economically, militarily, and diplomatically. But in one critical area, we’re still acting like a nation that hasn’t found its footing. We’re still accepting billions in American aid, year after year, as if we can’t stand on our own. That’s no longer true. And it’s no longer right. We’re proud to be America’s closest ally. We’re grateful for the decades of support. But gratitude is not a strategy. And strength built on dependence is not real strength. If we want to act like a sovereign nation, we need to finance our own defense. It’s time for Israel to proactively and proudly phase out US military aid.

ISRAEL - Binyamin Netanyahu has said that the Israeli military would intensify its ­campaign in Gaza and “pound” Hamas into submission, promising to secure the release of hostages. Defying protesters, who took to the streets again on Saturday, the Israeli prime minister met his cabinet and ­released a video message vowing to ­increase the pressure on Hamas while continuing hostage negotiations. “We are negotiating under fire,” ­Netanyahu told his cabinet on Sunday, adding that there were “suddenly cracks” in Hamas’s leadership.

GERMANY - Germany's top general says conscription will be necessary to ensure it can defend itself against Russia. The country has already missed a goal of increasing its soldiers by 20,000 to bring the total to around 203,000, with other major European powers, including the UK, struggling to attract willing recruits. But the country's Chief of Defence Carsten Breuer believes Berlin now needs to go much further. Speaking to Radio 4, he said the nation's military needed 100,000 more troops and that conscription in "some form" would "absolutely" be necessary for Europe's largest economy to defend itself. "We won't get this additional 100,000 soldiers without having one way or the other, a model of conscription," he argued.

FRANCE - From the front row in the Paris court, Marine Le Pen glared at Judge Bénédicte de Perthuis for 90 minutes. Then, she had had enough. Grim-faced, Le Pen whispered to her lawyer then stood and walked out of the Palais de Justice into the Paris sunshine. The gates of the Élysée Palace in 2027 had just been slammed shut for the front­runner in the next presidential election. That meant that unless an appeal court reverses the sentence after a new trial next year, Le Pen is barred from the 2027 race. The latest poll shows her winning up to 37 per cent in the first round of that election — 15 points higher than her score in 2022 when she was defeated by President Macron, who had won only 28 per cent in the first round that year. Le Pen was defiant as she denounced the verdict last night as a “political decision” and promised it would not end her political career.

UK - The case of two parents in Hertfordshire arrested for sending emails to their child's school and criticising it in WhatsApp messages and on social media should terrify us all. Since when did criticism and having an opinion become a crime? Six uniformed officers went to the home of Maxie Allen and Rosalind Levine. Looking at footage from the raid you might think that their house was being used as a base for criminal gangs, drug dealing or to hide an inmate who had escaped from prison. Everybody in the county feels safe to walk the streets at night. The drug dealers have all been banished and anti-social behaviour has ceased to exist. If only this was true. Which is why this latest incident is not only disturbing but brings into question policing priorities. The parents had concerns about the recruitment process for a new head teacher at Cowley Hill Primary.

ISRAEL - As long as Palestinian children are taught to hate and are raised on martyrdom instead of science, the sword will remain necessary. Understanding Islamic ideology is essential to addressing the global processes reshaping our region and unsettling the entire world. Analyzing the implications of these developments allows Western nations to take meaningful steps against what many see as a creeping attempt at Islamic dominance across various countries. Islamic jihad is a core concept in Islam, referring to the struggle for the faith. While the term includes spiritual and cultural dimensions, in historical and political contexts, it has often been interpreted as a military struggle aimed at expanding Islamic control. The Western world has failed to fully grasp the depth and scope of this ideology.

UK - Surge in primary school pupils expelled for violence, with incidents of racism, homophobia and transphobia also rising. Children as young as five are being kicked out of school for attacking their teachers following a rise in poor behaviour. Across the 2022-23 academic year, 3,599 children in reception and nursery were either suspended or expelled for physical assault against an adult. A further 1,890 were excluded for assaulting other children, figures obtained by The Telegraph show.

UK - The leftist government in Britain has announced that the ‘morning-after’ birth control pill will be offered free of charge to women at pharmacies throughout the country. The Sun newspaper reported that later this year, British taxpayers will be expected to fund subsidies for National Health Service (NHS) pharmacies to provide morning-after pills to women without charge throughout the country. The morning-after pill can be taken up to five days after conception to terminate a pregnancy. The move, expected to come amid a broader investment in pharmacies, has been pitched as a means of equalising the treatment offered to women and reducing the strain on the socialised healthcare system.

UK - Starting Tuesday, white men in the United Kingdom will face tougher sentencing than ethnic, cultural, or faith minorities, as well as young people under 25, women, and pregnant women. They used to call this racism. So now, if you are a white man, you can expect more time in prison than a minority person. This is the same country that arrests you for smart-a$$ comments on social media. Britain truly is lost. What a humiliating end to a once-great empire. The policy has sparked controversy, with many arguing that it enshrines racial and gender-based discrimination into the judicial system. Critics say the new approach is a violation of the principle that justice should be blind to race, gender, and background.

UKRAINE - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected a proposal from President Donald Trump, which included a minerals deal, acknowledgment of US military aid as debt, and direct negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Ukraine received a new agreement [proposal] from the US regarding mineral resources, which is an entirely different document from the previous framework agreement,” said Zelensky, adding, “Ukraine will not recognize US military aid as debt. We are grateful for the support, but this is not a credit, and we will not allow it,” Zelensky continued. Zelensky will not accept the minerals deal, does not recognize US military aid as debt, and will not engage in direct talks with Putin. He only wants US money and weaponry. Ukraine is not a grateful ally.

EUROPE - The economic restrictions are “painful” for Moscow and “represent a powerful lever,” according to the European Commission president. The EU will not lift its sanctions against Russia for as long as the Ukraine conflict continues, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said. During talks in Saudi Arabia on Monday, Russia and the US agreed to move towards reviving the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which, according to the Kremlin, should include the removal of Western restrictions against Russian Agricultural Bank and other financial institutions involved in the international sale of food and fertilizers. In her interview with French broadcaster LCI on Friday, von der Leyen made it clear that Brussels will not support the idea of a maritime truce between Moscow and Kiev put forward by the administration of US President Donald Trump.

NETHERLANDS - In 2024, the Netherlands reported a significant milestone in its long-standing euthanasia program, with nearly 10,000 individuals opting for assisted death, according to multiple news sources. This figure, detailed in a recent report by the Regional Euthanasia Review Committees (RTE), reflects a 10% increase from 2023 and underscores the nation’s evolving approach to end-of-life choices. The data has reignited discussions about the ethics, scope, and societal implications of euthanasia, particularly as the practice expands to include cases beyond terminal illness. The Netherlands became the first country to legalize euthanasia in 2001 after decades of debate, as noted by The Christian Post. The law initially required patients to suffer from an incurable condition with constant, unbearable pain, alongside a second medical opinion and a sound state of mind. Over the years, however, interpretations have loosened.

UK - UK shares joined a global plunge today amid mounting panic over Donald Trump's trade war - as Keir Starmer's hopes of avoiding tariffs dwindle. Fears are growing that Mr Trump will hit foes and allies alike with a 20 per cent levy on so-called 'Liberation Day', April 2. The President has been complaining that America is being exploited by other countries, listing VAT among the unfair foreign taxes - even though it is charged on all sales, not just imports. The prospect of a trade war triggering a recession has been causing near-panic on global stock markets, with Asia down sharply overnight - and the FTSE 100 dropping 0.75 per cent on opening this morning. Mr Trump has suggested the EU is his main target, raging that the bloc was created to 'screw' America. Brussels has been pledging to strike back.

UK - As a regular user of the M25, I should be relieved. As a snooker fan, I should be thrilled. As an art lover (of sorts) I ought to celebrate. In fact, I should be kneeling before Just Stop Oil and giving profuse thanks for their announcement that, having achieved their objective of changing government policy, they will now desist from “direct action”. But I feel none of that. Instead, I am livid as hell. Not just at Just Stop Oil, which goes without saying, but at our lily-livered Government. Because the message now goes out to campaigning groups of any sort and persuasion that direct action, however repulsive, guarantees success.