In the headlines

King Charles says "the law must take its course" after the arrest this morning of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The former prince, who turns 66 today, is in custody for questioning as police assess allegations that he forwarded confidential material to Jeffrey Epstein while he was a trade envoy for the UK. Donald Trump has withdrawn support for Keir Starmer's Chagos Islands deal, accusing the prime minister of surrendering to "wokeism". The US president said the plan, for which he voiced approval just two weeks ago, risked ceding control of the Diego Garcia military base that he said was crucial for carrying out potential air strikes on Iran. David Attenborough will explore the wildlife of British gardens in a five-part BBC series to mark his 100th birthday in May. Secret Garden, due to be broadcast in April, will feature pine martens in the western Highlands, dormice in south Wales, swallows in the Lake District, otters in Oxfordshire and blue tits in Bristol.

Comment

Starmer, Merz and Macron: be bold or "put a sock in it". Kay Nietfeld/AFP/Getty

Europe's "golden opportunity" to show its independence

From Davos to Munich, "the clamour is rising", says Boris Johnson in The Wall Street Journal. We can't stand Donald Trump, Europe's politicians tell us, and we can no longer rely on American military leadership. "This is the hour of Europe! It's time for European strategic autonomy!" Having seen the tearful ovations that greeted Mark Carney's speech at Davos – according to which the free world is "apparently going to be led by (checks notes) Canada" – everyone has been chiming in: Friedrich Merz, Emmanuel Macron, even a beleaguered Keir Starmer. "My friends, I agree." And if we want to assert our strategic independence, we have a "golden opportunity" to do so immediately: by throwing our full support behind Ukraine.

We should start by giving Kyiv the means to take out the factories that make Russia's drones. The Germans are still sitting on their arsenal of Taurus cruise missiles through fear of "escalation", but "the only person who fears escalation is Mr Putin himself". We should also launch a concerted operation to impound the "shadow fleet" of sanctions-busting oil tankers that help fund the Kremlin's war machine. And why not hand over the billions in frozen Russian assets to the Ukrainians? Because we're afraid of being sued by Vladimir Putin? "In what court? In what world?" It's true that the Americans are deluded if they think Russia wants peace, and that they could and should be doing much more. "But what, mes amis, is the European alternative?" Our leaders need to do something bold and risky to show that there is substance behind all their grandiose rhetoric. "Or else they need to put a sock in it."

🔫📈 In fairness, the EU has been quietly "gearing up", says Joseph de Weck in The Atlantic. The bloc has for the first time agreed to use EU-wide debt to help finance defence spending, which will pump up to €150bn into the continent's capacity to produce and procure arms. Germany is on track to have the world's third largest defence budget by 2030, with no more than 8% of it going on American arms. The Düsseldorf defence giant Rheinmetall will "soon be able to produce more artillery shells than the entire US defence industry".

Advertisement

Smarter news. Fewer yawns

Business news takes itself way too seriously.

Morning Brew doesn't.

Morning Brew delivers a smart, skimmable email newsletter on the day's must-know business news — plus games that make sticking around a little more fun. Think crosswords, quizzes, and quick breaks that turn staying informed into something you actually look forward to.

Join over 4 million professionals reading Morning Brew for free. And walk away knowing more than you did five minutes ago.

Try it out

Art

The Czech designer Kostya Petrenko has redesigned city logos from the around the world in a "trademark 80s style", says Moss & Fog: slightly pixellated with an "analogue glow". To see more, click on the image.

Don't make us do it

Yesterday we showed you a photo of Luna, our publisher Michele's dog, on the basis that most readers seem to have more affection for her than for the hard-working human members of The Knowledge. But because the response wasn't that great, we think it's time for a new approach: recreating National Lampoon's infamous 1973 cover (above).

Before we try to a) lay our hands on a revolver, and b) convince Michele, you can still change our minds by taking out a paid subscription. Thanks to our introductory offer, it's only £4 a month for the first year rather than £8, and you'll go back to receiving the newsletter in full every day. In the rest of today's email, for example, we have:

💣 We're closer to war in the Middle East than people realise
🤯 Who's older: Brad Pitt or Nigel Farage?
🍆 Another penis-linked scandal at the Winter Olympics
🤔 What a father of eight says is "The Trick" to parenting
🇪🇸 Why Spain's pro-immigration policy is backfiring
💤 The new travel trend: a "sleepcation"

Click here to subscribe

Let us know what you thought of today's issue by replying to this email
To find out about advertising and partnerships, click here
Been forwarded this newsletter? Try it for free
Enjoying The Knowledge? Click to share