The desire to avoid the racism that characterises some debates about rape and FGM abroad can lead us to make untenable comparisons with Britain, argues Rahila Gupta.

The Prime Minister will advocate his "golden thread" approach to aid this week - but does he know what he is talking about?

The development community must be brave enough to have an honest debate with the public and with politicians about the difficulties and challenges of aid, as well as its benefits.

From a portrait of Ai Weiwei to fascist rallies in Athens, the best foreign reporting, analysis and interviews of the year from the New Statesman.

The killings of Abraham Lincoln, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and John F Kennedy all seemed world-changing events. But is assassination anything other than an act of petty vanity?

A split between the "Red Princelings" and party technocrats threatens to derail the smooth leadership transition.

What is the impeccable logic of the liberal way to run the world? “Improve” your form, the west tells the peoples of the world, or we’ll kill you.

The top ten countries visiting Britain last year.

Distracted by economic crisis, social unrest and slipping influence, the west is completely unprepared for China’s imminent global dominance. Australia’s ex-prime minister says we must act to build new bridges.

What's to blame for persistent Muslim extremism - the violent appeal of political Islam, or botched western foreign policy? Mehdi Hasan goes head to head with Maajid Nawaz of Quilliam.

With so many still suffering on our doorstep, what's the point of World Refugee Day?

We put the question to six campaigners and opinion-formers.

From Agent Orange in South Vietnam to Obama’s drone attacks in Afghanistan and war in Syria, Washington spins its assaults on the world as it cynically lives up to a reputation for casual slaughter.

We cannot rely on the market to create sustainable growth.