'Rwanda plan is less a deterrent and more a bluff'

Opinion, comment and editorials of the day

Migrants travel in an inflatable boat across the English Channel, bound for Dover
(Image credit: Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty)

There is only one realistic way to reduce the number of Channel deaths

Sunder Katwala in The Independent

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The most durable force in American politics: Trump's ties to his voters

Michael C. Bender and Katie Glueck in The New York Times

Donald's Trump's "decisive victory" in this week's Iowa caucus "revealed a new depth to the reservoir of devotion inside his party", say Michael C. Bender and Katie Glueck in The New York Times. His Republican supporters "adore" and have "rallied behind" the former president, despite the the 91 felony charges against him, and despite being offered "viable alternatives" in Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley. Trump's connection with his supporters has "unleashed one of the most durable forces in American politics".

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Look at this beautiful Japanese toilet and tell me – why is Britain so useless at public loos?

Alberte Lauridsen in The Guardian

Few issues are "more emblematic of the deterioration of civic infrastructure" than Britain's lack of public toilets, writes architect Alberte Lauridsen for The Guardian. The nation's "once-extensive network of civic lavatories has been abandoned, sold or turned into novelty bars". The "gaping holes in basic sanitary provision" put libraries and cafes under pressure as alternatives, and disproportionately affect people with medical conditions. By contrast, the "architecturally outstanding" new toilets in countries such as Japan and Norway put our "lamentable loos" to shame.

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Is Davos still worthwhile?

Financial Times editorial board

The "globalist raison d'être" of Davos is in retreat, say the Financial Times's editorial board. As threats to world stability multiply, the annual World Economic Forum, taking place this week, risks becoming an "echo chamber". Yet the event's "true purpose" lies in its "unmatched power as a giant networking opportunity". Despite the expense and rambling scope, the appeal of a "snowy week of networking and partying" remains "undimmed". Ongoing attendance is guaranteed by "the simple fear of missing out".

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