Three years have passed since Britain officially left the European Union, but the country feels a long way from the “sunlit uplands” once memorably envisioned by Boris Johnson. Indeed, according to several polls released last week, more of the British population than ever are unhappy with the outcomes of Brexit – including, crucially, those who voted for it in the first place.
The Observer’s Michael Savage and Toby Helm consider what’s behind the upsurge in “Bregret” and ask what realistic hopes exist of Britain ever returning to the bloc. Then, opinion writer Nesrine Malik warns that, while many on the left may see validation in the current trends, it’s important to understand many of the UK’s structural problems stem from before the time of the Brexit referendum in 2016.
From Ukraine, Daniel Boffey meets the secretive special forces taking the war across the border into Russia. And our reporting team from across Europe consider why Vladimir Putin’s attempt to blackmail the continent by cutting off gas supplies during the winter has failed.
On the subject of Ukraine, the Guardian Newsroom is holding a special livestreamed panel event on Tuesday 21 February to mark the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion. How has the war changed Ukraine and beyond? How should the west support Ukraine and how do we preserve our democratic freedoms in the uncertain years to come? And how will this conflict reach its end? Join our panel of experts and Guardian journalists, as they discuss these questions and more.
Reporting from the Iran protests is hard to come by, but Deepa Parent and Ghoncheh Habibiazad have unearthed harrowing testimony from protesters about their detention and torture at the hands of police. And, also in Spotlight, there’s an Eyewitness spread from the sites of the terrible earthquakes that struck the border region of Turkey and Syria earlier this week.
In our longer read features section, Giles Tremlett tells the story of a strange case that tested the limits of Spanish justice, after a gunman shot four people. He was caught, badly injured, and a trial was set – but his victims would never get to see him punished.
Also on the features front, Amelia Tait asks what’s behind the ultra-organisational trend for needlessly decanting things into jars. In Culture, Keza MacDonald explores the iconic creations of Nintendo, the Japanese video games maker that has spent almost 40 years at the top of the industry. And to round things off, Tim Dowling ponders visits to his garden office by an insouciant cat and an inscrutable fox.