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Ian Birrell

Columnist & Foreign Correspondent

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Poland / Russia / Ukraine / United States

We ignore the Russian drone attack at our peril

Published by The i Paper (11th September, 2025)

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Europe / Russia / Ukraine

These attacks on Kyiv are proof Putin is emboldened by US appeasement

Published by The Daily Mail (25th April, 2025) It is 11 years since I watched Russian troops stripped of military insignia seize Ukrainian army bases in Crimea, while […]

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Europe / Poland

Poland is on a mission: to build the most powerful land army in Europe

Published by The Daily Mail (11th July, 2024) As the sun beat down on a ­glorious summer day, cyclists clad in lurid fluorescent Lycra pedalled furiously along the […]

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Europe / Russia / Ukraine

Is Moscow hiring gangsters to sabotage Western factories supplying arms to Ukraine?

Published by The Mail on Sunday (12th May, 2024) Intelligence chiefs have warned ministers they fear Britain and other key Ukrainian allies are being targeted by Russian saboteurs […]

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Belarus / Europe / Poland

Laser attack on border guards

Published by The Mail on Sunday (14th November, 2021) Border police have been blinded with lasers and strobe lights as they struggle to shore up Europe’s eastern frontier defences […]

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Belarus / Europe / Germany / Immigration / Poland / Policy

A grotesque game of human ping-pong

Published by The Mail on Sunday (6th November, 2021) We met deep inside Europe’s last remaining primeval forest, where bison and wolves roam beneath ancient towering oaks. ‘I […]

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Europe / Poland

What will the EU do to tackle the towns declaring themselves LGBT-free zones?

Published by The Mail on Sunday (30th August, 2020) Michal is a mild-mannered 19-year-old. He describes himself as ‘a bit of a nerd’, plans a career making videos […]

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Disability / Health / Policy

My autistic child was kidnaped by social workers

Published by The Mail on Sunday (17th March, 2019) It was a cold day in February five years ago when a psychologist sent by the local authority issued […]

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Africa / Liberia / Technology / United States / World

Trump is debasing democracy the world over

Published by CapX (27th July, 2017) When I was in Liberia three years ago covering the ebola epidemic, I was amazed to discover the depth of antipathy many […]

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Drugs / Policy / Politics

The ban on legal highs is mind-bendingly stupid

Published by The Independent (1st June, 2015) Sometimes it is hard not to wonder at the stupidity of Westminster. Advanced nations around the world are waking up to […]

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Africa / Arts / Books / Ethiopia

The giant bought low by tall tales

Published in The Observer (August 19th, 2012) Ryszard Kapuscinski: A Life by Arthur Domolawski (Verso) The tale of Lulu, Haile Selassie’s lap dog that was allowed to piss […]

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Ian Birrell is an award-winning columnist, foreign correspondent, feature writer and investigative journalist. He is contributing editor of The Mail on Sunday, a weekly columnist in The i Paper and writes frequently for other papers and platforms. He is also co-founder with Damon Albarn of Africa Express, the acclaimed collaborative music project. (Pictured: Talking to refugees in Iraq fleeing Islamic State)... Read More.

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