World
Prince Andrew’s Chinese ‘spy’ blunder is no surprise
It is fair to say that Prince Andrew has always had poor taste in friends. Notoriously, and reputation-shreddingly, he consorted…
GDP decline is not only Labour’s fault
Is the government going to create a recession out of thin air? This morning’s GDP figures from the Office of…
Labour cabinet splits over Assad
Another day, another Labour drama. It now transpires that Sir Keir Starmer’s army is in turmoil over a previous Labour…
Economy shrinks in blow for Rachel Reeves
Another day, another piece of bad news for the chancellor. The economy shrank in October for the second month in…
The surprisingly recent invention of Friday the 13th
For anyone who is even a little superstitious (and superstition sometimes feels more like an unavoidable burden than a conscious…
France’s defence spending debacle will infuriate Donald Trump
Donald Trump is right that some of Nato’s European members are essentially freeloaders. That these countries are holding talks about…
There’s no such thing as a neutral centrist
Does religion matter in politics today? It certainly does, at least if you pose as someone who is neutral, as…
What al-Jolani’s past can reveal about Syria’s future
In late February 2012 I was travelling through Syria’s Idleb province. I stayed for a few days in a town…
Luigi Mangione’s bad education
Luigi Mangione is officially the “suspect” in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, but he is plainly the culprit,…
The Kansas City Chiefs are the luckiest team in pro sports history
On Black Friday, I attended a Friendsgiving party where I watched the Chiefs-Raiders game with a friend who is a…
Scotland’s Labour voters support two-child cap, poll finds
To Scotland, where a new poll has revealed results the Nats may be rather unhappy to see. It now transpires…
Pyongyang is keeping strangely silent on South Korea’s turmoil
North Korea has long been infamous for its hyperbolic rhetoric. While there are some subjects – such as the locations…
Have Syria’s rebels really reformed?
There were two scenes from Syria last night screened by the BBC and Channel 4 News that should give the…
How can we complain about the 2034 Saudi World Cup?
I suppose it is a mild surprise that Fifa didn’t choose Yemen to host the 2034 World Cup, as the…
Allow Shein to list in London
There are, in fairness, plenty of reasons why the City might be reluctant to embrace the Chinese fast-fashion giant Shein.…
Scotland caves to UK puberty blocker ban
Well, well, well. It now transpires that the Scottish government will follow Westminster’s lead on the UK puberty blocker ban…
Don’t blame this man for interrupting David Tennant
The curse of Macbeth strikes again. David Tennant’s turn as the Scottish psychopath was interrupted this week by a kerfuffle…
Ofgem’s standing charge crackdown is a win for the wealthy
At last some good news for owners of second homes: Ofgem has ordered electricity providers to offer tariffs which have…
Why Kemi Badenoch keeps being trounced on immigration
At yesterday Prime Minister’s Questions, for the second week running, Kemi Badenoch was savaged by Sir Keir Starmer on the…
Can the gargantuan court backlog be fixed?
Just like London buses, you wait ages for a criminal justice review – and then three come along at once. First…
Why did South Korea’s President Yoon declare martial law?
The aftershocks of last Tuesday’s declaration, and then cancellation, of martial law by President Yoon Suk Yeol continue to be…
Israel must leave Syria
As I walked through Vienna last weekend, I happened upon several protests organised by Syrian refugees celebrating the downfall of…
Is Trump exiling his problem women?
Maybe the best really was yet to come: Kimberly Guilfoyle has landed the break-up gift of a lifetime, finding herself…
The Saudi Arabia 2034 World Cup is a new low for Fifa
Saudi Arabia has been confirmed as the host country for the 2034 World Cup tournament. It has been an open secret…
Full list: the MPs scrutinising the Assisted Dying Bill
At the end of November, Labour MP Kim Leadbeater’s Terminally Ill Adults Bill passed its second reading with a majority…
