World
The EU is paying a high price for its Brexit pettiness
It has formidable negotiating skills, at least according to its cheerleaders. It has huge economic clout. And it can impose its…
Has Putin really revived Stalin’s infamous spy-catching unit?
Is Moscow reviving a notorious 1940s security agency? Or is the suggestion that the infamous SMERSH counterintelligence unit has been…
Ecuador’s gangs could trigger civil war
Ecuador’s most-wanted prisoner escaped from a maximum-security detention center in the port city of Guayaquil on Sunday. Chaos has reigned…
The EU is incapable of defending itself
For years, European leaders have recognised that ‘in a world of carnivores, vegetarians have a very tough time of it,’…
It’s time the King distanced himself from Prince Andrew
During the eighteen months or so that Charles has reigned, there is a great deal to commend him for. Two…
Can Scholz convince the EU to continue supporting Ukraine?
New Year’s resolutions are notoriously difficult to keep. But when it comes to Ukraine, Europe hasn’t made any. There is…
Putin’s migrant conundrum
The Russian economy has become heavily dependent on migrant workers, largely from Central Asia. As the defence ministry tries to…
Is Ecuador on the brink of civil war?
Ecuador’s most-wanted prisoner escaped from a maximum-security detention center in the port city of Guayaquil Sunday. Chaos has reigned in…
Judge Judy endorses Nikki Haley
Reality TV heavyweight “Judge Judy” Sheindlin endorsed Nikki Haley for president on Tuesday. “I’m proud to endorse Nikki Haley because…
When will the West stand up to Xi Jinping?
Since the Umbrella Movement democracy protests in 2014, China’s president Xi Jinping has been dismantling Hong Kong’s freedoms – and…
Channel 4 is tearing itself apart over diversity
The chairman of Channel 4 has taken a swipe at the lack of diversity of the latest appointments to its…
Why everyone is worried about Hezbollah
Hezbollah has escalated attacks against Israel in the last few days. The Iran-backed Lebanese militant organisation started firing missiles into…
Why has Xi Jinping purged his senior commanders?
The Chinese Communist party will no doubt throw a militarised tantrum should Saturday’s election in Taiwan be won by Lai…
Can Macron’s ‘Brutus’ PM stop Le Pen?
Emmanuel Macron has begun the new year by replacing one Socialist prime minister with another. Out goes Elisabeth Borne and…
Joey Barton doesn’t know anything about women in sport
Joey Barton – the Pied Piper of disaffected football fans – has had a busy week. He began by comparing…
Why no one in Japan is talking about the Fujitsu Post Office scandal
‘They are a national disgrace.’ That was the response of a Japanese friend when I asked for her opinion on…
Police are in a muddle over transgender strip searches
Have you ever been strip searched? I have. The date it happened – 7 September 2020 – is etched on…
Australia sees sense on its plan to ditch the monarchy
Australia’s government has been determined to ‘do a Barbados’ and ditch the British monarchy for an Australian republic with an…
Watch: Trump mocks Macron’s accent
Emmanuel Macron is facing something of a crisis at home: his prime minister has resigned and his party is trailing…
TV trigger warnings are out of control
The warnings on what we now call ‘content’ (i.e. what we used to know as films and TV shows) are…
Could Idris Elba’s solution help tackle knife crime?
Actor Idris Elba took to the airwaves on the Today programme this morning to call for more to be done…
How Sheikh Hasina is turning Bangladesh autocratic
Politics in Bangladesh is very much a one-woman show, starring prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who has ruled the country for…
Why Anas Sarwar is succeeding
Few politicians had a better 2023 than Anas Sarwar. The Scottish Labour leader began last year with his party still…
Did the fight over slavery cause the Civil War?
Nikki Haley reignited the battle over the cause of the Civil War. Today’s racial protocol requires a reflexive one-word answer:…
Is a new front about to open up in Israel’s war?
Two days after the Israel Defence Forces announced that it had dismantled Hamas’s ‘military framework’ in the northern Gaza Strip,…
