World
China is obscuring the scale of its Covid wave
One University of Hong Kong model has forecast that there could be up to a million Covid deaths in China over the…
Christmas in Ukraine and the ghosts of conflicts past
In Ukrainian, the name for Christmas is Ridztvo (Різдво), meaning ‘Nativity’. The Russian equivalent, used by one in three citizens in Ukraine,…
In defence of Scrooge
There is no Christmas story like A Christmas Carol, and few seasonal characters as iconic as Ebenezer Scrooge; the ‘clutching,…
India’s war on Christians
Christmas is usually Nayomi Gracy’s favourite time of year. But this year, Gracy is feeling more fearful than cheerful. Right-wing Hindu…
Qatargate and the dubious moral authority of NGOs
The Qatargate scandal haunting the European Union is not merely about corrupt politicians and officials. The deplorable role of a non-governmental organisation is at the heart…
Is Christmas really a pagan festival?
It’s as much a part of the season now as baubles, tinsel and the Christmas Number One: those articles, blogs…
Is King Charles safe?
The news that his security experts are conducting an urgent review of the King’s safety during his expected traditional Christmas…
The liberal-conservative tug of war for the GOP
For the last thirty years, the Republican Party has been a battleground between two competing ideologies. One of these is…
American ambivalence towards Ukraine only emboldens Putin
Volodymyr Zelensky’s address to Congress on Wednesday seems to have upset some in the Republican party. Four representatives refused to…
Brexit regrets? Britain has a few
A creeping sense of Bregret is taking hold in Britain. A majority of Brits now say that the vote for…
Life is hard for Bethlehem’s Christians
O Little Town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie: except the place is, in fact, buzzing in the…
Last Christmas in Russia
What a difference 12 months makes. Last year, at the Ikea in Rostov-on-Don, South Russia, I splashed out on some…
What Christianity teaches us about the transgender wars
It’s Christmas – again. For old timers like me, the familiarity of this time of year can blunt the strangeness…
Democrats and Republicans agree… on wasting taxpayer dollars
Who says Democrats and Republicans can’t find common ground? According to the Senate’s recent approval of the $1.7 trillion omnibus…
The shocking Hunter Biden twists in the Twitter Files
Two of the week’s biggest news stories are unfolding in hermetically sealed chambers. The left half of the country, and…
How Kyrsten Sinema could hamstring Bernie Sanders’s fundraising
Senator Kyrsten Sinema’s decision to formally quit the Democratic Party could have serious consequences for America’s most famous socialist. While…
A staunch defense of ‘nepo babies’
Over the last few days, as far as I’m aware, I have been the sole defender of the successful children…
Putin’s hollow dream of a mightier army
Who needs Santa when you have Vladimir Putin? Just in time for Christmas, the Russian president has promised his military…
Labour is wrong: it’s not ‘hate speech’ to question trans rights
MSPs were up until the early hours last night at Holyrood debating amendments to the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland Bill).…
How can the West help Russians to defeat Putinism?
Watching Tchaikovsky’s ballet The Nutcracker is a Christmas tradition for many. But this year, people are being urged to stay away: Ukraine’s…
Should it be a crime to pray outside an abortion clinic?
When MPs backed the enforcement of ‘buffer zones’ around abortion clinics, there were warnings that the measure might backfire. Two…
Watch: Zelensky receives standing ovation in Congress
Standing ovations in Congress these days aren’t what they used to be: the annual State of the Union is little…
Britain’s worrying industrial decline
Economic growth is the third quarter was known to be depressed, but the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has this…
Zelensky’s Congress address was a triumph
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night was a political triumph. It was…
How does the EU solve a problem like Qatar?
Can the EU afford to snub Qatar? The corruption scandal engulfing the European Parliament centres around allegations that the Gulf…
