World
Why didn’t Ukraine fall?
A week before Russia invaded Ukraine, expectations varied considerably. The US government was certain the Russians would strike at Kyiv…
When the Ceausescus came to tea
Anyone still in any doubt about the lengths to which Queen Elizabeth II was prepared to go in the line…
The esoteric creed of King Charles
Our new king is not, by normal standards, an important intellectual. But it would be churlish to dismiss his thinking…
How the culture war became a crusade
In February 2020, I was invited on to the BBC’s The Big Questions to debate the topic: ‘Is wokeness the…
For the state funeral mourners, the endurance is part of the ritual
The queue snakes for miles along the South Bank. Thousands of ordinary people are giving up hours of their time…
The moment that showed the madness of gender ideology
Homosexuality was legalised in England and Wales 55 years ago. The Sexual Offences Act 1967 permitted homosexual acts between two…
Could Putin still trigger nuclear war?
The world is facing the prospect of its first nuclear attack since the US Air Force dropped atomic bombs on…
Even Xi is unimpressed with Putin's bungling autocracy
To say that Vladimir Putin is giving autocracy a bad name is rather to state the obvious. But it now…
King Charles should let Harry back into the fold
First, it was a flagpole. Back in 1997, inside the Windsor bubble based at Balmoral – where the priority was…
The morality of the EU’s gas grab in Azerbaijan
My enemy’s enemy is my friend. This ancient proverb partly describes the EU’s fast developing relationship with Muslim Azerbaijan, a…
It’s wrong to ban China from the lying-in-state
Unlike some Americans, China’s communists have no problem getting their heads around hereditary monarchy. Last week, President Xi sent his…
Why Harry has been allowed to wear his military uniform
P.G. Wodehouse once wrote that ‘it is never difficult to distinguish between a Scotsman with a grievance and a ray…
The inconvenient truth about France’s forest fires
Montpellier Last month the Prime Minister of France, Elisabeth Borne, visited the south-west of the country to offer her support…
Viktor Orban is facing pressure from the right on abortion
Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán has become a towering figure in European politics over the past 12 years thanks to…
On the front lines of Europe’s newest war
Sotk, Armenia A group of Armenian soldiers stand guard on the road towards the village. ‘It’s not safe to go…
The New York Times' royal derangement syndrome
First it was Brexit, now it’s the Queen. That the New York Times has a near-pathological loathing for Britain is…
Watch: rehearsals held for the Queen's funeral
Preparations in Whitehall continue at pace ahead of Her Majesty’s funeral on Monday. And for a handful of hardy souls…
It's time to scrap the cap on bankers' bonuses
Critics say that scrapping the cap on bankers’ bonus will encourage a return to excessive risk taking. It will provoke retaliation…
In defence of Rangers’ royal tribute
Ibrox stadium, home of Rangers football club, saw a powerful tribute to the late Queen last night before the team’s…
Why is the BBC using Paddington to remember Her Majesty?
Here comes Paddington – again. Earlier this year, to celebrate her platinum jubilee, the Queen agreed to be filmed taking…
Fact check: did Charles make Andrew a Counsellor of State?
What better way to mark the death of the monarch than via some good old royal disinformation? Twitter users have…
What Xi wants from Central Asia
President Xi Jinping hasn’t stepped outside his country since the pandemic began. For almost three years, China’s elderly leaders have…
Biden is treating his political opponents like domestic terrorists
What is going on in America? A celebrity eccentric known as ‘the Pillow guy’, his real name is Mike Lindell,…
Center Parcs's royal blunder
Whacking up the price of black ties given the extra demand. Running advertising campaigns for cut price comfort food to…
Has inflation peaked?
This morning’s surprise update from the Office for National Statistics shows headline inflation at 9.9 per cent on the year…
