World
Is war brewing between Serbia and Kosovo?
Serbia and Kosovo are close to conflict. Of all things, a dispute over car number plates is threatening the fragile…
Ayman al-Zawahiri got the death he deserved
At times like this, it’s tempting to channel Bette Davis: only speak good of the dead. Ayman al-Zawahiri’s dead. Good.…
In defence of Beyonce
People complaining about supposedly offensive pop lyrics is hardly anything new. It’s as old as the form itself; never-ending proof…
Nancy Pelosi knows how much Taiwan matters
In the coming hours, Nancy Pelosi is expected to arrive in Taiwan. The plane that is thought to be carrying…
Why Liz Truss u-turned over public sector pay
That was quick. Less than 15 hours after pledging a robust reform of public sector pay, Liz Truss has performed…
Al-Zawahiri's killing exposes the US's shame in Afghanistan
Sherpur District, to the north of central Kabul, where al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed, lies at the western end of…
Truss’s Sturgeon jibe is bound to backfire
If the first rule of leadership is, as Barack Obama once said, ‘don’t do stupid shit’ then this Tory leadership…
Northern Tories savage Truss's 'war on waste'
Oh dear. It seems that Liz Truss’s winning run has come to an end. After a week of riding high,…
After Tavistock, will Mermaids be next?
‘Mermaids must fall next.’ That was the response of Professor Kathleen Stock to the news that last week that the…
Truss u-turns on regional pay
The sound of screeching gears could be heard across Westminster this morning as Team Truss executed a dramatic U-turn from…
Does Stonewall have no shame?
Watching people brazening it out can be tremendous fun. The higher the stakes, the more extreme the disparity between reality…
Only one tax cut can save Rishi Sunak now
Rishi Sunak’s promises on tax are lacklustre. He’s announced a fiddly one-off tax break on energy that will last for just a…
The War on Normal
The eagerly anticipated midterm elections, now in a countdown, will no doubt reveal vast electoral dismay and division. Inflation, recession,…
Is Liz Truss too comfortable?
After England scored their first goal last night, the team visibly relaxed and had a spell of playing happily until…
What will China do if Nancy Pelosi visits Taiwan?
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the subsequent sanctions, are roiling European energy markets and threatening a continent-wide recession. But we…
Piers Morgan sanctioned by Russia
It’s time for another round of crackpot Russian sanctions. Still smarting from the latest package of western measures, Moscow has…
The real difference between Sunak and Truss's tax policies
The Tory leadership race is becoming a test of patience. Today Rishi Sunak has laid out his plan to slash…
The police crackdown on social media has gone too far
Last week, I spent a night in a police cell. My ‘crime’? To intervene after I witnessed an ex-soldier being…
The BBC's gender equality project has come unstuck
The BBC’s 50:50 project is designed to empower women. One of its targets is to ensure that half of the contributors…
Truss's promising stance on Scottish independence
Much to the chagrin of colleagues, friends and ex-friends, I’ve spent the past few years raising the alarm about how…
How Russia's war in Ukraine has changed Estonia's outlook
Estonian Independence Day – celebrating the country’s 1991 emancipation from the Soviet Union and the Kremlin – takes place on…
Sunak is running out of time
This could be the biggest week of the Tory leadership campaign: postal ballots will start arriving on members’ doormats in…
Should Apple snoop on your iPhone?
Should Apple use software to scan the photo library of every individual iPhone in search of images of child abuse?…
The National's Anglo-bashing hypocrisy
Given the Scottish political establishment’s misty-eyed myth-making about Scottish nationalism — it’s civic! Joyous! Inclusive! — Mr Steerpike admires the…
Liz Truss's critics are making the same mistakes as Reagan's enemies
Admirers of one of America’s great modern historians sat up and paid attention when Liz Truss told the Times in…
