World
What the Capitol riots and the plot to stop Brexit have in common
It’s not often that browsing the genteel aisles of Waterstones reminds you of madmen storming the Capitol in buffalo-horn helmets,…
Biden’s Capitol speech shows how much he needs Trump
Joe Biden delivered. There was no somnolence, no quiescence. Instead, Biden lashed into his predecessor in unprecedented fashion to offer…
Have we reached peak human rights?
After the Colston debacle, you might be forgiven for having missed the other legal story that broke this week. The…
Are J.K. Rowling’s goblins really anti-Semitic?
Is J.K. Rowling anti-Semitic? Yes, I know. It’s the first week of 2022 and this question is being asked, after…
Bloodshed in Kazakhstan could spell trouble for Putin
Russian troops have now arrived in Kazakhstan in a desperate bid to halt the tide of violence that has swept…
Marjorie Taylor Greene's Twitter ban is nothing to celebrate
Marjorie Taylor Greene is nuttier than M&M World. Not your garden-variety conservative, or even a conservative at all, but a…
Novak Djokovic is treating Australians like mugs
Just minutes from the heart of Victoria’s capital, Melbourne Park is one of the great tennis complexes. For a fortnight…
The problem with rewilding
The government has gone wild. Under new plans, just announced by Environment Secretary George Eustice, farmers and landowners in England could…
The Capitol riot transformed right-wing activism in America
The invasion of Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021 represented the rise and fall of pro-Trump anti-governmental activism in a…
What's happening in Kazakhstan?
Since the start of the new year, riots have spread throughout Kazakhstan. In the former capital of Almaty, the airport has…
What really matters in the Covid culture wars?
During the grimmest days of the First Crusade in 1098, the western Christians found themselves besieged by the Turks in…
The Colston verdict is the triumph of values, not law
The verdict is in on the case of the Colston statue in Bristol. Not guilty. Every one of the accused…
A New York senator declares war on the First Amendment
A new year, a new assault on free speech in America. New York Senator Brad Hoylman claims that legislation he’s…
J.K. Rowling and the death of nuance
There are few good things to say about the public conversation around transgender issues, which all too often shows us…
Why England lost the Ashes
England’s wretched performance in the Ashes – which saw the side lose three tests and so the series to Australia…
Maureen Lipman's 'Jewface' criticism of Helen Mirren isn't fair
I’m not sure I should be writing this piece, given I am not Jewish. Are Gentiles like me allowed to…
Macron’s potty-mouthed outburst is deliberate – and calculated
President Emmanuel Macron’s declaration that he intends to ‘emmerder’ – which loosely translates, excuse my English, as ‘piss off’ –…
Does Boris believe in Brexit?
For once, yesterday’s Downing Street press conference included a worthwhile question, and not of the ‘why aren’t you locking us…
Are Bored Apes racist?
A plague of apes has spread across social media. Wherever you look, blank simian faces stare back at you. Their…
Macron has crossed a line in his war on the unvaccinated
The new year has not started well for Emmanuel Macron. It began badly when some bright spark in the Elysée…
Why won't Joe Biden stand up to Iran?
This week marks two years since Iranian terror mastermind Major General Qassem Soleimani was torn apart by a Reaper drone missile…
The EU's weak response to Russian aggression plays into Putin's hands
The European Union’s top diplomat Josep Borrell is in Ukraine today. His mission? To show solidarity with Kiev in the…
The China Olympics are a moral failing
The international community has failed regarding China and the 2022 Olympics. It’s a moral failing above all, but it’s also…
Boris Johnson rejects lockdown (again)
Boris Johnson latest Covid press conference was slightly confusing. The Prime Minister spent nearly an hour saying nothing particularly new.…
The hypocrisy of Elon Musk
Tesla’s sleek, if expensive, electric cars are leading the battle against climate change. Its batteries are moving renewable energy into the…
