World
Welby, Israel and the meaning of persecution
I arrived in Colombo the morning after the attack and went straight to the morgue to identify some of the…
Inside the Omicron fear factory
In March 2020, a profile of the typical Covid victim emerged from Italy. The average decedent was eighty years old, with approximately three comorbidities such as heart disease, obesity or…
Four times Boris said this Christmas would be better than last
‘It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…’ Or it certainly was until Omicron intervened. For the latest Covid variant has…
Why is Quidditch snitching on JK Rowling over trans rights?
To those of us who know Quidditch from the fantasy world of the Harry Potter books, the idea of grown-ups…
Five lockdown questions the cabinet must ask
The cabinet will meet this afternoon, with more restrictions and even a new lockdown on the agenda. But have ministers…
Build Back Better was doomed from the start
Joe Manchin was never going to vote for Build Back Better. Now that he’s declared himself a “no” and all…
No, Steve Baker, voters don’t want Thatcher again
Steve Baker’s decision to boot Nadine Dorries out of a group chat of Conservative MPs has captured the attention of…
Sajid Javid: More restrictions cannot be ruled out before Christmas
Sajid Javid – More restrictions cannot be ruled out before Christmas With Sunday’s interview shows enjoying their last outing of…
Eastern Europe is paying for the EU’s climate revolution
Europe’s energy crisis shows little sign of abating. After Germany this week withheld approval for the Nord Stream 2 gas…
How the BBC lost its way on Covid
I have been a BBC journalist for many years, and in that time I have been committed to impartiality and…
Can Kim Jong-un survive for another ten years?
Ten years ago today, at noon on 19 December 2011, the veteran newsreader and ‘Pink Lady’ Ri Chun-hee, donned an…
Don’t underestimate the Omicron variant
As the Omicron variant makes its way through the population of the UK, the Chief Medical Officer’s warning that we…
Brexiteers will sorely miss Lord Frost
Lord Frost’s resignation is bad news for Boris Johnson, though that’s a side matter. Prime ministers come and go, what…
Lord Frost’s resignation is a brutal blow to Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson’s premiership has been plunged into further crisis tonight by the resignation of the Brexit minister Lord Frost. Frost…
Lord Frost: Britain needs low taxes and no vaccine passports
Lord Frost, Boris Johnson’s Brexit minister and one of his closest allies, has resigned in protest at the ‘direction’ of the government.…
My Twitter conversation with the chairman of the Sage Covid modelling committee
The latest Sage papers have been published , envisaging anything from 200 to 6,000 deaths a day from Omicron depending on how…
Is Omicron really no less severe? A look at South Africa’s data
It’s an open secret that ministers are nervous about advice from Sage, given its track record in exaggerating the risk…
Pubs and restaurants are being decimated by Covid uncertainty
The run up to Christmas is normally a merry time for the hospitality industry. Our nation’s restaurants, pubs and bars…
Boris won’t change. Why should he?
Boris Johnson is not short of troubles, or advice. Most of that advice, from colleagues and commentators alike, comes down…
Billie Eilish is right about our porn-sick society
You could have knocked me down with a snowflake when Billie Eilish slammed pornography on the Howard Stern Show this…
The inevitability of Kamala Harris
I come neither to bury Kamala nor to praise her. Commentary on her vice presidency is polarized. Harris’s well-known praise…
Omicron is now Britain’s dominant Covid strain
If you test positive for Covid now in Britain, the odds are that it’s Omicron: it’s now the dominant strain…
Who’s a vigilante anyway?
The idea that what happened at the Capitol of January 6 was an “insurrection” was always a ridiculous and malevolent…
The shamelessness of David Rothkopf
David Rothkopf may not be Ron Klain’s favorite DC pundit. That title goes to Jennifer Rubin, the “conservative” Washington Post…
Can Boris really blame the press for his defeat?
When asked what went wrong in North Shropshire, Boris Johnson gave a fascinating answer: journalists. Apparently, they have been reporting…
