World
Covid deaths in context
What would have been your overall chances of dying in the first 19 weeks of 2021 compared with recent years?…
Is the daily drip of Covid statistics still helpful?
It is hard to remember a time when the daily drip of Covid statistics was not part of our lives.…
'I was treated like a traitor': An interview with WHO whistleblower Francesco Zambon
Francesco Zambon is calling the World Health Organisation (WHO) to account. Zambon, who was based at the WHO’s Venice bureau,…
Will Cummings’s accusations damage Boris Johnson?
One of Dominic Cummings’s strengths as a campaigner was his genius for a clear message – think ‘Take Back Control’…
Dominic Cummings’s explosive claim about the Bank of England
Amidst all the explosive claims made by Dominic Cummings during today’sselect committee hearing, one towards the beginning of the seven-hour…
John Cena’s car-crash Taiwan apology
In an unforgivably cringeworthy mea culpa delivered in surprisingly fluent Mandarin, John Cena has apologized to his fans in China. He had…
Cummings, Covid and groupthink - a cautionary tale
It is hard to deny the importance of the issues raised this week by Dominic Cummings. His decision to identify…
'We failed': Dominic Cummings's evidence, as it happened
Dominic Cummings has given evidence to a joint meeting of the science and technology select committees about the government’s response…
School playgrounds are no place for 'free Palestine' protests
GCSE and A level assessments. Enforcing social distancing. Catch-up provision for pupils who fell behind during lockdown. Mental health support.…
Why did the Biden administration shut down Pompeo’s lab leak probe?
Joe Biden and his administration want you to know that they are not — repeat not — soft on China.…
Eurovision is too important to let the SNP play politics with it
The SNP never passes up an opportunity to make the case for separatism. Now, its campaign for independence has moved away…
Domageddon previewed: what Cummings will say
D-Day is finally here. Like the rest of SW1, Mr S will be tuning into Dominic Cummings’ appearance at a…
An electoral pact would be disastrous for Labour
How do you tell a politician who has just been punched in the face by the electorate that something is…
Inside Hamas's tunnel complex
In the wake of its ceasefire agreement with Israel, Hamas has again attempted to paint itself as a struggling resistance…
Hell hath no fury like a restaurateur scorned
How does the saying go? Is it ‘fool me once, shame on me. Fool me four times, I’ll shame you…
Liz Cambage and the unapologetic ‘big bitches’ of the WNBA
Cockburn has long admired the athletic feats of strength displayed on the basketball court and the Olympian proportions of the…
Boko Haram’s demise will only strengthen Isis in Africa
Multiple reports have confirmed that the Boko Haram chief Abubakar Shekau is dead. Shekau’s demise came after Boko Haram last…
Are 'controversial stickers' really a matter for the police?
Has Police Scotland misunderstood the purpose of policing? A recent crackdown on ‘controversial stickers’ appears to suggest as much. ‘On Monday…
Watch: Macron's bizarre Élysée heavy metal gig
It has been a tough few years for Emmanuel Macron. Elected on a tidal wave of optimism in 2017, the…
The Tories, Islam, and the importance of pluralism
The Conservatives will be relieved that an independent investigation has not found the party to be institutionally racist, though relief…
The Belarus hijacking reveals the West's complacency
On Sunday evening an act of appalling state kidnapping took place over the skies of Europe. Four alleged KGB officers…
Could Sinn Fein become the largest party in Northern Ireland?
In 2022, a year after its centenary, there is the chance that Northern Ireland could end up with a nationalist,…
The rise of vaccine virtue-signalling
I’ve bemoaned the ‘no Tories please’ line on dating profiles many a time. Closed-minded and over-used, it’s a banal way…
Ron DeSantis’s Big Tech crusade
Miami Florida governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation on Monday to penalize Big Tech for de-platforming private citizens and political candidates.…
Beijing's plan to pick the next Dalai Lama
Imagine for a moment that Cuba picked the next Pope. That is the scenario which Lobsang Sangay, the then-Sikyong (the…
