Who tried to assassinate Imran Khan? And why?
At the end of August I warned in The Spectator that, in Pakistan politics, ‘death by assassination is always a…
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…
China vs the US: who will win the chip war?
Semiconductors are the latest battleground for China and the US
Pakistan is on the brink
On Tuesday I speculated that Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan, now the opposition leader, was so popular that he…
Is Imran Khan Pakistan’s Donald Trump?
Imran Khan, the cricketing hero, legendary lothario and deposed prime minister of Pakistan, is in trouble again. His political opponents…
Nancy Pelosi went rogue in Taiwan
Old leaders can be among the best. Just look at Konrad Adenauer, who became German chancellor when he was 73…
The European Union can’t fix its gas problem
Over a 20 year period, former German chancellors Gerhard Schroder and Angela Merkel, handed Russian President Vladimir Putin a vice-like…
Shinzo Abe and the long history of Japanese political violence
Shinzo Abe, perhaps the most significant Japanese politician of the last 50 years, has been assassinated. The killing was carried…
How long will Xi Jinping rule China?
For some time now it has been assumed that in November the National Congress will rubber stamp Xi Jinping’s continued…
Why does India get a free pass for supporting Russia?
When Russia invaded Ukraine the Indian government rapidly launched ‘Operation Ganga’. This was not a military operation, nor did it…
China’s pact with the Solomons is a direct threat to Australia
Tulagi, a 1.5 square mile island in the South Pacific’s Solomon Islands, is perhaps the most remote place on the…
Can Imran Khan cling on to power in Pakistan?
Can Imran Khan cling on to power in Pakistan?
Turkmenistan may emerge as a global powerbroker
While the world is watching Ukraine, there is another former Soviet republic that has quietly undergone regime change. Turkmenistan’s 65-year-old…
Was the Kazakhstan uprising an attempted Jihadi takeover?
The Kazakh uprising is over. The stench of burnt-out vehicles and bombed out buildings in Kazakhstan’s most populous city and…
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…
The case against Aukus
The case against Aukus
Did Chinese fentanyl kill Michael K. Williams?
Did Chinese-manufactured fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, kill Michael Kenneth Williams, the man who played ‘Omar’ in The Wire? Within minutes…
Would Japan defend Taiwan from a Chinese attack?
In a parliamentary debate in early June about Covid, Japan’s prime minister Yoshihide Suga said that Australia, New Zealand and…
What kind of empire is China building?
As Britain’s small fleet, headed by HMS Queen Elizabeth, cruises towards the South China Sea, there remains a question over…
Chairman Xi and the Communist party’s delusional centenary
The emperor has new clothes. Arriving at a meeting to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party, China’s…
How China won over the Middle East
How China won over the Middle East
Is Britain heading for war over Taiwan?
Is Britain heading for war over Taiwan?
China vs America: the struggle for south-east Asia
Can Biden’s America contain China?
Is Kazakhstan capable of transitioning to democracy?
In the dramatic ‘reveal’ of Roman Polanski’s Chinatown, the lead character, private dick Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson) violently extracts the…
Coup de grâce: the downfall of Aung San Suu Kyi
The downfall of Aung San Suu Kyi
