World
Friedrich Merz on track to win German federal election
After two torturous months of campaigning, the wait is over. Friedrich Merz, leader of the conservative CDU party, is on…
Against Canada’s anti-Americanism
You couldn’t have written a better comedy script than the one playing out in the apparently real war that has…
Kaspia state of mind
It’s been almost 100 years since Arcady Fixon, a refugee from the Russian Revolution, opened the doors of Caviar Kaspia…
Bridget Phillipson: ‘I welcome that Trump is able to bring the Russians to the table’
Trump launched a series of extraordinary attacks on President Zelensky this week, describing him as a dictator, and sidelined Ukraine…
It’s time to reform the Gender Recognition Act
What were they thinking? When Tony Blair agreed, in 2004, to legislation allowing transsexuals – as they were then called…
Will Macron get tough on Algeria over the French knife attack?
Emmanuel Macron will hold talks with Donald Trump on Monday at which the President of France will attempt to ‘make…
The Tobacco Bill shows how we Tories lost our way
He’s having a tough time of it at the moment, but I’ve always had a soft spot for Andrew Gwynne.…
What to look out for in Germany’s federal election
After two long months of campaigning, Germany heads to the polls today for its federal election. Approximately 60 million voters…
The real problem with mental health benefits
A contributory factor to the continuing impoverishment of Britain is psychiatric diagnosis – or rather, the superstitious official belief in…
Isis is filling the vacuum in Syria
‘Isis is taking huge advantage of the current situation in Syria,’ Ilham Ahmed told me, when we met in the…
Will Potsdam swing right?
Guten Tag – or, as they more often say in these less formal times, Hallo – from constituency number 061, otherwise…
How France killed its start-up culture
It would encourage digitally savvy entrepreneurs. It would be a hub for artificial intelligence. And it would encourage a wave…
The truth about Mohamed Al-Fayed
Even from the grave, Mohamed Al-Fayed dictated his obituary. When news of his death emerged in September 2023, Al-Fayed’s loyal…
Trump plays the hits at CPAC keynote
National Harbor, Maryland President Donald Trump capstoned a three-day CPAC pep rally with a message of… well, Trump. To be…
What business does America have in Russia?
It didn’t take long for preliminary discussions between the US and Russia on Ukraine to morph into something dramatically more…
Where do the Democrats go from here?
Losing elections is a bit like getting dumped. Often times the dumped party’s desire to overcome the heartbreak or to…
The Apple encryption row has come at the worst time for Keir Starmer
I am not sure about the capacity of AI to take over the world and suppress humanity, but big tech…
Is New Addington Britain’s bleakest estate?
There’s blood spattered on the pavement but locals in New Addington, an estate in Croydon, southeast London, seem curiously unbothered.…
Keir Starmer is doing a Boris on immigration
Keir Starmer is just the latest in a long line of prime ministers who says that immigration has been far…
Is Indian whisky ready to take on Scotch?
Indians drink a lot of Scotch whisky. In 2023 the country overtook France to become the largest market for Scotch…
What Lebanon’s energy crisis can teach us in Britain
“See that?” my friend pointed to a pylon on the hill opposite the window. “That’s the dawla.” The dawla (pronounced…
Who is responsible for the BBC’s Gaza documentary debacle?
In 2007, the BBC was engulfed in scandal for an embarrassing – if relatively trivial – misrepresentation of Queen Elizabeth…
Europe must be stronger, or it will die
Over the last weeks, the words and actions of the Trump administration have caused the biggest rift between the United…
Sydney Smith’s love for life lives on
Why should anyone care about Sydney Smith, who died on this day in 1845? 180 years have diminished the stature…
The case for moving SOUTHCOM back to Panama
The recent American interest in the Panama Canal is grounded and rational — contrary to media characterizations of the renewed focus…
