World
David Bowie tore up the definition of pop music
Like many artists lionised by their admirers beyond comprehension, David Bowie – who died nearly a decade ago on 10…
Can Britain strip Alaa Abd El-Fattah of his citizenship?
Does the government have the power to strip Alaa Abd El-Fattah of his recently acquired British citizenship? Sources within government reportedly…
Health report reveals Trump’s thin skin
For years, Joe Biden’s handlers did their best to hide the fact from us that their boss was a senile,…
The Somali fraud scandal is a turning point
I suspect that Somalis around the country – especially, but not exclusively, in Minneapolis – wish about now that they…
The Fuad Awale case shows what’s wrong with the ECHR
Another new year, and another controversial human rights victory for a criminal. Fuad Awale was a violent thug and Islamist serving…
The real Alaa Abd el-Fattah scandal
The real scandal of Alaa Abd el-Fattah is that it is nothing new, and that not enough has changed. For…
The trouble with Khan’s New Year’s fireworks
Despite the pyrotechnic glories of London’s New Year fireworks, 2026 started off with a whimper rather than a bang. The…
Britain has lost faith in Labour’s ability to ‘smash the gangs’
More than 41,000 migrants crossed the Channel in small boats in 2025, a number surpassed only by the 45,000 who…
The RMT has doomed the Oxford-Cambridge railway
Thank God for HS2. The scandal of the ever-more expensive and ever-delayed rail line from London to Birmingham (and now…
Iran wants its monarchy back
There are protests in Iran again. But this time, something is different. In the uprisings of 2019, 2022 and 2023,…
Mayor Mamdani: South Africa is the model for New York
It was a performance worthy of an Oscar or maybe a Tony. Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s address at his swearing in…
Dominic Cummings on Whitehall’s plan to destroy Nigel Farage
Dominic Cummings has warned Nigel Farage that Whitehall will break the law to prevent Reform winning power. Speaking on The…
The key to Midsomer Murders’ enduring appeal
If dramas like Adolescence are the rough televisual equivalent of whoever won the latest Turner Prize, then Midsomer Murders (ITV1)…
How to break your phone addiction this New Year
As we finally emerge from the food coma of the Christmas blowout, our attention turns to New Year’s resolutions –…
The Steerpike Awards of 2025
So. Farewell then 2025. The Chinese Zodiac calendar called this ‘The Year of the Snake’ – and my goodness Westminster…
Do Putin’s New Year platitudes suggest he is tiring of ruling Russia?
Russia is still known for a great deal of innovative programming, but one area where there is concern it is…
Sophie Winkleman is right: parents can’t tackle the screendemic alone
The actress Sophie Winkleman has been honest and punished for it. As one of Britain’s foremost campaigners against the digitalisation…
Are we witnessing the end of Iran’s Islamic Republic?
Iran’s clerical establishment has spent nearly half a century insisting – always with that brittle certainty peculiar to ideologues –…
A New Year ‘Honour’ is nothing to be proud of
I’ve long loathed the idea of the ‘National Treasure’. Even typing the words made my eyes briefly cross with extreme…
Why Brigitte Bardot terrified men
My teenage self was right. Brigitte Bardot, who died this weekend, symbolised sex and freedom. It’s why I had a…
The bitter truth about New Year’s Eve
New Year’s Eve is the party we don’t need but can’t get rid of. The location varies according to geography.…
Shoot an elephant to save Africa
Africa’s elephants are out of control, and the continent’s people, and plants, are paying the price. Far too many elephants,…
AI is killing the art of speechwriting
‘Where are the snows of yesteryear?’ lamented the French poet François Villon. Professional writers around the world are devising their…
Tags for asylum seekers are a huge distraction
There’s a strange pattern in how the UK discusses policy, and once you notice it you realise it’s everywhere. What…
I have a ‘zero bill’ home – and you’re paying for it
Ed Miliband has given up trying to promise £300 a year off our energy bills. He is now dangling the…
