World
Syria is up for grabs
After 13 years of war that began with street protests during the heady days of the Arab Spring and morphed…
How Assad fell
The astonishing and abrupt fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Damascus is a moment of historic importance for the Middle…
Syria is emerging from a nightmare
Gradually, and then suddenly, the regime of Bashar al-Assad has collapsed. This century’s most evil tyrant has fled Syria, and…
The BBC has a ‘talent’ problem
So here we are again – another well-known BBC presenter is facing a growing list of allegations of misconduct, tarnishing…
The Russian nuclear threat is looming once more
It is 00.40 pm, 26 September 1983. Lieutenant-Colonel Stanislav Petrov, the duty commander in charge of monitoring the Soviet Union’s early…
In Donbas, Ukrainians hope Trump can end the war
Not a single home remains intact in the village of Bohorodychne in Donbas, since it was torn apart by artillery…
Will Kemi’s ‘Operation Slow Burn’ help her see off Farage?
It was quite possible that Kemi Badenoch could have proved an instant hit with the British public and taken the…
How working-class Dublin turned on Conor McGregor
When Conor McGregor stood in the dock for his civil rape trial last week, the controversial MMA fighter was receiving…
Olaf Scholz’s dreams of election victory are wishful thinking
Three years ago today, Olaf Scholz was sworn in as Germany’s chancellor. He had narrowly won the election by presenting…
South Korea is still haunted by the Gwangju Uprising
The news that President Yoon had instated martial law on Tuesday hit me hard. The last time martial law was…
Will Syria’s new rulers show mercy?
The late Henry Kissinger said of the Iraq-Iran war in the 1980s that it was a shame that both sides…
How Finland joined the West
Finland’s entry into Nato in 2023 dealt a major blow to Russia in the Baltics. For years, President Putin had…
Will the Syrian Civil War create another ISIS?
There are unintended consequences, and then there are unintended consequences. What we are seeing in Syria, as Aleppo and Hama…
How Angela Merkel broke Germany
Angela Merkel, who last month published her memoirs on her 16 years as German chancellor, was a great tactician. But…
Donald Trump was right about Paris
Donald Trump is in Paris today to attend the official reopening of the renovated Notre Dame cathedral. The president-elect has…
We can’t rely on migration to fix the economy
The very wicked French novelist Michel Houellebecq recently asked: “It should be strange for the British: they voted for Brexit…
Why PG films do so well
As we come to the end of another troubling year, suddenly the news from the film front isn’t all doom…
Why is Poland building a barrier with Ukraine?
A ceasefire in Ukraine is far from being agreed, yet Poland is already preparing for its collapse. In recent months,…
Trump is already driving the left crazy
A phenomenon that will likely be with us throughout the second term of Donald Trump as president is a dynamic…
Justin Welby apologises after causing ‘hurt’ in farewell speech
Justin Welby can’t seem to get anything right these days – not even his own leaving speech. Now the outgoing…
Trump is already the diplomat-in-chief
The United States only has one president at a time. Until January 20, that’s Joe Biden. But President-elect Donald Trump…
Is Starmer copying the Tories?
When Keir Starmer announced his ‘measurable milestones’ yesterday, he called them ‘the most ambitious and credible programme for government in…
Justin Welby’s tone-deaf goodbye shows where his heart lies
At least Justin Welby’s valedictory speech went down well in the House of Lords. Speeches from those in the Upper…
The absurdity of ‘buffer zones’
The evangelical preacher Stephen Green has had his conviction upheld – for standing quite near an abortion clinic in Ealing with…
Why is Sadiq Khan in line for a knighthood?
Welcome to Labour’s Britain, where failure is lauded and incompetence rewarded. According to reports in the Financial Times, it appears…
