World
The King’s speech was more Christian than his mother had dared
King Charles has been a victim of his own success. His first Christmas broadcast last year, which was both affecting and…
How I found the true meaning of Christmas in prison
What do prisoners eat on Christmas Day? Some tabloid reports might lead you to think ‘lags’ are ‘gorging’ themselves on…
Algerian Christians will face persecution this Christmas
During this Advent, churches across Britain will once again open their doors to both the regular faithful, along with not-so-faithful…
The foul truth about wood-burners
My first instinct is to rush to the attack against any think tank which calls for stuff to be banned.…
From illegal to ambassador – the incredible story of Uran Ferizi
The next Albanian ambassador to London will be Uran Ferizi. It is a remarkable appointment, not least because Dr Ferizi’s…
The mystery of the Mandaeans, the gnostic sect that worships John the Baptist
Gnosticism – the belief that the creation of the material world was a mistake, and the creator deity a bungling…
The ancient roots of Christmas ghost stories
Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol is either, depending on your perspective, the ultimate Christmas ghost story or a complete subversion of the…
Are the Pope’s allies funding people smugglers?
Some of Pope Francis’s closest allies in the Catholic Church are alleged to have secretly given more than €2 million to…
Where did the Christmas magic go?
It’s late December 1982 or thereabouts, and I’m standing in a Suffolk church before hundreds of people, wearing a cassock…
The EU isn’t serious about tackling the migrant crisis
Robert Jenrick is right: the EU’s New Pact on Migration and Asylum is ‘not worth the paper it’s written on’.…
Rishi’s rule will end with a whimper, not a bang
That best-selling 1970s toy Action Man proved the power of evolution. First, the painted hair on the initial models was…
When will the Premier League stop treating football fans with contempt?
The Premier League’s television paymasters, who plough billions into football, invariably get what they want. That is surely why the decision…
Who wants Amsterdam’s mega brothel on their doorstep?
Amsterdam’s red light district is an uncomfortable place for a woman to walk at night. Drunk tourists from all around…
There is not going to be a second Civil War
I have important news for everyone: there is not going to be a second American Civil War. That may be…
What’s the true cost of Britain’s biggest offshore wind farm?
The world’s largest offshore wind farm is coming to Britain but there will be only one winner from the scheme –…
Hogmanay in Edinburgh is a marvelous experience
The city of Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital, really comes into its own twice a year. Firstly is August, when its streets…
Why was this Christian teacher hounded for her views on LGBT issues?
Who’d be a teacher these days? Until about 50 years ago, your outlook didn’t matter very much provided you were…
Inside the Hamas split over its war with Israel
Hamas leaders based in Qatar have been holding talks with Palestinian officials from Fatah, the political organisation that dominates the…
Ireland could regret its attack on the Troubles law
The Irish government has controversially announced that it will bring an inter-state claim against the UK in the European Court…
Why are politicians fixated with declaring war?
War rhetoric is everywhere in our volatile politics: from Ukraine to the resurrection of the war on terror in Gaza,…
Why are birth rates falling?
A few weeks ago, I chaired a debate in Westminster about the falling birth rate and its implications. It was…
The Tories’ immigration U-turn didn’t take long
Has the immigration U-turn already begun? When Home Secretary James Cleverly announced his overhaul of the legal migration system at the start…
Is Britain heading for a recession after all?
Are we going to end 2023 with a recession after all? The great non-arriving recession of 2023 has so far…
The slow death of Macron’s political dream
Where did it all go wrong for Emmanuel Macron? In his New Year’s Eve address of 2022, France’s president called…
How Vladimir Putin stays in power
With Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine well into its attritional phase, Western aid to Kyiv seems to be drying up.…