Blog
A running commentary on politics, international affairs and culture
The Importance of Reading Newspapers
There might be good reasons for newspaper circulation to be dwindling, but the art of reading physical news has significant democratic and mental health benefits.
The Taiwan Question
The question over Taiwan has long been personally and politically significant to me. And with things cooling down between the US and China, what might be in store for the world’s most gallant democracy?
Why Is Erdoğan Being So Pragmatic?
The welcome news of Tufan Erhürman’s landslide electoral victory in unrecognized Northern Cyprus marks a significant step toward ending one of Europe’s longstanding conflicts. But why is the Turkish president congratulating him?
A Peace of Hope at Last?
Hamas has fallen, the hostages are coming home, and the war is finally ending. But peace arrives not in triumph, but in ruins — and with bitter lessons unlearned. This is the anatomy of a war that was both inevitable and disastrously mismanaged.
The Weird Axis of the Anglosphere’s Center-Left
As Britain drifts from global heavyweight to geopolitical afterthought, an unlikely alignment between Starmer, Albanese, and Carney could resurrect CANZUK as a serious alternative to US dominance.
Are We Back on Course with Ukraine?
Has Trump’s flip-flopping nature finally flipped the right way at last? Could it be that, after wasting 9 months on isolationist utopia, the US president is finally seeing the optimism that could change the course of the Russian-Ukrainian War?
When You Make Yourself the Pariah
Spanish president Pedro Sánchez's latest attempts to hold his feeble left-wing coalition together has come with a diplomatic spat with Israel….
How Civil Wars Start
Charlie Kirk's broadcast murder is jarring. We are not, in our snug, safe liberal societies, used to seeing assassinations of high profile figures being carried out in broad daylight…
Libya and Unfinished Business
The NATO intervention to help rebels depose Gaddafi has had lasting consequence, not least the rise of terrorism and Russian influence in Africa.
Been Mugged by Reality, Mr. President?
With Iran’s nuclear facilities destroyed, is the US president finally waking up to the utopianism of his own America First doctrine?
One Good Thing About Trump Presidency: Netanyahu Getting What He Deserves
Relying on slippery allies is a lesson that Europe is quickly learning, but it appears to be one that Netanyahu shouldn't be too far behind on either…