The West’s nightmare: a war on three fronts
While Britain’s political class is distracted by a Downing Street party, the world is at the most dangerous strategic juncture since the Cuban missile crisis in 1962….
Would we rise up against another lockdown?
The big question is how many people will obey the rules this time. “There isn’t a chance of people going along with any Plan B,” one minister…
Nicola Sturgeon’s North Sea betrayal undermines the whole UK
Having used North Sea oil riches as one of the main pillars of the case for Scottish independence in 2014, Nicola Sturgeon appears to have undergone a…
It’s time to confront the immorality of lockdowns
In the immediate aftermath of Christmas comes the feast of Thomas Becket, the most famous of turbulent priests, whose moral upbraiding of King Henry II resulted in…
Thursday evening UK news briefing: City home-working backlash
Lockdown-sceptic Conservative MPs claim that their ranks are growing. As senior Tories lined up to condemn new Covid rules, Mr Johnson was warned that he faces the…
Couple hires private jet to bring dog stranded by Covid home for Christmas
The couple is hoping to split the costs by recruiting passengers, offering to foot half of the jet bill while selling four remaining seats to other travellers,…
Singapore’s middle classes turn to food banks as inflation bites
But Ms Ng said natural disasters and the climate crisis were also contributing to Singapore’s inflation. “To give you an example, pasta has gone up by 50…
Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai convicted for taking part in banned Tiananmen vigil
At one point, Chow, a trained barrister who represented herself in court, likened her actions to “tank man” – the figure who famously stood in front of…
Jamal Khashoggi murder suspect released after France admits to arresting the wrong man
French authorities said Wednesday they had released a man arrested on suspicion of playing a role in the 2018 Istanbul murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, after…
Emmanuel tells Boris Johnson to ‘be my guest’ and tighten up asylum laws
Emmanuel Macron on Thursday told Boris Johnson to “be my guest” in changing asylum rules as he blamed rock bottom cross-Channel relations on a British government that…
Olaf Scholz warns of ‘consequences’ if Russia invades Ukraine
Earlier in the day Mrs Merkel received a standing ovation from MPs as she attended the Bundestag to watch Mr Scholz being sworn in as her successor….
Joe Biden forced to drop Soviet-born banking regulator nominee
She is the third high-profile nomination by Mr Biden to withdraw after failing to receive the full backing of Democrats in an evenly-split Senate. Earlier this year…
What happens if you test positive for Covid abroad
Five days ago the Health Secretary announced the introduction of pre-departure Covid tests for returning travellers. Even fully vaccinated travellers now have to take a test before…
It is stark-raving mad that red list travellers can’t self-isolate at home
There is only one thing more infuriating than being ordered, by anyone in authority, to do something pointless, and that is to be charged money for the…
The story behind the Barmy Army, England’s travelling band of soused cricket fans
Not everyone approves. The esteemed former Telegraph and Times journalist Christopher Martin-Jenkins tempered the euphoria that surrounded England’s first Ashes series win in 18 years by accusing…
Plan B can be just as good as Plan A when it comes to travel
This week, I thought I’d be writing you a cheery postcode from Zurich, but if the pandemic has taught travellers anything, it is that what we think…
The ‘military-style’ evacuation service that rescues Covid-positive travellers from anywhere
“Whether you’re staying at a downtown luxury hotel in Cairo, out in the bush on safari in Kenya, or on an island in the Maldives – if…
How to avoid quarantine hotel hell using the transit loophole
Among the destinations currently on offer to Richard are Kenya, Mexico, Costa Rica, St Lucia and India. After 10 days he can legally enter the UK without…
Why it’s time Britons discovered the anti-Hamptons that bohemian Americans love
The influx of visitors and investment has given the bucolic region a facelift, and the small towns dotting the landscape have become newly bustling hubs. Livingston Manor…
Don’t Look Up: Nasa’s verdict on the Leonardo DiCaprio comet apocalypse
Few of us are likely to be around to see Earth’s fiery destruction by a giant rock from outer space. Dr Amy Mainzer, however, has been at…
Ashnikko, review: sweaty fans, and sexual provocation
Ashnikko’s music, which welds together rap, pop, punk and emo, promotes feminism and sexual freedom with fun and explicit imagery to boot. On stage, Ashnikko (real name…
Rembrandt’s original sketch revealed beneath The Night Watch in ‘groundbreaking’ discovery
The painting has undergone many restorations over its lifetime. It was placed on its present wooden stretcher in 1975. Once the painting has been restretched, the museum…
‘Exquisite, robust and also faintly dangerous’: the colourful history of the Benton End art colony
For his part, Lett disdained the garden. His domains were the school, which he administered, and the kitchen. By all accounts, he was a remarkable cook, making…
Alcohol, infidelity, ‘communist’ rows: Lucille Ball’s secret unhappiness
Decades later, when a researcher from the University of Nebraska obtained FBI files on Ball and Arnaz using a freedom of information request, it came out that…
And Just Like That…, review: Sex and the City revival is tediously woke and needlessly bitchy
And how does the show tackle the fact that it’s been 17 years since we last saw them on TV? Extremely badly. Not so much the references…