COMMENT

‘9/11 is becoming an exercise in forgetting’

— Strangely, 22 years on, 9/11 is the one reassuring sign in America’s otherwise sickening body and body politic.

COMMENT

Is the G20 in trouble?

— Xi no-show and several other headaches for host India.

COMMENT

Al-Fayed simply lived in the wrong era of British politics

— Mohamed Al-Fayed was deemed ‘not a fit and proper person to be given (British) citizenship’. Today, the Egyptian businessman would probably be in the House of Lords.

COMMENT

(Not) over the moon about Vivek Ramaswamy

— A second-generation Indian swam into the world’s view of America’s political craziness the day India became only the fourth nation to land a spacecraft on the moon.

COMMENT

Memo to fellow journalists: Please don’t cover Trump 2.0 like in 2016

— In 2016, Donald Trump’s outrageous behaviour – tweets, incendiary statements, and norm-breaking promises – were covered with gawping attention. In 2023, it’s his criminal indictments.

COMMENT

In having nothing to say about Rishi Sunak, new Tory MP Steve Tuckwell said it all

— Some people, like Britain’s prime minister, have hideously good luck.

COMMENT

Wagner is golden again... in Central African Republic

— Business as usual for Russia’s globe-trotting mercenary army. Is Putin fully on board or unable to prevent it?

COMMENT

Riots show that France may be increasingly American (and I don’t mean McDonald’s)

— How France’s recent riots reflect a growing racial consciousness among its black and north African population, influenced by the US and the work of Education Minister Pap Ndiaye, a historian who challenges France’s colourblind ideal.

COMMENT

Americans have an enviably healthy attitude to Britain royalty

— US journalists analysed the King’s coronation, noting its rarity in recent British history and how King Charles III may face more challenges as some Commonwealth countries seek to become republics and end their ties with the monarchy.

COMMENT

Shouldn’t the French get with the script?

— The state in France can’t afford to pay for the French to play boules and drink pastis for a quarter-century.

COMMENT

Elon Musk obeys ‘strict’ social media rules of Modi’s India. But not for America’s NPR

— When asked about Twitter’s functioning in India, Elon Musk claims ignorance regarding the Indian government’s requests to remove content related to Narendra Modi’s leadership and 2002 Gujarat riots. Despite being a “free speech absolutist,” Musk seems to surrender easily to government complaints.

COMMENT

Racism and the ugliness of Britain’s increasingly diverse politics

— Baroness Warsi condemned Home Secretary Suella Braverman for using extreme and divisive language about British Pakistani men, cautioning that this could fan the flames of racism and invite attacks. Warsi recommends that one should be more cautious with words, especially if highly trained in law.

COMMENT

Ukraine war re-positions ‘the heart of Europe’ more eastwards... in Poland

— Poland’s importance in Europe is evolving due to its strong stance against Russian aggression in Ukraine, having hosted Ukrainian refugees, provided aid and supplies, and pushed for Ukraine’s NATO and EU integration.

COMMENT

20 years on, the false narrative of the Firdos Square Saddam statue toppling

— 20 years after the iconic toppling of Saddam Hussein’s bronze statue in Iraq, some people now lament the lack of rule of law in the country. Though the toppling was a defining moment in Iraq’s freedom, the state of corruption suggests a different reality.

COMMENT

Rishi Sunak’s Goldilocks migration strategy: ‘Stop the boats’ and ‘start the legal’ passage

— Rishi Sunak is trying to please both moderate and hard-lined rebels within his party regarding UK migration policies. The UK needs ‘safe and legal’ routes for both economic migrants and persecuted people so they don’t have to risk taking boats. It’s time for humane migration policies in the UK.

COMMENT

Nitrous oxide ban: What the Dutch do in January, the Brits do in March

— The Netherlands and Britain plan to ban laughing gas to stop drug use in parks and address antisocial behaviour caused by the drug.