Conflict
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Queen invokes Blitz spirit in message of hope
Can war metaphors be a mixed blessing? The Queen last night movingly evoked memories of World War Two. But many politicians worldwide have been less subtle in their choice of words.
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A man with a cough walks into an empty bar
Is it wrong to make jokes during a crisis? The pandemic – like many tragic and difficult situations throughout the centuries – has brought fear, but also inspired a tidal wave of humour.
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Lockdown! And the rush to stock up goes on
What’s so wrong with stockpiling? People facing an unprecedented lockdown are being called “selfish” and “shameful”, but humans have always stored up food to get through difficult times.
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Markets panic as virus drags down oil price
Does oil run the world? It looks that way to investors watching the value of shares plummet in response to a shock drop in the price of oil. But why does “black gold” have so much power?
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Revealed: the machine that spied for America
Was this the greatest intelligence coup ever? A coding device that was used for decades by scores of countries has been exposed as an American trick to read all their top secret messages.
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‘A united Ireland would be good for everyone’
Should Ireland be united? The idea is gathering pace. And polls before tomorrow’s general election show a surge in support for Sinn Féin, a party with its sights set on reunification.
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Anti-Semitism surge 75 years after Auschwitz
Will we ever defeat anti-Semitism? Today, millions of people around the world will remember the Holocaust. But while fewer victims of the Nazi atrocities remain, old hatreds still persist.
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Seven days that shook the world
Is the Iran crisis over? New evidence has emerged showing that in the days immediately before and after the assassination of General Soleimani, the world teetered on the brink of war.
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Fears of WW3 after US drone kills Iranian hero
Are we on the brink of WW3? The USA has killed a powerful Iranian general. Iran has threatened revenge and Donald Trump has promised to “hit them harder than they have ever been hit before”.
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Protest sweeps India over ‘anti-Muslim law’
Is India becoming a racist state? A new citizenship law has sparked protest across India. The government says it protects persecuted minorities; opponents say it is racist and anti-Muslim.
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The saint who turned into a monster (for many)
Is it always a mistake to make idols of politicians? After decades opposing the military regime in Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi is now defending the army in court against charges of genocide.
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Trump, NATO, the NHS and a wicked Russian plot
Is Russia interfering in UK politics? A new report suggests that Putin is “sowing confusion” and disinformation online in the latest stage of an information war on its NATO enemies.
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The oldest hatred: anti-Semitism on the rise
Is anti-Semitism different from other forms of hate? The British Labour Party and the American Right have both been hit by allegations of Jew-hatred. It has a unique and terrible history.
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‘Law of the jungle’ as US backs settlements
Is the liberal international order collapsing? The Trump administration just smashed years of legal history by declaring that Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank are now acceptable.
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Britain faces international war crimes trial
Is Britain’s military a force for good or evil in the world? A year-long probe has uncovered evidence that the British Government covered up atrocities by troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.