King Charles’s first state visit as monarch is with Cyril Ramaphosa, president of South Africa, who has left a country blacked out by constant power cuts, with soaring unemployment (35%) and corruption allegations threatening to trigger his prosecution. SA’s parliament is preparing to announce whether he should be impeached over his failure to report a … Read more
Reality bites as support for Brexit has fallen to a record low of 32% as Chancellor Jeremy Hunt cautiously puts a toe in the waters of conciliation suggesting in time the trade barriers which have been erected post-2016 could be substantially removed while the UK still remains outside the single market. The Office for Budget … Read more
Ukraine has been heartened by their army’s success in forcing Russian military to retreat from territory stolen during the war, notably from the key city of Kherson. It lies just north of Crimea, and the defeat there represents a major setback to Putin’s dream of creating a land bridge from Russia to Crimea. Ukrainian officials … Read more
Football is getting its shoelaces in a tangle what with the Qatari debacle in the vagina-shaped stadium (go read Marina Hyde, Guardian) and now the greatest footballer of all time Cristiano Ronaldo falling out with Manchester United. He gave an unsanctioned interview to Piers Morgan on Talk TV slating the manager Erik Ten Hag, the … Read more
As Nancy Pelosi steps down as Democratic party leader after legislative triumphs spanning four presidencies, she is earning plaudits as a legendary figure with monumental achievements including Obama’s Affordable Care Act. She is renowned as a bare-knuckle, ruthlessly effective politician and one who was able to draw together disparate factions in the party with an … Read more
Never one to take a hint, Trump has brushed aside Republican pleas to stand down, ignored the implications of Murdoch pulling the plug on support and turned a blind eye to major donors disappearing. Even Ivanka has ducked. Maybe it would have been too big a climbdown for his fragile ego to hand the … Read more
Not lauded for his negotiating skills in Brussels where he was nicknamed The Turnip when discussing terms for Exiting the EU, Dominic Rabb, now Justice Minister, has faced over the years concerns about the way he has treated officials in the departments he headed. All hotly denied and he is litigious. But following on … Read more
The bewildering alternative universe of crypto currency which makes hedge fund derivatives look sane in comparison has taken a knock with the collapse of Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX. Bankman-Fried, a week ago was among the most respected figures in the sector with a $24bn personal fortune and close links with Wall Street and celebrities. He … Read more
Joe Biden has been giving every indication of standing again in 2024 which makes the Democrat Mid Term surprise results a victory with a price. A poll before the midterms found that more than half of Democrat and Democrat-leaning voters wanted a different nominee, a figure that rose to 75 per cent among those under … Read more
For a man who won convincingly in the race for Governor in Florida and is being talked up as the Republican presidential nominee for 2024, Ron DeSantis is not looking overtly happy. Either the lack of a red tsunami is causing him concern or he’s wincing at Trump’s sneers. He’s a practical and communicative … Read more