With Nicola Sturgeon’s departure, the UK has lost an expert in constructing a public image and winning support across political divides. Sturgeon led the Scottish National Party (SNP) to an unprecedented five electoral victories – three in Westminster and two in her home parliament of Holyrood. As deputy and thenContinue Reading
The likelihood of China using military force to “reunify” Taiwan is growing. Some believe the Chinese government could use military action to distract its population from troubles at home after China’s economic growth fell to its second lowest level for decades in 2022. There are numerous signals from Beijing aboutContinue Reading
The shooting of a police officer in Omagh on Thursday evening is another horrific reminder that Northern Ireland remains a deeply and dangerously divided society. Though it has not been confirmed that the assailants were paramilitaries, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has stated that it is investigating linksContinue Reading
The movie seems destined for internet infamy but doesn’t live up to the promise of its viral trailer.Continue Reading
Beijing’s “Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis” has now been officially released by the country’s foreign ministry, after being foreshadowed by China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, at the recent Munich Security Conference. Short on detail and rich in generalities, the peace plan confirms what Beijing sees asContinue Reading
One year of war and Russia is still mired in its second invasion of its neighbour’s internationally recognised territory – which turned out to be much bloodier and more devastating than the first due to Ukraine’s incomparably stronger resistance. The war’s international dimension has been dramatically emphasised by the recentContinue Reading
John Gomez/Shutterstock The case of David Carrick, a serial rapist and a serving officer in the Metropolitan Police Service, is the latest shocking example of violence against women committed by the police. For years, I have studied misogyny in policing in England in Wales. I have crunched the numbers whenContinue Reading
The Russian state has a long history of using its information operations to try and shore up its military plans overseas. Of course all states try to win over the hearts and minds of the population either at home or where they are fighting. But Russia’s approach is a bitContinue Reading
It would be wrong to say that nobody saw this war coming. Vladimir Putin’s troops had been massing on the Ukraine border in Russia and its ally Belarus for some months. And, despite his assurances to the contrary, the president’s bellicose rhetoric and his insistence that Ukraine was an inalienableContinue Reading
When Russia’s ramshackle armies trundled into Ukraine a year ago, very few gave the defenders a chance. After all, they’d spent eight years unsuccessfully trying to fight off pro-Russian separatists (heavily backed by Moscow) in the east of their country. Meanwhile Russia had been ostentatiously developing and modernising its armedContinue Reading
