All is calm: Christmas in St Petersburg Alexander Titov, Author provided While preparing for a trip to Russia in late December 2021, I was half-joking to friends that my return to the UK could well be delayed either by COVID or a Russian invasion of Ukraine. The threat of anContinue Reading
“The Rock” hopes a new stock exchange will attract crypto millionaires who want to avoid hefty taxes.Continue Reading
Leeds GATE, Author provided The policing bill making its way through UK parliament has sparked controversy over its draconian proposals to expand police powers and curb protests. The bill will also have a detrimental impact on Gypsy and Traveller families with the criminalisation of trespass. In its current form, partContinue Reading
Whips are key players in Westminster. They act as a two-way channel of communication between the party leadership and backbench MPs, feeding information from the leadership to MPs and vice versa. If the leadership wants MPs to vote a certain way, it’s the job of the whips to make sureContinue Reading
As Russian troops mobilise near Ukraine’s border and appear poised to invade, so the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) has assumed its traditional role as a bastion of European defence. That mission – the one for which Nato was founded way back in 1949 – is a short cut toContinue Reading
Lawmakers want all websites to use a similar “Ask App Not to Track” function, but Apple’s system might not be as clear-cut as once believed.Continue Reading
shutterstock Last year’s James Bond blockbuster, No Time to Die, is permeated by a sense of closure. For one thing, the ironically titled movie brings closure to Daniel Craig’s portrayal of the famous fictional spy. By having Bond finally forgive his double-agent former lover Vesper Lynd for her betrayal inContinue Reading
When Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th US president in January 2021, 51.3% of American voters heaved a sigh of relief – along with much of the world. After four tumultuous and unscripted years of Donald Trump, restoration of calm via his experienced successor seemed welcome. And ifContinue Reading
The UK prime minister, Boris Johnson, is facing calls to resign after it was revealed that his staff held gatherings in Downing Street while strict pandemic rules were in place for the rest of the nation. Faced with constant questions over how much he knew and whether he sanctioned theContinue Reading
A retired Catholic priest accused of sexually assaulting a male over 50 years ago has brought a High Court action aimed at halting his trial before the Circuit Criminal Court. The man, who is aged in his late 80s, claims that he cannot get a fair trial on grounds includingContinue Reading
