The bookish and courteous Philip Hammond is an unlikely political rebel. As UK foreign minister he enjoyed a good relationship with his Dublin opposite number, Charlie Flanagan. Now he has made it clear that he will exit his job as finance minister before Boris Johnson becomes the prime minister. After more than three years, this […]

This year is the 100th anniversary of the first meeting of the Algonquin Round Table, one of the 20th century’s most famous literary gatherings. The story has become a part of New York City lore: In June 1919, a group of writers and critics gathered at the Algonquin Hotel, at 59 West 44th Street in […]

What is America’s role in the world? What does it stand for? What threats does it face? When and how should it intervene in disputes? With military force, or with diplomacy? With sanctions or development aid? For any Democrat competing to succeed President Trump as president, solutions to such problems could require not only undoing […]

Before Neil Armstrong could take his small step down to the surface of a new world, before he and Buzz Aldrin could plant the flag, or scoop up moon rocks, or bunny-hop across the desolate lunar landscape, the astronauts of Apollo 11 had to take out the trash. From the porch of the lunar module, […]

It is not a good week for the world when its most powerful leader suggests democratically elected women politicians should go back to the “broken and crime infested” countries they came from. Not only has President Trump not apologised, he has turned up the heat dangerously on ‘The Squad’, a quartet of Democratic House members, […]

Jihadi bride or not, Lisa Smith is our responsibility. She says she want to come home and we should bring her back as soon as possible – citizens cannot be cast adrift. The question is not whether she should be allowed to return to Ireland, because we have a clear duty to take back the […]

You don’t have to be a fan of Stranger Things to know about the Upside Down – you just need to look around you. Sure, we’re not confronted with an inter-dimensional portal containing freakish monsters, à la Netflix hit. But there’s no doubt that everything seems topsy-turvy. There are certain social changes which will always […]

Is it time for a revolution within the Democratic Party? “Spare me,” writes Thomas L. Friedman in his column, “‘Trump’s Going to Get Re-elected, Isn’t He?’”: “Win the presidency, hold the House and narrow the spread in the Senate, and a lot of good things still can be accomplished.” More than 5,000 readers weighed in […]

This week, I left my position as the president and chief executive of Planned Parenthood. In my farewell message to colleagues, I cited philosophical differences over the best way to protect reproductive health. While the traditional approach has been through prioritizing advocating for abortion rights, I have long believed that the most effective way to […]

Should I go back to Scotland, where my mother was born, since I am usually critical of my country? By the way, I do that for two reasons: one, I am Canadian; two, it’s my job. The recent ramblings of Donald Trump have got me thinking about where I would go if someone told me to “go […]