Fretting my way to hope
All of the tolerable jokes about Chinese spy balloons have already been made. I don’t have any new ones. What I do have is a strange sense of unease. Several people whom I trust and respect predict...
Could Kazakhstan form a new “non-aligned movement”?
Kazakhstan, the largest country in Central Asia, seeks to position itself as an important regional and global actor that has good relations with all major powers. Even though Astana is Russia’s...
The web’s top three #50
Every Monday on Global Comment, we share the slow, thoughtful, considerate words that our brains - and souls - need but that it's easy to miss in our busy world. We distil the best of the web and...
Podcast Showcase: Three Decades of Tragedy: A History of the Thirty Years War
Welcome to the next in the Podcast Showcase series, where we share podcasts with you in the words of the podcasters themselves. This time, we talk to Three Decades of Tragedy: A History of the Thirty...
From Scratch and other Italian-flavored Netflix Valentine’s treats
Italy is one of the most special countries to experience romance, with passionate people, delicious food, architectural wonder, a seductive language and an appreciation for art. This place has all...
Black Bird: what would we be willing to do for freedom?
17th July 2025: This review has been amended to clarify that James Keene was the primary author of the book To correct the terminology around Keene’s conviction That Keene became an FBI operative...
Why Bakhmut doesn’t matter
Bakhmut, a small city in the Donbass, is the focus of a war of attrition between the Russian Wagner Group mercenaries and the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Judging by the current developments on the...
The web’s top three #49
Every Monday on Global Comment, we share the slow, thoughtful, considerate words that our brains - and souls - need but that it's easy to miss in our busy world. We distil the best of the web and...
The emotional and physical journey of induced lactation
Many experts agree that breast milk is the best food a baby can have, with countless health benefits for the newborn. Unfortunately, due to different circumstances, not all mothers are able to...
“An audacious act of self-aggrandising”: The Fabelmans review
Watching The Fabelmans is such a bitter pill to swallow. You’ll love it and loathe it in equal measure. The sheer exhilaration from watching the young Steven Spielberg discover his genius for film...