For the first time in 30 years the number of people in extreme poverty globally, is rising. Extreme poverty, as defined by the World Bank, entails surviving on less than $1.90 a day. The consequences of the global shutdown on global poverty are causing problems that will result in many deaths. We should be […]
Today I thought that I’d draw your attention to a particularly repulsive ad that graces a bus stop in Vancouver. The ad features a picture of a cute baby, smiling, looking with joy out at commuters. Underneath it, the ad says: “The most loving gift you can give your first child is not to have another.” […]
If the life of Donald J Trump were a movie we would now be in the tumultuous third act. The news that Trump has tested positive for the Coronavirus has shaken up the presidential race in another unexpected direction. If this were a movie it would be the perfect third act plot twist. “The Hero’s […]
In many ways, it’s surprising that it took this long for him to contract it. That’s not a comment about him personally, but about the job – he’s the President of the United States, in an election season. Even in normal times, he’s probably meeting twenty to thirty people a day sitting right across a […]
A controversial genetic study published in 2003 suggested that one in every 200 men alive today is a descendant of Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan. In central Asia, this figure rises to one in 12 — or about 16 million men. Impossible today? Not so fast. There were 20th century superspreaders, to borrow from the jargon of Covid-19 […]
Paddy Power, or to be exact Paddy Power punters thought that Biden won the first debate. Odds on him were shortened to 4/6 in the immediate aftermath. Hey, it’s as good a predictor as any as to what is likely to happen although they were completely wrong in 2016 when PP paid out on Hilary […]
Confession: Two weeks ago or so I decided that no, I wasn’t going to sit up into the early hours of the morning to watch two cranky seventy year olds shouting at each other in America. And I was absolutely intent on keeping that promise, until Virgin Media rang yesterday and asked would I review […]
There are over 3 million underground Catholics who have resisted joining the 6 million members of the Patriotic church, and, with their fate hanging in the balance, matters in Rome are sure to impact on the credibility of both Pope Francis and the Vatican for years to come.
On Saturday evening, U.S. President Trump named Amy Coney Barrett as his nominee to replace the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court. Although her nomination had been widely predicted, and was greeted enthusiastically by the President’s supporters and by the Pro Life movement, it also sparked another outpouring of rage, abuse and […]
“The court — we are one vote away from losing our fundamental constitutional liberties, and I believe that the president should next week nominate a successor to the court, and I think it is critical that the Senate takes up and confirms that successor before Election Day.” Senator Ted Cruz As the United Supreme […]
“The IPCC is partly a scientific organisation, partly a political organisation”. That was what Richard Tol, a convening lead author of the 5th review of climate change from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), told Michael Shellenberger when he interviewed him for his recently released book, Apocalypse Never. In 2010, Tol was assigned to the team to draft the […]
As in most countries, a large proportion of coronavirus deaths in France are taking place in nursing homes. Of 32,000 deaths in France, about 14,000 were in nursing homes. Confirmed cases and deaths are rising again for the first time in months. French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted this week that “our elders, more fragile, are more […]