War is the great distraction. Right or wrong, foolish or wise, it suspends all the usual political and economic rules. Suddenly a chancellor who has spent five and a half years telling us “there is no money” can find ready billions for warfare.

IN dark times, begin by giving the Prime Minister a bit of credit. Unlike a certain predecessor, David Cameron has accepted that there needs to be an honest, public argument over the case for an escalated war in the Middle East.

War, then. Another war. Still another war begun because the last guaranteed-conclusive war produced consequences that made one more shot in the dark inevitable. Intellectual and strategic failure is on a production line.

IT isn’t often that a rousing speech on socialist internationalism is rewarded with a full transcript in the Spectator. In fact, it never happens. The Tory Party’s newsletter is funny like that.

If modern lives were measured in unprecedented weather events, we would all be 200 years old. Defences against floods that were supposed to happen every other century are being overtopped in the space of a few winters. The victims surveying ruined homes and businesses are ageing fast.

Award-winning Herald and Sunday Herald columnist Ian Bell has died at the age of 59.

Ian Bell, the award-winning Herald and Sunday Herald writer and columnist, died last week aged 59. Here are excerpts from 10 of his finest pieces of writing.

Sofinar Grigoryan, known as Safinaz, was accused of 'inciting debauchery' by Egyptian officials after videos of her performing on stage with a woman wearing a bikini were shared online.

Bellisario, 34, attended the Amazon Studios Golden Globes after party on Sunday with her husband, Patrick J. Adams. She wore her white Cortana wedding gown skirt paired with pink strappy top.

When you're in a movie with two-time Oscar winner Cate Blanchett, it's important to stand out. And stand out Troian Bellisario did, and then some, in New York on Monday evening.