Jonathan Eyal

2 days ago | straitstimes.com | Jonathan Eyal

US President Donald Trump is not a man who does things in half measures. So, as he embarks on his tour of the Middle East this week, the President is vowing to squeeze the cash-rich monarchies of the Gulf: “They are going to be spending a lot of money on American companies for buying military equipment and a lot of other things.” And, as one would expect from Mr Trump, no visit is complete without tossing a diplomatic hand grenade.

6 days ago | straitstimes.com | Jonathan Eyal

LONDON - From the moment Pope Francis passed away, it was evident that the battle to pick his successor as leader of the world’s Catholics would be between reformers determined to continue the late Pope’s modernising efforts, and traditionalists eager to prevent the Catholic Church from going down the road of what they dismiss as heresy.

6 days ago | straitstimes.com | Jonathan Eyal

LONDON - From the moment Pope Francis passed away, it was evident that the battle to pick his successor as leader of the world’s Catholics would be between reformers determined to continue the late Pope’s modernising efforts, and traditionalists eager to prevent the Catholic Church from going down the road of what they dismiss as heresy.

1 week ago | straitstimes.com | Jonathan Eyal

UPDATED May 07, 2025, 05:56 AM

1 week ago | straitstimes.com | Jonathan Eyal

LONDON – Mr Nigel Farage is hardly a novelty in British politics. The 61-year-old hard-right activist has taken part in Britain’s elections since the 1990s and was one of the key movers behind a 2016 referendum that resulted in Britain’s departure from the European Union. But Mr Farage has now morphed from a mere fringe actor into an existential threat to the political establishment after his Reform party topped the polls in the country’s local elections on May 1.