In fact, fierce, though localised, fighting continued, with troops loyal to what must now be described as the ancien regime deploying tanks to defend the leader's compound. Whether Colonel Gaddafi himself was still there was uncertain; not even the l...

The manufactured brouhaha over David Starkey's comments last week follows a well-trodden and wearisome path. Curmudgeonly man (or woman) says something crass. Remember Jan Moir? Somebody gets cross. They reach for their computers and go on to Twitter...

The first has to do with contracts that allow commercial photographers exclusive access to maternity wards. Given the precautions many hospitals have in place to prevent abuse and abduction, and the way adults who come into contact with children are ...

To many, the most surprising aspect of the consultation launched yesterday is that it has taken so long. City dwellers in particular are already well aware that the cost of roadworks – in time, money and aggravation – is out of hand. The Government's...

As of this weekend, those two words have been illuminating a dark corner of a Downing Street stairwell, just outside the door to the Terracotta Room (I don't dare imagine its decor; have they never heard of Farrow and Ball?). According to one unimpre...

Recent events have shown that such fears were not idle scaremongering. The attacks – claimed by a Palestinian group close to Hamas – that killed eight Israelis in the south of the country last week may be isolated incidents. On the other hand, they s...

Female participation in cycling continues to lag behind and, in too many of our cities, riding a bike still feels more dangerous than it should. Government investment is helping to redress this situation but it's essential that we maintain momentum. ...

Tabloids often squeal of the need to take into account the feelings of victims when meting out justice; yet victims, still hot with anger, are ill-qualified to dispense justice coolly. But in the case of the Hillsborough files, I find myself persuade...

This is still officially the silly season, so be prepared for all sorts of wild and wacky stories, like rioting on the streets of our major cities, meltdown on the global financial markets and more death and destruction in Afghanistan.For those of yo...

It's easy to see why he inflames exiled dissidents with his endless presentation of the regime's case on Western TV, or that his constant claims that areas are stable or under Gaddafi's control when they palpably aren't, seem increasingly detached fr...