| Dear Reader,
The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan has raised some important questions for the West. Violent, religious zealots in power anywhere breeds extremism and danger, writes Nick Timothy, but permanent or semi-permanent occupation – like what we’ve seen in Afghanistan – comes at a steep price, and represents a kind of imperialism America has rejected. Is now the time for a full reassessment of our strategic capabilities?
There has also been criticism about the manner of our withdrawal, with many concerned that the British Government appears to be dragging its feet in coming to the aid of the Afghans who helped our forces. Female soldiers in particular have been left in a perilous situation, as we report here. Our defence and security correspondent and former soldier, Dominic Nicholls, warns that the way we exit this war may already be setting the conditions for failure in the next.
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The whole country has been rocked by the shooting in Plymouth last week, which has reopened the discussion around “involuntary celibates”. In this fascinating piece, Laura Bates reveals what she learned when spending two years undercover researching incel online communities and how we can tackle them.
Exercise and a good diet are the obvious answers to leading a healthy life in middle age, but even those of us with the best intentions can sometimes slip up. It’s never too late to make a change, however. These are the golden rules for keeping fit in midlife, and what you still might be getting wrong, according to experts and celebrity trainers.
Chris
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