Cultural appropriation has killed modern music
It’s a rule of life that adults shouldn’t understand young people’s music, ever since Little Richard made the old folk…
McGowan’s bid for total control
It is to the 19th century British historian, politician, and moralist Lord Acton that we owe the phrase: ‘Power tends…
The leadership qualities of a long-dead parrot
‘Be careful what you say,’ said my friend, ‘this guy is fanatical about the local colony of parrots and if…
DeSantis has started his presidential campaign tour
Pittsburgh Fresh off the campaign stage in Arizona, where he stumped for gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, Florida governor Ron DeSantis…
First among equals
There was much hysteria this week over the news that former prime minister Scott Morrison had secretly sworn himself in…
Sino notes
Two weeks ago, the Chinese ambassador to France asserted, ‘After the reunification with Taiwan, the Taiwanese population must be re-educated’.…
Too close to China?
Angus Houston’s responses to MH370 raise questions about his fitness to review our defences
Don’t be routine
It’s a marvellous thing that the great Indian conductor Zubin Mehta will be wielding the baton for that illustrious group…
Aussie life
‘Why can’t a woman be more like a man? complains Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady, a musical whose title…
Language
British journalist Richard Godwin has alerted me to what may be the trendiest word of the moment: ‘namecore’. This is…
The realpolitik of Saudi oil profits and that infamous fist-bump
How outraged should we be that Saudi Aramco has reported a world-record quarterly profit of $48 billion, representing a giant…
The shameful truth: terrorism works
This is a bleak version of looking on the bright side, but what’s astonishing about last week’s vicious stabbing in…
Falling stars
If you want real acting in films, forget the leads – it’s in the supporting roles that you’ll find true talent, says Tanya Gold
Portrait of the week
Home The annual rate of inflation rose to 10.1 per cent, its highest since 1982. Average wages rose by 4.7…
The Truss challenge
‘Whatever else you do, don’t step backwards,’ a man in the crowd shouts to Rishi Sunak as he stands on…
Sole Véronique
One of the joys of writing about old-fashioned food is coming across dishes that are new to me, and turn…
