Mamdani declares war on excellence
New York Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani has a bold plan for the city’s schools: phase out the Gifted and Talented program…
What Trump really wants from Venezuela
When the headlines scream “narco-wars” and pundits wag their fingers about “fentanyl,” it is tempting to reduce Donald Trump’s Venezuela…
Harm’s way
‘Do no harm’ is the supposed motto of our medical profession, although you wouldn’t have known it if you landed…
Australian diary
‘Australia has become a … how you say … shit-show, no?’ This was my first interaction upon arriving in Slovakia…
Looming horror of the heart
What are we to make of dramatic classics and classics of music and dance? That very distinguished actor Bille Brown…
Aussie life
The tendency of Australian politics to shadow British politics is never more conspicuous than when both countries are led by…
Language
Writing in the Daily Telegraph James Morrow has coined the expression ‘pulling an Albo’, meaning ‘looking busy while doing nothing’.…
Learning to speak Latin and Ancient Greek can save civilisation
Finally, some good news from Oxford. The university has recently been through a gloomy patch. It slipped from the top…
Letters: the Church of England still has something meaningful to say
Moscow mule Sir: While visiting Russia, James Delingpole learned from the patriarchate’s press officer that under communism the Russian Church…
Drink early, drink often
As readers will be aware, and without sounding too immodest, this column is absolutely committed to diversity. In an earlier…
The luxury of French prisons
Nicolas Sarkozy, former president of the French Republic, has been convicted and sentenced to five years for a ‘criminal conspiracy…
What we can learn from Singapore
I was in Australia last week, having been invited to give the annual oration by the Robert Menzies Institute, and…
