What’s behind that enigmatic smile?
The author of a new novel about the Mona Lisa explores the history of the world’s most famous painting
Crocodile Keir
For all of Sunak’s shoddy timing, Starmer’s opportunism was pathetic
A great conductor leaves the stage
No conductor from China or Japan ever commanded world orchestras before Seiji Ozawa, and none has since matched his impact
Has Israel walked into a forever war?
A brutal conflict seems unlikely to be winnable any time soon
There is a lushness to this expanded Letters
There is frequent reporting of local news, often betraying a hobbit-like
preoccupation with the availability of beer
Dial S for screen time
These middle-class tweens being forbidden phones have had iPads since they were six
Sheikh up the Telegraph
We are fortunate that the UAE still wishes to invest in so unstable a country
Why we should question the charge of “Islamophobia”
Valid criticism of beliefs and behaviour should not be equated with hateful bigotry
Playfulness and tedium
Stravinsky, Petrushka; Debussy, Jeux and Prelude (Decca)
Who are universities for?
Research is important — but serving the needs and desires of students matters more
Queen of Hearts
Perturbed to find Diana has a starring role in Celebrity Help! My House is Haunted
The BBC should remember what it’s for
A public broadcaster should exist for truthful journalism, not fashionable pieties
