Tilapia – a red herring in our diet

The idiom of a “red herring” supposedly originated in a technique to train scent hounds. One version of the story has a smelly smoked herring being dragged around until a puppy learned to follow the scent. Another etymology points to escaping convicts using the pungent fish to throw off pursuing hounds.

New Olympic sport: assaulting civilians

It used to be horses and batons: mounted policemen charging people on foot. Today, it is more likely to be pepper spray and the Taser. Tomorrow, it will be a weapon that bursts eardrums. Why is there no public outcry against these assaults on civilians?

Real truths about kidnapping, murder, and small miracles

The Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo is a human rights organisation whose aim is to find the babies stolen during the era of the Argentine dictatorship known as the “Dirty War” (1976-83). Its president is Estela Barnes de Carlotto, about whom an award-winning film has been released.

Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem: The poetry is in the pity

Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem publicly challenged the notion that war is a necessary evil. Few major works of the 20th century have met with such unanimous and unambiguous praise from critics and audiences.

Is Europe on the brink of a resurgence of fascism?

In France 6.3 million people have just voted for the far-right. The number is alarming and, in the context of European history, sinister. It seems that fascism is rearing its ugly head, but this time wearing the mask of the people.

The Falklands: Making a mountain out of a molehill

The Falkland Islands (perdón – Las Malvinas) are not high on my list of places to visit. They might long ago have been exchanged for the Isle of Wight without much loss. But oil has now entered the picture and we can undoubtedly look forward to renewed political chicanery. As long as it doesn’t lead to another futile war.