Rupert Christiansen

A short history of applause – and booing

Today's vacuous nightly West End standing ovations represent a significant departure from the custom of 50 years ago

Britain is largely free of claques, a mafia-type menace that corrupts mainland Europe: 'The Claque in action', c.1830-40. Image: © Archives Charmet / Bridgeman Images 
issue 17 December 2022
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Samuel Gregg

The welcome fall of Klaus Schwab

Hubris has a way of catching up to people. That was my first thought when I read that Klaus Schwab, founder and chair of the once-mighty World Economic Forum (WEF), had resigned his position in the wake of an anonymous whistleblower alleging financial and personal misconduct on the part of Schwab and his wife (the

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