There’s no other explanation for Boris Johnson – he must be a Russian spy
When you look back over Johnson’s journalistic career, it soon becomes apparent that he was in the right place…
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American Rage
Warning from a global era: the lessons we must learn from the 19th century
Richard J Evans’s sweeping history of 19th-century Europe, The Pursuit of Power, has much to offer in our current moment.
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Poem: “Triple Witching”
That’s not smog sitting on the lake . . .
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What has happened to political pop music?
Where Red Wedge sailed on optimism, pop and politics today make odd partners.
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The global trade in human hair has a rich, hidden politics
Entanglement unravels the knotty story of the hair trade, from the 19th century to the wigs of today's Orthodox…
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“Living in the lap of luxury“: the strange wartime diaries of the woman behind Pippi Longstocking
Astrid Lindgren's diaries reveal how Pippi's creator lived happily during the war – but was ascerbic about Britain's conduct.
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Brexit confusion is scuppering my show – what next?
My week, from spinning records with Baconface, Brexit block and visiting comedy graves.
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In a Chicago voting booth, I remember why humans find it so hard to accept defeat
A week of election build-up in the US, from peeping at the president to haranguing Hillary – and a starry night…
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Sometimes it’s hard to be a man – especially if you overthink it
A new outpouring of books show masculinity isn’t in crisis, human beings are.
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Once we’ve forgotten Leveson, newspapers will go back to invading privacy and telling outright lies
The week in the media, including the very British farce of Section 40, the mystery of the refugee “children” and…
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Paul Nash: the modernity of ancient landscapes
Famous for his eerie First World War paintings, a new exhibition reminds us why Paul Nash was the greatest British…
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Marvel’s Doctor Strange is like ketchup – it’s formulated to please, but you won’t love it
Benedict Cumberbatch’s well-honed turn in Doctor Strange is enjoyable, but the film isn't one you'd ever fall in love with.
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Introducing the Honeywell DT90E: the only thermostat that works by telepathy
“Surely, he is not,” you are saying, “going to get a whole column out of a thermostat?”
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It’s Rosh Hashana, but the year 5777 doesn’t begin smoothly for me
Readers, forget the 80 minutes for an ambulance. This was Sunday night in A&E.
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Leader: Mark Carney — a rock star banker feels the heat
Rather than mutual buck-passing, politicians and central bankers must collaborate in good faith.
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What’s very old, with four small pages, and has me in a state of lust?
This week, I'm deep in football memorabilia. Can you guess the year of the oldest programme, the teams and who…
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I don’t even believe in God – so why do I care what happens in The Young Pope?
The Young Pope stars Jude Law as a pious yet sensuous pontiff. Even so, I didn't expect it to…
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Would you let your child change their gender?
Get ready for the new culture war: the question of how old children should be before they're allowed to…
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After a year of division, a new centre is emerging in Labour
Clive Lewis, Lisa Nandy and Jonathan Reynolds show how factionalism is being transcended.
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Trumpkin wilting? Here’s a gourd you’ll actually want to eat
It’s that time of year again, when the Western world goes crazy for a fruit we don’t actually like.…
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The pleasure of being young, captured for radio
Peter Bradshaw's “Reunion”, read by Tom Hollander, was the perfect afternoon short story.
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Ali Smith’s Autumn attempts something rich – but sometimes ends up overripe
Is Autumn spoiled by Smith's love of the quick return and reliance on satirical fruit not so much low-hanging as fallen and rotting?…
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On the road with the Iraqi army in Mosul
The war against Isis seems likely to get still harder from here.
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The unsung heroes of Aberfan
How volunteer embalmers helped to handle the Welsh village’s tragedy.
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The rise of Raheem Kassam, Nigel Farage’s back-room boy
The former conservative blogger is mounting a bid for the Ukip leadership. But can he do enough to convince the…
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Where is the anti-war left’s fury over Syria?
A real anti-war movement would oppose all military aggression, be it American, Russian or Syrian.
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Keir Starmer: “I don’t think anybody should underestimate the risks of getting Brexit wrong”
The former director of public prosecutions is now heading up Labour’s response to Brexit. But can he succeed in…
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