12 July 2004

From the Editor…

Welcome to the New Statesman website. Whether you are a new reader or an existing one - online or via the magazine - I hope you'll enjoy the great writing, fresh ideas and provocative debate that make the New Statesman Britain's award-winning current affairs weekly

Jason Cowley, Editor, New Statesman

Features

New Statesman/BT round table: Cardiff - From farce to treasure trove

By Robert Colvile

G B Shaw dismissed communications technology as ridiculous, but today, the link between profitability and the use of broadband is clear, as the Welsh have found. Robert Colvile reports

Regulars

New Statesman Leader

Palestine: a time to cool our emotions

The Politics Column

Politics - John Kampfner finds ministers with legal worries

By John Kampfner

Ministers are worried about a court case that challenges the lawfulness of military action in Iraq. The Foreign Office argues that any ruling would prejudice the national interest

John Pilger pays tribute to the Aboriginal community

By John Pilger

Aboriginal children today have the same life expectancy as white children in 1900. Yet most Australians can't understand why there was an uprising in Sydney this year

Darcus Howe recalls beatings from his father

By Darcus Howe

On his deathbed, my father said he was sorry he beat me. But I could not forgive

Competition

Win vouchers to spend at any Tesco store

Culture

Desperately saving showbiz

By Michael Coveney

Poised to light up Theatreland and London's West End are three big musical productions. But given a limp summer season, which has been staggering through saturation and failure, are they more likely to face slow handclaps than receive standing ovations?

Past masters

By Weston Naef

Photography - The art form may look simple enough, but what is it that makes a good photographer a great one? The curator of the Getty's collection, Weston Naef, explains

Prince Charming?

By John Jelley

Student Life - William Windsor's presence at St Andrews University has had a grim effect on undergraduate culture, argues ex-student John Jelley

Theatre

Michael Portillo - Women's war work

By Michael Portillo

Theatre - Patriotism without a sneer served up with deep humanity. By Michael Portillo We Happy Few Gielgud Theatre, London W1

Film

Miranda Sawyer - Comic-strip geek

By Miranda Sawyer

Film - A hero with too much emotion and not enough action. By Miranda Sawyer Spider-Man 2 (PG) Around the World in 80 Days (PG)

Television

Andrew Billen - From an old master

By Andrew Billen

Television - Robert Hughes is icily polite and seriously damning. By Andrew Billen The New Shock of the New (BBC2)

Books

Engine of growth. Globalisation, despite its imperfections, represents the best hope there is for alleviating poverty. It follows that pro-globalist arguments are most compelling for poor countries. Being inefficient is a luxury that only the wealthy can afford

By Robert Skidelsky

In Defence of Globalisation Jagdish Bhagwati Oxford University Press, 324pp, £17.99 ISBN 0195170253 Why Globalisation Works Martin Wolf Yale University Press, 398pp, £19.99