27 February 2006

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

Cover story

Shamed

In a shocking report on Britain, Amnesty International attacks the government for persecuting innocent people, tearing up our freedoms and undermining the judiciary

By Martin Bright

Features

Squandering a precious heritage

By Philippe Sands

When even actors aren't safe

By Clive Stafford Smith

Rizwan Ahmed was part of a prizewinning team at the Berlin Film Festival. When he got back to Luton Airport, however, he was a terror suspect

Half art, all biscuit

By William Skidelsky

A Chinese artist has sculpted an entire city from HobNobs, Digestives and Rich Teas. Can he be serious? asks William Skidelsky

''We're from the Tory party and we've come to help''

By Nick Cohen

Like a romantic hero, David Cameron has swept some unlikely political maidens off their feet. They now include the bleeding-hearted workers for modish causes

Deputy Dick: what we don't know

By Andrew Stephen

Had he been drinking? Why were the witness reports so contradictory? Many questions remain about that quail shoot

Essay

NS Essay - 'If we did anything questionable in the war, we should have the maturity to admit it and learn from it'

By A C Grayling

The area bombing of civilians by the Allies in the lead-up to 1945 went beyond the limits of a just war, argues A C Grayling. If historians refuse to accept this, they are irresponsible and wrong

Interview

NS Interview - "The petrodollar-funded literalists think their version is the real Islam. I'm for an Islam that is at home in Britain"

By Rachel Aspden

Fareena Alam interviewed

Regulars

New Statesman Leader

And the winners are . . . ?

John Pilger refuses to fly the flag

By John Pilger

Americans wrapped themselves in their flag, but not we Australians. This was never part of Australian life

Kira Cochrane wishes Keira and Scarlett would stop it

By Kira Cochrane

Foretold in myth and legend as the year of the gay cowboy, 2006 actually looks sure to be the year of the faux-lesbian

Mark Thomas flushes out a fatwa

By Mark Thomas

A fatwa committee has sentenced the Kurdish writer Marywan Halabjaye to death, while Kurd leaders just stand by

Lindsey Hilsum smells rotting strawberries

By Lindsey Hilsum

Hamas has maintained a ceasefire, with no suicide bombings and no attacks on Israel, for a year. That is a hopeful sign

Commons Confidential

Village life - Kevin Maguire enjoys a Berlin lovefest

By Kevin Maguire

Tone and Angela in lovefest, No 10's flexible friends, and gorgeous kitty seeks new home

Competition - Win vouchers to spend at any Tesco store

Culture

Ghetto fabulous

By Alex Bellos

Scarred by violence and political repression, Brazil's shanty towns have responded with an outpouring of art, music and film. But as "favela chic" becomes all the rage in the west are we in danger of glamorising slum life?