All presidents put “America first” – including when it comes to Britain
The week in the media, from Corbyn’s Trident misfires to the Kennedy myth.
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The eclipse of the West
Why is it so hard to predict the future of technology?
From Uber to drones, Amy Webb attempts to forecast how technology will change the world.
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Gwendoline Riley’s First Love is uncomfortable, but impossible to turn away from
Riley once described her writing as “picking at scabs and lying awake”. In this, her fifth novel, the visceral…
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Whatever happened to the public intellectual?
Philosophy used to be a staple of television and the newspapers. Not any longer. So where did all the…
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The shout that awakened nations
Martin Luther, the Reformation – and the birth of the modern world.
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Could virtual reality help improve the lives of farm animals?
A new immersive environment, iAnimal, places the viewer inside a factory farm. So why am I still eating chicken?
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How the American Democrats can oppose Donald Trump
It's time for the Democrats to drive a wedge between Trump and the GOP – and remind America who…
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The eclipse of the West
What has driven the new age of isolation - and the return of great power politics?
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Us/Them is a chilling on-stage enactment of the Beslan school siege
Most theatre about children is uplifting, feel-good fare. Carly Wijs's show bucks the trend.
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On Brexit, the Lib Dems have one big advantage over Labour: nothing to lose
Labour's coalition all-but-invites a fudge.
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I’m all for middle-aged heroines having lots of sex – but I’m not convinced by Apple Tree Yard
Between the series' utterly unconvincing quickie in the House of Commons broom cupboard and Donald Trump's inauguration footage, it's…
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Forget fitness – I run because it keeps me sane
I have never quantified my “performance” with a smartphone, tracked my route with a GPS watch, or even listened to…
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How should journalists respond to Trump? Their response to his inauguration gives some clues
BBC1’s coverage of the Trump inauguration was flaccid but Channel 4 and Newsnight excelled.
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As a child, Xiaolu Guo hunted birds and toads for food – today, she’s an award-winning novelist
Guo’s jagged, unpolished memoir Once Upon a Time in the East reminds us of the power of storytelling.
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Walking, weeping, and fighting back against Donald trump
My week – when I wasn't feeding my Twitter addiction, that is . . .
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Can Danny Boyle once again capture the national mood with T2 Trainspotting?
Renton, Sick Boy, Begbie and Spud are back.
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An old flame tells me men keep serving her spaghetti carbonara – of course
Spaghetti carbonara, or, as I see it, bacon and eggs applied to a foreign base for a spurious sophistication.
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A time to break down, and a time to build: the beauty of midwinter
The cruellest winter is as much part of regeneration as any season of abundance.
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Sweet death: how the sugar industry created a global crisis
Our modern addiction to sugar is killing us – and it may be too late to stop it.
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I was going to be the Only Gentile at the Funeral – so I started rending my best skirt
Imagine my disappointment when I discovered that we were the only souls in attendance at Brighton’s most depressing crematorium.
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How Martin McGuiness went from paramilitary to peacemaker
As McGuiness leaves Stormont, it's time to reflect on the ex-IRA commander who made peace with Ian Paisley – and…
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Imperial melting pot: how a new book reveals the remarkable history of Istanbul
A Tale of Three Cities by Bettany Hughes shows how kings, emperors and sultans have been fighting over the…
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Commons Confidential: George’s new job
Tim Farron's double, disunited Unite, and Osborne joins BlackRock.
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Hefty paychecks are luring our football stars to China – but what awaits them there?
China’s attempt to disrupt the global football market lacks one crucial element: love for the game.
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Leader: Brexit, Ireland, Scotland and the Union
Devolution has proved an incomplete solution to the disunities of the UK. Now, we must ask: can the Union…
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Why are we so obsessed with women who are “trainwrecks”?
Sady Doyle’s Trainwreck explores the voyeuristic pleasure we take in women who crash and burn.
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Farmer, activist, economist, seer: why Wendell Berry is the modern-day Thoreau
In the age of Donald Trump, we should all be reading this radical American nature writer.
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The myth of Generation Snowflake: how did “sensitive“ become a dirty word?
If my generation are a heap of fragile snowflakes, then the internet is a snow machine – and that's no…
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How podcasts are responding to Donald Trump
New shows are promising better political conversations across America’s divides.
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