CATEGORIES

Democracy is at risk'

Nobel peace laureate Maria Ressa is facing prison in the Philippines. She opens up about the dark side of social media and the erosion of truth in politics. Plus, read an exclusive extract from her new book

Changing times A kaleidoscopic journey through the musical influences that shaped Bob Dylan's 60-year career-from Perry Como to the Fugs

When the young Robert Zimmerman discovered folk music in the late 1950s, he was transfixed.

An English coast reveals a mass extinction. We now risk another

Budleigh Salterton, on the south coast of Engand, sits above the most frightening cliffs on Earth. They are not particularly high or especially prone to collapse. The horror is contained in the story they tell. For they capture the moment at which life on Earth almost came to an end.

Battle royale

The new series of Netflix's The Crown is plunging into inflammatory territory. Will King Charles really simmer in silence?

No more drinking water, little food: our island is a field of bones

Some years ago, an Australian friend gave me a necklace with a beautiful and distinct pendant.

How Japan's beloved comics conquered the world

Manga range from sci-fi epics to teen romance and sellout faster than they can be printed. But what has driven this new appetite for graphic novels?

Is the IMF fit for purpose?

The International Monetary Fund is the worlds lender of last resort. But, asa debt crisis looms, many nations no longer trust it and are looking elsewhere for help

Sugar rush: How a taste for soda fuelled a health crisis

When a southern Mexican state effectively outlawed sales of sugary drinks and sweets to children to protect public health, the ban made international news. But few people in Oaxaca are aware of the rule and the authorities have not enforced the measure, despite tens of thousands of deaths nationally a year linked to sugary beverages, as obesity and diabetes rates soar.

‘Services Stations’ for Chinese diaspora raise alarm

At a convenience store between a restaurant and hair salon on the outskirts of. Toronto, a clerk serves customers on a drizzly autumn morning. In an office park a few kilometres away, a travel agent sorts through passports, arranging visas and booking tickets for her Chinese clientele.

Steady as you go

Can you stand on one leg for 10 seconds? Balance could beamatter of life and death so addressing issues early and improving yours is vital

Hindu nationalists lay claim to mosques

As Muslim places of worship are caught upina BJP attempt to rewrite history, many fear disputes could turn violent

How macho, boastful Bolsonaro finally flopped

The far-right former soldier often bragged of his virility, but in the end his posturing repelled a majority of voters

Don't preach to us over oil, say African nations

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has criticised the west for pressuring it to halt oil and gas exploration in the Congo basin rainforest, while continuing to search for fossil fuels in their own countries.

Oil and gas permit sales cast shadow over rainforest

The forest will never end,\" said Papa Mbembe as he trekked through the swampy peatland of the rainforest behind his village in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), nearly 650km from the capital, Kinshasa.

Cop27: What can the UN climate conference realistically achieve?

What is Cop27? For almost three decades, world governments have met nearly every year to forge a global response to the climate emergency. Under the 1992 UN framework convention on climate change (UNFCCC), every country is treaty-bound to \"avoid dangerous climate change\" and find ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in an equitable way.

Poverty, not crime, fuels urge to flee abroad

It has been all go for his majesty's ambassador to Albania, Alastair King-Smith. The crisis in relations between the two countries, arising from the boats crossing the Channel with reportedly growing numbers of Albanians, has been reflected in the calibre of officials, both military and political, visiting the British mission.

'A complete mess' - Why British ministers can't seem to solve the small boats crisis

The former home secretary Priti Patel had a whiteboard behind her ministerial desk on which she had written a list of her priorities. For much of her time in office the top three issues were: deal with small boats, cut crime, protect national security. When she left the cabinet in September, Patel was unable to point to much progress on priority No 1, and the situation she bequeathed Suella Braverman has disintegrated into chaos.

Motivational messaging maintains morale as winter bites

Vital information ecosystem promotes defiance and optimism amid Russian strikes and energy blackouts

A city waits Russians loot Kherson as battle lines are redrawn

Things are disappearing in the Ukrainian city of Kherson at a rapid rate. Russian troops are taking away ambulances, tractors and stolen private cars. Cultural things are going too: archives, and paintings and sculptures from museums. Even the bones of Catherine the Great's friend and lover, Grigory Potemkin, have been grubbed up from a crypt in St Catherine's cathedral and spirited away.

For Palestinians, Netanyahu's victory is merely a changing of the prison guards

Benjamin Netanyahu has made an impressive comeback after his ousting in 2021 amid corruption B allegations. In last week's election, his party, Likud, received more votes than any other party and his far-right allies came third, paving the way for a Likud-led coalition government. Although forming a coalition isn't an easy game - indeed, Netanyahu has failed in the previous four elections to do so - this time he's expected to form a comfortable majority bloc with ultra-Orthodox and far-right parties.

Facing the abyss: Pro-Arab and left wing parties pay a high price for divisions

Last summer, a broad coalition succeeded in kicking Benjamin Netanyahu, leader of Likud, out of office. He is currently standing trial on corruption charges, which he denies.

Look who's back

The scandal-ridden political behemoth is on the verge of a third stint as prime minister this time at the helm of the most extreme rightwing coalition the country has seen. How did it come to pass?

The BBC marks scenes from our lives - aren't we lucky to have it?

Mondays are washdays. In the kitchen, steam rises from the sink and my mother squeezes sopping wet clothes through the mangle. On the radio a man sings Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin' from the musical Oklahoma. Later in M my childhood other songs made their mark: Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better), (How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?. But the opening number in Oklahoma is the first music I can remember and put a name to: a memory preserved, possibly, via the song's association with sunshine and sunshine's importance to washdays.

Wavering over support for Kyiv, US Congress plays Putin's game

On 24 October, 30 members of the House Democratic Progressive Caucus released a letter to Joe Biden calling for a \"proactive diplomatic push\" on Kyiv to work toward a ceasefire and \"direct [US] engagement\" with Moscow to end the Russia-Ukraine war. One week earlier, Republican House leader Kevin McCarthy's no \"blank cheque\" for Ukraine comment raised questions about future congressional support for US assistance to that embattled country.

Thanks to Brexit Northern Ireland faces another pointless election

Last month, amid all the turmoil in the Tory party, there was a brief flurry of interest in the emergence as a candidate for prime minister of the man more than one British reporter referred to as \"the Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis\".

‘When someone dies prematurely, you're left careering in a different direction’

They were the golden couple of British acting, but Helen McCrory’ death last year left Damian Lewis shattered. Now he is putting the pieces of himself back together and finding a new creative energy in music

West Africa's future MEGALOPOLIS

The stretch of coast between Abidjan in Ivory Coast and Lagos in Nigeria is on course to become the largest continuously populated zone on the planet. But a lot needs to change to help it flourish

Kanye West's empire in ruins after antisemitic outbursts

In 2009, Kanye West was riding high. 808s & Heartbreak, his fourth studio album, proved a resounding critical and commercial triumph. A foray into clothing design had culminated in a Paris fashion week sneaker show with Louis Vuitton and a shoe line with Nike.

‘Despair not an option’ Obama fires up anxious Democrats

When Barack Obama came to campaign last week, Emma Berlage wouldn't have missed him for the world. \"It's a Friday night... and everybody's here,\" the 24-year-old said.

Twitter heaven or hellscape?

Elon Musk, the world's richest man, has finally won control of the media's favourite online platform. Will he press on with his free-speech agenda?