Opinion

NIGEL WARBURTON, one of the world’s most-read philosophers, reflects on our mental state after various coronavirus lockdowns.

WILL SELF on being welcomed in church and religious identity

Angela Merkel has taught Germans to crave stability... but they are still turning away from her party.

Two of Germany’s candidates for Chancellor are running in the same constituency – home to the super rich and celebrities.

The actor made his living selling fantasy, but this was far from the reality of Hervé Villechaize's life off-screen, writes CHARLIE CONNELLY

Sarfraz Manzoor on why he’s increasingly optimistic about the future of relations between Britain’s Muslims and non-Muslims.

What was Nick Clegg expected to do after losing his seat in politics? One reader believes the former Lib Dem leader could achieve some good at Facebook.

PETER TRUDGILL on a recent decision to drop a common Austrian phrase due to racial sensitivities

The small spa resort in central France which gave its name to Marshal Petain’s pro-Nazi regime carries heavy historical baggage. As the town tries to reinvent itself once more, JOHN LICHFIELD paid it a visit.

As HS2 shows, there is a problem with the UK that means the country cannot deliver the major projects needed to prepare us for the future.

BONNIE GREER on how the pandemic has intensified the shift in stanning – obsessional fandom – from the world of celebrity to politics.

During one of the most miserable weeks to be a satirist MITCH BENN tries to find some positives to write about.

Food writer JOSH BARRIE brings readers a recipe from a Michelin star chef, known for her Galician dishes

CHARLIE CONNELLY on the mysterious 14th century Arthurian epic poem behind a now delayed blockbuster movie

This summer, Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 was reimagined on the Olympic field for Russian athletes, writes Sophia Deboick

As John Lydon comes to terms with a failed legal battle against other former Sex Pistols, ADAM BEHR considers the sociology of bands. What brings them together and what tears them apart?

The pioneering Chinese-American actor who fled early Hollywood for Europe to escape her stereotyping as a tragic Butterfly or treacherous Dragon Lady.

If Bryan Robson is right, the value of Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Manchester United could extend beyond the pitch, writes Rob Hughes

From 9/11 to Kabul, LIONEL BARBER charts two of the most pivotal decades in US history, a story not of a crumbling superpower but a chosen path to turn inwards, for better or worse.

The UK’s supply chains face more problems every day. So why the denial over what helped cause this, and where is the strategy that will resolve it?

It has been a gloomy week on the sunlit uplands of sovereign Britain as the supply line crisis continues to threaten our traditional way of life...

Editor-at-large ALASTAIR CAMPBELL offers an A to Z of his withering assessment of government performance this summer

As the world waits to see the extent to which the Taliban’s victory will see the return of its brutal interpretation of Islamic law, RASHMEE ROSHAN LALL reports on different approaches used in other Muslim countries

The Afghan capital’s main stadium was used by the Taliban for public executions – and it may be again. But for PAT McFADDEN the venue was once a place of optimism

Despite the UK's head start in the vaccine race, it is now falling behind the rest of Europe.

WILL SELF on his visit Stephen Wright’s House of Dreams and its extraordinary insider-outsider artwork

Brexit, like Covid, has undoubtedly contributed to a jobs crisis. But another major problem has been the government's failure to create a properly functioning apprenticeship system.

She was an actress and a writer, but more importantly Erika Mann spent her life witnessing and fighting injustice

TIM WALKER, a one-time parliamentary candidate for the centre party, on how members feel about its former leader, now one of the social network’s senior figures

PATRICK SAWER on his Italian immigrant mother’s quiet English patriotism

Do not underestimate Joe Biden's decisions over the withdrawal of troops in Afghanistan - he knows what he is doing.

MITCH BENN imagines the books right-wing figureheads would release if only they had a few more holidays...