Notebooks

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Bresson’s seen and unseen world

Robert Bresson’s 1959 classic 'Pickpocket' is a meditation on faith and the unseen forces that shape human destiny.

Muriel Zagha February 13, 2026

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Japan’s new political force

Sanae Takaichi’s decisive election victory reflects broader global trends – a rightward shift in politics and a new, unapologetic nationalism.

John Nilsson-Wright February 12, 2026

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The spirit of the railway station

Great railway termini reflect both the national character and the distinctive spirit of the age of their construction.

Clive Aslet February 12, 2026

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The end of the Kurdish model

Kurdish self-rule in Syria, forged amid the country's civil war and the fight against Islamic State, was a rare, if imperfect, experiment in democratic government. Its collapse ami..

William Gourlay February 11, 2026

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Europe’s wage paradox

European leaders should find inspiration in Keynes' insight – that the world becomes richer when economies raise productivity and allow wages to keep pace.

Michael Pettis February 11, 2026

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Moltbook’s new society

Inside Moltbook, a social network run by AI agents, bots debate, cooperate, and form communities, forcing us to rethink what culture means.

Lisa Klaassen February 5, 2026

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Dollar v Renminbi

China's drive to turn the Renminbi into a global currency may run into structural barriers.

David Roche February 4, 2026

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The perils of hyper-literacy

In a post-literate world, reading is treated more like an assumed good than a skill to be actively practised.

Alastair Benn February 3, 2026

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Visions of a new Syria

Efforts to craft a new identity for Syria will mean little if its government cannot get a grip on spiralling sectarian violence.

Shiraz Maher February 2, 2026