Notebooks

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Notre-Dame’s resurrection

The reconstruction of Notre-Dame, scheduled to be completed in a year's time, is a frequent source of wonder for Parisians.

Agnès Poirier December 13, 2023

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The broken lawnmower: Noël Coward’s greatest line?

There are more famous Noël Coward lines, but a quote from the 1942 film, In Which We Serve, might just be his best.

Oliver Soden December 11, 2023

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Yet another flight across the Durand Line

Pakistan’s expulsion of Afghan refugees is a ghastly new development in relations between the two countries.

Suzanne Raine December 8, 2023

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Explaining the Golden Era

David Cameron's return to government as foreign secretary should prompt a reckoning with the assumptions and effects of the 'Golden Era' of UK-China relations from 2010 to 2020.

Oliver Yule-Smith December 6, 2023

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7 October has not changed the Middle East

Contrary to widespread belief, neither Hamas' attack nor Israel's response have shifted the fundamental dynamics of the Middle East.

Patrick Porter December 4, 2023

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A paean to Shane MacGowan

The late maverick joins the pantheon of balladeers and troubadours.

Max Mitchell December 1, 2023

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Kissinger: a man of three centuries

Henry Kissinger's worldview was shaped by his scholarly engagement with the great European statesmen of the 19th century and his experience of the Second World War. His death marks..

Angus Reilly November 30, 2023

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Argentina’s post-Peronist future

The election of Javier Milei as president has shattered the traditional split between Peronism and anti-Peronism in Argentinian politics and marks a new era for the country.

Amélie Jaques-Apke November 29, 2023

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OpenAI’s dual personality disorder

The tensions between Silicon Valley's commitment to hyper-capitalism and technological idealism have been made explicit by the crisis at OpenAI.

Andrew Keen November 29, 2023