Other cities have better infrastructure, fewer rats, cleaner streets, plentiful public toilets, more elbow room. Yet people continue to flock here.
By Alexandra Schwartz
Ed Helms Dives Into Disaster
In a new book, the boundlessly curious “Hangover” star probes history’s greatest blunders—like how the C.I.A. tried to make Castro’s beard fall out—as a way to face the present.
By Henry Alford
Why Can’t New York Have Nice Mayors?
As the Trump Administration encroaches on the city, Andrew Cuomo and Eric Adams try to salvage their political careers.
THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE (May 2, 2025): The 5.4.25 Issue features ‘The Happiness Issue’…Susan Dominus on what we’ve learned from nearly a century of research into happiness; Molly Young’s depressing week in “the happiest country on Earth”; Kwame Anthony Appiah on how the idea of happiness got small; Jance Dunn on tips from experts on finding bliss; and more.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER MAGAZINE (May 1, 2025): The latest issue features the pintxos bars of San Sebastián to exploring the artists’ studios of Barcelona, the June issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK) invites you to discover mainland Spain’s most breathtaking cities through the eyes of locals.
Kenya: In the southern safari regions, humans and wildlife have a fragile coexistence Faroe Islands: In search of shapeshifters and sea trolls in this elemental archipelago in the Atlantic Biarritz: On France’s Basque coast, this nostalgic town is revered by surfers and gourmands alike Croatia:Hop from beach clubs to medieval monasteries with these island itineraries Cartagena: Local designers and bartenders are giving this Colombian city a shake-up Trentino: Mediterranean and Northern European cultures collide in this mountainous Italian province Chengdu:In Sichuan’s provincial capital, teahouses are attracting a new generation of travellers Prague: The Czech capital’s hotel scene is a feast for design aficionados
Plus, our pick of this month’s most exciting travel news; celebrating 200 years of Berlin’s Museum Island; a look at the flavours of Burgundy; exploring Galloway, Scotland, on two wheels; an architectural tour of Casablanca; the best summer music festivals; a dose of Victorian whimsy on the Isle of Wight; independent bookshops worth travelling for; and essential kit for festivalgoers.
The North America edition showcases Mark Carney, the prime minister of Canada, who achieved a remarkable victory in Monday’s federal election. As our reporter in Ottawa Leyland Cecco explains, Carney reversed a huge Liberal party poll deficit after voters backed him over his conservative opponent, Pierre Poilievre, to stand up to the threats of Donald Trump. Can the dour but tough former central banker succeed in fending off the aggressive advances of his US counterpart?
The big story | Kharkiv suffers in the shadow of a peace deal While US-led negotiations threaten to carve up Ukraine, deadly Russian attacks continue amid deep cynicism about the process. Luke Harding reports from a city under siege
Science | Why f ish farms on the moon aren’t such a wild idea The Lunar Hatch project is studying whether aquaculture might be able to provide a source of protein for astronauts on space missions. Kim Willsher paid them a visit
Feature | The dirtiest race in Olympic history How did the 2012 Olympics women’s 1500m get its reputation? Athletes cheated out of medals talk to Esther Addley about what happened – and how the results unravelled
Opinion | Will Pope Francis’s compassionate legacy endure? Some, especially within the US, see the forthcoming conclave as an opportunity to establish a more conservative leader, says Guardian associate editor Julian Coman
Culture | The genius of Barrie Kosky and his Wagner phantasmagoria He put Carmen in a gorilla suit and had Das Rheingold’s Erda represented by a naked elderly woman. What are the the opera director’s plans for his edge-of-the-seat Die Walküre? Fiona Maddocks finds out
The seeds of a renaissance for the British country house were sown in the mid 20th century, argues John Martin Robinson
Bringing ‘beauty’ back
Lord Deben assesses his 1997 ‘Gummer’s Law’, conceived to aid the creation of new houses
Radbourne Hall
John Goodall hails the revival of the 1740s Derbyshire house
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A question of technique
Mary Miers meets the experts keeping country houses and their collections in working order
Chillingham Castle
The Northumberland landmark lives on, discovers John Goodall
1975 and now
What a difference 50 years make
Asleep no more
Tiffany Daneff celebrates the designers bringing our leading country gardens back to life
Knowsley Hall
John Goodall finds the Lancashire home restored to its former glory
And now for something different
Diversification has revived the fortunes of many an estate in the past 50 years, reveals Kate Green
What’s on at the big house
This year’s country-house events
Stowe
John Goodall charts the survival of this Buckinghamshire gem
Ready for anything
Arabella Youens examines how owners are equipping their houses to thrive for the next 100 years
Wimborne St Giles
John Goodall lauds this award-winning restoration in Dorset
You saw it here first
It’s not all about the gardens — John Hoyland profiles some of the plants that made their name at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show
In cloud cuckoo land
The evocative, echoing cuckoo’s call reverberating across the meadows heralds the arrival of spring for John Lewis-Stempel
Today’s pollen account
Hayfever sufferers may not agree, but Ian Morton argues that pollen’s contribution to life on earth is not to be sneezed at
A rainbow of ribbons
The maypole has been the source of merriment and mayhem for centuries, as Deborah Nicholls-Lee reveals
Stuart Procter’s favourite painting
The Beaumont Mayfair hotel CEO chooses an intriguing work with an air of mystery
The legacy
Amie Elizabeth White reveals how Constance Spry revolutionised flower-arranging a century ago
Interiors
Digital printing and panoramic wallpapers offer endless possibilities, learns Arabella Youens
Foraging
Poetry inspires John Wright, as he seeks out the saccharine, aniseed smack of sweet cicely
Arts & antiques
Carla Passino is captivated by the calming 19th-century landscapes of Utagawa Hiroshige, an artist who continues to inspire today
News, Views and Reviews For The Intellectually Curious
Boomers Daily 