It’s a mystery why TOI-561 b’s blanket of gases hasn’t boiled off.
Some cycads warm up their reproductive organs to attract specially equipped pollinating beetles in the dark.
A unique archaeological site at Pompeii, Italy, reveals the secrets of peculiarly durable Roman building materials.
TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT: The latest issue features ‘Constable vs Turner’ by Ferdinand Mount….
Turner is on our banknotes, Constable in our hearts By Ferdinand Mount
Coming out of Tate Britain just before noon on Budget Day, you are blinded by a blistering white sun behind Vauxhall Cross. The steepling glass towers south of the river are washed in an opal mist, the ziggurats of the MI6 HQ eclipsed to a ruined beige. Vauxhall Bridge gleams in the scarlet and yellow of a Turner sunset. J. M. W. would have rushed to the Embankment, whipped out his sketchbook, then worked up the whole shimmering scene into a six-footer and called it something like “The End of England”. John Constable would probably have turned away to catch the next coach to Hampstead Heath to paint Branch Hill Pond again.
How the young Dylan Thomas repeatedly stole from others By Alessandro Gallenzi
A love-hate relationship recalled by France’s ‘greatest living writer’ By Marie Darrieussecq
Why stylish stationery won’t change your life By Ian Sansom
The U.S. had been pursuing the Russian-flagged tanker as part of its pressure campaign against Venezuela. The move deepens a confrontation with Russia.
Needing support to fend off Russia in Ukraine, European leaders are cautious about criticizing President Trump on Greenland, Iran, Venezuela and much else.
President Trump’s trusted adviser is casting his hard-right gaze abroad, saying the world must be governed by “force.”
The board said the blockbuster deal it reached with Netflix last month posed less risk.
COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE: The latest issue features ‘Portmeirion’ – A vision of the picturesque.
A peculiar genius
Kathryn Ferry salutes the fore-sight of Clough Williams-Ellis a century on from the opening of his Picturesque confection at Portmeirion in Gwynedd
The winter ritual of wassailing is an ancient plea for abundant apple harvests that is indulged in to this day, finds Laura Parker
Shoot for the stars
Relive the most memorable moments of the past 100 years with 22 incredible images chosen by Lucy Ford, Emily Anderson and Carla Passino
London Life
Will Hosie considers how water defines and divides Londoners and ponders the possible renewal of a rivalry between the National Gallery and Tate Modern, plus our writers have all you need to know this month
In the garden
Grow ground nuts, says Mark Diacono, and enjoy tubers with a taste of nutty new potatoes
Helen Allen’s favourite painting
The executive director of the US Winter Show picks an intriguing portrait sporting a quizzical look
Country-house treasure
John Goodall is captivated by the fighting cats in a 17th-century mosaic above the Long Library fireplace at Holkham Hall, Norfolk
The legacy: Agatha Christie
Kate Green acclaims murder-mystery-writing maestro Agatha Christie, whose 66 detective novels have sold more than two billion copies worldwide
Playing your cards right
Matthew Dennison is holding all the aces as he traces the history of playing cards right back to 9th-century China
The good stuff
Glide seamlessly into 2026 with Amie Elizabeth White’s stylish selections for the ski slopes
Interiors
Giles Kime welcomes the world of possibilities offered by free-standing kitchens and Arabella Youens admires the boot room of a house in Gloucestershire
Shining a light on the past
Carl Linnaeus’s glorious 18th-century herbarium is showcased in a new collection of exquisite photographs by Lena Granefel, discovers Christopher Stocks
Travel
Pamela Goodman takes in peerless Himalayan panoramas from a remote luxury lodge in India and, in her monthly column, wonders what the Normans did for us
Arts & antiques
Actor and poet Leigh Lawson tells Carla Passino why he will never part with memorabilia dedicated to music-hall queen Marie Lloyd, his great-aunt
Scale model
Abundant mackerel was once greeted with garlands thrown into the sea. David Profumo profiles Scomber scombrus
FOREIGN POLICY MAGAZINE: The latest issue features ‘The World Minus One’ – The emergence of a post-American order.
Managing the global order with an antagonistic Washington. By Amitav Acharya
U.S. allies and partners are taking steps toward a post-American nuclear order.Rebecca Lissner, Erin D. Dumbacher
Beijing never bought the argument that reducing emissions would cause economic harm. Kelly Sims Gallagher
Allies fear that Washington is retreating from leadership at the worst possible time. Rishi Iyengar
Venezuela could lose the bulk of its oil export revenues this year if the U.S. blockade stays in place, a scenario that would set off a humanitarian crisis.
With Russia still seen as unlikely to stop fighting Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s tone has shifted from upbeat to cautionary.
The reactions revealed a society divided: Some saw what happened in Venezuela as a playbook for seizing Taiwan, while others warned about ideological rigidity.
THE NEW YORKER MAGAZINE: The latest cover features Harry Bliss’s “Wintry Mix” – Braving the cold.
Voters voted for it, even if they weren’t sure what it was. But maps are the ideal metaphor for our models of what the world might be. By Adam Gopnik
The congresswoman split with the President over the Epstein files, then she quit. Where will she go from here? By Charles Bethea
Will Pope Leo XIV follow the progressive example of his predecessor or chart a more moderate course? His work in Chicago and Peru may shed light on his approach. By Paul Elie
Nicolás Maduro, the ousted Venezuelan leader, and his wife were set to be arraigned on drug trafficking and other charges.
President Trump’s comments about Greenland, Colombia and Cuba offered a glimpse of how emboldened he feels after the quick capture of Venezuela’s leader.
Delcy Rodríguez must appease constituencies who loathe U.S. meddling while fielding Washington’s demands.
As the war grinds on, sophisticated Russian defenses have pushed Ukraine to develop a frightening new weapon: semiautonomous killing machines.
President Trump opened a new chapter in American nation building as he declared that the U.S. would “run” Venezuela for an indefinite period.
Among the tasks left for Mayor Zohran Mamdani by his predecessor, Eric Adams, were two politically delicate measures related to Israel and antisemitism.
President Volodymyr Zelensky is reshuffling his cabinet as a corruption scandal reshapes the political landscape at a pivotal point in peace negotiations.
REASON MAGAZINE: The latest issue features ‘New York Turns Red’ – What Zohran Mamdani’s rotten ideas could do to the Big Apple.
Mayors come and go, but New York City remains fundamentally itself. Katherine Mangu-Ward
The city has the nation’s most regulated housing sector and the largest stock of government-owned and subsidized housing, and yet progressives blame its real estate troubles on the free market. Howard Husock
New York’s new mayor has moved away from some of his far-left beliefs, acknowledging that private businesses play an important role in homebuilding. Christian Britschgi
New York schools need more choice and better curricula, but the city’s new mayor wants to take choices away. Danyela Souza Egorov
Boomers Daily 