Nicholas Lezard's choiceFictionReviewA philosopher's fiction debut is rich, profound and very funnyThere's a telling moment in this fiction debut when the narrator, a philosopher called Simon Critchley, takes us aside to say, in parenthesis: "I once met a Swede at a party in Stockholm who could sing every Swedish entry to the Eurovision Song Contest since 1958 – you just said the year, 1978 say, and he would begin: 'Dinga, dinga dong/ Binga, binga bong. Read More...
UkraineThe path to joining the bloc is not straightforward but most Ukrainians believe it should – and will – happen
When the then Ukrainian president, Viktor Yanukovych, abandoned a deal with the EU in favour of stronger ties with Russia in November 2013, hundreds of protesters came to Kyiv’s Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square). Soon, those hundreds became thousands, eventually hundreds of thousands, forming a protest camp where blue and gold EU flags flew defiantly in the winter air. Read More...
FarmingObituaryRichard Young obituaryFarmer who combined campaigning on antibiotics and sustainability with a deep love of animals and literatureRichard Young, who has died of heart disease aged 73, was a champion of animal welfare and an advocate of the importance of livestock in sustainable food systems. He was one of the early adopters of organic farming in the 1970s, and his deep understanding of sustainable farming principles was derived from direct experience. Read More...