Blending minimalism, ambient and folk music in the former Czechoslovakia, the couple made pilgrim-like tours around Europe, beguiling everyone they met. Fans including the National’s Bryce Dessner explain their allureThe Czech duo Irena and Vojtěch Havlovi often seemed out...

Exclusive: Victoria and Albert Museum has deleted maps and images deemed sensitive by Beijing censors from exhibition publicationsOne of the UK’s leading museums has accepted demands by a Chinese firm that publishes its catalogues to remove images that fall...

When Putin invaded Ukraine, he raised murder to the level of national policy. I felt guilt by association. And I had to actOne morning in May 2025, I walked briskly down Bayswater Road along the northern edge of London’s...

Looking for a new reading recommendation? Here are some wonderful new paperbacks, from a Booker-winning tale of one man’s life to a gossipy account of the golden age of magazines Continue reading...

Over the past 21 years, Village Ways has been leading low-impact tours of remote communities in the foothills of the Himalayas, supporting traditional ways of life and offering a rare glimpse of pristine landscapes and wildlifeKathdhara village is a...

New legislation will require schools to use Mandarin by default, taking priority over minority ethnic languages such as Tibetan, Uyghur and MongolianChina’s National People’s Congress (NPC), the state legislature, will vote on Thursday on a suite of new laws...

From packrafting in Luxembourg to cycling in Slovenia and eclipse-spotting in Spain, here are some great ways to get the kids into the wildSeveral companies offer affordable multi-activity trips for families in Greece, but if you’re looking for something...

Owner Lee Cox describes the winner as ‘dog of a lifetime’ as he claims the crown at prestigious dog contest Bruin, a clumber spaniel, has won the best in show prize at Crufts, which took place at the National...

It is an epic piece of music that literally falls apart – and it perfectly captured the end-of-days chaos after the tragedy. Composer William Basinski and musician Anohni recall its febrile birth in New York’s avant-garde scene‘Do you remember...

The follow-up to Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line explores the history of colonial exploration through a perilous 19th-century odysseyWith her peripatetic and philosophical second novel, Deepa Anappara travels into uncharted territory. Her dazzling 2020 debut, Djinn Patrol on the...

CEO said services have restarted after termination of grants led to criticism that US was ceding ground to ChinaRadio Free Asia has resumed broadcasts to people in China, its chief executive said on Tuesday, after Trump administration cuts last...

Doubling of fish biomass and rebounding of endangered species shows government measures starting to work, biologists sayThe Yangtze River in China, which has been in ecological decline for 70 years, is showing signs of recovery thanks to a sweeping...

Capitalism cares about our species’ prospects as much as a wolf cares about a lamb’s. But democratise our economy and a better world is within our graspWe have an urgent responsibility. Our existing economic system is incapable of addressing...

Buddhist monks had walked 2,300 miles from Texas, braving snow and often barefoot – their arrival in the capital was greeted by thousandsBhante Saranapala gazed down at more than a hundred Buddhist monks wearing burnt-orange, saffron and maroon robes,...

Case is shrouded in fevered speculation about suicides, ‘exceptional psychological instability’ and criminal activity on the Bulgarian-Serbian borderIt has been dubbed Bulgaria’s “Twin Peaks”: a grim saga involving the mysterious deaths of six people in the middle of the...

The technologies include facial recognition tools used on Uyghurs in western China, say expertsIran’s architecture of internet control is built on technologies from China, according to an analysis published by a British human rights organisation.The report by Article 19...

Buddhist spiritual leader wins best audiobook and says he sees win ‘as a recognition of our shared universal responsibility’Bad Bunny and Kendrick Lamar win big in Grammys ceremony filled with anti-ICE sentimentThe Dalai Lama has taken home his first...

From the Cure winning their first Grammys to a posthumous award for Chick Corea, it was a night of heartening wins and robust politics• Grammy awards 2026: list of winnersThere are arguments to be made about the efficacy or...

Enrol in the school of wok and get sizzling with a simple stir-fry and a classic hotch-potch noodle dish. Follow the ‘wok clock’ and both are ready in about half an hourStir-frying, as its name suggests, is the technique...

PM says trip to China has put relationship in stronger place, but possible return visit angers British criticsUK politics live – latest updatesKeir Starmer has taken a major step towards rapprochement with China, opening the door to a UK...

This tender satire of a dysfunctional American family’s search for moral guidance is precisely what our times needMaking the comic novel succeed is a rich, tricky project in our age of desperate, sometimes weirdly eager apocalypticism. Madeline Cash has...

Light scattering creates the shade we see when we look skyward, and studies show the process varies around the worldOn holiday the sky may look a deeper shade of blue than even the clearest summer day at home. Some...

In a new weekly column about the world of classical music, Tom Service bemoans Hollywood turning pieces into slop through overuse. Plus: Philip Glass withdraws his symphony from the Kennedy CenterBack in 2008, Transport for London came up with...

An exhilarating account of Bowie’s spirituality and the quasi-religious nature of his work, from Space Oddity to BlackstarIt has become a tired cliche among fans to say that everything went wrong in the world after Bowie died in 2016....

Decision expected on Monday or Tuesday, potentially smoothing relations before Keir Starmer’s visit to ChinaWhy Chinese ‘mega embassy’ is not such a worry for British spiesA decision on China’s proposed mega embassy in London is expected on Monday or...

The 2026 World Cup is set to be a polarising event but, even if it will not be the first to be politically contentious, it will expose a growing uneaseFive months out from the World Cup the politics are...

The Lincoln in the Bardo author is back with another metaphysical tale. He discusses Buddhism, partisan politics and the terrifying flight that changed his lifeLike his first novel, Lincoln in the Bardo, which won the Booker prize in 2017,...

Approval shortly before Keir Starmer’s trip to Beijing would come despite widespread concern among Labour MPsA vast new Chinese embassy complex in east London is almost certain to be formally approved next week despite renewed worries among Labour MPs...

Tibetan directors, who all live outside Tibet, deliver a quartet of films that explore the pain of separation and migrationThe wrench of exile is the theme of this quartet of short films from Tibetan directors, who themselves all live...

Maggie O’Farrell, Yann Martel and Julian Barnes are among the authors publishing new novels this year The beginning of the books calendar is usually dominated by debuts, but January 2026 sees releases from some of the year’s biggest authors....