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Snakes, Saints and Brothels: The Truth about Christmas
Was Jesus really born in a manger? Why do we bring a tree into our homes at Christmas? And how did Santa become the patron saint of pawnbrokers? In a new book, Mark Forsyth examines the myths and traditions of Christmas.
Claretta: Mussolini's Last Lover
Claretta Petacci first met Benito Mussolini in 1932, when the dictator had been in power for ten years.
Health & Science
What the scientists are saying...
People
People
People
A fitting challenge Captains of University Challenge teams don’t often break through into the popular consciousness, says Harry Wallop in The Times.
The nuclear menace of North Korea
Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s supreme leader, is building a nuclear missile that could reach the US. Can he be stopped?
Angry protesters target Russia's prime minister
With last week’s mass protests, Russia “has awakened from a deep sleep”, said Christian Esch in Der Spiegel (Hamburg).
Tennis: Konta hits new heights
“She came, she saw, she Konta-ed,” said Simon Briggs in The Daily Telegraph.
The End of Cash?
Cash has been around for millennia – but are its days numbered? Or have reports of its death been exaggerated?
Cuba's “Maximum Leader”
With his olive fatigues, straggly beard and giant cigars, Fidel Castro was one of the most recognisable political figures of the 20th century. He was also one of the most extraordinary, said The Guardian. Having led a revolution in Cuba in 1959, he set about establishing a Marxist-Leninist state, just 90 miles from the US mainland. Billing himself as a defiant David to the US’s Goliath, he became a giant on the world stage himself. He negotiated on level terms with successive leaders of the two superpowers at the height of the Cold War, and helped bring them to the brink of nuclear war; he outlasted ten US presidents (despite repeated attempts to assassinate him). He inspired revolutions in Latin America, backed liberation movements in Africa, and became a potent symbol of rebellion for left-wingers everywhere. The likes of Jean-Paul Sartre revered him; and for years, his poster adorned thousands of student bedrooms.
the seductive myth of time management
many of us feel overwhelmed by the demands of our busy lives – and a whole industry has sprung up to help boost our “personal productivity”. but does any of it actually work? oliver burkeman went in search of ultimate efficiency.