His Only Crime Was Coming Home

As Western-backed forces push Islamic State out of Mosul, its militants are laying minefields in their wake – aimed not at soldiers but at ordinary people who have come back to rebuild their lives. Colin Freeman went on a tour of Iraq’s new killing fields

The Modest Dutch Designer Who Made Millions From Miffy

Dick Bruna, who has died aged 89, created one of the most instantly recognisable characters in children’s literature, said The New York Times: the sparsely drawn white rabbit known in English as Miffy.

Trump's conflict of interest: how will he deal with it?

Donald Trump ran, and won, on a promise to “drain the swamp” of Washington corruption, said Eugene Robinson in The Washington Post. But so far, he seems intent on deepening it. The president-elect owns or has stakes in around 500 companies, at least 111 of which do business overseas. This creates a massive and unprecedented conflict of interest. One of Trump’s biggest lenders, for example, is Germany’s Deutsche Bank, currently negotiating a multibillion-dollar settlement with the Justice Department over abuses that contributed to the 2008 market crash.

What the scientists are saying...

What the scientists are saying...

Cricket: Kohli hammers England

The end was “swift” and brutal, said Vic Marks in The Guardian. On the final morning of the fourth Test, in Mumbai, India needed less than half an hour to take England’s last four wickets. They thrashed the visitors by an innings and 36 runs to seal a 3-0 series victory, with the fifth Test still to be played.

Keeping The Press Under Control

Press freedom is under threat – at least according to recent newspaper reports. What are they so worried about?

The Society Photographer Who Married A Princess

The Earl of Snowdon 1930-2017.

Exhibition Of The Week War In The Sunshine, The British In Italy 1917-18

For most of us, the story of the First World War is defined by the “mud, gas and trenches” of the Western Front, said Waldemar Januszczak in The Sunday Times.

Rock ‘n' Roll Superstar Who Caught the Teen Spirit

Chuck Berry didn’t invent rock ’n’ roll – no one person could claim credit for that.

The Ruthless Ira Commander Who Helped Broker Peace

On 27 August 1979, the Provisional IRA murdered Lord Mountbatten while he was on a family holiday in Sligo, said Henry McDonald in The Guardian.

How Toys Took Over Hollywood

Many of today’s blockbusters make as much profit from selling toys as they do from selling tickets. Robbie Collin investigates

the big investment questions for 2017

markets shrugged off political ructions to thrive in 2016. will investors be so fortunate again?

How Humanity Got Hooked on Sugar

It produces a burst of energy and a feeling of profound pleasure, followed by a life-long craving for more. It is cheap, widelyavailable – and children love it. Gary Taubes reports on how sugar became the world’s most popular drug

Exhibition Of The Week The American Dream

Printmaking has long been seen as the “poor relation of art history”, said Alastair Sooke in The Daily Telegraph.

Khalid Masood: The Making Of A Killer

Last Tuesday, Khalid Masood checked into the £59-a-night Preston Park Hotel in Brighton.

Europe's Faustian Bargain

A year ago, the EU and Turkey made a controversial deal to stem the flow of refugees into Europe. How has it panned out?

Carswell's Defection: Has UKIP Had It?

“Douglas Carswell was once the golden boy of UKIP,” said Tim Stanley in The Sunday Telegraph: “its first elected MP, its brightest intellect, its shot at respectability.”

The North Korea problem

Donald Trump warned this week that he was ready to tackle the nuclear threat from North Korea with or without help from China.

Europe's Last Colony

Spain has long been determined to regain sovereignty over “the Rock” at its southern tip, but Gibraltar remains stubbornly British.

The Hacked Election

The meeting of the US Electoral College to choose the president is usually little more than a “formality”, said Jonathan Martin in The New York Times. “Yet as with so much else in this turbulent election year”, this one was “punctuated by anger and dissent”.

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.

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.

the brain hackers

california’s tech entrepreneurs have moved on from designing apps and driverless cars, and turned their attention to the human brain. but can they really create a faster, cleverer generation of workers? richard godwin sampled their wares

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.

Howard Hodgkin: The Tongue-tied Painter Of Feelings

An Old Etonian, a rebel, a Romantic in thrall to classicism – Howard Hodgkin was a true enigma. Here, his friend Michael Glover recalls a genius who was almost incapable of talking about the work that consumed him.

Trump's “Running War” With The Media

The “reign of King Trump” has begun, said Robert Reich on Salon. com – and journalists had better watch out.

What the scientists are saying...

Parents worry about their children being glued to screens for hours a day – but now scientists have found evidence that in moderation, it can be good for teenagers’ emotional well-being.

An Audience With The Donald

Donald Trump last week granted an exclusive audience to Michael Gove of The Times, and Kai Diekmann of the German newspaper Bild. The transcript gives an intriguing insight into the mind of the 45th president of the US. This is an edited extract.

Claretta: Mussolini's Last Lover

Claretta Petacci first met Benito Mussolini in 1932, when the dictator had been in power for ten years.