SWEPT AWAY

WHEN THE WATERS ROSE, Meike and Dörte Näkel weren't worried. People in this part of the world, the Ahr valley in Germany, are used to it.

Presidents Assemble Obama And Clinton Give Biden Boost

For once showbusiness royalty - Queen Latifah, Lizzo, Ben Platt, Cynthia Erivo, Lea Michele and Mindy Kaling was not the main attraction. Instead it was a trio of US presidents that enticed people to pay up to half a million dollars for New York's hottest ticket.

How Island Kept Death Toll Low In Massive Earthquake

For Nina Huang, it was the shaking that jolted her awake. "The first thing I did when I woke up was to hold the cupboard next to my daughter. I was afraid that it might fall down on her," she recalled. Then her phone buzzed with a warning about a tsunami.

Anguish Over Tens Of Thousands Of Missing Palestinians

Late one night in March, Ahmed Abu Jalala rose quietly, trying hard not to wake his family, sleeping around him on the floor of a UN-run school in northern Gaza.

Everyday magic From Rafael Nadal's ball-bouncing to wedding and funeral traditions, does ritualistic behaviour serve any purpose?

The adjective \"ritual\", from Latin via French, means related to religious rites. As soon as it appeared, however, the word \"ritual\" could be used in a derogatory fashion to denote things empty of authentic spiritual content.

Not doing well A survivor of a life-threatening illness charts the history of health anxiety, asking if it is a rational response to our flawed bodies

In the 14th century, King Charles VI of France suffered from a curious delusion. He believed his body was made entirely of glass. A relatively new material, both fragile and transparent, glass captures the hypochondriac's acutest fear - brittle vulnerability - with their greatest desire: visceral omniscience.

London calling The life of a workingclass writer made good is the dark, Dickensian spine of this enjoyable stateof-the-nation novel

The city itself is the star of all great London novels, and plays whatever role is required by the tale or the times. It was a semi-sentient organism in Dickens's Bleak House, wrapped in fog and thick with mud.

Hitman who wears a hoodie

In 2014, Ed Sheeran became the most-streamed pop star in the world. The 10 years since have seen the artist dominate music-for better or worse. How did he do it?

Genre gap Beyoncé's new album falls short

Cowboy Carter arrives on the back of booming business for the country genre, drowning out the Black music history it claims to celebrate

Keeper of the flame

It is seen as one of the greatest films ever. So what has Víctor Erice been doing in the halfcentury since The Spirit of the Beehive? As his new film hits screens, he reveals all

If the defeated Tories lurch further right it is bad news for Labour

For many people reading this, the analogy will seem ludicrous, but hear me out: if the Conservative party was one of your friends, you'd be very worried about them.

True ugliness is editing out a disabled child from a school photo

There is a difference between being shocked and being surprised. I thought of that as I read the news that disabled children had been \"erased\" from their class photo in a primary school in Aberdeenshire in Scotland.

Six tips for budding centibillionaires (No 1: come from a wealthy family)

There is a tiny new elite at the frontier of money-making and they are known as the centibillionaires. These titans of the universe have personal assets of at least $100bn, and there are now 14 of them in the world-up from six last year. You will find them listed, compared and celebrated by the Bloomberg billionaires index and the Forbes world's billionaires list, which has just been published.

Market share Division and dysfunction cloud WTO's vision

When trade ministers gathered in the Moroccan city of Marrakech 30 years ago this month to sign the agreement creating the World Trade Organization (WTO), the mood was celebratory. The Berlin Wall had come down only recently, communism had collapsed, and there was optimistic talk of how the body would prise open new markets and act as the arbiter when disputes broke out between countries.

Tick tick boom Lyme disease-carrying bugs are on the march

They're hard to spot, hungry and, after mosquitoes, the world's biggest vectors of disease. They're found in the countryside and urban parks and infestation rates are increasing. So what can be done about this little blood-sucking pest?

Dismay in Addis Ababa as 'the soul of the city' is razed

In the heart of Addis Ababa, the historic, ramshackle district of Piassa once teemed with shops and cafes. People would come from across Ethiopia's capital city to buy anything from jeans to jewellery.

Red runs Pyongyang's Alps-style paradise gets mixed review

Gliding down pristine, mountain runs, Olga Shpalok said she was \"getting 100% satisfaction\". After a full day of skiing, the designer from Vladivostok relaxed with a visit to her hotel's well-equipped spa and sauna.

Windfarm resistance stalls green transition

In La Guajira, plans for renewables are beset by delays and anger from local Indigenous people

Weeding out knotty threat harder due to climate crisis

Homeowners in the UK are being urged to be extra vigilant of Japanese knotweed growing on their properties after the invasive species emerged six weeks earlier than usual this year after unusually warm weather.

Pave the way Contest to remove tiles and restore greenery

National competition aims to help the Netherlands reach environmental targets by removing garden flagstones

Heavenly host Churches embrace heavy metal

It was a \"bonkers gig\", pairing heavy metal with a pipe organ-a musical curiosity that the bands thought would surely seldom be repeated, if ever.

Is it time to abandon a tax based on house values from 1991?

Battersea power station offered no prospect of luxury living when Tony Belton became a local councillor in 1971. The coal-fired behemoth was nearing closure after 40 years of belching soot over London, and would spend almost as long in dereliction and blight as a result of false starts at redevelopment.

'Inevitable' Kyiv bullish about third attempt on Kerch bridge

In the biggest Ukrainian onslaught inside Russian territory since Vladimir Putin's fullscale invasion two years ago, Ukraine has in recent weeks carried out a series of drone attacks on Russian oil refineries and ports. On 2 April, it hit a refinery and drone factory in the industrial region of Tatarstan - more than 1,300km from the border.

Alone and embattled Netanyahu's woes mount, but he won't be going quietly

For Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, the first week of April has perhaps been the worst since the Hamas attack on 7 October, six months ago, that triggered the current war in Gaza.

No one is in charge

The Gaza war has disrupted the world order. As US diplomacy flounders, emerging powers see a chance for new voices to join the top table

Loonsday Clock nears midnight while Tory MPS plot regicide again Marina Hyde

I wouldn't say I'm a Conservative confidencevote prepper, but like many in the political survivalist community I do prefer to keep track of the threat level.

Career ladders may be broken, but a fulfilling job is still within reach

Recently, I sat in a lecture hall with a couple of hundred final-year undergraduate students. Looking around, I thought about my own uncertainty at their age. When I was about to graduate, the future seemed unclear.

Bullies rule at every stage of life, but it doesn't have to be that way

Alarge and impressive study of children's progress into adulthood found that those who display bullying and aggressive behaviour at school are more likely to prosper at work. They land better jobs and earn more.

49 DAYS LATER

Liz Truss trashed the economy as Britain’s shortest-serving prime minister. But she is back, launching anew conservative movement and spreading her ideology across the world. Youjust can't keep abad politician down...

THE EMPTY PLINTH

In 1760, a pivotal slave revolt began in Jamaica - and now many want its leader made a national hero. But what if this story is bigger than that?