YOU WONT BELIEVE: 4 - What They Never Told You

Exhausted by optimisation, I’m seeking solace in the past. As Sibelius’s swans soar skywards, so do my spirits

Humans have always been capable of transcending the lock box of daily life with little more technology at their side than wood, string, a baton and their voices

The Guardian - AU · Sep 21

What do you think of the MPs’ inquiry into UK Eurovision song contest failure? I give it nul points

There are obvious reasons why the UK flops and flops again, but that isn’t the point. This annual debacle is now part of our national identity, says deputy music editor Laura Snapes

The Guardian - UK · Sep 21

If you really hate it when music and film stars do politics, here’s the answer: give us politics that works

The problem is not famous people speaking out, as they always have. It is the feeling that leaders have failed, obliging celebrities to fill the vacuum, says Guardian columnist Nesrine Malik

The Guardian - UK · Sep 21

The Independent’s Climate 100 list is a much needed celebration of hope in a troubled world

THE INDEPENDENT VIEW: Editorial: The Independent’s promotion of the disruptors, leaders and activists fighting the climate crisis shows the power of positive action – and the need to take on vested interests

The Independent UK · Sep 20

Hungry for connection? This is what we lose when we stop eating together

Mealtimes offer a pause in the day for parents and children to sit together, listen to one another and trade stories

The Guardian - AU · Sep 20

In a world of wars and climate crisis, a new leader could save the UN. But would Trump allow it?

As the organisation meets this week, it remains the best hope for restoring order. But it relies on goodwill from the US president – and that is lacking, says former Observer international editor Steve Bloomfield

The Guardian - UK · Sep 20

My mum has died - and every decision I make about her belongings feels wrong

Until now I’d never realised how much work is involved in sorting out a parent’s affairs, and how much heartbreak, writes Polly Hudson

The Guardian - UK · Sep 20

Star Trek is turning 60 – and the vision it promised feels more distant than ever

The US’s deployment of weaponry in space marks the latest backward step from the show’s optimistic conception of the future

The Guardian - US · Sep 20

From Lizzie Borden to Myra Hindley, why are we still so fascinated with female killers?

Another true-crime drama about a woman accused of murder is hitting our screens, feeding into our culture’s unhelpful obsession with ‘female rage’, says historian and author Rebecca Rideal

The Guardian - UK · Sep 20

Don’t discount Reform because it’s had a bad year. In our angry, fragile democracy, anything can happen

Nigel Farage’s tactics are to play up the anxiety and resentment that people feel. Labour’s job is simple: to offer hope and change, says Guardian columnist John Harris

The Guardian - UK · Sep 20