Merry Crisis

The belief that saying something instantly makes it a fact is a very dangerous tendency, but it seems to be a common affliction in politicians

Our diarist gives his personal rundown of who has been good – and who has been bad – over the last 12 months

Despite endless promises of post-EU jam tomorrow, Rishi Sunak’s government has been forced to eat humble pie over the last 12 months

There is some irony in the fact that the word “epicurean” is now used to describe people who relish the sensual pleasures of eating fine food and drinking fine wine

The belief that saying something instantly makes it a fact is a very dangerous tendency, but it seems to be a common affliction in politicians

The west must understand that when it comes to Putin, there are only binary outcomes

How part of Mussolini’s “fascistisation” of society outlasted Il Duce to become something much less sinister

I’m happy to come from a family where all we need to have a great time is some grilled meat, a few cans of cheap beer and each other’s company

The Norwegian Christmas tree has been a gift from the City of Oslo to London ever since 1947, an annual thank you for British support during the second world war

Young farmers are bringing the distilling business back into fashion

The gloriously packaged pyramids of Italian brioche have conquered Britain, but its origins are unclear

Shut out of the UK by exorbitant costs and complicated procedures, English-learners in Europe are heading elsewhere

The returning sci-fi series – a British institution – reminds us that we still do many things brilliantly and with generosity of spirit

Our diarist gives his personal rundown of who has been good – and who has been bad – over the last 12 months

The populist leaders of Argentina and Venezuela fly under the radar in the northern hemisphere, but the threat they pose is very real

For Christian Palestinians there will be no twinkling lights or Christmas trees, as all churches agree this year there can be no celebration

For the bereaved citizens of Ukraine, the holiday season is the cruellest time of all

Despite endless promises of post-EU jam tomorrow, Rishi Sunak’s government has been forced to eat humble pie over the last 12 months

After holding off some formidable competition, Michelle Mone has claimed the coveted title of The New European’s Liar of the Year for 2023

As the Tories crash and burn, the papers that back them look for distractions – like lambasting migrants, the woke and Prince Harry

Gather the family around the tree and test your knowledge of the last 12 months

For our final letters pages of 2023, a selection of our favourite missives of the year. Thank you to all who wrote in

2023 has been a tumultuous year around the world, filled with conflict, controversy and historic firsts, alongside hopes and fears for the future

Don't miss this festive season’s must-watch production...

A general election could be just weeks away. But Labour is yet to have crucial meetings about its agenda in power

Several standout exhibitions this year moved beyond simply flagging the work of “forgotten” artist women

The story of Anne Frank is known far and wide, but this was a fresh look at an already well-examined period of history

The perfect combination of compelling narrative and wonderful writing is rare but when it works the results are unforgettable

After over half a century of trying, 2023 was the year that continental European rock truly broke the rest of the world

2023 went down as the year the superhero movie died. The genre has spun its last web and assembled its last avenger

This year I learned the last great showman was one of those people I had loved deeply without ever fully realising it

Dumas’s swashbuckling classic has been filmed 50 times – but the French haven’t tried since the 1960s. Until now...

At the age of 75, synthesiser pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre is back with two new projects and a determination to innovate and disrupt

Not all Italians become upset when one of the country’s keystone desserts is meddled with, and this dish is a fine example

The name of the ship is well known these days, but the etymology of the Cotswolds village from which it took its name is less certain

Attempting to steal children’s Christmas gifts from a kindly old man is only one item on the charge sheet of the cannibalistic witch

In a way, the Ahmadi feel like a very suburban, very pacific, rather twee and English sort of Muslim sect