Tag Archives: Travel

Culture, Magazines, Opinion, Politics, Reviews

THE GUARDIAN WEEKLY – OCTOBER 30, 2026

October 28, 2026 Intellicurious Leave a comment

THE GUARDIAN WEEKLY: The latest issue features ‘KEEP LEFT’ – How Lula won a historic fourth term; Serbia celebrates defeat of Vučić; Competitive yoga – A stretch too far?

How many grinning faces, jubilant crowds and celebrating politicians can you fit into a single issue of the Guardian Weekly? That’s not a question that often troubles us, but the spectacular triumph of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, winning a historic second-round vote after losing the first to rightwing opponent Flávio Bolsonaro, and the victory of the student-led campaign against autocrat Aleksandar Vučić in Serbia gave me a happy problem to solve this week. In an era when the right seems to be riding high in the world, popular pushbacks against strongmen politicians is something to celebrate.

For our Brazil cover story, Tom Phillips and Tiago Rogero report on the reaction to Lula’s victory and how he pulled eventual success from the jaws of what, until the first results came on Sunday evening, seemed a probable defeat. As government health minister Alexandre Padilha said that evening: “It’s a massive victory – not just for Brazil. It’s also an important signal to the rest of Latin America and to the world.” But, as commentator Jordana Timerman cautions, Brazil has been an exception in Latin America in successfully resisting Donald Trump’s attempt to achieve hegemony over the region.

Spotlight | ‘Pure arrogance’
Google has been in the dock in Finland over the illegal felling of hectares of woodland for its datacentres, reports Miranda Bryant

Science | Out of the blue
Why are more planes encountering invisible air turbulence, what can they do about it and what effect will more frequent incidents have on travellers, asks Patrick Keneally

Feature | Bent out of shape?
Competitive yoga may sound like anathema to some devotees of the ancient practice but, as Anita Chaudhuri discovers, there is a movement among some yogis to make it an Olympic sport

Opinion | Lame duck presidents can be dangerous beasts
If Democratic midterm gains hamper Donald Trump at home, we should be very worried about what he might do abroad when foreign policy is his last bastion of power, says Steve Bloomfield

Culture | Stay faithful
As the second series of Celebrity Traitors draws to its conclusion, Michael Hogan meets the people who made it the world’s biggest TV show and finds out why Claudia Winkleman never wants to leave the castle

Arts & Literature, Books, Magazines, Opinion, Reviews

LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS – NOVEMBER 5, 2026 PREVIEW

October 28, 2026 Intellicurious Leave a comment

LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS: The latest issue features Fanny Howe’s Disobedience by Maureen N. McLane; Democrats in Detroit by James Meek; and Rosa Lyster rides to Bayreuth….

Democrats in Detroit

‘To win the Senate, the Democrats need to hold on to the one Michigan seat (out of two) that is up for grabs, and have chosen a new candidate, Abdul El-Sayed, a moderate leftist in European terms, a “communist loser who hates Jews and Israel” according to Trump, “very, very evil”, per J.D. Vance.’ By James Meek

Is curiosity good for us?

‘The superego – and its precursor, conscience – refers to the part of us that has no curiosity about ourselves. It’s the saboteur of curiosity about ourselves. And that part of us, like a narrow-minded fascist, has only one project: to destroy our pleasures in being alive by trying to kill our curiosity (or by making us frightened of our curiosity, which amounts to the same thing).’ By Adam Phillips

Death by Algorithm

Eyal Weizman on NAZA

‘Israel’s automated targeting system allows for the responsibility for “industrialised annihilation” to be shared between coders, operators, legal officers who pre-set the level of collateral damage, officers who approve the strike, officers who choose the bomb and the pilots or drone operators who launch it. “I am just a small screw in the system,” one of the interviewees says, quoting Eichmann’s defence during his trial in Jerusalem. The system that begins with a phone number being put into a computer system ends with an entire family crushed under the rubble.’

Culture, Magazines, Opinion, Politics, Reviews

THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE-OCTOBER 25, 2026

October 24, 2026 Intellicurious Leave a comment

THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE: The 10.25.26 Issue Michael Steinberger on how California’s ultrarich are fighting against the world’s first billionaire tax; Charles Homans on who runs the Democratic party; Matthew Shaer on the director Sterlin Harjo; and more.

Some Tabloid Headline Staples Are Fun. Then There’s ‘Breaks Silence.’

It’s a term like “bombshell” or “flop,” but it often implies a more sinister set of assumptions the press has about celebrities. By Nitsuh Abebe

What This Democrat’s Surge in Texas Says About the Midterms

Gina Hinojosa, the Democratic nominee for governor, on her appeal to MAGA voters and her refusal to engage in the “culture wars.” By Lulu Garcia-Navarro

50 Years In, What’s the Point of U2? Bono and the Edge Have Answers.

The longtime friends and creative partners on what U2 still means — and what would make them call it quits.

Business, Finance, Financial, Investing, Magazines, Retirement

BARRON’S MAGAZINE – OCTOBER 26, 2026

October 24, 2026 Intellicurious Leave a comment

BARRON’S MAGAZINE: The latest issue features ‘HOW THE MIDTERMS COULD REMAKE MARKETS’ – A divided government would put some industries in the crosshairs. What to expect in AI, and beyond.

What a Blue Wave Would Mean for Wall Street

The midterm elections will put some industries in the crosshairs. What to expect in AI, healthcare, and beyond.

5 Telecom Stocks That Can Survive the Musk Threat—and 1 Reason to Buy SpaceX

Shares of T-Mobile, AT&T, and others look attractively priced.

The Trump Economy in 7 Charts

The president has repeatedly promised to bring Americans lower prices, higher growth, and more jobs. His administration has produced mixed results.

Homeownership Helped Make America. It’s Slipping Away for Millions.

Homeownership rates surged in the 1940s and 1950s. But high home prices and interest rates are putting the American dream at risk.

Options ETFs Are Booming. Beware the Trade-Offs.

These pricey, complex strategies appeal to income-hungry and skittish investors—but some can cap your upside and leave you exposed to market downsides.

Conservation, Magazines, Nature, Photography, Wildlife

WORLD WILDLIFE MAGAZINE WINTER 2026-2027

October 23, 2026 Intellicurious Leave a comment

What’s that on the cover? An aerial view of the Carrizo Plain, the largest native grassland in California.

WORLD WILDLIFE MAGAZINE: The latest issue features how five countries in southern Africa joined together to create the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA), where WWF works to help communities coexist alongside lions, hyenas, and other iconic wildlife.

Carnivores in KAZA

In Southern Africa, five countries unite around a shared vision: A connected landscape where communities and free-roaming wildlife can thrive. By Erin Waite

A collared female lion walks closely with her cub in the grass — Photography by Gareth Bentley

Across Africa, large carnivores evolved to roam vast, interconnected landscapes that enable them to hunt prey, find mates, and maintain large territories. But today, those movements have become constrained as human settlements, agriculture, and infrastructure have spliced habitats into ever-smaller fragments. Increasingly isolated and funneled toward spaces inhabited by people, many of the continent’s iconic predators face mounting pressures from habitat loss and human-wildlife conflict, which have fueled alarming declines across populations.

One of the greatest opportunities to reverse this trend lies in the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA). Spanning 200,000 square miles across parts of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, KAZA is the world’s largest terrestrial transboundary conservation area. Here, significant numbers of lions, African wild dogs, leopards, cheetahs, and spotted hyenas still move freely across connected wetlands, savannas, grasslands, and forests—as well as through villages and community lands—helping to keep these important ecosystems in balance.

US Grasslands Campaign launches to protect this overlooked ecosystem

Stretching from coast to coast, grasslands cover nearly a third of the lower 48 states. Yet almost half of Americans know almost nothing about them, according to a new national survey released by the America’s Grasslands Coalition.

Grasslands—large expanses of land dominated by grasses, shrubs, and other flowering plants—are a source of clean water for millions of people in the US and play a vital role in supporting wildlife, storing carbon, sustaining food systems and rural livelihoods, and maintaining ecosystem balance. They currently cover nearly 1 million square miles of the US, roughly half of their historical range—and are continuing to disappear at an alarming rate. This decline, due to plow-up for row-crop agriculture, the spread of invasive plants, and development, threatens wildlife, fresh water, and climate resilience.

Culture, Magazines, Opinion, Politics, Reviews

THE GUARDIAN WEEKLY – OCTOBER 23, 2026

October 21, 2026 Intellicurious Leave a comment

THE GUARDIAN WEEKLY: The latest issue features ‘FAULT LINES’ – Will Israel’s election swing it further to the right?…

Israel is holding national elections next week, giving its citizens their first chance to pass judgment on Benjamin Netanyahu and his coalition since the Hamas-led attacks of 7 October 2023.

For our big story this week, chief Middle East correspondent Emma Graham-Harrison says that whether or not the prime minister can hold on to power, a more rightwing Knesset is expected to be voted in. More than half a million Israelis have reached voting age since the last election in 2022 and, according to polls, three-quarters of first-time Jewish voters define themselves as right or centre-right.

Peter Beaumont profiles opposition candidate Gadi Eisenkot. The former general contrasts with Netanyahu when it comes to style and character, he writes, yet on key policy points retains a studied ambiguity.

Then Israeli pollster and political analyst Dahlia Scheindlin argues that after three disastrous years, Israel needs to rethink itself, but only a clear opposition victory would let the country begin to heal, strengthen democracy and establish Palestinian rights.

Spotlight | ‘We are suffocating’
As protests that have convulsed Spain and France in recent weeks spill over to Italy and Portugal, Sam Jones reports on the rising wave of anger over the housing crisis and cost of living

Science | Taking a shot
Could a drug to prevent shingles also protect our brains against dementia? The possibility, writes Ian Sample, is driving a boom in vaccinations

Feature | The Havana syndrome mystery
Dozens of CIA officers have been afflicted by debilitating symptoms over the past decade. Are they the result of “mass hysteria” or are they from attacks with an energy weapon, asks Shaun Walker

Opinion | Another EU referendum? Not just yet
The omertà on the UK rejoining has now been broken, but it would be folly to move too soon, says Polly Toynbee

Culture | Shygirl’s slog to the top
She has opened for Beyoncé, writhed in a cubicle for Madonna – and is poised to take over the mainstream with her new rock sound. The pop auteur talks to Simran Hans about cash, class – and finding true love

Culture, History, Homes, Magazines, Reviews, Travel

COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE – OCTOBER 21, 2026

October 20, 2026 Intellicurious Leave a comment

COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE: The latest issue features a diverse array of articles, including Emma Hughes’s tribute to Ronald Searle, a unique leader piece by Nigel Molesworth, and a dive into MI5’s secret archives, alongside international travel and luxury features, an analysis of William Morris, structural and artistic highlights like No 22 Parkside and Elizabeth Lady Templetown’s Wedgwood designs, and practical guides on country-house history, interior lighting, seasonal fashion, and culinary traditions.

The legacy

Emma Hughes hails Ronald Searle, creator of Molesworth, the Curse of St Custard’s ; plus in the leader article, Nigel Molesworth shares his observations on Country Life in his own inimitable style

Can you keep a secret?

A new book on MI5’s archives reveals a world of subterfuge and untold stories for Emma Hughes

Country Life International

Julie Harding visits the historic Delft factory, Harry Pearson samples the best of Parisian macarons and confronts the monsters of Lake Geneva, Claire Jackson tunes up for the Concours de Genève, Corinne Julius finds the spice of life in Grenada and Holly Kirkwood highlights top properties for sale in sun-loving cities

Magazine spread from Country Life October 21, 2026

A man of contradictions

A new exhibition examines the complex character of designer William Morris, reports Mary Miers

James Peill’s favourite painting

The Garter King of Arms picks the portrait of a man of means

Country-house treasure

John Goodall toasts the thirst-quenching cistern in residence at Halswell House in Somerset

Rule the roast

Who first cooked up our famous Sunday lunch, asks David Ellis

Luxury

Justine Picardie admires the hum-orous style of Elsa Schiaparelli and Amie Elizabeth White seeks shades of suede for autumn

High-tech as history

John Goodall tours the yellow, Modernist masterpiece No 22 Parkside in London, recently acquired by the National Trust

Interiors

Arabella Youens takes a shine to warm lighting in a utility room and Amelia Thorpe eyes lovely lamps

Weaving dreams

Tilly Ware meets the designer of the mesmerising perennial meadow at Shillies Barn, Suffolk

She sells sea salt by the seashore

Jane Wheatley visits Halen Môn on Anglesey and finds a thriving family empire well worth its salt

Countryside mysteries

Broomrape, toothwort and other such parasitic plants catch the ever-curious eye of John Wright

Travel

Richard MacKichan sails the Indonesian Flores Sea in style

Just sew stories

The fungi and lichen of the Surrey Hills are the source of artistic inspiration for Amanda Cobbett, as she explains to Catriona Gray

Arts & antiques

Carla Passino explores how the charming designs of Elizabeth, Lady Templetown helped her become the darling of Wedgwood

Setting the standard

James Graham serves up the best new play of the year as Michael Billington applauds a star-studded stage offering

Culture, Magazines, Opinion, Politics, Previews, Society, Stories

THE HUMANIST MAGAZINE FALL 2026 PREVIEW

October 20, 2026 Intellicurious Leave a comment

THE HUMANIST MAGAZINE: The latest issue features ‘THE ELECTORAL THEOLOGY OF TRUMPISM’…

The Electoral Theology of Trumpism

How White Evangelical Voters Made Trump’s Victory Possible—and Helped Legitimize Government by Certainty by Gordon Gamm

Donald Trump’s 2024 victory depended heavily on White evangelical or born-again Christian voters. National exit polling estimated that they constituted approximately 23 percent of voters and supported Trump over Kamala Harris by 82 percent to 17 percent.¹ Trump won the national popular vote by only about 1.5 percentage points—49.81 percent to Harris’s 48.34 percent.²

No One Should Be Without Fellowship

At the foot of burning Mount Doom, Samwise the gardener kneels beside his friend, Frodo, who can no longer walk. Frodo has been carrying a great weight– the One Ruling Ring, which grows heavier with every step. As Sam watches his friend press onward at a crawl, he knows he…

More than Algorithms

This piece was awarded first place in the Humanists of Greater Portland’s annual essay contest for high school seniors seeking funding for post-high school education. Every day reminds me how much we rely on tiny lines…

An Intimate Look at the Life of Thomas Jefferson in This Anniversary Year

by Robert Louis Semes • 20 October 2026

“Being Thomas Jefferson: An Intimate History” by Andrew Burstein

Over a long life encompassed by countless books while a student, professor or a researcher, it is only “once in a blue moon,” this reviewer encountered a magnificent book. One such is Andrew Burstein’s latest, “Being Thomas Jefferson: An Intimate History.” I can only sing praises of this monograph. I had difficulty putting it down. This poignant book is a must read for those wishing to learn more about the author of several significant achievements that still ring the cause of freedom in the United States of America. Particularly in this 250th anniversary year of Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence, “well-armed with pulsating phrases,” one should spend time getting reacquainted with this man of particular talent and devotion to the cause of liberty. It is also the 200th anniversary of Jefferson’s death. Between these two anniversaries lie a testament to greatness, and devotion to his country. There are numerous history book offerings in this anniversary year, but surely this book stands apart from many others.

Business, Finance, Financial, Investing, Magazines, Retirement

BARRON’S MAGAZINE – OCTOBER 19, 2026

October 17, 2026 Intellicurious Leave a comment

BARRON’S MAGAZINE: The latest issue features ‘THIS STOCK’S FOR YOU’ – Anheuser-Busch InBev is battling the industry’s long slump with new types of nonalcoholic beers. We see a tasty investment.

Nasdaq Suffers Worst Week Since June. AI Fears Are Shaking Markets.

Only two of the Magnificent Seven firms—Meta Platforms and Tesla—report in the week ahead. This brutal skid could continue.

This Stock’s for You: Buy Bud’s ‘Diet Coke’ Moment

Americans and Europeans are drinking less alcohol, but that’s no problem for AB InBev. The Bud and Michelob brewer’s shares are trading at a discount as new zero-alcohol concoctions hit store shelves.

Wall Street Is Unusually Optimistic About Third-Quarter Earnings. Here’s Why in 5 Charts.

Wall Street is riding a record-high wave of positive corporate guidance and expanding profit margins led by energy and tech. Can it last?

Utility Stocks Offer Nice Yields and Are Less Risky Than Other AI Plays

The sector is attractively priced after a lackluster year, and offers healthy dividends and robust earnings growth.

Taxes on the Wealthy Are on the Ballot in Many States. Could It Become a Federal Trend?

Voters in more than a dozen states are considering tax-related amendments in November.

Culture, Magazines, Opinion, Politics, Reviews

THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE-OCTOBER 18, 2026

October 16, 2026 Intellicurious Leave a comment

THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE: The 10.18.26 Issue features Brooke Jarvis walks across 20 islands near Stockholm on the archipelago trail; Dan Duane processes his father’s death by climbing in Yosemite; Jonathan Gluck goes fly fishing with 10 fellow cancer patients; Blair Braverman writes about an adventurer who set out to cross Canada and only his dogs came back; and more.