Capitalism by Sven Beckert review – an extraordinary history of the economic system that controls our lives
The Harvard professor provides a ceaseless flow of startling details in this exhaustively researched, 1000-year account
Converts by Melanie McDonagh review – the road to Rome Catholicism’s unlikely 20th-century resurgence
A thought-provoking examination of the literary stars who became Catholic – from Evelyn Waugh to Muriel Spark
Song Sung Blue review – Neil Diamond tribute act gets sweet treat of movie thanks to Jackman and Hudson
Film that follows a Milwaukee married couple as they rise to fame with a real-life band called Lightning and Thunder is undeniably entertaining
Cracker jokes and custard chemistry: ways to smuggle science into Christmas
Researchers share the easy ways to uncover moments of festive discovery, proving you don’t need a lab coat to experiment this Christmas
What's the secret of Borat's fluent Kazakh? It's Hebrew
Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat has become a hit in Israel because the ‘Kazakh’ he speaks in the movie is in fact perfect Hebrew
Millions hit UK roads, railways and airports for Christmas Eve getaway
RAC says traffic expected to reach highest level since pandemic, while Heathrow predicts busiest festive season
Greta Thunberg arrested in London over ‘Palestine Action prisoners’ placard
Two other people held on suspicion of criminal damage after protest at insurance company’s offices
Labour is living in a fool’s paradise if it thinks it has plenty of time to turn Britain around
Going into 2026, the economy has little forward momentum and things may get worse before they get better, says Guardian columnist Larry Elliott
The hill I will die on: Being late can be the height of good manners and decorum, actually
Instead of seeing etiquette as a set of categorical rules, we should recognise that poor form can actually have good consequences, says writer Rachel Connolly
No bickering around the Christmas tree! If your family are trapped by their algorithms, here’s the way out
My research on social media shows high levels of misinformation and disconnect. Here’s how to talk to kith and kin this week without tears and tantrums, says academic Dr Kaitlyn Regehr
Three killed in Moscow car explosion, say Russian authorities
‘Explosive device’ was triggered when police approached a suspicious person, say officials
In Berlin, I took an evening class on fascism – and found out how to stop the AfD
With the far-right party ahead in the polls, I discovered that a novel set during the rise of the Nazis provides a timely warning, says journalist Tania Roettger
Cancelled US comedian Jimmy Kimmel to deliver Christmas message to UK
TV host who came under pressure from Trump government will say: ‘From a fascism perspective, this has been a really great year’