CULTURE

The Star-Spangled Banner’s surprising origins

Getty ImagesIt's one of the country's best-loved songs – but the US national anthem, recently performed by The Chicks at…

4 months ago

Romulus – Why people are so upset about its surprise cameo

Disney(Credit: Disney)The new Alien film has enraged many with the re-appearance of an actor from the 1979 original – brought…

4 months ago

12 of the best recent beach reads

Penguin Random House(Credit: Penguin Random House)From the follow-up to Colm Tóibín's beloved Brooklyn and Miranda July's "mid-life coming-of-age tale" to…

4 months ago

This ‘clever, gripping and sometimes awe-inspiring’ chiller is the best Alien film in decades

DisneySince the first two films in the 1980s, the sci-fi horror series has been a very mixed bag. But this…

4 months ago

Seven of the Paris Olympics’ most striking images – as classical artworks

APAs the 2024 Paris Olympics draws to a close, the BBC rounds up some of the most stunning photos captured…

4 months ago

The rise of the slow living movement

AlamyIs a slower, more mindful pace of life the answer to stress – or is it just another unachievable, privileged…

5 months ago

House of the Dragon season 2 is as bleak as it gets

Theo Whiteman/ HBOThere's no-one to root for in this nihilistic spectacle about the horrors of war, as the characters "march…

5 months ago

Why you need to watch ‘the most cynical show on TV’

Simon Ridgway/HBO(Credit: Simon Ridgway/HBO)Set in the cutthroat world of UK high-finance, Industry is a Gen-Z Succession that's as ruthless as…

5 months ago

The key message that made Inside Out 2 bigger than Barbie

DisneyWhen Riley learns to embrace anxiety alongside joy, her life improves (Credit: Disney)While anxiety is one of our most uncomfortable…

5 months ago

The ultra-girly movement sparking debate

Getty Images'Lolita' fashion is a well-established subculture in Japan – a doll-like look, it draws on baroque and rococo styles…

5 months ago