The annual commemoration of anti-fascist volunteers who fought fascism in Spain now includes a key contribution from Italian comrades
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Brilliant brassicas
MAT COWARD battles wayward pigeons in pursuit of a crop of purple sprouting broccoli
The Islamic Republic’s suddenly weakened regional position exposes the nation to grave threats from US imperialism
DONG XUE explains why US tariffs hold no significant threat to China
ANSELM ELDERGILL asks whether artificial intelligence may decide legal cases in the future, in place of human judges, and how AI could reshape the legal landscape
Like pieces on a chess board, centrist parties lose ground as they accommodate rather than challenge far-right agendas — socialists must play things better, warns MATT KERR
Yanis Varoufakis and Jeremy Corbyn laid out a roadmap for peace, justice and equality as they celebrated the legacy of inspirational socialist Tony Benn, reports LINDA PENTZ GUNTER
The NEU’s annual conference promises heated debate, with motions on international politics, curriculum reform and union amalgamation likely to provoke strong reactions and challenge the status quo, writes Education for Tomorrow editor ROBERT POOLE
THIS winter’s endless storms have, I fear, done for my purple sprouting broccoli.
It’s not that they’ve been toppled by the winds. I long ago learned the hard lesson that tall, overwintering brassicas need to be thoroughly staked if they are to survive. Preferably, the stakes themselves should be taller than the plants, even once they’ve been driven 18 inches (46cm) into the ground. The stem of the plant must be tied to the pole in several places.
My stakes had held, and so had the old bootlaces I used as string, but when I went to check the purple sprouting after one of the recent gales I found the fine-mesh netting had blown away.
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Edinburgh can take great pride in an episode of its history where a murderous captain of the city guard was brought to justice by a righteous crowd — and nobody snitched to Westminster in the aftermath, writes MAT COWARD
Well, MAT COWARD did, and here’s his introduction to it
MAT COWARD introduces the creator of the Good Food Guide, communist and crime fiction writer – Raymond Postgate
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