Since Ahmad al-Sharaa came to power in Syria, the Damascus government has been given carte blanche to use maximum force against any threat to its continued rule, writes VIJAY PRASHAD

ALMOST every vegetable gardener I know grows courgettes, but the full-size version, the marrow — once a mainstay of British allotments — seems somewhat neglected these days.
Perhaps part of the reason, as with many traditional vegetables which fall out of fashion, is people’s childhood memories of giant marrows grown for size, not flavour, and then mercilessly cooked until any remaining risk of taste or texture had been expunged.
But grown for the kitchen rather than the show bench, picked at the right time, and prepared according to the many excellent, modern recipes available online, I think marrows deserve to regain their former status.

MAT COWARD sings the praises of the Giant Winter’s full-depth, earthy and ferrous flavour perfect for rich meals in the dark months

The heroism of the jury who defied prison and starvation conditions secured the absolute right of juries to deliver verdicts based on conscience — a convention which is now under attack, writes MAT COWARD

As apple trees blossom to excess it remains to be seen if an abundance of fruit will follow. MAT COWARD has a few tips to see you through a nervy time

While an as-yet-unnamed new left party struggles to be born, MAT COWARD looks at some of the wild and wonderful names of workers’ organisations past that have been lost to time