Brave director criticises Disney’s ‘sexualised’ Princess Merida redesign
The character’s creator says Disney’s new version of her hero ‘send[s] a message that the original, realistic girl is inferior’
Anne Frank’s Diary in US schools censorship battle
Anti-censorship campaigners fight parent in Michigan over allegedly graphic passages in Diary of Young Girl
Margaret Thatcher’s imperial funeral doesn’t suit 21st century democracy
How distressing if this solemn event turns into a farcical reminder of the hubris and divisiveness of the Thatcher era
From Snoop Dogg to Snoop Lion: The reinvention of a gangster rapper
He’s the former pimp married to his childhood sweetheart; the shrewd businessman who smokes 30 joints a day. Can the gun-toting Dogg reinvent himself as a peace-loving Lion?
In Britain, beer is much more than just a drink
George Osborne may not go to pubs, but has at least cottoned on to their value and called off the annual beating in the budget
Processed meat scare: A bacon sandwich won’t kill you … will it?
As a new scare over salami and sausages emerges, is it time to ditch processed meat products from our diet?
Golden ale sales soar as lager drinkers turn their backs on the fizz
Tesco reports that sales of pale malt beer seen as ‘stepping stone’ from lager to ale have risen by 40% on last year
What lies behind religious homophobia
The anti-gay rhetoric of religious leaders like Cardinal Keith O’Brien often masks deep-seated fears about their own sexuality
Ricky Gervais’ Derek: cruel, or just unusual?
Ricky Gervais says Derek, his latest comedy creation, does not have a disability. But is this claim credible?
Sorry! The English and Their Manners by Henry Hitchings
A charming and erudite history of national etiquette
Writing letters to complete strangers can make the world a better place
The website The World Needs More Love Letters aims to spread joy through random letters. So what would you tell someone you’ve never met?
William H Macy: ‘Even the bad sex I’ve had was pretty good’
The actor wonders how films could have possibly got their attitudes to sex and violence so spectacularly wrong
Meet the real Jane Austen, the prototype Guardian gal
‘Austen month’ is a good time to ditch the wilful misogynist misreadings of the revolutionary novelist’s life and work
Fast food and takeaways linked to surge in child asthma and allergies
Teenagers more likely to have severe asthma and eczema if they eat fast food more than three times a week, study shows
How to cut food waste
Up to half of all food is wasted. From treating use-by dates sensibly to picking ‘ugly’ veg, there are measures we can all take
UK lost more than 200 libraries in 2012
Amid a continuing fight to keep public libraries open, figures show an increase in the rate of closure
