Shady Habash died in prison aged 22 and had been held without trial for two years

Rami Makhlouf’s complaints against his cousin show strains in power structure

Long studio sessions were once the norm, but design teams are adapting to a new, remote reality

Teens who don’t want to miss the rite of passage are dressing up for leavers’ balls on TikTok

In fashion, timing is everything. When coronavirus turned the world upside down, these new brands had to pivot quickly to survive

Men — Resist the clippers with these eight hair savers

Why one of the biggest names in fashion also designs furniture textiles

Elite university comes under fire for taking $9m in assistance while having a huge endowment

US students and institutions of higher learning are facing uncertain futures

Over decades the Republican party has reconfigured itself into the party of the white and the South

Rising number of low-paid staff are contracting Covid-19 or leaving posts as death toll mounts

Agreement raises spending by $320bn but has limited offsetting budget cuts

Local news sites are experiencing a resurgence and streaming is more popular than ever

Mortality statistics show 122,000 deaths in excess of normal levels across 14 countries analysed by the FT

Find any country in the customisable version of the Covid-19 trajectory charts

Putting up barriers to travel is proving much easier than taking them down

Many in Washington say Trump’s mini-deal with Beijing was a vehicle for political boasts

After months of lockdown, citizens are keen to move around but not across borders

Factories reopen but economy still faces challenges from weak services sector

As the final object is revealed, FT arts editor Jan Dalley talks to Peter Aspden about the significance of the BBC Radio 4 series 'A History of the World in 100 Objects' presented by Neil MacGregor, director of the British Museum.  

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

War Horse has just won five Tony Awards; last year the RSC put on an acclaimed production of Matilda; and now Punchdrunk are staging their first show for children, The Crash of the Elysium. Is children’s theatre on the up – or is it still the poor relation of “proper” theatre? Where is the new writing among the successful adaptations? And what are the best shows on in Britain this summer holiday? Jan Dalley puts these questions to Tony Graham, artistic director of London’s Unicorn Theatre, Sarah Hemming, FT theatre critic, and Neville Hawcock, deputy arts editor – as well as to four budding young critics. Produced by Griselda Murray Brown  

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Postmodernism defined itself against the stifling clarity and seriousness Modernism. It put style before drab functionality. It embraced pop culture and garish colour. But it got a bad rep. “PoMo” was called vacuous and kitsch, and in the 1980s it became associated with corporate culture and consumerism. Now this controversial cultural movement is the subject of a major exhibition at London’s Victoria and Albert museum, "Postmodernism: Style and Subversion 1970–1990". Neville Hawcock talks to Glenn Adamson, co-curator of the show, and to FT columnists Edwin Heathcote and Peter Aspden. Produced by Griselda Murray Brown  

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As the winners of the BBC’s Sound of 2012 poll are announced, FT deputy arts editor Neville Hawcock asks three of the judges: who are the real “tastemakers”? What’s more important nowadays, a rave review or hits on YouTube? And how do unsigned artists make it? He is joined in the studio by FT pop critics Ludovic Hunter-Tilney and Richard Clayton, and NME assistant reviews editor and blogger Laura Snapes; music clips from Sound of 2012 winner Michael Kiwanuka, as well as Context, Emeli Sandé and Skrillex. Produced by Griselda Murray Brown  

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jan Dalley is joined by Louis de Bernières, author of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, the playwright Mike Packer, and journalist Carl Wilkinson to discuss literary adaptations. At the Oscars this month, six of the nine movies up for Best Picture are based on books – and the film version of de Bernières’ novel Red Dog is released in the UK on February 24. Why are adaptations so popular? Are filmmakers and investors just playing it safe in uncertain times? And how does it feel to see your novel – or play – on the big screen? Produced by Griselda Murray Brown  

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ahead of the Victoria and Albert museum’s new exhibition 'British Design 1948-2012', Jan Dalley asks: can great design build a better society? Can Britain be called a leader in the field when its manufacturing industry is all but dead? And are we doing enough to foster a new generation of artists and designers? She is joined by the furniture designer Matthew Hilton, co-curator of the V&A show Christopher Breward, and FT arts writer Peter Aspden. Produced by Griselda Murray Brown  

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As the 10th edition of the London Design Festival launches, designer Tom Dixon, London Design Museum director Deyan Sudjic and designer and online thinktank founder Rabih Hage discuss its impact with FT architecture critic Edwin Heathcote  

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As the 10th edition of the London Design Festival launches, designer Tom Dixon, London Design Museum director Deyan Sudjic and designer and online thinktank founder Rabih Hage discuss its impact with FT Architecture critic Edwin Heathcote  

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Thinking differently is what makes Bowie stand out in the noisy world that killed off HMV. And it will be the key skill in the disembodied cultural universe of the future, says FT arts writer Peter Aspden.  

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Based on a novel by Peter Stephan Jungk, 'The Perfect American' is the story of one of the 20th century's biggest entertainment moguls. The FT's arts writer gives his verdict on the work's premiere at the Teatro Real, Madrid.  

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

With "The Rite of Spring" in Paris and the Armory Show in New York, 1913 was a key moment for modernism. But it also marked a turning point in Britain's attitude to its past, says the FT's culture columnist  

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The FT's arts writer reports on Mat Collishaw's transition from conceptual shock artist to ‘proper’ draughtsman - and why, unlike revolution or virgin birth, an economic recession makes a poor subject for art  

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The German band’s shows at Tate Modern were wildly oversubscribed. But hot tickets and artistic pleasure don’t necessarily go hand in hand, says the FT’s arts writer  

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

With his brother Jake, the British artist has tackled some of modernity’s grisliest themes. The FT’s arts writer finds out why he’s now trying his hand at music  

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Like it or not, the vibrancy of London’s art scene is due in part to the efforts of marketeers, public relations teams and great coffee shops, says the FT’s arts writer,  

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As a stage version of the classic BBC sitcom comes to London, the FT’s arts writer reflects on the series’ pioneering mix of comedy and drama  

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The emirate’s contemporary arts event considers some thorny regional issues in a deceptively laid-back way, says the FT’s arts writer  

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We love French culture, yet according to a recent study there’s something in it that makes the French miserable. But every nation’s artistic mindset has its drawbacks, argues the FT’s arts writer  

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Artists responded vigorously to the confrontational politics of Margaret Thatcher’s premiership – but the vivid creativity of the time had its roots in an earlier era, argues the FT’s arts editor  

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Doha’s aspiration to become a global centre for culture is admirable – its squeamishness over ancient Greek sculptures less so, says the FT’s arts writer  

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As a new documentary profiles the soft rock megastars, the FT’s arts writer reflects on their dramatic fall from grace – and their enduring appeal  

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Europe’s film-makers want protection from the might of Hollywood. That’s understandable, argues the FT’s arts writer, but also wrong-headed: the two traditions are deeply intertwined  

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As Margate’s Turner Contemporary gallery celebrates curiosity, the FT’s arts writer does his best to concentrate on the mind’s ability to wander  

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The praise lavished on football’s retiring greats has been wildly overblown, says the FT’s arts writer. Other cultural pursuits are far worthier of grown-ups’ attention  

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Where there is a public clamour for explanation, writers and artists should be unafraid to step in, says the FT's arts writer  

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Countries are vying to project their worth through art, sport and broadcasting. But ‘soft power’ is not always easy to control, says the FT’s arts writer  

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Visa problems and nervousness on the part of potential sponsors have made life hard for London’s festival of contemporary Arab culture. But as the Arab Spring gives way to harsher realities, such forums are needed more than ever, says the FT’s arts writer  

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Nevada resort, a byword for pleasure-seeking in the here and now, is starting to take its history seriously, says the FT’s arts writer  

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Braving Daleks and Cybermen at the Royal Albert Hall, the FT’s arts writer reflects on the unlikely synergy between classical music and a children’s sci-fi series  

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The late pop singer, whose work has just gone on show at London’s Royal College of Art, was a far more nuanced figure than his punk image would suggest, argues the FT’s arts writer  

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Omnicom/Publicis, Penguin/Random House – the cultural landscape is dominated by ever fewer, ever bigger businesses. Yet artists and audiences alike are finding benefits in shunning their embrace  

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.