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This Month

 Anthony Blunt, Guy Burgess , Kim Philby and Donald Maclea

The Queen, the spy and the decade-long conspiracy of silence

Anthony Blunt was a Russian spy for decades but he always told the Kremlin the Royal Family was off limits.

  • James Hanning
A troll doll, one of many Iconic toys through the decades.

The annual, post-Christmas lament: toys are a scam

Want to get a kid something they’ll actually play with? Avoid just about anything they’d pick out for themselves.

  • Ellen McCarthy
Some of just don’t find breakfast appealing.

Is it really such a big deal to skip breakfast?

It’s fine to not eat in the morning, as long as you do so thoughtfully and find other ways to get enough fuel to get you through the day.

  • Elizabeth Passarella
Intermittent fasting

How intermittent fasting helps you lose weight and live longer

A systematic evaluation of 40 trials concluded that intermittent fasting works, with a typical weight loss of three to five kilograms over 10 weeks.

  • Suzy Walker

The doctor on a crusade to help menopausal women ‘get their lives back’

Mary Claire Haver, an obstetrician and gynaecologist, has built a multimillion-dollar business advising women on how to navigate menopause. But not everyone is a fan.

  • Danielle Friedman
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A recent drop-off in sales is “linked to the perception that yachting is significantly exposed to Russian clientele”, such as former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.

Roman Abramovich’s life of luxury in Turkish exile

Turkey, the country where East meets West, is an ideal no-man’s-land for the billionaire amid rumours he would be willing to open dialogue with Donald Trump.

  • Tom Morgan
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Is busyness a cure for ADHD?

Recent research suggests periods of remission from ADHD symptoms are more likely to occur during demanding times of life.

  • Christina Caron
Former first lady Michelle Obama speaks during the Democratic National Convention.

The curious case of missing Michelle Obama

The former first lady is keeping a low profile, opting not to attend Jimmy Carter’s funeral or Donald Trump’s inauguration.

  • Tony Diver
Pope Francis kisses a wooden statuette of the infant Jesus.

Pope’s new memoir unlikely to quell Catholic dissent

In his new autobiography, Pope Francis outlines a recipe for “infinite possibilities” that will please neither conservatives nor radicals.

  • Rowan Williams
An MCC member catches a nap at Lord’s.

The profound effects of power napping

Research shows that having a kip can not only take the edge off a night of inadequate sleep but also boost your cognitive and learning capabilities.

  • Richard Sima
By adopting a minimalist mindset, you’ll enjoy the benefits of a clutter-free home.

Meet Japan’s original decluttering guru (no, not that one)

Hideko Yamashita pushes her clients to examine what overabundance and obsession do to their emotional states.

  • River Akira Davis and Hisako Ueno
Many online reviews are fake, either generated by AI or by people paid to write nice stuff.
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Sick of dodgy reviews? These 5 steps will help you find the real deal

In an era of artificial intelligence and paid content creators, you can’t always trust the results on product recommendations.

  • Laura Daily
The restrictions on liquids in carry-on began almost two decades ago.

Why are the hated liquid restrictions still in force at airports?

We’ve been decanting lotion into small containers since 2006 when UK police discovered a plan to bring down an aeroplane using explosives in soft drink bottles.

  • Lizzie Dearden
Bottles of the Pierre PŽters flagship Champagne in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, France.

A beginner’s guide to perpetual champagne

A growing number of producers are blending significant portions of their reserve wines together, creating what they call a perpetual reserve.

  • Eric Asimov
Couples who live apart maintain the intimacy and companionship of a relationship without the friction of day-to-day interactions.

‘We’re married but don’t live together – we’d drive each other mad’

One couple describes in detail what it’s like to be together while living mostly apart. It’s worked for 30 years.

  • Suzy Walker
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 13: Kris Jenner and Kim Kardashian arrive at the 10th Annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on April 13, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Craig T Fruchtman/Getty Images) -

Why the age of the Kardashians may be over

They pretty much invented influencer culture but, like an overripe Stilton, this once-fragrant family is beginning to pong.

  • Laura Craik
Linde Jacobs at the lab of Dr. Claire Clelland, a neurologist at UCSF, in San Francisco, Nov. 18, 2024. Jacobs, a nurse from Minnesota with a rare gene mutation, fights to avoid her mother’s fate. (Mike Kai Chen/The New York Times) AFR

Racing against time to beat a family’s dementia curse

Linde Jacobs and her sisters watched their mother suffer from the effects of frontotemporal dementia. They know they’re heading the same way, and want to save their daughters.

  • Virginia Hughes
Prices for clothing and footwear are down 0.7 per cent.

We have enough stuff. No-buy 2025 offers other ways to fill the void

No-buy doesn’t mean abstaining from all purchases, but rather picking specific categories to avoid.

  • Jenny Singer
People can drink quite a lot of alcohol daily and still function quite well. It’s only when they stop, they realise how much better they can feel.

What a year without beer really does to your body

You might lose a few drinking buddies, but this 52-year-old reports the pros of not drinking alcohol far outweigh the cons.

  • Nick Harding
 AFR David Rowe Cartoon Illustration
” Politics Now... How do you feel about Nuclear Envoy? 
President Elect, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin President of Russia
21st November 2024

The UN’s magical thinking about Trump’s return

Some officials say the president-elect speaks differently about the institution behind closed doors.

  • Stéphanie Fillion

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/afr-review-1mua