Latest articles by Will Barker, The Week UK
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How long will the Middle East attacks last?Today’s Big Question Following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and strikes on Cyprus, Lebanon and Qatar, the US is risking a ‘long-lasting’ and ‘open-ended’ conflict
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Bone broth: stock drinking ‘phenomenon’ has ‘skyrocketed’ onlineThe Week Recommends The wellness trend could hold millennia-old secrets for skin and gut health
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Between The Rock and a hard place: Gibraltar’s new post-Brexit rulesThe Explainer The UK government will hope that relaxing the land border between Gibraltar and Spain will clear up the ‘last major unresolved issue from Brexit’
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Are corners killing football?Talking Point After an era of possession-based tactics, a more ‘physical’ approach has emerged, but many fans believe it is ‘ruining the spectacle’
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The Indian women trawling the worst of the internet to train AIUnder the Radar Moderating AI content can empower women in rural communities – but traumatise them too
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China and the rise of the humanoid robotsThe Explainer The country’s ‘bustling’ robotics industry is dominating the global market, though experts are split on how concerned we should be
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The ‘ravenous’ demand for Cornish mineralsUnder the Radar Growing need for critical minerals to power tech has intensified ‘appetite’ for lithium, which could be a ‘huge boon’ for local economy
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The problem with diagnosing profound autismThe Explainer Experts are reconsidering the idea of autism as a spectrum, which could impact diagnoses and policy making for the condition
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Palantir's growing influence in the British stateThe Explainer Despite winning a £240m MoD contract, the tech company’s links to Peter Mandelson and the UK’s over-reliance on US tech have caused widespread concern
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Best places to find snowdrops in the UKThe Week Recommends The snowdrop season is upon us, with ‘blankets’ of the beautiful bloom signalling that spring is on its way
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Can the UK take any more rain?Today’s Big Question An Atlantic jet stream is ‘stuck’ over British skies, leading to ‘biblical’ downpours and more than 40 consecutive days of rain in some areas
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Buddhist monks’ US walk for peaceUnder the Radar Crowds have turned out on the roads from California to Washington and ‘millions are finding hope in their journey’
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Best UK fashion exhibitions in 2026The Week Recommends See much-loved and intriguing items from designers and style icons right where they belong: on display
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Is the Gaza peace plan destined to fail?Today’s Big Question Since the ceasefire agreement in October, the situation in Gaza is still ‘precarious’, with the path to peace facing ‘many obstacles’
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Vietnam’s ‘balancing act’ with the US, China and EuropeIn the Spotlight Despite decades of ‘steadily improving relations’, Hanoi is still ‘deeply suspicious’ of the US as it tries to ‘diversify’ its options
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Which way will Trump go on Iran?Today’s Big Question Diplomatic talks set to be held in Turkey on Friday, but failure to reach an agreement could have ‘terrible’ global ramifications
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Why quitting your job is so difficult in JapanUnder the Radar Reluctance to change job and rise of ‘proxy quitters’ is a reaction to Japan’s ‘rigid’ labour market – but there are signs of change
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Moltbook: the AI social media platform with no humans allowedThe Explainer From ‘gripes’ about human programmers to creating new religions, the new AI-only network could bring us closer to the point of ‘singularity’
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Does standing up to Trump help world leaders back at home?Today’s Big Question Mark Carney’s approval ratings have ‘soared to new highs’ following his Davos speech but other world leaders may not benefit in the same way
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Must-see bookshops around the UKThe Week Recommends Lose yourself in beautiful surroundings, whiling away the hours looking for a good book
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The UK’s supposed Christian revivalThe Explainer Research has shown that claims of increased church attendance, particularly among young people, ‘may be misleading’
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What is at stake for Starmer in ChinaToday’s Big Question The British PM will have to ‘play it tough’ to achieve ‘substantive’ outcomes, while China looks to draw Britain away from US influence
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Will Nigella be the secret ingredient to revive GBBO?Talking Point Lawson will bring yet more ‘eye-twinkling double entendres’ to a show that some say has ‘lost its way’
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A real head scratcher: how scabies returned to the UKThe Explainer The ‘Victorian-era’ condition is on the rise in the UK, and experts aren’t sure why
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