In a new documentary, film-maker Erin Lee Carr lifts the lid on the 2000s TV show that shocked AmericaIt was in 2003, while listening to country radio, that Kelly first heard the casting call: “Have you dreamed about plastic surgery but never thought you could afford it?” She immediately turned up the volume. The…

Israeli media say incident, which raised fears of possible hijacking, stemmed from feud between plane’s two pilotsA commercial plane travelling from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to Israel has been forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, briefly raising concerns about a possible hijacking and…

Beauty mogul Sarah Creal decided there was too much emphasis on the teen market – so she designed a range of products for older women. Now others are following suitIt’s rare that I devote a whole column to one brand, but not as rare as the decision by any beauty company to back women over 40, so…

It’s often assumed straight men are not interested in romantic fiction – but many are sharing their passion in forums onlineAfter a tiring day as a school maintenance worker, 28-year-old Paul loves nothing more than unwinding with a good romance novel – ideally one with a fantasy or horror element to it. He…

Three years of war have destroyed almost every playground in Gaza. For Hala, an orphaned child, a swimming club on the beach offers a rare chance to escape the realities of war. The club was set up by Amjed Tantesh, who once hoped to train swimmers for Palestine’s Olympic team. Now, in a pool built from the rubble…

Six writers are in contention for the £10,000 books prize, which celebrates fiction that ‘breaks the mould or extends the possibilities of the novel form’Missouri Williams, China Miéville and Polly Barton are among the writers shortlisted for this year’s Goldsmiths prize.The £10,000 award recognises fiction…

Pedro Almodóvar provides a vocal cameo and his style can be traced back to this influential filmThis cult supernatural mystery from 1979 is a deeply strange cheese dream of a film from Spain, in which almost the entire opening 10 minutes unfolds in a jittery quiet. There are some longueurs and some pop-eyed…

The first novel in over a decade from the acclaimed Haitian-American author lacks the power of earlier worksDèy, Edwidge Danticat’s first novel in over a decade, begins with a bang. Magnolia, the daughter of Haitian parents now shopping for a birthday present for her own daughter, hears gunfire, maybe bombs, in a…

Co-founder of independent website Tapajós de Fato said decision was made to protect journalists and their familiesFour years ago, during Brazil’s last presidential election, the tyres were slashed on the pickup truck used for reporting by Tapajós de Fato, an independent journalism website in the Brazilian…

Blast during search operation near border fuels political tensions amid attempts to revive diplomatic channelsSouth Korea has demanded an apology from North Korea over a landmine blast that injured three soldiers, saying they were hurt by North Korean mines on the southern side of the border.Kang Hyun-woo, the…