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From This City Is Ours to Macklemore’s Free Palestine tour: the week in rave reviews

31 October 2026 at 09:00

The most fractious family in organised crime return while the US rapper embarks upon a series of benefit shows with some A-list guests. Here’s the pick of the week’s culture, taken from the Guardian’s best-rated reviews

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© Composite: BBC

© Composite: BBC

© Composite: BBC

‘They cheer like it’s football’: Celebrity Traitors fans hit bars to watch climax

31 October 2026 at 09:00

One south London bar provided Claudia Winkleman-themed cocktails and its very own banishment ceremony

Cries, cheers and boos emanating from pubs across the country on Friday night were less likely to be linked to any sports fixture than the nation coming together for the dramatic climax of the BBC’s The Celebrity Traitors.

The cloak and dagger reality show, in which contestants attempt to deceive or deduce who among them are “Faithfuls” and “Traitors” for a charity cash prize, drew in more than half of the UK’s TV audience in its debut episode earlier this month.

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© Photograph: Andy Hall/The Observer

© Photograph: Andy Hall/The Observer

© Photograph: Andy Hall/The Observer

‘We’re not freaks’: police raid sparks concern for Taiwan’s LGBT-friendly image

31 October 2026 at 03:05

The rounding up of customers at a gay bar weeks before Saturday’s Pride festival has some questioning the island’s progressive image

Josh was having a drink at Commander D, a popular gay bar in Taipei, on a Saturday afternoon when several police officers suddenly burst in. “Squat down and don’t move,” they shouted. Bewildered, he looked around to see the bar owner being handcuffed and forced to his knees.

The 28-year-old was among 51 customers to be rounded up and taken away for questioning over suspected breaches of public decency rules.

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© Photograph: Daniel Ceng/EPA

© Photograph: Daniel Ceng/EPA

© Photograph: Daniel Ceng/EPA

Anthropic expected to receive high ‘junk’ rating from credit agencies following IPO, FT report says

31 October 2026 at 00:52
Blackstone's forecast is just a prediction, but naturally, a high junk rating would make it more difficult and costlier for Anthropic to raise the money to keep funding its massive spending that has undergirded its business.
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