Any desire to protect the heritage of one of the UK's oldest agricultural industries is rubbing up against not just a diminishing appetite for sheep meat but also the question of whether some of our uplands might be better used to promote nature recovery and biodiversity. By NJ Convery

Furnace Brook in East Sussex was home to carp, tench, bream, roach and trout – and 15 trailer-loads had to be buried. The mystery led to a neighbouring farm, and a story of waste, pollution and dirty rivers that reveals a lot about Britain today. By Steve Rose

The ex-soldier has marched 36,000 miles since he left Hull in 1998. He’s crossed the Americas, Asia and Europe, fallen in love, been held at gunpoint and been deported, in between nearly drowning, nearly dying of thirst and nearly being eaten. But that’s just the start of it… By Simon Hattenstone

Can rail nationalisation meet the public's expectations? Or are the ongoing delays and cancellations that we're currently seeing under a part-nationalised network a sign that it might struggle to deliver real improvement? By Katy Austin

The ‘mail-order bride’ trade is now digital, and for some Asian women the promise of marriage conceals a future of exploitation and abuse. By Julie Bindel

Some of the many women in Nicholas Brandram's life say he was beset by demons, David Brown writes

The former Manchester United manager’s new memoir is a life story in 21 matches. In a rare and wide-ranging interview, he explains why his love of family, his heritage of hard graft and a gift for managing young players were key to his success. By Paul Hayward

The journalist and satirist was still a student when a drunk Peter Cook offered him a job on Private Eye. Now, he’s celebrating 40 years as the editor — and pulling fewer punches than ever

A network for exchanging and selling CSAM is hiding in plain sight on the social platform. Can it be stopped? By Katherine Denkinson

From blood pressure to ageing, research suggests the first 1,000 days of sugar exposure could leave a decades-long mark on health. By Linda Geddes

The superyacht is stuck in dock, the mansions are empty. What happened to the Russians who made London rich? Sean O’Neill finds out how sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine have left the billionaires in limbo

The sport is still shaped by the club’s acquisition in 2008. By Josh Noble and Arash Massoudi

Social contagion can help explain falling birth rates — and offers a way out of the demographic trap. By Camilla Cavendish

On 14 January this year, army and navy squads faced an unprecedented challenge: one bomb on a Plymouth building site, another floating on a dredger in Exmouth. That afternoon, the clock started ticking. By Samira Shackle

Government research suggests that around two-thirds of parents with young children feel overwhelmed by the amount of parenting information available and struggle with conflicting advice, with many turning to social media for support.

And it's not just the early years.

Research from the charity Action for Children found that many parents of teenagers who initially contacted the charity for help with school avoidance, ADHD or mental health, often went on to describe their own anxiety, exhaustion and uncertainty of how to parent with empathy and patience when close to burnout.

Faced with an array of parenting philosophies, or "brands" to choose from, is all of this advice helping parents or making them more anxious? And is there really a best way to parent? Or, as we strive to become the perfect parent, are we losing our intuition?

By Vanessa Clarke

Burnham has reopened the Brexit debate. That doesn’t mean the UK will be welcomed back on its own terms. By Peter Foster, George Parker and Ben Hall

Mike Stroud fought frostbite and blizzards with his fellow explorer. Now being treated for terminal cancer, he is desperate to see Fiennes one last time. By Rob Hastings

When Sasha Nugara fell in love with a charismatic musician, she failed to notice how she was being trapped in a coercive relationship. She explains how the mental and physical abuse escalated — and what it took to finally break free and get justice

The Conservative leader on wading into culture wars, why the Tories have been too ‘complacent’ about business — and ruling out a rightwing coalition with Reform. By George Parker

An obscure quango meets in private to stop home-grown art from leaving the UK forever. What gives it the right to disrupt market forces? By Andrew Lloyd

Rob Hastings joins a Voyager tanker crew refuelling Nato fighters in 'Cobra Warrior' war games over the North Sea

High Streets are integral to how we feel about where we live. The sight of vacant shops and graffiti can quickly become a vicious circle, deterring shoppers, discouraging investment and leading to anti-social behaviour. Politicians of all stripes have been trying for years to breathe new life into town centres - and Andy Burnham, who has made a focus on "place" part of his political identity, is the latest. He argues they should become "symbols of Britain's renaissance". But can it be achieved? And if they're to survive, do town centres need a fundamental rethink? By Emma Simpson

Could science explain why some women find feeding their child so traumatic? Melissa Denes meets the researchers finally taking lactation seriously

As a business journalist, Nilsson began rigorously reporting on the power players of the adult industry, who prefer to remain in the shadows. Along the way, she uncovered how porn has shaped the internet – and our lives as a whole. By Amelia Gentleman

By Peter Geoghegan