The past and future of pharaohs, Cantonese and the Gang of Four

The World
The World

Was Mubarak Egypt’s last pharaoh? Maybe only if Putin is Russia’s last Tsar. Names for strong men (and women: the Iron Lady) may say as much about what a nation’s people expect as they do about a leader’s style. Also, fears for the future of Cantonese, once the lingua franca of Chinatowns around the world. And British cultural revolutionaries Gang of Four talk about their name, their music, and phrases that include the word “farm.”

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