Table of contents for 1465 in The Week

What happened Delegates from almost 200 countries gathered in Dubai last week to discuss the future of fossil fuels at the UN’s Cop28 climate summit. The centrepiece of the 12-day meeting is a stocktake of the world’s progress towards meeting emission-reduction targets agreed in Paris eight years ago. These committed countries to limiting global warming to no more than 1.5°C (or at the outside 2°C) above pre-industrial levels. A recent UN report found that the world was falling well short of that goal, and that, to have any hope of meeting it, it would need to cut greenhouse gas emissions by almost half by 2030. Another major point of discussion at the summit is the question of how to help the developing world tackle the ravages of climate change. At…

Controversy of the week “No one could accuse the Government of meekly throwing in the towel in its fight to send cross-Channel asylum seekers to Rwanda,” said the Daily Mail. Last month, the Supreme Court ruled the policy unlawful, but this week the new Home Secretary, James Cleverly, flew to Rwanda for “another round”. He and the Rwandan foreign minister, Vincent Biruta, signed a new treaty designed to get round the Court’s objections. Crucially, it prohibits the return of failed asylum seekers to their country of origin or to any other place where they might be in danger – which is known as refoulement. The treaty also sets up a new procedure for asylum appeals, because the Supreme Court deemed Rwanda’s deficient; UK lawyers will be drafted in as advisers.…

Life on the ocean wave, after hundreds of people who’d signed up to a three-year world cruise learnt that their trip had been cancelled, days before they were due to set sail. It turned out that the Turkish organisers had failed in their efforts to buy a ship. Some of the prospective passengers said they’d given up their jobs and sold their houses in order to go on the 382-stop voyage. “Wild” swimming, with news that the only three stretches of river in England that are designated bathing sites all have “poor” water quality. The rating – for the River Wharfe at Ilkley, Wolvercote Mill Stream in Oxfordshire and the Deben Estuary at Waldringfield – means people risk getting sick if they swim there. Edinburgh, which bade farewell to its…

Paris Terror attack: In a brutal attack carried out close to the Eiffel Tower last week, a German-Filipino tourist was stabbed to death and two other people were wounded with a hammer. The suspected assailant, arrested minutes after, is a radical Islamist who had been under surveillance by the French authorities. Armand Rajabpour-Miyandoab, 26, whose parents are non-Muslims of Iranian origin, had converted to Islam in his teens. He was jailed for four years for terrorist conspiracy in 2018, diagnosed with a “severe” mental illness and placed on a terror watch list. His mother, with whom he lives, had warned the authorities in October that she feared he was dangerous. Shortly before the attack he had sworn allegiance to Islamic State in a video posted online. The French interior minister,…

1 Aria (from the Goldberg Variations) by Johann Sebastian Bach, performed by Igor Levit 2 Casta Diva (from Norma) by Vincenzo Bellini, performed by Maria Callas and Coro del Teatro alla Scala di Milano 3 4 Degrees by Anohni Hegarty, Daniel Lopatin and Ross Matthew Birchard, performed by Anohni 4 Paloma Negra by Tomás Méndez Sosa, performed by Chavela Vargas 5 Private Dancer by Mark Knopfler, performed by Tina Turner 6* Sherab Nyingpo Mantra (The Heart Sutra), traditional, performed by the Tashi Lhunpo Monks 7 Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K. 467 – II. Andante by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, performed by Mitsuko Uchida, with the English Chamber Orchestra conducted by Jeffrey Tate 8 Rum and Coca-Cola by Jeri Sullavan, Paul Baron and Morey Amsterdam, performed by The Andrews Sisters Book: In Search of the Miraculous by Peter…

The Israelis are often said by their critics, in the Arab world and the West, to be “colonists”. And it’s clear that Zionism was, in some respects, a colonial endeavour. It became established under the aegis of the British empire, whose officials, from Balfour downwards, often displayed contempt towards the Arabs. Zionist pioneers such as Theodor Herzl spoke of Israel as “an outpost of civilisation” in Asia, and the early Zionists used the word “colonies” to describe their settlements. Most importantly, Israel has grown by violent displacement: native inhabitants fled or were removed, and settlers from elsewhere have occupied the land. On the other hand, Israel is in many respects clearly not a colonial society. Colonists have a “motherland” to which they can return; Israel was created because history had…

Help Ukraine – and help US workers, too Marc A. Thiessen The Washington Post “Here is the best-kept secret about US military aid to Ukraine,” says Marc A. Thiessen: most of the money never leaves America. The funds are spent here on developing new weapons or replacing arms sent to Kyiv from US stockpiles. Of the $68bn in military and related aid congress has approved since Russia invaded Ukraine, almost 90% has gone to Americans, according to one study. You wouldn’t guess this from the way some Republican politicians talk. They make out that Ukraine aid simply involves shipping taxpayers’ hard-earned cash abroad. In reality, this money is delivering a stimulus to defence factories across the US, and to contractors providing parts such as computer chips and night-vision gear. Ohio…

A single course of antibiotics raises the odds of developing sepsis in the next 12 months by 70%, an analysis of NHS data has found – and the risk increases with the number of courses a person takes. Two or three courses double the risk. Sepsis occurs when the immune system overreacts to an infection and attacks tissue and organs. Symptoms such as a rash, high temperature and rapid heart rate overlap with many other conditions, which means it is often not detected, and it kills an estimated 48,000 people a year in the UK. Knowing who is at greatest risk could help doctors diagnose it earlier, said the University of Manchester researchers. Their study also found that people from the most deprived communities are twice as likely to die…

So much for “the more grown-up approach” to foreign policy that was promised when Rishi Sunak came to office, said the FT. He started off well, by settling the dispute with the EU over Northern Ireland trade rules. But more recently, we’ve had “threats to disapply human rights conventions” to facilitate his Rwanda plan; and the extraordinary events of last week, when he abruptly cancelled a meeting with the Greek PM, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, after the latter had publicly called for the return of the Parthenon sculptures. Downing Street says Mitsotakis had promised not to campaign on the issue while in the UK. Athens denies making any such deal. Either way, the grown-up approach would have been for Sunak to express his displeasure at their meeting, restate his Government’s position, and…

“A man’s character isn’t his fate; a man’s fate is the joke that his life plays on his character.”Philip Roth, quoted in Harper’s Magazine “I’m proud to pay taxes in the United States; the only thing is, I could be just as proud for half the money.”Arthur Godfrey, quoted in The Knowledge “The best way to get what you want in life is to deserve what you want.”Charlie Munger, quoted on The Motley Fool “History makes some amends for the shortness of life.”Robert Skelton, quoted in Forbes “The nice thing about being a celebrity is that when you bore people, they think it’s their fault.”Henry Kissinger, quoted in the Daily Mail “If one cannot command attention by one’s admirable qualities, one can at least be a nuisance.”Margery Allingham, quoted in…

To The Guardian Javier Milei’s hopes of the Falklands being handed over to Argentina in the same way Hong Kong was handed back to China are entirely unfounded, as a 99-year lease has not been previously established. Despite this – and the Argentinian president-elect’s acclamation of Margaret Thatcher – Rishi Sunak should not be so dismissive of Milei’s desire for diplomatic discussions of the Falklands’ sovereignty. Ultimately, the Falkland Islands are Britain’s lingering grip on imperialism, and this grip is costing the British taxpayer roughly £60m to defend each year. The decolonisation of the Malvinas is long overdue. Maya Richardson, Newcastle upon Tyne To The Guardian Regarding Simon Jenkins’s article (“British sovereignty of the Falklands must end”), like any former colony, Falkland Islanders have a right to self-determination, recognised by…

The documentary strand Lights Out, made by the production company Falling Tree for BBC Radio 4, elevated sound design “to the realms of high art”, said Fiona Sturges in the FT. Each of its 29 half-hour episodes (available on Sounds) is a “small masterpiece of soundscaping and storytelling”. One episode from 2019, A Sense of Quietness, won the Prix Europa for best radio documentary. Now a sixth series has landed, and it is as impressive as its forerunners. In Dead Ends, writer-producer Talia Augustidis uses the fragments of surviving audio of her mother, who died when Augustidis was three, to “create an intimate and moving collage of absence and loss”. In Dust, Icelandic writer Andri Snær Magnason and Scottish conceptual artist Katie Paterson explore the landscapes that have inspired their…

Orley Farm by Anthony Trollope, 1861 (OUP £12.99). Trollope’s first success, and a masterpiece of construction. It’s a complex courtroom drama, though we don’t get to court until late in the book. As the case unfolds, Trollope describes the effect of each development on each of several characters. The suspense is terrific as the net slowly tightens around the guilty party. Cousin Bette by Honoré de Balzac, 1846 (Penguin £10.99). A fascinatingly horrible villainess, a cast of mostly unscrupulous Paris schemers, several charming prostitutes, and a very few decent people who mostly come to a sad end. This is a vicious tale of clever, remorseless revenge, served very cold. I love Balzac because he doesn’t flinch from how cruel the world is. Bleak House by Charles Dickens, 1852 (Penguin £9.99).…

Programmes Cher Meets Rylan The pop diva look backs on a colourful life, her decades-long singing and acting career, and talks to Rylan Clark about her new album. Sat 9 Dec, BBC2 21:00 (60mins). Vigil The military thriller returns for a second series. When a weapons test goes very wrong, DCI Amy Silva is caught up in an international incident. Sun 10, Mon 11 and Tue 12 Dec, BBC1 21:00 (60mins each). Killing Sherlock: Lucy Worsley on the Case of Conan Doyle Three-part series exploring Arthur Conan Doyle’s love-hate relationship with his fictional creation. Sun 10 Dec, BBC2 21:00 (60mins). Less for More: The Truth about Food Prices Dispatches investigates how supermarkets and suppliers have responded to rising food prices in order to protect their profits. Tue 12 Dec, C4 21:00…

On cold winter evenings our thoughts may turn to warming drinks, says David Williams in The Observer. One of the best is a Whisky Mac toddy – a drink with rare warming powers, despite having reputedly been invented by a Scottish soldier in “the heat of late 19th century India”. To make it, simply pour blended Scotch and equal parts Stone’s Ginger Wine into a heated glass, with around the same total volume of boiling water. Or you could try a “bit of mulling instead”. It’s definitely “much cosier” to make mulled wine from scratch, rather than buying pre-mixed. I don’t like it too sweet, so instead of adding sugar, I’ll use half a bottle of decent port, and half a bottle of full-bodied red wine, simmering in a pan…

Henry Kissinger 1923-2023 As a child in prewar Germany, Henry Kissinger was harassed, ostracised and beaten up in the street, said The Times. He was denied entry to his secondary school; his father lost his job. Finally, not long before Kristallnacht in 1938, the Kissingers fled, settling in New York. At least 13 members of the family who’d stayed behind were transported to the camps. “My relatives are soap,” Kissinger observed, years later. He rarely discussed his early life, and dismissed attempts to link his experience of Nazi persecution to his outlook as the globetrotting diplomat who advised 12 US presidents, from JFK to Joe Biden. But his biographer was among those who believed that it “had imbued him with a deep pessimism about human nature”, and “convinced him of…

Gold miners/bitcoin players: boom times are back Gold’s lustre has never been greater, said Jack Barnett in The Times. And that’s official. The price “reached an all-time record” this week, briefly passing $2,100/per ounce for the first time. Some analysts are now betting that the price could hit $2,400 next year as central banks start cutting interest rates. Shares in big gold miners, such as Barrick Gold, jumped this week. One measure of the new gold rush, said Bloomberg, is the return of big “blank cheque” deals involving special purpose acquisition companies (Spacs). One such, New York-listed Rigel Resource Acquisition, is currently gunning to combine with South Africa’s Blyvooruitzicht Gold Mining in a highly priced deal. Gold is a safe haven asset; crypto often the opposite. Yet bitcoin is also…

The week’s best shares EasyJet Investors’ Chronicle The airline has swung back to profit – converting last year’s £178m loss to a £455m gain, buoyed by what it calls “the best summer really ever”. Strongly cash generative, and expanding its holidays business. Has good-looking prospects. Buy. 426p. Goodwin The Mail on Sunday This historic, yet innovative, pump and casting engineer has developed an extinguisher to tackle lithium-ion battery fires. Revenues are up nearly 30%, profits by 10% and the divi has risen 7%. Buy. £50.40. Grainger Investors’ Chronicle Rental income at the UK’s largest listed residential landlord is up 12%, thanks to a lack of stock and a frozen house-buying market. A joint venture with Network Rail will bring 2,000 new homes near train stations. Buy. 257p. J Sainsbury The…

THE WEEK CROSSWORD 1392 Two Connell Guides and three Week-branded items will be given to the sender of the first correct solution to the crossword and the clue of the week opened on Monday 18 December. Send it to The Week Crossword 1392, 121-141 Westbourne Terrace, London W2 6JR, or email the completed grid/listed solutions to crossword@theweek.co.uk. Tim Moorey (timmoorey.com) This week’s winner will receive Week-branded items including a notebook, coffee mug and tote bag, as well as two Connell Guides (connellguides.com). ACROSS 1 Time flies somehow disrupting a good deal? Clearly (10) 6 Down with some Arab women’s clothing! (1,3) 10 Lee’s partner for tea (5) 11 Former lover walking away from murder gets wind up (9) 12 A hirsute eccentric found in reference books (8) 13 Rubbish in street…

What happened Israel launched a ground offensive in southern Gaza this week, following the collapse of its truce with Hamas. The fighting was centred on the city of Khan Younis, where Hamas’s senior commanders are believed to be sheltering. Hamas-run health authorities said hundreds of Palestinians had been killed in Israeli air strikes across Gaza; Israel said that it had hit 400 “terror targets”. On Tuesday, Israel said that its forces were “in the heart of Khan Younis”, while also combating Hamas’s remaining fighters in the north. The seven-day truce collapsed last Friday, a day after Hamas claimed responsibility for the killing of three Israeli civilians at a bus stop in Jerusalem. During the ceasefire, Hamas had freed 105 hostages: 81 Israeli women and children, and 24 foreign nationals. Israel…

Shoppers in Britain are increasingly shunning Christmas pudding in favour of panettone. Waitrose reports that demand for panettone is up 24% on last year; while Selfridges says it expects to sell three times more panettones than Christmas puddings this year. It now offers six types of the sweet Italian bread, as well as a “12 Days of Panettone” Advent calendar. An NHS trust in London is asking patients to choose their gender identity from a list that includes Demiboy, Demigirl, Gender Fluid and Questioning. The options are offered on a form administered by The Royal Brompton in Chelsea, which is run by Guy’s and St Thomas’ trust. “Patients have the option not to disclose this information if they prefer,” the trust said.…

The Government has unveiled a plan to slash net migration by toughening up visa rules. Under the scheme, skilled foreign workers will need to earn at least £38,700 to obtain a visa (up from £26,200); care workers will no longer be able to bring in dependants; companies will no longer be able to pay overseas workers 20% less than the going rate for jobs on the shortage occupation list; and British citizens, or people settled in the UK, will have to earn £38,700 before an overseas partner can live here with them – up from £18,600. The charge that foreign workers pay to use the NHS will also increase, from £624 a year to £1,035. James Cleverly, the Home Secretary, promised that the plan would reduce the number of people…

Washington DC Trump blow: A federal court has ruled that three civil lawsuits filed against Donald Trump, in relation to his role in the 6 January Capitol riots, can move forward. The suits – filed by police officers and members of congress caught up in the events – allege that the then-president had incited the disorder by urging his supporters to “fight like hell”, shortly before they marched on the Capitol. Trump had sought to have the suits thrown out on the grounds of presidential immunity, but the three-judge panel ruled that the immunity only applies to actions undertaken in the course of a president’s “official duties”; and that speaking at a campaign rally, in support of his re-election, was not one of Trump’s official duties. The former president, who…

“Inherited wealth carries its own irresistible charisma. That assumption is one of the leitmotifs of British culture. Every generation has its crowd-pleasing, toff-ogling popular hit: in literature, Waugh’s snobbish fantasia Brideshead Revisited and Hollinghurst’s The Line of Beauty; in TV, Upstairs, Downstairs and Downton Abbey. Now, there’s the film Saltburn. In each instance, the upper classes are made an ideal projection of all the writer’s dreams of superiority. The truth, of course, is more banal. Anybody who has been exposed to the very posh cannot continue to regard them as inevitable paragons of culture, style and wit. The opposite, frankly.” James Marriott in The Times…

So it’s not rape if it’s the “good guys”? Gaby Hinsliff The Guardian Amazing how blind people can be to stuff they don’t want to see, says Gaby Hinsliff. Since the 7 October attack on Israel, harrowing evidence has emerged of multiple, systematic and brutal rapes by Hamas fighters. Yet those quick to denounce a Hollywood actor on the basis of hearsay refuse to acknowledge these well-attested horrors. The head of the Sexual Assault Centre at the University of Alberta signed an open letter berating a Canadian politician for “the unverified accusation that Palestinians were guilty of sexual violence”. Progressive journalists have batted away atrocities filmed by the Israeli army – a dead woman with her skirt pulled above her waist; jogging bottoms soaked in blood – saying there is…

Walk fast to avoid type 2 diabetes Several studies have shown that people who go on regular walks are less likely to develop diabetes than their more sedentary peers. Now, scientists have found that the faster people walk, the more pronounced the effect. Their analysis of ten existing studies involving more than half-a-million people has found that those who regularly adopt a reasonable pace of 2 to 3mph are 15% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who amble at less than 2mph. Picking up the pace to a brisker 3 to 4mph was associated with a 24% reduction in risk, while striding it out above 4mph cut it by 39%, says the report in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. The researchers note that they have not…

Although Henry Kissinger adored his adopted country, he never lost his thick Bavarian accent – which sometimes confused his audiences, says The Times. As US secretary of state in 1973, Kissinger once began a talk by saying: “At the end of the War we should have imposed our domination over the whole world. We lacked the determination.” There was a stunned silence, then he added: “We Americans.” Basil Rathbone – the star of the 1940s Sherlock Holmes films – had been awarded the Military Cross during the First World War for his “conspicuous daring” while scouting enemy positions. But the actor always played down his heroics. “All I did,” he said, “was disguise myself as a tree – that’s correct, a tree – and cross no-man’s land to gather a…

What a shameless opportunist Keir Starmer is, said Stephen Glover in the Daily Mail. Until a few years ago, he was standing arm in arm with the man he described as his “friend”, Jeremy Corbyn. Now he’s singing the praises of Margaret Thatcher. In an article in The Sunday Telegraph, aimed at wavering Tories, the Labour leader declared that she had achieved “meaningful change” and had “sought to drag Britain out of its stupor by setting loose our natural entrepreneurialism”. Starmer’s previous statements about the former Tory leader have always been highly critical. And there’s no hint of Thatcherism in Labour’s policy agenda, which includes a tax raid on private schools and a plan to abolish the “non-dom” tax status enjoyed by some wealthy foreign entrepreneurs. But Starmer has evidently…

When Tottenham appointed Ange Postecoglou as manager in June, making him the Premier League’s first-ever Australian boss, many wondered how his “methods would translate” to the top tier of English football, said Jonathan Wilson in The Guardian. Postecoglou turned up with a “glowing reputation”, having guided Celtic FC to a domestic treble last season – and four years earlier having helped Japanese club Yokohama F. Marinos win their first league title for 15 years. Yet as sceptics pointed out, the 58-year-old lacked experience on the biggest stages, having never managed a club of Tottenham’s size. And others wondered how the club’s highly paid stars would react to his famously straight-talking manner. Could the likes of Richarlison and Hugo Lloris really “cope with being talked to by someone who sounds like…

Rugby union Newcastle lost 47-3 to Leicester in the Premiership. They are bottom of the table, having suffered eight consecutive defeats since the start of the season. Football Arsenal retained their lead in the Premier League with a 2-1 lead over Wolves. Liverpool moved into second place with a 4-3 win over Fulham. Bottom-placed Sheffield United lost 5-0 to Burnley and afterwards sacked manager Paul Heckingbottom – the season’s first managerial dismissal. Cricket India beat Australia by six runs in their final T20 to take the series 4-1.…

The Drawing Year 2023 at the Royal Drawing School One of our present monarch’s more successful – and less contentious – adventures in the world of aesthetics is the Royal Drawing School, which he co-founded in Hackney in 2000. The annual exhibition of the school’s post-graduate programme is always a good place to discover new talent – and since all works are for sale, to invest in it. The 28 artists comprising this year’s intake have produced a particularly strong showing: highlights include Chengwei Xiao’s tender crochet drawing Sleeping and Waking II; the pastoral neo-vorticism of Olly Williamson’s Johanna and the Birds; and the strange, post-internet psychedelia of Honor Bathurst’s Thief knot, grief knot, garden. Best of the lot is Dani Trew’s diptych A Twitch on the Thread, which displays a…

The man who gave Britain small plates The restaurateur Russell Norman, who died last month aged 57, was not only a “first-order tastemaker”, but someone who changed the experience of dining out in Britain, said Harriet Fitch Little in the FT. In the 2000s, he worked in the “world of suit-and-tie dining”. But when the financial crisis hit, he intuited that “noisy, informal restaurants” would become increasingly popular. And he was right. Launched in 2009, his restaurant Polpo was a huge success, and over the next decade it expanded into a family of 17. The group’s “distinctive style” – all stripped-back interiors and filament bulbs – proved hugely influential, and kickstarted many other trends too, including small plates, negronis and no-reservation dining. The group eventually ran into financial trouble, and…

The best… presents for younger children Tips… how to bag a bargain in a charity shop ● Shop on a Friday. Charity shops restock rails every night, so donations accumulate during the week when it’s quiet. ● Look for clothes with the labels cut out. Some brands donate unsold, unworn items with their labels removed. ● Shops in wealthier areas are likely to have better-quality items. If you’re looking for vintage clothes, an older local population may help. ● Tell staff what you’re looking for, as they may have something which hasn’t been put out yet. If you’re a regular, they may even keep an eye out for things for you. ● Look online too; most charities, including Oxfam, have their own websites, or try eBay, which hosts a lot…

A luxurious sailing trip in Indonesia There’s no more “romantic” way to explore Indonesia’s remote islands than by phinisi – and among the newest and most luxurious of these traditional wooden boats is the Vela, says Sunil Badami in Condé Nast Traveller. Fully rigged for sailing, this 164ft vessel has room for 12 guests and a crew of 18, including a yoga instructor and a mixologist. You might sail in it to Raja Ampat or Cenderawasih, to swim with manta rays and whale sharks, but great adventures can also be had in the Komodo National Park, close to its home port on Flores. The park’s islands and coral reefs offer great hiking and snorkelling, and it is famously home to komodo dragons, the world’s biggest lizards at up to 10ft…

Shane MacGowan 1957-2023 The London-raised child of Irish parents, Shane MacGowan, who has died aged 65, took the folk music of the old country and imbued it with the snarling energy of punk. Billing himself for a time as Shane O’Hooligan, he formed a band called Pogue Mahone (Gaelic slang for “kiss my arse”) in 1982, which became the Pogues. As its rumbustious frontman, MacGowan delighted fans with his wild, boozy antics and growling delivery, while turning out a series of beautifully written songs – A Pair of Brown Eyes, Sally MacLennane, Dark Streets of London. Many of them reflected the emigrant experience, of exile and loneliness, hard living and hard labour, said The Guardian. Yet the atmosphere of these “gutter hymns” was celebratory. The Pogues won a loyal following,…

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Greater Manchester, which was named as the new home of the English National Opera. The company – which had been told to move out of London or risk losing its Arts Council funding – will not have its own venue in Manchester; instead, it will perform at a variety of existing locations, including The Lowry theatre in Salford. It will also continue to perform at London’s Coliseum. Rizz, which was named the Oxford University Press’s word of 2023. The OUP says the word, first recorded in 2022, derives from “charisma” and means “style, charm or attractiveness”.…

Junior doctors in England have voted for more strikes, following the collapse of talks with the Government. Their union, the BMA, had rejected a pay offer that involved a rise of 3% on average, on top of the 8.8% already given. The BMA is seeking a 35% raise, which it says is necessary to make up for below-inflation pay rises since 2008. Doctors will walk out for three days from 7am on 20 December, and for a further six days from 7am on 3 January. If the latter goes ahead, it will be the longest walkout in NHS history, and at a time during which the service is often under intense strain. The BMA has agreed a deal on consultants’ pay, which will see them given nearly 5% extra, to…

A supermodel’s regret In her 1990s heyday, Linda Evangelista could do as many as 60 magazine covers per year, and famously remarked of herself and her fellow supermodels: “We don’t wake up for less than $10,000.” By 2020, however, she was in hiding, having been disfigured by a nonsurgical procedure. The aim had been to freeze fat from her jaw and other parts of her body; instead, the fat had thickened into hard lumps. She looks beautiful today, says Decca Aitkenhead in The Sunday Times, but what does she see when she looks in the mirror? “Oh, I don’t look in the mirror,” she says. “Life is better without mirrors.” As for not getting out of bed for less than $10,000, she now bitterly regrets the comment. “I don’t need…

How did the conflict start? Even that is a contentious question, but most historians begin the story with the first waves of modern Jewish migration to the Holy Land, in the 1880s. By the mid 19th century, the Jewish population of the region, then controlled by the Ottoman empire, was small: about 10,000 strong. But the dream of a home in Biblical Israel was deeply rooted in the culture of the Jewish diaspora, and modern Zionism emerged as a force at this time, fed by increasingly virulent antisemitism in Europe, particularly pogroms in Poland and Russia. The first Zionist Congress was held in Basel in 1897, and declared as its aim “the creation of a home for the Jewish people in Palestine”. By 1914, the Jewish population of the area…

A Vietnamese man who had been suffering from violent headaches for five months was found to have a pair of chopsticks lodged in his skull. The unidentified 35-year-old seems to have been stabbed with the chopsticks when he became involved in a drunken brawl. He sought medical treatment at the time, but had no memory of chopsticks being shoved up his nose, and they were not detected. When he began suffering from headaches, vision loss and fluid discharge, however, he got a CT scan – which revealed the chopsticks. They have now been removed. An Army doctor from Dorset won the title of best international mullet at the World Mullet Championships in Australia last week. Dr Alastair Bush started growing his now 30cm-long mullet during the pandemic. He decided to…

SUDAN The terrifying impact of a forgotten war EUobserver (Brussels) The world’s attention is so focused on the wars in Gaza and Ukraine that another disastrous conflict is being completely ignored, says Eli Hadzhieva. Sudan has suffered more than its fair share of bloodshed since the turn of the century, and now faces another terrible bout of violence. Fighting first erupted in April, when two former allies – the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group – turned on each other. Since then, about 10,400 people have died, and 6.8 million have been displaced. The worst atrocities are being committed by the RSF, an offshoot of the Janjaweed militia, made up of men from the Sudanese Arab tribes traditionally engaged in camel and cattle herding. The…

When politicians die, the public tributes sometimes feel dutiful and “platitudinous”, said Chris Deerin in The New Statesman. But when news broke last week of Alistair Darling’s death from cancer, aged 70, there were “no platitudes”. Darling “inspired the same sentiments across politics and beyond”: colleagues, political opponents and those outside of politics all remembered a man who was “intelligent, insightful, principled, decent, humble” – and dryly funny. Gordon Brown, whose relations with Darling turned rocky during their time as Downing Street neighbours, praised his “wisdom, calmness in a crisis and his humour”. David Cameron hailed a “thoroughly kind and decent man”. Most strikingly, said Caitlin Allen on Reaction, the current Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, lauded Darling as “one of the great chancellors”, who would “be remembered for doing the right…

Ever since the Oprah Winfrey interview in 2021 in which the Duchess of Sussex reported that a senior member of the royal family had speculated over the colour of her unborn child’s skin, there has been public fascination with the identity of the so-called “royal racist”, said Alexander Larman in The Spectator. The Duchess never named any names, bar assurances it was neither the late Queen nor Prince Philip. But last week, with the publication of Omid Scobie’s book about the royal family, Endgame, all was revealed. The English version was tactfully silent, but the Dutch translation asserted that not one but two royals expressed “concern” about Archie’s likely skin colour: King Charles and the Princess of Wales. Scobie said the revelation was a mistake: a “translation error”. But the…

When England captain Owen Farrell was “showered with praise” last year on earning his 100th international cap, he responded with a telling comment, said Alex Lowe in The Times. One is “not used to hearing people say nice things about you”, he said. Those words seemed all the more “poignant” last week, when the fly-half announced that he was standing down from international rugby for the foreseeable future, to prioritise “his and his family’s well-being”. He will miss next year’s Six Nations, and for the time being it’s unclear if the 32-year-old will ever represent his country again. No doubt a “combination of factors” will have prompted this decision, said Gerard Meagher in The Guardian. What’s not in doubt is that the “treatment he has come in for” will have…

The cost of primary care To The Daily Telegraph I have worked as an out-of-hours GP for more than 20 years in one of the only not-for-profit GP co-operatives still remaining. I therefore read Wes Streeting’s proposals for urgent primary care with interest – but also a sense of déjà vu. Politicians from all sides seem to imagine that the problem of overwhelming demand for primary care services could be solved if we would only arrange ourselves better. Mr Streeting quotes the figures for how much a GP visit costs (£40) compared with an A&E attendance (£400), without wondering why this is. Primary care receives only 8% of NHS funding. An A&E attendance is calculated to cost more because it receives more funding in the first place. If the “front…

Running time: 2hrs 30mins It’s more than 60 years old, but Oliver! has never stopped delighting audiences – and for good reason, said Tom Millward on What’s On Stage. It is, of course, blessed with Dickens’ gripping plot about the beleaguered orphan who makes his way to London and winds up in the hands of Fagin and his gang of thieving urchins; but on top of that, it has Lionel Bart’s almost unrivalled run of show-stoppingly brilliant songs. The likes of Food, Glorious Food, Where Is Love?, Consider Yourself, Pick a Pocket or Two, Oom-Pah-Pah, I’d Do Anything and Reviewing the Situation are just so memorable, and so “beloved”, people never tire of them. You couldn’t really call Oliver! festive, with its focus on poverty, criminal gangs and domestic violence, said…

“Everyone over the age of 50 remembers where they were when they heard the news that John Lennon had been shot,” said Anita Singh in The Daily Telegraph. “For a handful of people, that day remains horribly vivid because they were there.” Apple TV’s “impressive” new three-part documentary gathers together the recollections of everyone from the concierge and porter of the Dakota building, where Lennon was shot, to the nurses who tried to resuscitate him in hospital. Narrated by Kiefer Sutherland and interwoven with archive footage, the series goes minute-by-minute through the night of 8 December 1980. Some of the witnesses are speaking on record for the first time, including the concierge who describes how Lennon ran past him, gasping: “I’m shot,” with blood streaming from his mouth. Even 40…

A painting by the 15th century Old Master Sandro Botticelli, long recorded as missing, has been found at a home in southern Italy, says Barbie Latza Nadeau on CNN. His painting of the Virgin Mary and infant Christ (pictured) was discovered in Gragnano, a town near Naples, last week, according to the Carabinieri Cultural Heritage Protection Unit of Naples. It had been displayed in a family home for many years and is in need of extensive restoration. How a work by the artist who painted The Birth of Venus and Primavera – and estimated to be worth at least €100m – had disappeared is not entirely clear. Since the early 1900s, it had hung in a church in the Neapolitan suburb of Santa Maria la Carità. When an earthquake damaged…

Alice’s date with Harry is a success, even when she reveals that she doesn’t drink and has a child; he asks her to dinner. Lilian and Justin discover they’re both bidding for the Grange Farm land and decide to join forces. Jakob has an idea for the Christmas show: stand-up comedy by farmers. Justin’s ruse to put Natasha off bidding backfires. As handover day arrives at the Tea Room, insensitive Tom interferes in the kitchen. In spite of Jakob’s protests, Lynda insists she’ll perform in the Christmas show. Ian reassures Alice, who cancelled dinner with Harry for fear that rejection might prompt a relapse. As an exhausted Fallon clears her furniture out of the Tea Room, she and Natasha share a moment. Later, Natasha tells Tom to treat Fallon with…

All-Irish punch bowl Makes 15 x 200ml servings 3 lemons, plus extra slices to garnish 2 sticks of rhubarb, chopped into chunks 1 x 250ml jar of Irish honey 1 litre cloudy pressed Irish apple juice (if you want the punch to be less strong, add more juice) 1 litre Stonewell Dry Irish cider (or any other dry Irish cider, but it must be dry) 1 x 700ml bottle of Jameson Irish Whiskey ice cubes 2-3 apples, sliced, to garnish • Zest the lemons with a microplane or fine grater, then squeeze the juice. Put the zest and juice in a blender with the rhubarb and honey. Fill the empty honey jar with hot water, seal it and shake it to get any remaining honey. Pour the water into the…

Seven nights in Mexico Swaying palms, crystalline waters and white sands await you when you stay at the Aloft Tulum hotel. From £782pp b&b (incl. flights). 01234-230440, loveholidays.com. Depart 30 April. Adults-only Italian holiday Splendidly perched in the verdant green hills of Sorrento, stay 4 nights at the Nastro Azzurro Resort. From £399pp full-board (incl. flights). 020-8183 0486, flightsandpackages.com. Depart 12 April. Antigua Guatemala escape Discover a culture-rich city – and the magical Lake Atitlán – with a 6-night stay at the Los Olivos Boutique Hotel. From £1,599pp b&b (incl. flights). 020-3642 4642, exoticca.com. Depart 29 February. Short Canterbury break Just metres from the medieval Westgate Towers and the historic cathedral, The Falstaff offers a 2-night stay from £85pp b&b (two sharing). 020-3564 9000, travelzoo.com. Arrive 19 December.…

Glenys Kinnock 1944-2023 When Glenys Parry met her future husband at Cardiff University, her first words to him were: “Are you the man from the Socialist Society?” Her relationship with the young Neil Kinnock did not start well, said The Daily Telegraph: she had to help him home drunk from their first date. But the couple would go on to forge a remarkable partnership, grounded in their shared interest in social justice. As Neil rose through the Labour Party to become its leader in 1983, Glenys acted as rock and stay, and as his informal adviser. Then in 1992, following Labour’s second general election defeat, she decided to put herself forward as a candidate in the European elections. She served for 15 years as an MEP (Neil later joined her…

Vines in a Cold Climate: The People behind the English Wine Revolution by Henry Jeffreys (Atlantic Books £16.99). A brilliant chronicle of the English wine industry’s “exciting and, at times, eccentric emergence”, says Alice Lascelles in the FT. The book brims with colourful characters. Material World: A Substantial Story of Our Past and Future by Ed Conway (WH Allen £22). The Times economist takes six key materials – sand, salt, iron, copper, oil and lithium – to explore the underpinnings of the modern world, says The CEO Magazine. Conway escorts us from “the dark depths of the deepest mine in Europe” to Taiwan’s “silicon chip factories”. Technofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism by Yanis Varoufakis (Bodley Head £22). The former Greek finance minister is “a remarkable combination of analyst and dreamer”, says…