Innholdsfortegnelse for V. 1188 i The Week

What happened Labour in crisis Accusations of anti-Semitism continued to dog Labour this week despite efforts by the party to defuse the long-running row. On Monday, the disciplinary action against Margaret Hodge, that was launched after she reportedly called Jeremy Corbyn an “anti-Semite” and a “racist” last month, was dropped. The pair fell out over the Labour leadership’s refusal to incorporate in full the International Holocaust Remembrance Association’s (IHRA) widely accepted definition of anti-Semitism in the party’s new code of conduct, on the grounds that doing so may hinder legitimate criticism of Israel. Corbyn had earlier broken his silence on the anti-Semitism row, conceding that the issue was a “real problem” and that his party had been slow to react. Jewish leaders accused him of offering words rather than deeds.…

The Queen, who was named as one of Britain’s best-dressed people by Tatler. The magazine called her “the ultimate power dresser”, citing her fondness for “bright block colours”. Bears, with the relocation of four endangered black grizzlies from Japan to Doncaster. The Ussuri brown bears, which had been kept in cages and urgently needed a new home, were transported 5,400 miles from the island of Hokkaido to Yorkshire Wildlife Park. Gerry Adams, who revealed that he is writing a cookery book. To be called The Negotiator’s Cookbook, it will contain “some of the best-kept secrets of the Irish peace process”: Adams claims that the recipes kept him and his fellow republicans going during their talks with British officials, who never provided any food.…

55% of victims of crime in England and Wales say the justice system failed to meet their needs, and only 25% felt they were properly supported after reporting incidents to the police. Two-thirds of victims were left unaware of their rights. 20% said they were not referred to support services and 43% were not notified of developments like a perpetrator being arrested. Victim Support/ The Independent 53% of UK parents with children aged under 12 are holidaying in the UK rather than abroad this summer. Families Online/The Daily Telegraph 41% of British adults support the idea of a universal basic income, while 17% oppose it. Populus/The Independent…

Tehran Sanctions and protests: Iran’s President Rouhani was defiant in the face of newly reimposed US sanctions this week – dismissing them as “psychological warfare” designed to impress Donald Trump’s domestic audience. However, his response came amid days of violent anti-government protests in Tehran, as well as other cities including Qom and Karaj (see page 14). Since Trump withdrew the US from the 2015 nuclear deal in May, the Iranian currency has slumped, sending prices soaring and fuelling discontent. Trump called the sanctions “the most biting ever imposed”, and warned that “anyone doing business with Iran will NOT be doing business with the US”. Britain, Germany, France and the EU jointly expressed “deep regret” at Trump’s decision to reimpose sanctions. Juba Peace deal agreed: The president of South Sudan and…

“Shakespeare strikes fear into the hearts of many theatregoers because no one wants to leave one of his plays feeling stupid. And yet, so often, that point is not grasped by those who make theatre: they want to be seen as edgy and creative, and so play around with the plays until they resemble a disastrous mud pie-and-glitter experiment. This enrages me. Shakespeare wrote mainly for us, the audience. Surely he provides enough intrigue without adding drag queens, cannabis farms, black plastic sheeting, grunge clothing, bungee-jumping stunts – not to mention endless dancing to hip-hop, grime, garage, trance, whatever-is-hip-now.” Ann Treneman in The Times…

The relentless march of the tower blocks Rowan Moore The Observer A 25-storey tower that would loom above Norwich’s famous cathedral spire. A 40-storey behemoth in Manchester. Multiple skyscrapers scattered across Bristol. Up and down the land, says Rowan Moore, developers are adopting a new mantra: “build higher”. Tall buildings aren’t inherently a bad thing, of course – in the right setting they can be “fine, noble and useful”. But they do not, as their proponents argue, confer on cities “prestige and identity”; more often, they’re evidence of a “lack of imagination”. Equally unpersuasive is the claim that skyscrapers are the best way to meet housing needs. Alas, councils are inevitably minded to approve these eyesores. “Squeezed by austerity”, they welcome the local infrastructure funds that developers have to provide,…

China set for lethal heatwaves China’s most populous region is at risk of becoming barely habitable by the end of the century owing to global warming. According to a new report, the north plain – home to about 400 million people, and a centre for food production – is likely to be subjected to repeated heatwaves so intense humans could not withstand them. The warning is based on an analysis of likely wet-bulb temperatures (WBT) that are a combination of heat and humidity. Once the WBT reaches 35°C, people cannot cool themselves by sweating, and even in the shade they’re liable to die within six hours. Using climate models, the team predict that unless carbon emissions are cut significantly, the plain – which runs from Beijing to Shanghai – will…

Apple: worth $1trn and counting It’s surely the most remarkable turnaround in corporate history, said Robert Miller in The Times. Two decades after narrowly avoiding bankruptcy, Apple has officially become America’s first trillion-dollar business. Its 13-figure stock market valuation is higher than the GDP of all but 16 countries. Last year alone, the company racked up some $48.5bn in net profits. Its cash reserves – most of which, controversially, are stashed in offshore tax havens – total a staggering $285bn. Anyone lucky enough to have bought shares when the firm went public in 1980 will have seen their investment rise by an “eye-watering” 50,000%. “Few companies change the world, and fewer still do it more than once,” said Alex Hern in The Guardian. Since its launch in Steve Jobs’s garage…

Cricket: an England victory for the ages The first Test against India was, “without question, one of the great England Tests”, said Simon Wilde in The Sunday Times. At times, England’s position “looked hopeless”: when Jos Buttler was dismissed in the second innings, leaving them a mere 87 for 7; when Virat Kohli scored a half-century for India on the fourth day. But, in the end, it was a “classic backs-to-the-wall victory” at Edgbaston. In a “bowling spell of supercharged energy”, Ben Stokes dismissed Kohli and then Mohammed Shami in the space of only four balls; he finished the job less than an hour later, bowling out Hardik Pandya to seal a 31-run win. Yet it was “not just the end of the match that was extraordinary”, said Tim Wigmore…

Taboos on the big screen To The Daily Telegraph The late Malcolm Muggeridge said one of the benefits of growing older was that young historians who get things wrong can be pulled up by those who were around at the time. Your TV preview of The Servant said: “The film was highly unusual in British cinema at the time (1963), exploring social taboos such as class tensions and underlying homosexual attraction.” Was it so unusual? Among the films that appeared around that time were: The Angry Silence, Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, Victim, A Taste of Honey, The Kitchen, The Entertainer, Life for Ruth, Billy Budd, The L-Shaped Room, This Sporting Life, Billy Liar, The Small World of Sammy Lee and The Damned. Edward Thomas, Eastbourne, East Sussex Washed-up white…

Theatre Othello Playwright: William Shakespeare Director: Claire van Kampen Shakespeare’s Globe, New Globe Walk, London SE1 (020-7401 9919). Until 13 October Running time: 2hrs 30mins (including interval) ★★★ Mark Rylance is “back on home turf” – or perhaps that should be “home timber”, said Dominic Cavendish in The Daily Telegraph. Rylance was the first artistic director of Shakespeare’s Globe, throwing open its doors 22 summers ago. And from the moment he strides onto the main-stage boards (for the first time since 2012) to treat us to a furtive, restless, conniving Iago, it’s clear that “he knows every inch of this exposed stage”. His manner is often “daringly offhand, he falters across lines, at times plays the fool” – as if “weaponising” his familiar gentleness so that Iago isn’t an overt…

The Edinburgh Art Festival is always a “pleasingly disparate” affair, said Laura Cumming in The Observer. The latest instalment of the city’s annual visual arts programme, now in its 15th year, takes in a wildly diverse array of museum shows, special events and smaller exhibitions in unlikely venues across town. The programme is as “amorphous” as ever, and is all the better for it. This year’s festival features excellent exhibitions devoted to Rembrandt and the dazzling paintings of the German-Danish expressionist painter Emil Nolde; a “spectral” film by Bill Viola screened in the “sepulchral shadows” of St Cuthbert’s Church; objects from the University of Edinburgh’s collection, including a written request from James VI and I for “the fairest and bravest hound” for his hunt; and even magic shows organised by…

When discussing the best man’s speech, Harrison confides in Chris that he used to work as a strippergram. Chris is amused, but won’t mention it again for fear of undermining Harrison professionally. Robin Fairbrother returns to Ambridge to visit baby Rosie and visit his sons’ businesses. Nigel’s old hunter Topper becomes seriously ill, and later Elizabeth has to break the news of its death to Freddie and Lily. Alistair calls Maurice – he has relapsed and started gambling again. Neil discusses affordable houses with Lilian, who thinks Emma is bound to be top of the list. Hannah overhears and accuses Neil of exploiting his connections. Robin is unimpressed by Rex’s pigs and yet approving of Toby’s Scruff gin. At Brookfield, Jill tells Robin she saw through his charms long ago.…

What the experts recommend The Woolpack Inn Slad Road, Stroud (01452-813429) Slad’s most famous son, Laurie Lee, is buried opposite this centuries-old pub, and his spirit still lurks by the bar, says Tom Parker Bowles in The Mail on Sunday. There’s a gathering of his books, various black-and-white photographs and even his collection of old beer bottles. But while this “handsomely ramshackle” inn with lovely views is a place of pilgrimage of sorts, it is “many miles removed” from being “some trite tourist trap”. Rather, the Woolpack is a warm and friendly old-fashioned boozer with a “discreetly modern” menu that’s a “quiet marvel” of simple, confident cookery. A mozzarella and peach salad, lavished with good olive oil and fistfuls of basil, whisks me straight to Sorrento. Tomatoes in a…

Tips of the week… how to use less water ● While some water-saving showerheads, like the Nebia, cost hundreds of pounds, even cheap ones can make a big difference while still producing a decent spray. ● Parents of toddlers can save on bathwater using a BabyDam, an adjustable barrier that lets you run a bath without having to fill the whole tub. ● Add a water-retaining gel to pots and hanging baskets so less watering is needed. ● Waiting for the tap to run cold wastes a lot of water – keep bottles of it in the fridge. ● Keep a bucket in the bathroom and use it to scoop up your bathwater. This can then be used to flush the loo or water plants. For plants, you can also…

Delightful Swiss break A 7-night stay at the 5-star Romantik Hotel Schweizerhof, in the heart of Grindelwald, costs from £1,539pp half-board, including flights.01483-345713, www.inghams.co.uk. Depart 10 September. 5-star Mallorcan stay Relax during a 5-night stay at the beautiful Gran Meliá de Mar hotel. From £1,252pp half-board, with Manchester flights. 01425-480400, www.prestigeholidays.co.uk. Depart 27 September. Guatemala and beyond Discover the best of Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua on this 9-day tour, from £710pp, accommodation only. 0808-274 5111, www.intrepidtravel.com. Depart 12 October. Africa discoverer This 12-day nature adventure starts in Windhoek and finishes in Cape Town. Prices from £1,291pp, including accommodation and some meals. 0333-321 0099, www.statravel.co.uk. Depart 16 November.…

The pound fell below $1.29 for the first time since August 2017, and hit its lowest level this year against the euro, as concerns over Brexit continued to rile currency markets. The worries were fanned over the weekend when a leading Brexiteer, International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, pegged the chances of Britain crashing out of the EU at 60-40. The Bank of England governor, Mark Carney, had observed that the risk was “uncomfortably high”. The Bank raised interest rates to 0.75%, as markets had expected. The British Chambers of Commerce claimed the decision was “ill-judged against a backdrop of a slowing economy”. The US-China trade row sprang back into life as both sides ramped up their tit-for-tat measures. The US trade department is now contemplating fresh tariffs of about 25%…

Losing lustre Global demand for gold fell to its “lowest level since 2009” in the first half of the year, as investors opted for “riskier assets”, said Julia Kollewe in The Guardian. The fall in demand for the precious metal – traditionally seen as a safe haven in times of trouble – was exacerbated by the fact that “consumers bought less gold jewellery, particularly in India where an inauspicious period for Hindus led to fewer weddings”. Central bank purchases also slowed. But the biggest impact came from a steep decline in buying by gold-backed exchange-traded funds in the States. ETFs bought just 60.9 million tonnes of gold in the past six months, versus 160.9 million tonnes in the same period last year, according to the World Gold Council. Gold, it…

Leslie Moonves The CBS boss is clearly a believer in the power of “corporate invincibility”, said Edward Helmore in The Guardian. At an investor meeting last week, he “simply ignored explosive allegations” aired in a New Yorker report that he had “forcibly kissed” multiple women decades ago. Instead, he focused on the TV network’s “impressive financial achievements in the second quarter”. He seemed to be saying: “welcome to #MeToo, part two. Henceforth, corporate leaders faced with claims of harassment will no longer be shown the door, but will stay and fight their corner.” Still, the claims against Moonves, 68, “have put the CBS board in a bind”. The broadcaster has hired “two high-powered female attorneys from two separate New York law firms” to oversee an internal investigation. Indra Nooyi The…

Controversy of the week Boris and the burqa Well, that didn’t take long, said Nesrine Malik in The Guardian. Four weeks after resigning as foreign secretary, Boris Johnson has made a characteristically noisy return to the “political fray”. And rather than weighing in on, say, the prospect of a no-deal Brexit, the Tory heavyweight has instead “emerged with some very strong opinions on… the burqa”. Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Johnson said he opposed the bans on the full-face veils introduced in Denmark and France. But he declared it “absolutely ridiculous” that some Muslim women choose to look like “letter boxes” and “bank robbers”, and argued that MPs and other public officials should be allowed to ask that niqabs and burqas be removed during meetings. His language was “demeaning, insensitive…

Wales, after the Severn Bridge westbound was closed for nine hours because so many tollbooth staff had called in sick. Drivers were diverted to the Prince of Wales Bridge five miles away, causing lengthy tailbacks on a day of sweltering heat. Mourners, with the news that bodies are being left in mortuaries for as long as 14 months while families struggle to meet the spiralling cost of burying them. The price of a basic funeral now stands at £4,078 – an increase of 112% since 2004. Radio 4’s Today programme, which has lost 800,000 listeners in a year. After a revamp that gives greater coverage to the arts and fashion, it attracts a weekly audience of seven million. Wizz Air, which was named as the least punctual airline flying from…

Hørsholm, Denmark Niqab fine: A 28-year-old Muslim woman has become the first person to be fined for breaking a new law, which came into effect at the start of the month, banning the wearing of full-face veils or other face coverings in public places in Denmark. The woman came to the attention of police, at a shopping centre in the town of Hørsholm, after a scuffle with another woman who reportedly tried to tear off her niqab. Both were charged with a breach of the peace, and the woman wearing the niqab was fined 1,000 kroner for refusing to take off her face covering when requested to by the police. Last week, opponents of the law held a protest (pictured) against it in the capital, Copenhagen. Freiburg, Germany Parents jailed:…

Ed Balls’ latest challenge Ed Balls is certainly gung-ho, says Lisa Sewards in the Daily Mail. Not long after losing his seat, the ex-shadow chancellor agreed to appear on Strictly Come Dancing. At one point, on the live tour, that meant dancing in the very venue in Leeds where the fateful count had taken place. “I looked around and thought, ‘What’s happened to my life? There’ll be 8,000 people cheering, but these are the same people who didn’t vote for me two years ago.’” Yet this time, they did vote for him, which was “cathartic”. Now Balls, 51, is back on TV for a show about Trump’s America, in which he takes part in everything from a turkey shoot to a police training course – where he agreed to be…

A couple are on the hunt for a photographer to capture not just their wedding day, but the most intimate moments of their wedding night. The anonymous pair posted an advert online for a professional to film them from 1am to 3am on the night of their wedding in the Cotswolds in September – so that they will always remember it. They resorted to searching on the internet after their wedding videographer said he wasn’t “comfortable” taking on the task. The job pays £2,000, and the couple have clarified that the video will be “for personal use” only. An “edgy” ad campaign for funeral services has been banned by Transport for London (TfL). One poster for “low-cost, no-fuss cremation” showed beach-goers running into the sea carrying coffins rather than surfboards,…

SWITZERLAND Let weed grow on our mountainsides Tages-Anzeiger (Zurich) The Swiss have form when it comes to intoxicating substances, says Jean-Martin Büttner. Absinthe was first distilled in Switzerland; LSD was discovered by our brilliant chemist Albert Hofmann. And we’ve long had a forward-looking drug policy: we were the first country to provide heroin-assisted treatment to addicts. That’s why we should take a leaf out of Canada’s book and legalise recreational cannabis. It decided to do so in June and more than 70 companies involved in one aspect or another – plant breeding and cultivation; processing in beverages, food and cosmetics; even holidays and tourism – are listed on the country’s stock exchange. They stand to make a fortune: experts say that in a few years, the trade could be worth…

Most corals survive on plankton, but a type in southern Italy has been spotted feasting on a far larger prey: jellyfish. Biologists were surveying orange stony cup corals when they noticed that stinging jellyfish were stuck to the underwater cliffs and overhangs where the tiny creatures live. Closer investigation revealed that the polyps had teamed up to ensnare the stingers and would then consume them. When jellyfish are swept against the coral walls, a few polyps use their tiny tentacles to grab the creature’s bell, while others latch onto its feeding arms, ingesting the tips to prevent it swimming away. As the jellyfish tries to escape, it comes into contact with more polyps, sometimes from several colonies simultaneously, and is gradually pulled apart and eaten. “Although both species have been…

David Cameron is reported to consider Michael Gove “mad”, and will castigate him for the result of the EU referendum in his forthcoming memoirs. But Gove remains friendly with George Osborne: the two recently visited Bayreuth for four days of Wagner operas – including Lohengrin, about a state divided by political infighting, and Tristan und Isolde, in which a man betrays his leader. Their “lads’ holiday” in Bavaria has become something of an annual event, though Gove has admitted that Wagner could be seen as music “for those who think Norman Tebbit is a lefty sell-out and the Village People insufficiently camp”. After Michael Palin played a chiropodist in the film A Private Function, he received an angry letter accusing him of trivialising the profession. “I have taught and lectured…

“It’s not rare to see Andy Murray crying on a tennis court,” said Stuart Fraser in The Times. But his tears on Friday morning were something else. After beating Marius Copil in the third round of Washington’s Citi Open – a match that ended at 3.01am – the Scot broke into two minutes of “uncontrollable sobbing”. He had just played for three hours; over the course of four days, he had spent more than eight hours on the court. Ultimately, it was too much: Murray was so exhausted that he pulled out of the tournament, as well as this week’s Rogers Cup. But following an 11-month absence from the tour, when he “wondered if his troublesome right hip would allow him to return”, he is now “competing and winning matches…

To The Guardian It is not the Labour NEC’s definition of anti-Semitism that should be the subject of debate in the party, but why there is a debate at all; with the Holocaust still in living memory, why should anybody be expressing anti-Semitic sentiments anywhere, let alone in the Labour Party? The answer is that history has shown that anti-Semitism is a sickness that rational argument will not eradicate. This irrationality is now prevalent in the Labour Party because Jeremy Corbyn has enabled it. There was no problem before his arrival; now there is a problem. His constant claim that because he is anti-racist he cannot be anti-Semitic sounds convincing but is absurd, because he is obviously unable or unwilling to understand that stating that Hamas are his “friends” takes…

Ant-Man and the Wasp Dir: Peyton Reed 1hr 58mins (12A) Irreverent superhero hokum with Paul Rudd ★★ Ant-Man is “a superhero like no other, in that most of the time he doesn’t seem to be either especially super or all that heroic”, said Brian Viner in the Daily Mail. Yet that refreshing irreverence was the whole point of Marvel’s first Ant-Man movie – and the same is true of this “enjoyable” sequel. Paul Rudd reprises the role of Ant-Man, the wisecracking ex-burglar shrunk to miniature size and given superhuman strength by boffin Hank Pym (Michael Douglas). Here he teams up with Pym’s feisty daughter (Evangeline Lilly), who, when similarly miniaturised, becomes the Wasp. Together they must locate Pym’s beloved wife (Michelle Pfeiffer), who tragically went missing in the “quantum realm”,…

A year ago, a strange discovery was made in the bedroom of an elderly couple from New Mexico after their deaths: a stolen Willem de Kooning painting, valued at more than $100m. The painting, Woman-Ochre, had been taken from a museum in Tucson, Arizona, in 1985, says Jacqui Goddard in The Times. It seemed unlikely that the unassuming couple, Rita and Jerry Alter – a speech therapist and a clarinet player – were responsible. However, last week, the couple’s family released a photograph showing the Alters in a Tucson restaurant on Thanksgiving Day 1985 – the day before the painting was stolen. Furthermore, in the photo the Alters bear a close resemblance to the sketches of the two suspects in the theft, who had distracted a guard and hacked the…

Programmes Sylvia Plath: Life Inside The Bell Jar Documentary about Plath’s semi-autobiographical novel, including unpublished letters, photographs and the first in-depth, on-screen interview with her daughter, Frieda Hughes. Sat 11 Aug, BBC2 21:00 (60mins). Lost Boys? What’s Going Wrong for Asian Men British-Pakistani presenter Mehreen Baig looks behind the headlines at the challenges in education and integration facing young men from South Asian backgrounds in the UK. Sun 12 Aug, BBC2 22:00 (60mins). On the Edge Drama anthology looking at criminal justice. This first episode profiles a young female prisoner and her parole officer, both trapped in worlds they can’t escape. Episode two follows. Tue 14 Aug, Channel 4 22:00 (35mins). Films Eye in the Sky (2015) Drama about the complexity of remote warfare, starring Helen Mirren and Alan Rickman.…

In a hot summer, you “really don’t need to treat wine with too much reverence”, says Fiona Beckett in The Guardian. “Chilled reds? Essential. Ice cubes in your wine? Anything to keep it cool.” Combine fino sherry with lemonade for a rebujito. Or add tonic to fino or white port. Get hold of, say, Taylor’s Chip Dry White Port (£11.29; Waitrose) – and drink it chilled over ice, with tonic, a slice of orange and a mint sprig. Dropping the level of alcohol tends to make wine more refreshing. Try the Mac Forbes RS19 Strathbogie Ranges Riesling 2017 (£17; www.thewinesociety.com), at only 10.5%; a “marvellous combination of limey tartness and sweetness”. Or the 11.5% Uncommon Wine of England (£35, 8 x 250ml cans; wearetheuncommon.co.uk; or £5/can; Selfridges), which is made…

The Daily Telegraph The new Touareg is simply “the most sophisticated and technically advanced VW” yet. This isn’t surprising – it’s based on the same platform as high-pedigree models like the Bentley Bentayga, Audi Q7 and Lamborghini Urus. On top of that, it has “quasi-starship looks”, a quality interior, and top tech and safety options such as infrared night vision. It’s a posh SUV for those who don’t need a posh badge. Auto Express With its LED lights, imposing grille and neat behind, the five-metre-long “behemoth” has a fresh, very sharp look. The cabin, too, is undoubtedly a market-leader, the highlight being VW’s Innovision Cockpit, which has Google Earth mapping, simple menus and “gorgeous graphics”. There’s no seven-seat option, but it has bags of space in the rear and a…

Inver, Strachur, Argyll & Bute Set beside a ruined castle on the shores of Loch Fyne, Inver is one of the UK’s best restaurants, and among its most remote. Now, at last, diners can stay overnight, says Mark C. O’Flaherty in The Sunday Telegraph. This summer, the owners opened four new bothies for guests – “simple but impressive modernist cabins”, with “stark” timber interiors and fantastic views through floor-to-ceiling windows. An alumnus of Copenhagen’s Noma, chef Pamela Brunton pays great attention to “produce, technique and foraging” to create “delicious” dishes, such as halibut and aged beef with scurvy grass. From £160 b&b. 01369-860537, inverrestaurant.co.uk .…

Yachtsman who survived four days in an upturned hull Tony Bullimore 1939-2018 Tony Bullimore was best known for “one of the greatest survival feats in maritime history”, said The Times. A former Yachtsman of the Year, Bullimore, who has died aged 79, decided to take part in the Vendée Globe in 1996-97 – a “gruelling” race that involves sailing 23,000 miles solo, non-stop around the world. The trip had been beset by disaster, and by January 1997, he was hundreds of miles behind the pack. Then, in a wild and remote part of the Southern Ocean, 1,500 miles off the coast of Australia and only 900 miles from Antarctica, he was caught in a storm with 99mph winds and waves 20ft high; the keel of his boat, the 60ft Exide…

It’s been a long, hot summer for House of Fraser, the 169-year-old department store chain that has been battling for survival while dicing with angry landlords, Chinese nepotists and a string of would-be buyers never quite willing to commit. A potential £70m lifeline was lost last week when Hong Kong-listed C.banner (which bought Hamleys in 2015), abandoned plans to invest. But here’s some luck at last, said the Financial Times. House of Fraser has settled a legal challenge from landlords protesting plans – outlined in a controversial “company voluntary arrangement” (CVA) – to shut half of its 59 stores. “The settlement could prove crucial to attracting a bidder, as it removes a significant hurdle to a deal.” HoF has had a chequered history, said Oliver Shah in The Sunday Times,…

Illumina (healthcare) Companies like Illumina, which combine big data with state-of-the-art genomics, will be the “principal drivers” of “a revolution” in the health sector over the next decade, argues James Anderson of Scottish Mortgage investment trust. Blue Prism (technology) This robotics pioneer specialises in automating “important but laborious administration processes” within companies. Russ Mould, of online wealth manager AJ Bell, reckons it’s just the sort of stock beloved by investors looking for a “killer application”. Asos (retail) The online fashion retailer has already played a key role disrupting high-street retailers in Britain. Darius McDermott of Chelsea Financial Services thinks that’s just the start. Asos only commands 5.5% of the UK online market, and opportunities in the US and Europe “are even more attractive”. Alnylam (pharmaceuticals) This biotech has developed drugs…

The York Civic Trust has been forced to apologise for erecting a plaque designed to honour Anne Lister, often seen as the “first modern lesbian” – which failed to use the word “lesbian”, and instead used the term “gender non-conforming”. The plaque was installed last month at the city’s Holy Trinity Church, where Lister and her partner exchanged non-binding vows in 1834. Activists complained that gender non-conforming has “nothing to do with sexuality”. The trust says it is “open to the idea of updating the plaque”. The latest “self-care” trend to hit the internet is “masturdating” – the art of taking oneself out on a date. Proponents of the trend say that it is crucial to “woo yourself” by having a night out alone.…

The green belt is being sacrificed to build homes that are unaffordable for young families and therefore won’t help solve the housing crisis, according to a report by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE). England’s 14 protected green belt areas are meant to prevent urban sprawl by forbidding development, barring “exceptional circumstances”, but in research published this week, the CPRE found that local authorities are currently proposing to build a record 459,000 homes on green belt land. It also found that 78% of planned building on previously undeveloped (greenfield) sites did not fit the government’s definition of “affordable”. Tom Fyans of CPRE said people had been “sold a lie” by developers building “low-density, unaffordable housing”.…

Washington DC President demands end to inquiry: In the latest twist in the long-running legal saga over alleged collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign, President Trump has – for the first time – publicly called on Jeff Sessions, his attorney general, to scrap the criminal inquiry led by special counsel Robert Mueller. In a tweet last week, Trump called on Sessions (pictured) to “stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further”. Trump has long been angry at Sessions for recusing himself from the Russia inquiry, but it is the first time his comments have appeared to be a direct order. Some analysts suggested the directive could amount to an obstruction of justice. In a separate development, Trump also admitted that the…

1 Only Remembered by John Tams and Adrian Sutton, performed by John Tams and members of the War Horse company chorus 2 Master of the House by Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schönberg and Herbert Kretzmer, performed by Alun Armstrong and members of the original 1985 London cast of Les Misérables 3 The Times They Are a-Changin’, written and performed by Bob Dylan 4 Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen by Howard Greenfield and Neil Sedaka, performed by Neil Sedaka 5 Independence Day, written and performed by Bruce Springsteen 6 The Best by Mike Chapman and Holly Knight, performed by Tina Turner 7* When You Were Sweet Sixteen by James Thornton, performed by The Fureys and Davey Arthur 8 Vesti la giubba by Ruggero Leoncavallo, performed…

On 25 July the European Court of Justice ruled that organisms created by gene editing techniques such as Crispr must be subject to the same highly restrictive regulations as genetically modified organisms. This was unexpected: the court’s advocate general had differentiated between mutagenesis – gene editing – which changes an organism’s DNA, and transgenesis – genetic modification – which introduces DNA from another species. Indeed, it is nearly impossible to detect whether a plant has been edited: the changes involved are indistinguishable from natural mutations. In practical terms, the ruling places heavy regulations and costs on anyone developing gene-edited crops in Europe. “It costs around £30m to obtain approval for GM crops in Europe today,” said The Observer. “Only large agribusinesses can afford that price tag.” As a result, many…

Trump guilty? Perish the thought Max Boot The Washington Post Did the Trump campaign collude with Russia in 2016? For the president and his supporters, it no longer matters, says Max Boot. When the accusations first arose, they stridently claimed there had been no collusion at all. “Fake news!” they chorused. When that defence proved untenable – after it emerged that Trump’s son, son-in-law and campaign manager had in fact met Kremlin-linked figures promising “dirt” on Hillary Clinton – Trump’s advocates insisted there had been no actionable collusion. But then came last month’s bombshell claim from Michael Cohen, the president’s turncoat lawyer, that Trump had actually known about that infamous Russia meeting in advance. So now the party line has changed once more: collusion, apparently, is “no big deal”. Or,…

British workers missed an average of 4.1 days through sickness last year, the lowest figure ever recorded, says The Times. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) began collecting data on sick days in 1993, when the average was 7.2 days. Since 1999, the figure has declined steadily, for reasons that are unclear. While some suggest that Britain’s workforce is becoming healthier, others believe that a culture of “presenteeism” – workers going to work even when ill – has developed, owing to increasingly insecure labour conditions, especially in the private sector. The sickness absence rate (measuring working hours lost to sickness) is lower in the private sector (1.7%) than in the public sector (2.6%) – but that, the ONS says, may simply be due to the fact that the public sector…

“Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.” Journalist Miles Kington, quoted in The Mail on Sunday “A bad review should ruin your breakfast but not your lunch.” Kingsley Amis, quoted in The Independent “England has 42 religions and only two sauces.” Voltaire, quoted in Forbes “Weakness is provocative.” Donald Rumsfeld, quoted in The Spectator “Show me a hero and I will write you a tragedy.” F. Scott Fitzgerald, quoted in The Daily Telegraph “In war, there are no unwounded soldiers.” Argentinian writer José Narosky, quoted in The New York Times “From a worldly point of view, there is no mistake so great as that of being always right.” Samuel Butler, quoted in Forbes “Almost all absurdity of conduct arises from…

Golf English golfer Georgia Hall won her first major title at the Women’s British Open, making her the third British winner of the competition. Hockey Netherlands beat Ireland 6-0 to win the Women’s World Cup. European Championships Adam Peaty won the 100-metre breaststroke title in 57.10 seconds – breaking his own world record. Laura Kenny won the women’s elimination, following Team GB’s victory in the women’s team pursuit, to take a second gold. Dina Asher-Smith won gold in the 100-metre sprint, setting a new British record.…

What possible offence could Winnie-the-Pooh cause an entire country, wondered Stefan Kyriazis in the Daily Express. A new live-action Disney film entitled Christopher Robin – starring Ewan McGregor as the eponymous protagonist, who in middle age is reunited with his childhood friend Pooh and the other animals of Hundred Acre Wood – has been refused a Chinese release. It’s true there is a quota on foreign movies in China, but the most likely explanation for the decision is the alleged similarity between Pooh and China’s cuddly-looking president, Xi Jinping. The Chinese state began a crackdown on Pooh last year after bloggers used images of the bear to poke fun at the president. The most notorious juxtaposed a photo of Xi and Barack Obama walking side-by-side with a cartoon image of…

Best books… Paula Byrne Paula Byrne, the bestselling biographer of Jane Austen and Evelyn Waugh, chooses her favourite books. Look to Your Wife, her debut novel, was published earlier this year by William Collins at £12.99 Tender Is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald, 1934 (Penguin £7.99). Probably the best beach book of all time. Set against the luscious backdrop of the French Riviera, it follows the story of glamorous expatriate couple Dick and Nicole Diver. The writing is lush and evocative, and draws on Fitzgerald’s own marital breakdown. Excellent Women by Barbara Pym, 1952 (Virago £8.99). A delightful, funny novel about a clergyman’s daughter and confirmed spinster. Pym is the modern Austen, tracing the lives and loves of genteel English women in ordinary circumstances. Her canvas, like Austen’s, is…

Spanish fruit cup This fresh take on a classic red-wine sangria is fruity and citrusy – a deliciously thirst-quenching punch to serve at a summer party or beach barbecue. Serves one 100ml fruity rosé, well chilled (a Spanish garnacha works well) 50ml smooth fresh orange juice 10ml Spanish brandy 10ml Cointreau (or other orange-flavoured liqueur) 200ml Fever-Tree Mediterranean tonic water (or alternative unflavoured tonic water) orange and lemon wheels, and green apple slices a fresh strawberry, to garnish ice cubes • Pour all of the ingredients, the tonic last, into a large ice-filled balloon/copa glass and stir gently with a bar spoon. Add a selection of the fruit slices and garnish the rim of the glass with a strawberry slice. Serve at once. • It makes a great pitcher drink;…

AfterShokz Trekz Air Best for safety, these use “bone conduction” to transmit sounds from just next to your ear, which means you can still hear the traffic around you. They’re also sturdy, comfortable and water-resistant (£150; aftershokz.co.uk). Beats Powerbeats3 Wireless Beats’ signature over-the-ear design is great for those who find it hard to fit in-ear models securely. These have an impressive 12-hour battery life, which is useful for long-distance runners in particular (£135; www.amazon.co.uk). Monster iSport Victory For those on a slightly lower budget, the iSport Victory are super-light wireless headphones that are hard-wearing and have an “unshakeable” fit, thanks to a range of ear tips (£80; www.very.co.uk). Jabra Elite Sport They may be pricey, but these are much more than just headphones. They come with a built-in heart-rate monitor…

Exploring Gandhi’s life in New Delhi This year marks the 70th anniversary of Gandhi’s assassination, and next year is the 150th of his birth – making it a good time to explore the sites in the Indian capital associated with the independence leader, says Tamara Hinson in The Independent. At Gandhi Smriti you can see the “simple bedroom” where he lived during his final months, and the spot in the garden where a right-wing Hindu nationalist shot him dead. The Eternal Gandhi Multimedia Museum has exhibits including information screens operated with levers shaped like Gandhi’s walking sticks; at the Charkha Museum you can see a collection of spinning wheels like those he used to protest against India’s dependence on British cloth; and enshrined in the sacred silence of the National…

Amazon: Scamazon? Apple may have won the race to become the world’s first trillion-dollar fully public company, but snapping at its heels is Amazon, whose market cap hit $884bn as investors cheered record quarterly sales last week. Cue another tax row in Britain, said Catherine Neilan in City AM. The latest figures show that while profits at Amazon UK Services trebled to £72m in 2017, it incurred a corporation tax bill of only £4.6m – down by a third on the year before. Once share options for employees were deducted, the sum paid was a trifling £1.7m. “Scamazon” is “making a mockery of the British government” even as it sucks “the life out of high streets”, said The Times. Jeff Bezos’s “acolytes” insist the retailer is complying with the letter…

Expect the pound to stay under pressure Editorial The Observer With eight months to go before Britain leaves the EU, the risk of a no-deal Brexit is “uncomfortably high”, according to the Bank of England’s governor, Mark Carney. His remarks, later reinforced by government ministers, had an immediate effect on sterling, which fell below $1.30 against the dollar, says The Observer. “This wasn’t quite what the Bank was hoping for” when it raised interest rates “to their highest level in almost a decade” earlier in the week. Ordinarily, “higher rates encourage investors to buy the pound”. But the boost provided by the quarter-point rise to 0.75% was brief. “Financial markets had assumed a rate rise was a done deal” and, in the absence of any “hawkish language” from the governor,…