Innholdsfortegnelse for 1365 i The Week

What happened England should be able to “ride out” the current surge of Covid infections without the need for further restrictions, Boris Johnson declared this week. He acknowledged, however, that with daily cases in the UK reaching a record 218,000 on Tuesday, the wave could overwhelm parts of the NHS over coming weeks. At least half a dozen NHS hospital trusts have already declared critical incidents over rising demand and staff shortages; with some 15% of staff off sick or isolating, 17 hospitals in Greater Manchester have paused some non-urgent surgery; and the North East Ambulance Service has advised patients with suspected heart attacks or strokes to get a lift to hospital. It was estimated that 1.2 million people in the UK had been isolating this week, leading to disruptions…

Zeewolde, the Netherlands Data centre: Campaigners against a new Facebook data centre in the Netherlands have warned that it will use as much energy as a major city – and that the country will need to alter its climate change targets if the project is approved. The 410-acre server farm for Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, is projected to consume 1,380 gigawatt-hours of energy a year, equivalent to about 10% of Dutch wind energy production. The authorities in Zeewolde – a town of 22,000 people east of Amsterdam in the province of Flevoland – gave Meta permission to build the centre last month, but the sale of the land will require state approval, and the government is under pressure to veto it. In Denmark, where Meta also has a big server…

1 Bring Me Sunshine by Arthur Kent and Sylvia Dee, performed by Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise 2 Metal Mickey by Brett Anderson and Bernard Butler, performed by Suede 3 Drag Racer (theme for BBC Snooker) written and performed by The Doug Wood Band 4* You Can’t Stop the Beat by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, performed by the cast of Hairspray 5 Extraordinary Machine, written and performed by Fiona Apple 6 American Boy by Estelle, will.i.am, John Stephens, Ethan Hendrickson, Josh Lopez, Caleb Speir and Keith Harris, performed by Estelle and Kanye West 7 Ran, written and performed by Future Islands 8 A Little Respect, written and performed by Erasure Book: Hercule Poirot: The Complete Short Stories by Agatha Christie Luxury: a pad, pen and dice * Choice if allowed only one record…

A grey squirrel has terrorised residents of a small Welsh town, injuring 18 people during a 48-hour rampage. The animal is said to have set upon people with “frightening speed”, even chasing some down the street, according to residents of Buckley in Flintshire. People were “scared to go out”, said Corrine Reynolds, who eventually captured it in a humane trap. The RSPCA later had to put the animal down, because the law prevents grey squirrels being released into the wild. A lickable TV screen that can replicate food flavours has been developed in Japan. Taste the TV (TTTV) uses a carousel of ten flavour canisters that can be sprayed onto hygienic film over a flat screen to re-create the taste of particular foods, and could be used to train cooks…

Allotments as bountiful as fields Allotments were a vital source of food during the Second World War. And even now, they can be just as productive as conventional farms, according to early results from a study by the University of Sussex – while being more environmentally friendly too. Data provided by 30 “urban growers” in Brighton and Hove suggested that with limited use of pesticides, an individual allotment holder could produce 1kg of fruit and vegetables per square metre – which is within the yield range of conventional farms. On average, the growers gathered 70kg of food over the course of one season, produce that would have cost about £380 to buy in shops; though some grew food worth more than £2,000. “The UK imports approximately £8bn of fruit and…

“Tony Blair still has the ability to surprise me,” said John Rentoul in The Independent. Given his “anti-establishment cast of mind”, I never thought he’d accept a knighthood. Yet on 1 January, 14 years after leaving Downing Street, the former Labour leader was appointed as Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. Sir Tony described it as an “immense honour”, but his critics are up in arms: more than half a million people have signed a petition calling for the award to be rescinded. Little wonder, said Andrew Pierce in the Daily Mail. While this award is generally extended to every former PM, Blair is not worthy of it. His achievements in office – the Good Friday Agreement, independence for the Bank of England, civil partnerships –…

Chelsea and Liverpool met on Sunday, both sides desperately needing three points to stay in touching distance of league leaders Manchester City, said Henry Winter in The Times. Neither got what it wanted: the match finished a 2-2 draw. Yet the 40,072 fans who “packed out Stamford Bridge” – some taking part in a safe-standing trial–were nonetheless treated to a glorious spectacle. At a time of resurgent Covid issues, with several fixtures postponed because of the virus, this was “raucous, escapist” entertainment of the type football needs. It was Liverpool who held the early advantage, said Jason Burt in The Daily Telegraph. Sadio Mané capitalised on a Trevoh Chalobah defensive error to end a nine-match scoring drought. Then Mohamed Salah scored yet another “sumptuous goal”, slotting past Edouard Mendy from…

Cricket, class, culture To The Guardian In his analysis of the state of English cricket, Martin Kettle refers to “the pathways to cricket’s renewal and growth” having been “cut off, closed and neglected”. He also alludes to the significant stratum of white upper-middle-class support for the English game. The contrasting place of cricket in youth culture in England and Australia seems relevant here. Until the 1960s, cricket equalled soccer in terms of its heroic figures. As any parent of subsequent generations will acknowledge, cricket has been progressively edged to the fringes of youth culture not only by the success of soccer, but because the playing of the game is seen to be detrimental to “streetcred”. In Australia, cricket not only sits comfortably at the heart of youth culture – visit…

by Andrew Lownie Blink 352pp £25 The Week Bookshop £19.99 Andrew Lownie’s book about Edward Windsor and Wallis Simpson makes a familiar subject “seem fresh again”, said Marcus Field in the London Evening Standard. He does so by focusing exclusively on the couple’s post-abdication lives, beginning his story on the “chilly December night” in 1936 when the duke, newly stripped of his status, set sail for the continent from Portsmouth, said Ysenda Maxtone Graham in the Daily Mail. What follows is a tale of extravagance and resentment, played out in grand locations: a Rothschild-owned castle in Austria, various French chateaux, the lavish palace in the Bahamas where the couple lived during the duke’s time as governor. Lownie does nothing to challenge the prevailing view of the Windsors as a thoroughly…

Kate Green: A Dark Carnival Own Label £12 The Yorkshire-based folk singer Kate Green’s first release in 14 years finds her in “superb form”, said Jim Gilchrist in The Scotsman. It combines traditional songs and covers with her own compositions, and she sings with “poise and clarity” to arrangements that range freely from folkrock to jazz and swing. Highlights include a “spine-tingling” account of the ballad Lady Diamond – a grisly tale of misogyny and murder; Bows of London, in which a princess kills her sister by pushing her into the Thames. Green’s own song, Maddy’s Leaving, about a woman’s escape from an oppressive relationship, provides a “counterblast” of celebration. Green’s albums come along rarely, said David Honigmann in the Financial Times – and “each one prompts the wish” that…

Originally scheduled to take place in autumn 2020, the National Gallery’s hotly anticipated Raphael exhibition (9 April-31 July) is set to open in the spring. The show is one of the first to examine the Renaissance master’s entire career, bringing together a host of first-class loans from museums around the world. It will take in paintings, drawings and tapestries as well as architectural plans, designs, prints and poetry to cover the full scope of Raphael’s extraordinary oeuvre. Expect queues. Likely to prove similarly popular is Tate Modern’s Cézanne (6 October-12 March 2023), which will chart the post-impressionist artist’s career from the fairly conventional canvases he produced in Paris in his 20s to the astonishing experiments in colour and form with which he would revolutionise painting towards the end of his…

Lynda and Kirsty discover the identity of the animal welfare informant and regain Brookfield for the Nativity. Usha is unimpressed by Alan’s Christmas speech about togetherness – he’s been so busy he’s barely noticed his own family, so she and Amy are off to spend Christmas with her brother! Hearing this, Susan and Clarrie jump to the conclusion that the marriage is in trouble and insist on having Alan for Christmas. As Kirsty struggles to solve more production problems, Oliver gives her an idea to reward the cast. Lesson learnt, Alan is delighted when Usha comes home in time for a quiet Christmas together. In spite of costume rivalry between Susan and Lily and a missing donkey, the Nativity is a triumph – now they must prepare for the Passion.…

Makes a 20cm (8in) cheesecake 650g full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature 300g caster sugar 5 eggs 150g soured cream 230g double cream 35g cornflour ½ a tsp of sea salt flakes • Preheat the oven to 220°C/gas mark 7, without the fan running. • In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl with a wooden spoon, beat the cream cheese until soft and pliable. Add the sugar and beat until fully mixed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. • In a separate bowl, stir together the soured cream and double cream. In another (small) bowl, mix the cornflour and salt together, then stir this through the creams, before adding to the cream cheese mixture. Beat well. • Line the baking…

A chic home from home in Hampshire Heckfield Place Hampshire Set in 438 acres of pasture and woodland on Hampshire’s northern fringes (an hour from central London), this revamped Georgian manor house is a fabulously chic home away from home, says Jo Rodgers in Condé Nast Traveller. The hotel reopened in 2018, after a ten-year restoration, with interiors overseen by designer Ben Thompson. These are true to the building’s “red brick bones” but “perfectly modern” too, with “earthy” textures and tones, “elegantly unadorned” walls in forest-green, ochre and rose, and nothing “stuffy or chintzy” in sight. A biodynamic farm on the estate supplies the two “wonderful” restaurants, which are both overseen by Skye Gyngell; a spa will open this year. Activities include trail running, wild swimming and rowing on the…

Christmas trading: Omi-chronic? It’s still too early to gauge the full impact of Omicron – and the second “ruined” festive season in a row – on Britain’s shops, pubs and bars. But the early signs don’t bode well, said The Guardian. According to trade body UK Hospitality, “sales were down by as much as 60% compared with 2019”. Industry bosses have issued fresh calls for more government support to counter what Adnams brewery boss Andy Wood called “the economic equivalent of Long Covid”, said Tom Pyman on Mail Online. So far, to no avail. Restaurateurs are reporting a perfect storm of troubles: from Covid uncertainty, through ongoing staff shortages, to spiralling food costs. The threat of inflation – running at a decade-high of 5.1% and expected to rise higher –…

Covid’s wake-up call to workers Editorial Financial Times It’s often hard “to identify tipping points while they are happening”, says the FT. But, “after 40 years in which capital has had the whip hand over labour”, it seems “a lasting shift” towards “worker power” may now be under way. If so, it would mark “a profound change of economic direction”. Since 1985, trade union membership has halved across OECD countries, and real median wage growth has failed to keep pace with productivity growth. But the pandemic has precipitated a shortage of workers in many countries and many are now seeking “to capitalise on their scarcity value”. Union membership is creeping up in Britain and employees are “finding new ways to fight for what they want”. Organise, a UK worker campaign…

Broaden your worldview with The Week magazine and enjoy a balanced, unbiased and refreshing take on current affairs. Join over 300,000 readers who rely on The Week to cut through the noise of the media and see the bigger picture. Subscribe today and your first 6 issues are completely free. Why subscribe? Money-back guarantee If for any reason you’re not satisfied with your subscription, you can cancel anytime and we’ll refund on any issues not received. Great savings As a subscriber you’ll benefit from great savings off the RRP and from special offers and discounts. Free delivery A subscription includes free delivery so you can receive the magazine directly to your door every week. Visit theweek.co.uk/offer Or call 0330 333 9494 Offer code P1365 Your subscription will start with your…

What happened The US will respond “decisively” if Russia invades Ukraine, Joe Biden warned Vladimir Putin last week, as tensions escalated over Moscow’s troop deployments in the region. Ina50-minute phone call between the two leaders, arranged at Russia’s request, the US president made it clear that Washington would hit Moscow with “severe sanctions” in the event of an attack, and urged Russia to stick to diplomacy to resolve the situation. The Kremlin in turn warned that new sanctions could lead to a total collapse in relations between Moscow and the West. Russia, which annexed Crimea in 2014, has massed an estimated 100,000 troops near Ukraine’s border. Putin has denied that Russia has any intention of invading its neighbour, but last month he did go on to warn that if any…

A growing number of farmers are fencing their fields and renting them out as dog exercise areas, The Guardian reports. There are over 750 fields to choose from on Dog walking Costing from £7 an hour, they are said to be particularly useful for nervous dogs, but are also hired by owners who simply want a safe space where their dog can run around off the lead. Plus-size clothes brands are using slim models in fat suits to advertise their lines, a Norwegian model has revealed. Karoline Bjornelykke is size 10-12, but says she has been booked for shoots for plus-size clothes and asked to wear padding. She reckons the brands use slim models because they want their faces to look “sharp”.…

New York Prince Andrew case: Prince Andrew’s lawyers have petitioned a court in New York to dismiss Virginia Giuffre’s civil suit against him, on the grounds that he is covered by a settlement she agreed with the late Jeffrey Epstein in 2009. According to papers released this week, Giuffre accepted $500,000 from the convicted sex offender, and as part of that deal she agreed not to bring actions against any other “potential defendant”. Giuffre claims that when she was 17, Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell (see page 14) forced her to have sex with Prince Andrew, something he denies. In their latest attempt to have the suit thrown out, the prince’s lawyers argued that he countsasa “potential defendant”. However, the judge seemed sceptical about the meaning of the wording; it was…

“It’s a weird feature of the contemporary calendar that so many Brits greet the bleakest month of the year by giving up the things that make it bearable: drink, carbs, stews, hot chocolate and fortified wines. I blame the whole New Year, New You thing: resolutions to be a better person end up translating into diets. But could there be a worse time than January to do Dry January? Or Veganuary? Nature is calling us to the fireside for something solid and warming, not a cauliflower steak and an unconvincing gin substitute. Folks, abstinence is for Lent. Instead, let me give you Long Christmas. It lasts for the whole of January and it feels just right.” Melanie McDonagh, Daily Telegraph…

Scientists can already tell what animals have been present in marine environments, by testing the water for their cast-off DNA. Now, for the first time, a team has conducted an insect survey by analysing the DNA left behind in the air. This environmental DNA, or eDNA, is contained in faecal matter, skin cells and other biological matter that animals shed as they go about their daily lives. For the research, a team from Lund University looked for eDNA in samples of air taken from three sites in Sweden; from it, they identified the presence of 85 insect species, including wasps, moths, flies and bees; they also found eDNA from some vertebrate species, including dogs, birds and hedgehogs. The eDNA analysis identified some insects that were missed by traditional sticky-trap surveys…

Nicolas Cage may be an Oscar-winning film star – but don’t call him an actor. “I really don’t like the word ‘actor’ because for me it always implies ‘Oh, he’s a great actor, therefore he’s a great liar,’” he told Variety’s podcast. Instead, the Face/Off star likes to be called a “thespian”. “I like the word thespian,” he explains, “because thespian means you’re going into your heart, or you’re going into your imagination, or your memories or your dreams… Dare I say it, it’s more like a shamanism.” When she was filming in Rome last year, Joanna Lumley was accosted by an old woman who praised her work. “By old I mean I thought she was on the wrong side of 95 at least,” said Lumley, 75. “She said the…

“Argue like you’re right and listen like you’re wrong.” Organisational psychologist Adam Grant, quoted in The Wall Street Journal “People love to feel superior to their past.” Fran Lebowitz, quoted in The Daily Telegraph “Temper is what gets most of us into trouble. Pride is what keeps us there.” Mark Twain, quoted in Forbes “It takes patience to appreciate domestic bliss; volatile spirits prefer unhappiness.” Philosopher George Santayana, quoted on ArtsJournal.com “My imagination functions much better when I don’t have to speak to people.” Patricia Highsmith, quoted on The Browser “Need a rapid test? Play the poms.” Headline in Australia’s Daily Telegraph after England’s third Test defeat “Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination.” Oscar Wilde, quoted on RTE “Sometimes to succeed in politics you…

This year’s PDC World Darts Championship was marred by several Covid-enforced withdrawals and the occasionally abusive behaviour of the crowds, said Ben Bloom in The Daily Telegraph. But on Monday, it reached its conclusion with one of the most dramatic finals Alexandra Palace has ever seen. In a pulsating encounter lasting more than two and a quarter hours, Scotland’s Peter Wright – a player “whose outlandish mohawk hairstyle and Snakebite moniker belie a quietly emotional man” – overcame England’s Michael Smith 7-5 to claim his second title, and confirm his status as one of the all-time greats of the sport. This was a “draining, thrilling” contest, marked by a continual “ebb and flow”, said Elgan Alderman in The Times. And Smith, you feel, really should have won it – for…

To The Daily Telegraph It is plausible that one of the Princes in the Tower, Edward V, was not killed by his uncle Richard III, but allowed to live under a false name in the Devon village of Coldridge. Richard Plantagenet, son of Richard III, was discovered by a local landowner working as a bricklayer in the Kentish village of Eastwell. (The fact that he could read Latin perhaps gave him away.) A 19th century stone in the churchyard claims to mark his grave, and there is an entry in the parish register stating that he was buried on 22 December 1550. Henry VII may well have had a conscience, having taken the crown from Richard III, and rumours about the fate of the two princes might have made him…

by Sarah Moss Picador 180pp £14.99 The Week Bookshop £11.99 Sarah Moss’s 2009 debut novel, Cold Earth, imagined an out-of-control virus, said Hephzibah Anderson in The Observer. She returns to similar terrain with her latest novel – only this time with less need for invention. Set in November 2020, The Fell centres on Kate, a for something single mum, who “finally snaps” during a two-week quarantine period, and goes for a solitary walk in the Peak District. It’s “destined to be an ill-fated expedition”: the night draws in, Kate doesn’t return – and her absence is noticed by her teenage son Matt. With its vivid sense of “accumulating dread”, this is an “intense time capsule of a tale”. Moss moves “gracefully” between various perspectives, said Sarah Ditum in The Times:…

Licorice Pizza 2hrs 13mins (15) Unconventional romcom set in 1970s LA Licorice Pizza is the “metaphorical shot in the arm we all need right now, to go with the real one”, said Brian Viner in the Daily Mail. Paul Thomas Anderson’s “irresistible” new film brims with “effervescent charm” and “belly laughs”; “I cherished every minute of it.” Set in California in 1973, the film is a “boy-meets-girl-at-high-school” tale, but the twist is that only one of the lovers is at school. That’s 15-year-old Gary (Cooper Hoffman), a child actor who falls for a 25-year-old photographer’s assistant, Alana (Alana Haim) when she visits his school to take the pupils’ pictures. Shot on rich and grainy 35mm film, Licorice Pizza “does a super job” of recreating 1970s Los Angeles, said Geoffrey Macnab…

Snow, Dog, Foot by Claudio Morandini, translated by J. Ockenden, 2020 (Peirene £12). A hermit lives in a shack in the Italian Alps with a speaking dog. It’s not whimsical, but this dog is funny – this dog made me laugh. They’re snowed in and bitch at each other as they nearly starve, but when finally they go outside, they see a human foot sticking up out of the snow. In a Strange Room by Damon Galgut, 2010 (Atlantic £8.99). Three semi-autobiographical journeys in Greece, Africa and India, full of discomfort and anxiety even when not much happens – although watch out for the third, it will shock. Graceful writing that slips effortlessly between first and third person. Galgut won the 2021 Booker Prize with The Promise – also wonderful.…

Programmes The Green Planet David Attenborough hosts a five-part series about the lives of plants, with new filming techniques capturing botanical wonders from deep within the tropical rainforests. Sun 9 Jan, BBC1 19:00 (60mins). The Killer Nanny: Did She Do It? Over three nights, this documentary looks back at the trial of British nanny Louise Woodard, interviewing key witnesses and re-examining the evidence. Sun 9, Mon 10 and Tue 11 Jan, C4 21:00 (60mins each). Van Gogh Life and Art Art historian Kate Bryan combs through the BBC archive to create a television portrait of the painter. Mon 10 Jan, BBC4 21:00 (60mins). Rules of the Game New four-part thriller about sexual politics at work. Following the brutal death of a colleague, a COO (Maxine Peake) pieces together the events leading up to…

● Don’t try to tackle the whole house in one day. Start small, with your sock drawer. Remove everything, categorise and discard what you don’t need and put things you use most at the front and least at the back. This approach applies to everything else. ● Next, sort out your wardrobe. Take it all out and dump it somewhere you can sort it gradually. Use action cards such as: Love, Fix, Sell, Donate, Chuck, Store, Think. ● Group products in your bathroom into categories, throwing away anything out of date or that you don’t use any more. ● Organise your photos. Go through your camera roll and delete duplicates. Then create folders to file them by category. ● Declutter the utensil drawer. Tip it all into a box for…

Desmond Tutu 1931-2021 The first black leader of the Anglican church in South Africa, Desmond Tutu, who has died aged 90, was for 15 years his country’s most prominent opponent of apartheid, said The Times. A man both impish and indomitable, he was denounced by the white South African president P.W. Botha as “public enemy number one”. He received death threats; twice had his passport confiscated; and only escaped being jailed “because of his international stature: he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984”. Yet by preaching moderation, he “also risked the hostility of his country’s angry and radicalised black population”. Tutu, or “the Arch” as he was known to his friends, did not explicitly condemn the armed struggle for black emancipation – but he abhorred violence. He denounced…

In the first week of trading after the New Year, markets were heartened by early data suggesting that Omicron was less likely than previous strains to result in hospitalisations and, therefore, wide-spread lockdowns. The optimism boosted banks and energy producers. In Britain, companies were cheered by Boris Johnson’s assertion that no new Covid restrictions were needed in England. Reports that pre-departure Covid tests for travellers arriving in Britain will be scrapped were welcomed by travel companies. The trade body Airlines UK has argued that continuing the current measures would be financially disastrous for the industry. Kantar reported that in-store visits to supermarkets hit their highest level since March 2020; online sales fell. Overall spending on groceries hit £11.7bn in the four weeks to 26 December, slightly down on Christmas 2020’s…

● Santa vs Omicron In the end, not even the threat of a new virus variant could dampen stock markets as the New Year turned, said Tom Howard in The Times. “European stocks hit a record high in the first session after Christmas and Wall Street followed their lead”, with both the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones attaining “their best ever closing level” as the traditional Santa rally kicked in. ● Tread carefully With hindsight, investing last year was a doddle, said Merryn Somerset Webb on MoneyWeek.com. Had you stuck your money into a fund tracking the MSCI World Index a year ago, “and then disappeared into a news blackout for the duration”, you’d be emerging with a return of around 20% – or 25% if you’d gone for…

People to watch in 2022 Rachel Reeves Once dismissed as “boring snoring” after a Newsnight performance, Labour’s shadow chancellor is “making waves” today, said The Daily Telegraph. The former BoE economist made a well-received speech at the Autumn Budget, and is starting to win influence in the City. With more economic turbulence to come, she’ll “have plenty to work with”. Daniel Kretinský The “Czech Sphinx” acquired stakes in Sainsbury’s and Royal Mail before the “pandemic sent their shares soaring”, said The Daily Telegraph. In November, he bought a 27% stake in West Ham. What next? Leena Nair (pictured) The new CEO of Chanel has an unlikely fashion CV – she was previously head of HR at the consumer goods giant Unilever, where she succeeded in achieving “a gender balance at management level…

Sightings of rare humpback whales in British waters have increased significantly in the past two years. According to a report by The Wildlife Trusts, there have been 75 sightings since 2019; a sign, it says, that bans on commercial whaling may be helping humpbacks to recover from the brink of extinction. White-beaked dolphins were also logged off the coast of Essex for the first time in decades, while orcas normally seen in the Hebrides were spotted off Cornwall. A Victorian stained-glass window in a church in Cambridgeshire has been partially restored using shards picked up off the ground by a dog walker years ago. St Denis in East Hatley was abandoned after a new church opened, and vandals later destroyed its windows. But in 1985, a passer by found some…

38% of adults say that Brexit has damaged the UK’s interests, while 27% say it has improved them. 51% would vote to rejoin the EU, while 49% say they’d vote to stay out of the bloc. The Independent/Savanta Labour is leading the Tories by 16 points – 49% versus 33% – among voters in the 57 constituencies that fell to the Conservatives in 2019. Asked who’d be the best PM, 38% of voters in these seats say Keir Starmer, and 33% Boris Johnson. The Mail on Sunday/Deltapoll A sixth of people who retire before the age of 66 go back to work. Around half of them say it was either to get “a new sense of purpose” or because they missed the social aspects of work. The Daily Telegraph/Aviva…

Unplugging The Beatles A strange thing happened to Ray Dagg this year: the formerly obscure ex-police officer found he was semi famous. With the release of the Beatles’ documentary Get Back, he was identified as the man who had put a stop to the Fab Four’s final live concert, in 1969. The gig, on the rooftop of Apple Records’ offices on Savile Row, had sparked several noise complaints. Dagg, who was 19 at the time, responded to the calls. At first, he and his fellow officers were stalled by Apple staff; so they upped the ante, warning that the Beatles could be arrested if they didn’t stop playing. It was a bluff, he told Liam Kelly in The Sunday Times. He didn’t have the power to arrest them on private…

How the police muscled in on hate crime Sonia Sodha The Observer A man gets a call from a police officer. He hasn’t broken the law, the officer tells him, but his offensive comments have been logged as a non-crime hate incident and may show up on criminal record checks. East Germany under Soviet rule? No, says Sonia Sodha: the man was Harry Miller, chair of Laurence Fox’s Reclaim Party, who had posted a few crude tweets on the issue of gender identity, and the incident occurred here in Britain, in 2019. In a landmark judgment before Christmas, the court of appeal not only upheld Miller’s freedom to express his views, but condemned the whole idea that any view causing offence should be recorded as a hate incident. This has…

ISRAEL The wildlife sacrificed to tourism Haaretz (Tel Aviv) A “terrible disaster” has struck at one of the world’s most popular bird-watching sites, says Moshe Gilad. Some 40,000 wild cranes descend on the Hula Nature Reserve in Israel every year, attracting 500,000 visitors annually. But now an outbreak of avian flu – thought to have spread from poultry farms nearby – is causing devastation there: 5,000 cranes have died, their once “noble” bodies lying lifeless in the water; thousands more could yet perish. But this was not “a natural disaster” – it was entirely man-made. The tourist industry, which has grown since the wetlands were restored in the 1990s, has boosted the local economy and, to ensure a reliable spectacle for bird-watchers, seven tonnes of peanuts and corn are fed…

A Nasa spacecraft has officially “touched” the Sun, and got to within about eight miles of its core. The Parker Solar Probe, which launched in 2018, plunged through the Sun’s upper atmosphere – the corona – in April 2021, but the data was only confirmed last month. In so doing, it crossed what’s known as the Alfvén critical surface, the outer edge of the corona where solar material, usually bound to the Sun by gravity and magnetic forces, breaks free to beam out across space. “Just as landing on the Moon allowed scientists to understand how it was formed, touching the Sun is a gigantic stride for humanity,” said Dr Nicola Fox, the director of Nasa’s heliophysics division. Travelling at speeds of up to 62 miles per second, the probe…

Keir Starmer could be forgiven for cracking open a couple of bottles of champagne this new year, said Anne McElvoy in The Guardian. Labour can finally celebrate its first consistent poll lead over the Conservatives: “a seven-point advantage” which takes the party into territory where it might just win a general election. Starmer deserves this break: he “held his nerve” during a “gruelling house clean” after the divisive Corbyn era. Now “Team Keir” has been revived by his November reshuffle, and is taking Labour towards the centre ground, with Rachel Reeves as an “assiduous shadow chancellor”; Lisa Nandy on the “levelling-up” brief, fighting to win back “red wall” seats; and the Blair-era minister Yvette Cooper as shadow home secretary. Nevertheless, it’s clear that the public has yet to fall in…

Strange to think that as recently as last February, “England’s Test team were loving life”, said Elgan Alderman in The Times. They’d just won a series against Sri Lanka, were crushing India by 227 runs in Chennai, and the year before had been victorious against South Africa, Pakistan and the West Indies. How very far off those happy times now feel, said Mike Atherton in the same paper. After performing poorly over the summer – losing first to New Zealand, then to India – Joe Root’s side are currently engaged in the most “gruesome Ashes series” in recent memory. The three Tests completed so far have all been utterly one-sided: no England batsman has scored a century; no bowler has claimed a five-wickethaul. With the fourth Test in Sydney now…

Tennis Great Britain opened their ATP Cup campaign with a 2-1 victory over Germany. Dan Evans beat Jan-Lennard Struff 6-1, 6-2 in the singles, then paired with Jamie Murray to beat Alexander Zverev and Kevin Krawietz in the doubles. Football Wolves beat Manchester United 1-0 to move to eighth in the Premier League. Brentford beat Aston Villa 2-1. Rugby union Leicester Tigers kept their place at the top of the Premiership with a 31-0 win over Newcastle Falcons. Second-place Saracens beat Northampton Saints 30-6.…

In the opening scene of Matthew Bourne’s reinterpretation of The Nutcracker, the 20-strong cast wander onto the stage and gaze wide-eyed at the audience, said Sarah Crompton in The Observer. Their “anticipation and wonder” reflect the magic of this “blissful” show. Originally staged in 1992, it has been revived for the first time in ten years – and in this incarnation, which tours the country until late April, it seems “more clever and shiny than ever”. Bourne’s choreography combines ballet with elements of folk, social and contemporary dance – and it mines Tchaikovsky’s score with an “understanding of its expansiveness”, but also a feeling for the melancholic longing that underlies its great melodies. For this “enchanting” revival, Bourne has substantially reworked the piece, said Debra Craine in The Times. The…

It’s odd that no one has adapted the “notorious” case of Argyll v Argyll for television before now, said Lucy Mangan in The Observer. The vicious divorce between the Duke and Duchess of Argyll gripped 1960s Britain – and no wonder, given that it involved multiple accusations of infidelity, one of them supported by a photo of the duchess fellating a man whose face was unseen, and who was not her husband. “The duke had various measurements taken so this could be proved in court. The duchess was identified by her pearl necklace. No, really.” The BBC’s “lean, mean” new drama A Very British Scandal does justice to the “Headless Man affair”, as it became known. Claire Foy is “mesmerising” as the “Dirty Duchess”, said Carol Midgley in The Times…

Manteca 49-51 Curtain Road, London EC2 (mantecarestaurant.co.uk) This “Italian-accented nose-to-tail” restaurant has got around, says Jimi Famurewa in the London Evening Standard. It made its debut in 2019 as a pop-up at 10 Heddon Street; then it briefly occupied a site in Soho; now it has found a permanent home – on the site of a former Pizza Express in Shoreditch. A collaboration between Smokestak founder David Carter and ex-Petersham Nurseries chef Chris Leach, it specialises in gutsy, forcefully flavoured food that artfully mixes tradition and modernity. On the menu you’ll find home-cured meats, superb fresh pastas (such as “toothsome” fazzoletti in a rich “wine-spiked duck ragu”), and “smaller, trickier-to-classify plates” – pig-skin ragu crowned with a “baseball mitt of bubbled crackling”; or kale salad with a “chilli-flecked sesame dressing”. Every…

Depop is the perfect fashion marketplace, with more than 21 million users buying and selling a range of second-hand clothes. Users can follow their favourite accounts and sellers can add hashtags to gain more visibility. Listing is free and the site takes 10% of each item sold (depop.com). Facebook Marketplace is great for selling larger items, such as furniture, which are difficult to post. Buyers can filter by location, price and category, and then contact you over Messenger directly to arrange pickup (facebook.com/marketplace). musicMagpie is the UK’s No.1 mobile recycling service, which buys and sells all kinds of electronics. Key in details and it will give you a price; then box it up and send it for free. You’ll be paid when they receive the items (musicmagpie.co.uk). If you’re not…

MARIAFIX MSFNURSE, AFGHANISTAN “At the moment, we are the only major hospital in the region that is functioning. There are around 1.5 million people living in Helmand province and the health system across the region has essentially collapsed. Our hospital is super-congested and we’re incredibly busy. We have 300 beds, but at times recently we’ve had between 330 and 350 patients. That means a lot of juggling and making do, with children sharing beds. It’s not ideal, but otherwise we wouldn’t be able to treat all the patients coming to us. Our paediatric department is overwhelmed. We’re treating a lot of malnourished children and their number is increasing. Even before the change of government, around half of the population relied for food support on aid organisations, but now a lot…

Apple was briefly valued at more than $3trn on Monday – “the first company in the world to hit that milestone”, said Ben Wright in The Daily Telegraph. Turbo-charged by the pandemic, the iPhone-maker has “tripled in value in just over three years” – adding “half a trillion dollars since the middle of November”, and reclaiming the crown of World’s Biggest from its resurgent rival Microsoft ($2.5trn). Strange to recall some “questioned the choice of Tim Cook” when he took over from Steve Jobs a decade ago. Cook’s record “is nothing short of astonishing”, said analyst Ben Wood of CCS Insight in the FT. “He has made the iPhone franchise the most lucrative item of consumer electronics in history.” Credit to the Apple boss’s “behind the-scenes ability” to “manage supply…

Ape Amateur investor in meme stocks (aka “Degenerate”), uniting with others using the slogan “Apes Together Strong”. At pace Gaining ground among bosses for whom “quickly” isn’t fast enough. AVI Asynchronous video interviews, where applicants stare nervously into laptop cameras to answer pre-recorded questions “watched” by algos. BNPL Buy now, pay later. Booming form of credit. BYOD Bring your own device (to work). Cost savings and productivity gains can be outweighed by cyber risks. Cheugy Unfashionable. Used by Gen Z to mock millennial notions of cool. Decoy effect Presenting prospective customers with an unappealing option, to nudge them into the desired choice. DeFi Decentralised finance. Alternative word for block chain technology. Finfluencer Self-proclaimed expert giving financial advice on social media. Fomo-sapiens Human prone to fear of missing out. Meat computer…

Shares for the year ahead ABB The Times This innovative Swiss engineering and tech company, with strong automation and robotics businesses, recently launched the world’s fastest electric-vehicle charger. Traded in Zurich, Stockholm and New York, it’s a cash flow champion. Buy. $38.22 easyJet iNews Shares in the pandemic whacked airline haven’t been as cheap since 2012, making it a strong “risk-reward” play. Demand for sunny breaks is unlikely to wane, and a bid from a rival wouldn’t be surprising. Buy. 553.33p. Focusrite The Times Focusrite has become the “go-to” tech provider for making music – its £200 entry-level “recording studio in a box” package has a loyal customer base: from vloggers to professional musicians. Cash-generative, with momentum. Buy. £14.45. Genus Investors’ Chronicle Genus’s dominance of the global bovine and porcine…

THE WEEK CROSSWORD 1293 An Ettinger travel pass case and two Connell Guides will be given to the sender of the first correct solution to the crossword and the clue of the week opened on Monday 17 January. Email the answers as a scan of a completed grid or a list, with the subject line The Week crossword 1293, to crossword@theweek.co.uk. Tim Moorey (timmoorey.com) This week’s winner will receive an Ettinger (ettinger.co.uk) travel pass case (assorted colours), which retails at £105, and two Connell Guides (connellguides.com). ACROSS 1 Party hack’s assistant (8) 5 Country with rampant rabies? (6) 9 Fellow resident is not able to embrace dodgy note (8) 10 Writer Jack rings about vessel (6) 12 A test cut short in entrance halls (5) 13 I rage about sharp…