Innholdsfortegnelse for V. 1143 i The Week

What happened Boris breaks cover Theresa May was set to use a landmark speech in Florence on Friday to lay out her Brexit vision and try to jump-start the stalled negotiations. But days before the address, Boris Johnson challenged her authority by offering his own bullish view of Britain’s post-Brexit future. The Foreign Secretary outlined his position in a 4,000-word article in The Daily Telegraph, in which he reaffirmed his insistence that the UK must not pay for access to the single market beyond the transition period, and repeated the controversial claim that leaving the EU would let the UK take back control of £350m a week. The latter claim enraged some of his colleagues and drew a rebuke from David Norgrove, the head of the UK Statistics Authority. Amber…

We awkward Brits will be much missed Nigel Gardner The Guardian Britain was a thorn in Europe’s side long before we voted to leave the union, says Nigel Gardner. At several EU summits, Margaret Thatcher demanded “her” money back from Brussels; John Major insisted on an opt-out from the 48-hour limit on the working week; David Cameron often had run-ins with fellow European leaders. But if the likes of Jean-Claude Juncker think that with Britain gone, harmony will finally inform the way Europe does business, they’re wrong. Other EU nations have been able to avoid clashes only because they knew Britain would dig its heels in. “Hiding behind the awkward Brits has been the oldest trick in Brussels.” When it was proposed that restaurants should no longer be able to…

HRT is safe after all Taking hormone replacement therapy to combat the symptoms of menopause does not raise a woman’s risk of early death, a major new study has found. In the early 2000s, researchers found an association between taking HRT for five to seven years and a raised risk of cancer and stroke. Over the next few years, the number of women opting for it fell dramatically. But the new follow-up study, involving most of the same 27,000 patients, has found no difference in mortality between the women who had HRT and those who had taken a placebo. Researchers from Harvard University tracked the women for around ten years after they’d stopped taking the drugs, and found that the hormone treatment was not associated with additional risk of death…

Vince Cable: can he revive his party? “The biggest puzzle in British politics is why the Liberal Democrats are so feeble,” said Bagehot in The Economist. Nearly half of Britons voted to remain in the European Union. “Millions of people think that Theresa May is a discredited mediocrity and Jeremy Corbyn is a dangerous fantasist.” Yet the only national party that campaigned to keep Britain in the EU, and that stands in the “open and tolerant” centre, won less than 8% of the vote at the last election. Sadly for the Lib Dems, their “biggest opportunity in decades” coincided with the party’s “implosion” as a result of the end of the coalition: signing up to austerity and higher university fees had left their core supporters feeling betrayed. And there was…

Football: can Hodgson save Crystal Palace? Since the Football League was founded in 1888, 2,475 teams have started a season in England’s top flight, said Oliver Holt in The Mail on Sunday. But not one of them has started as badly as Crystal Palace have this season. Not only have they lost their first five matches, but they have failed to score a single goal. Their most recent defeat – Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Southampton – came just four days after former England coach Roy Hodgson was appointed manager, putting an abrupt end to his “honeymoon period”. At 70, he is the oldest manager ever to take charge at a Premier League club – and he will hope he lasts longer than his predecessor, Frank de Boer, who was sacked…

To The Guardian The Guardian’s headline concerning Mr Rees-Mogg’s comments on food banks was misleading. It quoted his use of the word “uplifting” in the context of the increased use of food banks, when in fact he was referring to the actions of the food bank volunteers. His latter assertion that the state may not always be able to help people make ends meet is a controversial opinion, though a perfectly valid one. However, to describe charitable work as uplifting is not to praise the cause, just as one would not be applauding the earthquake were one to praise the human response. Jake Kirner, Epping, Essex To The Guardian I volunteer in my local Trussell Trust food bank and, like Jacob Rees-Mogg, I am a practising Roman Catholic. However, unlike…

Mother! ★★★ Is it a masterpiece or a crashing bore? Dir: Darren Aronofsky 2hrs 1min (18) The curiously titled Mother! isn’t easy to categorise, said Robbie Collin in The Daily Telegraph. The latest offering from Darren Aronofsky, director of the luridly disturbing Black Swan, is at once “a grotesque, Goya-channelling creation myth mash-up, a parable of artistic obsession, and a psychological horror set inside an introvert’s worst nightmare”. When I saw it, the audience seemed split down the middle as to whether it was a bloody masterpiece or a crashing bore. Personally, I was in the former camp. “A sick joke, an urgent warning and a scream from the abyss, Mother! earns its exclamation mark three times over.” The film stars Jennifer Lawrence (who also happens to be Aronofsky’s girlfriend)…

When it comes to matching foods and wines, it can sometimes pay to think globally, says David Williams in The Observer. Kabinett rieslings, for example – from Germany’s Mosel Valley – “go so well with sushi, it’s almost as if they were born to do the job”. Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt Goldtröpfchen Riesling Kabinett, Mosel, Germany 2014 (£10.99; Co-op) is a “delightful” example that tastes of lime and peach and flowers and “fairly dances across the tongue”. Modern Australian cuisine is a “flaming wok of influences filled with the spices and herbs of Vietnam, India and China”. Marsc Wine Co Barossa Frontignac, Australia 2016 (£10.99; Virgin Wines) is a graceful, floral, off-dry white that makes a perfect match for delicately scented Vietnamese rice rolls. Lastly, Domaine Les Yeuses Epices Syrah, PGI…

“He loved the ‘strange alchemy’ of an ensemble: ‘making everyone better than any of them knew they had it in them to be’” Sir Peter Hall 1930-2017 Some 25 years ago, as Peter Hall was turning 60, he was asked if he had any special concerns about the future. He said that he was feeling happy and fulfilled – but there was a blot on the landscape. What was that, asked his interviewer, The Times’s Benedict Nightingale. “Death,” Hall replied. He could not stand to think of the work he loved coming to an end. With a delight in the theatre that was almost childlike, all he wanted to do was to keep rehearsing plays and operas. “People say the theatre’s so old-fashioned, so clumsy,” he continued. “I say, give…

Prepare for an overdue correction Matthew Lynn The Daily Telegraph With share prices hitting all-time highs, this exceptionally long bull market continues to look “unstoppable”, said Matthew Lynn in The Daily Telegraph. Yet many investors are “quite rightly worrying about where the next crash is coming from, and whether it will hurt as much as 2008”. Most bull markets see regular corrections – “sudden plunges and panics, with the markets dropping 5% to 10% in a few days as bad news triggers selling”. This one has been “unnaturally calm” for two years. There are “valid reasons” for that: equity markets have been propped up by near-zero interest rates, and money printing; and the rise of “automated and passive funds” has probably improved stability (a FTSE 100 tracker doesn’t “panic sell”).…

Controversy of the week Juncker’s vision “For those who supported Brexit, Jean-Claude Juncker is truly the gift that goes on giving,” said the Daily Mail. Every word uttered by the European Commission president “underlines the wisdom of voters’ decision to pull out”. Last week, in his annual State of the Union address to the European Parliament, “the cognac-loving former prime minister of Luxembourg was at his arrogant, blinkered worst as he outlined his vision for expanding the Brussels empire”. Juncker revealed that he wants all EU members to join the euro, the banking union and the passport-free Schengen Area. He also wants a common defence policy for the EU. “To cap it all off”, he called for the whole show to be run by one all-powerful president, combining his own…

A hairy run-in with Trump Nick Nolte is a veteran of the comeback, says John Hiscock in The Daily Telegraph. The grizzled actor has made 80 films, despite a long history of drink, drugs and hell-raising. (In 2002, he was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and the “date rape” drug GHB. He reportedly told police: “I’ve been taking it for four years and I’ve never been raped.”) But now, at 76, he is sober and enjoying critical acclaim as the star of the US TV series Graves. Nolte plays a retired president looking back regretfully at his controversial time in office – a role given extra spice by the current real-life dramas at the White House. Nolte actually met Donald Trump once, while strolling around a New…

A family who called the RSPCA to report that they had seen an alarming-looking lizard under a bed at their house in Coventry were “mortified” when an officer came around – and pulled out a dirty sock. The officer said that she’d approached the creature “with caution”, as she didn’t recognise the breed, but when she got out her torch, she soon realised that the 7in-long “lizard” was a pink stripy sock. It “had obviously been there quite a while,” said a spokesman for the charity. “It was a typical teenager’s bedroom, I suppose.” A floral tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales, erected by a well in Chesterfield town centre, has been ridiculed on Facebook. “Our shops our [sic] closing, our Market stalls are empty... our football team is crap…

GERMANY Italy’s curse has crossed the Alps Der Spiegel (Hamburg) Mafiosi are spreading across Germany, says Martin Knobbe. We first realised that Italian organised-crime families were here a decade ago, when six people were shot dead outside a pasta joint in the western city of Duisburg. Since then, the number of confirmed Mafia figures living in Germany has more than quadrupled, to 562: and those are just the ones known to the authorities. About 20% of the mobsters belong to the Sicilian Cosa Nostra; some 60% are with the Calabria-based ’Ndrangheta. German officials have kept quiet about this alarming rise in organised crime: it was only revealed to the public last month because the Green Party demanded statistics from the federal government. These Mafiosi pose a huge threat. An estimated…

The discovery of a set of what look like ancient hominin footprints on the island of Crete could throw our understanding of human evolution into disarray. Received wisdom is that after splitting from the chimp lineage, our hominin ancestors were confined to Africa until around 1.5 million years ago. The prints found in Crete, however, belonged to a creature that appears to have lived 5.7 million years ago – suggesting a more complex story. More research is needed to confirm what kind of animal made them. However, the prints seem to have been made by a creature that walked upright, on the soles of clawless feet (rather than on its toes), with a big toe positioned like our own, rather than sticking out sideways like an ape’s. It may yet…

The late Sir Peter Hall had many run-ins with Margaret Thatcher – one of them in his own theatre. When the young Simon Callow was starring as a foul-mouthed Mozart in Peter Shaffer’s play Amadeus, the then PM came to a performance. Afterwards, she buttonholed the director backstage. “I think it is disgraceful that the National Theatre shows Mozart uttering such obscenities,” she said. “But Prime Minister,” he replied, “it is actual fact that he did talk like that... his own letters confirm it.” The Iron Lady, however, had the final word. “Mr Hall, I don’t think you heard what I said. It could not be!” The apparent anti-Semitism of Roald Dahl is well documented – and his books had to be edited to take out offensive ethnic stereotypes. Yet…

There was a time when rugby matches between New Zealand and South Africa were “close” contests, said Charlie Morgan in The Sunday Telegraph. Those days are over. On Saturday, the All Blacks beat the Springboks 57-0 – a record margin of victory over them. They were “utterly dominant, comprehensively outmanoeuvring their opponents”. Remarkably, it was the second successive match in which they registered 57 points against South Africa: such is the “chasm between these nations”. It was a joy to watch, said Stuart Barnes in The Times. But it was also “deeply worrying” for the international game. The Springboks were very far from fielding the best team they could. And that’s because several of their players were missing, as they were playing club rugby in other countries – the outstanding…

What the experts recommend Sugar Boat 30 Colquhoun Square, Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute (01436-647522) “What a lovely place Sugar Boat is,” says Michael Deacon in The Daily Telegraph. This “pretty” new bistro, bar and wine shop is “small and unassuming”, but it serves “very good food, at a very reasonable price”. The chef behind it is Will Smith, who won Michelin stars in London for the likes of Arbutus and Wild Honey, and has now decamped with his Scottish wife for the “fresh sea air” of Helensburgh (where the pair first met two decades ago). Starters of white crabmeat with chilled tomato gazpacho and burrata with red cabbage and beetroot chutney are “bright, light and zippily refreshing”. Main of bouillabaisse is “excellent” – with “velvet-smooth cod and hulking, bulky…

New cars: what the critics say Autocar Jaguar’s decision to produce an F-Type with a four-cylinder engine has been greeted with derision in certain quarters. Other models of the sports car come with a six-cylinder V6 or eight-cylinder V8; indeed, this is the carmaker’s first four-cylinder since 2008. But even with the smaller engine, this is a fast, powerful car that can go from 0-62mph in just 5.7 seconds. The Daily Telegraph The car looks just as good – and as startling – as it did when it was launched in 2013. Inside, too, it’s “nicely designed”, with soft materials and “expensive-feeling” controls. The cabin is cramped but still comfortable, with supportive seats and a “comprehensive” information panel. The boot is fairly compact: there’s just about room for two overnight…

Bombardier/Boeing: nest of hornets Theresa May flew to Canada this week – straight into the “hornets’ nest” of a bitter dispute between two aircraft-makers, said the Financial Times. May has joined forces with the Canadian PM, Justin Trudeau, to protest a competition case brought by the US giant Boeing against its Canadian rival Bombardier. In a nutshell, Boeing wants the US government to impose tariffs against Bombardier’s C Series jets, which it claims are sold at “absurdly” low prices because the firm receives “unfair” state support. Canada has been lobbying the US to ignore Boeing – and has threatened to block all future Boeing deals (including lucrative contracts to supply Super Hornet fighting jets) unless it drops its challenge. Why, you might wonder, is this row “reverberating across the Atlantic”,…

The week’s best buys Associated British Foods The Times ABF is a “hotchpotch” of food-makers, agricultural interests and Primark, which has had a “stunning” second half. The fashion retailer has 320 stores in 11 countries, and is expanding globally as sales rise 4%. Buy. £31.58. BHP Billiton The Daily Telegraph The world’s largest miner has good assets in politically stable parts of the world. It has cut debt and generates plenty of cash. Trades at a 16% discount due to its dual listing in London and Sydney. Yields 4.6%. Buy. £14.38. Galliford Try The Times The housebuilder is less exposed to central London than peers and is buying land with “acceptable margins”. There’s still a “chronic under supply” of new homes, and construction is back in health. Yields above 7%.…

Berlin Far-right breakthrough? Angela Merkel is on course for a fourth term as chancellor when Germans go to the polls on Sunday. With the key result in little doubt, the focus of recent attention has been on how well the openly xenophobic Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) will perform. The latest opinion polls have suggested it could emerge in third place, with up to 12% of the vote and as many as 89 MPs. That would mean that, in the event of another “grand coalition” between Merkel’s CDU and the Social Democrats, the AfD could lead the official opposition in parliament. Earlier this month, one of the AfD’s co-founders, Alexander Gauland, 76, broke a long-standing taboo by calling for Germans to “reclaim their past”, and take pride in the military achievements…

Trump’s volte-face enrages his fans Jonah Goldberg National Review “At this point, who DOESN’T want Trump impeached?” Thus read a tweet last week by Ann Coulter, the conservative firebrand and author of last year’s paean to the 45th president, In Trump We Trust: E Pluribus Awesome! Her furious reaction is understandable, says Jonah Goldberg. She backed Trump primarily because she thought he would lead a crackdown on immigration. So you can imagine how she felt last week, when it was reported that Trump had struck a deal with the Democrats to maintain President Obama’s de facto amnesty for the “Dreamers”, the children brought to America by illegal immigrants. Trump had earlier announced the scrapping of this programme, but he now says he wants it made permanent. A large majority of…

Robots are going to work in Japanese nurseries, to make up for a shortage of human childcare assistants. Developed by a start-up company, in conjunction with academics at Gunma University, Maebashi, Vevo has a bear-like head and humanoid body, and stands about the same height as a toddler. Fitted with a range of sensors, it can be programmed to recognise and greet children by name. It can also monitor their body temperatures and heart rate, and raise an alert if it detects any abnormalities. Trials of the £28,000 robots are about to begin at a nursery in Tokyo.…

“I had a wonderful childhood, which is tough, because it’s hard to adjust to a miserable adulthood.” Larry David, quoted in The Observer “Every fear hides a wish.” David Mamet, quoted on The Browser “To live is so startling it leaves time for little else.” Emily Dickinson, quoted on Forbes.com “The rewards for being sane may not be very many, but knowing what’s funny is one of them.” Kingsley Amis, quoted in the London Evening Standard “Malt does more than Milton can/ To justify God’s ways to man.” A.E. Housman, quoted in The Times “It is not power that corrupts, but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it, and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it.” Aung…

Wearing the veil To The Sunday Times The wearing of scarves and veils became associated with Islam in some Middle Eastern countries, but it is no more a part of the religion than female genital mutilation or “honour” killings. The practice, which predates Islam by hundreds of years, has been exported by puritan clerics worldwide. By according it the status of a religious symbol, we in effect prohibit examination of the issue, for fear of causing offence. The cultural belief is that if a woman’s physical presence inflames the sexual desire of a man outside the home and he behaves inappropriately, the responsibility rests with the “immodest” woman, rather than the perpetrator of the abuse. Neither young women nor young men should be brought up believing that the only…

Musical Five Guys Named Moe Music by: Louis Jordan Written and directed by: Clarke Peters Marble Arch Theatre, Marble Arch, London W1 (0333-344 4167) Until 17 February Running time: 2hrs (including interval) ★★★★ Back in the 1990s, this jumping, fizzing, quintessentially feel-good jukebox musical – which showcases the songs of the jazz and R&B pioneer Louis Jordan – took the West End and then Broadway by storm, said Tim Auld in The Daily Telegraph. Now it’s back in a lavish new production directed by the show’s creator Clarke Peters (of The Wire fame) in a specially built tented theatre. The classy venue has been pimped out with Southern-style wrought-iron columns and a bar where you can sip a mint julep or bourbon sour, said Sam Marlowe in The Stage –…

Best books… Andy Hamilton Andy Hamilton, the scriptwriter behind Drop the Dead Donkey and Outnumbered and a regular on Have I Got News for You, picks his favourite books. His debut novel, The Star Witness, is published by Unbound at £7.99 Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, 1961 (Vintage £9.99). The story of a sane man’s attempt to escape an insane world. I read this in my teens and I remember the excitement of realising that a story could be dark, funny and moving all at the same time. The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard, 1922 (Vintage £11.99). A gripping account of two polar expeditions that went disastrously wrong, one with fatal results. During the first expedition, to collect the eggs of Emperor penguins, the characters display the stoicism,…

These meaty parcels from western Georgia are full of flavour and deliciously juicy, says Tiko Tuskadze. I recommend wrapping the meat in caul fat, which helps to give them shape and creates a deliciously crisp outer coating. Spiced pork and beef meatballs Serves 4–6 500g minced (ground) pork 500g minced (ground) beef 3 onions, finely chopped 5 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tsp chilli powder 1 tsp ground coriander 2 tsps dried summer savory 1 tsp ground blue fenugreek (optional) 1 tbsp sumac (optional) 500g caul fat 2 tbsps vegetable or sunflower oil sliced raw red onion and pomegranate seeds, to garnish • If you have a meat mincer, pass the pork, beef and onions through together to fully combine. If not, place the onions in a food processor and briefly…