Innholdsfortegnelse for V. 1196 i The Week

What happened May’s post-Brexit vision Britain’s “best days lie ahead”, Theresa May declared this week as she sought to rally the party faithful in Birmingham and show that the Tories have an agenda beyond Brexit. The Prime Minister, who danced on to the stage to the strains of Abba’s Dancing Queen, unveiled several new initiatives. They include plans to charge foreign buyers a stamp duty surcharge, with the proceeds used to help the homeless; to ban restaurants from taking a cut of staff tips; and to curb the number of low-skilled workers entering Britain under a new immigration system that no longer offers preferential access to EU workers. Despite efforts to put on a display of unity, Brexit inevitably overshadowed the conference, causing fresh ructions. In his hotly anticipated speech,…

David Beckham, who managed to wriggle out of a speeding conviction on a technicality. The ex-footballer admitted driving a £200,000 Bentley at 59mph in a 40mph zone on the A40 in London, but his lawyer Nick Freeman, aka “Mr Loophole”, got him off the charge by proving that the notice of prosecution had not been received within the statutory 14 days. Amazon employees, with the retail giant raising its minimum wage. Permanent and temporary staff in the UK will now get at least £10.50 an hour in London (up from £8.20), and £9.50 elsewhere (see page 54). The national minimum wage is £7.83. Paul McCartney, who has launched a secondary career as a children’s writer. The rock star has penned Hey Grandude!, an illustrated book about a “magical grandpa” who…

The number of rape suspects charged by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has fallen by 23.1% over the past year, despite an increase in the number of allegations being reported to police. The fall has been linked to a marked drop in the number of cases being referred to the CPS by police, allegedly as a result of advice from prosecutors. This has led to accusations that prosecutors are rejecting cases they are not certain of winning. The number of rape allegations made to police in England and Wales has almost doubled over the past five years to 41,000 annually.…

Las Vegas, Nevada Ronaldo accused of rape: Police in Las Vegas have reopened their investigation into allegations that the Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo raped a woman in a hotel room there in 2009. Kathryn Mayorga, now 34, says that she met the Juventus player in a nightclub, and that he invited her and some other people up to his room to “enjoy the view”, and then into the hot tub. Allegedly, he barged in while she was changing in a bathroom, asked her to perform a sex act on him, and when she refused, raped her as she screamed at him to stop. She went to the police the next day and had a medical examination, but later accepted a $375,000 settlement from him, in exchange for her silence. She…

1 Proud by Heather Small and Peter-John Vettese, performed by Heather Small 2 Suspicious Minds by Mark James, performed by Elvis Presley 3 Dry Your Eyes by The Streets, performed by The Streets 4 Top of the World by Richard Carpenter and John Bettis, performed by Carpenters 5 Peaceful Easy Feeling by Jack Tempchin, performed by Eagles 6* How Long Will I Love You by Mike Scott, performed by Ellie Goulding 7 Angel by Chip Taylor and Steve Miller, performed by Shaggy and Rayvon 8 Levels by Tim Bergling, Arash Pournouri, Leroy Kirkland, Pearl Woods and Etta James, performed by Avicii Book: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling Luxury: an oven * Choice if allowed only one record…

The son of a migrant Scottish farmhand, James Cook had little formal education. He was apprenticed to a Quaker shipowner in Whitby at the age of 18, and learnt his trade on the coal barks, working dangerous and ill-marked North Sea waters – excellent training for his later career. Cook then joined the Royal Navy; his charting of the rocky St Lawrence River contributed to General Wolfe’s successful assault on Quebec in 1759. He later surveyed the coasts of Newfoundland. As a captain, Cook was famous for his calm and humane professionalism. His record for health and survival among crew was exceptional: he enforced high standards of cleanliness, and experimented with sauerkraut and citrus fruits to stave off scurvy. Cook’s second voyage of exploration took him back to the South…

America’s dirty war in Yemen Conor Friedersdorf The Atlantic “Unlawful. Unpopular. Inhumane.” That, says Conor Friedersdorf, is the only way to describe US participation in Saudi Arabia’s brutal war in Yemen. Most Americans are unaware of this, but in a programme begun by President Obama and ratcheted up by President Trump, the US is supplying weapons and military personnel to support the Saudis’ bombing and blockading of Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. The UN says the Saudis’ campaign has killed more than 16,000 civilians and put more than eight million at the risk of starvation. US weapons were used in the Saudi air strike on a Yemeni funeral hall in 2016 that killed 155, and the hit on a school bus in August that killed 40 children – making the US “complicit…

Mosquitoes are a plague, responsible for some 450,000 malaria deaths a year worldwide. Billions are spent trying to limit the damage they do, but what if instead the insects could simply be wiped out? In theory, that is now possible: scientists at Imperial College London reported last week that they had succeeded in destroying a population of trapped mosquitoes by using “gene drive” technology to spread a genetic alteration that results in females who receive two copies of the gene being born infertile. The idea was that over time, as the alteration was passed down, the females would die out, and the population would collapse – and in the trial, that is what happened. The team used CRISPR technology to alter the DNA of 150 male mosquitoes, which were then…

At first glance, last week’s referendum result in the tiny Republic of Macedonia might appear a “matter of purely local interest”. It isn’t, said Simon Tisdall in The Guardian. The voters had been asked to endorse a name change for their country, and their failure to do so in sufficient numbers represents a “significant victory” for Vladimir Putin and a serious setback for the West. And that’s because so much hinged on the name change, said The Economist. Ever since an independent Macedonia emerged in 1991, its appropriation of a name steeped in the history of ancient Greece and already taken by one of Greece’s provinces had enraged its neighbour to the south. But under a “historic compromise” agreed this summer, the Skopje government agreed to adopt a new name…

“Never stand between a dog and a lamp post.” Stanley Baldwin on politics, quoted in The Times “Tradition is tending the flame, not worshipping the ashes.” Gustav Mahler, quoted in The Daily Telegraph “It’s not a principle until it costs you money.” Advertising pioneer William Bernbach, quoted on Forbes.com “It’s a funny kind of month, October. For the really keen cricket fan, it’s when you discovered that your wife left you in May.” Denis Norden, quoted in The Times “The problem with living life to the full is that you’re not actually living life at all – you’re just careering from one thing to another, in the hope of finding meaning in it.” Bryony Gordon in The Daily Telegraph “Capitalism is the exploitation of man by…

Why has he done it, asked Austin Healey in The Daily Telegraph. Why, with less than a year until the World Cup kicks off, has England prop Joe Marler announced his retirement from international rugby? At 28, the Harlequins man likely has his best playing years ahead of him. And he’s missing a chance to help England to glory in Japan, and “giving up nearly £400,000 in match fees in the next few months”. But Marler says he’s had enough and wants to spend more time with his family. And you can see his problem. Add up all the international training camps and other matches, and England players will probably be away from home for six of the next 12 months. For a man devoted to his two young children,…

To The Times As Philip Collins more or less acknowledges, a new centre party is unlikely to emerge. What he is essentially advocating is a split in the Labour Party – the main pool of unhappy centrist MPs. Only a few Conservatives would be likely to join, and Conservative rule could continue against a split opposition. I question Collins’s assertion that “voters are grouped into loyal bands and their bonds to the main parties are deep” – Labour has many new supporters, often young and Europhile. It has lost quite a lot of its traditional base in disadvantaged areas of the country. The Conservatives have picked up some of these, but lack a really strong base of supporters. As Lord Heseltine has suggested, for many people, Brexit (or avoiding it)…

The Wife ★★★★ Glenn Close is magisterial in this study of thwarted creativity Dir: Björn Runge 1hr 40mins (15) No living actor has been more often nominated for an Oscar without winning than Glenn Close, said Tim Robey in The Daily Telegraph. And that lends a curious resonance to her role in this adaptation of The Wife, Meg Wolitzer’s 2003 novel, in which she plays a woman overshadowed at an awards ceremony. The ceremony in this case is that for the Nobel Prize in Literature, which has been won by her spouse (Jonathan Pryce). The character played by Close, Joan Castleman, was once a promising writer, but she has suppressed her ambitions to support the career of her preening novelist husband, Joe. At first, Close seems thrilled for him. But…

It is “bright” and “bold” and it celebrates the Queen’s reign, said Valentine Low in The Times. Last week, a new stained-glass window designed by David Hockney was unveiled at Westminster Abbey. The window, which is 8.5 metres high and 3.5 metres wide, and situated in the abbey’s north transept, shows a red country path passing through blooming hawthorn in the Yorkshire Wolds. Hockney designed it on an iPad, which he said was the natural tool to use because, like a window, it is backlit. The window was then made by a team of ten people at Barley Studio in York. The artist described it as “a rather celebratory thing”: he had chosen the time in May when the hawthorn looks as if champagne has been “poured all over the…

Harrison and Jolene plan a family dinner to look at the wedding albums in a bid to get Fallon and Kenton talking. The dinner is a disaster. Kenton overreacts when Fallon praises the DJ who replaced Freddie at the wedding, and then walks out. Fallon says she’s done with Kenton. Elizabeth urges Freddie to tell the truth about all his drug dealing and Ellis. She says if Ellis isn’t caught, someone else will overdose. Freddie agrees to change his statement. At Bridge Farm, they decide to replace the Angus with a dairy herd and pursue Tom’s agroforestry idea. Tom is awkward with Hannah, who says she’s happy to carry on as long as he is. She’ll be carrying on with Chad, too. Freddie’s thrilled when his mum sneaks him into…

Hammer & Pincers 5 East Road, Wymeswold, Loughborough, Leicestershire (01509-880735) Centuries ago, this superb gastropub served as the village forge, says Michael Deacon in The Daily Telegraph – and in terms of warmth, it has exactly the atmosphere you’d wish for from a rural English pub. It’s dimly lit, with low ceilings, wonky wooden beams and (a more recent addition, this) 41 different flavours of gin. You suspect the food is going to be special the moment you taste the excellent bread and “ecstatically soft” salted butter. And that promise is amply fulfilled by the ten-course tasting menu (six quid a course: “practically a bargain”). We especially loved “burstingly juicy sea trout” with tapioca seaweed crisp and “ferocious” wasabi emulsion; and “beautiful” pig’s cheek croquette with chorizo, celeriac and…

Tips of the week… cycling technique Sir Chris Hoy gives his best cycling tips ● Adjust the saddle so your leg is straight with the pedal at the bottom and the heel on it. Move the seat forwards or backwards so the kneecap is in line with the pedal axle. ● Drop your heel as soon as the pedal passes the top of its revolution, so you push forward, then down, and apply force earlier. ● On a climb, sit in the saddle and raise your upper body so you breathe deeply. ● On a descent, get your upper body low and tuck elbows in. If it’s bumpy, raise yourself off the seat slightly and reduce speed. ● Improve aerodynamics by wearing stretchy clothes, but never by dipping your head…

Wales beside the sea Located on the cliffs above Tenby’s sheltered North Beach, the lovely Fourcroft Hotel has 3 nights b&b with dinner from £235pp. 01834-842886, fourcrofthotel.co.uk. Arrive 7 November. German city break Enjoy a relaxed stay at the central Cologne Marriott Hotel, with 4 nights b&b from £582pp, Glasgow flights included. 01904-717362, superbreak.com. Depart 21 November. 5-star Cape Verde escape 7 nights at Hotel Riu Touareg, on Praia Lacacão beach, all-inclusive, from £1,128pp. Birmingham flights included. 0800-916 5100, holidayhypermarket.co.uk. Depart 14 November. Room-only in New Zealand 5 nights at the Copthorne Hotel and Resort Queenstown Lakefront, with excellent views, are from £1,430pp. London flights included. 020-7001 5243, travelbag.co.uk. Depart 30 November.…

A dream come true at 92 Rudie Lewis is a few decades older than the average flag-bearer at a football match. An AFC Bournemouth fan, the 92-year-old says carrying the standard onto the pitch earlier this year was one of the best days of his long life. The magic moment came about because the care home where he lives, St Ives House in Dorset, is owned and managed by Care South, a charity with close links to AFC Bournemouth. It runs several care homes and assisted living communities, which give residents “freedom and independence”, says chief executive Susan Willoughby, “but with the security and peace of mind that comes from having professional care and assistance on their doorsteps”. Both the Premier League and Care South are supported by Barclays, which…

In what it described as a “very important sauce-related announcement”, Heinz has bottled out of renaming its Salad Cream “Sandwich Cream”, said the London Evening Standard. The firm had argued the name didn’t “fairly represent” how people used the “iconic condiment”, which dates from 1914: only 14% of aficionados use it on salad. But a customer backlash prompted a rethink. As one pointed out: “A product name is not a direction of how you use it. You don’t call vinegar ‘shaky chip juice’.” Heinz thinks the debate was a good marketing move, sparking interest in the product. Not everyone agreed. Salad Cream, say its critics, “has been forgotten about for a reason”.…

Schroders reports that 56% of UK investors have upped their stake in ethical funds over the past five years, said Myron Jobson on This Is Money. Here Damien Lardoux, of boutique wealth manager EQ Investors, picks four favourites Hermes Impact Opportunities Fund Launched in 2017, Hermes targets companies developing new solutions to social and environmental issues. Given an ageing population, “health and well-being is a key theme”. Ongoing charges: 0.95%. Allianz Green Bond An opportunity to invest in “green bonds” used to finance projects in, for instance, energy efficiency, renewables and pollution protection. Ongoing charges: 0.45%. FP Wheb Sustainability This fund holds stocks focused on nine themes, such as resource efficiency, sustainable transport, education and healthcare. “We really like their commitment to measure the impact achieved by their investments.” Ongoing…

The week's best shares Babcock International The Daily Telegraph The engineering support services firm is valued lowly, with excellent revenue visibility, good cash generation and a strong balance sheet. It benefits from high barriers to entry and yields 4.3%. Buy. 722p. Boohoo Group Investors Chronicle Profits at the fast fashion "e-tailer" have "comfortably" beaten expectations, thanks to a stellar performance from PrettyLittleThing. Well placed to absorb the hefty discounting of Black Friday. Buy. 208.6p. City Pub Group Investors Chronicle The drinks-led pub group, which floated in November last year, is ahead of its target for doubling the size of the estate. Sales and profits are up, and it is well funded for expansion. Buy. 236p. DCC The Times Dublin-based DCC operates sales and marketing supply businesses in energy, technology, healthcare,…

“There was something different about the Labour Party conference this year,” said Mary Dejevsky in The Independent. And it wasn’t just the vast size of the gathering, or its “much-remarked on professionalism”. It was that the party and its leader seemed, if not entirely reconciled, “at least prepared to unite in the common purpose of winning an election”. In his speech, Jeremy Corbyn seemed relaxed and confident. The anticipated shouting matches about anti-Semitism and Brexit didn’t materialise. Most of all, though, there were policies from Corbyn and his shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, “that not only hung together”, but could have a wide appeal far outside their traditional left-wing Labour constituency. Oh yes, said the Daily Mail: “Santa Claus” Corbyn had something for everyone. To parents, he promised more cash for…

Facebook, after hackers stole the “entry keys” to at least 50 million Facebook accounts. There were fears that the hackers may be able to access, from those accounts, all the apps and sites that use Facebook passwords as their login. Thousands of firms, including Uber and Tinder, use the Facebook Connect service, but so far none appears to have been affected. Gardeners, with news that none of the traditional methods for keeping slugs and snails at bay actually work. Copper tape, egg shells, bark mulch and grit all made no difference in the RHS trial. Gardeners are advised instead to use traps, or just to remove slugs by hand. Slug pellets do work, but can harm other wildlife.…

Asked which party they most trust to lead negotiations with the EU, 29% of UK voters say the Tories and 21% say Labour. 55% agree with Theresa May’s statement that it is not in the national interest to hold a general election before we leave the EU; 25% disagree. Asked who of a list of 13 top Tories should be the party’s next leader, 45% said “none of the above”. Opinium/The Observer 26% of UK voters think replacing Theresa May would result in a better Brexit deal; 46% think it would not. YouGov/The Times 31% of Brits believe they will not be able to clear their debts during their lifetime. Among 18- to 24-year-olds, the figure is 50%. Equifax/The Independent…

Baghdad Women targeted: A well-known Iraqi model and fashion blogger was shot dead in Baghdad last week in a targeted, execution-style killing – the latest in a series of murders of high-profile Iraqi women in recent weeks. Tara Fares, 22, had more than 2.7 million followers on Instagram, where she posted pictures of herself in glamorous and risqué outfits. She was killed by a man on a motorbike who pulled up alongside her Porsche convertible and shot her three times; her fans believe her murder was the work of Islamic extremists determined to stop women expressing themselves. Her death came a few days after a female human rights activist, Suad al-Ali, was gunned down in Basra. In August, the female owners of two high-profile Baghdad beauty salons were found dead…

“My Gmail has updated itself, which is creepy in itself, though not nearly as creepy as the new feature dubbed ‘Smart Reply’, which offers automated responses to your emails. Beneath a message from my boss were three suggested replies: ‘Love it!’ ‘Haha that’s awesome!’ and ‘That’s a good one!’ When my mother wrote to ask if we were meeting up, the suggested responses were: ‘Let me get back to you on that!’ ‘Amazing!’ and ‘No way!’ Smart Reply is conclusive proof that not only does Google read our emails; now it has decided it can answer them better than we do. No need to read any sci-fi books about the dystopian future, because we’re already here.” Hadley Freeman in The Guardian…

Why we need to say thank you to Donald Ed Conway The Times Finally someone seems to have found a solution to the curse of corporate tax avoidance, says Ed Conway, and believe it or not, that someone is President Trump. When he overhauled America’s tax system last year, everyone focused on his tax breaks for the rich and cuts to the headline federal corporate tax rate. Less noticed but far more significant were the provisions aimed at coaxing multinationals to bring profits back to the US. For decades, America’s unfavourable tax rules have prompted these companies to park their money offshore, in low-tax countries such as Ireland and Luxembourg. But that’s rapidly becoming a thing of the past. Under the new tax rules, any US firm with a global…

Clearing up space junk More than 7,600 tonnes of man-made debris are believed to be orbiting the Earth, posing a threat to satellites and space stations. Now, a team from the Surrey Space Centre, at the University of Surrey, has, for the first time, successfully tested a device that could help clear space of this junk. The team sent a satellite into space, which, some 300km above Earth, released a shoebox-sized object. Seconds later, the satellite deployed a five-metre net to capture it. Now, the satellite, named Remove Debris (or Remdeb), will test other active debris removal technology: cameras and lasers to analyse and monitor debris; harpoons to “spear” space junk; and drag nets that will be used to tow the captured waste towards Earth, so that it burns up…

One of Michael Jackson’s unfulfilled ambitions was to play James Bond, according to the memoir of Hollywood agent Michael Ovitz. At the height of his fame, Jackson – buoyed up by his success as the Scarecrow in the film The Wiz – invited Ovitz and Ron Meyer, his business partner, to his house to tell them that he wanted to star in an action movie, and would be the perfect replacement for Roger Moore in the 007 franchise. As Ovitz and Meyer struggled to keep straight faces, Jackson’s signature black hat fell into a bowl of guacamole; they finally exploded into laughter when he put it back on his head and a blob of green goo slid slowly down the brim. Jackson walked out, but was pacified when Ovitz told…

Theresa May’s Chequers plan for Brexit has reached “a dead end”, said The Daily Telegraph. Not only are scores of Tory MPs opposed to it, but the EU has rejected it outright, as the PM’s “humiliation” in Salzburg last month made clear. Clearly, a “plan B” is needed. And the most promising proposal – which was backed by Boris Johnson last week – is for Britain to seek a free-trade deal similar to that recently negotiated with Canada. Unlike Chequers, the “Super-Canada” option would allow us to make our own laws and regulations, and to negotiate our own trade deals with the rest of the world. It would, it’s true, create huge problems for May over the Irish border, because she made a promise last December that, in the absence…

The United States were such heavy favourites before the 42nd Ryder Cup in Versailles last weekend “that one wondered whether Europe should bother turning up”, said Ewan Murray in The Guardian. Well, “what’s the French for volte-face”? Amid “incredible scenes” at Le Golf National, the home side romped to a magnificent 17.5-10.5 victory. Francesco Molinari was the “standout player”, the Italian becoming the first European in history to take a maximum five points; England’s Tommy Fleetwood, his playing partner, became the first European rookie to win his first four Ryder Cup matches. But as exceptional as “Moliwood” were, this was a true team effort, with every one of the players led by Thomas Bjørn winning at least a point. Even though the Americans hadn’t won in Europe since 1993, they…

Formula One Lewis Hamilton won the Russian Grand Prix, after Mercedes ordered his teammate, Valtteri Bottas, to let him overtake. The 33-year-old is now 50 points ahead in the title race. Football Chelsea drew 1-1 with Liverpool in the Premier League. Man City are top of the table, on goal difference. Germany will host Euro 2024. Rugby union Saracens and Exeter remain unbeaten in the Premiership, after wins over Bath and Worcester. Cycling Alejandro Valverde of Spain won the Road World Championships.…

Andrea Mantegna and Giovanni Bellini were, it’s generally agreed, “two giants of the Italian Renaissance”, said Alastair Sooke in The Daily Telegraph. It’s less well known that the pair were also related. Mantegna, who had risen from humble origins to become court artist of Mantua, married Bellini’s sister Nicolosia in 1453; the Bellinis were a well-established family of Venetian painters. The connection led to a fascinating “creative dialogue” between the two men. This new exhibition is the first to examine the relationship between two “fundamentally different” artists who, even so, exerted a strong influence over one another. Bringing together a number of masterpieces and a wealth of archival material, the show demonstrates how Bellini fell under Mantegna’s spell, creating many works that borrowed “ideas and motifs” from his brother-in-law, as…

The author, journalist and professor of American literature at the University of London will be talking about her latest book, Behold, America, at the Althorp Literary Festival, Northampton, on 7 October (spencerofalthorp.com) Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald, 1934 (Penguin £7.99). The attention paid to The Great Gatsby can sometimes eclipse this exquisitely written novel from Fitzgerald’s maturity. Taking him nine painful years to write, his final masterpiece is the great novel of expatriate American life. Pnin by Vladimir Nabokov, 1957 (Penguin £8.99). A deeply touching and hilarious account of a Russian exile’s attempts to adapt to life in America, while trying to preserve the memories, history and language of the country he lost. A book about the human need for belonging, and the salvation of running away.…

Programmes Snowfall The compelling drama about the gangsters fuelling a crack epidemic in 1980s LA returns for a second series. Created by Boyz n the Hood director John Singleton. Sat 6 Oct, BBC2 22:50 (45mins). The Mediterranean with Simon Reeve The fearless traveller embarks on a four-part trip around the Mediterranean, looking at its seedier sides – from organised crime in Malta to drug seizures in Italy. Sun 7 Oct, BBC2 20:00 (60mins). Last Chance Lawyer NYC Four-part series following maverick criminal defence attorney Howard Greenberg as he wages “war” on the US government from his office in Brooklyn. Sun 7 Oct, BBC2 21:00 (45mins). Return to TS Eliotland A.N. Wilson explores the life and work of the poet. Mon 8 Oct, BBC4 21:00 (60mins). A Dangerous Dynasty: House of…

Elizabeth David wrote that even a boiling fowl can be prepared Antibes-style, but I cannot agree, says Rowley Leigh. A really good chicken is required for such a simple dish. I think this is best served lukewarm with a salad and some good bread, but it will also do very well at a picnic Poulet Antiboise Serves three to four 1kg onions, peeled and sliced 150ml olive oil 6 sprigs of thyme a pinch of cayenne pepper 1 whole chicken 20 black olives salt and black pepper • Preheat the oven to 170°C. Place the onions in a deep casserole dish with the olive oil, thyme, a little salt and cayenne pepper. Sit the chicken on top of the onions, season with salt and pepper. • Cover the casserole and…

Mazda MX-5 from £18,995 The Daily Telegraph The “world’s best-ever-selling sports car” didn’t need much sprucing up. Yet though it looks much the same, this latest version of the MX-5 has a completely reworked engine and it’s loads more fun. The 1.5-litre petrol option used to be the winner in the MX-5, but the new 2-litre makes the car feel so fast and direct that “it’s hard not to be having a good time even when driving to work”. What Car? But it’s not only the engine that has been improved in this sharp-looking little car. Most significantly, the steering wheel now adjusts for reach and height – which will make a huge difference for taller drivers sitting in the tiny cabin. There’s a host of new safety features on…

Casa Iris, Tuscany You rarely hear British voices in Orbetello, a “fascinating” town on a lagoon on the Tuscan coast. This “pretty” five-room guest house sits bang in the middle of it, says Lee Marshall in Condé Nast Traveller, providing an “elegant” retreat from the crowds. Run by an Italo-American couple, it occupies an old apartment resplendent with 17th century friezes, 18th century frescoes and “exquisite” mirrored tiles. Eclectic furniture, 1970s chandeliers and rough plaster walls complete the picture to “brilliant” effect. Breakfasts are “particularly good”, with fresh bread and pastries, and jams made from home-grown fruit. Doubles from £135 b&b. casairisorbetello.com .…

Singer-songwriter who was one half of Chas & Dave Chas Hodges 1943-2018 Chas Hodges, who has died aged 74, spent years playing bass in traditional rock ’n’ roll bands before finding fame as one half of the flat-capped “joannabashing duo” Chas & Dave, said The Times. Singing witty tunes about ordinary life in cockney geezer rhyming slang, they scored eight top 40 singles in the 1970s and 1980s, and won such a devoted fan base that they were given their own TV show, Chas & Dave’s Knees Up. Long after their hits dried up, they carried on touring, while their Christmas TV special – in a mocked-up East End pub and featuring an appearance from Eric Clapton – was still being repeated every year. Charles Hodges was born in Edmonton,…

Ryanair: bracing for further disruption A new biography of Michael O’Leary, the Ryanair boss, reveals that his hero is Arthur Wellesley, the Anglo-Irishman who became the “Iron” Duke of Wellington, said the London Evening Standard. O’Leary (pictured) certainly has a battle on his hands, after a tough summer. Thanks to strikes and rising costs, the airline has issued a “severe” profit warning, cutting forecasts for the current financial year by 12% and warning shareholders “to brace” for further possible disruption this autumn, said Nils Pratley in The Guardian. Ryanair’s “new reputation” for unreliability has started to bite. “Punters want more than low fares. They also want to be confident their planes will take off.” Throughout the industrial action, O’Leary has “adopted a tone of wounded innocence”. Last week, he accused…

The “Amazon effect” could lift wages Robert Cyran Reuters Breakingviews Amazon has already disrupted much of the retail sector, says Robert Cyran. But could the “Amazon effect” soon extend to wages too? The online giant has thrown down the gauntlet to its rivals by lifting the minimum wage for all its workers to $15 an hour in the US and £9.50 in the UK. The decision isn’t that surprising: “multiple winds have pushed Amazon” to greater generosity. With the US unemployment rate now below 4%, there are “more job openings than people looking for work”, increasing competition for labour ahead of the crucial holiday period. Moreover, the move will take some of the sting out of attacks from politicians such as Bernie Sanders, who has “acidly” noted “the widening gap…

Nearly 60% of children aged 11 to 18 admit to having multiple private social media profiles (or “privs”) that they hide from their parents, according to a new poll carried out for the heads of Britain’s top private schools. Of those polled, 30% said they had two profiles on the same social media platform. Kits to help amateur cooks create “Instagram-worthy” meals will go on sale at an as-yet undisclosed price this month, with the slogan: “Snap, share, eat”. Curated by Skye Gyngell, the chef behind the Somerset House restaurant Spring, the kits will contain premium ingredients, restaurant-quality plating instructions and a “hand-painted artisanal wooden spoon” to complete the picture and secure maximum “likes”.…

Heterosexual couples in England and Wales will soon have the option of entering into a civil partnership, instead of getting married, Theresa May announced on Tuesday. Same-sex couples can already choose to have either a partnership or a marriage. The PM said extending this right to all would provide more security for unmarried couples and their families. The move follows the Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling in June, in a case by a mixed-sex couple from London, that the 2004 Civil Partnership Act was incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.…

Brussels Jo Cox square: The city of Brussels has officially renamed one of its squares in memory of Jo Cox, the MP murdered by a far-right extremist during the EU referendum campaign in June 2016. Before becoming a Labour MP, Cox (pictured) lived in the Belgian capital for six years while working for Oxfam and for the MEP Glenys Kinnock. In that time, she was often drawn to the small, peaceful square that lies behind the Ancienne Belgique music venue. A ceremony to mark the honour was held last week at the new Place Jo Cox (or Jo Cox Plein, in Flemish), attended by family members and politicians including Jeremy Corbyn, who thanked the people of Brussels “for this wonderful, truly wonderful gesture”. Berlin Saudi arms boom: Angela Merkel’s government…

The birth of a crime writer Growing up in working-class Kirkcaldy in the 1960s, Val McDermid had a stroke of good fortune: when she was six, her parents moved to a house opposite the library. “That was probably the best thing they could have done for me,” the crime writer told Horatia Harrod in the FT. She became a voracious reader, and spent hours imagining herself as her favourite characters. “I was the whole Famous Five, including the dog, or Maria von Trapp escaping the Nazis,” she laughs. When she discovered (via an incident in one of the Chalet School books) that writing could be a job, the die was cast. She won a place at Oxford and then joined a tabloid newspaper. The experience proved helpful: “It gave me…

The personalised greetings card firm Moonpig last week issued a plea on Twitter to its customers: “Please stop uploading pics of your genitals to our cards it is against our Ts and Cs.” The firm says that of the 100,000 to 200,000 orders it receives every day, two or three have to be rejected because it doesn’t accept pornographic or offensive material. Valentine’s Day causes a “massive rise” in the number of dirty cards submitted, with at least 20 a day rejected. Kyle Mulinder was kayaking near Kaikoura, New Zealand, late last month when a seal jumped out of the ocean and slapped him round the face with a half-eaten octopus. The incident, captured on film, became a viral sensation. Experts say that seals sometimes try to dismember their octopus…

RUSSIA Ukraine’s Church breaks with Moscow Die Zeit (Hamburg) Russia has always liked to see itself as leader of the Orthodox community, says Michael Thumann, not least because the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, is widely seen as the cradle of the religion, and it is the Moscow patriarchate that controls all Ukraine’s monasteries and churches. Or did, until Ukraine’s president turned to Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople, a rival claimant to leadership of the Orthodox Church, and asked him to grant independence for the Ukrainian Church. Last month, to Moscow’s fury, he did: but the Russian Church only has itself to blame. It has been an unreflective cheerleader for Vladimir Putin’s regime: it stirred up national fervour when Russia annexed Crimea four years ago – under orders from Moscow, priests in…

Three paraplegic patients have walked again after having electrical devices implanted in their spinal cords. Although the experimental therapy – originally developed to ease pain – has previously helped paralysed patients move parts of their bodies, this is the first time it has made walking possible. The devices were implanted in five patients in the US, and placed below the site of their spinal cord injuries, near a cluster of nerves that send sensorimotor signals to the legs. Doctors aren’t entirely clear how the treatment works, but they believe that even after paralysis occurs, this region continues to receive some signals from the brain, and that these signals are heavily amplified by the electrical stimulation. Once the devices were implanted, all five patients received intensive physical therapy, and over several…

A worthy movement to protect the rights of transgender people has lately “become a form of McCarthyism”, said Lucy Bannerman in The Times. Activists are shouting down anyone who questions their “absolutist identity politics” – and organisations are capitulating. A billboard company, for instance, recently took down a poster in Liverpool that quoted the dictionary definition of a woman (“noun – adult human female”) after an activist claimed it made transgender people feel unsafe. In a similar move, Leeds City Council cancelled a meeting last week at which women were due to discuss the Government’s consultation on gender identification, after activists “falsely claimed the women were a hate group”. Even the Girl Guides have introduced a trans-inclusive policy “in the desire to win some quick LGBTQI+ points”; the organisation has…

A 15-year-old girl on a flight from London to Nice, giggling and showing off her nails she’d had done for her holiday with her father: that is “the last joyful image” recorded of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, said Amanda Platell in the Daily Mail. Minutes later she collapsed. On landing she was rushed to hospital, where she died, having suffered a fatal allergic reaction to a Pret A Manger baguette she had bought at Heathrow. Had she known the dough contained sesame seeds, she would not have touched it; but, as emerged at last week’s inquest, the label included no list of allergens. It isn’t only Pret that should accept some responsibility for this tragedy. The BA crew failed to tell the doctor who fought to save Natasha that they had a…

For Manchester United, it’s turning into one of those seasons, said Miguel Delaney in The Independent. The “best-paid squad in world football” have won only three of their first seven Premier League fixtures – they lost 3-1 to West Ham on Saturday – in what is their “joint-worst start since 1990”. Central to their woes is the seemingly unresolvable rift between José Mourinho and Paul Pogba. The World Cup winner indirectly criticised his manager’s tactics last week, questioning why United didn’t “attack attack attack” in their 1-1 draw with Wolves. Mourinho then declared that Pogba would never captain the side again – and the pair were later filmed having a blazing row during training. The Old Trafford hierarchy are desperate to keep the Frenchman – so unless results improve, Mourinho…

Jobs for the workers To The Guardian Lee Elliot Major and Stephen Machin describe how working-class jobs have “limited the lives” of families for generations. They insist that working-class children should strive “to overcome their circumstances”. They describe certain unspecified non-graduate jobs as “lower-level work” and as “dead-end, insecure jobs without a future”. Would they like to specify exactly which jobs are so worthy of their scorn? Being a care assistant? Working as a labourer on a building site? An entry-level job in a factory making engineering components? I do not wish to romanticise non-graduate jobs, but Major and Machin imply that unless a working-class person leaves the class of their birth behind, they have failed. Poor conditions of employment are to be criticised wherever they are found, but having…

Theatre Antony & Cleopatra Playwright: William Shakespeare Director: Simon Godwin Olivier, National Theatre, Southbank, London SE1 ( nationaltheatre.org.uk ). Until 19 January 2019; NT Live broadcast: 6 December Running time: 3hrs 30mins (including interval) ★★★★ The National Theatre has really gone to town on this “ultra-stylish” production of Antony & Cleopatra, said Ann Treneman in The Times. The costumes are lavish: “double-breasted suit glory” or full military fig for the men; “simply fabulous mode” for the women. The set is both “intricate and immense”. In Egypt, we get glimmering pools and archways, while in Italy, the war command room is a marble palace with a vast screen split into battle scenes. There are amazing set pieces, such as a “rip-roaring” drunken party on board a huge steel battleship.…

Art + Revolution in Haiti at The Gallery of Everything In 1945, the surrealist André Breton visited Haiti and came away astonished by what he had encountered there. At that moment, Haitian painting was experiencing something of a golden age, with artists including Hector Hyppolite, Georges Liautaud and Wilson Bigaud producing startlingly original work that reflected the country’s violent history and deep-set Vodou culture. As Breton saw it, these artists had more than a little in common with the European surrealists, rejecting received ideas and channelling the unconscious through their art. This show brings together work by 16 Haitian artists of the period, offering a rare chance to see their work in this country. The majority of paintings and sculptures here are colourful, figurative and mysterious, containing mystical, symbolic flourishes…

Vermouth is back in vogue, says Susy Atkins in The Daily Telegraph. If you’re a fan, I’d recommend The Book of Vermouth (Hardie Grant £20), recently published, and packed with colourful history and delicious cocktails. Or, grab a great bottle (perhaps from the list below) and drink it neat, as the authors recommend. Bodegas Emilio Lustau Vermut Blanco, Jerez, Spain (Berry Bros & Rudd, £18.95 for 75cl) From one of the top sherry-makers, this straw-coloured and fairly light vermouth has subtle bitterness and astringency. Martini Riserva Speciale Rubino Vermouth di Torino, Italy (Ocado, £15 for 75cl) Bright cherry-red, this vermouth has sweet herbal hints at first, but is more powerful and spicy on the finish. “Good value and great in a negroni.” Cocchi Storico Vermouth di Torino, Italy (Waitrose, £18…

Wattbike Atom Turning its attention from gyms to homes, Wattbike has created a market-leading, lightweight and compact exercise bike. The accompanying app measures 37 different metrics, and the Atom feels closer to a real bike than any of its competitors (£1,600; wattbike.com). NordicTrack E10.0 Elliptical A “gym-worthy” elliptical machine, the E10.0 has 22 levels of resistance, handles with heart-rate monitors and workouts on the display. And you can fold it neatly away when it’s not in use (£649; johnlewis.com). BOSU Balance Trainer A more low-tech piece of kit,, this inflatable device gives a boost to standard exercises like crunches, push-ups and lunges. It forces you to really engage your core, and is great for balance and coordination (£97; physioparts.co.uk). Reviber Plus Vibration Plate Exerciser Vibration plates like this one work…

Gladstone’s bookish retreat As a lifelong bibliophile, William Ewart Gladstone often pondered how to share his many books with the public. The great Victorian’s solution was a residential library, the first and still the only one in the UK, and perhaps the world. Housed in a neo-Gothic building in the Welsh village of Hawarden, seven miles from Chester, Gladstone’s Library is a “delightful” place to read, write or just “unwind”, says Stephen McClarence in The Times. There are 26 rooms, all “smart”, an “excellent” café, and a glorious reading room. In his 80s, Gladstone “trundled” 32,000 volumes – the core of the present collection – here in a wheelbarrow from his home, Hawarden Castle, half a mile away. Many still bear his notes, including the damning verdict “untrue, untrue, untrue”,…

Virtual-reality boost for Alzheimer’s care Professional carers are being encouraged to see the world through their patients’ eyes with the help of a 20kg ‘dementia suit’, which restricts vision and movement, and uses virtual reality to induce confusion. Great Oaks care home in Bournemouth ran the “fully immersive experience” this week, reports Care Home Professional. The event, part of World Alzheimer’s Month, was intended to increase understanding of the condition and improve standards of care. The virtual-reality (VR) environment creates a “feeling of vulnerability”, according to Training 2 Care, the company which ran the sessions. It says VR “is the closest that we can give a person with a healthy brain an experience of what dementia might be like”. The technology might soon be used to help dementia sufferers as…

The US Federal Reserve lifted its benchmark interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point to a range of 2-2.5%, marking its third rise this year. Another rise is expected before the end of the year and three more are forecast for 2019, despite opposition from President Trump. The Fed’s chair, Jerome Powell, indicated that the US economy was in “a bright spot”. The pound came under pressure as the Tory party conference opened in Birmingham, spurring renewed debate about the terms of Brexit. European stock markets were roiled by anxiety over Italy’s economy following Rome’s defiant rejection of EU budget rules. The US and Canada agreed a “modernised trade agreement” to replace the Nafta pact of 1994. Shares in the sports carmaker Aston Martin went into reverse on…

Rip-off Britain Overly “loyal” British households are paying, on average, nearly £900 a year too much for basic services. These include mobile phones, broadband, insurance, savings and mortgages, says Citizens Advice, which “has done a terrific job” of highlighting “the sneaky ways” in which companies “punish” longstanding customers, said Jim Armitage in the London Evening Standard. The charity wants the competition authorities to investigate. “But more laws and regulations are probably not the answer.” The real problem is that people still aren’t aware “they’re getting fleeced”, or how much they might save by switching, which, in most sectors, has never been easier. “Education not regulation” is the key. The publicity generated by this report should prompt many billpayers into action. Enter Marcus Goldman Sachs’ retail bank, Marcus, launched its first…

Michael Lewis In classic books such as Liar’s Poker and The Big Short, Michael Lewis chronicled Wall Street greed and the build-up to the crash, says Rhys Blakely in The Times. He also worked in London as a young bond salesman. So what does he make of Brexit? The question of how a post-EU Britain should pitch itself intrigues Lewis. The UK’s big selling point “used to be that it was a happy place for bankers”, he says, noting how skewed the British economy has become towards the City. Lewis, 57, doesn’t see that changing. “Inertia and the English language” will keep the big US banks here – with added muscle. “They’re going to have more leverage and be even more involved in your politics than before. They’ll start to…