Innholdsfortegnelse for V. 1210 i The Week

A Gillette advert inspired by the Me Too movement that urges men to be the “best men can be” – a play on the firm’s tag line “the best a man can get” – has triggered a furious response from some men, who say it is patronising and misandrist. The ad depicts men looking on approvingly as boys fight; men talking over women and harassing them. “We can’t hide from it. It’s been going on far too long,” says the voice-over; the film then cuts to scenes of men stopping fights and defending women. Viewed 11 million times on YouTube, it has had 278,000 likes to 665,000 dislikes. Oxford University’s women-only Joanna Randall-MacIver fellowship has been opened up to men, after administrators ruled that it contravened equality laws.…

MSPs will hold an inquiry into the Scottish government’s investigation of sexual harassment allegations against the former first minister Alex Salmond. This week, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon referred herself to an ethics panel over claims that she broke the ministerial code by having meetings with Salmond during the investigation. Last week, her government also admitted in court that it had breached guidelines by appointing an investigator to the case who had previously had contact with the two women making the accusations. A police inquiry into the allegations themselves, which Salmond denies, is ongoing.…

Toronto, Canada Saudi teen given asylum: A young Saudi woman who escaped her family and sought asylum abroad has been granted refugee status in Canada. Rahaf Mohammed, 18, said that she’d be killed if she went home, because she had renounced Islam. The teenager was on a family trip to Kuwait when she got on a flight to Thailand, intending to fly on to Australia. But on arrival in Bangkok she says she was met by a Saudi diplomat who took her passport. To avoid being deported, she barricaded herself into a hotel room and tweeted for assistance. In response to Canada granting her asylum, Riyadh has frozen all new trade with the country. Gordon, Wisconsin Kidnapped girl found alive: A 13-year-old girl who disappeared the night her parents were…

“There is a fear that thousands of Haredi Jews will leave the UK if draft guidance from the Department for Education comes into effect, forcing them to teach children in their independent faith schools about 21st century social issues that include gender reassignment. The ultra-Orthodox Haredi are, to my eyes, a bunch of medieval weirdos, but on this I am with them. I look at the fury, vileness and borderline psychological terrorism going on in the ‘debate’ around trans issues and ask myself: if we grown-ups can’t come to any sort of agreement or civil discourse on the subject, how can we possibly be ready to teach our children about it?”…

How we fuelled the migrant crisis Patrick Cockburn The Independent The news is full of stories of asylum seekers smuggling themselves across the Channel to Britain on boats, says Patrick Cockburn. Yet amid all the fuss about these comparatively rare incidents, one issue seldom receives much attention: our own role in fuelling the influx of migrants. People are heading to Europe from the Middle East and North Africa because conflict and economic devastation have made life impossible in their own countries. And the West had a large hand in creating those conditions. We destroyed the Gaddafi regime in 2011 and abandoned Libya to anarchy. We’ve helped prolong the Syrian conflict, making it ever less likely that the country’s 5.6 million refugees will ever return. The US has reimposed sanctions on…

A second green revolution? Photosynthesis – the process used by plants to convert light energy into the chemical energy that fuels growth – is one of nature’s most crucial chemical reactions. And an international team of scientists (mainly from US and British universities) now believe they can use a genetic “hack” to make the process more efficient, says The Times, and, in so doing, substantially boost yields of key food crops. In many plants, it turns out, photosynthesis is subject to a serious glitch: a fifth of the time, the enzyme responsible for capturing CO2 from the atmosphere grabs oxygen molecules instead. Plants thus affected then produce toxic compounds that have to be recycled through an energy-intensive process known as photorespiration, which stops plants growing to their full potential. But…

“If a man’s word is as good as his bond, always take his bond.” Advice to lawyers, quoted in The Daily Telegraph “Statistics are human beings with the tears wiped off.” Writer Paul Brodeur, quoted on Politico “We’ve failed to appreciate [that] one of the key leadership traits [is] genuine reluctance to take the job.” Author Sam Walker, quoted in The Times “Summer afternoon, summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.” Henry James, quoted in Forbes “In politics one should not commit suicide as one might live to regret it.” Winston Churchill, quoted in The Times “It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty of work to do.” Jerome K. Jerome, quoted in The San Francisco Chronicle…

Best books… Imogen Edwards-Jones The journalist and author of the bestselling Babylon series, including Hotel Babylon and Fashion Babylon, picks her six favourite books. Her novel The Witches of St Petersburg is published by Head of Zeus at £18.99 Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, 1867 (Penguin £8.99). This book changed my life. I was so obsessed with the story of Raskolnikov’s gruesome murder of an old moneylender and her unfortunate half-sister that I changed course from Spanish to read Russian from scratch at Bristol University. Laughter in the Dark by Vladimir Nabokov, 1938 (Penguin £5.99). Much less famous than Lolita, this is the lithest, most astute, beautiful, evil novel, about the hapless Albinus, who abandons his wife for the sake of a youthful mistress and reaps the consequences. The…

Lasagne is a crowd-pleasing dish that’s perfect when you have guests coming, says Rita Serano. You can prepare the lasagne ahead of time and pop it in the oven when they arrive. For this vegan version, I swap the traditional meat-based sauce for a lentil and tomato ragout, and the milk-based béchamel for a creamy cauliflower and cashew sauce. Serves 6 250g dried lasagne sheets of your choice (spelt, wholegrain, gluten-free) for the ragout 2 carrots, grated 1 onion, finely diced 250g mushrooms, roughly chopped 1 courgette, grated 5 garlic cloves, chopped ½ tsp chilli powder (or more, to taste) 700ml tomato passata 1 tbsp mushroom powder (you can make this yourself by grinding dried mushrooms, such as porcini or shiitake, in a coffee grinder) 1…

Lord Poulett Arms Hinton St George, Somerset “Cushioned” in the quiet Somerset countryside, this dining pub changed owners last year, but remains as “characterful” as ever, says Fiona Duncan in The Sunday Telegraph. With its “prettily papered” hall, “roaring” open fires and “carefully sourced” country furniture, it will appeal both to visiting out-of-towners and to locals in need of “a pint after work”. The six bedrooms have rush carpeting and good beds with woollen throws. The food is “satisfying” (and largely “made, cured or smoked” in house), and there are two pleasant gardens and a new gravelled terrace. Doubles from £85 b&b. 01460-73149, lordpoulettarms.com .…

Trans activist whose life was chronicled on the BBC Julia Grant 1954-2019 In the 1970s, very little was known about transgender people – and even less was understood about their plight. Julia Grant, who has died aged 64, helped change that, when she became the first trans woman to share her story on primetime television, said The Daily Telegraph. For a series that eventually ran to five one-hour long films, the director David Pearson followed her as she began dressing, living and working as a woman, and sought to persuade a patronising and unsympathetic NHS psychiatrist that she should be able to have a sex change, in order to fully become the “woman I want to be”. Nine million people tuned in to watch A Change of Sex when it…

The wife of ousted Nissan chairman, Carlos Ghosn, has written to Human Rights Watch to criticise her husband’s “harsh treatment” in a Japanese prison, noted Bloomberg. Carole Ghosn claims that her husband, who has been charged with financial misconduct, has undergone “hours of repeated questioning daily with no lawyer present” as prosecutors attempt to extract a confession from him. Ghosn’s case has sparked “international criticism of Japan’s justice system”, said the FT. But there looks to be no imminent end to his ordeal. This week a Tokyo court rejected his bail application. He faces “at least another few months in prison”.…

However cheery the mood among investors, Brexit will continue to cause uncertainty in some sensitive sectors, said Sam Unsted on Bloomberg. Here’s the analyst lowdown, post-vote: Houses Sentiment towards homebuilders “has taken an upward swing”. Analysts at JPMorgan, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley all argue that the risk of a no-deal Brexit has fallen to a point where stocks look cheap. JPMorgan has “double-upgraded” its recommendations on UK housebuilders. Commercial property Sadly, no “positive swing” from analysts in this sector, dogged as it is by waning consumer confidence. Peel Hunt reckons returns will continue to suffer in 2019, with shopping malls and other retail assets “hardest hit”. Jefferies predicts a 30% crash in values. Banks Shares in UK lenders like Lloyds and RBS could “outperform” in the…

A German First World War U-boat has emerged from the sands off a beach near Calais, a century after it ran aground. Historians say the UC-61 sank at least 11 Allied ships before getting stranded in July 1917, en route to Boulogne-sur-Mer. Its 26 crew surrendered and the sub was gradually covered over by the shifting sand. Now, the wreck is becoming a tourist attraction – but locals have advised visitors to come soon: one strong gust of wind, and it could vanish again. A woman who spent 2018 clearing the litter from the coast of Devon and Cornwall has vowed to carry on her mission. To fulfil a New Year’s resolution, Pat Smith cleared 52 sandy beaches, at a rate of one a week, last year. She even went…

Grammar schools, after a new report concluded that they make a “vital contribution” to social mobility, with 45% of their pupils coming from lower-income households. Rather than focus on the proportion of grammar pupils eligible for free school meals (which is very low, at 3%), the Higher Education Policy Institute’s report looked at how many came from households on below median earnings (about £33,000pa for a family of four). Zoë Ball, who made her debut as the presenter of BBC Radio 2’s breakfast show; she is the first woman to take the high-profile slot, previously hosted by Chris Evans and Terry Wogan.…

52% of sexually active British women aged 17 to 24 say they were not ready when they lost their virginity, as do 44% of men. For those who first had sex when they were aged 18 or older, the figures are 36% for women and 40% for men. 17% of women overall said there had been an “unequal willingness” to have sex on their first time; 10% of men said the same. BMJ/The Guardian When they hear the phrase “With the greatest respect...”, 68% of Britons think it means “I think you are an idiot”, while 49% of Americans interpret it as “I am listening to you”. When told “I’ll bear it in mind”, 55% of Britons assume it means “I’ve forgotten it already”, whereas only 38% of Americans think…

O’Brien’s belated liberation When The Rocky Horror Show first opened in 1973, Richard O’Brien expected it to run for three nights. Since then it’s never stopped touring, but its creator took decades to accept his message of sexual liberation and declare himself transgender. “It changed the way a lot of people thought about themselves and their sexuality. It made it OK for men to dress as women, but it didn’t make it OK for me,” he told Louise Gannon in The Mail on Sunday. With a distant father, and a mother on whom he based the manipulative scientist Frank-N-Furter, O’Brien grew up believing “I was somehow damaged and dirty”. Only in his 60s, after two failed marriages and a breakdown, did he begin to speak of himself as predominantly female.…

A cruise for people who believe the Earth is flat – including the rapper B.o.B – will launch next year. Its organisers, the Flat Earth International Conference, describe it as their “biggest, boldest, best adventure yet”. Many flat earthers think the world’s space agencies have conspired to fake space travel and so discount all spherical evidence. But the cruise ship fraternity is sceptical. “Ships navigate on the principle the Earth is round,” said cruise captain Henk Keijer. “Nautical charts are designed with that in mind. I’ve sailed two million miles; I’ve not encountered one sea captain who believes the Earth is flat.” It’s going to be one of the year’s starriest weddings: the reception is to be held at Whoopi Goldberg’s New York apartment; the cake will be flown in…

JAPAN Tokyo’s defiance could help whales AFP (Paris) Bad news stories are not always as bad as they seem, says Shaun Tandon. Take Japan’s recent announcement that it is quitting the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and resuming commercial whaling this summer for the first time in more than 30 years. On the face of it, this seems an act of defiance that will lead to the deaths of more endangered whales. But some insiders believe it may actually represent a “face-saving way out of high seas whaling” for Japan that will ultimately benefit everybody. Since 1986, Japan has, to the fury of other countries, killed hundreds of whales each year under an IWC loophole that permits whaling for “scientific research”. As of July, it will do so on an openly…

The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is the greatest annual showcase for new technologies, says The Times; and in the show last week, voice-controlled “smart” gadgets were very much to the fore. Among the more notable examples were an Alexa-enabled toilet that plays music upon command; a countertop dishwasher that doesn’t require plumbing (and whose cycle takes only 15 minutes); and a “self-walking” suitcase that follows its owner around. Also much in evidence were wearable devices that enhance health and well-being, including a belt to tell you when you’ve eaten too much, and a headband that monitors nocturnal brain activity and plays a guided meditation to aid sleep. The show also suggested that 2019 would be the year of the flexible screen. Smartphones, laptops and TVs have long been…

Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos (pictured) announced the end of their 25-year marriage with a fulsome statement about “a long period of loving exploration and trial separation”, and remaining “cherished friends” – only for the National Enquirer to report that the Amazon founder had been having an eight-month affair with Lauren Sánchez, a helicopter pilot and ex-TV presenter married to his neighbour, the Hollywood agent Patrick Whitesell. With the Bezos fortune estimated at £107bn, and no prenuptial agreement thought to exist, the divorce could be the biggest in history and leave MacKenzie Bezos as the richest woman in the world. It may also be remembered for the passionate text messages allegedly sent to Sánchez by Bezos. “I want to breathe you in,” reads one message. “I love you, alive girl. I…

Tennis: the end of the Murray era “Oh, it wasn’t meant to be like this,” said Richard Kay in the Daily Mail. Andy Murray deserved to bow out on a high – not at a lowly No. 229 in the world rankings, having barely played for a year. But at a tearful press conference last week, the 31-year-old Scot announced that he would retire this year, ending a career that has brought him three Grand Slam titles and two Olympic gold medals. It was a decision forced by a hip injury that has “stubbornly refused to heal”. If Murray chooses to delay further surgery, he might be able to keep going until Wimbledon. But we may have just witnessed his final match: on Monday, in the first round of the…

Prints I Wish I had Published at Bernard Jacobson Gallery In 1969, Bernard Jacobson opened his first gallery in Mayfair, specialising in top-quality prints by some of the most important artists of the day. Fifty years on, London’s art trade is unrecognisable and Cork Street a shadow of its former self – yet Jacobson’s business is still going strong. This show is a kind of artistic variation of Desert Island Discs, for which Jacobson has picked some of his favourite prints from the past 600 years. The result is a wonderful selection of images (most of them offered for sale) featuring works by artists as diverse as Gauguin, Hockney and the 19th century Japanese master Hiroshige. It underlines the versatility of this often misunderstood medium: one moment, you’re looking at…

Elizabeth encourages Lily to return to Manchester, assuring her that she’s over her flu. She remains bright until Lily and Russ leave and then sobs. Brian and Jennifer are upset at not being invited to Andrew Eagleton’s 70th. Brian throws Jennifer a birthday party at Willow Cottage instead. At the party, Adam’s miffed when Alice gets drunk and tells Justin about the surrogacy plans. Shula visits Freddie, who’s not doing well. Helen tells Lee she’s not ready for a relationship. He asks if they can stay friends, but Helen says even that would be too much. She tries to talk about Rob, but words fail her. Later, Helen tracks Lee down and opens up. She agrees to go for a walk when he’s back from his course. Brian gleefully reports…

It’s that time when earnest resolutions are made to reduce alcohol consumption for at least part of the New Year, if not far beyond it. It’s very admirable, and I suppose should be encouraged in some cases, though I think it would be wiser instead to resolve to drink wine of better quality. Equally important is to diversify one’s selection of wine, otherwise you become stuck into simply repeating predictable wines year in and year out. How much more interesting to try wines from an entirely new region or country, such as Austria’s Grüner Veltliner. Corney & Barrow have always been happy to extend their range from classic Bordeaux and Burgundy – I must have first drunk the excellent Achaval-Ferrer Malbecs from Argentina more than a decade ago. Of course,…

New cars: what the critics say Top Gear The BMW 3 Series is one of the “great oaks” of the industry – those against which all vaguely similar cars are measured. It accounts for one in five BMWs sold, and makes the most profit. So it’s no wonder that, despite almost all its component parts having been replaced for this seventh-generation model, it brings no big surprises, while remaining a “sharp, punchy and desirable” car. Auto Express Although the 3-Series has swelled slightly in size (as well as price), BMW has managed to make it 55kg lighter. There’s now a good amount of legroom to match the spacious 480-litre boot. A host of new tech has been seamlessly integrated into the slick dashboard, from voice control to a “Vitalisation” function…

Leonardo in the Loire Leonardo da Vinci, having crossed the Alps in 1516 with the Mona Lisa in a saddlebag, settled in the Loire, as “first painter, architect and engineer” to Francis I, the French king. The 500th anniversary of the polymath’s death there will fall on 2 May this year – and celebrations of his life are “breaking out everywhere” in the valley to mark it, says Anthony Peregrine in The Sunday Times. The Clos Lucé manor house, where he lived, is a “cracking” place to visit, “festooned” with models of his visionary concepts, from the helicopter to the machine gun. There’ll be a special summer exhibition there, and two others – alongside music festivals and other events – at Chambord (the “mightiest” of all the Loire’s splendid Renaissance…

Debenhams/Sports Direct: call the undertakers? Debenhams witnessed an extraordinary boardroom coup last week, said Sam Chambers in The Sunday Times. Big shareholders led by “tracksuit tycoon” Mike Ashley, whose Sports Direct outfit has amassed a 30% stake in the troubled department store, toppled chairman Sir Ian Cheshire “even before he took his seat” at the annual meeting. CEO Sergio Bucher fared marginally better: also booted off the board, he was at least “retained in the business”. The mini-drama, in which shares have plunged as low as 3p, “is a mere sideshow” in the “desperate fight for survival” currently under way at the 200-year-old chain. The “daring rescue attempt” being drawn up could cost more than 10,000 jobs, said Ben Marlow in The Daily Telegraph, “dealing the biggest blow to the…

The real risk to the EU is irrelevance Simon Nixon The Times Perennial predictions of the EU’s demise “underestimate its resilience”, says Simon Nixon. But it still faces considerable challenges this year, ranging from an expected strong performance of “right-wing nationalist parties” in May’s European Parliament elections, to deteriorating growth and the continued risk of a financial crisis in Italy. “Although the eurozone has taken steps to strengthen its banking system, it would still struggle to respond to a serious loss of confidence in Italian banks.” The growth of nationalist populism is undeniably a worry. Even so, “the bigger risk to the EU in 2019 is not break-up but irrelevance”. In a volatile geopolitical landscape, it faces multiple external threats and “can no longer count automatically on the US for…

If you’re searching for “some index of just how truly not-normal American governance has become”, said The New York Times, consider the moment this Monday when the president of the United States stood on the White House lawn and denied he was a Russian agent. That story you read in The New York Times, protested Donald Trump, was “a whole big fat hoax”. The article he was referring to carried the headline: “FBI opened inquiry into whether Trump was secretly working on behalf of Russia”. It revealed that when FBI director James Comey, who’d been probing allegations of Russian meddling in the last US election, was fired in 2017, FBI officials became so concerned about the president’s behaviour they began investigating whether he was a threat to national security. And…

London commuters, after a new study revealed that air pollution on the Underground is up to 30 times worse than on a busy street. At Hampstead on the Northern Line, the network’s deepest station, levels of particulate matter were 492 micrograms per cubic metre. Across the UK, the average concentration level is 10µg/m3 , rising to 16µg/m3 on pavements along busy roads. John Lewis staff, who were warned that last year’s profits will be “substantially lower” than expected, so they might not get their annual bonus for the first time in 66 years. M&S and Debenhams reported disappointing trading over the Christmas period, while Halfords issued a profits warning (see page 50). Tui Airways, which was criticised for making a family sit on the floor during a flight from Menorca,…

The Hague Not guilty: The former president of Ivory Coast, Laurent Gbagbo, has been acquitted of crimes against humanity, in connection with post-election violence that swept the country in 2010, in which 3,000 people died. Gbagbo, who was accused of giving speeches that incited atrocities including rapes and massacres, was the first former head of state to be tried at the International Criminal Court. His acquittal will come as a major blow to the court, casting doubt on its ability to bring state actors to justice. Amnesty International said the verdict would be seen as a “crushing disappointment” by the victims of the violence. Lech, Austria Deadly snow: Three German skiers were killed by an avalanche close to the Austrian resort of Lech last weekend – taking the confirmed death…

1 The Ballad of Morgan the Moon, written and performed by Max Boyce 2 Maria by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim, performed by Jimmy Bryant, featured in West Side Story 3 The Rose by Amanda McBroom, performed by Bette Midler, featured in The Rose 4 You’ve Got a Friend by Carole King, performed by Carole King and James Taylor 5* Smooth by Itaal Shur and Rob Thomas, performed by Santana and Rob Thomas 6 (Barry) Islands in the Stream by Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb and Robin Gibb, performed by Ruth Jones, Rob Brydon, Tom Jones and Robin Gibb 7 Underneath the Stars, written and performed by Kate Rusby 8 Moon & Back, written and performed by Amy Wadge Book: Halliwell’s Film…

From the early 1980s, China tried to bring the Taiwanese into its orbit by emphasising the benefits of economic ties. Taiwan, which initially banned both exports to and imports from the PRC, loosened restrictions in the late 1980s – at the same time as martial law was lifted. Taiwanese companies then invested billions in the mainland, becoming an important driver of China’s own economic miracle, and its technological development. Chinese tourists visited Taiwan in their millions, and both countries prospered as China’s economy grew. There are approximately one million Taiwanese in the PRC today, and many run factories – the most famous case being Foxconn, Taiwan’s largest employer and the fourth-largest IT company in the world, which makes Apple’s iPhones, Amazon’s Kindles and Sony’s PlayStations. By the end of last…

In its bid to go green, the Department for Transport last year announced plans to eradicate all diesel trains from the network by 2040: they currently make up about a third of the UK’s fleet. But this doesn’t mean all the trains will be electrified. Hydrogen fuel cells, which produce zero emissions, represent a much cheaper option than electricity, as there is no need to install expensive overhead power lines. In fact, they don’t even require new trains to be built: instead, about 100 electric trains currently operating on the Greater Anglia network are to be converted to hydrogen power by having gas storage tanks installed at their fronts and rears. It now seems likely that Britain could have its first fleet of hydrogen-powered trains in operation by 2022, says…

Jaden Moodie: murdered at 14 “Fourteen years old. Fourteen!” said Libby Purves in The Times. Jaden Moodie was “years too young to watch Trainspotting” or drive a car. Yet last Tuesday, he was the victim of what police described as a “targeted attack”: he was knocked off a moped in Leyton, east London, before being set upon and stabbed multiple times by three men. As Chief Superintendent Richard Tucker said: “A lot of people are saying he was a young man. He wasn’t. He was a boy.” So why was he killed? “The story is wearyingly familiar.” Jaden was loved by his mother and siblings, who said he was a bright boy with no gang connections. But evidence soon emerged suggesting otherwise: he described himself on social media as a…

Digital surgeries To The Times We led the largest and most detailed research study ever undertaken into Skype consultations in the NHS. The study concluded in 2017, and there were three notable findings. First, although some consultations can safely be undertaken remotely, many cannot. In a young adult diabetic clinic, where most patients were IT-savvy and staff were highly motivated, about 20% of consultations were undertaken remotely, but in other services the proportion was much lower. A national survey from Norway, an early adopter of remote consultations, suggests that overall (incorporating specialties such as elderly care, for example), the fraction of all hospital outpatient consultations that can be conducted remotely is closer to 2%. Second, the savings from remote consultations are almost all on the patient’s side (less travel, less…

Two paintings that sparked a famous feud between two giants of British art are going on display at the Royal Academy together for the first time since 1832, says the Daily Mail. During that year’s Summer Exhibition, J.M.W. Turner found that his seascape Helvoetsluys (pictured) had been hung alongside John Constable’s vast canvas The Opening of Waterloo Bridge. Turner, realising his own painting suffered next to his rival’s, strode into the gallery and painted a small red buoy in the middle of his canvas before leaving without saying a word. The story goes that Constable, mortified by Turner’s touch of genius, which transformed the work, remarked: “He has been here and fired a gun.” The exhibition was a disaster for Constable. Even his friend, the painter Thomas Stothard, pronounced Waterloo…

Programmes Imagine… James Graham: In the Room Where It Happens Alan Yentob follows James Graham, who wrote Brexit: The Uncivil War as well as numerous hit political plays. Mon 21 Jan, BBC1 22:45 (75mins). A Year of British Murder Filmed over 12 months, this documentary examines some of the 768 murder cases recorded in Britain in 2017, and explores the impact of the killings on the victims’ families and friends. Mon 21 Jan, C4 21:00 (90mins). Pubs, Ponds and Power: The Story of the Village In this six-part series, archaeologist Ben Robinson explores the village from Norman times to the present day, visiting Warkworth and Lavenham. Tue 22 and Wed 23 Jan, BBC4 19:30 (30mins). We Need to Talk About Death Medicine has extended our lives, but at what cost?…

Pompette 7 South Parade, Oxford (01865-311166) Oxford has not always been well served by restaurants (“I’ve said it before and been vilified for it from Cowley to Jericho”), but Pompette, newly opened in Summertown is a “thing of wonder”, says Giles Coren in The Times. The pair behind it is Pascal Wiedemann, formerly of “legendary” London wine bar Terroirs, and his wife, Laura. They have created in north Oxford a “perfect” bistro of the old school, where half the space is given over to a bar. There’s fabulous charcuterie (including an “ineffably silky and light” mortadella) and superb wines by the glass. A “pretty plateful” of snails with wild mushrooms, garlic, parsley and shallots came lightly cooked and still soft; the effect was “startling and quite seductive”. My main…

Tyneside city break Spend 2 nights at the Jurys Inn Newcastle Quayside hotel, overlooking the River Tyne, with full breakfast. From £97pp (two sharing). 01904-717362, superbreak.com. Arrive 15 February. Norwegian cruise Discover charming Bergen, picturesque Hellesylt and the Norwegian fjords during a 7-night cruise from £538pp full board (two sharing). 020-3553 0337, iglucruise.com. Depart 18 May from Southampton. All-inclusive Mexico stay Situated on the sandy beach of Playa Delfines, the lovely Seadust Cancún Family Resort offers a 7-night stay from £1,217pp, including flights. 020-3897 1185, loveholidays.com. Depart 6 February. Four-star Dubai holiday Enjoy a relaxing stay at the Ramada Jumeirah Hotel for 5 nights, on a half-board basis, from £799pp, including Birmingham flights. 020-3767 2308, teletextholidays.co.uk. Depart 20 February.…

The pound rose and UK stock markets held steady after MPs voted overwhelmingly to reject Theresa May’s Brexit deal. Traders were heartened by the antipathy shown by most MPs to the idea of a no-deal Brexit – and took further comfort from reports by the CBI that Chancellor Philip Hammond had raised the possibility of an extension to Article 50 in a conference call with business leaders. Markets also reacted positively to news that China’s central bank has injected a record $84bn into the country’s banking system to boost lending and kick-start its flagging economy, said the FT. Official figures showed that Germany, the eurozone powerhouse, posted its worst economic performance for five years in 2018, only narrowly avoiding recession. UK inflation, measured on the consumer price index, fell to…

Ankur Shah Mahabis, the “once-ubiquitous purveyor of upmarket slippers”, has slipped into administration, triggering “a substantial amount of what you could call Slipper-freude”, says Andrew Hill in the FT. Founder Ankur Shah’s campaign to “reinvent” indoor footwear, via an avalanche of online ads, helped sell nearly a million pairs of the £70 slippers in four years. As recently as October, he was outlining plans to expand into luggage and watches to create “the Nike of downtime”. So what went wrong? Shah has gone “uncharacteristically quiet”. But companies that scale up quickly are always “vulnerable” and, with hindsight, Shah’s “breezy promise of diversification looks like a portent”. He should perhaps “have taken his own advice and put his feet up, taking time to shore up his early success”. Roger Jenkins It’s…