The Week 1542

For the 2017 film Edie, about a widow seeking a last adventure, Sheila Hancock climbed Suilven at the age of 83; now, an 85-year-old may have become the oldest woman to ascend the 2,400ft Highland peak. Claudie Smith first climbed it with her late husband in her 20s, and was inspired by the film to have another go. It was a challenge. “You have to walk eight miles before you reach the base,” she said. But she managed it in a day – and Hancock sent her a message of congratulation. Claire Reynolds was disappointed to lose the final of the BBC’s Mastermind, but she didn’t come away with nothing: on the flight home from Belfast, Reynolds, whose specialist subject was the German mathematician Emmy Noether, started chatting to the…

What happened Labour under pressure In what was seen as a clear pitch to Labour voters, Nigel Farage declared this week that Reform UK would lift the two-child benefit cap and restore the winter fuel allowance for all pensioners. In his speech, Farage said that his party was built on the principles of “family, community and country”, and promised bigger tax breaks for married couples. Labour and the Tories both said his plans – which could cost up to £80bn – were built on “fantasy” economics. Nevertheless, his speech added to the pressure on Keir Starmer, who has promised a partial U-turn on fuel payments in response to backbench anger, and is said to be considering lifting the two-child cap in the autumn. Last week, Cabinet tensions ahead of Rachel…

What happened President Trump issued his strongest criticism of President Putin to date on Sunday, following waves of heavy drone strikes against civilian targets in Ukraine. After three nights of attacks which left at least 29 dead, the US president said, on his Truth Social platform, that Putin had “gone absolutely CRAZY!”, adding that he appeared to want to conquer “ALL of Ukraine, not just a piece of it” – which would “lead to the downfall of Russia!”. The Kremlin played down what it called Trump’s “emotional reactions”, adding: “This is a very critical moment, which is fraught with emotional stress for everyone.” In response, Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that he wanted Ukraine to be able to strike targets in Russia with German weapons – a departure from his…

Controversy of the week The Connolly case “Now and again, judges make decisions so egregious,” said Isabel Oakeshott in The Daily Telegraph, “that they inflame a nation inured to the selective callousness of authority.” So it is with the case of Lucy Connolly, a 42-year-old childminder who last week lost an appeal over the “manifestly cruel” 31-month jail term she is serving for posting a single (and quickly deleted) tweet. Last summer, when false rumours were spreading that the killer of three children at a dance class in Southport was an illegal migrant, Connolly – herself the mother of a 12-year-old daughter – tweeted: “Mass deportation now, set fire to all the f**king hotels full of the bastards for all I care.” Connolly acted in haste, said Allison Pearson in…

In a practice called “body doubling”, employers are asking remote staff to work in the same digital space as a colleague – by spending all day on a Zoom call or equivalent. Employers say it helps keep workers at home focused on the job, and so boosts productivity. But though some employees welcome having someone to talk to, others say it makes them feel self-conscious and invigilated. The makers of Labubu dolls – furry monsters that people often hang from handbags – suspended in-store UK sales last week, after scenes in which customers reportedly fought each other to get hold of the toys. Hugely popular on social media, they are sold in “blind boxes”, so buyers don’t know which model they are getting until they open it.…

Wild camping, which will remain legal on Dartmoor. In a ruling that turned on the meaning of “open-air recreation” in the Dartmoor Commons Act, the Supreme Court found against local landowner Alexander Darwall, a hedge fund manager. Darwall had complained that being unable to remove campers hampered his wildlife conservation efforts and could put his cattle at risk. Renationalisation, as South Western Railway became the first train operator to be returned to state ownership under Labour (see page 35). The first train left Woking on Sunday bound for London Waterloo – though passengers travelling beyond Surbiton had to change onto a rail replacement bus. The AI apocalypse, after the latest model of ChatGPT reportedly refused an instruction to turn itself off. It had been told to shut down after it…