theweekuk--2020-12-11--Messi vs. Ronaldo: all-time goals, career statistics and red cards

• Ronaldo : 102 goals and 31 assists in 169 appearances for Portugal • Messi : 71 goals and 42 @ @ @ @ @ Argentina Messi ’ s red card against Chile in the 2019 Copa America was only @ @ @ @ @ .
He had previously only seen red once , on his debut for Argentina .
@ @ @ @ @ seconds after coming on as a sub against Hungary in 2005 .
Ronaldo has been @ @ @ @ @ his career - once for Juventus , six times for Real Madrid and four times @ @ @ @

Lionel Messi spent the first 21 years of his career with FC Barcelona – where he won Spain’s La Liga title ten times and the Uefa Champions League four times – before joining Paris Saint-Germain in 2021. After two years in France, he has signed for Major League Soccer (MLS) team Inter Miami.
The Argentine “hasn’t had any problem adjusting to life” in Miami, said Fox Sports. In his first five games for the “David Beckham-backed MLS club”, he’s scored eight goals and notched three assists.
After leading Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar, Messi was named the men’s player of the year at the 2022 Best Fifa Awards. The forward has now won the Fifa award twice and is one of the favourites to lift the Ballon d’Or for a record eighth time in 2023.
At Qatar 2022 Messi scored seven goals, including two in the final against France. He played his 1,000th career match as Argentina beat Australia in the round of 16.
Argentina also won the 2021 Copa America with Messi the top goalscorer in the competition. After winning a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the Copa America triumph in 2021 was his first in senior international football. South American champions Argentina won the 2022 “Finalissima”, 3-0 against European champions Italy, with captain Messi named man-of-the-match at Wembley Stadium.


theweekuk--2020-12-14--Coronavirus: is London heading into Tier 3 after restrictions are reviewed on Wednesday?

Police and council bosses have blasted proposals to impose Tier 3 coronavirus restrictions on some areas of London while leaving the rest in Tier 2 .
The city has been in the mid tier since lockdown ended in November , but soaring infection rates have prompted Health Secretary Matt Hancock to consider introducing tougher measures in the capital ’ s worst-hit boroughs when nationwide restrictions are reviewed on Wednesday .
The plan “ would mean restaurants and other hospitality businesses in London ’ s West End could stay open , while those in suburban areas would close ” , The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Met Police and local councils are warning that monitoring movements between areas in different tiers would be impossible and that the split could cause public order issues .
Some Tory MPs have also criticised the plan .
Six senior Conservatives have sent a letter to Boris Johnson arguing that imposing blanket Tier 3 measures in parts of the capital would hurt not just Londoners but “ people across the nation ” who depend on the “ wealth and prosperity generated by our great city ” .
The leaked letter , organised by Harrow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that London ’ s Tory MPs may vote against the government ’ s Covid response plans at next month ’ s review if the city is plunged into Tier 3 .
The Tory rebels may be fighting a losing battle , however , with London now recording higher infection rates than any other region in the UK .
Health ministers told London MPs last week that the positive test rate in the capital was 7 % , compared with an average of 5.9 % across the rest of the country .
And latest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been hit with nearly 24,000 Covid cases in a week , with rises in every borough , the London Evening Standard reports .
Five boroughs each reported more than 1,000 new cases in the week to 8 December : Havering ( 1,222 ) , Redbridge ( 1,109 ) Newham ( 1,084 ) , Enfield ( 1,017 ) and Waltham Forest ( 1,013 ) .
But “ while northeast London remains the Covid hotspot , the disease appears to be seeping across the city '' , the newspaper adds .
Indeed , the infection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tier changes may be announced before the review scheduled for Wednesday , government sources told Politico ’ s London Playbook .
However , the leading epidemiologist behind the Covid Symptom Study app has argued that putting the capital into Tier 3 would be a “ big mistake '' in the push to curb infections , the British Medical Journal website reports .
Speaking at a Royal Society of Medicine event , Tim Spector , a professor of genetic epidemiology at King ’ s College London , said : “ This on-off business is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ avoid it .
Drinking and festivities will happen if people think that in two days ’ time , ‘ that is it for another six weeks ’ .
“ It would be madness to do that . ''

Police and council bosses have blasted proposals to impose Tier 3 coronavirus restrictions on some areas of London while leaving the rest in Tier 2.
The city has been in the mid tier since lockdown ended in November, but soaring infection rates have prompted Health Secretary Matt Hancock to consider introducing tougher measures in the capital’s worst-hit boroughs when nationwide restrictions are reviewed on Wednesday.
The plan “would mean restaurants and other hospitality businesses in London’s West End could stay open, while those in suburban areas would close”, The Mail on Sunday reports. But the Met Police and local councils are warning that monitoring movements between areas in different tiers would be impossible and that the split could cause public order issues.
Some Tory MPs have also criticised the plan. Six senior Conservatives have sent a letter to Boris Johnson arguing that imposing blanket Tier 3 measures in parts of the capital would hurt not just Londoners but “people across the nation” who depend on the “wealth and prosperity generated by our great city”.
The leaked letter, organised by Harrow East MP Bob Blackman, also warns that London’s Tory MPs may vote against the government’s Covid response plans at next month’s review if the city is plunged into Tier 3.
The Tory rebels may be fighting a losing battle, however, with London now recording higher infection rates than any other region in the UK.
Health ministers told London MPs last week that the positive test rate in the capital was 7%, compared with an average of 5.9% across the rest of the country. And latest official figures show that the city has been hit with nearly 24,000 Covid cases in a week, with rises in every borough, the London Evening Standard reports.
Five boroughs each reported more than 1,000 new cases in the week to 8 December: Havering (1,222), Redbridge (1,109) Newham (1,084), Enfield (1,017) and Waltham Forest (1,013). But “while northeast London remains the Covid hotspot, the disease appears to be seeping across the city", the newspaper adds.
Indeed, the infection rate in London is so high that tier changes may be announced before the review scheduled for Wednesday, government sources told Politico’s London Playbook.
However, the leading epidemiologist behind the Covid Symptom Study app has argued that putting the capital into Tier 3 would be a “big mistake" in the push to curb infections, the British Medical Journal website reports.
Speaking at a Royal Society of Medicine event, Tim Spector, a professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London, said: “This on-off business is a total disaster, and we should avoid it. Drinking and festivities will happen if people think that in two days’ time, ‘that is it for another six weeks’.
“It would be madness to do that."


theweekuk--2020-12-14--What do extended negotiations mean for the odds of getting a Brexit deal?

Another weekend , another missed deadline and another high-level political intervention as Brexit deal negotations drag on and on .
Boris Johnson and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen yesterday pledged to “ go the extra mile ” to secure a future trade treaty , following a half-hour phone call during which the two leaders agreed to extend the talks into the coming week .
UK officials have played down hopes that the extension of Sunday ’ s deadline signals a willingness by both sides to compromise .
An insider told Politico ’ s London Playbook that there had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no breakthrough ” .
But “ several leading Europe correspondents this morning report there has indeed been a change in the substance on the crucial level playing field sticking point ” , Playbook ’ s Alex Wickham notes .
According to The Sun ’ s Brussels reporter Nick Gutteridge , the EU “ has dropped its insistence on a ‘ ratchet clause ’ which would have formalised the principle both sides should keep up with each other ’ s standards ” .
The shift suggests that the bloc is “ ready to cater @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as there are strong safeguards to rebalance unfair competition ” , Gutteridge writes .
This claim is echoed by The Times , which reports that negotiators are “ discussing what role independent arbitration could have in resolving disputes and at what stage either side might be able to impose retaliatory tariffs and how extensive they could be ” .
In other words , the EU appears willing to concede that Britain will not be locked into matching its level playing field rules , and that any retaliatory tariffs “ would come only after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says .
The concession would come at a cost to the UK , however , with the bloc unwilling to give away something for nothing .
A UK official told the news site that any breakthrough on level playing field issues “ could mean negotiations in the final days focus on quota numbers for EU fishermen in British waters ” .
The official added that “ if talks ultimately get narrowed down to that , a deal should be achievable ” .
Running with this slightly more upbeat tone , Playbook ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ progress ’ is still progress , the two sides are still talking [ and ] the rhetoric is slightly less gloomy ” .
But the likelihood of landing an agreement is still in question , with Downing Street officials pointing Wickham to Johnson ’ s insistence during an interview with Sky News yesterday that no-deal remained “ the most likely thing ” .

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theweekuk--2020-12-14--‘Super rats’ to give UK ‘heck of a ride’ in 2021

Super rats that are immune to poison are set to cause a rodent explosion in Britain next year .
After a study found that 74 % of rats now have a “ resistance gene ” , which means they can not be killed by common poisons , an expert said : “ This , together with a bumper breeding year , means we are in for a heck of a ride in 2021 if we don ’ t have a very , very cold winter.
” Kazakhstan man marries sex doll - or does he ?
A Kazakhstan body builder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Margo .
The self-declared “ sexy maniac ” said he got hitched to Margo after a “ whirlwind romance ” .
However , Toronto sex therapist-coach Carlyle Jansen , says : “ She ’ s not actually a sex doll .
I think she ’ s a mannequin for stores and stuff .
You never see her genitals.
” Gemma Collins wants to be abducted by aliens Towie star Gemma Collins wants aliens to abduct her and live with her in Essex .
After reading about a man who says he was abducted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ If I was abducted I ’ d be like , ‘ Guys , let ’ s have a good time… do you want to move to Essex with me ?
Shall we go to London shopping ?
’ I would literally just be normal with them.
” –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise , refreshing and balanced take on the week ’ s news agenda - try The Week magazine .
Start your trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Super rats that are immune to poison are set to cause a rodent explosion in Britain next year. After a study found that 74% of rats now have a “resistance gene”, which means they cannot be killed by common poisons, an expert said: “This, together with a bumper breeding year, means we are in for a heck of a ride in 2021 if we don’t have a very, very cold winter.”
Kazakhstan man marries sex doll - or does he?
A Kazakhstan body builder has married a silicone sex doll called Margo. The self-declared “sexy maniac” said he got hitched to Margo after a “whirlwind romance”. However, Toronto sex therapist-coach Carlyle Jansen, says: “She’s not actually a sex doll. I think she’s a mannequin for stores and stuff. You never see her genitals.”
Gemma Collins wants to be abducted by aliens
Towie star Gemma Collins wants aliens to abduct her and live with her in Essex. After reading about a man who says he was abducted by 10ft aliens, she said: “If I was abducted I’d be like, ‘Guys, let’s have a good time… do you want to move to Essex with me? Shall we go to London shopping?’ I would literally just be normal with them.”
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For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on the week’s news agenda - try The Week magazine. Start your trial subscription today
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theweekuk--2020-12-13--All change: welcome to The Week’s new website

As you will no doubt have noticed , TheWeek.co.uk has a new look .
The improvements are far more than @ @ @ @ @ load more quickly , the search tool will return more relevant results and the site @ @ @ @ @ tablets as well as desktop and laptop computers .
But the most obvious change is @ @ @ @ @ came about through subtraction as much as addition : we wanted to strip away the @ @ @ @ @ websites into obstacle courses .
The result , we hope , is that style now @ @ @ @ @ , distilled from a wide range of sources , give contrasting and complementary ideas the @ @ @ @ @ rare quality in our increasingly frenetic and polarised media landscape .
More improvements are on @ @ @ @ @ a significant upgrade for The Week ’ s subscribers .
In the meantime , we @ @ @ @ @ you think about the new site - and what you think we should do next @

As you will no doubt have noticed, TheWeek.co.uk has a new look.
The improvements are far more than skin deep. Pages will load more quickly, the search tool will return more relevant results and the site is optimised for phones and tablets as well as desktop and laptop computers.
But the most obvious change is aesthetic. The new design came about through subtraction as much as addition: we wanted to strip away the clutter that turns some news websites into obstacle courses.
The result, we hope, is that style now matches substance. Our articles, distilled from a wide range of sources, give contrasting and complementary ideas the space to breath - a rare quality in our increasingly frenetic and polarised media landscape.
More improvements are on the way shortly, including a significant upgrade for The Week’s subscribers. In the meantime, we would love to hear what you think about the new site - and what you think we should do next...
Please click here to provide your feedback.


theweekuk--2020-12-11--Messi vs. Ronaldo: Champions League and Fifa World Cup records

All you need to know about everything that matters .


theweekuk--2020-12-11--Messi vs. Ronaldo: trophies won and personal honours


theweekuk--2020-12-11--Messi vs. Ronaldo: player profiles

Messi vs. Ronaldo: player profiles


theweekuk--2020-12-11--The things Tesco workers wish they could tell customers

A former Tesco worker has shared the 11 things employees of the chain would most like to tell customers but aren ’ t allowed to .
The top one was : “ I know it 's three minutes until we open , but I ca n't unlock the doors just because you 're standing there.
” The staff also wish they could say that they hate the self-service tills more than customers do and that huffing and puffing in the queue wo n't make them go any quicker .
Flight attendants in China have been advised to wear nappies to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Civil Aviation Administration of China suggests that cabin crew “ wear disposable diapers and avoid using the lavatories barring special circumstances to avoid infection risks ” .
Studies have found that toilets are among the dirtiest places in aeroplanes .
Councillor sets himself on fire on Zoom A man has accidentally set himself on fire during a Zoom meeting as he tried to light a candle Councillor Tom Sleigh from London shared the footage on Twitter , saying : “ Today did n't go as smoothly as I hoped.
” He said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fingers but quickly recovered after plunging them into cold water .

A former Tesco worker has shared the 11 things employees of the chain would most like to tell customers but aren’t allowed to. The top one was: “I know it's three minutes until we open, but I can't unlock the doors just because you're standing there.” The staff also wish they could say that they hate the self-service tills more than customers do and that huffing and puffing in the queue won't make them go any quicker.
Cabin crew in China advised to wear nappies
Flight attendants in China have been advised to wear nappies to reduce their chances of catching Covid-19. The Civil Aviation Administration of China suggests that cabin crew “wear disposable diapers and avoid using the lavatories barring special circumstances to avoid infection risks”. Studies have found that toilets are among the dirtiest places in aeroplanes.
Councillor sets himself on fire on Zoom
A man has accidentally set himself on fire during a Zoom meeting as he tried to light a candle Councillor Tom Sleigh from London shared the footage on Twitter, saying: “Today didn't go as smoothly as I hoped.” He said he had “badly” burnt his fingers but quickly recovered after plunging them into cold water.


theweekuk--2020-12-14--Did Oliver Cromwell really ban Christmas?

Despite winning the English Civil War and ruling the British Isles for five years , Oliver Cromwell is more commonly remembered as the ruler who did the unthinkable : banning Christmas .
The puritan lord protector of England and his religious faction had long campaigned against what they considered to be superfluous additions to the religious calendar .
But while Cromwell was undoubtedly a bit of a killjoy , the famous tale of the 17th century leader banning festive fun is not entirely accurate .
Yes .
In 1644 , King Charles I was still on the throne but was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the First English Civil War .
The monarch had ruled alone without Parliament from 1629 to 1640 before being forced to summon MPs to help him raise taxes to stamp out a rebellion in Scotland .
When Parliament demanded radical reforms , civil war broke out in 1642 .
Many people , particularly the more zealous protestants , or “ puritans ” , feared King Charles wanted to restore England to the Catholic fold , explains BBC History .
Restrictions on Christmas were introduced by the puritan-dominated House of Commons in 1644 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the celebration of Christ ’ s birth was used as an excuse for drunkenness and debauchery .
Christmas was renamed ‘ Christ tide ’ to avoid any reference to Roman Catholic ‘ Mass ’ and deemed to be an ordinary working day , ” says The Times .
Christmas activities , such as dancing , games , singing carols and especially drinking , were eschewed in favour of sober religious contemplation for 25 December .
What did Oliver Cromwell have to do with it ?
Author Katherine Clements says that while Parliament was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more concerned with winning victories ” on their behalf as a principal commander of the New Model Army against the king ’ s troops at Marston Moor in 1644 and Naseby in 1645 .
Following King Charles I ’ s execution in 1649 and the parliamentary victory in the civil war , Cromwell became Lord Protector of England , Scotland and Ireland in December 1653 – by which time the Christmas policy was firmly in place .
Nevertheless , John Goldsmith , chairman of the Cromwell Association , tells The Times that Cromwell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as it continued under his rule until he died in 1658 .
HistoryExtra says the legislation was “ deeply unpopular ” among the public and “ when King Charles II returned to power in 1660 , one of his first acts was to repeal all the anti-Christmas legislation , helping foster his image as the ‘ Merry Monarch ’ ” .

Boris Johnson said that it would be “frankly inhuman” to cancel Christmas amid growing concerns over the spread of Covid-19 last year.
He wouldn’t have been the first British leader to do so, however. Despite winning the English Civil War and ruling the British Isles for five years, Oliver Cromwell is most commonly remembered as the ruler who did the unthinkable: banning festive celebrations.
The puritan lord protector of England and his religious faction had long campaigned against what they considered to be superfluous additions to the religious calendar.
But while Cromwell was undoubtedly a bit of a killjoy, the famous tale of the 17th-century leader banning festive fun is not entirely accurate.
Was there a Christmas crackdown?
There was a Christmas crackdown in the 1600s. In 1644, King Charles I was still on the throne but was battling against troops loyal to the English parliament in the First English Civil War.
The monarch had ruled alone without Parliament from 1629 to 1640 before being forced to summon MPs to help him raise taxes to stamp out a rebellion in Scotland. When Parliament demanded radical reforms, civil war broke out in 1642.
Many people, particularly the more zealous protestants, or “puritans”, feared King Charles wanted to restore England to the Catholic fold, explained BBC History, and celebrations of Christ’s birth were considered to have been derived from the Roman Catholic Church, “thus threatening their core Christian beliefs”, said the BBC.
Restrictions on Christmas were introduced by the puritan-dominated House of Commons in 1644.
Many puritans considered festivities and carol singing as “not only abhorrent but sinful”, said the BBC. There had also been complaints that the celebration was an excuse for “for drunkenness and debauchery”, said The Times.
“Christmas was renamed ‘Christ tide’ to avoid any reference to Roman Catholic ‘Mass’ and deemed to be an ordinary working day.”
Christmas activities, such as dancing, games, singing carols and especially drinking, were eschewed in favour of sober religious contemplation for 25 December.
Oliver Cromwell’s involvement
Author Katherine Clements said that while Parliament was reforming Christmas, Cromwell was “probably more concerned with winning victories” on their behalf as a principal commander of the New Model Army against the king’s troops at Marston Moor in 1644 and Naseby in 1645.
Following King Charles I’s execution in 1649 and the parliamentary victory in the civil war, Cromwell became Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland in December 1653 – by which time the Christmas policy was firmly in place.
Nevertheless, John Goldsmith, chairman of the Cromwell Association, told The Times that Cromwell must have approved of the Christmas ban as it continued under his rule until he died in 1658.
History Extra says the legislation was “deeply unpopular” among the public and “when King Charles II returned to power in 1660, one of his first acts was to repeal all the anti-Christmas legislation, helping foster his image as the ‘Merry Monarch’”.
A return to Christmas
History Extra says the legislation was “deeply unpopular” among the public, and the “festive spirits of English men, women and children were not to be so easily silenced”, the BBC noted.
During the almost 20 years that the ban was in place, Christmas “didn’t pass quietly”, said Martyn Bennett, professor of early modern history at Nottingham Trent University, writing for The Conversation. “Semi-clandestine religious services marking Christ’s nativity continued to be held on 25 December,” said the BBC.
The new rules were “flouted” in England, Scotland and Ireland, with some local traditions – such as a festive football game held annually in Canterbury – continuing undisturbed, said Bennett.
With the English monarchy restored in 1660, one of King Charles II’s first acts was to revoke the Christmas ban, for which he is still known as the “Merry Monarch”.


theweekuk--2020-12-14--Four things you may not know about Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy author John le Carre

John le Carre fans have been paying tribute to the Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy novelist following his death at the age of 89 .
The writer , real name David Cornwell , passed away on Saturday at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro following a short battle with pneumonia .
Confirming that his death was not Covid-related , le Carre ’ s literary agent , Jonny Geller , said : “ His like will never be seen again .
Our hearts go out to his four sons , their families and to his dear wife , Jane.
” Leading the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , US writer Stephen King tweeted : “ This terrible year has claimed a literary giant and a humanitarian spirit.
” Historian Simon Sebag Montefiore wrote : “ Heartbroken # JohnleCarre has gone : the titan of English literature up there with the greats , creator of his own world of masterpieces , studies of betrayal , honour , character , idealism and power that were also spy thrillers.
” While le Carre is renowned for his best-selling books , however , other aspects of his life are less well known .
Here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come as a surprise : Before settling into a career as one of the country ’ s best-loved writers , le Carre put in stints “ teaching at Eton and working for the secret services while studying German in Switzerland ” , The Times reports .
The “ knowledge of the workings of intelligence agencies ” that later informed his writing “ stemmed from his role at the British Foreign Service as an intelligence officer in postwar Europe ” , the paper adds .
Le Carre was “ bewildered and conflicted ” by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Spy Who Came in from the Cold , says The Times .
Throughout his career , he “ believed that literary London , with its longstanding apartheid separating literary fiction from its commercial ugly sister , genre fiction , never quite accepted his success ” , The Guardian adds .
Less than an hour after le Carre was nominated for the Booker Prize in 2011 , his agent released a statement from the author that said : “ I do not compete for literary prizes and have therefore asked for my name to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a knighthood , saying that being “ called Commander of the British Empire or any other thing of the British Empire ” was “ emetic ” - that is , vomit-inducing .
The then-budding author was working for the Foreign Office in the British Embassy in the west German city of Bonn when his first published work , Call For The Dead , was released in 1961 .
But “ Foreign Office officials were not allowed to publish books under their own name ” , the BBC reports - a rule that led @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his opinion in 2014 on the state of British politics , le Carre described himself as “ English to the core ” .
Yet he “ deplored what he saw as the aggressive nationalistic sentiment behind Brexit ” , says the BBC .
Le Carre insisted : “ My England would be the one that recognises its place in the EU .
The jingoistic England that is trying to march us out of the EU , that is an England I don ’ t want to know .
”

John le Carre fans have been paying tribute to the Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy novelist following his death at the age of 89.
The writer, real name David Cornwell, passed away on Saturday at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro following a short battle with pneumonia.
Confirming that his death was not Covid-related, le Carre’s literary agent, Jonny Geller, said: “His like will never be seen again. Our hearts go out to his four sons, their families and to his dear wife, Jane.”
Leading the online tributes to the world-famous espionage author, US writer Stephen King tweeted: “This terrible year has claimed a literary giant and a humanitarian spirit.” Historian Simon Sebag Montefiore wrote: “Heartbroken #JohnleCarre has gone: the titan of English literature up there with the greats, creator of his own world of masterpieces, studies of betrayal, honour, character, idealism and power that were also spy thrillers.”
While le Carre is renowned for his best-selling books, however, other aspects of his life are less well known. Here are four things about him that may come as a surprise:
Real-life sleuth
Before settling into a career as one of the country’s best-loved writers, le Carre put in stints “teaching at Eton and working for the secret services while studying German in Switzerland”, The Times reports.
The “knowledge of the workings of intelligence agencies” that later informed his writing “stemmed from his role at the British Foreign Service as an intelligence officer in postwar Europe”, the paper adds.
Struggle with success
Le Carre was “bewildered and conflicted” by the success of his breakthrough novel The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, says The Times.
Throughout his career, he “believed that literary London, with its longstanding apartheid separating literary fiction from its commercial ugly sister, genre fiction, never quite accepted his success”, The Guardian adds.
Less than an hour after le Carre was nominated for the Booker Prize in 2011, his agent released a statement from the author that said: “I do not compete for literary prizes and have therefore asked for my name to be withdrawn.”
He also turned down a knighthood, saying that being “called Commander of the British Empire or any other thing of the British Empire” was “emetic” - that is, vomit-inducing.
Multiple identities
The then-budding author was working for the Foreign Office in the British Embassy in the west German city of Bonn when his first published work, Call For The Dead, was released in 1961. But “Foreign Office officials were not allowed to publish books under their own name”, the BBC reports - a rule that led Cornwell to become le Carre.
Deplored Brexit
Asked his opinion in 2014 on the state of British politics, le Carre described himself as “English to the core”. Yet he “deplored what he saw as the aggressive nationalistic sentiment behind Brexit”, says the BBC. Le Carre insisted: “My England would be the one that recognises its place in the EU. The jingoistic England that is trying to march us out of the EU, that is an England I don’t want to know.”


theweekuk--2020-12-15--Alexei Navalny poisoned with negroni after being ‘tailed by hit squad’

Russian intelligence agents followed Alexei Navalny for years before poisoning him with the nerve agent novichok in August , it has been revealed .
A joint investigation between Bellingcat and Russian news site The Insider found that an undercover hit squad working for Russia ’ s FSB spy agency poisoned the vocal critic of Vladimir Putin , having shadowed him on multiple previous trips Citing “ voluminous ” telecoms and travel data , Bellingcat reports that the FSB squad had been tailing Navalny since 2017 , around the same time that he announced that he would run for president against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it believes the August poisoning had been approved “ at the highest echelons of the Kremlin ” , appearing to confirm Navalny ’ s claim that Putin had ordered the attempted assassination .
The investigation website found that three men travelled with the opposition figure to Tomsk , where he was eventually poisoned .
It names the three men as doctors Alexey Alexandrov and Ivan Osipov , and Vladimir Panyaev .
The report , conducted with the assistance of CNN and German magazine der Spiegel , also suggests that the method of poisoning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Navalny in Tomsk .
The activist is reported to have ordered a Bloody Mary while meeting colleagues for a drink in his hotel , but having been informed that the hotel did not have the ingredients , opted for a negroni at the suggestion of the bartender .
He later told an interviewer that it “ tasted like the most disgusting thing I ’ ve had in my life ” .
He fell ill the next morning .
“ Russia ’ s response… is almost certain to follow the familiar pattern of denial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obfuscation , ” writes The Times ’ Moscow correspondent Marc Bennetts .
And while it may see the UK and EU “ increase sanctions on Russia ” , it is “ unlikely to have much impact on Putin ’ s reputation ” within the country , he adds .

Russian intelligence agents followed Alexei Navalny for years before poisoning him with the nerve agent novichok in August, it has been revealed.
A joint investigation between Bellingcat and Russian news site The Insider found that an undercover hit squad working for Russia’s FSB spy agency poisoned the vocal critic of Vladimir Putin, having shadowed him on multiple previous trips
Citing “voluminous” telecoms and travel data, Bellingcat reports that the FSB squad had been tailing Navalny since 2017, around the same time that he announced that he would run for president against Putin.
The investigative news site said it believes the August poisoning had been approved “at the highest echelons of the Kremlin”, appearing to confirm Navalny’s claim that Putin had ordered the attempted assassination.
The investigation website found that three men travelled with the opposition figure to Tomsk, where he was eventually poisoned. It names the three men as doctors Alexey Alexandrov and Ivan Osipov, and Vladimir Panyaev.
The report, conducted with the assistance of CNN and German magazine der Spiegel, also suggests that the method of poisoning may have been a cocktail ordered by Navalny in Tomsk.
The activist is reported to have ordered a Bloody Mary while meeting colleagues for a drink in his hotel, but having been informed that the hotel did not have the ingredients, opted for a negroni at the suggestion of the bartender. He later told an interviewer that it “tasted like the most disgusting thing I’ve had in my life”. He fell ill the next morning.
“Russia’s response… is almost certain to follow the familiar pattern of denial, mockery and often absurd attempts at obfuscation,” writes The Times’ Moscow correspondent Marc Bennetts. And while it may see the UK and EU “increase sanctions on Russia”, it is “unlikely to have much impact on Putin’s reputation” within the country, he adds.


theweekuk--2020-12-15--Sport on TV: Christmas 2020 and New Year listings

’ Tis the season to watch sport on the box because there ’ s loads on during the Christmas and @ @ @ @ @ From Premier League football to world championship darts , fans can settle down in front @ @ @ @ @ a great selection of sporting action .
Here ’ s our guide to the live @ @ @ @ @ , BT Sport , terrestrial TV and the streaming sites .
All times below are @ @

’Tis the season to watch sport on the box because there’s loads on during the Christmas and New Year festive period.
From Premier League football to world championship darts, fans can settle down in front of the TV and enjoy a great selection of sporting action.
Here’s our guide to the live festive fixtures on Sky Sports, BT Sport, terrestrial TV and the streaming sites. All times below are UK.
Darts World Championship
15 December-3 January: PDC William Hill World Championship (Sky Sports)
Football: English Premier League
Sunday 20 December
Brighton vs. Sheffield Utd (12pm, Sky Sports)
Tottenham vs. Leicester City (2.15pm, Sky Sports)
Manchester United vs. Leeds United (4.30pm, Sky Sports)
West Bromwich Albion vs. Aston Villa (7.30pm, BT Sport)
Monday 21 December
Burnley vs. Wolves (5.30pm, Sky Sports)
Chelsea vs. West Ham (8pm, Sky Sports)
Saturday 26 December
Leicester City vs. Manchester United (12.30pm, BT Sport)
Aston Villa vs. Crystal Palace (3pm, BBC)
Fulham vs. Southampton (3pm, Sky Sports)
Arsenal vs. Chelsea (5.30pm, Sky Sports)
Manchester City vs. Newcastle United (8pm, BT Sport)
Sheffield United vs. Everton (8pm, BT Sport)
Sunday 27 December
Leeds United vs. Burnley (12pm, Sky Sports)
West Ham United vs. Brighton & Hove Albion (2.15pm, Sky Sports)
Liverpool vs. West Bromwich Albion (4.30pm, Sky Sports)
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs. Tottenham Hotspur (7.15pm, Sky Sports)
Monday 28 December
Crystal Palace vs. Leicester City (3pm, Amazon)
Chelsea vs. Aston Villa (5.30pm, Amazon)
Everton vs. Manchester City (8pm, Amazon)
Tuesday 29 December
Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Arsenal (6pm, Amazon)
Burnley vs. Sheffield United (6pm, Amazon)
Southampton vs. West Ham United (6pm, Amazon)
West Bromwich Albion vs. Leeds United (6pm, Amazon)
Manchester United vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers (8pm, Amazon)
Wednesday 30 December
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Fulham (6pm, Amazon)
Newcastle United vs. Liverpool (8pm, Amazon)
Football: Scottish Premiership
Sunday 20 December
Kilmarnock vs. Aberdeen (12pm, Sky Sports)
Saturday 26 December
Rangers vs. Hibernian (12.30pm, Sky Sports)
Hamilton Academical vs. Celtic (3pm, Sky Sports)
Saturday 2 January 2021
Rangers vs. Celtic (12.30pm, Sky Sports)
Football: EFL Championship
Saturday 26 December
Watford vs. Norwich City (7.45pm, Sky Sports)
Tuesday 29 December
Millwall vs. Watford (5.30pm, Sky Sports)
Stoke City vs. Nottingham Forest (8pm, Sky Sports)
Wednesday 30 December
Brentford vs. Bournemouth (5.30pm, Sky Sports)
Swansea City vs. Reading (8pm, Sky Sports)
Football: English League Cup quarter-finals
Tuesday 22 December
Brentford vs. Newcastle United (5.30pm, Sky Sports)
Arsenal vs. Manchester City (8pm, Sky Sports)
Wednesday 23 December
Stoke City vs. Tottenham Hotspur (5.30pm, Sky Sports)
Everton vs. Manchester United (8pm, Sky Sports)
American football: NFL
21 December: San Francisco 49ers @ Dallas Cowboys (1.10am, Sky Sports)
22 December: Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cincinnati Bengals (1am, Sky Sports)
27 December: Miami Dolphins @ Las Vegas Raiders (1am, Sky Sports)
28 December: Tennessee Titans @ Green Bay Packers (1.10am, Sky Sports)
Rugby union: English Premiership
Saturday 26 December
Harlequins vs. Bristol Bears (1.30pm, BT Sport)
Bath Rugby vs. London Irish (2pm, BT Sport)
Newcastle Falcons vs. Leicester Tigers (2pm, BT Sport)
Exeter Chiefs vs. Gloucester Rugby (3pm, BT Sport)
Northampton Saints vs. Worcester Warriors (4.15pm, BT Sport)
Sunday 27 December
Sale Sharks vs. Wasps (2pm, BT Sport)
Friday 1 January
Worcester Warriors vs. Harlequins (7pm, BT Sport)
Saturday 2 January
Wasps vs. Exeter Chiefs (1.15pm, BT Sport)
Gloucester Rugby vs. Sale Sharks (4.15pm, BT Sport)
Sunday 3 January
Leicester Tigers v Bath Rugby (2pm, BT Sport)
Rugby union: European Rugby Champions Cup
Sunday 20 December


theweekuk--2020-12-15--Explained: the new strain of Covid-19 behind a sharp rise in London infections

A new variant of the Covid-19 virus is behind a sudden spike in cases in London and the Southeast of England , experts believe .
Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the House of Commons yesterday that almost 60 local authorities had identified a total of more than 1,000 Covid infections caused by the new variant .
“ And numbers are increasing rapidly , ” he added .
The latest strain was “ highly unlikely ” to make vaccines less effective or to be more deadly , Hancock said , but the newcomer appears to be “ growing faster than the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strain is understood to have originated in Kent and “ has been suggested as one reason why cases continued to rise in the county during the lockdown ” , writes The Times ’ science editor Tom Whipple .
“ Viruses mutate with predictable regularity , and it ’ s rarely a concern , ” Whipple continues .
“ Pure dumb chance can lead to one strain predominating and nothing functional will have changed to cause it .
So why the worry ?
” According to Professor Thomas Connor , a bioscience expert at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strain may bind to human cells more easily than previous strains , leading to an “ obvious increase in case numbers ” .
The mutation also appears to have changed the shape of the virus , which “ could change how the immune system sees it ” , Connor told the paper .
Sky News ’ science correspondent Thomas Moore says that while the mutation is “ not wholly unusual ” , it is something that scientists “ will be keeping a very close watch on ” .
Or as Connor puts it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mutation were “ always going to make us twitchy .
Even if it is just random chance , we want to be looking at it .
”


theweekuk--2020-12-15--EA races towards takeover of gaming rival Codemasters

US video games giant Electronic Arts ( EA ) is in pole position to acquire Codemasters in a proposed buyout that has been agreed by the boards of both companies .
Formula 1 game maker Codemasters had been set to sell to New York City-based Take-Two Interactive Software , which made a £725m bid for the British firm in November .
But Fifa publisher EA has “ gatecrashed ” the takeover with a last-minute bid of $ 1.2bn ( £945m ) , Sky News reports .
Codemasters develops a range of racing games including the F1 franchise , DiRT , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The takeover would see these titles join Need for Speed , Burnout , and Real Racing in EA ’ s portfolio .
And while that combined line-up does not represent a total monopoly on racing games , it ’ s “ as close as you ’ re likely to find for any major genre in gaming ” , says ARS Technica .
The Codemasters board has withdrawn its recommendation to accept Take-Two ’ s lower offer in order to “ unanimously recommend ” taking the bid from EA , Sky News reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shareholders receive 604p per share - a premium of 13.1 % to the last closing price of the company ’ s shares .
The takeover is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2021 .
In a statement confirming the offer , Codemasters said : “ The EA offer price of 604 pence per share in cash represents an aggregate value of £945m for Codemasters ’ issued and to be issued share capital .
“ In evaluating the EA offer , the Codemasters board has considered various aspects of the EA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ represent a superior offer for Codemasters ’ shareholders as compared with the Take-Two offer.
” With people worldwide stuck at home as a result of Covid outbreaks , the video game sector has been “ one of the largest winners of the pandemic ” as the industry ’ s sales “ boom ” , says gamesindustry.biz .
Thanks to new titles and the strength of its back catalogue , Codemasters saw its first-half revenues double in 2020 , and the group ’ s year-on-year sales increased to £80.5m in the six months to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was “ especially well-liked ” by gamers , reaching the No.1 spot in the UK physical games charts in July , in the “ best opening week in three years ” for the series , This is Money reports .

US video games giant Electronic Arts (EA) is in pole position to acquire Codemasters in a proposed buyout that has been agreed by the boards of both companies.
Formula 1 game maker Codemasters had been set to sell to New York City-based Take-Two Interactive Software, which made a £725m bid for the British firm in November. But Fifa publisher EA has “gatecrashed” the takeover with a last-minute bid of $1.2bn (£945m), Sky News reports.
Codemasters develops a range of racing games including the F1 franchise, DiRT, DiRT Rally, Grid and Project Cars. The takeover would see these titles join Need for Speed, Burnout, and Real Racing in EA’s portfolio.
And while that combined line-up does not represent a total monopoly on racing games, it’s “as close as you’re likely to find for any major genre in gaming”, says ARS Technica.
‘Superior offer’
The Codemasters board has withdrawn its recommendation to accept Take-Two’s lower offer in order to “unanimously recommend” taking the bid from EA, Sky News reports. The proposed deal would see Codemasters shareholders receive 604p per share - a premium of 13.1% to the last closing price of the company’s shares.
The takeover is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2021.
In a statement confirming the offer, Codemasters said: “The EA offer price of 604 pence per share in cash represents an aggregate value of £945m for Codemasters’ issued and to be issued share capital.
“In evaluating the EA offer, the Codemasters board has considered various aspects of the EA offer and considers the EA offer to represent a superior offer for Codemasters’ shareholders as compared with the Take-Two offer.”
Boom time
With people worldwide stuck at home as a result of Covid outbreaks, the video game sector has been “one of the largest winners of the pandemic” as the industry’s sales “boom”, says gamesindustry.biz.
Thanks to new titles and the strength of its back catalogue, Codemasters saw its first-half revenues double in 2020, and the group’s year-on-year sales increased to £80.5m in the six months to the end of September.
F1 2020 was “especially well-liked” by gamers, reaching the No.1 spot in the UK physical games charts in July, in the “best opening week in three years” for the series, This is Money reports.


theweekuk--2020-12-15--Coronavirus: what is Europe doing about Covid-19 restrictions over Christmas?

As the UK looks forward to a brief respite from coronavirus restrictions over Christmas , officials in No .
10 are becoming increasingly concerned about what the new year will bring .
Boris Johnson “ has been absolutely determined to allow families some brief semblance of normality ” , says Politico ’ s London Playbook .
But with cases spiralling in the capital , “ that position is going to come under intense scrutiny in the coming days ” .
Under the government ’ s plans , bubbles of three households will be allowed to spend time together under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But the Independent Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies is called on Downing Street to rethink the policy - or face the “ very real danger of a third wave of the pandemic ” .
With leaders in other European countries facing similar dilemmas , here ’ s how the Continent is dealing with Christmas Covid restrictions : France has recorded 2,336,136 confirmed cases of Covid-19 , with 57,542 related deaths , according to latest figures from the World Health Organization ( WHO ) .
The country ’ s second lockdown ends today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 8pm to 6am curfew .
People across France will be able to go out freely during the day , with no limitations on how far they can travel from home .
They will also be allowed to “ meet with friends and family again , outside or inside ” , The Connexion reports , but cinemas , restaurants , museums and cafes will remain closed until January .
During the curfew , travel outside is only allowed for essential reasons , such as medical emergencies , getting to and from work , taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or trains .
There will be no curfew on Christmas Eve , but no more than six adults may get together and people in these bubbles are advised to limit their interactions with others in the five days leading up to 25 December .
There will be no exception to the curfew for New Year ’ s Eve , with everyone told to stay indoors to celebrate .
Germany has reported 1,337,078 Covid cases and 21,975 deaths , and is about to implement tough new lockdown measures .
Between 16 December and 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be closed , and only a slight relaxation of other Covid rules is planned for Christmas Eve , Christmas Day and Boxing Day .


theweekuk--2020-12-15--Russian woman marries her briefcase

Russian woman marries her briefcase

A woman from Moscow has married a briefcase .
Rain Gordon , who says she has always been interested in inanimate objects , calls her husband Gideon .
She says she first met Gideon back in 2015 in a hardware store .
“ I had no idea that we would end up together , ” she said .
“ I admired how he looked , but I did n't think anything more .
But then I started liking Gideon for more than that .
I slowly realised I was starting to fall in love.
” Police in Las Vegas have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found clinging to the wing of an Alaska Airlines jet on the tarmac .
Online footage shows the man shimmying along the wing as passengers stare out the window .
The airline said the plane had been preparing for take-off when the man approached it on the tarmac .
He was arrested and the jet returned to the gate for a full inspection .
‘ Christmas star ’ to be visible from Earth A rare “ Christmas star ” will be visible from Earth for the first time in 800 years later this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appear to merge and create a single bright point in the cosmos on 21 December , the longest night of the year .
NASA said the two planets have “ gradually moved closer to each other ” in the last few months and will be just a “ fifth of a full moon apart ” at their closest point .

A woman from Moscow has married a briefcase. Rain Gordon, who says she has always been interested in inanimate objects, calls her husband Gideon. She says she first met Gideon back in 2015 in a hardware store. “I had no idea that we would end up together,” she said. “I admired how he looked, but I didn't think anything more. But then I started liking Gideon for more than that. I slowly realised I was starting to fall in love.”
Man approaches jet and mounts wing
Police in Las Vegas have arrested a man who they said they found clinging to the wing of an Alaska Airlines jet on the tarmac. Online footage shows the man shimmying along the wing as passengers stare out the window. The airline said the plane had been preparing for take-off when the man approached it on the tarmac. He was arrested and the jet returned to the gate for a full inspection.
‘Christmas star’ to be visible from Earth
A rare “Christmas star” will be visible from Earth for the first time in 800 years later this month. Jupiter and Saturn are expected appear to merge and create a single bright point in the cosmos on 21 December, the longest night of the year. NASA said the two planets have “gradually moved closer to each other” in the last few months and will be just a “fifth of a full moon apart” at their closest point.


theweekuk--2020-02-03--Christmas stocking fillers: best books of 2020

“ Each Christmas spawns its ubiquitous festive pop jingle , its tearjerking advert , and its eccentric bestsellers , ” said Jane Shilling in The Daily Telegraph .
“ Miscellanies , almanacs , amusingly pedantic grammar books – all go down nicely with a glass of sloe gin and a mince pie.
” This year , my money ’ s on Pottering : A Cure for Modern Life by Anna McGovern ( Laurence King £12.99 ) .
It ’ s a charming paean to “ the small , practical , but satisfying occupations for which the demands of everyday life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , rearranging spice racks , replacing missing buttons ” .
In a rather grave year , people may appreciate funny books more than ever , said Justine Jordan in The Guardian .
For those who haven ’ t come across the deadpan comedy of David Sedaris , a new selection , The Best of Me ( Little , Brown £16.99 ) , makes an ideal introduction .
He will make you “ laugh , wince and sob ” .
Another veteran genius of observational comedy is Jilly Cooper , said Rachel Cooke in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Bantam £14.99 ) , a collection of her columns from the 1960s and 1970s , she reminds us that , before she became a novelist , she was a “ perky , clever and rather wise ” journalist .
Also recommended is Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops ( Profile £7.99 ) , said Mark Mason in the Daily Mail – a slim volume by Shaun Bythell , the owner of Scotland ’ s largest second-hand bookshop .
From the Expert who wants “ to impart rather than obtain information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of young Tarquin ’ s readiness for War and Peace , Bythell ’ s portraits are amusingly misanthropic .
In Notes from an Apocalypse ( Granta £14.99 ) , Mark O ’ Connell describes a series of journeys to the “ places where the end-times seem closest ” , said Michael Kerr in The Daily Telegraph – luxury , nuclear bunkers ; boltholes in New Zealand ; the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone .
“ Fretful , wise and funny ” , it ’ s a book suited to the anxiety of our times .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ releases and bestsellers It is 1981 .
Glasgow is dying and good families must grift to survive .
Agnes Bain has always expected more from life .
She dreams of greater things but Agnes is abandoned by her philandering husband , and soon she and her three children find themselves trapped in a decimated mining town .
As she descends deeper into drink , the children try their best to save her , yet one by one they must abandon her to save themselves .
It is her son Shuggie who holds out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Booker Prize were “ bowled-over by this first novel , which creates an amazingly intimate , compassionate , gripping portrait of addiction , courage and love ” .
While the Observer ’ s Alex Preston adds : “ Douglas Stuart has written a first novel of rare and lasting beauty.
” The New Wilderness by Diane Cook Bea ’ s five-year-old daughter , Agnes , is slowly wasting away .
The smog and pollution of the overdeveloped , overpopulated metropolis they call home is ravaging her lungs .
Bea knows she can not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is only one alternative : The Wilderness State .
As Agnes embraces this new existence , Bea realises that saving her daughter ’ s life might mean losing her in ways she hadn ’ t foreseen .
Emily St. John Mandel , the New York Times bestselling author of Station Eleven , calls it “ a virtuosic debut , brutal and beautiful in equal measure ” .
Dangarembga channels the hope and potential of one young girl and a fledgling nation to lead us on a journey to discover where lives go after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tambudzai , living in a run-down youth hostel in downtown Harare and anxious about her prospects after leaving a stagnant job .
At every turn in her attempt to make a life for herself , she is faced with a fresh humiliation , until the painful contrast between the future she imagined and her daily reality ultimately drives her to a breaking point .
In her review for The Guardian Lara Feigel says This Mournable Body “ provides a powerful finale to the Zimbabwean author ’ s trilogy ” .
In her youth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her arranged marriage to join an ashram , took a hapless artist for a lover , rebelled against every social expectation of a good Indian woman - all with her young child in tow .
Years on , she is an old woman with a fading memory , mixing up her maid ’ s wages and leaving the gas on all night , and her grown-up daughter is faced with the task of caring for a mother who never seemed to care for her .
This is a poisoned love story .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daughter .
Francesca Carington of The Daily Telegraph says : “ There ’ s a lot more to praise in Burnt Sugar : a concern with corporeality and illness , smells and shrieks erupting through the feverish prose .
It ’ s a corrosive , compulsive debut.
” Ethiopia .
1935 .
With the threat of Mussolini ’ s army looming , recently orphaned Hirut struggles to adapt to her new life as a maid .
Her new employer , Kidane , an officer in Emperor Haile Selassie ’ s army , rushes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Italians invade .
“ The star of the novel is Mengiste ’ s gorgeous writing , which makes The Shadow King nearly impossible to put down , ” says Michael Schaub of NPR .
“ Mengiste has a real gift for language ; her writing is powerful but never florid , gripping the reader and refusing to let go.
” In this brilliant debut novel , described as “ psychologically compelling ” by the Observer , Wallace spends his summer in the lab of lakeside Midwestern university breeding a strain of microscopic worms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world away from his childhood in Alabama .
His father died a few weeks ago , but Wallace didn ’ t go back for the funeral , and he hasn ’ t told his friends – Miller , Yngve , Cole and Emma .
For reasons of self-preservation , he has become used to keeping a wary distance even from those closest to him .
But , over the course of one blustery end-of-summer weekend , the destruction of his work and a series of intense confrontations force Wallace to grapple with both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the question of the future .
Lucy Knight of The Sunday Times calls Real Life “ an elegant take on the ‘ campus novel ’ and a deeply moving study of race , grief and desire ” .
Tom Bower is a veteran journalist who is famous for his scathing unauthorised biographies of powerful men , said Rachel Sylvester in The Times – among them Robert Maxwell , Conrad Black , Tony Blair and Jeremy Corbyn .
You ’ d assume that with his latest effort he would have repeated the trick , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oddly sympathetic ” portrait .
It ’ s not that Boris Johnson : The Gambler is a whitewash .
Bower is alive to his subject ’ s “ faults and mistakes ” : Johnson is portrayed as “ obsessed with money , incorrigibly disloyal ” , dishonest and “ riddled with insecurities ” .
But rather than holding him responsible for such failings , Bower presents them as the “ inevitable product ” of a chaotic , disturbing and deeply unhappy childhood .
For him , “ Boris ” – as he is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victim .
The Haunting of Alma Fielding by Kate Summerscale In 1938 Alma Fielding , a housewife from Thornton Heath in south London , apparently became possessed by a violent spirit , said Lucy Lethbridge in the Literary Review .
A six-fingered handprint appeared on a mirror ; a glass spontaneously shattered ; visiting reporters saw eggs fly through the air and a fender tumble down the stairs .
Kate Summerscale ’ s great coup is to have discovered the notebooks of Nandor Fodor , a Hungarian journalist sent to investigate these events @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Months of rigorous tests led Fodor to believe that while Fielding had certainly faked some of the manifestations , she was indeed possessed by some kind of uncanny force .
Summerscale , the author of The Suspicions of Mr Whicher , has “ an enviable nose for events , once briefly notorious , that are still singular and disturbing ” .
She places this story in its historical context : the craze for spiritualism brought about by the memory of the First World War and the threat of renewed conflict .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ domestic furniture seemed to be bristling into life.
” For the past two decades , the American writer Marilynne Robinson has devoted herself to a single novel sequence , exploring the world of a small group of characters from the fictional Midwestern town of Gilead , said Erica Wagner in the FT. Beginning with Gilead in 2004 , and continuing with Home ( 2008 ) and Lila ( 2014 ) , this “ remarkable ” series of “ companion pieces ” has rightly won “ countless awards ” .
Jack , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the young Jack Boughton , who in earlier novels was known mainly by his reputation : he was the “ black sheep ” son of Reverend Robert Boughton .
In this latest outing , Jack is living a footloose life in postwar St Louis , and having a relationship with a black woman named Della , which falls foul of the period ’ s anti-miscegenation laws .
As complex and fluidly written as its predecessors , this work “ fits beautifully into the subtle weave of Robinson ’ s Gilead books ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hilary Mantel With The Mirror and the Light , Mantel brings to a triumphant close the trilogy she began with Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies .
She traces the final years of Thomas Cromwell , the boy from nowhere who climbs to the heights of power , offering a defining portrait of predator and prey , of a ferocious contest between present and past , between royal will and a common man ’ s vision : of a modern nation making itself through conflict , passion and courage .
The Atlantic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In The Mirror & the Light , which closes the trilogy , we witness Cromwell ’ s fall .
This is not a spoiler .
You can Google his fate in eight seconds .
Mantel ’ s job is to make the inevitable suspenseful , which she does by turning her protagonist into a tragic hero.
” A “ sultry , soapy , literary novel ” , Nightingale is a bit like “ the bastard offspring of Ian McEwan and Shirley Conran ” , says The Times .
It follows a young nurse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ France to be a live-in carer for a tyrannical dying businessman .
Queue “ village jealousy , rows and sexual passion ” , in an exciting debut novel filled with dramatic plot turns and juicy villains , says the newspaper .
Telling the imagined story of the short life of Shakespeare ’ s son Hamnet , O ’ Farrell ’ s book follows him as he goes in search of help for his gravely ill twin sister .
The novel “ builds into a profound exploration of the healing power of creativity ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Farrell won the Costa Novel Award in 2010 for her book The Hand That First Held Mine , and her other work includes After You ’ d Gone , The Distance Between Us and Instructions For A Heatwave .
A gripping account of the life of Gladys Deacon , a famously beautiful young American who dreamed of marrying an English aristocrat , and did , only to end her long and curious life in a mental asylum .
The story of the Duchess of Marlborough , told by the British writer and broadcaster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of upper-class scandal , misery and madness ” , says The Times .
Here We Are by Graham Swift The 1996 Booker Prize winner ( for his novel Last Orders ) sets his newest book in Brighton in 1959 .
In Here We Are , Swift looks back on the lives of three young “ end-of-the-pier ” performers , telling the story of the “ off-stage drama between a magician , his assistant and a compere ” , says the London Evening Standard .
Wiener ’ s “ darkly funny and perceptive ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of tech after spending several years working for start-ups in New York and San Francisco , said The New York Times .
She explores what it was that motivated her former colleagues , and how the tech industry has reshaped San Francisco in particular .
“ If you ’ re already skeptical about tech and its implications for society , this book may confirm your worst fears , ” says the newspaper .
An enigmatic book , Strange Hotel follows a nameless female protagonist from country to country , from one hotel room @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plushest hotel room can lack soul ” , said the BBC , and for her , each holds complex and often painful memories .
This is the third novel from Eimear McBride , who made an award-winning debut in 2013 with A Girl is a Half-formed Thing , about a young woman ’ s complex family relationships , and followed it up with The Lesser Bohemian , about a relationship between a young student and a 38-year-old actor .
McCann , who won the US National Book Award in 2009 for his novel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Israel-Palestine conflict in a work that is “ both spectacularly inventive and grounded in hard , often brutal fact ” , said The Guardian .
Telling the story of two fathers , one Israeli and one Palestinian , bound together by grief for their daughters , this is a highly ambitious novel in both form and themes .
“ If you can read it without sobbing , you ’ re a monster , ” the Guardian adds .
A moving memoir left behind by the celebrated journalist Deborah Orr , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with brutal honesty , Orr tells of “ trying to escape from a working-class , anti-bookish upbringing ” in Scotland , in the shadow of the steelworks at Ravenscraig , said The Times .
The book also explores her painful relationship with her domineering mother – Orr concludes : “ My own life had really been about two irreconcilable things : defying my mother and gaining her approval.
” Guardian writer Hadley Freeman says it took her 18 years to research her latest book , House of Glass , which digs into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Glass and her siblings .
“ It is written in a different register from her whip-smart journalism and indeed her previous books , ” says the London Evening Standard .
“ She is loving but sceptical towards her family , managing to break down the self-mythologising of her great-uncle Alex while also exploring the dangers inherent in the stereotype of Jewish passivity.
” The newspaper adds that while at times “ heartbreaking ” , it is “ not a bleak book ” .
From the author of The White Tiger , which won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the tale of a young Tamil trying to avoid deportation from Sydney , Australia .
“ Maltreated by police in Sri Lanka , he has come to Australia on a student visa , only to find the glossily advertised college he had enrolled at is a tawdry swindle , ” explains The Sunday Times .
The newspaper describes it as a “ reverse-pattern companion piece ” to White Tiger .
“ Brimming with empathy as well as indignation , this novel engagingly extends Adiga ’ s fictional concern with deprivation and injustice , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Sleepless Nights by Clover Stroud This motherhood memoir lays bare the all-encompassing everyday detail of bringing up five children , ranging in age from newborn to teenager .
“ How brilliant for someone to write about the blankness as well as the beauty ; the lust , the exhaustion , the hypocrisy , the failure and the soaring joy ” , says Nell Frizzell at The Telegraph .
“ What a relief to have someone report from the frontline of this essential human endeavour.
” The city in question is London , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jamaican Lawrie Matthews , after disembarking from the Empire Windrush , although it is “ war-damaged , shabby and often openly hostile to black immigrants such as him ” , explains The Sunday Times .
This “ hotly anticipated debut ” , set in Brixton , south London , is a tale of young love and striving for a better life , which sees Lawrie under suspicion of a crime he didn ’ t commit .
Chronicling an abusive gay relationship in the 1970s , this slim volume ( just 128 pages ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pleasure or peculiarity on every page ” , says The Guardian .
It opens with a blow-by-blow account of an open-air blowjob at the eponymous Surrey beauty spot .
Subtitled “ A Story of Low Self-Esteem ” , it ’ s a recollection by the character Colin , “ who is ‘ short and fat and tired of being bullied ’ and grateful for the attention of good-looking Ray ” , says the newspaper , which calls it a “ a sparky yet sad vision of gay subculture ” .

In this captivating family memoir, 20 years in the writing, Hadley Freeman describes the lives of her grandmother and three great-uncles – all of whom fled from a shtetl in Poland to Paris after the First World War. Settling into their new lives, they took French names – then followed their own paths: one married an American, and emigrated; another ran a hugely successful fashion salon; a third became a millionaire after inventing a microfilming machine. But inevitably the rise of fascism, and the Holocaust, shaped all of their destinies. Reviewers were unanimous in their praise for Freeman’s precise and gripping account of lives upended by the vicissitudes of history.
The winner of this year’s Booker Prize is a tale of poverty, addiction and abuse set in and around Glasgow in the 1980s. Shuggie Bain’s mother is an alcoholic; his father, a violent, fitfully present taxi driver. As family members drift away, he becomes his mother’s sole carer – and it is their relationship that forms the novel’s emotional core. First-time author Douglas Stuart was praised for his poetic, slang-studded prose, and for his ability to find good in his characters, no matter how despicable their behaviour. Some critics, however, thought the book would have benefited from more rigorous editing.
The critics’ top eight choices based on Christmas selections in national newspapers, the London Evening Standard, the TLS, The Spectator and the New Statesman. Plus, we take a look at some of the other best books which were released in 2020.
In his unconventional book about The Beatles, Craig Brown rejects a linear approach and instead traces the Fab Four’s story in 150 brief and self-contained chapters that roam seemingly at random through their life and times, and vary widely in tone. One moment, he is recounting the fate of John Lennon’s tooth (sold at auction to a Canadian dentist for £19,000 in 2011); the next, he is analysing the band’s role in helping America recover from JFK’s assassination. Critics found the book original, and immensely enjoyable, but some took exception to the portrayal of Ringo Starr as something of a joke figure.
The concluding volume of Mantel’s Thomas Cromwell trilogy begins with the beheading of Anne Boleyn in 1536 and culminates, some 900 pages later, with the execution of Henry VIII’s chief adviser. In between, we follow the self-made blacksmith’s son as he grapples with a seemingly impossible list of tasks – including overseeing the dissolution of the monasteries and brokering Henry’s third and fourth marriages. Critics found the finale funnier than its predecessors, but a few said that the array of incident and detail made it a somewhat laborious read.
Jimmy and Tully are working-class lads from Ayrshire who become best friends in their teens. In the first half of Andrew O’Hagan’s novel, set in 1986, the pair travel to Manchester for a weekend of music and drugs. In the second half, set 31 years later, Jimmy learns that Tully is dying of cancer, and his friend asks him to help arrange his death at a Dignitas clinic. The book is partly drawn from O’Hagan’s own experience, and while some admired his emotional directness, others felt his portrayal of Tully slipped into sentimentality.
In Maggie O’Farrell’s novel about Shakespeare’s family, the playwright himself is a peripheral figure, referred to only as the “Latin tutor”, the “husband” or the “father”. Instead, the focus is on his wife, Anne Hathaway (here called Agnes) and his son, Hamnet, who died of plague aged 11. Reviewers applauded O’Farrell’s confident depiction of Elizabethan England and her sensitive portrayal of parental grief. But some felt that at times her concentration on her characters’ inner lives came at the expense of narrative excitement.
Growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, Ferdinand Mount spent many holidays with his uncle’s wife. Aunt Munca owned a Rolls and kept a permanent suite at Claridge’s – but he always sensed that something wasn’t quite right. Years later, he investigated her history, and uncovered a shocking trail of lies, deceptions and broken promises. Kiss Myself Goodbye is his account of Aunt Munca’s extraordinary life. Reviewers described it as a beautifully written, exquisitely crafted work that is as gripping as any good detective novel.
In his life of Graham Greene, Richard Greene (no relation) argues that the novelist was a courageous and decent man with a risk-taking nature. From the games of Russian Roulette he played in his teens to his trips to various war zones, he comes across as an inveterate thrill seeker, addicted to danger. Greene links this restlessness to the bullying he suffered at school and to his bipolar disorder. The book was compared favourably to earlier biographies, which depicted Greene as a rather seedier character, but some critics felt that in seeking to understand his subject, the author had played down his subject’s flaws.
Praise
“After a number of deplorable books about Greene, here is [one] which does not dwell too pruriently on the sex life, and celebrates a man who gave us half a dozen or more distinctively brilliant novels.” (A.N. Wilson, TLS)
“The best biography I have read this year… conjures [Greene] back to life in a sensible, unsensational way.” (Nicholas Shakespeare, The Spectator)
“At last Graham Greene has the biographer he deserves.” (Ian Thomson, London Evening Standard)
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2020’s recommended reads
The New Wilderness by Diane Cook
Bea’s five-year-old daughter, Agnes, is slowly wasting away. The smog and pollution of the overdeveloped, overpopulated metropolis they call home is ravaging her lungs. Bea knows she cannot stay in the city, but there is only one alternative: The Wilderness State. As Agnes embraces this new existence, Bea realises that saving her daughter’s life might mean losing her in ways she hadn’t foreseen. Emily St. John Mandel, the New York Times bestselling author of Station Eleven, calls it “a virtuosic debut, brutal and beautiful in equal measure”.
This Mournable Body by Tsitsi Dangarembga
Dangarembga channels the hope and potential of one young girl and a fledgling nation to lead us on a journey to discover where lives go after hope has departed. Here we meet Tambudzai, living in a run-down youth hostel in downtown Harare and anxious about her prospects after leaving a stagnant job. At every turn in her attempt to make a life for herself, she is faced with a fresh humiliation, until the painful contrast between the future she imagined and her daily reality ultimately drives her to a breaking point. In her review for The Guardian Lara Feigel says This Mournable Body “provides a powerful finale to the Zimbabwean author’s trilogy”.
Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi
In her youth, Tara was wild. She abandoned her arranged marriage to join an ashram, took a hapless artist for a lover, rebelled against every social expectation of a good Indian woman - all with her young child in tow. Years on, she is an old woman with a fading memory, mixing up her maid’s wages and leaving the gas on all night, and her grown-up daughter is faced with the task of caring for a mother who never seemed to care for her. This is a poisoned love story. But not between lovers - between mother and daughter. Francesca Carington of The Daily Telegraph says: “There’s a lot more to praise in Burnt Sugar: a concern with corporeality and illness, smells and shrieks erupting through the feverish prose. It’s a corrosive, compulsive debut.”
The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste
Ethiopia. 1935. With the threat of Mussolini’s army looming, recently orphaned Hirut struggles to adapt to her new life as a maid. Her new employer, Kidane, an officer in Emperor Haile Selassie’s army, rushes to mobilise his strongest men before the Italians invade. “The star of the novel is Mengiste’s gorgeous writing, which makes The Shadow King nearly impossible to put down,” says Michael Schaub of NPR. “Mengiste has a real gift for language; her writing is powerful but never florid, gripping the reader and refusing to let go.”
Real Life by Brandon Taylor
In this brilliant debut novel, described as “psychologically compelling” by the Observer, Wallace spends his summer in the lab of lakeside Midwestern university breeding a strain of microscopic worms - a life that’s a world away from his childhood in Alabama. His father died a few weeks ago, but Wallace didn’t go back for the funeral, and he hasn’t told his friends – Miller, Yngve, Cole and Emma. For reasons of self-preservation, he has become used to keeping a wary distance even from those closest to him. But, over the course of one blustery end-of-summer weekend, the destruction of his work and a series of intense confrontations force Wallace to grapple with both the trauma of the past, and the question of the future. Lucy Knight of The Sunday Times calls Real Life “an elegant take on the ‘campus novel’ and a deeply moving study of race, grief and desire”.
Boris Johnson: The Gambler by Tom Bower
Tom Bower is a veteran journalist who is famous for his scathing unauthorised biographies of powerful men, said Rachel Sylvester in The Times – among them Robert Maxwell, Conrad Black, Tony Blair and Jeremy Corbyn. You’d assume that with his latest effort he would have repeated the trick, but instead he has produced an “oddly sympathetic” portrait. It’s not that Boris Johnson: The Gambler is a whitewash. Bower is alive to his subject’s “faults and mistakes”: Johnson is portrayed as “obsessed with money, incorrigibly disloyal”, dishonest and “riddled with insecurities”. But rather than holding him responsible for such failings, Bower presents them as the “inevitable product” of a chaotic, disturbing and deeply unhappy childhood. For him, “Boris” – as he is chummily described throughout – is primarily a victim.
The Haunting of Alma Fielding by Kate Summerscale
In 1938 Alma Fielding, a housewife from Thornton Heath in south London, apparently became possessed by a violent spirit, said Lucy Lethbridge in the Literary Review. A six-fingered handprint appeared on a mirror; a glass spontaneously shattered; visiting reporters saw eggs fly through the air and a fender tumble down the stairs. Kate Summerscale’s great coup is to have discovered the notebooks of Nandor Fodor, a Hungarian journalist sent to investigate these events by the International Institute for Psychical Research. Months of rigorous tests led Fodor to believe that while Fielding had certainly faked some of the manifestations, she was indeed possessed by some kind of uncanny force. Summerscale, the author of The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, has “an enviable nose for events, once briefly notorious, that are still singular and disturbing”. She places this story in its historical context: the craze for spiritualism brought about by the memory of the First World War and the threat of renewed conflict. “All over Britain,” she observes, “domestic furniture seemed to be bristling into life.”
Jack by Marilynne Robinson
For the past two decades, the American writer Marilynne Robinson has devoted herself to a single novel sequence, exploring the world of a small group of characters from the fictional Midwestern town of Gilead, said Erica Wagner in the FT. Beginning with Gilead in 2004, and continuing with Home (2008) and Lila (2014), this “remarkable” series of “companion pieces” has rightly won “countless awards”. Jack, the fourth instalment, tracks the life of the young Jack Boughton, who in earlier novels was known mainly by his reputation: he was the “black sheep” son of Reverend Robert Boughton. In this latest outing, Jack is living a footloose life in postwar St Louis, and having a relationship with a black woman named Della, which falls foul of the period’s anti-miscegenation laws. As complex and fluidly written as its predecessors, this work “fits beautifully into the subtle weave of Robinson’s Gilead books”.
Nightingale by Marina Kemp
A “sultry, soapy, literary novel”, Nightingale is a bit like “the bastard offspring of Ian McEwan and Shirley Conran”, says The Times. It follows a young nurse as she moves from Paris to rural France to be a live-in carer for a tyrannical dying businessman. Queue “village jealousy, rows and sexual passion”, in an exciting debut novel filled with dramatic plot turns and juicy villains, says the newspaper.
The Sphinx by Hugo Vickers
A gripping account of the life of Gladys Deacon, a famously beautiful young American who dreamed of marrying an English aristocrat, and did, only to end her long and curious life in a mental asylum. The story of the Duchess of Marlborough, told by the British writer and broadcaster Hugo Vickers, is “a tale of upper-class scandal, misery and madness”, says The Times.
Here We Are by Graham Swift
The 1996 Booker Prize winner (for his novel Last Orders) sets his newest book in Brighton in 1959. In Here We Are, Swift looks back on the lives of three young “end-of-the-pier” performers, telling the story of the “off-stage drama between a magician, his assistant and a compere”, says the London Evening Standard.
Uncanny Valley by Anna Wiener
Wiener’s “darkly funny and perceptive” memoir details her disillusionment with the world of tech after spending several years working for start-ups in New York and San Francisco, said The New York Times. She explores what it was that motivated her former colleagues, and how the tech industry has reshaped San Francisco in particular. “If you’re already skeptical about tech and its implications for society, this book may confirm your worst fears,” says the newspaper.
Strange Hotel by Eimear McBride
An enigmatic book, Strange Hotel follows a nameless female protagonist from country to country, from one hotel room to the next. “Even the plushest hotel room can lack soul”, said the BBC, and for her, each holds complex and often painful memories. This is the third novel from Eimear McBride, who made an award-winning debut in 2013 with A Girl is a Half-formed Thing, about a young woman’s complex family relationships, and followed it up with The Lesser Bohemian, about a relationship between a young student and a 38-year-old actor.
Apeirogon by Colum McCann
McCann, who won the US National Book Award in 2009 for his novel Let the Great World Spin, takes on the Israel-Palestine conflict in a work that is “both spectacularly inventive and grounded in hard, often brutal fact”, said The Guardian. Telling the story of two fathers, one Israeli and one Palestinian, bound together by grief for their daughters, this is a highly ambitious novel in both form and themes. “If you can read it without sobbing, you’re a monster,” the Guardian adds.
Motherwell: A Girlhood by Deborah Orr
A moving memoir left behind by the celebrated journalist Deborah Orr, who died in October. Recounting growing up with brutal honesty, Orr tells of “trying to escape from a working-class, anti-bookish upbringing” in Scotland, in the shadow of the steelworks at Ravenscraig, said The Times. The book also explores her painful relationship with her domineering mother – Orr concludes: “My own life had really been about two irreconcilable things: defying my mother and gaining her approval.”
Amnesty by Aravind Adiga
From the author of The White Tiger, which won the 2008 Man Booker Prize, comes the tale of a young Tamil trying to avoid deportation from Sydney, Australia. “Maltreated by police in Sri Lanka, he has come to Australia on a student visa, only to find the glossily advertised college he had enrolled at is a tawdry swindle,” explains The Sunday Times. The newspaper describes it as a “reverse-pattern companion piece” to White Tiger. “Brimming with empathy as well as indignation, this novel engagingly extends Adiga’s fictional concern with deprivation and injustice,” concludes the paper.
My Wild and Sleepless Nights by Clover Stroud
This motherhood memoir lays bare the all-encompassing everyday detail of bringing up five children, ranging in age from newborn to teenager. “How brilliant for someone to write about the blankness as well as the beauty; the lust, the exhaustion, the hypocrisy, the failure and the soaring joy”, says Nell Frizzell at The Telegraph. “What a relief to have someone report from the frontline of this essential human endeavour.”
This Lovely City by Louise Hare
The city in question is London, 1948, seen through the eyes of Jamaican Lawrie Matthews, after disembarking from the Empire Windrush, although it is “war-damaged, shabby and often openly hostile to black immigrants such as him”, explains The Sunday Times. This “hotly anticipated debut”, set in Brixton, south London, is a tale of young love and striving for a better life, which sees Lawrie under suspicion of a crime he didn’t commit.
Box Hill by Adam Mars-Jones
Chronicling an abusive gay relationship in the 1970s, this slim volume (just 128 pages) packs a punch, “with a pleasure or peculiarity on every page”, says The Guardian. It opens with a blow-by-blow account of an open-air blowjob at the eponymous Surrey beauty spot. Subtitled “A Story of Low Self-Esteem”, it’s a recollection by the character Colin, “who is ‘short and fat and tired of being bullied’ and grateful for the attention of good-looking Ray”, says the newspaper, which calls it a “a sparky yet sad vision of gay subculture”.
The Week Bookshop
To order these titles or any other book in print, visit theweekbookshop.co.uk, or speak to a bookseller on 020-3176 3835. Opening times: Monday to Saturday 9am-5.30pm and Sunday 10am-4pm.


theweekuk--2020-12-15--Prince Andrew ‘delayed family holiday’ to party on Jeffrey Epstein’s private island

Prince Andrew delayed and shortened a family holiday to visit Jeffrey Epstein ’ s private island for a party attended by a teenager who later claimed to have been forced to have sex with the Royal , according to reports .
The Duke of York was originally scheduled to go to the Bahamas in the week following Easter Sunday in 2001 for a break with his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie , then 12 and 11 .
But the Daily Mail reports that he “ tore up long-standing official travel arrangements involving Buckingham Palace , the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to follow ” convicted sex offender Epstein to Little St James , about 1,000 miles to the southeast of the Bahamas .
Attended by his senior Personal Protection Officer ( PPO ) , the Royal spend 48 hours on the island at what sources have described as a “ weekend-long party ” , the paper adds .
Flight logs are said to show that Virginia Roberts , then Virginia Giuffre , was also present .
Roberts claims that she was trafficked by Epstein to have sex with the late financier ’ s friends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the third time she and the Duke had sex was during an orgy on Little St James that year .
The Mail reports that Andrew had also stayed at Epstein ’ s New York mansion immediately before jetting off for the Easter trip - despite explicitly telling Emily Maitlis that he had not during his infamous Newsnight interview in November last year .
Little Saint James is at the centre of many of the allegations against Epstein and his alleged madam Ghislaine Maxwell .
Maxwell is currently being detained at the Metropolitan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she helped procure girls as young as 14 for Epstein to sexually abuse , and of perjury .
The Guardian reports that she has “ lodged a $ 28.5m ( £21.4m ) bail bid that includes waiving her extradition rights and employing armed guards to protect her after receiving death threats ” .

Prince Andrew delayed and shortened a family holiday to visit Jeffrey Epstein’s private island for a party attended by a teenager who later claimed to have been forced to have sex with the Royal, according to reports.
The Duke of York was originally scheduled to go to the Bahamas in the week following Easter Sunday in 2001 for a break with his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie, then 12 and 11.
But the Daily Mail reports that he “tore up long-standing official travel arrangements involving Buckingham Palace, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Metropolitan Police” in order “to follow” convicted sex offender Epstein to Little St James, about 1,000 miles to the southeast of the Bahamas.
Attended by his senior Personal Protection Officer (PPO), the Royal spend 48 hours on the island at what sources have described as a “weekend-long party”, the paper adds.
Flight logs are said to show that Virginia Roberts, then Virginia Giuffre, was also present. Roberts claims that she was trafficked by Epstein to have sex with the late financier’s friends, including Andrew.
She has alleged that the third time she and the Duke had sex was during an orgy on Little St James that year.
The Mail reports that Andrew had also stayed at Epstein’s New York mansion immediately before jetting off for the Easter trip - despite explicitly telling Emily Maitlis that he had not during his infamous Newsnight interview in November last year.
Little Saint James is at the centre of many of the allegations against Epstein and his alleged madam Ghislaine Maxwell.
Maxwell is currently being detained at the Metropolitan detention centre in Brooklyn on charges that she helped procure girls as young as 14 for Epstein to sexually abuse, and of perjury.
The Guardian reports that she has “lodged a $28.5m (£21.4m) bail bid that includes waiving her extradition rights and employing armed guards to protect her after receiving death threats”.


theweekuk--2020-12-15--Why are Downing Street and the EU striking different tones about Brexit progress?

Depending on who you believe , a Brexit deal may be just around the corner - or just a fading dream .
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said yesterday that there had been “ movement ” in the negotiations following the extension of Sunday ’ s deadline for reaching a future trade agreement .
“ This is the architecture we are building , ” she told an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ( OECD ) conference in Paris .
“ We are fine about the architecture itself , but the details in it - do they really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Von der Leyen ’ s cautiously optimistic tone was shared by Michel Barnier .
The EU ’ s chief negotiator reportedly told the bloc ’ s ambassadors that a “ narrow path ” leading to a deal remained open , while also “ warning that success would hinge on breakthroughs on difficult issues , including EU fishing rights ” , says the Financial Times .
The mood in the UK camp appears to be significantly different , however .
A government source told the BBC on Monday that the negotiating teams had not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The leak came a day after Boris Johnson warned that “ the most likely thing now is that we do have to get ready for WTO terms ” .
But despite all the talk in London about a no-deal exit , The Times ’ policy editor Oliver Wright suggests that Johnson ’ s “ gloomy public prognosis is less aimed at the EU and more for domestic consumption ” .
The prime minister ’ s “ greatest fear ” is that “ many businesses who deal with the EU have simply not appreciated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do even if an agreement is reached with Brussels ” , according to Wright .
“ By playing up the threat of no deal - which businesses know will lead to disruption - Johnson is hoping to spur them into last-minute action which will be beneficial even if there is a deal .
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