theweekuk--2020-10-16--Podcasts of the Week: making sense of US politics

If , like me , you are gripped by the crazed psychodrama that is the US presidential election , you may well already be listening to Nate Silver ’ s FiveThirtyEight , said James Marriott in The Times .
One of the “ great podcasts ” , it succeeds in making the niche subject of political polling fun , “ thanks to the chemistry between its nerdy but charismatic hosts ” .
A newer offering that I also relish is The Argument , in which two New York Times columnists – one liberal , one conservative – debate the week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michelle Goldberg ; the latter , Ross Douthat , a Catholic conservative of “ eccentric but reliably interesting views ” .
Listeners in the UK might conclude that Douthat is “ a bit bonkers ” .
But there again , “ politely boggling at the oddness of views you don ’ t agree with is what the podcast is all about ” .
Another outstanding podcast that embraces the spirit of bipartisanship is The Purple Principle , said Phoebe Lett in The New York Times .
This intriguing series explores the paradox that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have become “ more extreme and entrenched ” in recent decades , the number of independent and unaffiliated voters has actually grown – to more than 35 % of the electorate .
The hosts speak to professional mediators , stand-up comedians , psychologists , economists , writers and politicians in an effort to understand what ’ s going on .
From the BBC , Americast is a US politics podcast delivered with the more relaxed , “ behind-the-news ” style that Brexitcast and Newscast have “ done so well ” , said Charlotte @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Emily Maitlis offer serious analysis as well as amusing insight , and also provide instant reaction to the latest developments .
For an authoritative daily round-up of the US election in ten minutes or less , listen to the CNN Political Briefing , said Eliana Dockterman in Time .
Or , for the same rapid overview on a weekly basis , try Politically Sound ( both hosted by David Chalian ) .
In Hacks on Tap , the veteran Democrat strategist David Axelrod teams up with an old Republican adversary , Mike Murphy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insidery campaign analysis .
Left , Right & Center is a long-running US debate podcast that offers balance across the political spectrum : it ’ s perfect for listeners “ who may not be exposed to people outside of their own political bubble ” .
For policy wonks , Vox ’ s The Weeds podcast is a must-listen .
And “ it ’ s impossible to write about political podcasting without recognising the dominance of Pod Save America ” – hosted by ex-Obama staffers who have the ability to pull in big-name guests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , pictured ) .
The Week Unwrapped podcast : German gender , Insta-unions and the Moon Can German pronouns redress inequallity ?
Should social media celebrities unionise ?
And are we seeing the start of a new space race ?
Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days .

If, like me, you are gripped by the crazed psychodrama that is the US presidential election, you may well already be listening to Nate Silver’s FiveThirtyEight, said James Marriott in The Times. One of the “great podcasts”, it succeeds in making the niche subject of political polling fun, “thanks to the chemistry between its nerdy but charismatic hosts”.
A newer offering that I also relish is The Argument, in which two New York Times columnists – one liberal, one conservative – debate the week’s news. The former is Michelle Goldberg; the latter, Ross Douthat, a Catholic conservative of “eccentric but reliably interesting views”. Listeners in the UK might conclude that Douthat is “a bit bonkers”. But there again, “politely boggling at the oddness of views you don’t agree with is what the podcast is all about”.
Another outstanding podcast that embraces the spirit of bipartisanship is The Purple Principle, said Phoebe Lett in The New York Times. This intriguing series explores the paradox that even as political divisions in the US have become “more extreme and entrenched” in recent decades, the number of independent and unaffiliated voters has actually grown – to more than 35% of the electorate. The hosts speak to professional mediators, stand-up comedians, psychologists, economists, writers and politicians in an effort to understand what’s going on.
From the BBC, Americast is a US politics podcast delivered with the more relaxed, “behind-the-news” style that Brexitcast and Newscast have “done so well”, said Charlotte Runcie in Prospect. Jon Sopel and Emily Maitlis offer serious analysis as well as amusing insight, and also provide instant reaction to the latest developments.
For an authoritative daily round-up of the US election in ten minutes or less, listen to the CNN Political Briefing, said Eliana Dockterman in Time. Or, for the same rapid overview on a weekly basis, try Politically Sound (both hosted by David Chalian). In Hacks on Tap, the veteran Democrat strategist David Axelrod teams up with an old Republican adversary, Mike Murphy, for combative but friendly conversation and insidery campaign analysis.
Left, Right & Center is a long-running US debate podcast that offers balance across the political spectrum: it’s perfect for listeners “who may not be exposed to people outside of their own political bubble”. For policy wonks, Vox’s The Weeds podcast is a must-listen. And “it’s impossible to write about political podcasting without recognising the dominance of Pod Save America” – hosted by ex-Obama staffers who have the ability to pull in big-name guests (including Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, pictured).
The Week Unwrapped podcast: German gender, Insta-unions and the Moon
Can German pronouns redress inequallity? Should social media celebrities unionise? And are we seeing the start of a new space race? Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days.


theweekuk--2020-10-16--US election: are social media giants ‘censoring’ stories about Joe Biden’s son and Ukraine?

US Republicans are set to subpoena Twitter boss Jack Dorsey after the social media platform and rival Facebook blocked access to a news article making unproven allegations against Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden and his son .
Senator Ted Cruz yesterday accused the tech giants of using their “ corporate power to silence the press and cover up allegations of corruption ” , charging them with “ active censorship ” and “ election day interference ” .
The Senate Judiciary Committee now plans to vote next week whether to haul in Dorsey to answer questions about why Twitter users were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The article that triggered the row was published on Wednesday by the New York Post , which claimed that “ Hunter Biden introduced his father , then-vice president Joe Biden , to a top executive at a Ukrainian energy firm less than a year before the elder Biden pressured government officials in Ukraine into firing a prosecutor who was investigating the company ” .
The story was based on emails handed to the newspaper by Donald Trump ’ s lawyer Rudy Giuliani .
Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg is also in the Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limited the report ’ s distribution in its news feed .
For an article published in a mainstream newspaper to be blocked is “ highly unusual ” , and the actions of Twitter and Facebook have “ renewed accusations of social media censorship and bias ” , says the BBC .
Trump and his supporters have repeatedly accused social media and tech giants of silencing right-wing voices .
However , the New York Post story “ has been viewed skeptically by some as an effort at potential Russian meddling ” , with both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Graham admitting they did not know if the allegations are accurate , Forbes reports .
A spokesperson for Democratic candidate said “ the New York Post never asked the Biden campaign about the critical elements of this story ” , adding “ we have reviewed Joe Biden ’ s official schedules from the time and no meeting , as alleged by the New York Post , ever took place ” .
Meanwhile , Twitter has performed what the The Washington Post calls a “ stunning reversal ” , announcing today that the platform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unless it is directly shared by hackers or those acting in concert with them ” .

US Republicans are set to subpoena Twitter boss Jack Dorsey after the social media platform and rival Facebook blocked access to a news article making unproven allegations against Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden and his son.
Senator Ted Cruz yesterday accused the tech giants of using their “corporate power to silence the press and cover up allegations of corruption”, charging them with “active censorship” and “election day interference”. The Senate Judiciary Committee now plans to vote next week whether to haul in Dorsey to answer questions about why Twitter users were prevented from posting links to the story.
The article that triggered the row was published on Wednesday by the New York Post, which claimed that “Hunter Biden introduced his father, then-vice president Joe Biden, to a top executive at a Ukrainian energy firm less than a year before the elder Biden pressured government officials in Ukraine into firing a prosecutor who was investigating the company”.
The story was based on emails handed to the newspaper by Donald Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani.
Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg is also in the Republicans’ firing line, after his plaform limited the report’s distribution in its news feed.
For an article published in a mainstream newspaper to be blocked is “highly unusual”, and the actions of Twitter and Facebook have “renewed accusations of social media censorship and bias”, says the BBC.
Trump and his supporters have repeatedly accused social media and tech giants of silencing right-wing voices.
However, the New York Post story “has been viewed skeptically by some as an effort at potential Russian meddling”, with both Cruz and Senate Judiciary Committee chair Lindsey Graham admitting they did not know if the allegations are accurate, Forbes reports.
A spokesperson for Democratic candidate said “the New York Post never asked the Biden campaign about the critical elements of this story”, adding “we have reviewed Joe Biden’s official schedules from the time and no meeting, as alleged by the New York Post, ever took place”.
Meanwhile, Twitter has performed what the The Washington Post calls a “stunning reversal”, announcing today that the platform “will no longer remove hacked content unless it is directly shared by hackers or those acting in concert with them”.


theweekuk--2020-10-16--Quiz of The Week: 10 - 16 October

Quiz of The Week: 10 - 16 October

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Boris Johnson this week unveiled a new “three tier” system aimed at simplifying localised lockdowns restrictions, as coronavirus cases continue to rise across the UK.
The previously leaked measures have met with fierce resistance in the North of England, with local leaders accusing the government of failing to provide adequate information or financial support.
But calls are growing for a circuit breaker lockdown following the publication of documents which show that the prime minister ignored advice from the government’s scientists to implement an immediate shutdown in early September. Johnson is now under pressure to order a two-week England-wide shutdown to coincide with the upcoming half-term break.
The PM is also busy trying to broker a trade deal with the EU. His self-imposed deadline for reaching an agreement by Thursday has come and gone, with disputes over state aide and fishing rights continuing to be stumbling blocks at this week’s crunch summit in Brussels.
To find out how closely you’ve been paying attention to the latest developments in the Covid pandemic and other global events, put your knowledge to the test with our Quiz of The Week:
Need a reminder of some of the other headlines over the past seven days?
On the other side of the Brexit aisle, officials in Brussels warned the UK against trying to divide the block ahead of the talks, accusing the government of trying to “bilateralize” the negotiations.
In the US, with less than three weeks until the presidential election, Joe Biden has bucked a trend set by previous Democratic candidates by investing $6m (£4.6m) in an advertising blitz in Texas, a traditionally red state that was considered a lost cause by his predecessors.
Meanwhile, on the global stage, rights groups are furious after a string of nations with long histories of human rights violations, most notably Russia and China, won seats on the UN Human Rights Council.


theweekuk--2020-10-16--Books of the Week: Agent Sonya and Dirt

Books of the Week: Agent Sonya and Dirt

Ben Macintyre tells the “ extraordinary ” story of Ursula Kuczynski , the Soviet spy who posed as an Oxfordshire housewife , and food writer Bill Buford provides a “ rollicking ” account of his time training at a Lyon restaurant .
“ When Ben Macintyre ’ s name is on the cover , you know you are in for a thrilling ride , ” said Julian Glover in the London Evening Standard .
The author and journalist is a “ master ” of mid-20th century espionage , with a string of bestsellers to his name .
In his new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a female spy – the “ extraordinary ” Ursula Kuczynski , a Soviet agent during the 1930s and 1940s .
Kuczynski , who posed as a housewife , was a spy of rare abilities – indeed , quite possibly , “ the greatest agent of them all ” .
She makes an ideal subject for Macintyre , whose “ remarkable trick ” is to leave us “ admiring , and even cheering for ” a woman who “ not only wanted to destroy our democracy , but helped Russia get a nuclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1907 into a “ wealthy , cultured Jewish family in Berlin ” , said Craig Brown in The Mail on Sunday .
After becoming a Communist during the Weimar years , she married an architect named Rudolf Hamburger , and moved to Shanghai .
There , she began an affair with the Soviet spymaster Richard Sorge , who recruited her into his network .
“ Agent Sonya ” proved perfectly suited to “ high-risk espionage ” , said Richard Davenport-Hines in The Times : she was “ intrepid , adaptable and canny ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posted to Poland and then to Switzerland , before she moved , with her second husband – Len Beurton , a half-British Communist – to England in 1940 .
Macintyre is “ cool , humane , sympathetic ” and amusing , too : Agent Sonya is his “ best book yet ” .
In England , Kuczynski settled in rural Oxfordshire , and embarked on the “ most extraordinary chapter of her life ” , said Giles Milton in The Sunday Times .
She became the handler of Klaus Fuchs , a German-born @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bomb project , who fed her “ technical drawings , formulae and calculations for uranium enrichment ” .
This intelligence enabled Russia to build its own nuclear bomb by 1949 .
“ Equally mind-boggling ” was the ineptitude of MI5 , who had long entertained suspicions about Kuczynski .
“ MI5 ’ s fabled spy-catcher , Jim Skardon , proved particularly hapless .
He interrogated Kuczynski at length , yet refused to believe that a prim Oxfordshire housewife could be a spy.
” Agent Sonya is mostly “ fascinating ” , said Lara @ @ @ @ @ @ @ failing is that Macintyre “ doesn ’ t always pause to ask questions ” .
Why , for instance , did Kuczynski remain “ fervently committed ” to communism even after learning about the worst of Stalinism ?
This is lost , as Macintyre proceeds with “ cinematic speed ” .
In his 40s , the US author Bill Buford developed a passion for cooking , and immersed himself in Italian cuisine , said Adam Begley in The Spectator .
The result was Heat , his “ joyously gluttonous ” memoir of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Next , Buford “ uprooted ” his wife and three-year-old twins to France ’ s “ gastronomic capital ” , Lyon , and spent five years toiling as a chef .
Dirt is his account of this period , and it ’ s “ another rollicking , food-stuffed entertainment ” .
This is a book that will appeal not only to “ gourmets and gourmands ” , but also to students of the author ’ s “ curious ” character .
Buford has always sought out “ extreme experiences ” , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : his first book , Among the Thugs , was about British football hooligans .
His time in Lyon is tough .
The city is “ very rough and entirely unwelcoming ” , and at first he can ’ t get work in a restaurant , so instead takes a job as a baker ’ s apprentice .
Eventually “ he finds a restaurant willing to take him on ” – the Michelin two-starred La Mère Brazier .
There , he has to learn the rules of this “ closed world ” , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times : there ’ s even a correct way to crack an egg .
Although “ hazed and bullied ” at first , Buford eventually becomes “ very , very good in the kitchen ” and loses his “ impostor complex ” .
Dirt has a few irritating features : it ’ s over-long , and never explains how , despite losing both their incomes , he and his wife can rent a Lyon apartment with “ six marble fireplaces ” .
Yet overall , it ’ s a work I admired “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for its observations about French society , and for Buford ’ s “ smart , literate , sly voice ” .
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 .

Ben Macintyre tells the “extraordinary” story of Ursula Kuczynski, the Soviet spy who posed as an Oxfordshire housewife, and food writer Bill Buford provides a “rollicking” account of his time training at a Lyon restaurant.
Book of the week Agent Sonya by Ben Macintyre
“When Ben Macintyre’s name is on the cover, you know you are in for a thrilling ride,” said Julian Glover in the London Evening Standard. The author and journalist is a “master” of mid-20th century espionage, with a string of bestsellers to his name. In his new book, he provides his first portrait of a female spy – the “extraordinary” Ursula Kuczynski, a Soviet agent during the 1930s and 1940s. Kuczynski, who posed as a housewife, was a spy of rare abilities – indeed, quite possibly, “the greatest agent of them all”. She makes an ideal subject for Macintyre, whose “remarkable trick” is to leave us “admiring, and even cheering for” a woman who “not only wanted to destroy our democracy, but helped Russia get a nuclear bomb”.
Kuczynski was born in 1907 into a “wealthy, cultured Jewish family in Berlin”, said Craig Brown in The Mail on Sunday. After becoming a Communist during the Weimar years, she married an architect named Rudolf Hamburger, and moved to Shanghai. There, she began an affair with the Soviet spymaster Richard Sorge, who recruited her into his network. “Agent Sonya” proved perfectly suited to “high-risk espionage”, said Richard Davenport-Hines in The Times: she was “intrepid, adaptable and canny”. In the 1930s, Kuczynski was posted to Poland and then to Switzerland, before she moved, with her second husband – Len Beurton, a half-British Communist – to England in 1940. Macintyre is “cool, humane, sympathetic” and amusing, too: Agent Sonya is his “best book yet”.
In England, Kuczynski settled in rural Oxfordshire, and embarked on the “most extraordinary chapter of her life”, said Giles Milton in The Sunday Times. She became the handler of Klaus Fuchs, a German-born physicist working on Britain’s atomic bomb project, who fed her “technical drawings, formulae and calculations for uranium enrichment”. This intelligence enabled Russia to build its own nuclear bomb by 1949. “Equally mind-boggling” was the ineptitude of MI5, who had long entertained suspicions about Kuczynski. “MI5’s fabled spy-catcher, Jim Skardon, proved particularly hapless. He interrogated Kuczynski at length, yet refused to believe that a prim Oxfordshire housewife could be a spy.” Agent Sonya is mostly “fascinating”, said Lara Feigel in The Guardian. Its one failing is that Macintyre “doesn’t always pause to ask questions”. Why, for instance, did Kuczynski remain “fervently committed” to communism even after learning about the worst of Stalinism? This is lost, as Macintyre proceeds with “cinematic speed”.


theweekuk--2020-10-16--Keir Starmer hit by Labour revolt over ‘licence to kill’ bill

Keir Starmer is struggling to contain his first major Labour rebellion after dozens of the party ’ s MPs ignored his orders and voted against new laws on undercover operatives .
The Labour leader had told his MPs to abstain on the third and final Commons reading of the Covert Human Intelligence Sources Bill , but 34 opposed the legislation in the vote yesterday .
Despite the Labour rebels , the reading passed by 313 votes to 98 .
The controversial legislation - dubbed the “ Spycops ” bill - sets out new legal rights for undercover agents to commit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maintain “ economic well-being ” .
But critics including Amnesty International have described the bill as a “ licence for government agencies to authorise torture and murder ” , as it does not explicitly rule out such crimes .
The government has “ denied those charges and argued that human rights law is sufficient to prevent the powers contained in the bill being used to authorise serious abuses ” , Sky News reports .
The legislation will cover 13 law enforcement and government agencies , including the police , the National Crime Agency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Service .
The row over the new laws is causing major headaches for Starmer , whose decision not to oppose the bill has triggered a string of resignations .
Margaret Greenwood , the shadow schools spokesperson , announced that she was quitting Labour ’ s front bench immediately after the early evening vote on Thursday , saying : “ I can not stand by and allow a bill to go through that will profoundly impact on our civil liberties.
” The shadow financial secretary to the Treasury , Dan Carden MP , offered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a matter of conscience ” , he had to vote against the legislation .
“ Parliamentary private secretaries Nav Mishra , Kim Johnson , Mary Foy and Rachel Hopkins – all members of the Socialist Campaign Group – have also quit the frontbench to vote against , plus Sarah Owen , usually thought of as ‘ soft left ’ , ” reports LabourList .
The resignations are “ the biggest challenge to the Labour leader ’ s handling of the controversy , which is shaping up as the biggest internal row of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , The Independent says .
The other Labour MPs who defied Starmer include the party ’ s former leader Jeremy Corbyn , ex-shadow chancellor John McDonnell , and former shadow home secretary Diane Abbott .

Keir Starmer is struggling to contain his first major Labour rebellion after dozens of the party’s MPs ignored his orders and voted against new laws on undercover operatives.
The Labour leader had told his MPs to abstain on the third and final Commons reading of the Covert Human Intelligence Sources Bill, but 34 opposed the legislation in the vote yesterday. Despite the Labour rebels, the reading passed by 313 votes to 98.
The controversial legislation - dubbed the “Spycops” bill - sets out new legal rights for undercover agents to commit crimes to “prevent disorder” or maintain “economic well-being”. But critics including Amnesty International have described the bill as a “licence for government agencies to authorise torture and murder”, as it does not explicitly rule out such crimes.
The government has “denied those charges and argued that human rights law is sufficient to prevent the powers contained in the bill being used to authorise serious abuses”, Sky News reports.
The legislation will cover 13 law enforcement and government agencies, including the police, the National Crime Agency, the armed forces and the Prison Service.
The row over the new laws is causing major headaches for Starmer, whose decision not to oppose the bill has triggered a string of resignations.
Margaret Greenwood, the shadow schools spokesperson, announced that she was quitting Labour’s front bench immediately after the early evening vote on Thursday, saying: “I cannot stand by and allow a bill to go through that will profoundly impact on our civil liberties.”
The shadow financial secretary to the Treasury, Dan Carden MP, offered his resignation too, tweeting that “as a matter of conscience”, he had to vote against the legislation.
“Parliamentary private secretaries Nav Mishra, Kim Johnson, Mary Foy and Rachel Hopkins – all members of the Socialist Campaign Group – have also quit the frontbench to vote against, plus Sarah Owen, usually thought of as ‘soft left’,” reports LabourList.
The resignations are “the biggest challenge to the Labour leader’s handling of the controversy, which is shaping up as the biggest internal row of his six months in the job”, The Independent says.
The other Labour MPs who defied Starmer include the party’s former leader Jeremy Corbyn, ex-shadow chancellor John McDonnell, and former shadow home secretary Diane Abbott.


theweekuk--2020-10-16--Albums of the Week: Song To A Refugee, Shiver, Charles Ives - Complete Symphonies

This week ’ s three releases include Diana Jones ’ s beautiful new album , Jónsi ’ s first full-length solo record in a decade and Gustavo Dudamel ’ s recordings of Charles Ives ’ s symphonies with the Los Angeles Philharmonic .
The US folk revival that began in the 1940s “ had as its figurehead a refugee ” , said Ludovic Hunter-Tilney in the FT .
In his Dust Bowl Ballads , Woody Guthrie sang of being an “ Okie ” who joined the mass migration from poverty-stricken Oklahoma , in search of work and opportunity in California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Diana Jones draws on that tradition to sing about modern-day refugees , with music rooted in acoustic guitars and mandolins , and a style influenced by the old-time sounds of Appalachian country music .
Many of the album ’ s cameos are drawn from the US-Mexico border , said Neil Spencer in The Observer , where the two young brothers in the song Where We Are “ flounder in a chain-link cell ” .
But the album also takes in other parts of the world .
The Sea Is My Mother describes a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Believe You , Jones is joined by Steve Earle , Richard Thompson and Peggy Seeger to “ testify on behalf of asylum seekers ” .
Powerful and poetic , tender but “ unflinching ” , this is “ a record for our times ” .
This is the Sigur Rós singer ’ s first full-length solo release in a decade , said Dan Cairns in The Sunday Times – and the album could have been titled Shimmer , rather than Shiver , so “ alluring and mesmerising are the surfaces and background textures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its 11 tracks ” .
Producer A.G. Cook is on “ inventive form here , providing electronic soundscapes that alternately cushion and gnaw at Jónsi ’ s beatific vocals and often contrastingly savage lyrics ” .
Thirty-year-old Cook is Charli XCX ’ s creative director and “ a master of glitchy , peculiarly skewed modern pop ” , said Jude Rogers in The Observer .
It feels as though the producer has encouraged Jónsi ( “ the indie boy Enya ” ) to strip each song to its “ bare bones and add @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results include edgy , ethereal fare such as Cannibal , on which the Cocteau Twins ’ Liz Fraser “ guests delicately ” ; the thrilling “ metallic scrape ” of Swill and Wildeye ; a “ skittish , robotic ” choir on Hold ; and Salt Licorice , featuring Robyn and also synth melodies .
“ More of this , please.
” Charles Ives ( 1874-1954 ) was the “ ultimate American maverick ” , said Richard Fairman in the FT. His four symphonies are “ unique and wildly disparate confections , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deserve ” .
But Gustavo Dudamel ’ s recordings , made live in Los Angeles in February and now available as a digital-only release , make a compelling case for Ives ’ s greatness .
If in doubt , try the “ Comedy ” movement of Symphony No .
4 , in which dozens of American popular tunes and hymns “ pile one on top of another in a riotous cacophony ” .
It ’ s an “ exhilarating , multi-layered , musical dream ” .
Dudamel proves a “ very fine Ives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Guardian .
In the Fourth Symphony , with the Los Angeles Master Chorale supplying the off-stage choir , he “ magnificently ” captures the work ’ s “ complexity and transcendental ambition , with every detail – blurs of quarter-tones , patchworks of quotes , and moments of jaw-dropping immensity – brought into sharp focus .
It ’ s a glorious achievement .
”

This week’s three releases include Diana Jones’s beautiful new album, Jónsi’s first full-length solo record in a decade and Gustavo Dudamel’s recordings of Charles Ives’s symphonies with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Diana Jones: Song To A Refugee
The US folk revival that began in the 1940s “had as its figurehead a refugee”, said Ludovic Hunter-Tilney in the FT. In his Dust Bowl Ballads, Woody Guthrie sang of being an “Okie” who joined the mass migration from poverty-stricken Oklahoma, in search of work and opportunity in California. On her beautiful new album, Diana Jones draws on that tradition to sing about modern-day refugees, with music rooted in acoustic guitars and mandolins, and a style influenced by the old-time sounds of Appalachian country music.
Many of the album’s cameos are drawn from the US-Mexico border, said Neil Spencer in The Observer, where the two young brothers in the song Where We Are “flounder in a chain-link cell”. But the album also takes in other parts of the world. The Sea Is My Mother describes a perilous Mediterranean crossing, while on We Believe You, Jones is joined by Steve Earle, Richard Thompson and Peggy Seeger to “testify on behalf of asylum seekers”. Powerful and poetic, tender but “unflinching”, this is “a record for our times”.
Proper Records £11
Jónsi: Shiver
This is the Sigur Rós singer’s first full-length solo release in a decade, said Dan Cairns in The Sunday Times – and the album could have been titled Shimmer, rather than Shiver, so “alluring and mesmerising are the surfaces and background textures that dance, refract and twist throughout its 11 tracks”. Producer A.G. Cook is on “inventive form here, providing electronic soundscapes that alternately cushion and gnaw at Jónsi’s beatific vocals and often contrastingly savage lyrics”.
Thirty-year-old Cook is Charli XCX’s creative director and “a master of glitchy, peculiarly skewed modern pop”, said Jude Rogers in The Observer. It feels as though the producer has encouraged Jónsi (“the indie boy Enya”) to strip each song to its “bare bones and add stranger, steelier muscles”. The results include edgy, ethereal fare such as Cannibal, on which the Cocteau Twins’ Liz Fraser “guests delicately”; the thrilling “metallic scrape” of Swill and Wildeye; a “skittish, robotic” choir on Hold; and Salt Licorice, featuring Robyn and also synth melodies. “More of this, please.”
Krúnk £12
Gustavo Dudamel, Los Angeles Philharmonic: Charles Ives - Complete Symphonies
Charles Ives (1874-1954) was the “ultimate American maverick”, said Richard Fairman in the FT. His four symphonies are “unique and wildly disparate confections, which have struggled to get the attention they deserve”. But Gustavo Dudamel’s recordings, made live in Los Angeles in February and now available as a digital-only release, make a compelling case for Ives’s greatness. If in doubt, try the “Comedy” movement of Symphony No. 4, in which dozens of American popular tunes and hymns “pile one on top of another in a riotous cacophony”. It’s an “exhilarating, multi-layered, musical dream”.
Dudamel proves a “very fine Ives interpreter”, said Andrew Clements in The Guardian. In the Fourth Symphony, with the Los Angeles Master Chorale supplying the off-stage choir, he “magnificently” captures the work’s “complexity and transcendental ambition, with every detail – blurs of quarter-tones, patchworks of quotes, and moments of jaw-dropping immensity – brought into sharp focus. It’s a glorious achievement.”
DG £13


theweekuk--2020-10-16--Johnson must fold on fishing rights to avoid no-deal Brexit, Macron warns

EU leaders led by Emmanuel Macron have “ disappointed ” UK negotiators by insisting that Boris Johnson must back down in a row over fishing rights in order to get a Brexit deal , Lord David Frost said yesterday .
The prime minister ’ s chief negotiator spoke out after Macron called “ Johnson ’ s bluff on his threat to walk out of negotiations ” by insisting that Britain must concede a “ good settlement ” that will preserve fishing access for French boats in UK waters after the Brexit transition period ends on 31 December , The Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our fishermen be sacrificed during Brexit , ” said the French president .
“ If conditions aren ’ t met , it ’ s possible we don ’ t have an agreement .
We are ready for that .
If there are no good terms found at the end of the discussion , we are ready for a no-deal.
” According to The Times , Johnson was “ dismayed ” by the ultimatum , which as The Guardian notes , appears to be a “ direct challenge ” to the PM ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no agreement was reached at this week ’ s crunch summit in Brussels .
Macron ’ s warning has “ startled ” No .
10 and is “ regarded as incendiary ” , as Johnson had said he would make a decision today on whether to continue the talks , The Guardian adds .
Criticising the EU ’ s stance , negotiating chief Frost last night tweeted that he was “ surprised EU is no longer committed “ to working ‘ intensively ’ to reach a future partnership ” as had been agreed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks ago .
“ Boris Johnson will set out UK reactions and approach tomorrow in the light of his statement of 7 September , ” Frost wrote .
Meanwhile , the EU ’ s chief negotiator Michel Barnier said fresh “ intensive ” talks should be held , with the aim of reaching a deal around the end of October .
Both sides are calling on each other to compromise on key issues that also include state aid .

EU leaders led by Emmanuel Macron have “disappointed” UK negotiators by insisting that Boris Johnson must back down in a row over fishing rights in order to get a Brexit deal, Lord David Frost said yesterday.
The prime minister’s chief negotiator spoke out after Macron called “Johnson’s bluff on his threat to walk out of negotiations” by insisting that Britain must concede a “good settlement” that will preserve fishing access for French boats in UK waters after the Brexit transition period ends on 31 December, The Times reports.
“Under no condition can our fishermen be sacrificed during Brexit,” said the French president. “If conditions aren’t met, it’s possible we don’t have an agreement. We are ready for that. If there are no good terms found at the end of the discussion, we are ready for a no-deal.”
According to The Times, Johnson was “dismayed” by the ultimatum, which as The Guardian notes, appears to be a “direct challenge” to the PM’s threat last month to quit negotiations if no agreement was reached at this week’s crunch summit in Brussels.
Macron’s warning has “startled” No. 10 and is “regarded as incendiary”, as Johnson had said he would make a decision today on whether to continue the talks, The Guardian adds.
Criticising the EU’s stance, negotiating chief Frost last night tweeted that he was “surprised EU is no longer committed “to working ‘intensively’ to reach a future partnership” as had been agreed during talks with the European Commission two weeks ago.
“Boris Johnson will set out UK reactions and approach tomorrow in the light of his statement of 7 September,” Frost wrote.
Meanwhile, the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier said fresh “intensive” talks should be held, with the aim of reaching a deal around the end of October. Both sides are calling on each other to compromise on key issues that also include state aid.


theweekuk--2020-10-16--Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Friday 16 Oct 2020

Ellie Harrison , a presenter on the BBC ’ s Countryfile , has said that people in the countryside are @ @ @ @ @ that many people believed the UK ’ s national parks were a “ white environment @ @ @ @ @ magazine , she stated : “ Even a single racist event means there is work @ @ @ @ @ whether the countryside is racist , then yes it is ; but asking if it @ @ @ @ @ anywhere else - maybe , maybe not .
”

Number 10 ‘startled’ by Macron's Brexit demands
As Boris Johnson's deadline for a Brexit deal passes, The Guardian reports that Downing Street was “startled” when Emmanuel Macron led EU leaders in warning the British PM that he must swallow the bloc’s conditions. The EU has proposed a further “two to three weeks” of negotiations but added that London alone needed to “make the necessary moves to make an agreement possible”. Michel Barnier said he would come to London on Monday to start the new round of talks.


theweekuk--2020-10-16--Wine of the week: a mind-blowingly exciting aperitif

JJ Prüm is just about the only epic wine estate in the world on my hit list of greats that I have yet to visit .
I have travelled to Germany many times and I have asked to visit Prüm ( twice ) , but they have turned me down ( both times ) .
I am not sure why , but it hasn ’ t stopped me drinking gallons of their wines and writing up their finest releases in my various columns .
The rieslings from the Wehlener Sonnenuhr vineyard , across all sweetness levels including the rare goldkapsel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all celestial , highly sophisticated and extraordinarily age-worthy .
This 33-acre estate , with nearly 70 % of ungrafted vines , also includes holdings in Zeltinger Sonnenuhr , my featured Graacher Himmelreich , Graacher Domprobst , Bernkasteler Lay and Bernkasteler Badstube , and all of these wines are worth tracking down .
My featured wine is a bargain and a beauty – at a sniff under 20 quid , it is positively irresistible .
It tips the scales at a teeny 9 % alcohol and this means that it is ever so slightly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s like stepping back in time 40 years to an age when we all drank delicate Mosel Rieslings instead of gauche sparkling wines before dinner .
Nothing has changed in the Jukes household over this period because we still enjoy this tradition !
So try your hand at this mind-blowingly exciting aperitif because it is totally alive with prickly acidity and heavenly , tender fruit .
Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition ’ s Communicator of the Year ( matthewjukes.com ) This article was originally @ @ @

JJ Prüm is just about the only epic wine estate in the world on my hit list of greats that I have yet to visit. I have travelled to Germany many times and I have asked to visit Prüm (twice), but they have turned me down (both times). I am not sure why, but it hasn’t stopped me drinking gallons of their wines and writing up their finest releases in my various columns.
The rieslings from the Wehlener Sonnenuhr vineyard, across all sweetness levels including the rare goldkapsel (gold capsule) wines, are all celestial, highly sophisticated and extraordinarily age-worthy. This 33-acre estate, with nearly 70% of ungrafted vines, also includes holdings in Zeltinger Sonnenuhr, my featured Graacher Himmelreich, Graacher Domprobst, Bernkasteler Lay and Bernkasteler Badstube, and all of these wines are worth tracking down.
My featured wine is a bargain and a beauty – at a sniff under 20 quid, it is positively irresistible. It tips the scales at a teeny 9% alcohol and this means that it is ever so slightly grapey and off-dry on the palate.
It’s like stepping back in time 40 years to an age when we all drank delicate Mosel Rieslings instead of gauche sparkling wines before dinner. Nothing has changed in the Jukes household over this period because we still enjoy this tradition! So try your hand at this mind-blowingly exciting aperitif because it is totally alive with prickly acidity and heavenly, tender fruit.
Graacher Himmelreich, Riesling, Kabinett, JJ Prüm, 2018, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany – £19.68, Justerini & Brooks, 020-7484 6430, justerinis.com
Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (matthewjukes.com)
This article was originally published in MoneyWeek


theweekuk--2020-10-17--Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 17 Oct 2020

Local authorities in Greater Manchester say they are ready to meet Boris Johnson to try to end the stalemate over @ @ @ @ @ of Covid-19 measures for the region .
The announcement came after the PM said that @ @ @ @ @ mean “ more people will die ” .
New restrictions have come into force in @ @ @ @ @ the population facing new curbs .

Manchester leaders say they will meet Boris Johnson
Local authorities in Greater Manchester say they are ready to meet Boris Johnson to try to end the stalemate over bringing in the top level of Covid-19 measures for the region. The announcement came after the PM said that every day of delay would mean “more people will die”. New restrictions have come into force in England with more than half the population facing new curbs.


theweekuk--2020-10-18--Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Sunday 18 Oct 2020

British voters do not trust Boris Johnson and Matt Hancock to beat coronavirus , according to a new survey .
@ @ @ @ @ the prime minister to lead the response to the pandemic , against 44 per who @ @ @ @ @ rating of -8 .
The health secretary has a a trust rating of -13 based @ @ @ @ @ trusting him and 39 per cent expressing distrust .
One quarter of those polled say @ @ @ @ @ due to the crisis .

Johnson and Hancock fare badly in new opinion poll
British voters do not trust Boris Johnson and Matt Hancock to beat coronavirus, according to a new survey. Just 36 per cent trust the prime minister to lead the response to the pandemic, against 44 per who do not – an overall rating of -8. The health secretary has a a trust rating of -13 based on just 26 per cent trusting him and 39 per cent expressing distrust. One quarter of those polled say their household income has dropped due to the crisis.


theweekuk--2020-10-19--Instant Opinion: chasing herd immunity could lead to ‘mass murder’

The Week ’ s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media , with excerpts from each .
John M. Barry in The New York Times “ Actual data from prison populations and from Latin America suggest transmission does not slow down until 60 percent of the population is infected .
( At present , only about 10 percent of the population has been infected , according to the C.D.C . )
And what will be the cost ?
Even if herd immunity can be achieved with only 40 percent of the population @ @ @ @ @ @ @ estimates that a total of 800,000 Americans would die .
The real death toll needed to reach herd immunity could far exceed one million .
As horrific a price as that is , it could prove much worse if damage to the heart , lungs or other organs of those who recover from the immediate effects of the virus does not heal and instead leads to early deaths or incapacitation .
But we won ’ t know that for years.
” ‘ Patriotism ’ is the last refuge of a scandalous government “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interest does not hand out large untendered contracts to the private sector , it does not refuse to devolve power to Labour administrations and barricade itself against the north of the country .
It ’ s not a lack of camaraderie or a lack of resources that is failing the Tories .
It ’ s their own lack of patriotism .
They are not here to govern ; they are here to rule .
There is no way of working with this government – either on the part of citizens or the opposition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more chances to shift the blame on to others , who will be accused of not helping ‘ enough ’ , of not keeping quiet .
If you love your country , it ’ s time to get loud.
” on the challenges of a second term Jacinda Ardern needs to be more than kind in her next term as New Zealand prime minister “ The 40-year-old has been tested like no other leader worldwide in the last three years .
The Christchurch terror attacks , the White Island eruption , the Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to all of the above has been internationally feted .
That popularity , bolstered by selfies , Facebook Lives , mob-like crowds and at times sycophantic international media praise , only solidified her celebrity status .
But for many , herein lies the problem .
The fawning and selfies have rankled those desperate to get on the property ladder as the country ’ s housing crisis spirals out of control , those waiting for action on climate change – which had been a 2017 campaign cornerstone – and those bleeding cash due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recovery strategy.
” What if there 's no winner on November 4 ?
“ But what if it is close ?
This is the scenario that keeps me up at night .
If the race is close , Trump and his campaign could file lawsuits and use evidence of election administrator incompetence to convince key segments of the American right that Democrats stole the election through deliberate fraud .
Trump has already sowed distrust in the results by saying without evidence that the only way he loses is if the election is ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a race that is too close to call - especially in states struggling to count a torrent of mail-in ballots , such as Pennsylvania , whose legislators so far have refused to give election officials a head start as they do in other states like Florida to process absentee votes.
” Is Netanyahu turning Israel into an unhealthy democracy ?
“ Our prime minister , time and again , has shown that he puts his personal interest above that of the country , so only the naive should expect a strict clampdown on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days ...
While any self-respecting democratic politician would accept that it ’ s untenable for one to continue as prime minister following an indictment of charges of fraud , bribery and breach and trust , Netanyahu has not just clung to power .
He has used his position as the country ’ s leader to deliberately weaken the foundations of the country ’ s legal system and law enforcement arm , in his increasingly desperate attempts to avoid standing trial .
”

The Week’s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media, with excerpts from each.
1. John M. Barry in The New York Times
on a controversial pandemic response
Herd Immunity? Or ‘Mass Murder’?
“Actual data from prison populations and from Latin America suggest transmission does not slow down until 60 percent of the population is infected. (At present, only about 10 percent of the population has been infected, according to the C.D.C.) And what will be the cost? Even if herd immunity can be achieved with only 40 percent of the population infected or vaccinated, the I.H.M.E. estimates that a total of 800,000 Americans would die. The real death toll needed to reach herd immunity could far exceed one million. As horrific a price as that is, it could prove much worse if damage to the heart, lungs or other organs of those who recover from the immediate effects of the virus does not heal and instead leads to early deaths or incapacitation. But we won’t know that for years.”
2. Nesrine Malik in The Guardian
on Boris Johnson’s war talk
‘Patriotism’ is the last refuge of a scandalous government
“A party that governs in the national interest does not hand out large untendered contracts to the private sector, it does not refuse to devolve power to Labour administrations and barricade itself against the north of the country. It’s not a lack of camaraderie or a lack of resources that is failing the Tories. It’s their own lack of patriotism. They are not here to govern; they are here to rule. There is no way of working with this government – either on the part of citizens or the opposition – that will not simply give it more chances to shift the blame on to others, who will be accused of not helping ‘enough’, of not keeping quiet. If you love your country, it’s time to get loud.”
3. Ashleigh Stewart in The Independent
on the challenges of a second term
Jacinda Ardern needs to be more than kind in her next term as New Zealand prime minister
“The 40-year-old has been tested like no other leader worldwide in the last three years. The Christchurch terror attacks, the White Island eruption, the Covid-19 pandemic and economic fallout. Her response to all of the above has been internationally feted. That popularity, bolstered by selfies, Facebook Lives, mob-like crowds and at times sycophantic international media praise, only solidified her celebrity status. But for many, herein lies the problem. The fawning and selfies have rankled those desperate to get on the property ladder as the country’s housing crisis spirals out of control, those waiting for action on climate change – which had been a 2017 campaign cornerstone – and those bleeding cash due to uncertainty around the country’s Covid-19 recovery strategy.”
4. Richard L. Hasen on CNN
on a dead heat election finish
What if there's no winner on November 4?
“But what if it is close? This is the scenario that keeps me up at night. If the race is close, Trump and his campaign could file lawsuits and use evidence of election administrator incompetence to convince key segments of the American right that Democrats stole the election through deliberate fraud. Trump has already sowed distrust in the results by saying without evidence that the only way he loses is if the election is ‘rigged.’I am most worried about a race that is too close to call - especially in states struggling to count a torrent of mail-in ballots, such as Pennsylvania, whose legislators so far have refused to give election officials a head start as they do in other states like Florida to process absentee votes.”
5. Jeff Barak in The Jerusalem Post
on Covid and corruption
Is Netanyahu turning Israel into an unhealthy democracy?
“Our prime minister, time and again, has shown that he puts his personal interest above that of the country, so only the naive should expect a strict clampdown on red towns and cities in the coming days... While any self-respecting democratic politician would accept that it’s untenable for one to continue as prime minister following an indictment of charges of fraud, bribery and breach and trust, Netanyahu has not just clung to power. He has used his position as the country’s leader to deliberately weaken the foundations of the country’s legal system and law enforcement arm, in his increasingly desperate attempts to avoid standing trial.”


theweekuk--2020-10-19--Coronavirus: how anti-lockdown Sweden is preparing for second wave

Having stood alone in refusing to lock down when the coronavirus pandemic first hit, Sweden is living up to its reputation as Europe’s odd man out once again in the response to the second wave of infections.
As other Western countries imposed nationwide shutdowns back in spring, Sweden instead opted for lighter restrictions, including banning gatherings of 50 people or more and moving teaching for students aged over 16 to online platforms.
Cafes, restaurants, bars and gyms remained open, although patrons were encouraged to keep their distance. “The goal, as in other countries, was fewer contacts between people and protecting the most vulnerable,” says The Economist, “but the means were less draconian.”
This more light-handed approach seemed to work, with many Swedes staying at home at rates similar to people elsewhere in Europe, according to surveys and mobile phone data. But as new circuit-breakers, lockdowns, and curfews loom across the rest of Europe, what does Sweden have planned now?
Quarantining
Like most other countries, Sweden is practising quarantining. However, while much of Europe has imposed a strict 14-day self-isolation period for infected people, their contacts and travellers returning from overseas, Sweden’s quarantine is for just seven days.
The Swedish quarantine rules also only apply to people who live with someone who has Covid-19, and the quarantine can end if a test returns a negative result after five days. And children do not have to self-isolate at all.
Testing
The government in Stockholm pays for antibody tests for any citizen who wants one. A positive antibody test will immediately exempt that person from having to quarantine or being required to have a Covid test if they display cold- or flu-like symptoms.
Cash payments
Anyone who is quarantining and cannot work from home, such as labourers and taxi drivers, is eligible for a cash payment to replace their lost income.
Rules that people ‘can accept’
Sweden’s deputy state epidemiologist, Dr Anders Wallensten, said last week that compliance with the government’s rules had been “good” and is “not really declining”.
According to the diseases expert, there is “not that big of a difference” between Sweden’s approach to the pandemic and that of other countries.
The main distinction, Wallensten argued, is that while other governments have each tried a variety of approaches to stemming outbreaks, the measures introduced by Stockholm have not changed, “are still up and running” and will remain in place for the coming winter months.
In what The Telegraph describes as a “veiled criticism of Britain”, he emphasised the importance of sticking to consistent and clear rules which “make sense” and which “people can accept”.
Speaking at a webinar hosted by the Royal Society of Medicine last Thursday, Wallensten added that “I don’t think any country is immune to a greater outbreak”.
“But if I were to speculate [on why Sweden hasn’t yet had a second wave], it may be the fact that we did perhaps have a lighter touch but we have kept it all along.”


theweekuk--2020-10-19--Boris vs. Burnham: is Manchester heading into lockdown with multimillion payout?

Five years ago , Andy Burnham was licking his wounds after losing his Labour leadership bid to the insurgent Jeremy @ @ @ @ @ of Greater Manchester , Burnham ( pictured above ) is now causing the type of @ @ @ @ @ that he could only have dreamed of triggering from the opposition dispatch box .
Amid @ @ @ @ @ over tougher coronavirus restrictions , Boris Johnson is “ ready to offer tens of millions @ @ @ @ @ a revolt that is seeing key Tory backbenchers siding with the Labour mayor , The @ @ @ @ @ Manchester set to head into lockdown with a hefty payout - or is Johnson ’ @ @ @ @ @ into another round ?
Johnson has been told by Rishi Sunak that the Treasury “ @ @ @ @ @ way if more cash is required to get a deal over the line ” with @ @ @ @ @ Times ( FT ) .

Five years ago, Andy Burnham was licking his wounds after losing his Labour leadership bid to the insurgent Jeremy Corbyn.
But as mayor of Greater Manchester, Burnham (pictured above) is now causing the type of trouble for the Conservative government that he could only have dreamed of triggering from the opposition dispatch box.
Amid growing protests from the North over tougher coronavirus restrictions, Boris Johnson is “ready to offer tens of millions of pounds” to end a revolt that is seeing key Tory backbenchers siding with the Labour mayor, The Times says.
So is Manchester set to head into lockdown with a hefty payout - or is Johnson’s battle with Burnham heading into another round?
Boris’s bung
Johnson has been told by Rishi Sunak that the Treasury “will not stand in the way if more cash is required to get a deal over the line” with Burnham, says the Financial Times (FT).
The chancellor is reportedly “preparing to release” tens of millions in an effort to end to the deadlock and convince northern leaders backing Burnham to U-turn on their refusal to put their regions into the highest level of Covid lockdown.
The Manchester mayor yesterday held talks with Johnson’s chief strategic adviser, Edward Lister, that were described as “constructive”.
All the same, the war of words between Downing Street and the mayor’s office kicked up a notch, with Burnham accusing Westminster of “exaggerating” the emergency, while Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove called on the Labour politician to stop “posturing”.
Meanwhile, “Johnson also faces increasing anger from some of his own MPs at the prospect of Manchester facing tougher measures”, The Telegraph says.
Blue-on-blue conflict broke out on social media after 20 Tory MPs from areas with low infection rates wrote to Burnham urging him to accept Tier 3 status. The MPs were “subjected to four-letter abuse on an WhatsApp group from their own colleagues”, who said they were “shafting” them to curry favour with No. 10, the paper reports.
Graham Brady, chair of the influential backbench 1922 Committee, is among the Tories backing Burnham. “We simply haven’t been given the evidence that it would be effective,” Brady told BBC Radio 4’s Broadcasting House show on Sunday.


theweekuk--2020-10-19--French rally in support of free speech after teacher beheading

Tens of thousands of people joined rallies in cities across France this weekend to pay tribute to a teacher murdered in Paris last week after showing a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed to his pupils .
Samuel Paty , a 47-year-old history teacher , was decapitated outside his secondary school in a northwestern suburb of the capital on Friday , in what President Emmanuel Macron has described as an “ Islamist terrorist attack ” .
The knife-wielding killer - named as Abdullah Anzorov , an 18-year-old Russian-born man of Chechen descent - was shot dead by police after attacking officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demonstrators carrying banners with messages including “ no to totalitarianism of thought ” , “ I am a teacher ” and “ schools in mourning ” gathered in towns and cities including Paris , Lyon , Toulouse , Strasbourg , Nantes , Marseille , Lille and Bordeaux .
The crowds chanted “ freedom of expression , freedom to teach ” and sang La Marseillaise , with some waving placards declaring “ Je suis Samuel ” - an echo of the “ Je suis Charlie ” slogan that sprung up following the 2015 attack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Charlie Hebdo .
High-profile figures including Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and French Prime Minister Jean Castex joined a rally at the Place de la Republique in the capital .
Castex later tweeted : “ You do not scare us .
We are not afraid .
You will not divide us .
We are France !
” Meanwhile , Macron “ chaired a crisis meeting of ministers and security chiefs on Sunday night to discuss action to prevent attacks ” , The Telegraph says .
The president reportedly told ministers : “ Islamists will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will change sides.
” Following the meeting , the Elysee announced that security will be ramped up at schools and action taken to curb the activities of “ organisations and individuals close to radicalised circles ” .
A national tribute to Paty is to be held on Wednesday , officials added .

Tens of thousands of people joined rallies in cities across France this weekend to pay tribute to a teacher murdered in Paris last week after showing a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed to his pupils.
Samuel Paty, a 47-year-old history teacher, was decapitated outside his secondary school in a northwestern suburb of the capital on Friday, in what President Emmanuel Macron has described as an “Islamist terrorist attack”. The knife-wielding killer - named as Abdullah Anzorov, an 18-year-old Russian-born man of Chechen descent - was shot dead by police after attacking officers called to the scene.
Yesterday, demonstrators carrying banners with messages including “no to totalitarianism of thought”, “I am a teacher” and “schools in mourning” gathered in towns and cities including Paris, Lyon, Toulouse, Strasbourg, Nantes, Marseille, Lille and Bordeaux.
The crowds chanted “freedom of expression, freedom to teach” and sang La Marseillaise, with some waving placards declaring “Je suis Samuel” - an echo of the “Je suis Charlie” slogan that sprung up following the 2015 attack on the offices of the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo.
High-profile figures including Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and French Prime Minister Jean Castex joined a rally at the Place de la Republique in the capital. Castex later tweeted: “You do not scare us. We are not afraid. You will not divide us. We are France!”
Meanwhile, Macron “chaired a crisis meeting of ministers and security chiefs on Sunday night to discuss action to prevent attacks”, The Telegraph says. The president reportedly told ministers: “Islamists will not sleep peacefully in France. Fear will change sides.”
Following the meeting, the Elysee announced that security will be ramped up at schools and action taken to curb the activities of “organisations and individuals close to radicalised circles”. A national tribute to Paty is to be held on Wednesday, officials added.


theweekuk--2020-10-19--No. 10 says peerage for first black Archbishop ‘imminent’ after outcry over snub

Downing Street has said that John Sentamu will be given a life peerage “ imminently ” , following widespread anger that Britain ’ s first black archbishop was left off Boris Johnson ’ s honours list .
The former Archbishop of York was expected to get an automatic life peerage to allow him to continue sitting in the House of Lords in a personal capacity following his retirement in June .
But in what The Sunday Times describes as an “ extraordinary snub ” , Downing Street failed to announce Sentamu ’ s peerage when he stepped down , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Lord Hope , and the immediate past Archbishop of Canterbury , Rowan Williams ” .
And Sentamu ’ s subsequent omission from Johnson ’ s honours list has fuelled accusations of “ institutional prejudice ” .
Newly enthroned Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell tweeted on Sunday that he was “ disturbed to find out today whether it be through negligence or intent my predecessor @ Sentamu has not been given the peerage that has been the custom for many years .
I trust this will soon be rectified.
” Downing Street said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the need to reduce numbers in the Lords .
But that claim was “ met with fury ” from critics who pointed out that the prime minister ’ s brother , Jo Johnson , was among the 36 appointments on the honours list , says Sky News .
Shadow justice secretary David Lammy MP tweeted : “ No 10 snubbed Britain ’ s first black archbishop for a peerage because it says the House of Lords is too large , but it made room for Ian Botham , Claire Fox and Theresa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and former cabinet minister David Davis agreed on Twitter that Downing Street had made “ made a mistake ” in not ennobling Sentamu .
A government source told the Daily Mail this weekend that the peerage was delayed because officials wanted to make sure Sentamu was not criticised in an ongoing abuse inquiry .
The source said that although there was “ never any suggestion that the archbishop was involved in the scandal ” , he was a “ senior figure in the Church which was subject to an on-going process ” .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have U-turned ” , with a Whitehall source saying last night that Sentamu ’ s peerage is “ imminent ” , Sky News reports .
The Whitehall insider claimed the delay was down to a procedural hold-up , despite The Sunday Times reporting that Sentamu had previously been told that he “ would have to wait until the next round ” .

Downing Street has said that John Sentamu will be given a life peerage “imminently”, following widespread anger that Britain’s first black archbishop was left off Boris Johnson’s honours list.
The former Archbishop of York was expected to get an automatic life peerage to allow him to continue sitting in the House of Lords in a personal capacity following his retirement in June.
But in what The Sunday Times describes as an “extraordinary snub”, Downing Street failed to announce Sentamu’s peerage when he stepped down, “breaking the precedent set for his predecessor, Lord Hope, and the immediate past Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams”.
And Sentamu’s subsequent omission from Johnson’s honours list has fuelled accusations of “institutional prejudice”. Newly enthroned Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell tweeted on Sunday that he was “disturbed to find out today whether it be through negligence or intent my predecessor @Sentamu has not been given the peerage that has been the custom for many years. I trust this will soon be rectified.”
Downing Street said this weekend that the omission was down to the need to reduce numbers in the Lords. But that claim was “met with fury” from critics who pointed out that the prime minister’s brother, Jo Johnson, was among the 36 appointments on the honours list, says Sky News.
Shadow justice secretary David Lammy MP tweeted: “No 10 snubbed Britain’s first black archbishop for a peerage because it says the House of Lords is too large, but it made room for Ian Botham, Claire Fox and Theresa May’s husband.”
Tory MP and former cabinet minister David Davis agreed on Twitter that Downing Street had made “made a mistake” in not ennobling Sentamu.
A government source told the Daily Mail this weekend that the peerage was delayed because officials wanted to make sure Sentamu was not criticised in an ongoing abuse inquiry.
The source said that although there was “never any suggestion that the archbishop was involved in the scandal”, he was a “senior figure in the Church which was subject to an on-going process”.
But Downing Street now “appears to have U-turned”, with a Whitehall source saying last night that Sentamu’s peerage is “imminent”, Sky News reports.
The Whitehall insider claimed the delay was down to a procedural hold-up, despite The Sunday Times reporting that Sentamu had previously been told that he “would have to wait until the next round”.


theweekuk--2020-10-19--Virgil van Dijk injury: Liverpool’s Premier League title defence suffers huge blow

Virgil van Dijk has vowed he is “ready for the challenge ahead” after Liverpool confirmed that their star defender will undergo knee surgery following his injury at Everton on Saturday.
Dutch centre-half Van Dijk damaged an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the early stages of the 2-2 draw at Goodison Park and after the match Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said the initial prognosis of the injury was “not good”.
Liverpool have not said how long the 29-year-old will be out for, but returning to action after ACL surgery can take “many months”, the BBC reports.
The reigning Premier League champions said: “Further assessment on the injury has revealed an operation will be needed. No specific timescale is being placed upon his return to action at this stage. Following surgery, Van Dijk will begin a rehabilitation programme with the club’s medical team to enable him to reach full fitness as soon as possible.”
‘I’ll be back’
Van Dijk, who has played every league game for the Anfield club in the past two seasons, says he will return “better, fitter and stronger than ever before”.
In a post on social media, he wrote: “This afternoon I met with a leading consultant to start the process of planning the finer details of my rehabilitation following the incident yesterday. I’m now fully focused on my recovery and will do everything I can to be back as quickly as possible.
“Despite the obvious disappointment, I’m a firm believer that within difficulty lies opportunity and with God’s help I’m going to make sure I return better, fitter and stronger than ever before. In football, as in life, I believe everything happens for a reason and it’s important to try and keep level-headed whether going through the highs or the lows.
“With the support of my wife, kids, family and everyone at Liverpool, I’m ready for the challenge ahead. I’d like to thank everyone for the messages of support, it’s meant a huge amount to me and my family, and I’ll now be doing everything possible to support my teammates in any way I can ahead of a big few weeks ahead as I take my own recovery day by day. I’ll be back.”
‘Title race is wide open’
The former Celtic and Southampton player has been a key part of Liverpool’s success. He played a starring role in the Champions League triumph in 2019 and was ever present during Liverpool’s march to the Premier League title last season.
The injury, which was caused after a rash challenge by Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, has “blown the title race wide open”, says former Liverpool and England defender Jamie Carragher.
Joel Matip and Joe Gomez will deputise for Van Dijk but a “lack of depth at centre-back will be a major concern for boss Jurgen Klopp”, Sky Sports reports.
Carragher, who is a pundit for Sky, said: “The big question you’re looking at now is, can Liverpool win the league without Van Dijk there? I think every team has three or four players in every title-winning team or a team who think they can win the title, and if one of those players is missing, no matter how good your manager is, no matter how big your squad is, you can’t cover for them because they’re outstanding. I think it blows the title race wide open, I really do.”
Fellow Sky pundit Graeme Souness added: “If you were to ask me at the start of the season, who’s the one player you don't want to miss a large chunk of the season… people might say Sadio Mane, people might say Mohamed Salah… for me it’s Van Dijk. It’s a major blow. It’s the last thing Liverpool needed.”
The 2-2 draw in the Merseyside derby leaves Liverpool third in the Premier League table, three points behind their rivals Everton, who are top with 13 points from five games.


theweekuk--2020-10-19--What is the UK demanding from the EU to avoid a no-deal Brexit?

Michael Gove has said the door is “ still ajar ” for talks with the EU over a post-Brexit trade deal - but only if Brussels speeds up negotiations and offers concessions .
Speaking to the BBC ’ s Andrew Marr yesterday , Gove said : “ We have drawn the conclusion that unless their approach changes , they are not interested and they have in effect drawn stumps.
” However , despite Boris Johnson ’ s statement on Friday suggesting that official negotiations were over , Gove added : “ We hope the EU will change their position and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do change their position we ca n't talk to them.
” London has two main demands that need to be met if last-minute trade talks are to resume , a senior government source told Politico ’ s London Playbook .
The UK wants chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier to indicate that Brussels is willing to work night and day for a deal - “ i.e .
actually intensively ” , says the site ’ s Alex Wickham .
Downing Street also wants Barnier to acknowledge that “ it isn ’ t just Britain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to apply pressure to French President Emmanuel Macron to row back from his current line on fish ” , Wickham adds .
EU officials are speculating that the threat to quit the talks is mere theatre , with another unnamed source telling London Playbook that “ Johnson walks away loudly over a load of nothing , comes back claiming he ’ s scored a victory , then signs up to the deal that was on the table all along .
Stop me if you ’ ve heard this one before ” .
Indeed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to appear tough by pushing back against an immediate resumption of the trade and security negotiations , sources on both sides expect the current suspension to be short ” , with talks kicking off again within days , reports The Guardian .

Michael Gove has said the door is “still ajar” for talks with the EU over a post-Brexit trade deal - but only if Brussels speeds up negotiations and offers concessions.
Speaking to the BBC’s Andrew Marr yesterday, Gove said: “We have drawn the conclusion that unless their approach changes, they are not interested and they have in effect drawn stumps.”
However, despite Boris Johnson’s statement on Friday suggesting that official negotiations were over, Gove added: “We hope the EU will change their position and we are certainly not saying if they do change their position we can't talk to them.”
London has two main demands that need to be met if last-minute trade talks are to resume, a senior government source told Politico’s London Playbook.
The UK wants chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier to indicate that Brussels is willing to work night and day for a deal - “i.e. actually intensively”, says the site’s Alex Wickham.
Downing Street also wants Barnier to acknowledge that “it isn’t just Britain that has to compromise, in effect to apply pressure to French President Emmanuel Macron to row back from his current line on fish”, Wickham adds.
EU officials are speculating that the threat to quit the talks is mere theatre, with another unnamed source telling London Playbook that “Johnson walks away loudly over a load of nothing, comes back claiming he’s scored a victory, then signs up to the deal that was on the table all along. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before”.
Indeed, while “Downing Street will need to appear tough by pushing back against an immediate resumption of the trade and security negotiations, sources on both sides expect the current suspension to be short”, with talks kicking off again within days, reports The Guardian.


theweekuk--2020-10-19--Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Monday 19 Oct 2020

Michael Gove says the door to a trade deal with the EU remains “ ajar , ” as the UK @ @ @ @ @ today .
However , the minister also said the EU had “ drawn stumps ” @ @ @ @ @ that any further compromises must come from London .
Meanwhile , Anglican leaders have warned @ @ @ @ @ markets bill could set a “ disastrous precedent ” as peers prepare to have their @ @ @ @ @ .

Gove says door to Brexit trade deal is ‘ajar’
Michael Gove says the door to a trade deal with the EU remains “ajar,” as the UK prepares for talks with Brussels today. However, the minister also said the EU had “drawn stumps” on a deal by insisting that any further compromises must come from London. Meanwhile, Anglican leaders have warned the government that its internal markets bill could set a “disastrous precedent” as peers prepare to have their first say on the legislation.


theweekuk--2020-10-19--Yodellers reject blame for Covid outbreak

The cast of a yodelling musical have denied responsibility for one of Europe ’ s worst Covid-19 outbreaks .
After performances in Schwyz , Switzerland , were attended by 600 fans at the end of September , cases there have more than doubled to 1,238 since the middle of that month .
But a cast member says safety measures were enforced and the suggestion the singers are to blame for the outbreak is “ pure slander ” .
A video purporting to show a UFO moving slowly near Area 51 has caused excitement online .
The footage shows a flat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
UFO enthusiast Scott C. Waring said : “ The eyewitness at first believes it to be a cloud and then soon realised it was probably a UFO.
” Peruvian archaeologists have uncovered a huge etching of a cat on a World Heritage Site .
The huge design was found on a hillside in Nazca .
It measures 37 metres long and is believed to date back to between 200 and 100BC .
It was discovered during work to improve the access to the hill and provide a better view for other motifs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

The cast of a yodelling musical have denied responsibility for one of Europe’s worst Covid-19 outbreaks. After performances in Schwyz, Switzerland, were attended by 600 fans at the end of September, cases there have more than doubled to 1,238 since the middle of that month. But a cast member says safety measures were enforced and the suggestion the singers are to blame for the outbreak is “pure slander”.
White ‘UFO’ spotted near Area 51
A video purporting to show a UFO moving slowly near Area 51 has caused excitement online. The footage shows a flat white object floating mid-air above a highway. UFO enthusiast Scott C. Waring said: “The eyewitness at first believes it to be a cloud and then soon realised it was probably a UFO.”
Huge etching of cat discovered in Peru
Peruvian archaeologists have uncovered a huge etching of a cat on a World Heritage Site. The huge design was found on a hillside in Nazca. It measures 37 metres long and is believed to date back to between 200 and 100BC. It was discovered during work to improve the access to the hill and provide a better view for other motifs in the area.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––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 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––


theweekuk--2020-10-16--YSL muse:  Betty Catroux’s unmistakable style

Betty Catroux does not like the term “ muse ” but if anyone embodies this word , it is she , albeit with her own unique spin .
Catroux ’ s louche androgynous style - never overtly sexy yet hugely desirable and undeniably intimidating - has influenced generation of designers , starting of course with Yves Saint Laurent .
In fact , such was the bond between the French duo that Catroux is still referred to as Saint Laurent ’ s “ female double ” .
Now , her impeccable fashion pedigree is being celebrated at a new exhibition called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Feminine Singular at the Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris .
The French capital may not be easy to reach at the moment owing to travel restrictions and coronavirus quarantine rules but put it top of your holiday list for when we are all able to cross the Channel , in order to admire some of Catroux ’ s most treasured wardrobe pieces .
The show runs until May 2021 and is curated by Saint Laurent ’ s current artistic director Anthony Vaccarello , who was given carte blanche by the museum and its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to select items from its extensive archive of Catroux collectibles .
His brief ?
To pick the pieces that best reveal her personality and ongoing influence on the label ’ s signature style .
“ She lives and breathes Saint Laurent .
An allure , a mystery , an almost nefarious aspect , an elusive yet desirable nature , all that underlies the house ’ s aura , and you understand the magnitude of it when you meet Betty , ” says Vaccarello of the ever-youthful Catroux , who , at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aura of rock ‘ n ’ roll grandeur - helped along her cut-glass cheekbones and signature mussed-up blonde bob .
While fans over the the UK wait for the green light on travel , there ’ s an accompanying exhibition book to satiate our Catroux cravings .
Published by Editions Gallimard and available at Waterstone ’ s ( £30 ) , it includes never-before-seen documents and images of the model .
If you are heading to the French capital anytime soon , be sure to also stop by the Saint Laurent Rive Droite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may be able to find a copy of Vaccarello ’ s own exclusively designed publication , a photographic record of his curation process at the museum .
This book too seems destined to become a collector ’ s piece and , much like Catroux , a classic of the fashion world .

Betty Catroux does not like the term “muse” but if anyone embodies this word, it is she, albeit with her own unique spin. Catroux’s louche androgynous style - never overtly sexy yet hugely desirable and undeniably intimidating - has influenced generation of designers, starting of course with Yves Saint Laurent. In fact, such was the bond between the French duo that Catroux is still referred to as Saint Laurent’s “female double”.
Now, her impeccable fashion pedigree is being celebrated at a new exhibition called Betty Catroux, Yves Saint Laurent – Feminine Singular at the Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris. The French capital may not be easy to reach at the moment owing to travel restrictions and coronavirus quarantine rules but put it top of your holiday list for when we are all able to cross the Channel, in order to admire some of Catroux’s most treasured wardrobe pieces.
The show runs until May 2021 and is curated by Saint Laurent’s current artistic director Anthony Vaccarello, who was given carte blanche by the museum and its governing body, the Fondation Pierre Bergé, to select items from its extensive archive of Catroux collectibles. His brief? To pick the pieces that best reveal her personality and ongoing influence on the label’s signature style.
“She lives and breathes Saint Laurent. An allure, a mystery, an almost nefarious aspect, an elusive yet desirable nature, all that underlies the house’s aura, and you understand the magnitude of it when you meet Betty,” says Vaccarello of the ever-youthful Catroux, who, at the age of 75, still maintains an aura of rock ‘n’ roll grandeur - helped along her cut-glass cheekbones and signature mussed-up blonde bob.
While fans over the the UK wait for the green light on travel, there’s an accompanying exhibition book to satiate our Catroux cravings. Published by Editions Gallimard and available at Waterstone’s (£30), it includes never-before-seen documents and images of the model.
If you are heading to the French capital anytime soon, be sure to also stop by the Saint Laurent Rive Droite store on Rue Saint-Honoré, where you may be able to find a copy of Vaccarello’s own exclusively designed publication, a photographic record of his curation process at the museum. This book too seems destined to become a collector’s piece and, much like Catroux, a classic of the fashion world.


theweekuk--2020-10-16--Collectables: the market in Tintin artwork takes off

Last year , a drawing of young cartoon reporter Tintin carving a propeller from a tree trunk sold for $ 1.1m ( £850,250 ) with Dallas-based Heritage Auctions .
It was special because it was the original artwork used for the first published magazine cover to feature Tintin in February 1930 .
It was a fitting illustration because the market in artwork by Tintin ’ s Belgian creator , Georges Rémi , known as Hergé , has truly taken off in recent years .
The current price record was set in 2014 , when a signed page of drawings from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Artcurial .
The Parisian auction house boasts that eight out of the ten most expensive works by Hergé at auction have gone under its hammer .
On 21 November , that number looks set to become nine when the initial artwork for Le Lotus Bleu goes up for sale .
The Blue Lotus , as it ’ s called in English , was published in 1936 .
It is the fifth album in the series , and sees Tintin travel to China to disrupt the opium trade .
He is assisted in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is a good reason for his appearance .
The previous four albums had tended to draw on “ clichés and crude stereotypes ” , as the official Tintin website puts it .
Indeed , the notorious second album , Tintin in the Congo ( 1931 ) , came under renewed scrutiny during the 60th anniversary of Congolese independence from Belgium this summer .
The Blue Lotus marked a turning point ( although , as Sam Leith notes in The Daily Telegraph , some might still take issue with the depiction of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” ) .
Hergé did his research on Chinese culture and the work expresses the evolution of Hergé ’ s thinking .
The Blue Lotus is indeed considered to be one of the better Tintin adventures .
The initial artwork Hergé produced for it was , however , never used .
The Indian ink , gouache and watercolour on paper image of Tintin and Milou ( Snowy ) peeking out from a Ming vase , while seemingly being menaced by a Chinese dragon ( look closer and you will see it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too costly to reproduce with the four-colour technique used in 1936 .
The publisher , Louis Casterman , turned it down .
According to the auction house , Hergé gave it to the publisher ’ s young son , who kept it in a drawer .
“ This artwork is a genuine masterpiece encapsulating Hergé ’ s genius and is probably the most beautiful Tintin album cover ever , ” says Eric Leroy , comic-strip expert at Artcurial , which has valued the artwork at up to €3m ( £2.7m ) for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first time Hergé ’ s initial artwork for The Blue Lotus goes up for auction .
The piece was inspired by a picture of Anna May Wong , the Chinese-American actress who appeared with Marlene Dietrich in the 1932 film Shanghai Express , says Bruno Waterfield in The Times .
After it was rejected for being too expensive to reproduce , Hergé gave it to Jean-Paul Casterman , the publisher ’ s young son .
The boy tucked it away for safe-keeping .
That ’ s the official version of events .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this account is as fanciful as any Tintin tale : they are aghast that the picture is up for auction , and say it was pinched from the author , ” says Leo Cendrowicz on i news .
“ I met Jean-Paul in 1990 and he told me that it was a present from Hergé , who didn ’ t think the rejected picture had any value , ” Artcurial ’ s Leroy tells Cendrowicz .
( Hergé died in 1983 , and the younger Casterman in 2009 .
The present sellers are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Tintinologists… say it is inconceivable that Hergé… would have given it to a boy he ’ d never met , ” says Cendrowicz .
Hergé always signed his gifts , they point out , and the timing of the sale comes “ just months after the deadline lapsed for any legal challenge to the picture ’ s ownership ” .
One theory is that Hergé sent the image to the publisher and it was simply never sent back .
Either way , the sale is going ahead and it is expected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ European comic-strip drawing next month .
This article was originally published in MoneyWeek

Last year, a drawing of young cartoon reporter Tintin carving a propeller from a tree trunk sold for $1.1m (£850,250) with Dallas-based Heritage Auctions. It was special because it was the original artwork used for the first published magazine cover to feature Tintin in February 1930.
It was a fitting illustration because the market in artwork by Tintin’s Belgian creator, Georges Rémi, known as Hergé, has truly taken off in recent years. The current price record was set in 2014, when a signed page of drawings from 1937 fetched €2.6m (£2.35m) with Artcurial. The Parisian auction house boasts that eight out of the ten most expensive works by Hergé at auction have gone under its hammer.
Tintin’s faux pas
On 21 November, that number looks set to become nine when the initial artwork for Le Lotus Bleu goes up for sale. The Blue Lotus, as it’s called in English, was published in 1936. It is the fifth album in the series, and sees Tintin travel to China to disrupt the opium trade. He is assisted in his mission by the trusty Chang, and there is a good reason for his appearance. The previous four albums had tended to draw on “clichés and crude stereotypes”, as the official Tintin website puts it.
Initial artwork for The Blue Lotus © Artcurial
Indeed, the notorious second album, Tintin in the Congo (1931), came under renewed scrutiny during the 60th anniversary of Congolese independence from Belgium this summer. The Blue Lotus marked a turning point (although, as Sam Leith notes in The Daily Telegraph, some might still take issue with the depiction of the “toothy, sadistic, harakiri-prone Japanese”). Hergé did his research on Chinese culture and the work expresses the evolution of Hergé’s thinking. The Blue Lotus is indeed considered to be one of the better Tintin adventures.
The initial artwork Hergé produced for it was, however, never used. The Indian ink, gouache and watercolour on paper image of Tintin and Milou (Snowy) peeking out from a Ming vase, while seemingly being menaced by a Chinese dragon (look closer and you will see it’s actually the wallpaper), was deemed too costly to reproduce with the four-colour technique used in 1936. The publisher, Louis Casterman, turned it down. According to the auction house, Hergé gave it to the publisher’s young son, who kept it in a drawer.


theweekuk--2020-10-16--Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0: a near-perfect sports car

It would have been hard to imagine back in 1996 , when the first Porsche Boxster was launched , that the “ baby ” sports car would one day pack an engine that would propel it to 400bhp , says Jonathan Burn on Auto Express .
“ Even harder to imagine ” would be a Boxster that costs more than £66,000 .
Yet that is just what we have in the new 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 .
As roadsters go , it is difficult to fault .
On the move , it feels light , nimble and beautifully balanced at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traits ” .
Its size and power make it a “ near-perfect sports car for UK roads ” .
The “ important ” part of the car ’ s name is at the end : the 4.0 indicates a bigger four-litre engine and that represents more than just “ an injection of extra performance ” – it “ completely transforms the car ’ s character ” for the better .
Enjoy it while you can : Porsche is “ seriously considering ” making the next generations of its Boxster and Cayman cars fully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you get here , though , is “ exactly what you want and expect from a Porsche engine ” , says Joel Stocksdale on Autoblog .
It is “ eager to rev ” and rewards the driver with “ more and more power the longer you stay on the throttle ” .
Most importantly , it sounds like a Porsche , with a thundering growl .
“ This engine wants to rev , you want to hear and feel it rev , yet to do so , you have to drive at speeds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or require frequent trips to a racetrack.
” The “ getting-to-know-you phase ” in this Boxster is short – within moments the car and driver are well acquainted , says James Taylor in Car magazine .
Twist the key and you ’ ll feel all six cylinders come alive at the small of your back .
Handling it at road speeds “ is apparently viceless ” and it ’ s as safe and stable as it is eager .
The way the GTS changes direction is “ quite something… turning on its heels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gunfight ” .
Whatever nits the car does have are “ barely pickable ” .
It has all the right ingredients for driving perfection , says Top Gear ’ s Ollie Marriage , and “ you won ’ t find much to complain about ” inside either .
The quality of the materials is top-notch , the driving position is comfortable and the space it offers result in a “ very usable and pleasing roadster ” .
All in all , this is a car that would be a delight to live with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MoneyWeek

It would have been hard to imagine back in 1996, when the first Porsche Boxster was launched, that the “baby” sports car would one day pack an engine that would propel it to 400bhp, says Jonathan Burn on Auto Express. “Even harder to imagine” would be a Boxster that costs more than £66,000. Yet that is just what we have in the new 718 Boxster GTS 4.0.
As roadsters go, it is difficult to fault. On the move, it feels light, nimble and beautifully balanced at any speed, “all essential sports-car traits”. Its size and power make it a “near-perfect sports car for UK roads”.
The “important” part of the car’s name is at the end: the 4.0 indicates a bigger four-litre engine and that represents more than just “an injection of extra performance” – it “completely transforms the car’s character” for the better. Enjoy it while you can: Porsche is “seriously considering” making the next generations of its Boxster and Cayman cars fully electric.
The naturally aspirated six cylinder you get here, though, is “exactly what you want and expect from a Porsche engine”, says Joel Stocksdale on Autoblog. It is “eager to rev” and rewards the driver with “more and more power the longer you stay on the throttle”. Most importantly, it sounds like a Porsche, with a thundering growl. “This engine wants to rev, you want to hear and feel it rev, yet to do so, you have to drive at speeds that’ll send you to jail… or require frequent trips to a racetrack.”
The “getting-to-know-you phase” in this Boxster is short – within moments the car and driver are well acquainted, says James Taylor in Car magazine. Twist the key and you’ll feel all six cylinders come alive at the small of your back. Handling it at road speeds “is apparently viceless” and it’s as safe and stable as it is eager. The way the GTS changes direction is “quite something… turning on its heels like an action-movie hero in a slow-motion gunfight”. Whatever nits the car does have are “barely pickable”.
It has all the right ingredients for driving perfection, says Top Gear’s Ollie Marriage, and “you won’t find much to complain about” inside either. The quality of the materials is top-notch, the driving position is comfortable and the space it offers result in a “very usable and pleasing roadster”.
All in all, this is a car that would be a delight to live with.
Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0
Price: £66,340Engine: 4.0-litre, six cylinder, petrolPower/torque: 396bhp/400Nm0-62mph: 4.5 secondsTop speed: 182mph
This article was originally published in MoneyWeek


theweekuk--2020-10-19--US election: what is Supreme Court packing - and will Joe Biden do it?

Having dodged the issue for several weeks , Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has promised to give a clear position on “ Supreme Court packing ” before election day .
During a televised town hall event last Thursday , Donald Trump ’ s challenger said he would base his policy on how the Rupublicans handle the confirmation process for Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill the seat left open by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg .
Biden told the audience at the meeting in Philadelphia that he is “ not a fan ” of court packing .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether he would consider increasing the number of Supreme Court justices , the would-be president replied : “ I ’ m open to considering what happens from that point on.
” Court packing involves expanding the Supreme Court beyond its current count of nine justices .
Some US progressives have floated it as a future policy to balance the court ’ s ideological make-up if , as expected , Barrett ’ s nomination is confirmed in a vote by the US Senate Judiciary Committee on 22 October .
If Barrett takes up the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6-3 conservative majority on the court ” , says CBS News .
Democrats have tried to delay the process , insisting that the seat should be held open until after the election , as was the case when conservative judge Antonin Scalia died just before the end of Barack Obama ’ s presidency .
But with the Republicans steaming ahead with their plans , the once “ fringe idea ” of court packing has “ suddenly come into the mainstream ” , says the Financial Times .
Will Biden do it ?
Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was opposed to court packing , and warned that the Democrats would “ live to rue ” any such move .
But his current evasiveness on the matter shows the “ the tightrope he is walking on ” as the clock ticks down until voters go to the polls on 3 November , says the FT. “ The bottom line is that [ Biden ] feels he ’ s in a really good position right now and he really doesn ’ t want to do anything to rock the boat , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If he says he ’ s for court packing , that gives the Republicans just another target to go after him , and if he opposes it , the left is going to be unhappy.
” The issue is “ tricky politics ” for the Biden campaign , agrees The Washington Post .
On the one hand , adding a left-leaning justice would allow a Biden-led administration to “ push back against potential legal challenges to abortion , LGBT rights , voting rights , climate change regulations - nearly everything they hold dear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ it could play into Republican attacks that the Democratic Party is extreme ” .
The paper predicts that ultimately , the Democrats may opt to “ split the difference ” , by coming out against court packing , but in favour of other Supreme Court reforms such as term limits for justices .

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