The Week UK - 23 July 2022

48 Pages·2022·35.2 MB·English

2 NEWS The main stories…
What happened What the editorials said
Then there were two
Tory MPs have sometimes been described as “the most
sophisticated electorate in the world”, said the Daily Mail.
Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss emerged as the You wouldn’t guess it from their recent antics.
last two candidates in the Tory leadership Having ousted a “charismatic and vote-
election, after winning the final knockout winning PM”, they’ve plunged into an ugly
round of voting by MPs. Penny Mordaunt, round of infighting that has succeeded only in
an early insurgent in the race, failed to make “repelling voters and gifting Labour powerful
the cut in Wednesday’s ballot, securing 105 ammunition”. That the Tories are incapable
votes to Truss’s 113 and Sunak’s 137. Kemi of discussing policy without proceedings
Badenoch and Tom Tugendhat had been descending into rancour reflects poorly on the
eliminated in the previous days’ voting. In party, said The Independent. In the past week,
a postal ballot over the summer, Tory party we’re heard Sunak tease Truss about her past
members will decide between Sunak and as a Lib Dem and a Remainer, her portray him
Truss, with the winner due to replace Boris as an entitled public-school swot, and several
Johnson as prime minister on 5 September. candidates question Mordaunt’s honesty. But
Sunak and Truss: “blue on blue”
we’ve learnt little about what any of these
The final three candidates had been due to take part in a people would actually do, beyond cut taxes.
televised debate on Sky News on Tuesday evening, but the
event was cancelled after both Sunak and Truss pulled out. Swathes of policy areas – including Brexit, public sector
They were reportedly concerned that bitter clashes between reform and education – have yet to be properly addressed,
the candidates were damaging the Conservative Party. In agreed The Times. It’s regrettable, therefore, that Tuesday’s
previous TV debates, Sunak had condemned Truss’s borrowing debate was cancelled. While these events do generate “blue-on-
plans as “socialist”, while she had accused him of pushing blue attacks”, it’s essential – both for the country and for the
Britain into recession by raising taxes to record levels. Conservatives – that candidates are rigorously scrutinised.
Mordaunt, meanwhile, had come under fierce attack over “Nothing will inflict greater damage on the Tory brand than
her record in office and her views on gender identity. the imposition of another flawed prime minister.”
What happened
cancelled over fears that rail surface heat, which reached a
record 62°C in places, could cause tracks to buckle. Many
The 40°C heatwave
others ran at reduced speeds. Flights at Luton Airport were
suspended because heat had “melted the runway”; roads were
Recorded temperatures topped 40°C for the quieter as people followed advice to stay at
first time ever in the UK on Tuesday. Wildfires home. Schools were also affected: a few closed,
broke out across England and several fire and many sent children home early, saying that
brigades declared “major incidents”, on a temperatures in the classrooms were too high.
day when the UK’s previous record high of At least 13 people – including four under the
38.7°C, set in 2019, was broken in at least 34 age of 17 – died swimming in open water.
places. The highest temperature (40.3°C) was
in Coningsby, Lincolnshire; other hotspots Europe as a whole was hit by what
were Heathrow (40.2°C) and Kew Gardens meteorologists called a “heat apocalypse”.
(40.1°C), where it was cooler inside the Palm At least five EU countries declared states of
House than out. Monday night was also the emergency or red alerts, and deadly wildfires
UK’s hottest: temperatures in parts of London in France, Portugal, Spain, Croatia and Greece
and Yorkshire never dropped below 25°C. forced tens of thousands of people to flee their
At least 20 homes were destroyed by fire in homes. In France, temperatures in Brest – on the
Wennington, east London on Tuesday; mayor usually cool Atlantic coast – reached a record
A wildfire by the A2 at Dartford
Sadiq Khan said it was the London Fire 39.3°C, shattering the previous high by 4°C. In
Brigade’s busiest day since the Second World War. Spain, where temperatures topped 45°C, wildfires destroyed
70,000 hectares of land (double the annual average in the past
The hot weather – heralded by the Met Office’s first red decade); and in Portugal, the highest mainland temperature
warning of extreme heat for the UK – brought much of ever (47°C) was recorded in Pinhão. More than 1,000 deaths
the country grinding to a halt. Hundreds of trains were were attributed to the heatwave in the two countries.
It wasn’t all bad
Jake Wightman Bison are roaming the British
became the United countryside for the first time
Huge quantities of the clothes Kingdom’s first since the Ice Age, thanks to a
donated to charity shops are too 1500m world title rewilding project in Kent. The
tatty to sell; now the Salvation winner in nearly three mammals have been
Army is planning to use a 40 years this week – sent over from Europe to help
hi-tech scanner to ensure that as his father, a former revitalise an ancient woodland.
as many of them as possible are athlete himself, The hope is that the bison,
recycled instead. The machine commentated on the which were bred from zoo
uses infrared to sort the race, at a stadium in herds, will crash through the
garments into wool, cotton, Oregon. Wightman, forest and allow a wider variety
polyester and viscose. The 28, was considered of species to thrive. Paul
wool items can then be sent to such an outsider in Whitfield, of the Wildwood Trust,
R
E
a textiles mill in Huddersfield, the race that UK Athletics hadn’t left time in his schedule for said their release had been TT
WI
to be turned back into fresh the medal ceremony. As the small British contingent at the “emotional”. “They came out, 5/T
5
yarn, and the aim is that the rest World Championships began celebrating, the stadium cameras cut they were relaxed, had a snack, RO
C
of the fabrics will be recycled by to the stadium announcer. “That’s my son,” Geoff Wightman told and then they [went] into the MY
M
factories in Europe. the crowd. “I coach him. And he’s the world champion.” woods to do their thing.” T1
©
COVER CARTOON: HOWARD MCWILLIAM
THE WEEK 23 July 2022
…and how they were covered
NEWS 3
What the commentators said What next?
Winning a fifth consecutive election will be a huge challenge for the Tories, said Sebastian Payne The BBC will broadcast a live
in the FT. The good news is that the party is showing “flickers of intellectual revival”. The bad TV debate between Sunak
news is that the most interesting candidates – Tom Tugendhat and Kemi Badenoch – didn’t and Truss on Monday.
make it into the run-off. Badenoch’s exit represents a big missed opportunity, said Tim Dawson Officials at Conservative
in The Critic. Tory members – who, according to a Conservative Home poll, would have chosen Central Office, meanwhile,
the “charming and tough” former equalities minister over any other candidate in a run-off – are organising a series of
could see her potential. So could the media and the Labour Party. “Tory MPs, sadly, could not.” hustings in the party’s
regional bases around the
Badenoch has been a “breath of fresh air”, said Philip Johnston in The Daily Telegraph, but the country to allow members to
truth is that she has too little experience in government to take on the top role at this point. She grill the remaining contenders.
only became an MP five years ago. “This is not an episode of The Apprentice.” The winner of
this race will become prime minister in a matter of weeks. It’s essential that they have plenty of There’s likely to be more
experience in senior government roles and are capable of leading the country effectively from mud-slinging in the weeks
the outset. Of the candidates battling it out this week, only Sunak and Truss met that threshold. ahead, said Gabriel Pogrund
in The Sunday Times.
Being prime minister is a “staggering responsibility”, said Rachel Cunliffe in The New Members of the “Anyone
Statesman. How “absurd”, then, that the question of who should lead us will now be decided But Rishi” coalition are
– for the third time in six years – by some 160,000 Tory party members. These people expected to try to dig up
comprise only 0.3% of the electorate, and are not very representative of it. A 2019 study more embarrassing material
found that they were predominantly male (70%) and overwhelmingly white (97%), and both about his wealth. “There’ll
older and more middle class than the general population. Popular wisdom suggests that the be some grenades being
views of Tory members are pretty much in line with centre-right opinion, said Bagehot in The saved for August,” one MP
Economist. “They are not rabid headbangers waving ‘Eat The Poor’ placards.” Still, it would told The Guardian. “You
be simpler, and more democratic, to leave the job of choosing Tory leaders to Tory MPs, who can’t use up all your
are answerable to constituents. “It is not right that the votes of the upstanding members of ammunition on people just
Richmond’s local Tory party association determine who gets handed the nuclear codes.” in the knockout rounds.”
What the commentators said What next?
“I’m too young to remember the 1976 heatwave,” said Ella Gilbert in The Guardian – but as a Forecasters expect the hot
climate scientist, I can safely say that this one is very different. Back then, temperatures peaked weather to continue, The
at 35.9°C, and Britain was “an anomalous red blob” on a map showing otherwise typical Daily Telegraph reports,
summer weather. Now, we’re in the midst of an accelerating climate emergency. “40°C heat due to a “heat dome” that
was predicted for the UK of the 2050s, not the 2020s”; nine of the UK’s ten hottest days have is expected to develop
occurred since 1990. “There’s no hiding from the truth: we’re changing our climate, and we’ve over the Mediterranean.
got to do more about it.” Reversing climate change probably isn’t possible at this stage, said The Water firms warned of
Daily Telegraph. Instead, the UK must adapt to it. Air conditioning should be fitted in schools hosepipe bans this year,
and on transport systems; reservoirs should be expanded to cope with drought. because “record” usage
has led reservoir levels
Hot weather, these days, guarantees public hysteria, said Rod Liddle in The Sunday Times. The to rapidly deplete.
experts “issue dire threats and warnings that amount to: stay inside, in a cold bath, or you will
shrivel up and die”. Instead of “heralding nice sunny days”, as they used to, the forecasters The High Court ruled this
“talk of devastation, disaster and mortality”. The truth is that extreme heat does kill, said John week that the Government’s
Burn-Murdoch in the FT. In the 1976 heatwave, deaths in London rose by 30%; Europe’s net-zero strategy is in
“searing summer” of 2003 claimed 15,000 lives in France alone. Telling people to get on with breach of the law because it
normal life is fine in countries that are well-equipped for heat. But in the UK – where just 1% doesn’t explain how targets
of buildings have cooling systems, homes are prone to overheating, and the transport network will be met. The judge said
isn’t designed to cope – it doesn’t work. The UK is making some progress in the fight against that ministers must prepare
climate change, said Will Hutton in The Observer. The energy supply is being decarbonised; one a report on how their plans
in four new cars bought last December were electric. But there’s still a vast amount to be done. will contribute towards
If any solace can be taken from this heatwave, it’s that the “millions of private conversations” emissions cuts, and present
it triggers will filter through to our political leaders – and persuade them to take it seriously. it to Parliament next April.
THE WEEK Editor-in-chief: Caroline Law
Serious brains. High-end media skills. Campaign flair. These Editor: Theo Tait
were just three of the requirements for a successful party leader Deputy editor: Harry Nicolle
Consultant editor: Jenny McCartney
identified last week by the former minister Francis Maude in an City editor: Jane Lewis Assistant editors: Robin de Peyer,
Leaf Arbuthnot Contributing editors: Simon Wilson,
open letter to colleagues on the Conservative Home website. Maude, who described himself as a Rob McLuhan, Catherine Heaney, Xandie Nutting,
Digby Warde-Aldam, Tom Yarwood, William Skidelsky
“grizzled veteran” of these leadership contests, also listed the ability to “keep 27 plates spinning” Editorial: Anoushka Petit, Tigger Ridgwell, Amrita Gill,
James Hobson Picture editor: Annabelle Whitestone
at a time; a flair for making quick decisions on the hoof; “decent” performance skills in the House of Art director: Nathalie Fowler Senior sub-editor: Simmy
Richman Production editor: Alanna O’Connell
Commons; the “gravitas and temperament to build strong relationships with our neighbours and
Editorial chairman and co-founder: Jeremy O’Grady
partners”; and the ability “to interact normally with normal people”. Production Manager: Maaya Mistry
Marketing Director (Current Affairs): Lucy Davis
Of these requirements, it’s the last that may count most with voters. As our politics has become Account Director/Inserts/Classified: Abdul Ahad
Account Directors: Aimee Farrow, Steven Tapp, Amy McBride
more personality-driven and presidential in style, the pressure for leaders to be relatable has grown. Advertising Director – Current Affairs: Kate Colgan
Managing Director, The Week: Richard Campbell
We want them to be “one of us” and ordinary, despite the fact that the demands of the top job call
Senior VP Women’s, Homes and News: Sophie Wybrew-Bond
for individuals who are ever more extraordinary. Even in the best of times, prime ministers have
a daunting role. Before the last Tory leadership election, The Guardian’s George Monbiot joked that Future PLC, 121-
141 Westbourne
anyone who applied for the post should be disqualified from running on the grounds that they were Terrace, London
W2 6JR
clearly crazy. But to be fighting to take on the job now, when recession is looming, a war in Europe is
Editorial office:
threatening gas supplies, and your party has already been in power for 12 years? 020-3890 3787
Harry Nicolle
In this respect, the latest Tory contenders truly are a breed apart. editorialadmin@
theweek.co.uk
Subscriptions: 0330-333 9494; [email protected] © Future PLC 2022. All rights reserved. The Week is a registered
trademark. Neither the whole of this publication nor any part of it may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in
any form or by any means without the written permission of the publishers 23 July 2022 THE WEEK
4 NEWS Politics
Controversy of the week
Wedding shake-up
Putin’s ruthless strategy Couples in England and
Wales could be allowed to
marry on the beach or in
Ukrainian officials have a new saying, said Thomas Friedman their gardens under
in The New York Times: “All the dumb Russians are dead.” It’s proposed reforms to the
a “backhanded compliment”, meaning that, after suffering Marriage Act 1949. Currently,
ruinous casualties – at least 15,000 troops have been killed – most couples must marry at
either a place of worship, a
Russian forces have devised an effective strategy. It involves
register office or a licensed
“standing back and just shelling and rocketing Ukrainian cities
venue, with an officiant
in the east, turning them to rubble and then inching forward”.
present; but in a new report,
And Vladimir Putin clearly intends to push on. He hasn’t got
the Law Commission calls
nearly enough troops to meet his original invasion objectives, these restrictions “outdated”,
but by dragooning Russia’s “impoverished minorities” and and proposes that weddings
Ukrainians from separatist territories into the army, he can be allowed to take place
keep grinding on. He clearly hopes that soaring energy and anywhere that the officiant
food prices in Europe will “fracture the Nato alliance”. And he deems “safe and dignified”.
It also recommends that the
has a trump card, said Roger Boyes in The Times: he can cut
Mourners in Vinnytsia pool of people who can act
off Europe’s gas. Last week, Germany was given a taste of this
as officiants be widened, and
when the crucial Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline was closed for ten days for “maintenance” (see page
that rules on “prescribed
16). Russia has accumulated $95bn of gas and oil revenues over five months of war. “Putin can get
words” in the ceremony be
by for a while without our cash; Europe cannot, he calculates, get through a winter without his gas.” scrapped. The Ministry of
Justice will now consider
Since the fall of Luhansk early this month, there has been an “operational pause” in the main Donbas these recommendations.
theatre, said Gabriel Gavin on Reaction. Moscow has turned instead to long-range bombings of
civilian areas as a form of psychological warfare. Last week, at least 23 people died and more than Post strike looms
200 were injured when cruise missiles smashed into the western city of Vinnytsia, more than 300 Royal Mail workers have
voted overwhelmingly to go
miles from the front line. But Ukrainian officials warn that Russian preparations for the next
on strike in a dispute over
offensive are already under way. “The fighting now seems to hinge on the ability to fire on the enemy
pay. On a turnout of 77%,
from afar.” So the question, as ever, is whether the West can ship in sufficient hardware to balance out
97.6% of Communication
Russia’s ability to “out-manufacture” Ukraine in munitions. It all hangs in the balance, said Lionel
Workers Union members
Barber in the FT – “whether the law of the jungle or the rule of law will prevail”. backed the industrial action –
over 115,000 workers in total.
Many seem to think that, the longer the war lasts, “the better Russia’s chances will become”, said The strike dates have not
David Ignatius in The Washington Post. But this is not necessarily so. There are clear signs, from been announced, but they
Russian officials themselves, that sanctions are working, “albeit slowly”. Sanctions “have practically are likely to be in August.
Royal Mail, which says it is
broken all the logistics in our country”, according to transport minister Vitaly Savelyev. High-tech
losing £1m a day, has offered
imports – crucial for the military, communications and the energy sector – have been slashed. Semi-
its workers a 2% pay rise; the
conductor imports are reportedly down 74% compared with a year ago. Tank production at Russia’s
union is demanding closer to
two major plants has been stopped or limited. The head of Russia’s largest bank, Sberbank, thinks it
9%. Both sides have said
will take a decade to return the economy to 2021 levels. Russia is “a country that’s in slow-motion they are still willing to return
collapse”. Putin “plays his hand boldly. But he’s holding fewer high cards than it might appear.” to the negotiating table.
Good week for:
Spirit of the age Poll watch
Bennifer, with news that the Hollywood stars Jennifer Lopez and
A TikToker in Australia has Ben Affleck have tied the knot in Las Vegas, nearly 20 years after 58% of Conservative Party
been forced to apologise to breaking off their first engagement. It’s Affleck’s second marriage, members say the
a stranger for subjecting her and Lopez’s fourth. parliamentary party was
to a random act of kindness. Breaking glass ceilings, after Winchester College appointed its right to effectively oust Boris
Harrison Pawluk, 22, filmed Johnson as PM. 38% think it
first female head teacher in its 640-year history. Elizabeth Stone
himself handing flowers to was a mistake. Among 18-
has previously served as the school’s “under master”. Winchester
a middle-aged woman in a to 49-year-old members,
will be welcoming girls for the first time in September, but only in
mall, before walking away. 75% feel it was the right call,
The video went viral, but the the sixth form – and, initially, they will not be boarding. compared with 49% of over-
recipient herself told a radio 65s. Only 4% of all members
station she felt patronised Bad week for: say that they want the next
and “dehumanised” by the leader to make hitting the
Netflix, which revealed that it lost almost a million subscribers in
incident. “These artificial target of net-zero emissions
the three months from April. It was the second quarter in a row
things are not random acts by 2050 a priority. Instead,
of kindness, really.” that the streaming giant had seen its subscriber base fall, but the their most pressing
drop-off was actually smaller than it had feared (something concerns are winning the
Office workers have been attributed at least partly to the success of Stranger Things). Netflix next election (56%),
warned that the meaning is now planning to launch a cheaper service with ad breaks in an controlling immigration
attributed to emojis differs effort to win customers back. (49%), and helping families
widely according to age. with the cost of living (40%).
Working from Home, after the Frasers Group asked its staff to
Older people, for instance, YouGov/The Times
return to work full-time. The retailer, owned by Mike Ashley, had
use the winking face to
allowed many of its office-based employees to stay at home on
mean “I’m kidding”, 68% of British adults believe
whereas young people see Fridays; but in a memo, it said that evidence from social media social media companies
it as flirty. And whereas the suggested that people were not treating it as a working day. should do more to protect
smiling face is used by older Caroline Henry, the Conservative police and crime commissioner people online. 84% are
people to suggest joy or concerned about seeing
for Nottingham, who was fined £2,450 and banned from driving
approval, the young use it to harmful content online.
for six months after being caught speeding five times in 12 weeks
convey deep exasperation. Ipsos/Gov.uk
last year. Two of her offences were on consecutive days.
THE WEEK 23 July 2022
Europe at a glance
NEWS 5
Paris Kaub, Germany Kyiv
Minister accused: Rhine running low: As swathes of Europe Zelensky’s purge: President Volodymyr
More than 100 wilted in the heatwave this week, there Zelensky dismissed two senior officials
public figures in were warnings that water levels are falling last weekend, at the start of his “personal
France have sharply on the mighty Rhine – raising fears audit” of the Ukrainian security services.
signed an open that the river might have to be closed to Prosecutor general Iryna Venediktova and
letter accusing the cargo ships that use it to transport head of the security service Ivan Bakanov
a minister everything from coal and grain to are not accused of treachery themselves,
in President chemicals. At the Rhine’s bottleneck at but were fired for failing to root out
Macron’s new Kaub, west of Frankfurt, water levels fell pro-Russian “traitors” within their
government of to under 28 inches this week, their lowest agencies. Bakanov, a former TV producer
homophobia, and for 15 years. As a result, ships have been who was Zelensky’s childhood friend, has
suggesting she unable to travel fully loaded on the river been blamed for the failure to prevent the
should stand down. The letter, signed by south of Cologne; and experts say that if Russian advance in February; this week,
MPs, lawyers, journalists and the former the water levels fall much further, they his deputy, Volodymyr Horbenko, was also
PM Manuel Valls, cites remarks made by won’t be able to operate at all. Running fired, and there was talk of the purges of
Caroline Cayeux in 2013, when she for 766 miles between Switzerland and the security services having to carry on, to
described gay marriage and adoption as the Netherlands, the Rhine is one of the rid it of the Russians who have “secretly
“a caprice” that is “against nature”. The world’s busiest inland waterways, used entrenched themselves within its walls”.
73-year-old, who was appointed minister by around 6,900 vessels a year, including
for the regions on 4 July, originally 1,300 tankers. The low water levels are
defended her remarks, saying “I have a lot already affecting energy production in
of friends among those people”, but she Germany, by disrupting the supply
has since apologised for them. of coal to two power stations.
Rome
PM urged to stay: Thousands of Italian
mayors, business leaders and others have
called on the prime minister, Mario Draghi,
to remain in office. Draghi offered to
resign last week, after the populist Five
Star Movement, one of the partners in his
“unity government”, failed to support a
confidence vote, saying the PM was not
doing enough to tackle the cost-of-living
crisis (see page 38). “The pact of trust
underlying the government has failed,”
Draghi declared. However, Italy’s
president, Sergio Mattarella, then
declined to accept his resignation. Draghi,
a former head of the European Central
Bank, was appointed PM in February
2021, as Italy emerged from the worst of
the pandemic. He has been praised for
securing s200bn in EU loans to aid Italy’s
post-Covid recovery; and his supporters
fear for the nation’s economic stability
should he resign.
Vatican City Skopje Moscow
Pope appoints EU accession: Seventeen years after it Google fined: A court in Moscow has fined
women: Pope became an EU candidate country, North Google 21.1 billion roubles (£319m) for
Francis has Macedonia is to begin formal negotiations repeatedly failing to remove “prohibited”
appointed for joining the bloc. Skopje has had to material from YouTube, including videos
three women overcome numerous obstacles to get to containing criticism of Vladimir Putin’s
– along with this point: in 2018, it agreed to change “special military operation” in Ukraine.
11 men – to its name from just Macedonia, so that The fine is reportedly the largest imposed
the Dicastery Greece (which has its own Macedonia) on a tech company in Russia. Back in
for Bishops, would drop its veto. It then had to resolve December, before the invasion of Ukraine,
making them objections raised by Bulgaria over culture, Google was slapped with a $100m fine
the first-ever female members of the language and the status of the country’s for failing to take down material deemed
committee. Sister Raffaella Petrini (above, Bulgarian minority. Among other things, illegal in Russia; after the invasion, Google
with Francis), Sister Yvonne Reungoat and Bulgarians say there is no such language as said it would keep operating in Russia, to
laywoman Maria Lia Zervino will help to Macedonian, and that it is just a dialect of ensure that Russians had access to “global
advise the Pope on the election of bishops their language. Last week, MPs in Skopje information and perspectives”; but it
over a five-year term. The appointments voted to settle this dispute, paving the way denied Russian users access to paid
are a historical moment for women in the for accession talks to begin for both North services, and in April, it blocked the
Catholic Church: “Things are opening up Macedonia and Albania (the two countries YouTube channel of the Duma, Russia’s
a bit,” Francis declared. The move has been are treated as a package by the EU). lower house of parliament. In May,
welcomed by more liberal members of the However, the deal could yet be derailed, Google’s local subsidiary had its bank
Church, some of whom would like to see and even if it’s not, it will be years before accounts seized, and had to close, because
women ordained. the two countries actually join the EU. it was no longer able to pay its staff.
Catch up with daily news at theweek.co.uk 23 July 2022 THE WEEK
The world at a glance
6 NEWS
Surrey, British Columbia New York
Targeted killing: A Canadian businessman who was acquitted of Malcolm X case: A man who was
plotting the 1985 bombing of an Air India flight that killed 329 wrongfully convicted of murdering
people has been shot dead in the city of Surrey. Police say that the civil rights activist Malcolm X in
Ripudaman Singh Malik, 75, may have been the victim of a 1965 has filed a $40m lawsuit against
targeted attack. Air India Flight 182 was blown up en route from the city of New York. Muhammed
Toronto to London, and crashed into the sea off the coast of Aziz, now 84, was 26 when he was
Ireland with the loss of life of all on board. Many of the passengers arrested for the murder, along with
on the Boeing 747 were Canadian families en route to visit another man, Khalil Islam, who died
relations in India. The attack was believed to have been perpetrated in 2009. Both were sentenced to life,
by Canadian Sikh militants in retaliation for the Indian army’s though a third man, who’d confessed
storming of the Golden Temple in Amritsar – Sikhism’s most to the killing after being caught at the scene, had testified that they
revered site. Malik, a Sikh, went on trial for conspiracy and were not involved. Aziz spent 20 years in jail before being freed
murder, but denied the charges, and was acquitted after the judge on parole. He was exonerated last year, after his conviction was
decreed that witness testimony against him was unreliable. found to have been based on “flagrant official misconduct”.
Columbus, Ohio
Rape suspect charged: When it was reported in early July
that a ten-year-old rape victim from Ohio had had to
cross state lines to have a medical abortion (see page
14), the story drew national attention. Proponents
of abortion rights said it showed the impact of the
supreme court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade: Ohio had effectively
banned abortion after six weeks. But the report had little to
corroborate it; Ohio’s Republican attorney general suggested it
was likely to have been fabricated, while The Wall Street Journal
described it as a “fanciful tale” in a piece headlined “An Abortion
Story Too Good to Confirm”. Now, however, the local police have
charged a 27-year-old man with the crime. Police said that Gerson
Fuentes had confessed to raping the girl on at least two occasions.
Sinaloa, Mexico
Narco arrested: The US has called for the immediate extradition
of a veteran Mexican drug lord who was arrested last week in an
operation in Sinaloa state. Rafael Caro Quintero, known as the
“narco of narcos”, was a co-founder of the Guadalajara Cartel.
One of Latin America’s most powerful cartels in the late 1970s
and 1980s, it was responsible for trafficking huge quantities of
marijuana, and later cocaine, into the US. The US wanted Caro
Quintero for the murder of one of its DEA agents, in 1985; he
was eventually convicted of that crime by a court in Mexico,
only to be released on a technicality in 2013. That decision was
reversed, but by then he had gone into hiding. The US had offered
a large reward for information leading to his arrest.
Uvalde, Texas
Police failings: The most extensive report yet into last month’s
massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde has accused law
enforcement officials of “egregiously poor decision-making”
during the police response. Compiled by the Texas House
committee, the 77-page interim report notes that 376 officers
from various state and federal agencies descended on the school
that morning. Yet more than an hour passed between the first
officers arriving at the scene, and the gunman being shot dead. By
then, he’d killed 19 children and two members of staff. The report
accuses officers of “failing to prioritise innocent victims’ safety
over their own”, but also cites systemic failings, including a lack
of clear communication and leadership.
Port-au-Prince Brasília
Gang violence: UN officials have Election legitimacy: Brazil’s
raised the alarm about the rising levels president, Jair Bolsonaro, has once
of violent crime in Haiti. They have again expressed his concern that the
calculated that in a five-day period country’s electronic voting system is open to fraud. The right-wing
earlier this month, at least 99 people populist, who is expected to lose elections scheduled for October,
were killed in gang-related violence in has made similar comments before; what was unusual this time
a single district of the capital Port-au- was his audience: Bolsanaro was speaking at the presidential
Prince. UN agencies say that the gangs palace in Brasília to an invited gathering of around 40 foreign
are heavily armed, and that in some diplomats. Soon afterwards, the US state department issued a
cases they are controlling local populations by denying them statement in which it referred to Brazil’s track record of fair and
access to food and water. Last week, the UN security council open elections, and said that the United States was confident that
voted to ban the sale of some weapons to Haiti in an effort to the voting system (which has been used without controversy for
curb the violence, and to extend the UN mission. 20 years) would reflect the will of the people in October’s poll.
THE WEEK 23 July 2022
The world at a glance
NEWS 7
Ashanti, Ghana Tehran Colombo
Marburg virus: Ghana has recorded its Putin’s support: New president: Sri Lanka’s six-time
first-ever cases of the highly infectious President Putin prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe,
Marburg virus. Its officials report that two made a rare trip has been elected as the country’s president,
men, aged 26 and 51, tested positive for abroad this replacing Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled
the disease, shortly before dying in hospital week, to meet to Singapore last week after thousands of
in the southern Ashanti region. Their Iranian and protesters stormed the presidential palace
symptoms had included diarrhoea, fever, Turkish leaders and burned down his private residence.
nausea and vomiting. Almost 100 of their in Tehran. Before Wickremesinghe called for unity following
suspected close contacts are now under their meeting, the secret ballot of MPs. However, his
quarantine. The WHO’s Africa director, President Erdogan left Putin standing alone election is likely to enrage many of the
Dr Matshidiso Moeti, praised local health in front of journalists for nearly a minute, protesters: Wickremesinghe is thought to
officials for their “immediate and decisive which some saw as a power play by the be too close to Rajapaksa and his brother
action”, noting that the virus “can easily Turkish leader. However, they later said Mahinda, who served as PM until May
get out of hand”. Marburg, for which there they’d made progress in discussions about (and who remains an MP, along with three
is currently neither a cure nor a vaccine, a deal to lift the Russian blockade of other family members). The new president
is a virus in the same family as Ebola. In Ukrainian ports, to allow grain shipments – who has been in negotiations with the
previous outbreaks, fatality rates have out. Putin also won the endorsement of IMF for a bailout package – faces an uphill
varied from 24% to 88%; the deadliest Iran’s supreme leader for his invasion of struggle to restore stability to crisis-racked
on record killed more than 200 people Ukraine. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Sri Lanka, which is facing severe shortages
in Angola in 2005. Nato aggression had made it necessary. of fuel, food and other essentials.
Tokyo
Nuclear executives liable:
Four former bosses of the
company that operated
the Fukushima nuclear
power plant have been
ordered to pay 13 trillion
yen (£80bn) in damages
for their failure to prevent
its meltdown in 2011.
Caused by a tsunami, it
was the worst nuclear
accident since Chernobyl
in 1986. Lawyers for the
plaintiffs – shareholders in
the firm – acknowledged
the four would never be
able to pay the sum in
full, but said that they’d
be expected to pay
as much as their
assets would
allow.
Kosti, Sudan Victoria
Stoning: A Falls, Zambia
20-year-old Heritage
Sudanese woman status at risk:
has been convicted The Victoria
of adultery and Falls could
sentenced to death lose their
by stoning. It is believed to be the first Unesco world
such sentence since 2013. Maryam Alsyed heritage status Canberra
Tiyrab, who had reportedly separated if plans to A return to WFH: Australian businesses
from her husband, was arrested at her build a new golf course and hotel complex have been urged to let their employees
family home in White Nile state last in the vicinity are not vetoed, according to work from home where possible, to help
month, and convicted and sentenced by documents seen by The Times. It reports curb a new Covid surge. People have also
a sharia court in the city of Kosti. The that Zambia and Zimbabwe have both been advised to wear masks indoors and
Uganda-based African Centre for Justice planned developments within the to get booster shots as soon as they can.
and Peace Studies has called for her “protected area” without getting them The guidance was issued after more than
“immediate and unconditional release”, signed off by Unesco. Its officials are 300,000 new Covid cases were recorded
saying that she was denied a fair trial. calling for a halt to the building of a in seven days; around 5,350 Australians
Although most stoning sentences have 300-bed hotel on the Zambian side of the are currently in hospital with Covid-19,
traditionally been overturned on appeal, Zambezi River; and amendments to plans not far off the peak of 5,390 in January.
campaigners fear the case signals a move for a hydroelectric dam downstream of the Health officials say the surge is being
by Sudan’s transitional government to roll falls. Zimbabwe is also planning a 100-bed driven by the highly transmissible
back women’s rights. hotel upstream of the site. Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5.
23 July 2022 THE WEEK
People
8 NEWS
John McEnroe’s wild ride history’ and you’ve got Adolf
John McEnroe was rarely off Hitler one, Attila the Hun two,
the front pages in the early John McEnroe three, Jack
1980s, owing to his astonishing the Ripper four. Now, all of
talent, his epic rivalry with a sudden, I’m the ambassador
Björn Borg, and his appalling of tennis, somehow. So it’s sort
temper. As well as all the of funny, honestly, but it beats
on-court screaming and racket the alternative, I guess.”
tossing, he clashed with tennis
officials, abused what he called Dave Davies’s first love
“performance-detracting” These days, Dave Davies is a
drugs, and embarked on a yoga-loving investigator of all
tempestuous marriage to the matters spiritual, says Damian
actress and ex-child star Tatum Whitworth in The Times. But in
O’Neal. He thought that she’d his new memoir, he recounts his
understand and help him cope youth in 1960s London – and
with the pressure of fame, says it was packed with rock’n’roll
Tim Lewis in The Observer. excess. There was drink and
Instead, their union exposed drugs, trashed hotel rooms,
them both to a new and fights with the police, bust-ups
unprecedented level of scrutiny, with his Kinks bandmates
leading to its eventual collapse. (notably his brother Ray);
McEnroe was devastated, and lots of sex. He slept with
but in the 1990s he found thousands of women, and quite
happiness and stability with his a few men. But through all this,
second wife, the rock star Patty and for years after, he was
Smyth. She has suggested that haunted by the brutal ending
he is “on the spectrum”; he is of his first love affair. He dated
With an acting career stretching back seven decades, Judi Dench
not sure about that. “What I’ve Sue when he was 15 and
could hardly be more illustrious, said Jonathan Dean in The Sunday
always thought about myself,” growing up in a working-class
Times. She has won a Tony; ten Baftas; seven Oliviers; and an
he says, “is that I’m more like family in north London. But
Oscar. If nothing else, she is known by millions for her role as M in
the normal guy than Björn is. when she fell pregnant, their
the Bond films. And yet acting wasn’t even her first ambition. In her
Björn’s the freak that could go parents conspired to separate
teens, she trained as a set designer; but then she went to see King
out there and not change his them. He was told that Sue
Lear at Stratford, and the set was so beyond anything she felt she
expression for four hours. wanted nothing more to do
could have conceived, she lost confidence – and applied to drama
I’m the normal guy that gets with him; she was told the
school instead. Soon, she was being hailed as a rising star of the
frustrated on the court and same about him. Thirty years
British stage; but she had to wait rather longer for screen acclaim.
expresses himself.” He still has later, however, their daughter
In the 1960s, she was put up for a film role, but the audition didn’t
a temper, but thanks to Smyth made contact; and he met her,
go well. At the end, the director told her, “‘You’ll never make a film.
he is much mellowed, and is Sue, and two grandsons he
You have the wrong face.’ And I said that is fine, I don’t like film
today a cherished member of didn’t know he had. “It was
anyway.” She would be 63 before she got a lead role in a film, in
the very establishment he once always there – a bad taste in
Mrs Brown. Countless film roles have followed, but ultimately, she
kicked against; which even he my mouth. It was tough,” he
still prefers the theatre. On stage, she says, you can keep perfecting
finds a bit peculiar. “It’s been says. And yet, despite all the
your performance, but with film, “you do not get another go”,
a hell of a ride, I’ll say that,” pain, he acknowledges that had
which is frustrating. She cites a line in Iris (2001) when Iris Murdoch
he says. “It’s been amazing he tried to build a family life
is in the grip of Alzheimer’s and her husband is trying to remind her
to go from this villain… I with Sue, the Kinks might not
of the work that she did. “I wrote...” she says, as she stares into the
remember seeing in papers have happened. “Maybe it was
middle distance and the audience weeps. “I could do that line much
‘the most hated people in meant to be, in a weird way.”
better now,” Dench scoffs. “But you see? Too late. Hopeless.”
Castaway of the week
Viewpoint:
Farewell
This week’s edition of Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs featured
Democracy’s talent deficit
Kate Ewart-Biggs, deputy CEO of the British Council Mark Fleischman,
“Western democracy has a personnel hotelier, business
1 I Could Have Danced All Night by Frederick Loewe and Alan Jay problem. Rishi Sunak is plainly the partner of Donald Trump
Lerner, performed by Marni Nixon best candidate for PM, but in a dire and owner of Studio 54,
died 13 July, aged 82.
2 Et Si Tu N’Existais Pas by Pierre Delanoë, Claude Lemesle, field. In the US, the two most senior
Salvatore Cutugno and Pasquale Losito, performed by Joe Dassin Democrats are a pensioner and his Claes Oldenburg, artist
3* Mr. Tambourine Man, written and performed by Bob Dylan maladroit vice-president. The last famed for his “soft
German election pitted Olaf Scholz sculptures” and
4 I Don’t Like Mondays by Bob Geldof and Johnnie Fingers,
outsized monuments,
against Armin Laschet in a pageant of
performed by The Boomtown Rats
died 18 July, aged 93.
non-descriptness. For the second time
5 Lambada by Alberto Maravi, Gonzalo Hermosa Gonzáles, José Ari,
in a decade, Italy has a globocrat called Paul Ryder, bassist with
Márcia Ferreira and Ulises Hermosa, performed by Kaoma
the Happy Mondays,
Mario corralling a political class that
6 Namagembe, written and performed by Madoxx Sematimba died 15 July, aged 58.
lacks stature. Look around the major
7 I and Love and You by Robert William Crawford, Scott Yancey
democracies now. Emmanuel Macron, Ann Shulgin, researcher
Avett and Timothy Seth Avett, performed by The Avett Brothers
it is true, would have sparkled in any and author who
8 American Pie, written and performed by Don McLean explored the uses of
white-collar profession. But who else?
psychedelic drugs in
The crisis of democracy is the crisis of
the treatment of mental N
Book: The Complete Works of Jane Austen the restaurant trade and Heathrow health disorders, died KME
A
airport. You just can’t get the staff.” 9 July, aged 91. A
Luxury: an asthma inhaler * Choice if allowed only one record LG
Janan Ganesh in the FT TO
©
THE WEEK 23 July 2022