Society

When Vice News journalist Mohammed Ismael Rasool was detained by Turkish authorities last August, I wrote to a friend in Turkey to ask for his help. I remarked in passing on the worsening situation for press freedom in the country: ‘Yes, getting much worse,’ he replied. ‘At some stage they will come after us, too. Then we will need your help.’ This prediction of darker times ahead proved right much more quickly than any of us foresaw. On Friday, after months of arrests and detentions of prominent journalists, the country hit a new low: courts seized control of opposition newspaper Zaman, one of Turkey’s leading media outlets. Police fired teargas and

Sometimes trivial matters are actually less trivial than they seem. They can be revealing. Thus Bill Clinton’s habit of cheerfully cheating while playing golf was more significant than you might at first think. It told you something – even if only a little something – about him. The great thing about non-trivial, trivial indicators is that you can find them everywhere. The grow, like weeds, in even the most unpromising locations. An ordinary person, for instance, might not reckon the BBC weather map a matter of significant controversy but then an ordinary person probably hasn’t thought these matters through. Mercifully, Paul Monaghan – sorry, Dr Paul Monaghan – the SNP

The invitation to submit extracts from the diaries of the famous that their writers did not wish the world to see was taken up with gusto. Josh Ekroy impressed, lifting the lid on F.R.Leavis’ and C.P. Snow’s chummy trysts; Alan Millard wasn’t alone in outing God-botherer Richard Dawkins; and here’s a snippet from Sylvia Fairley’s entry, which blows the whistle on Wordsworth: Walked around Ullswater in pensive mood, unable to find a suitable rhyme for ‘hills’. My dear sister, as ever, solved my predicament … the muse inspired her, and she has completed the poem already. Hats off, all round, but especially to the winners, printed below, who are rewarded

Regulation as red tape that ties up business and strangles the economy. It is a transatlantic political trope. Said Javid, the ambitious business secretary, is just the latest to attempt to garner political capital by promising to cut through it and save £10 billion as a result. However, on the same day came a report that demonstrated how very necessary some regulation is. The Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates the financial services industry, published a review yesterday of the treatment of people holding old fashioned life insurance policies – pensions, endowments, bonds and their like. Those that hold them are often locked in for the long term. If they want to take their

Last night’s Question Time panel saw David Dimbleby joined by John McDonnell, Dominic Raab, Ukip’s Louise Bours, Jermaine Jenas and Zoe Williams. As the group ran through a range of topics from the refugee crisis to the rise of Donald Trump, the last question was about the proposed ban of rugby in schools. After 70 doctors and academics signed an open letter to ministers calling for the ‘high-impact collision sport’ to be banned, what did the panel think? Raab, the Minister for Human Rights, said that while safety issues do need to be taken into account, the positive effects of contact sports cannot be ignored: ‘These kind of sports have

With a blanket of snow covering parts of Northern England this morning, gas and electricity bills are uppermost in many people’s minds. A new report by Which? says that millions of people are paying ‘way over the odds’ for their energy. According to the consumer group, only a tiny fraction of the cuts in energy costs have been passed onto customers by the big six firms. Which? says that people who change their supplier could save about £400 on their annual bill. Meanwhile, the Competition and Markets Authority is expected to announce next week that it has scrapped plans to introduce a wide-ranging price cap on energy bills after fierce lobbying from

On Saturday 5 March the 134th Varsity Match between the teams from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge takes place at the Royal Automobile Club, Pall Mall. As has become traditional, the annual clash between our premier academic institutions is supported by Henry Mutkin, the doyen of the RAC chess circle. The scores so far are 58 wins to Cambridge, 53 to Oxford with 22 draws. Spectators are welcome, although standard dress rules for London clubs are in force. It is a source of constant bemusement to me that although Cambridge award half-blues for representation in the Varsity Match, Oxford still deny that honour to their chess representatives. Given Oxford’s great

Black to play. This position is from Scibior-Chiu, Varsity Match 2013. Black now powered through into the white position. What was the key move? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 8 March or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020 7681 3773. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address and allow six weeks for prize delivery. Last week’s solution 1 … h2 Last week’s winner Mary Davis, Salthouse Haven, Hull