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‘When I saw what I captured I felt a Muybridge-like joy’: Roger Tooth’s best phone picture

‘When I saw what I captured I felt a Muybridge-like joy’: Roger Tooth’s best phone picture

Tooth was delighted to capture one of Antony Gormley’s statues on Crosby beach – the dog was an unexpected bonus Twenty years ago, 100 cast-iron, lifesize sculptures were erected across Liverpool’s Crosby beach. Sculptor Antony Gormley – also the man behind Gateshead’s Angel of the North – had created the figures several years previously, and London-based Roger Tooth had for years wanted to visit the Another Place installation and see them for himself. “I was in Liverpool with my wife and friends for a weekend away, and Sunday was an arty day,” Tooth says. “We began at Walker Art Gallery, and ended with a Guinness in the Philharmonic Dining Rooms. In between we headed the two miles outside the city to the statues. Seeing the rusting figures, all facing the sea amid the moving sands, was stunning.” This was October 2025 and Storm Amy was in full effect. Tooth notes that it was blowing the sand around, and possibly also this dog. “I was taking a closeup of one of the sculptures when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a small white dog bounding towards me,” he says. “I was amazed that an iPhone (and I) could freeze the dog in mid-air.” Continue reading...

The Russia-Ukraine peace deal is not a loss. Nor is it a victory | Stephen Wertheim

The Russia-Ukraine peace deal is not a loss. Nor is it a victory | Stephen Wertheim

The conflict is neither a clear-cut defeat nor a feel-good victory, but an in-between outcome that contains profound elements of each No one should be satisfied with the unjust peace that Ukraine may be forced to accept. The aggressor would be rewarded with territory and other concessions from the victim it has brutalized. Yet the horrified reaction in Washington to recent peace proposals is troubling in its own right. The Trump administration’s recent 28-point plan , roundly denounced in Congress and the commentariat as a “capitulation” to Moscow, actually offered Kyiv a remarkable strategic outcome. Under its terms, Ukraine would face no meaningful limit on its peacetime military, despite Russian attempts to impose draconian restrictions since 2022. (The only requirement, a cap of 600,000 personnel, probably exceeds the number of active-duty forces Ukraine would maintain anyway.) Moreover, Ukraine would receive a substantial security guarantee from the United States and Europe – the strongest in history, even if short of a Nato-style commitment. Stephen Wertheim is Deputy Director of Research and Policy at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and Research Scholar at the Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies at Columbia University. Continue reading...

Matthew Ryle’s Christmas roast capon with chestnuts, buttery pommes Anna, and twice-baked cheese souffle – recipe

Matthew Ryle’s Christmas roast capon with chestnuts, buttery pommes Anna, and twice-baked cheese souffle – recipe

The French know how to do Christmas, be it a tender roast capon with rustic chestnuts and layer upon layer of baked, buttery potatoes, or an unmissable cheesy souffle Rooted in French tradition, this menu celebrates the elegance of seasonal cooking. The twice-baked comté soufflé, light and delicately cheesy, is a timeless favourite that’s simple to prepare yet sure to impress. It’s followed by a roast capon, the festive bird of choice in France, prized for its tender, delicious meat, and paired with chestnuts and pommes Anna. These classic recipes are not just reserved for Christmas tables, but I think the combination captures the spirit of comfort and indulgence that defines traditional French gastronomy. Continue reading...

‘Deeply demoralizing’: how Trump derailed coal country’s clean-energy revival

‘Deeply demoralizing’: how Trump derailed coal country’s clean-energy revival

Biden earmarked billions for former coal communities in Appalachia – and his successor came and took it away For a moment, Jacob Hannah saw an unprecedented opportunity to make Appalachia great again. In 2022, the Biden administration earmarked billions of dollars to help revitalize and strengthen former coal communities. The objective was to lay down building blocks for the region to transition from extractive industries like coal and timber to a hub for solar and other advanced energy technologies, with a view to long-term economic, climate and social resilience. Continue reading...

Let's Settle It: Are Corked Wines Really 'Better' Than Screw Tops?

Let's Settle It: Are Corked Wines Really 'Better' Than Screw Tops?

There are some wine “rules” that I, a non-expert, always believed all experts stood by – things like never putting ice in white wine and using the exact right glass for each drink. Luckily, Lauren Denyer, a WSET School London wine educator, previously disabused me of those notions. Speaking to HuffPost UK , she said: “There is a certain amount of pretension that can come with wine, which can be very off-putting and often incorrect”. But does that extend to what I thought was wine’s cardinal rule? In other words, are corked bottles always better than screw-top kinds? Here’s what Lee Issacs, a WSET Educator Development Manager who previously taught us how to read a wine bottle, had to say on the topic. Are corked wines always better? “ Seeking closure on a challenging life experience can often end with one needing a glass or two of wine,” the expert told us. But, he explained, “Closure in wine... refers to how the bottle has been sealed”. Wines can be closed by a variety of corks, including natural, synthetic, grainy, and even Champagne-specific types. They can also be closed with screw caps and, more rarely, crown caps. “Thankfully,” Issacs said, “the days of people being judgmental and wary of screwcaps are almost completely behind us. The type of closure does not reflect the overall quality of the wine.” In fact, the wine educator thinks even canned versions can hold their own these days. “The days of canned wine just being a vehicle for any old naff alcohol” are gone, he wrote. “As consumers globally look to moderate their alcohol intake, wine in cans are a great option.” Why do different wines have different closures? I was surprised to hear from Isaacs previously that “Most wines are made to be consumed without the need for ageing, and a good rule to follow is if the wine is particularly cheap and more than a year old, it may be a bit past it”. That’s partly why screw caps are quite common. “Screwcap wines tend to be designed for younger, fresher drinking, with cork stoppers still the choice for wines aiming to change and develop over time in bottle,” the pro advised. “If nothing else, a screwcap bottle is easy to reseal and stick in the fridge to keep [for] the next day… and there’s no need for a corkscrew.” Related... 7 Signs A Wine Expert Always Looks For On The Label The Fridge Setting An Expert Says Could Be Ruining Your Wine 4 Wine 'Rules' An Expert Always Ignores