1. Is old yeast OK? The 17 rules of expiry dates – from eggs to meat to oils
“Since I’ve been doing it, by a country mile the most-asked question I’ve had is: ‘I’ve got this yeast, it went out of date two months ago, can I use it? I’ve got these sardines, they went out of date a year ago, can I use them?’ People want someone they perceive to be an expert to reassure them. As a species, we seem to have lost the ability to trust our own senses.”
2. Twelve hours of terror: how the Nova Scotia shooting rampage unfolded
‘Audio recordings from the night of 18 April capture the atmosphere of chaos and uncertainty as emergency teams grappled with the Nova Scotia mass shooting. The confusion partially explains how a dental technician named Gabriel Wortman was able to kill at least 22 people, including a police officer, firefighter, nurse and teacher.’
3. Protests, politics and a bus hijack: the rugby tour that gave Mandela hope
‘Mandela was on Robben Island when the matches were played. A news blackout for the prisoners was undermined by the warders, who were unable to hide their frustration at both the results and the protests. “It was as if Mandela and his comrades were to blame,” said Peter, now Lord, Hain. “His apartheid jailers were beside themselves with rage and that gave him a glimmer of hope.”’
4. My favourite game: Piers Morgan v Brett Lee, December 2013
‘This, then, is a love letter to PS Pughe-Morgan – right-hand bat, left-hand battered – who faced an over of terror and lived to tell the tale. In six deliveries he scored a “cracked wrist, bruised rib” and a “massive egg” on the back of his head. Indeed, the rib turned out to be broken. Sledging the England team has its drawbacks after all.’
5. Ronan O’Rahilly obituary
‘Ronan O’Rahilly, who has died aged 79 after suffering from dementia, was the Irish maverick who took on the British political and broadcasting establishments by launching the UK’s first offshore pirate station, Radio Caroline, on Easter Sunday 1964.’
6. English hero or Roman officer? Virtual quest set to find the real St George
‘He is George, England’s hero and a symbol of pride and patriotism as the nation’s patron saint. In reality he was born in what is now Turkey, died in modern-day Israel and never even considered stepping foot in England.’
7. Porsche driver filmed and abused police officer who lay dying after Melbourne freeway crash, court hears
‘Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor could be heard calling for help before Richard Pusey began filming the crash, Melbourne magistrate’s court was told on Friday.’
8. Why is Stanley Tucci making a negroni so hot? I decided to investigate
‘It’s so unnecessary for Tucci to be banging his cocktail shaker down with the force that he does. But he does it anyway, only adding to the sense that his arms could squeeze all the loneliness out of you. It also adds to the sense of confidence he exudes throughout.’
9. I’ve never seen ... Titanic
‘In the real world, people are strange and confusing. In Titanic they’re not. The good people are the poor ones who appreciate painting and dancing. The bad people are the rich ones who disapprove of Picasso and have never heard of Freud. As with many inherently conservative films, it likes to think of itself as siding with the radicals and underdogs.’
10. Teenage chess prodigy Alireza Firouzja beaten by Magnus Carlsen and wifi woes
‘“I wanted to crush him,” said Carlsen afterwards, using the c-word which was also a favourite of the legendary crushers Bobby Fischer and Judit Polgar. The champion dominated the play and showed a higher level of understanding in the first three games.’
