Mature Marcus Smith inspires Harlequins comeback to dent Exeter’s play-off hopes
Mature Marcus Smith inspires Harlequins comeback to dent Exeter’s play-off hopes Source link
All posts tagged: Dent
Markets on edge as fresh U.S.-Iran attacks dent optimism over a peace deal
Veiled pro-government supporters stand in a line under a banner depicting portraits of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, as they wait to receive donated meals during a state-run religious rally in downtown Tehran, Iran, on April 29, 2026. Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images Up until the weekend, global markets had been betting on a fragile ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran turning into a longer-term peace deal. But escalatory rhetoric, action over the Strait of Hormuz, and fresh Iranian attacks on the United Arab Emirates over the past 48 hours, have led experts to warn war could be back. Market analysts said the latest developments could mark an inflection point in the war and a critical moment for financial markets and global energy supplies, which are dwindling as the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed. “It’s an incredibly delicate moment,” Ben Powell, chief investment strategist for APAC at BlackRock, told CNBC Tuesday. “It’s very unsettling to have our first missile warnings here in Abu Dhabi for several weeks. …
MasterChef fans, welcome to the new era with judges Grace Dent and Anna Haugh
Add EastEnders to your watchlist Ross Kemp insists he’s not “any sort of a hard man, really”. And, of course, you can’t help but smile, because the very act of hearing him say it triggers a mental slideshow of moments that suggest otherwise. Long-time Kemp watchers will have their own favourites. Perhaps the episodes of his Extreme World documentary that saw him dodging sniper fire in Afghanistan and Syria. Or the time he was in Colombia reporting on the drug trade there only to be stopped in his car by a man with a knife looking for a bribe. And what did Kemp do? “I told him to f*** off.” The list goes on. How about the time he was told to get down on his knees by armed guerrillas in Papua New Guinea and, instead, he reached for one of their gun barrels and said, “You’re not going to kill me.” Fans of Kemp’s 2023 memoir Take Nothing for Granted may also recall the story of the night he drunkenly went swimming in crocodile-infested …
Richard Gadd and MasterChef’s Grace Dent and Anna Haugh are on this week’s covers
Welcome to this week’s issue. We have two covers for two very different appetites. For our subscribers, it’s MasterChef and a fresh chapter for one of television’s most enduring formats. Grace Dent and Anna Haugh step into the kitchen as the new presenters: sharp, funny, exacting and, crucially, generous to the contestants. As you’ll read inside this week’s issue, they understand the chaos and the nerves. Dent captures the thrill of the competition perfectly: “To anyone who can get through those first few rounds, I think, wow… it’s like going to a holiday cottage and trying to make a simple omelette.” Haugh adds, with admirable understatement, that it’s all happening “with a film crew and two scary judges interviewing you”. Between them, there’s a clear warmth and enthusiasm that makes me feel optimistic about this new chapter. In contrast, Richard Gadd’s Half Man, his follow-up to Baby Reindeer, is a drama that pulls no punches – emotionally, psychologically or morally. Is it a difficult watch? Yes, but it’s also utterly compelling. And as you can …
I’m Susie Dent and I believe being a geek may never have been so important
Add Secret Genius to your watchlist As someone who has spent decades charting language, I’ve learnt to push aside any personal bugbears when it comes to the evolution of our words. English has always been a democracy, going its own merry way without government from above. But one recent development has found its way under my skin, for very personal reasons. It is the appearance of the word “neek”, a blend of “nerd” and “geek” that describes someone with a strong – and, by extension, “uncool” – interest in a particular subject. It takes me back to my childhood, when I discovered that a love of learning was something to hide rather than celebrate, for fear of being labelled a swot. For a long time, I hid it away as something shameful, despite the pleasure it gave me and the encouragement of my teachers. Decades later, while filming our new series Secret Genius, Alan Carr and I discovered that not a lot has changed when it comes to the desire to fit in. The aim …