The gloves are off in Downing Street

Dear Reader,
The clash between Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings, his former chief adviser, has dominated political news for the past few days. Mr Cummings has always been an unorthodox figure, but why did things blow up so spectacularly? Tim Stanley looks at that question in his column and argues that the real issue is that Mr Cummings was never a true Conservative. The Government, meanwhile, wishes to bring the story to an end. Our Lobby team reports that Simon Case, the Cabinet Secretary, will reject two of Mr Cummings’s key allegations before MPs today. You can follow that appearance in our live blog.
It was only a few weeks ago that India seemed to be weathering the pandemic surprisingly well. Now it has become a grim warning of what can go wrong. India is not alone, however, in struggling with Covid-19. In an important piece, Ben Farmer looks at how a two-tier world is developing, with rich countries racing ahead with their vaccinations and poorer nations stuck with lockdowns and closed borders. That split, Ben writes, could have serious global implications.
Last night’s Academy Awards were more low-key than normal thanks to Covid-19, but there was still plenty of high fashion on display (you can see our gallery of the best-dressed guests here). The ceremony itself provided a few surprises. None more so than Anthony Hopkins scooping the Best Actor award for his performance in The Father. The Welshman’s victory was fully deserved, writes Robbie Collin, but its unexpected nature meant that Hopkins didn’t even make a virtual acceptance speech and the ceremony director’s hoped-for poignant ending never materialised.
Finally, fad diets come and go, but almost all promise fast results of some sort or another. Might the answer then be to take a slow approach? That’s the philosophy of Dr Nick Fuller, an obesity expert, in his new book. He talks to Lisa Williams about why “interval weight loss” is the best way to avoid triggering your body’s survival instincts and piling the pounds back on.
Chris
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