Free thinkers wanted. Discuss and debate today’s biggest talking points, directly with our journalists. | | Laura Donnelly Health Editor | Have scientists discovered the perfect recipe for long life?
Harvard researchers believe they have hit upon the optimal way to extend life – and it’s not what you do but the way that you do it.
They say it’s less about the amount of exercise you do and more about the variety of the routine, when it comes to cutting the chance of early death.
Their formula? At least three types of exercise weekly: for example, a combination of brisk walking, gardening and weight training.
Units called Metabolic Equivalent Tasks (METs) were used to measure exercise intensity and the study found that the ideal weekly exercise regimen totals 20 METs from at least three different activities. What’s more, they say there is no need to overdo it: the study suggests that around half an hour’s activity a day is enough to make a difference. Continue reading ➤
Plus, if you are looking for quick workout inspiration, scroll down this newsletter to find Caroline Idiens’s short workout series. | | Donald Trump told Sir Keir Starmer to straighten out the UK as the rift between the two leaders over Greenland and the Chagos Islands deal deepened yesterday.
Asked how he would characterise his relationship with the Prime Minister, the US president said “London is having a lot of problems” and called on Sir Keir and France’s Emmanuel Macron to “straighten out their countries”.
Trump also suggested last night that Sir Keir and the French president were two-faced. He said: “[They] treat me well. They get a little bit rough when … I’m not around, but when I’m around, they treat me very nicely.”
The US president said he would snub an emergency meeting of the G7 that Macron had proposed could take place in Paris and suggested that his French counterpart would not be around “much longer”.
Trump’s arrival at the World Economic Forum in Davos will be delayed after Air Force One was forced to turn around an hour into its flight from Washington to Switzerland owing to a technical issue. | Air Force One’s intended route to Zurich was cut short after less than an hour in the air | Earlier yesterday, European leaders hit back at Trump, warning against bullying on the world stage and calling for the appeasement of the US president to end.
Emmanuel Macron, wearing aviator sunglasses as he addressed the conference, led the response after Trump published a private text message from the French president, renewed his promise to annex Greenland and attacked Sir Keir’s deal to give away the Chagos Islands. In a thinly veiled swipe at Trump at Davos, Macron said: “We do prefer respect to bullies. And we do prefer rule of law to brutality.” Shortly afterwards, Donald Tusk, the Polish prime minister, suggested Europe must take a harder line with Mr Trump.
Despite the rhetoric, however, Europe appears divided and without a concrete plan ahead of Trump’s arrival at the Swiss summit today, where he is due to hold talks with the head of Nato. Read the full story here ➤
Hannah Furness: Trump gives King a Greenland-sized headache ➤ | | Tom Sharpe Deploying HMS Anson in line with the promises we have made is the correct decision Continue reading ➤ Nigel Farage Chagos may be the worst deal by a British government in history Continue reading ➤ Allison Pearson If the Tories can’t admit Britain is broken, they really are finished Continue reading ➤ | | The attack arrived in centred white text on a sombre black background. After a four-year cold war, Brooklyn Beckham has finally pressed the nuclear button, accusing his parents of “narcissistic behaviour”, listing grievances ranging from bribery to dirty dancing. The reputational fortress of Brand Beckham is shaking, revealing that the gravest threat to the family franchise was always the “anxious” boy trapped in its shadow. Continue reading ➤ | | | Does Lufthansa feature in your travel plans for anything other than trips to Germany? Perhaps not. However, you might want to think again. The German flag carrier has just launched what our aviation expert John Arlidge believes is the best first-class cabin in the sky, featuring heated seats and 43-inch TVs. Continue reading ➤ | | | Emmanuel Macron has surrounded himself with a tight circle of male loyalists, according to the authors of Néron à l’Elysée | | Emmanuel Macron was once sold as Europe’s polished, feminist antidote to strongman politics. Now, a new book by former admirers paints the Élysée as “Macholand”, a macho court of yes-men, narcissism and fading power. From boxing photos to budget blowouts, is France’s president becoming a twilight emperor, or a convenient scapegoat for France’s inability to look at itself in the mirror? Continue reading ➤ | | | Westminster is considering banning social media for under-16s, but I’ve got a better idea – banning phones altogether, writes John Sturgis. As a proud mid-lifer, I remember the days before smartphones fondly, from the joy of chatting someone up without the assistance of an app, to parking without a 16-step RingGo verification process. I’ve set out my case for how to make Britain great again; and, in time, everyone will come to see I’m right. Continue reading ➤ | | | Somebody once told Matt Goss that he’s been in the papers every month for 38 years, writes Guy Kelly. “You end up becoming part of the furniture, and that’s fine with me,” he says. Well, let this mark another month in the spotlight. When we met recently, the former Bros singer – and it’s very much still former, as he remains estranged from his brother, Luke – was as gnomic and entertaining as ever, happy to opine on everything from fame to freedom of speech, patriotism to becoming prime minister. Continue reading ➤ | | | This week we’re delighted to bring you Caroline Idiens’s powerful abs workout, the fourth and final part of her full-body regime. Each workout takes just 10 minutes and is designed to slot seamlessly into your day. You can do the workouts separately, whenever you can squeeze them in, or work through all four one after another for a 40-minute programme. Watch part four here ➤
In case you missed the first three parts:
- Part one is a total body circuit, designed to work your heart, lungs and entire body.
- Part two focuses on your upper body, for strong arms, back and shoulders.
- Part three improves lower-body strength by targeting your glutes.
| Three hot hotels for winter sun Each month, Telegraph Travel will bring you our top tips for where to stay from 10,000 hotel reviews written by 200 experts around the world. For more from Travel, sign up to our newsletter. | Cempedak Private Island, Bintan, is a child-free sunny haven | | Rachel Cranshaw Hotels Editor | When it’s as cold as it is right now in Britain, there’s nothing quite like escaping to warmer climes. That blast of heat when you first get off the plane – remember it? Here are three hotels selected by our team of experts where you’ll find sun, sand and sea. You need to be willing to travel that bit further for guaranteed great weather at this time of year, so flights could be costly, but once you’re in situ there’s something for all budgets.
Cempedak Private Island, Bintan, Indonesia This adults-only private island in Indonesia, ringed by the ultramarine South China Sea and rugged golden beaches, has just 20 eco-friendly, bamboo villas with droplet-shaped pools, surrounded by wildlife-filled rainforest. Expect seaside R&R and tropical thrills in equal measure at this soulful and sustainably-minded hotel. Read the full review ➤ | This secluded Thai retreat is perfect for a week of slow living | Six Senses Yao Noi, Phuket, Thailand One of the loveliest places to stay in Thailand; a wild and wondrous island retreat with fabulous facilities, gracious staff, top sustainability credentials and dazzling views of Phang Nga Bay. This is a place to disconnect from the outside world and indulge in the pulse-slowing benefits of nature. Read the full review ➤ | With crystal clear waters, this slice of paradise is a must-visit | Pongwe Beach Hotel, Zanzibar, Tanzania Dreaming of relaxing on powder-white sands bookended by coral banks, lulled into a delicious torpor by the lapping of an incoming tide, with a flag in the sand to indicate that your drink needs replenishing? Welcome to Pongwe, the best value beach lodge in Zanzibar. Read the full review ➤
Plus, explore 10,000 more hotel reviews here ➤ | The grass isn’t always greener Every weekday, Orlando Bird, our loyal reader correspondent, shares an off-piste topic that has brought out the best of your opinions and stories. Orlando writes... It won’t have escaped your notice that there is some concern about Britain’s condition at the moment. Some say this country is broken; others insist that it simply needs a gym membership and a decent financial adviser. It’s hard to look at our snaking hospital waiting lists and court backlogs – or even the normalisation of the £7 pint – and conclude that everything here is perfect. However, would any of these problems be enough to compel you to move to... France?
I can certainly see the temptations, mostly in the form of the wine. Oh, and the cheese. For those feeling the Gallic lure, however, Anna Richards’s article is instructive. “I’ve lived in France since 2021,” she writes, but “there are plenty of things I prefer about our small island”. For instance, Royal Mail may be slow (as contributions to this very newsletter have attested) – but try wrangling with the postal service across the Channel. Telegraph readers agreed that we have reasons to be grateful.
“I was born in Paris, grew up and studied there,” wrote Joanne London. “I moved to London when I was 26. I am still dealing with French bureaucracy, as I am acting as a legal guardian of a relative. It is a nightmare. The food offering in London is fantastic now. Paris does not come close. I have a lot of lovely friends and there is not a bone in my body that wants to go back to my country of birth.” Paul Sheridan added: “I only lived there for a year, but that was plenty. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, but couldn’t get used to the 12-hour days with a two-hour lunch break at a restaurant. I generally eat just once per day, in the evening, meaning I felt frustrated by the delays in getting tasks done. Like Anna, I missed pubs. The sports bars made things bearable, but didn’t quite hack it.” Heather Verard identified another downside: “The French have yet to understand how to negotiate roundabouts, and invariably take a bend in the road in a straight line, which is very bad for the blood pressure.” Have you contemplated moving to France – or, indeed, done so? Send your responses here, and the best of the bunch will feature in a future edition of From the Editor PM, for which you can sign up here.
Please confirm in your reply that you are happy to be featured and that we have your permission to use your name. | | Find as many words as you can in today’s Panagram, including the nine-letter solution. Visit Telegraph Puzzles to play a range of head-scratching games, including PlusWord, Sorted, and Quick, Mini or Cryptic Crosswords. Yesterday’s Panagram was EVACUATED. Come back tomorrow for the solution to today’s puzzle. | | Thank you for reading. Have a fulfilling day and I hope to see you tomorrow. Chris Evans, Editor
P.S. I’d love to hear what you think of this newsletter. You can email me your feedback here. | |