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11 October

In the headlines

Hundreds of thousands of Israeli troops are massing near the border with Gaza ahead of an expected ground offensive. The death toll from Saturday’s terrorist atrocities has jumped to 1,200; retaliatory airstrikes on Gaza have left more than 1,000 dead. Joe Biden yesterday called the attacks by Hamas an “act of sheer evil”, saying they brought to mind “the worst rampages of Isis”. British spymasters want the next James Bond to be black or female, according to a 30-year Foreign Office veteran. John Taylor, who worked for the UK government in Moscow, claims intelligence bosses think the change would encourage more diverse candidates to apply for MI5 and MI6. A fierce mother bear has been crowned the winner of this year’s Fat Bear Week in Alaska. Organisers said Grazer (below), only the third-ever female champion, won over fans with her “gutsy” willingness to challenge bigger rivals.

Photography

A celestial picture of a tri-spine horseshoe crab in the Philippines has earned Frenchman Laurent Ballesta the title of Wildlife Photographer of the Year for the second time. Other winning snaps include a hippo with her offspring in a South African lake; an icy ibex in the French Alps; a pod of orcas preparing to “wave wash” a seal; a pair of nesting barn owls in an abandoned concrete building in Israel; and a shy-looking tapir in Brazil. See the full list of winners here.

Shopping

A closed-down Ikea store in Tottenham has been transformed into one of the world’s largest nightclubs, says The Guardian. The new 15,000-capacity venue, Drumsheds, is hoping to host “the biggest names in dance music”. The cafe selling £4 plates of meatballs has been replaced by a bar with £13 glasses of “tropical rumbull”; the main shop floor has become an “eerie, low-roofed hall” the size of a football pitch. The biggest attraction is the old warehouse, which stretches for 100 metres in each direction, with “hefty ranks of speakers and lighting rigs” dangling overhead. “Not a Viktigt or Örfjäll in sight.”

Drink

One of the best events at Oktoberfest is steinholding, says Inside Hook. The rules are simple: contestants have to hold up a stein full of Bavarian beer, which weighs around five pounds, for as long as they can. The world record is, obviously, held by a German, who reportedly lasted 45 minutes. The best part? Once you’re done, you get to enjoy a litre of beer.

Zeitgeist

Many working adults see LinkedIn as a necessary evil, says Anya Kamenetz in The Cut: “you feel like you have to be there, but you’d really rather be anywhere else”. But a lot of younger users love it – Gen Z is one of the fastest-growing demographics on the platform. They like the fact that it’s a “zero-irony zone”, where they don’t have to put up with the “angry rants” and “dark humour” they get elsewhere. “It’s a place for connection,” says Zachary Clifton, a high-school senior. “It’s such a celebratory, positive, uplifting environment.”

Snapshot

It’s a concept design for the world’s first zero-emission superyacht. The Domus trimaran would be powered inside by hydrogen fuel cells, solar panels and the spare energy created while sailing. This would, in theory, give the 40-metre pleasure boat unlimited range, with the added advantage of no generator noise or exhaust fumes. Designers are planning a single-storey villa-like living space with a spa, a gym, a pool, beach platforms, a cinema and lounge areas.

Quoted

“Ah, scrambled eggs and bacon – the only two things in the world that never let you down.”

Ian Fleming