Disaster trolls and conspiracy theories

Two Manchester Arena bombing victims taking landmark legal action

View this email in your browser

4 April 2023

Good evening, The phenomenon of conspiracy theorists denying disasters is one "we might usually associate with the US", says the BBC's Marianna Spring in her Radio 4 series Disaster Trolls. It was released around the time that Infowars broadcaster Alex Jones faced more than $1.4bn in legal damages for defaming the loved ones of the Sandy Hook shooting victims. But as Spring reported, the phenomenon has reached British shores too – and might soon be heading to British courts. Hollie Clemence Executive Editor

TALKING POINT Disaster trolls and conspiracy theories: is legislation the answer? Survivors of the Manchester Arena bombing are taking a so-called "disaster troll" to court after he claimed the attack was faked. Martin and Eve Hibbert were left with severe disabilities following the 2017 attack in which 22 people were killed at an Ariana Grande concert. The father and daughter are suing conspiracy theorist Richard D. Hall for defamation and harassment – "the first time such action has been launched in the UK against a conspiracy theorist", said the BBC. Hall was the subject of a Radio 4 and BBC Panorama investigation last year, in which he admitted that he spied on Eve, who was left severely disabled by the blast, from a parked vehicle outside her home. Hall has released a book and a number of videos claiming the Manchester Arena bombing was faked. Read more

BEHIND THE SCENES What's happening at McDonald's? McDonald's is temporarily closing its US offices in order to prepare for mass lay-offs in the latest round of corporate job cuts. In an email seen by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), McDonald's told office staff to work from home from Monday to Wednesday and to cancel all in-person meetings, in order to virtually inform staff of their fates. "During the week of April 3, we will communicate key decisions related to roles and staffing levels across the organization," the Chicago-based company said. "We want to ensure the comfort and confidentiality of our people during the notification period." Read more

in depth Thomas Cashman: how killer ended up behind bars Police initially feared they would struggle to bring nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel's murderer to justice Read more

Sponsored Graham's 2017 Late Bottled Vintage Port The perfect Easter treat. "One of the best LBV offerings… plenty of weight and structure, with intense dark fruit." Will Lyons, The Sunday Times Watch our video

More from TheWeek.co.uk today What's caused the big stink over Britain's sewage? Clean water a 'politically charged issue' as government sets outs plans to clean up rivers and coastal areas Read more from Today's Big Question Why Twitter changed its logo to the dogecoin dog Some have speculated the logo change is a late April Fool's prank Read more from Speed Reads Local elections 2023: the seats up for grabs and who could win As ever, expectation management is key as Labour look to maintain momentum and Tories hope to avoid a wipeout Read more from Getting to Grips With... When will you get the state pension? The state pension is paid to everyone but younger workers may face a longer wait to start receiving it Read more from Money File KSI: 'renaissance man of digital age' in racism storm British influencer, boxer and rapper apologised for using racial slur in Countdown-style video Read more from Profile

WHAT THE SCIENTISTS ARE SAYING… The harm caused by heading a ball Professional footballers are 50% more likely to develop dementia than the rest of the population, a study has found, adding to a growing body of evidence that repeatedly heading the ball can damage the brain. For a study published in the journal Lancet Public Health, a team from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden examined the health records of 6,007 professional players, dating back to 1924, and compared them with those of 56,168 non-players. They found that of the top division players, 9% had been diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease, compared with 6% in the control sample. But there were differences within the footballing group: outfield players had 1.6 times the risk of dementia, but goalkeepers had no increased risk relative to the non-playing population. The team notes that as goalkeepers rarely head the ball, but have similar lifestyles to other players, their findings strengthen the hypothesis that frequent mild impacts from heading can cause long-term damage to brain health. The study found that footballers were at no greater risk of motor neurone disease; they were less likely than non-players to develop Parkinson's; and had lower overall mortality.

T H E  W E E K  M A G A Z I N E Escape the media storm Take a step back from the noise of the news and enjoy a fresh perspective with The Week magazine. Start your trial today and enjoy your first six print and digital issues for free, then continue to save 60%. Sale ends 6 April.  Start your free trial

Statistic of the week Children in poverty 4.2 million children, or 29% of under-18s, were classed as living in relative poverty in the year to April 2022, up from 3.6 million in 2010-11. DWP/The Times

picture of the day New York braces for Trump Tensions rise outside the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse ahead of Donald Trump's appearance. New York is braced for a historic court showdown later today. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Good week for... Phoebe Waller-Bridge, after the Fleabag creator was reported to be in "early discussions" with James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli about rebooting the 007 franchise.

Bad week for... TikTok, which was fined £12.7m by the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) for inappropriately allowing more than one million under-13s to use its video sharing platform.

PUZZLES Daily crossword Test your general knowledge with The Week's daily crossword, part of our puzzles section Read more

instant opinion 'The cowardice of this generation of Tories shows how brave Nigel Lawson was' Your digest of analysis from the British and international press from the past seven days Following the tributes to former chancellor Nigel Lawson, who died this week, Henry Hill asks in a piece for UnHerd: "will any politician from this period of Conservative government warrant such treatment?" He concedes that Thatcherism, of which Lawson was a key part, has its critics, but "there was a clarity of thought and will to action to it which is almost impossible to imagine now," he says. It was "a clear-slighted and brave challenge to the entrenched forces holding back the Britain of 1975. The comprehensive failure of this generation of Conservative ministers to do the same to the equivalent forces in 2022 is a salutary reminder of how remarkable Lawson and his allies really were," writes Hill. "Today both Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt cite him as an inspiration", but "they stand in the shadows of giants", he concludes. Read more

Trip of the week The elemental beauty of the Outer Banks in North Carolina This 'fragile chain' of barrier islands are well-known for their rich folklore and 'postcard sights' Read more

DOWN TO BUSINESS Tuesday afternoon markets Gold passed the $2,000 an ounce mark as the US dollar and yields dropped. Meanwhile, the price of Brent crude oil was still trading close to $85 a barrel after yesterday's jump. FTSE 100: 7,634.52, down 0.50% Dax: 15,603.47, up 0.14% Dow: 33,317.94, down 0.84% Dollar: £1 = $1.2502, up 0.73% Euro: £1 = €1.1408, up 0.17% Brent crude: $84.29, down 0.75% Gold: $2,026.60, up 2.15%

WIT & WISDOM "The ideas of a time are like the clothes of a season." Wyndham Lewis, quoted in Australian Financial Review

More from The Week Our editors are keen to hear your thoughts on The WeekDay. Share your feedback with this short survey.

© Future Publishing Ltd • www.theweek.co.uk

Unsubscribe from this newsletter

The Week is published by Future Publishing Limited, registered in England and Wales no. 2008885. Registered address: Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, BA1 1UA. VAT number 713111493.