The Week Evening Review
Dogs of war, Canada in limbo, and cabana drama

 
THE EXPLAINER

How dangerous is the UK's new 'status' dog?

"Move over, XL bullies," said The Times, there's a "new status dog" in town, and this breed has no ownership restrictions.

Cane corsos, which can weigh up to eight stone (50kg), are reportedly becoming increasingly popular in the UK, a trend linked to the ban on the XL bully breed that came into force in February of last year.

What is the cane corso?
The cane corso is said to be "descended from the Molossian war dogs of ancient Rome", said ITV News. Traditionally, the Italian mastiff breed was used as a guard dog and is recognisable by its imposing muscular appearance and strength.

Are they dangerous?
The cane corso is "highly territorial", said Pets4Homes, and owners have a "great responsibility" to make sure their dog is kept under control, and to "keep people who come to their home safe". So this dog is unsuitable for "an inexperienced or first-time dog owner".

 Experts warn that the breed is "like an XL bully on steroids", said The Times. Canine behaviour specialist Rob Alleyne described them as a "killing machine".

"Alarmingly", said The Sun, many sales of cane corsos across the UK are "linked to Romania", which has a dubious record on animal welfare. In countries such as Romania and Serbia, dogs often undergo procedures to have their "ears cropped and tails docked", a practice that is illegal in Britain and that experts believe can "create severe behavioural problems".

Why are they getting more popular?
Once the XL bully was banned, it was "inevitable" that attention would shift on to "another large, powerful breed", RSPCA dog welfare expert Samantha Gaines told ITV News. The cane corso is not currently subject to restrictions in the UK, so can be unmuzzled in public and owners do not need exemption certificates.

The breed has also been "popularised by celebrities", said the Daily Mail, with owners including footballer Marcus Rashford and actor Vin Diesel.
A government spokesperson said they were working "at pace to explore measures to reduce dog attacks and promote responsible dog ownership across all breeds of dog".

 
 
TODAY's BIG QUESTION

What's next for Canada after Trudeau's resignation?

Justin Trudeau's decision to step down as prime minister and Liberal Party leader after almost a decade in power "dumps Canadians into one hell of a chaotic mess", said Rick Bell in The Calgary Herald. 

With Parliament suspended until March while a new Liberal leader is selected, they are now being governed by a "lame duck" who no longer has the support of his own party as Donald Trump continues "mocking him at every turn". And the country's longer term future also looks uncertain.

What did the commentators say?
The incoming US president has threatened to slap large tariffs on America's northern neighbour, and has talked about making Canada the "51st state". Canada has a disempowered prime minister at the precise moment "we need a government with a strong mandate," Brian Lilley said in The Toronto Sun.

"Who will negotiate with Trump" over his tariff threats? They "will need to be dealt with", but "Trudeau is in no position to negotiate with Trump or anyone else". Announcing his resignation without calling a new election was a "selfish act" that leaves Canada vulnerable at a critical moment. "You can hear Trump laughing all the way from Mar-a-Lago."

Trudeau's replacement as PM is likely to be Pierre Poilievre, a populist who "rode a wave of discontent with Covid-19 policies" to become the Conservative Party leader, said The Wall Street Journal. Poilievre is known for a "pointed speaking style and a lack of respect for Ottawa's political norms", but he might not have any more rapport than his predecessor did with the equally plainspoken Trump, said The Hill. Canada "will never be the 51st state", Poilievre said in a post on X on Tuesday, adding: "I will fight for Canada."

What next?
Trudeau had suspended Parliament until 24 March while the Liberals select a new leader. The move avoids a possible no-confidence vote and lets his party "buy time during a political crisis", said the BBC. But Trudeau's replacement "will not have much time to govern" after Parliament resumes, as the Canada Elections Act says national elections must be held by 20 October.

 
 
QUOTE OF THE DAY

"If I was to nutmeg my dad, I don’t think he would let me back in the house."

Peterborough United midfielder Tyler Young on the prospect of playing against his father, Everton defender Ashley Young, when their teams face off in the third round of the FA Cup this evening. Young Jr starts the match on the subs bench, but the 18-year-old told "The One Show" that "win, lose or draw, I think he will be asking for my shirt".

 
 

Poll watch

Support for Romanian far-right politician Călin Georgescu has almost doubled since his victory in the first round of the presidential election was overturned due to suspected electoral interference, according to polling commissioned by a rival. Bucharest Mayor Nicușor Dan, who is also running for president, said the Verifield survey suggests 40% of Romanians intend to vote for Georgescu when the contest is re-run – a significant increase on the 23% who voted for him in November. Although the methodology and sample size for the research were not given, the reported results offer the first indication of voter intention since the first vote was annulled last month by the country's constitutional court, which cited alleged Russian interference.

 
 
IN THE SPOTLIGHT

The Aussie beach cabana drama

Life's a beach in Australia – unless you want some shade, that is. Sunseekers down under are up in arms over the rising numbers of beach tents, known as cabanas, popping up on their sandy shores, and even the country's prime minister has waded into the debate.

It began on social media, when locals at Safety Beach on the Mornington Peninsula, south of Melbourne, began discussing the use of cabanas to secure a good spot for the day. With temperatures hitting 40C, said the Herald Sun, "early birds" have been using cabanas to "mark their territory", setting up camp in the morning, before leaving and then returning "at their leisure".

Beaches 'belong to everyone'
Cabana owners are "plain rude, entitled city people taking over", said a Mornington local on a community forum as the row heated up online. Objectors should "stop being a Karen", said another.

Local mayor Anthony Marsh soon stepped in. Beachgoers are entitled to use cabanas, he said, but "reserving space on the beach and then going off and doing other stuff is not appropriate".

Eventually, the debate hit national TV, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese asked about the "burning question" on the "Today" breakfast show. Australia's beaches belong to "everyone", he said, and are places where everyone is equal. Reserving a spot for yourself is, therefore, a "breach" of that principle.

Standing up for 'SunSmart Australians'
Albanese's critics pointed out that the PM has a multimillion-dollar cliffside home overlooking the ocean. "The idea that anyone could obstruct such views with a pop-up tent is a travesty, in his eyes at least," said the Daily Mail Australia. Senator Bridget McKenzie, of the opposition National Party, accused Albanese of looking down on "SunSmart Australians" unable to afford ocean views.

The issue has become a "full-on turf war" following "several summers of simmering tension", said the BBC. Australians like to think of themselves as egalitarian – "the land of a 'fair go' – but "Cabanagate" goes against the idea that beaches are places that break down social hierarchies.

 
 

Good day ⛰️

… for two lynx released illegally into the unsuitable terrain of the Scottish Highlands, after the wild cats were caught by conservation experts. The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, which "humanely trapped" the lynx, said it was "very unlikely" they would have survived in the wild. The animals are being cared for in quarantine facilities at Highland Wildlife Park before being given a new home at Edinburgh Zoo.

 
 

Bad day 💷

… for the British pound, which has fallen to a 14-month low against the US dollar. The pound was trading at $1.22 this morning, extending recent losses
amid a sharp increase in government borrowing costs that has fuelled a sell-off in the bond market.

 
 
picture of the day

Divine embrace

A worshipper kisses a carriage carrying a centuries-old wooden statue of Jesus during the annual Feast of the Black Nazarene procession in Manila. Hundreds of thousands of Catholic pilgrims flocked to the Filipino capital today in the hope of touching the life-size religious icon, which devotees believe can work miracles.

Jam Sta Rose / AFP / Getty Images

 
 
Puzzles

Test your general knowledge with The Week's daily crossword, part of our puzzles section, which also includes sudoku and codewords

 
 
THE WEEK RECOMMENDS

The music tours to look out for in 2025

There's no denying that 2024 was a "stonking year for big-ticket music gigs", with Taylor Swift's Eras Tour leading the pack, said Ed Cunningham in Time Out. But "somehow", 2025 looks set to be "even bigger", with Oasis and Coldplay helming the two "all-conquering tours" commanding the nation's attention. Rumours are also "aswirl" about potential UK stadium tours for Adele and Beyoncé. Here are the hottest tickets in the 2025 music calendar.

Oasis
Fans were "sent into a frenzy" last summer when Noel and Liam Gallagher announced they would be putting their differences aside for a "long-awaited 2025 reunion tour", said the Daily Mail. It will be the first time the brothers take the stage together since going their separate ways following a "backstage brawl" at the Rock en Seine festival in Paris in 2009. The tour has been "shrouded in mystery", with the set list yet to be revealed. Tickets, as you'd expect, are notoriously difficult to get. 4 – 17 July

Coldplay
Known for their "showstopping concerts" filled with "elaborate light shows, lasers, impressive stage design and LED wristbands", Coldplay are back on the road in 2025, said Radio Times. To "experience this for yourself", try snapping up a resale ticket for their Music of the Spheres tour; they'll be playing two dates in Hull before a 10-night stint at London's Wembley Stadium. 18 August – 8 September

Bruce Springsteen
"The Boss is back", said Cunningham in Time Out. Bruce Springsteen "can't seem to stop touring", and he's returning to the UK again in 2025 for a total of four nights in Manchester and Liverpool. Dedicated fans will be "well-versed" in the legendary performer's "epic three(ish)-hour sets" by now, "but that doesn't make them any less exciting". 14 May – 7 June

Sabrina Carpenter
"Get ready for sequins and screaming", Sabrina Carpenter is returning to the UK in 2025, said London's The Standard. As well as headlining the BST Hyde Park festival, the "Espresso" singer will be travelling around the country with her Short n' Sweet tour. Ticket prices might be "eye-wateringly high", but fans "won't want to miss this playfully risque romp around a truly fabulous set". 6 March – 5 July

 
 

Statistic of the day

11%: The increased probability that a man will be diagnosed with a mental health problem if he earns less than his wife, according to a study of more than 20,000 Swedish heterosexual couples. The analysis by Durham University economists, who compared tax returns with health data, found that higher incomes correlated with a lower rate of mental health problems overall, but that trend reversed when the woman was the higher-earning partner. In cases where the male spouse regained the top spot, his mental health improved.

 
 
instant opinion

Today's best commentary

Bond crisis leaves Rachel Reeves with nowhere to go
Juliet Samuel in The Times
"Well, this is awkward," writes Juliet Samuel. Months after Labour promised a "wonderful new era of extremely boring sensibleness", borrowing costs are "soaring". They "cannot keep the show on the road any more", and "looming over these considerable domestic concerns" is the incoming presidency of Donald Trump , whose policies could make inflation "worse" and push up global interest rates. Rachel Reeves has "played a bad hand very badly indeed", leaving herself "almost no room for manoeuvre, fiscally or politically".

The IDF should be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize
Michael Gove in The Jewish Chronicle
Hamas will "fight harder and longer" if they think allies of Israel are "wavering", writes Michael Gove. So the West has "cause to be grateful" that, "rather than show the sort of weakness that would have won sympathy from the White House", the Israeli government displayed the "strength that is the only path to enduring peace". Israel has "advanced the cause of peace", so why not nominate "the men and women" of the Israeli Defense Forces "for the Nobel Peace Prize"?

Mark Zuckerberg's U-turn on fact-checking is craven — but correct
The Economist's editorial board
"For all the talk of freedom", says The Economist, Mark Zuckerberg's ditching of Meta's fact-checkers was "another example of the capture of American business" by the "bullying" US president-elect. Yet while the "circumstances may be grotesque" and "the motives suspect", the "substance" of Zuckerberg’s "sweeping changes" is "correct". Online speech "urgently needs to become freer" and "it is past time" that social-media bosses "got out of the business of ruling on what is right and wrong".

 
 
word of the day

Strychnine

The contents of an envelope delivered to the Belgian prime minister's office in November that left an aide requiring hospital treatment, the Brussels prosecutor’s office has confirmed following an analysis of the white powder. Police are investigating a string of similar incidents in which government offices have been sent letters containing toxic substances including strychnine, a deadly compound often used as rat poison that also causes violent and potentially lethal reactions if ingested by humans. No suspects have been arrested.

 
 

In the morning

Arion will be back tomorrow with the Morning Report, which includes a look at how Norway is racing ahead on electric vehicle adoption as the rest of Europe struggles to keep up.

Thanks for reading,
Rebecca

 
 

Evening Review was written and edited by Rebecca Messina, Hollie Clemence, Jamie Timson, Rebekah Evans, Joel Mathis, Elizabeth Carr-Ellis, Chas Newkey-Burden, Irenie Forshaw, Adrienne Wyper, Helen Brown, David Edwards and Kari Wilkin, with illustrations from Stephen Kelly.

Image credits, from top: urbazon / Getty Images; illustration by Stephen Kelly / Getty Images; David Gray / Getty Images; Jam Sta Rose / AFP / Getty Images; Europa Press News / Getty Images