The Times & The Sunday Times Homepage
Pound, stocks and retail sales all suffer falls
Britain’s economy is stagnating, new figures have shown amid warnings that tax rises in Rachel Reeves’s budget are damaging business confidence. A major survey of businesses found that private sector activity fell to a 13-month low in November as companies cut back on hiring and investment.Britain’s economy is stagnating, new figures have shown amid warnings that tax rises in Rachel Reeves’s budget are damaging business confidence. A major survey of businesses found that private sector activity fell to a 13-month low in November as companies cut back on hiring and investment.Britain’s economy is stagnating, new figures have shown amid warnings that tax rises in Rachel Reeves’s budget are damaging...
in depth
On his trip to the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro this week, Sir Keir Starmer found an unlikely champion — President Xi of China. “The new UK government is working to fix the foundations of the economy and rebuild Britain and has set the vision of Britain reconnected,” Xi said, parroting almost word for word the slogan Labour employed for its...On his trip to the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro this week, Sir Keir Starmer found an unlikely champion — President Xi of China. “The new UK government is working to fix the foundations of the economy and rebuild Britain and has set the vision of Britain reconnected,” Xi said, parroting almost word for word the slogan Labour employed for its...On his trip to the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro this week, Sir Keir Starmer found an unlikely champion — President Xi of China.
Heavy snowfall, rain and winds of up to 70mph were recorded as Storm Bert disrupted travel across the UK and caused power cuts and flooding in Ireland. Flights were delayed, several major roads were closed, and railway and ferry routes were also affected by what the Met Office called a “multi-hazard event” that...Heavy snowfall, rain and winds of up to 70mph were recorded as Storm Bert disrupted travel across...Heavy snowfall, rain and winds of up to 70mph were recorded as Storm Bert disrupted travel across...
A KC accused of using his position to “gain sexual favours” from aspiring female barristers is not a “monster” or “predator”, his barrister told a disciplinary tribunal. Navjot “Jo” Sidhu, 58, faces ten charges of professional misconduct in relation to sexually inappropriate behaviour with two young women who had sought his advice about becoming barristers. It is...A KC accused of using his position to “gain sexual favours” from aspiring female barristers is...A KC accused of using his position to “gain sexual favours” from aspiring female barristers is...
IN DEPTH
“I never wanted to be a barrister,” Navjot “Jo” Sidhu wrote about a year ago. Perhaps now — as the high-flying and...“I never wanted to be a barrister,” Navjot “Jo” Sidhu wrote about a year ago. Perhaps now — as the high-flying and outspoken KC faces ten misconduct charges of sexually harassing younger women — he wishes he had plumped for a different career. Sidhu, who was called to the Bar in 1993 and promoted to silk 19 years...“I never wanted to be a barrister,” Navjot “Jo” Sidhu wrote about a year ago. Perhaps now — as the high-flying and outspoken KC...
melanie reid
The first Spinal Column, nearly 15 years ago, wasn’t a column. It was an opiate-fuelled ramble into a Dictaphone that...The first Spinal Column, nearly 15 years ago, wasn’t a column. It was an opiate-fuelled ramble...The first Spinal Column, nearly 15 years ago, wasn’t a column. It was an opiate-fuelled ramble...
The Victorian house that Nina Lopes bought as a “for ever home” for her young family should be finished by now.The Victorian house that Nina Lopes bought as a “for ever home” for her young family should be...The Victorian house that Nina Lopes bought as a “for ever home” for her young family should be...
Stepping off the train at 9pm last Thursday after dinner with a friend in central London, Arash Rezai-Karimi took out his iPhone 14 and sent a text while walking the ten-minute journey home. As he waited to cross a road, two men on e-bikes...Stepping off the train at 9pm last Thursday after dinner with a friend in central London, Arash...Stepping off the train at 9pm last Thursday after dinner with a friend in central London, Arash...
Detailed layouts of high-security sites shared online
exclusiveINTERVIEW
Dressed in his trademark bow tie, Dr Michael Dixon, the King’s doctor, is debating if homeopathic remedies have a role to play in the NHS. “If you mention homeopathy in medical circles, you might as well just put your head on the scaffold and wait for someone to chop it off,” he chuckles. Dixon, a 72-year-old NHS GP, was appointed as head of the royal medical household...Dressed in his trademark bow tie, Dr Michael Dixon, the King’s doctor, is debating if homeopathic...Dressed in his trademark bow tie, Dr Michael Dixon, the King’s doctor, is debating if homeopathic...
The Queen pulled out of an appearance at the Royal Variety Performance as she continued her recovery from what palace...The Queen pulled out of an appearance at the Royal Variety Performance as she continued her recovery from what palace aides have described as “a nasty bug”. Camilla, 77, contracted a chest infection upon returning from Australia and Samoa last month. Since then, she has reduced her public engagements. Hours before...The Queen pulled out of an appearance at the Royal Variety Performance as she continued her recovery from what palace aides...
Jaguar’s iconic big-cat logo is being consigned to the history books in a branding revamp. Do you know what the luxury car maker’s famous emblem is called? Meanwhile, Britain’s favourite cocktail has been revealed. Have you got a taste of what it is?Jaguar’s iconic big-cat logo is being consigned to the history books in a branding revamp. Do you...Jaguar’s iconic big-cat logo is being consigned to the history books in a branding revamp. Do you...
our week
Morgan McSweeney Listen, team. Keir has asked me to start this group because he’s getting worried about the farmer...Morgan McSweeney Listen, team. Keir has asked me to start this group because he’s getting worried...Morgan McSweeney Listen, team. Keir has asked me to start this group because he’s getting worried...
the times diary
House of Lords reform may have taken a sinister turn. Lord Young of Cookham (Sir George Young as he was) says the...House of Lords reform may have taken a sinister turn. Lord Young of Cookham (Sir George Young as...House of Lords reform may have taken a sinister turn. Lord Young of Cookham (Sir George Young as...
Ex-general who Trump wanted as defence secretary says Russia and China see US as weak
The emerging axis of China, Russia, Iran and North Korea has created “the most serious and dangerous challenge” for the West since the Second World War, a former top US military chief has told The Times. General Jack Keane, a retired four-star general and former vice-chief of the US Army, is one...The emerging axis of China, Russia, Iran and North Korea has created “the most serious and dangerous challenge” for the West since the Second World War, a former top US military chief has told The Times. General Jack Keane, a retired four-star general and former vice-chief of the US Army, is one...The emerging axis of China, Russia, Iran and North Korea has created “the most serious and dangerous challenge” for the West...
Marc Bennetts
When Vladimir Putin announced on Thursday that Russia had launched a new nuclear-capable ballistic missile at Ukraine, a smirk played across his lips when he revealed that it was called Oreshnik (hazel tree), a possible reference to a popular Soviet cartoon. Watching the Kremlin dictator, it was not hard to detect malevolent glee as he...When Vladimir Putin announced on Thursday that Russia had launched a new nuclear-capable ballistic missile at Ukraine, a smirk played across his lips when he revealed that it was called Oreshnik (hazel tree), a possible reference to a popular Soviet cartoon. Watching the Kremlin dictator, it was not hard to detect malevolent glee as he...When Vladimir Putin announced on Thursday that Russia had launched a new nuclear-capable ballistic missile at Ukraine, a smirk...
Donald Trump has nominated the hedge fund manager Scott Bessent to lead the Treasury department after a flurry of nominations on Friday night. Bessent, the 62-year-old founder of the investment firm Key Square Group, will be tasked with implementing the president-elect’s promise of sweeping tariffs. If confirmed by...Donald Trump has nominated the hedge fund manager Scott Bessent to lead the Treasury department...Donald Trump has nominated the hedge fund manager Scott Bessent to lead the Treasury department...
Keiran Southern in Texas
The winner of France’s top literary prize has been accused of basing his novel on the life of a patient who was...The winner of France’s top literary prize has been accused of basing his novel on the life of a...The winner of France’s top literary prize has been accused of basing his novel on the life of a...
It sits in a glass case next to a replica Fabergé egg and a miniature golden carriage. Studded with diamonds and...It sits in a glass case next to a replica Fabergé egg and a miniature golden carriage. Studded...It sits in a glass case next to a replica Fabergé egg and a miniature golden carriage. Studded...
The former district attorney for Florida has been loyal to the president-elect for years
Linda McMahon, who is also co-chairwoman of the president-elect’s transition team, has no experience in the field
He steered the supermarket from the brink of bankruptcy to a £6.7bn sale to Walmart in the 1990s
updatedAllan Leighton has been appointed executive chairman of Asda in a shock return to the supermarket chain he ran in the 1990s. Leighton, 71, will replace another retail veteran, Lord (Stuart) Rose, in the role. Asda confirmed Leighton’s appointment after The Sunday Times revealed the news on...Allan Leighton has been appointed executive chairman of Asda in a shock return to the supermarket chain he ran in the 1990s. Leighton, 71, will replace another retail veteran, Lord (Stuart) Rose, in the role. Asda confirmed Leighton’s appointment after The Sunday Times revealed the news on...Allan Leighton has been appointed executive chairman of Asda in a shock return to the supermarket chain he ran in the 1990s.
Amazon has invested another $4 billion in the artificial intelligence start-up Anthropic, bringing its total backing for the company to $8 billion as the race by Big Tech to dominate the sector continues. With its Claude generative artificial intelligence software, Anthropic is one of the closest rivals to OpenAI with its ChatGPT program...Amazon has invested another $4 billion in the artificial intelligence start-up Anthropic, bringing its total backing for the company to $8 billion as the race by Big Tech to dominate the sector continues. With its Claude generative artificial intelligence software, Anthropic is one of the closest rivals to OpenAI with its ChatGPT program...Amazon has invested another $4 billion in the artificial intelligence start-up Anthropic, bringing its total backing for the...
Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust, the technology investment group that is popular with retail investors, appears to have lost £315 million backing the ambitious car batteries group Northvolt. Peter Carlsson, chief executive of Northvolt, resigned on Friday hours after the company filed for bankruptcy in the United...Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust, the technology investment group that is popular with retail...Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust, the technology investment group that is popular with retail...
LUNCH WITH THE TIMES
comment
The Cop 29 talks are grinding to a close in Baku with a row over how much wealthy countries should pay poorer ones to...The Cop 29 talks are grinding to a close in Baku with a row over how much wealthy countries...The Cop 29 talks are grinding to a close in Baku with a row over how much wealthy countries...
Retail sales contracted more than expected at the start of the fourth quarter after shoppers were hit by uncertainty...Retail sales contracted more than expected at the start of the fourth quarter after shoppers were...Retail sales contracted more than expected at the start of the fourth quarter after shoppers were...
Output in the United States economy rose to a 31-month high after the election of Donald Trump and his pledges of tax cuts, tariffs and deregulation. The world’s largest economy comfortably outperformed its peers in November, with a measure of...Output in the United States economy rose to a 31-month high after the election of Donald Trump...Output in the United States economy rose to a 31-month high after the election of Donald Trump...
Travel
Lighthouse, a software company that helps hotels set room prices, has become a unicorn with a $1 billion valuation
technology
Most European tech start-ups using AI tools say they will hire more people, not fewer
SPIN-OUTS
Universities have agreed to reduce the amount of equity they take from software-related ventures commercialising technology developed using their resources
Taxation
Entrepreneurs and family firms are warning the government not to take advantage of them, as criticism grows of the tax rises on businesses in the budget
RECRUITMENT
A career path once meant working for the same firm for 40 years, then proudly collecting a carriage clock and hefty pension on retirement. Those days are long gone and Gen Zs entering the workforce now expect to have six different careers across their working lives. But what of the generations stuck between the Baby Boomers and upcoming “freelance first” Gen Alphas? For...A career path once meant working for the same firm for 40 years, then proudly collecting a...A career path once meant working for the same firm for 40 years, then proudly collecting a...
recruitment | SIX FROM THE BEST
As a student, Peter Jelkeby started working in Ikea’s Gothenburg store before climbing the company’s ranks. With 35...As a student, Peter Jelkeby started working in Ikea’s Gothenburg store before climbing the company’s ranks. With 35 years’ experience in the retail industry, he is now the firm’s UK & Ireland chief executive. Less complicated than a flatpack manual, here are his tips to build your career. 1 Stay humble and have big...As a student, Peter Jelkeby started working in Ikea’s Gothenburg store before climbing the company’s ranks. With 35 years’...
Alex lowe
The selection of Tom Curry to play against Japan, a fortnight after he was knocked out cold against Australia, is not only a measure of how much importance rests on Sunday’s game for England but also how blinkered the professional game is from events at grassroots level. Curry, who has suffered...The selection of Tom Curry to play against Japan, a fortnight after he was knocked out cold against Australia, is not only a measure of how much importance rests on Sunday’s game for England but also how blinkered the professional game is from events at grassroots level. Curry, who has suffered...The selection of Tom Curry to play against Japan, a fortnight after he was knocked out cold against Australia, is not only a...
Rúben Amorim has declared he is the “right man in the right moment” to get Manchester United back to the top — and denied it is the “impossible job”. Amorim made his first appearance in front of the media at the club’s Carrington training ground on Friday afternoon, before his first game in charge, away to Ipswich Town on Sunday. The...Rúben Amorim has declared he is the “right man in the right moment” to get Manchester United back to the top — and denied it is the “impossible job”. Amorim made his first appearance in front of the media at the club’s Carrington training ground on Friday afternoon, before his first game in charge, away to Ipswich Town on Sunday. The...Rúben Amorim has declared he is the “right man in the right moment” to get Manchester United back to the top — and denied it is...
RICK BROADBENT
Lisa Dobriskey used to carry a lucky penny given to her by her father, who found it while working for the decontamination unit on the site of what became the Olympic Stadium in 2012. She also had a pendant given to her by her husband that depicted St Jude, the patron saint of lost causes. She now knows no amount of...Lisa Dobriskey used to carry a lucky penny given to her by her father, who found it while working...Lisa Dobriskey used to carry a lucky penny given to her by her father, who found it while working...
Raúl Jiménez interview
OWEN SLOT
Cameron Winnett is the player who keeps coming to mind. Earmarked as a future star, you wonder in Wales right now...Cameron Winnett is the player who keeps coming to mind. Earmarked as a future star, you wonder in...Cameron Winnett is the player who keeps coming to mind. Earmarked as a future star, you wonder in...
martyn ziegler | sport notebook
The spectre of a dispute regarding revenue-sharing is looming over the sale of the next set of Six Nations TV rights.The spectre of a dispute regarding revenue-sharing is looming over the sale of the next set of...The spectre of a dispute regarding revenue-sharing is looming over the sale of the next set of...
Steve James
Steve James explores how Duncan Fletcher transformed team through central contracts and other innovations, 25 years on from his first Test in charge
“Good start, Fletch” Nasser Hussain said to Duncan Fletcher in summoning the sort of gallows humour to which the England team had become accustomed at the time. They had not even reached the end of the third over of Fletcher’s tenure as head coach and already four wickets had fallen — four pretty good wickets too — Mike Atherton, Hussain, Mark Butcher and Alec Stewart.“Good start, Fletch” Nasser Hussain said to Duncan Fletcher in summoning the sort of gallows...“Good start, Fletch” Nasser Hussain said to Duncan Fletcher in summoning the sort of gallows...
An English football coach deemed guilty of child sex offences in Norway was able to work in the academy of an EFL...An English football coach deemed guilty of child sex offences in Norway was able to work in the academy of an EFL club for 15 months before his employers were notified by the UK authorities. Thomas Malins secured a job as the lead coach of the elite development programme at Stevenage FC in November 2021, only a year...An English football coach deemed guilty of child sex offences in Norway was able to work in the academy of an EFL club for 15...
martin samuel
Rúben Amorim sat behind a little desk, in a little room. A little man, dapper and slight, but with a big task at a...Rúben Amorim sat behind a little desk, in a little room. A little man, dapper and slight, but...Rúben Amorim sat behind a little desk, in a little room. A little man, dapper and slight, but...
patrick kidd | the tailender
What title was won by Aston Villa in 1890, Nottingham Forest in 1900, Tottenham Hotspur in 1906 and 1908 and...What title was won by Aston Villa in 1890, Nottingham Forest in 1900, Tottenham Hotspur in 1906...What title was won by Aston Villa in 1890, Nottingham Forest in 1900, Tottenham Hotspur in 1906...
A woman who accused Conor McGregor of raping her in a hotel room in Dublin has won her claim against him for damages. A jury in the civil case on Friday found that the Irish mixed martial arts fighter assaulted Nikita Hand in December 2018. McGregor has been ordered to pay nearly €250,000 in damages. He made no comment as he left the High Court in Dublin but later said...A woman who accused Conor McGregor of raping her in a hotel room in Dublin has won her claim...A woman who accused Conor McGregor of raping her in a hotel room in Dublin has won her claim...
Mark Palmer
Gregor Townsend’s fondness for tinkering with his team has become the stuff of legend, with any number of “Toony...Gregor Townsend’s fondness for tinkering with his team has become the stuff of legend, with any number of “Toony tombola” memes appearing on social media in the days before the coach names a side. Those little jokes and jibes are in danger of becoming obsolete, however, with the Scotland starting XV taking on an...Gregor Townsend’s fondness for tinkering with his team has become the stuff of legend, with any number of “Toony tombola”...
With mortgage rates rising, house prices stumbling and stamp duty changing, George Nixon assesses the state of play
Sticking with the same bank, insurer, phone and broadband firm costs us a collective £3.4 billion a year. Time to get switching
Holly Mead
A lot of common errors stem from how our minds work — here are the behaviours you need to look out for
One in six people in relationships have an emergency fund, and there are reasons they aren’t sharing it
The Big question
The soaring price of bitcoin has left many wishing they were invested, but others say it’s too volatile for a retirement pot. We seek opposing views
Troubleshooter
The Times consumer champion helps a reader whose car finance deal is driving them round the bend
My husband and I bought a one-year-old Audi TT convertible in July last year. We bought it from an Audi dealer and took out a personal contract purchase (PCP) agreement with Audi’s finance business, Volkswagen Financial Services. We put down a £3,500 deposit and our repayments were £528 a month. All went well for the first few months but a year ago the car started...My husband and I bought a one-year-old Audi TT convertible in July last year. We bought it from...My husband and I bought a one-year-old Audi TT convertible in July last year. We bought it from...
ask the experts
I have decided to take money from my pension earlier than planned, given the upcoming changes to inheritance tax, and...I have decided to take money from my pension earlier than planned, given the upcoming changes to inheritance tax, and give about £60,000 to my daughter while I still have a decent chance of surviving the seven-year rule. She is 20 and we have agreed that the money will go towards buying a house when she is ready in...I have decided to take money from my pension earlier than planned, given the upcoming changes to inheritance tax, and give...
interview
Will Hodgkinson meets the 78-year-old and finds that absolutely nothing is off limits
exclusiveWarren Beatty, Sonny Bono, Gregg Allman, Tom Cruise and me. We’ve all been invited into Cher’s bedroom. “It took me five years to build this place,” says Cher of her Malibu home, a Cleopatra’s palace of a mansion on a clifftop just off the Pacific Coast Highway. It is an abundance of marble and limestone, Buddha statues and oversized animal sculptures, with an extremely...Warren Beatty, Sonny Bono, Gregg Allman, Tom Cruise and me. We’ve all been invited into Cher’s...Warren Beatty, Sonny Bono, Gregg Allman, Tom Cruise and me. We’ve all been invited into Cher’s...
What I’ve learnt
Historian Dan Snow, 45, grew up in London. He made his television debut co-presenting a BBC documentary with his...Historian Dan Snow, 45, grew up in London. He made his television debut co-presenting a BBC documentary with his father, former Newsnight presenter Peter Snow, and their series Battlefield Britain won a Bafta. He has presented documentaries for Channel 5 and the History Channel, founded his own streaming platform,...Historian Dan Snow, 45, grew up in London. He made his television debut co-presenting a BBC documentary with his father, former...
melanie reid
Melanie Reid wrote her first Spinal Column in 2010 after breaking her neck and back in a riding accident. She reveals why she’s calling it a day
The first Spinal Column, nearly 15 years ago, wasn’t a column. It was an opiate-fuelled ramble into a Dictaphone that lay on the pillow beside me in the high-dependency unit. It was two weeks after my accident and I had just come off a ventilator. I couldn’t turn my head — I couldn’t move anything — but I felt a desperate need to explain what had happened and this...The first Spinal Column, nearly 15 years ago, wasn’t a column. It was an opiate-fuelled ramble...The first Spinal Column, nearly 15 years ago, wasn’t a column. It was an opiate-fuelled ramble...
Beta male
I still cherish the idea of growing my hair really long, and occasionally give it a go, even though I know it never...I still cherish the idea of growing my hair really long, and occasionally give it a go, even though I know it never ends well. Left unsupervised, it turns into Ian Botham, circa 1981. Not a full-blown mullet, but still uncomfortably close to survivalist militiaman from Idaho. If I tie it up in a high band, it goes...I still cherish the idea of growing my hair really long, and occasionally give it a go, even though I know it never ends well.
giles coren
I mean, of course they don’t take cards. They were never going to take cards. From the moment I walked in I should...I mean, of course they don’t take cards. They were never going to take cards. From the moment I...I mean, of course they don’t take cards. They were never going to take cards. From the moment I...
Buying for a beauty queen? There’s a plentiful offering of innovative skincare, luxury hair products and perfumed...Buying for a beauty queen? There’s a plentiful offering of innovative skincare, luxury hair...Buying for a beauty queen? There’s a plentiful offering of innovative skincare, luxury hair...
Martin Scorsese’s documentary shows previously unseen footage of the British band’s historic tour of the States — and the hysteria it provoked
interview
Richard Flanagan on winning the prestigious Baillie Gifford prize, his near-death experiences and his survivor’s guilt
interview
The actress on her police drama Ellis, starring in The Importance of Being Earnest with Ncuti Gatwa — and why she’s still waiting for the industry to catch up
interview
English National Ballet has revamped its festive staple, and the future of the company depends on it
REVIEW | tom peck
Season 24 may be the most boring in the reality show’s very long history — everyone on it is too nice
The best band? The most influential group? The most talked-about artists? The answer to all of these questions is hotly debated among music fans, but the Beatles remain high up on many people’s lists. But when it comes to the band who have had the...The best band? The most influential group? The most talked-about artists? The answer to all of...The best band? The most influential group? The most talked-about artists? The answer to all of...
review | fiction
review | politics
review | history
review | memoir
CHILDREN’S BOOK OF THE WEEK
first night review
first night review
There’s never been a better time to be an armchair cinema fan, with more ways to watch movies across TV channels, streaming services and digital downloads than ever before. But sometimes there can be too much choice, and that’s why our experts...There’s never been a better time to be an armchair cinema fan, with more ways to watch movies...There’s never been a better time to be an armchair cinema fan, with more ways to watch movies...
Television
TELEVISION
TELEVISION
TELEVISION
Television
TELEVISION
television
She was dismissed by a doctor at first — now Nina Lopes is living with an incurable form of cancer
JANE MACQUITTY
From Aldi’s cut-price chablis to Waitrose’s bargain champagne, Jane MacQuitty picks her top bottles
Deborah Joseph had her dream role as the globe-trotting editor of a top glossy magazine
Phil Hilton, 60, gave up his corporate job five years ago
Exercising these joints is key to back pain prevention and balance as we age
In 1845 Charlotte Brontë spent three weeks staying with a friend at Hathersage Rectory. It’s widely thought that the characters, stories and brooding Dark Peak landscapes she encountered during her visit inspired her to write Jane Eyre. The...In 1845 Charlotte Brontë spent three weeks staying with a friend at Hathersage Rectory. It’s...In 1845 Charlotte Brontë spent three weeks staying with a friend at Hathersage Rectory. It’s...
Otherworldly landscapes, adrenaline-fuelled fun and new friends: this beautiful, hair-raising road trip was the highlight of a two-month tour of southeast Asia
In Ardnamurchan on the west coast, a pair of Scandi-Hebridean-style cabins provide a cosy base for outdoor adventuring. But beware — you might just love it too much
See the country’s north, catch the northern lights and make new friends on a small group adventure that takes you — and your sled — from hut to hut
Go wolf watching in France, fat biking in Finland or snowshoeing in Italy on these go-slow breaks that make the most of the white stuff
The footprint-free beaches of Sidi Kaduoki, the quiet neighbour of Essaouira, has resisted mass development — and is now the perfect spot for solo female travellers
video
You’ll know it for its brilliant white-sand stretches fringed by the glass-clear Indian Ocean waters, but there’s much more to see in the Seychelles than its beaches. The 115-island archipelago has much to offer tourists who want a side of...You’ll know it for its brilliant white-sand stretches fringed by the glass-clear Indian Ocean...You’ll know it for its brilliant white-sand stretches fringed by the glass-clear Indian Ocean...
OBITUARY
Popular parliamentarian who, against the odds, retained his Woolwich seat after quitting the Labour Party
OBITUARY
Environmentalist who made art out of swamps and sewage plants after a brief foray as a minimalist in 1960s New York
OBITUARY
Television scribe had an enduring partnership with Dame Edna Everage’s alter-ego
video
The Times has been publishing life stories of the great and the good (and the not so good) for more than 170 years. Now the obituary is also becoming a podcast, explains Anna Temkin
Graham Tomlin
Buckingham Palace
22nd November, 2024
The King, Patron, this evening attended the Royal Variety Performance in aid...Buckingham Palace
22nd November, 2024
The King, Patron, this evening attended the Royal...Buckingham Palace
22nd November, 2024
The King, Patron, this evening attended the Royal...
CHRIST carried the burden of our sins. He was nailed to the cross, so we would stop sinning and start living right.CHRIST carried the burden of our sins. He was nailed to the cross, so we would stop sinning and...CHRIST carried the burden of our sins. He was nailed to the cross, so we would stop sinning and...
MindGames
1 On a bank statement, TFR is an abbreviation for which word? 2 Which American horror movie icon hosted the 1971 Thames TV show Cooking Price-Wise? 3 The temperature -459.67 degrees Fahrenheit is also known as “absolute …” what? 4...1 On a bank statement, TFR is an abbreviation for which word? 2 Which American horror movie icon...1 On a bank statement, TFR is an abbreviation for which word? 2 Which American horror movie icon...
Becky Withycombe and Ollie Van Nairn
Just 20% of voters in Scotland expressed anger at the political system, compared with 60% in England
Voters in Scotland are far more relaxed about politics than their English counterparts, who remain deeply angry about affairs of state, analysis suggests. Surveys conducted in the wake of the July general election found that 60 per cent of voters in England were cross about the state of British...Voters in Scotland are far more relaxed about politics than their English counterparts, who remain deeply angry about affairs of state, analysis suggests. Surveys conducted in the wake of the July general election found that 60 per cent of voters in England were cross about the state of British...Voters in Scotland are far more relaxed about politics than their English counterparts, who remain deeply angry about affairs...
A Middle Eastern commodity trading firm has confirmed its interest in buying Grangemouth refinery, which is threatened with closure. Trading Stack DMCC, based in Dubai, is working with a partner in the United States on the approach and said it had been engaging with unions, politicians and other stakeholders in Scotland. The company’s...A Middle Eastern commodity trading firm has confirmed its interest in buying Grangemouth refinery, which is threatened with closure. Trading Stack DMCC, based in Dubai, is working with a partner in the United States on the approach and said it had been engaging with unions, politicians and other stakeholders in Scotland. The company’s...A Middle Eastern commodity trading firm has confirmed its interest in buying Grangemouth refinery, which is threatened with...
A Liberal Democrat councillor elected after campaigning as a “local champion” has been forced to resign after her house was put on the market the day after the election. Louise Spence, who would have represented the Colinton/Fairmilehead ward on Edinburgh city council, stood down after a change in circumstances...A Liberal Democrat councillor elected after campaigning as a “local champion” has been forced to...A Liberal Democrat councillor elected after campaigning as a “local champion” has been forced to...
review
Society of Scottish Artists 126th Annual Exhibition Royal Scottish Academy Edinburgh ★★★★ Until December 11 The Society of Scottish Artists is a venerable institution and a cultural stalwart in Scotland. Traditionally, it has maintained a more...Society of Scottish Artists 126th Annual Exhibition Royal Scottish Academy Edinburgh ★★★★ Until...Society of Scottish Artists 126th Annual Exhibition Royal Scottish Academy Edinburgh ★★★★ Until...
Scottish business digest
alex massie | political sketch
Scotland have been drawn against Greece in the Nations League play-offs to stay in the top tier. Steve Clarke’s side produced a late upturn in form to finish third in Group A1 after Andy Robertson headed in a stoppage-time winner against Poland in Warsaw on Monday night. Despite a 2-1 victory at Wembley, Greece ended as runners-up in Group B2 behind England, who...Scotland have been drawn against Greece in the Nations League play-offs to stay in the top tier.Scotland have been drawn against Greece in the Nations League play-offs to stay in the top tier.
Alistair Johnston is intent on enjoying more success with Celtic after signing a new contract until the summer of 2029.Alistair Johnston is intent on enjoying more success with Celtic after signing a new contract until the summer of 2029. The 26-year-old Canadian international right back initially joined on a five-year deal from MLS side Montreal in December 2022. Johnston has already amassed 79 appearances and scored six goals for...Alistair Johnston is intent on enjoying more success with Celtic after signing a new contract until the summer of 2029. The...
PHOTOGRAPHY
Many parts of the UK are bracing for a frigid weekend as temperatures continue to drop, bringing icy mornings and snow-covered landscapes. The cold snap arrives just before Storm Bert, expected to bring winds of up to 70mph as well as heavy snow...Many parts of the UK are bracing for a frigid weekend as temperatures continue to drop, bringing...Many parts of the UK are bracing for a frigid weekend as temperatures continue to drop, bringing...
traveL
Lerwick’s Up Helly Aa grabs the headlines — but there are 10 others each winter in Shetland. Max Kendix joins the locals at Northmavine, where things really hot up
Scotland’s best chippy has been crowned, seafood bliss in Leith and an underground bar and restaurant in Glasgow
interview
The Edinburgh makar on his hope of fostering a generation of young poets, working as a pub skittle boy and why he once asked Santa for a perm
review
This addition to Stockbridge’s foodie renaissance needs to pack more punch
Gabriella Bennett
I’ve been to ten countries in 12 months and it’s made me realise, there’s no feeling like stepping through my front door
We’ve chosen the best of this year’s pantomimes, from classics starring panto royalty such as Elaine C Smith and...We’ve chosen the best of this year’s pantomimes, from classics starring panto royalty such as...We’ve chosen the best of this year’s pantomimes, from classics starring panto royalty such as...
recipe
This vibrant lunch bowl is packed with fresh autumn flavours. It’s a perfect hearty yet healthy midweek lunch. It’s...This vibrant lunch bowl is packed with fresh autumn flavours. It’s a perfect hearty yet healthy...This vibrant lunch bowl is packed with fresh autumn flavours. It’s a perfect hearty yet healthy...
scottish thistle awards 2024
The best of Scottish tourism and events, from a hilltop castle to a Scandi-style lochside cabin, are celebrated in VisitScotland’s annual awards
scottish thistle awards 2024
The Scottish Thistle Awards help ensure Scotland remains a must-visit place, Stephen Leckie tells Jenny Froome
scottish thistle awards 2024
Companies win the awards, but the people who work for them deserve the plaudits, VisitScotland’s chief executive Vicki Miller tells Charles Pring
scottish thistle awards 2024
Hannah Cochrane, who entered hospitality industry when she was just 16, has climbed the ranks
scottish thistle awards 2024
Kat Brogan has transformed one Edinburgh company into a model of ethical tourism — and now she’s won a Silver Thistle
Crisscrossed by car-free tracks and quiet country lanes, Scotland is packed with stunning cycle routes. From easy coastal loops and gentle city trundles to all-day epics and trips through brooding glens, here is your definitive list of the best...Crisscrossed by car-free tracks and quiet country lanes, Scotland is packed with stunning cycle...Crisscrossed by car-free tracks and quiet country lanes, Scotland is packed with stunning cycle...
Comment
It’s scary what we need to spend on defence
Max Hastings
Strategic review is likely to emphasise a military that can respond instantly to threats and attacks but the price tag is huge
Giles Coren
I take Jag’s woeful woke rebrand personally
Janice Turner
Wilful blindness is a blight on organisations
Lara Spirit
Rayner shared much with her mentor Prescott but their contrast reveals more
ann treneman | notebook
Recognition at last for a home full of history
WEEKEND ESSAY | roger boyes
America first — Europe next? All eyes will be on Trump’s deportations
BEN MAcintyre
Fear of long-range missiles is in our DNA
Rose Wild | feedback
We take science seriously but we can still be silly
Professor David Norman is exasperated. “The Times is fortunate to have, in Tom Whipple and Rhys Blakely, two of the...Professor David Norman is exasperated. “The Times is fortunate to have, in Tom Whipple and Rhys...Professor David Norman is exasperated. “The Times is fortunate to have, in Tom Whipple and Rhys...
JOhn lewis-Stempel | Nature Notebook
Fish, frogs, newts, moles: Big Bird’s not a fussy eater
Big Bird is back. Ridiculous, I acknowledge, to name a wild bird, but the same female grey heron has visited the...Big Bird is back. Ridiculous, I acknowledge, to name a wild bird, but the same female grey heron...Big Bird is back. Ridiculous, I acknowledge, to name a wild bird, but the same female grey heron...
Leading Articles
Home Front
Britain faces an unprecedented range of threats, from sabotage to cyberwarfare, yet there is no domestic defence HQ
Sick Man of Europe
Immigration should not be used to mask UK’s dire levels of economic inactivity
Economical Truths
It is beyond time to end the baseless tittle-tattle about Rachel Reeves’s CV
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Issuing of arrest warrant for Netanyahu
Write to letters@thetimes.co.uk Sir, Regarding your leading article (“Legal Fiction”, Nov 22), judges and officials of the International Criminal Court are independent individuals appointed after a rigorous selection process. There is no...Write to letters@thetimes.co.uk Sir, Regarding your leading article (“Legal Fiction”, Nov...Write to letters@thetimes.co.uk Sir, Regarding your leading article (“Legal Fiction”, Nov...
Daily Universal Register
Briefing
UK: Labour North West Regional Conference is held in Chester; Cambridge Literary Festival takes place over the weekend at various venues in the city, with speakers including Baroness Warsi; the Tree Council’s National Tree Week begins, a celebration of trees and woods that heralds the start of the tree-planting season; a Met Office yellow weather warning is in place as Storm Bert hits the UK.
Botswana: African Economic Conference 2024 begins in Gaborone.
On this day
Today
In 1499 Perkin Warbeck, pretender to the English throne, was hanged. He had claimed to be Richard, Duke of York (youngest of the Princes in the Tower, sons of the late Edward IV); in 1874 the first book edition of Thomas Hardy’s Far From the Madding Crowd was published shortly before the final magazine instalment; in 1984 a fire on the London Underground at Oxford Circus trapped nearly 1,000 passengers for three hours. An investigation cited lax standards, warning: “Luck has a habit of running out”; in 2005 Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was declared the winner of the Liberian election, becoming the first woman elected to lead an African nation. She served as president from 2006 to 2018 and was a co-recipient of the Nobel peace prize in 2011.
Tomorrow
In 1859 the naturalist Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection. It became a bestseller, despite accusations of blasphemy; in 1954 Mamie Eisenhower, then first lady, christened the first presidential aircraft to use the call sign Air Force One, a Lockheed VC-121A-LO Constellation; in 1992, in a speech, the Queen described the year as an annus horribilis (horrible year) after the marriages of Prince Charles, the Princess Royal and Prince Andrew broke down and Windsor Castle suffered fire damage; in 2012 a fire at a clothing factory in Bangladesh resulted in the deaths of 112 people.
Nature notes
The tree creeper slowly climbed the ancient oak. Though little larger than a blue tit, the bird’s long, stiff tail and lengthy, curving beak make it look far bigger. This tail enables tree creepers to scale trees slowly in their search for caterpillars and spiders, and the needle-like beak helps them to pluck out any insects found hiding under the bark. Long, sharp claws mean the bird can ascend trees in ever-rising spirals. Although a tree creeper’s wings and body are as brown and mottled as the bark of a winter oak, its underparts are white as blossom. This white plumage is needed for the birds to spot each other in the enclosed world of the leafless woods. Jonathan Tulloch
Jonathan Tulloch
Birthdays
Today
Zoe Ball, TV and radio presenter, 54; Scott Brash, equestrian, two-time Olympic gold medallist, 39; Ross Brawn, motor engineer, managing director of Formula One motorsport (2017-22), 70; Sir Laurie Bristow, diplomat, UK ambassador to Afghanistan (2021) and Russia (2016-20), 61; Kelly Brook, model, actress and TV presenter, 45; Miley Cyrus, actress and singer, 32; Ludovico Einaudi, pianist and composer, 69; Shane Gould, three-time Olympic gold medal-winning Australian swimmer (1972), 68; Dame Dianne Jeffrey, founder chairwoman, Age UK (2009-18), 80; Gayl Jones, writer, Corregidora (1975), 75; Arvind Krishna, chairman and chief executive, IBM, 62; James Maddison, footballer, England, 28; Diana Quick, actress, Brideshead Revisited (1981), 78; Mark Robinson, cricketer, coach of the 2017 world cup-winning England women’s cricket team (2015-19), 58; Timothy Sheader, artistic director and co-chief executive, Donmar Warehouse, 53; Peter Stanford, writer, Pilgrimage: Journeys of Meaning (2021), 63; Baroness (Deborah) Stedman-Scott, minister (2022-23, Department for Work and Pensions), 69; Kirsty Young, presenter, Desert Island Discs (2006-19), 56.
Tomorrow
Prof Sir Michael Barber, educationist, chairman, Somerset County Cricket Club, 69; Pete Best, the original drummer for the Beatles (1960-62), 83; Lord (Ian) Botham, cricketer, England (1977-92), chairman, Durham County Cricket Club, cricket commentator, 69; Lord (Ewen) Cameron of Dillington, chairman, Countryside Agency (1999-2004), 75; Sir Billy Connolly, comedian, actor and writer, 82; Prof Dame Sally Davies, UK special envoy on antimicrobial resistance, chief medical officer for England (2010-19), 75; Sir Gregory Doran, artistic director, Royal Shakespeare Company (2012-22, now emeritus), 66; Prof Sir Bruce Keogh, cardiothoracic surgeon, national medical director, NHS England (2012-17), 70; Alistair McGowan, impressionist, comedian, chairman and joint artistic director of Ludlow Piano Festival, 60; James Spencer-Churchill, Duke of Marlborough, 69; Stephen Merchant, comedian, actor and co-creator of The Office (2001-03), The Outlaws (2021-24), 50; Margaret Mountford, businesswoman, lawyer and broadcaster, The Apprentice (2005-13), 73; Arundhati Roy, human rights activist and author, 63; Alyn Shipton, writer, broadcaster and jazz historian, 71; John Squire, guitarist and songwriter, Stone Roses, and painter, 62; Edward Stourton, presenter of the Sunday programme, BBC Radio 4, 67; Russell Watson, tenor, 58.