The Times & The Sunday Times Homepage
Minister admits ‘disappointment’ as CBI warns of weak prospects for growth
The state of Britain’s stalling economy is “disappointing”, a Labour cabinet minister has admitted, as a leading business group said the country’s fiscal outlook was “headed for the worst of all worlds” next year. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said there was “little festive cheer”...The state of Britain’s stalling economy is “disappointing”, a Labour cabinet minister has admitted, as a leading business group said the country’s fiscal outlook was “headed for the worst of all worlds” next year. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said there was “little festive cheer”...The state of Britain’s stalling economy is “disappointing”, a Labour cabinet minister has admitted, as a leading business group...
The German authorities are under pressure to explain why a doctor accused of murdering a child and four women with a car at a Christmas market was not stopped despite being well known to police. Taleb al-Abdulmohsen’s criminal record, including a 2013 conviction for threatening acts of violence, recent online threats and an outburst in...The German authorities are under pressure to explain why a doctor accused of murdering a child and four women with a car at a Christmas market was not stopped despite being well known to police. Taleb al-Abdulmohsen’s criminal record, including a 2013 conviction for threatening acts of violence, recent online threats and an outburst in...The German authorities are under pressure to explain why a doctor accused of murdering a child and four women with a car at a...
Germany is racked with fear rather than the traditional festive cheer after the horror of the Magdeburg attack, but many Germans insist that the festivities must go on. From Christmas trees with baubles and tinsel, to advent calendars or stollen and the Weihnachtsmärkte (Christmas markets) across Europe, German...Germany is racked with fear rather than the traditional festive cheer after the horror of the...Germany is racked with fear rather than the traditional festive cheer after the horror of the...
first person
Interview
The fitness guru Joe Wicks is spending Christmas at the Surrey home of his older brother and business partner, Nikki...The fitness guru Joe Wicks is spending Christmas at the Surrey home of his older brother and...The fitness guru Joe Wicks is spending Christmas at the Surrey home of his older brother and...
first person
My body is screaming at me. My heart is racing and I’m starting to hyperventilate as the cold shoots daggers of...My body is screaming at me. My heart is racing and I’m starting to hyperventilate as the cold...My body is screaming at me. My heart is racing and I’m starting to hyperventilate as the cold...
Platinum Skies received at least £15m of subsidies to help build shared ownership retirement flats
Department for Work and Pensions accused of using the poorest in society as ‘cash cows’ by charging 24% interest on the collect and pay service
Too much time working from home could reduce opportunities for teachers to build relationships with students, an expert warns
Businesses are concerned they may have to consider redundancies if there isn’t enough full-time work
clean it up
Three quarters of rivers, lakes and seas are supposed to reach ‘good’ ecological status by 2027, but the present proportion is only 16 per cent
The average daily temperature in Mexico during December is a balmy 24C. Yet that hasn’t stopped the Latin American...The average daily temperature in Mexico during December is a balmy 24C. Yet that hasn’t stopped...The average daily temperature in Mexico during December is a balmy 24C. Yet that hasn’t stopped...
A woman has been accused of murder after the death of a five-year-old boy in Essex. Police officers and paramedics...A woman has been accused of murder after the death of a five-year-old boy in Essex. Police...A woman has been accused of murder after the death of a five-year-old boy in Essex. Police...
Turkey and its allied militias are moving against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces despite western opposition
Dusk was falling when the artillery started booming at the joint Turkish-Syrian military base, sending shells whistling towards Kurdish militia positions across the River Euphrates. “It’s Turkish artillery,” said a Syrian militiaman. “The Turks are wearing them out for when the battle starts.”...Dusk was falling when the artillery started booming at the joint Turkish-Syrian military base, sending shells whistling towards Kurdish militia positions across the River Euphrates. “It’s Turkish artillery,” said a Syrian militiaman. “The Turks are wearing them out for when the battle starts.”...Dusk was falling when the artillery started booming at the joint Turkish-Syrian military base, sending shells whistling towards...
Iran is contemplating smuggling weapons to its proxy group Hezbollah by flying them into Lebanon after the fall of the Assad government in Syria, the Times has learnt. Direct flights from Tehran’s international airport to Beirut resumed a few days ago but are no longer flying over Syrian airspace after rebels took power in Damascus. The...Iran is contemplating smuggling weapons to its proxy group Hezbollah by flying them into Lebanon after the fall of the Assad government in Syria, the Times has learnt. Direct flights from Tehran’s international airport to Beirut resumed a few days ago but are no longer flying over Syrian airspace after rebels took power in Damascus. The...Iran is contemplating smuggling weapons to its proxy group Hezbollah by flying them into Lebanon after the fall of the Assad...
Fans of Serge Gainsbourg, the late French singer-songwriter who came to symbolise the post-1968 rebellion against social convention, continue to revere him. Take, for instance, his Parisian home — which has remained unchanged since his death in 1991 — with cigarette butts in the ashtrays, the Steinway piano open and...Fans of Serge Gainsbourg, the late French singer-songwriter who came to symbolise the post-1968...Fans of Serge Gainsbourg, the late French singer-songwriter who came to symbolise the post-1968...
Congolese villagers long ago sensed the power of the brightly coloured rocks exposed on a scrubby hill deep in central Africa. They called the place Shinkolobwe, a word in the local Bemba language for an apple with juice so acidic it burns. History proved the name prescient. Shinkolobwe remains the world’s richest known uranium deposit. During the Second World War its...Congolese villagers long ago sensed the power of the brightly coloured rocks exposed on a scrubby...Congolese villagers long ago sensed the power of the brightly coloured rocks exposed on a scrubby...
Panama’s president insisted his country’s sovereignty was non-negotiable after Donald Trump repeated threats to...Panama’s president insisted his country’s sovereignty was non-negotiable after Donald Trump repeated threats to reassert control of the Panama Canal. President Mulino, who has often been compared to Trump for his conservative populist values, said in a statement on X: “Every square meter of the Panama Canal and the...Panama’s president insisted his country’s sovereignty was non-negotiable after Donald Trump repeated threats to reassert...
from our correspondent
A long-lost bronze cast of a sculpture by Camille Claudel, Auguste Rodin’s spurned mistress, is to go up for auction after it was found in an empty flat in Paris. It has been valued at between €1.5 million and €2 million. The Mature Age, which...A long-lost bronze cast of a sculpture by Camille Claudel, Auguste Rodin’s spurned mistress, is...A long-lost bronze cast of a sculpture by Camille Claudel, Auguste Rodin’s spurned mistress, is...
Named ‘Britain’s most generous man’ by The Sunday Times Rich List last year
Sir Chris Hohn, the billionaire hedge fund manager, awarded himself a £42 million dividend this year — down dramatically from the £275 million he collected in 2023 as TCI Fund Management made charitable donations of £340 million. Hohn, 58, received the $53 million payout in the year to the end of...Sir Chris Hohn, the billionaire hedge fund manager, awarded himself a £42 million dividend this year — down dramatically from the £275 million he collected in 2023 as TCI Fund Management made charitable donations of £340 million. Hohn, 58, received the $53 million payout in the year to the end of...Sir Chris Hohn, the billionaire hedge fund manager, awarded himself a £42 million dividend this year — down dramatically from...
A former adviser to a UK prime minister has been accused of involvement in a $250 million bribery case. The British executive is described as a co-conspirator in the US Department of Justice’s prosecution of Gautam Adani, one of the richest men in Asia. Adani, an Indian billionaire and founder of the multinational conglomerate Adani Group...A former adviser to a UK prime minister has been accused of involvement in a $250 million bribery case. The British executive is described as a co-conspirator in the US Department of Justice’s prosecution of Gautam Adani, one of the richest men in Asia. Adani, an Indian billionaire and founder of the multinational conglomerate Adani Group...A former adviser to a UK prime minister has been accused of involvement in a $250 million bribery case. The British executive...
A diagnostics company previously embroiled in a political lobbying row over a £500 million pandemic contract has paid a £60 million dividend despite its main trading business declaring itself insolvent and its auditor raising concerns over its accounting. SureScreen, a Derby-based company owned and directed by three...A diagnostics company previously embroiled in a political lobbying row over a £500 million...A diagnostics company previously embroiled in a political lobbying row over a £500 million...
First it was a comeback for Nineties fashion, then the return of wired headphones and car boot sales. Now it is the British bingo hall that is attracting a fresh look from a surprisingly youthful crowd. Buzz Bingo, formerly Gala Bingo, is betting...First it was a comeback for Nineties fashion, then the return of wired headphones and car boot...First it was a comeback for Nineties fashion, then the return of wired headphones and car boot...
ANDREW SENTANCE
The year is ending on a disappointing note for those looking for substantial cuts in interest rates. At the beginning...The year is ending on a disappointing note for those looking for substantial cuts in interest rates.The year is ending on a disappointing note for those looking for substantial cuts in interest rates.
The convenience of sending a card online is outweighed by one major drawback, the boss of Moonpig believes: it lacks...The convenience of sending a card online is outweighed by one major drawback, the boss of Moonpig...The convenience of sending a card online is outweighed by one major drawback, the boss of Moonpig...
Matthew Crummack does not mind standing out from the crowd. For example, while the boss of Go Compare, the comparison website, he once ran a marathon in an inflatable suit dressed as the brand’s opera-singing mascot, Gio Compario. Crummack’s...Matthew Crummack does not mind standing out from the crowd. For example, while the boss of Go...Matthew Crummack does not mind standing out from the crowd. For example, while the boss of Go...
Trading Conditions
Entrepreneurs on the Times/Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses programme discuss the challenges of trading with Europe and the impact of Brexit
Comment
Brands can use TikTok to reach millions of shoppers during the holidays, but they need to do it right
marketing
Matt Cairns, founder of Lancashire-based Eleven Sports Media, has built relationships with sports clubs that give small businesses pitch-side branding
Sustainability
Hospitality
Craig Bunting co-founded the Bear cafés in his hometown of Uttoxeter and quickly learnt people must relate to the product while still enjoying something new
RECRUITMENT
With a 33% growth in the past year, the demand for corporate investigators is soaring. Here’s how to get into the industry
Saying you’re employed as an “investigator” conjures up images of sleuths lurking in the shadows, but the new breed of corporate investigator is one of the UK’s fastest-growing professional careers. The incoming 2025 introduction of the new “failure to prevent fraud” offence — which will hold large firms to account if they profit from fraud committed by their employees...Saying you’re employed as an “investigator” conjures up images of sleuths lurking in the shadows...Saying you’re employed as an “investigator” conjures up images of sleuths lurking in the shadows...
SIX FROM THE BEST
It’s the busiest week of the year for jewellery sales. Anna Blackburn, managing director of the family-owned retailer...It’s the busiest week of the year for jewellery sales. Anna Blackburn, managing director of the family-owned retailer Beaverbrooks, began her career on the shopfloor at its Trafford Centre store in Manchester 26 years ago and is the first female, non-family member to lead the chain. Here, she shares her pearls of...It’s the busiest week of the year for jewellery sales. Anna Blackburn, managing director of the family-owned retailer...
premier league | alyson rudd
Tottenham 3 Liverpool 6
Arne Slot is not a showman and under his command Liverpool have been efficient in giving us spurts of beauty and breathtaking pace and finishing — but not too often. It is a harrowing and draining campaign and the Dutchman plans for the long haul. But sometimes an opponent is so open and so vulnerable that it is harder to be deadpan than witty, and so Liverpool played...Arne Slot is not a showman and under his command Liverpool have been efficient in giving us...Arne Slot is not a showman and under his command Liverpool have been efficient in giving us...
Premier League
Ange Postecoglou has again insisted he will not change his style of play despite Tottenham Hotspur’s heavy 6-3 home...Ange Postecoglou has again insisted he will not change his style of play despite Tottenham Hotspur’s heavy 6-3 home defeat by Liverpool on Sunday. Postecoglou’s side were outplayed for the majority of the game, with Luis Díaz and Mohamed Salah both scoring twice, and Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai also...Ange Postecoglou has again insisted he will not change his style of play despite Tottenham Hotspur’s heavy 6-3 home defeat by...
premier league | james gheerbrant
TOM KERSHAW
As Tyson Fury’s team cried conspiracy in the locker room, it was fitting that Oleksandr Usyk raised a legendary...As Tyson Fury’s team cried conspiracy in the locker room, it was fitting that Oleksandr Usyk...As Tyson Fury’s team cried conspiracy in the locker room, it was fitting that Oleksandr Usyk...
stuart barnes
The league table doesn’t lie. After eight games, Exeter Chiefs are bottom of the ten-team pile, and deservedly so.The league table doesn’t lie. After eight games, Exeter Chiefs are bottom of the ten-team pile...The league table doesn’t lie. After eight games, Exeter Chiefs are bottom of the ten-team pile...
steve james
So Warren Gatland is staying on as the Wales head coach. The announcement confirming as much by the Welsh Rugby Union on Friday was hardly a surprise, namely because time had run rather short before the team’s first match of the Six Nations in Paris on January 31. However, it was crystal clear that the extensive review conducted into the team’s performances, with...So Warren Gatland is staying on as the Wales head coach. The announcement confirming as much by...So Warren Gatland is staying on as the Wales head coach. The announcement confirming as much by...
George Ford has committed his future to Sale Sharks and England by extending his stay at the Gallagher Premiership...George Ford has committed his future to Sale Sharks and England by extending his stay at the Gallagher Premiership club, ending speculation about a lucrative move to France. The England fly half, 31, was due to be out of contract at the end of this season and was attracting serious interest from Top 14 sides...George Ford has committed his future to Sale Sharks and England by extending his stay at the Gallagher Premiership club, ending...
Gallagher Premiership | alex lowe
2024 in review
Victory at Silverstone – the last at his home track with Mercedes – gave British driver belief that he will take into his new chapter with Ferrari
The history books will show Lewis Hamilton’s final grand prix victory for Mercedes was in Belgium. That win — his 84th for the team — may count as Hamilton’s, but he did not stand on the top step of the podium and proudly hold the trophy aloft. That opportunity fell to his team-mate George Russell, who was later stripped of the victory after his car was found to be...The history books will show Lewis Hamilton’s final grand prix victory for Mercedes was in Belgium.The history books will show Lewis Hamilton’s final grand prix victory for Mercedes was in Belgium.
Joe Root will return to England’s ODI side for the Champions Trophy and the preceding tour of India in what will be...Joe Root will return to England’s ODI side for the Champions Trophy and the preceding tour of India in what will be Brendon McCullum’s first campaign as the new head coach of all formats. England have named a 15-man squad for the ICC Champions trophy which will take place in Pakistan in February and March. The fast...Joe Root will return to England’s ODI side for the Champions Trophy and the preceding tour of India in what will be Brendon...
charlotte duncker
Premier League | paul joyce
Interview
The nation’s favourite personal trainer is becoming a guest ‘dragon’. Despite his nerves, he offers more to entrepreneurs than cash
first person
Three writers describe how a new strategy paid off this year
first person
At the age of 34, one writer explains their decision to finally opt out of a family get-together
first person
Thanks to my freezing plunges, my mood has lifted, I’m a kinder parent, and I sleep better than I have in years, says Marina Fogle
ASK PROFESSOR TANYA BYRON
Q. I am dreading Christmas as this year I am with my wife’s family (we do alternate years as my family lives abroad)....Q. I am dreading Christmas as this year I am with my wife’s family (we do alternate years as my...Q. I am dreading Christmas as this year I am with my wife’s family (we do alternate years as my...
Before we get on to the serious business of chiding George Clooney, we need to agree that everything he says on a TV...Before we get on to the serious business of chiding George Clooney, we need to agree that...Before we get on to the serious business of chiding George Clooney, we need to agree that...
review
We were gifted a feature-length Christmas episode of Death in Paradise to welcome the new DI, Mervin Wilson (Don Gilet) — but the allocation of lines was as Scrooge-like as ever. Earlier this year I marvelled that Hayley Mills got fewer than 100 words and three minutes of airtime when she guest-starred. But in a 90-minute special, with much more time to fill, the...We were gifted a feature-length Christmas episode of Death in Paradise to welcome the new DI...We were gifted a feature-length Christmas episode of Death in Paradise to welcome the new DI...
interview
Fans of Death in Paradise know that the cosy Caribbean crime show usually ends with a grand Hercule Poirot-style...Fans of Death in Paradise know that the cosy Caribbean crime show usually ends with a grand Hercule Poirot-style denouement, with all suspects uniting to hear Saint Marie’s latest detective inspector unmask the killer. As this year’s Christmas special ends, the cast assemble expectantly, waiting for visiting London...Fans of Death in Paradise know that the cosy Caribbean crime show usually ends with a grand Hercule Poirot-style denouement...
first night review
first night review
Well, good luck making sense of that. This was the year in which Beyoncé went country, Kendrick Lamar got exceedingly personal about Drake and Kneecap administered a dose of Irish-language hip-hop we didn’t know we needed. It was as bracing as it...Well, good luck making sense of that. This was the year in which Beyoncé went country, Kendrick...Well, good luck making sense of that. This was the year in which Beyoncé went country, Kendrick...
Jane MacQuitty
For those wanting to celebrate Christmas without overdoing it, the latest, more palatable run of lower-alcohol wine...For those wanting to celebrate Christmas without overdoing it, the latest, more palatable run of...For those wanting to celebrate Christmas without overdoing it, the latest, more palatable run of...
It is the season of 15 new ways with Brussels sprouts, 12 people sleeping in a 3-bedroom house, eating things coated...It is the season of 15 new ways with Brussels sprouts, 12 people sleeping in a 3-bedroom house...It is the season of 15 new ways with Brussels sprouts, 12 people sleeping in a 3-bedroom house...
Christmas has always been a bumper time for television but with an abundance of choices, countless streaming platforms, and more festive specials than ever, selecting the perfect holiday viewing can feel overwhelming. To help you navigate the...Christmas has always been a bumper time for television but with an abundance of choices...Christmas has always been a bumper time for television but with an abundance of choices...
MindGames
Fifteen questions to get you thinking
1 Square Mile is a luxury lifestyle magazine for the City of … what? 2 Lanark’s Whuppity Scoorie is a March tradition that marks the approach of which season? 3 Robin Maxwell’s 2001 novel Virgin portrays the teenage life of which queen? 4 Belgian maître d’hôtel Jean-Philippe Susilovic has been long associated with which Scottish celebrity chef? 5 The Murray-Darling...1 Square Mile is a luxury lifestyle magazine for the City of … what? 2 Lanark’s Whuppity Scoorie...1 Square Mile is a luxury lifestyle magazine for the City of … what? 2 Lanark’s Whuppity Scoorie...
This is — famously — the jolliest time of year: drinks, parties, a razzle-dazzle blur of party frocks, glittery shoes...This is — famously — the jolliest time of year: drinks, parties, a razzle-dazzle blur of party...This is — famously — the jolliest time of year: drinks, parties, a razzle-dazzle blur of party...
test your knowledge
In an era when it feels like you need to adopt the brace position before reading the morning headlines, the creators...In an era when it feels like you need to adopt the brace position before reading the morning...In an era when it feels like you need to adopt the brace position before reading the morning...
Ingenious contraptions for making fine wine last longer, a premium whisky tasting, and of course some lovely bottles
A comprehensive list of Tom Whipple’s top tech picks
Buzzy bars, drag brunches and cool music clubs — historic Boston, Massachusetts, is constantly reinventing itself, making it a great city break — over and over again
If you’ve got an upcoming sailing but are nervous about feeling unwell on board, don’t panic. Sue Bryant has you covered with her guide to the remedies that work
Less travelled than its neighbours Costa Rica and Colombia, Panama’s popularity is on the up, with surf hotels, beach bars and hideaways in the hilly coffee region
From seaside standouts to sleek skyscrapers with shimmering rooftop pools and jaw-dropping views, Dubai’s hotels elevate getaways and stopovers to a superlative level
While scars from the natural disaster still linger, this beautiful, resilient country has become a thriving tourist destination once again. Chris Haslam reports
comment
Airlines lost my checked baggage twice this year. Luckily, that was one less than 2023, and both vanished on the...Airlines lost my checked baggage twice this year. Luckily, that was one less than 2023, and both...Airlines lost my checked baggage twice this year. Luckily, that was one less than 2023, and both...
WHERE WAS I? COMPETITION
“This is a dreary line to take,” my friend exclaims with a mischievous glint in his eye. “Surely there’s more to this...“This is a dreary line to take,” my friend exclaims with a mischievous glint in his eye. “Surely...“This is a dreary line to take,” my friend exclaims with a mischievous glint in his eye. “Surely...
When is the weather ever too bad for a winter beach walk? If it’s blowing a hooley you might want to stay off the cliff paths, but otherwise there’s no wind too strong, no rain too horizontal and no surf too high to spoil a bad day at the beach —...When is the weather ever too bad for a winter beach walk? If it’s blowing a hooley you might want...When is the weather ever too bad for a winter beach walk? If it’s blowing a hooley you might want...
obituary
Member of England’s 1966 World Cup squad who won a High Court battle that made it easier for players to move to other clubs
OBITUARY
Performer who said he learnt as much from the Grateful Dead’s percussionist as he did from his celebrated father
OBITUARY
British-born aide to George Bush Sr whose phrase ‘voodoo economics’ entered the lexicon of American politics
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
Weather eye
AND so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought...AND so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.AND so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
MindGames and Brain Boost puzzles to print and solve at your leisure
Councillor under investigation amid allegations that he harassed men on the gay dating app Grindr
The former Edinburgh city council leader Cammy Day has been described as an “online sex pest” by two men who claim to have been sent unsolicited lewd images on the gay dating app Grindr. As council leader, Day oversaw a £1.3 billion annual budget but he resigned this month after The Times first...The former Edinburgh city council leader Cammy Day has been described as an “online sex pest” by two men who claim to have been sent unsolicited lewd images on the gay dating app Grindr. As council leader, Day oversaw a £1.3 billion annual budget but he resigned this month after The Times first...The former Edinburgh city council leader Cammy Day has been described as an “online sex pest” by two men who claim to have been...
Campaigners called for more investment in Scotland’s rail services after figures appeared to show the performance of the state train operator is declining amid cancellations caused by industrial action, driver shortages and ageing stock. The official rail-performance indicator — known as PPM (public performance measure) — shows a...Campaigners called for more investment in Scotland’s rail services after figures appeared to show the performance of the state train operator is declining amid cancellations caused by industrial action, driver shortages and ageing stock. The official rail-performance indicator — known as PPM (public performance measure) — shows a...Campaigners called for more investment in Scotland’s rail services after figures appeared to show the performance of the state...
iain macwhirter
The loudest noise in 2024 came, paradoxically, from The Women Who Wouldn’t Wheesht. That was the title of the bestselling book, edited by the journalist Susan Dalgety and the academic Lucy Hunter Blackburn, which recounted the grassroots campaign against the SNP’s Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill led by...The loudest noise in 2024 came, paradoxically, from The Women Who Wouldn’t Wheesht. That was...The loudest noise in 2024 came, paradoxically, from The Women Who Wouldn’t Wheesht. That was...
Scotland’s oldest university has had to impose a freeze on job recruitment and filling vacancies to help tackle a...Scotland’s oldest university has had to impose a freeze on job recruitment and filling vacancies...Scotland’s oldest university has had to impose a freeze on job recruitment and filling vacancies...
natasha radmehr | notebook
As a child, I was taught to be wary of strangers. To run in the opposite direction if a creepy man offered me sweets.As a child, I was taught to be wary of strangers. To run in the opposite direction if a creepy...As a child, I was taught to be wary of strangers. To run in the opposite direction if a creepy...
interview | Best of Alba
Gabriella Bennett | BEST OF alba
A father of two who spent five weeks in a coma has told how he wants to “curl up on the settee and cuddle my family” after making it home from hospital for Christmas. Scott Gold, 37, spent four months in hospital after he suffered what doctors described as a “significant skull fracture” when he struck his head after being knocked to the ground on a night out in August.A father of two who spent five weeks in a coma has told how he wants to “curl up on the settee...A father of two who spent five weeks in a coma has told how he wants to “curl up on the settee...
1872 Cup
Franco Smith hailed a five-try derby win for his Glasgow side at Hampden, but expressed frustration at the two late...Franco Smith hailed a five-try derby win for his Glasgow side at Hampden, but expressed frustration at the two late Edinburgh scores which gave Sean Everitt’s men a glimmer of hope before the deciding leg of the 1872 Cup. The Warriors surged into a 33-0 lead just after the hour mark at the national stadium, but Boan...Franco Smith hailed a five-try derby win for his Glasgow side at Hampden, but expressed frustration at the two late Edinburgh...
Targets for treating tens of thousands of children with mental health issues in Scotland have been repeatedly breached over the past decade. The SNP government set a goal in 2014 which stated that all young people should be able to start treatment...Targets for treating tens of thousands of children with mental health issues in Scotland have...Targets for treating tens of thousands of children with mental health issues in Scotland have...
Comment
Why I’ve decided it’s time to lead a lighter life
Jenni Russell
My generation is realising it makes more sense to pass on possessions to those we love now rather than when we’re gone
Libby Purves
Don’t forget to mock, it’s the saving of us
Tomiwa Owolade
What are British values? It’s complicated
Hilary Rose | Notebook
My six-pack of carols got a frosty response
Toby Young
Labour is wrecking school reforms that produced results
Leading Articles
Winter of Discontent
The killing of people attending a Christmas market in Germany by a Saudi fugitive will further damage Europe’s open borders policy and boost the populist right
Problem Shared
James’ Place offers readily accessible therapy for men contemplating suicide
Plenty More Fish
Britain’s first ‘fish sommelier’ is on a mission to cook every species
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Supplying weight-loss jabs on the NHS
Write to [email protected] Sir, The weight-loss jab boom (news, Dec 21) is symptomatic of the UK’s decline and failure to address fundamentals. We eat and drink too much sugary rubbish. The food and drinks industries get away with a form...Write to [email protected] Sir, The weight-loss jab boom (news, Dec 21) is symptomatic...Write to [email protected] Sir, The weight-loss jab boom (news, Dec 21) is symptomatic...
Daily Universal Register
Briefing
UK: Revised quarterly estimate of gross domestic product and quarterly figures on spending on goods and services by members of UK households; Confederation of British Industry service sector survey.
Nature notes
It is extraordinary that a creature as tiny as a firecrest should fly for hundreds of miles, in freezing temperatures, over open water with no opportunity to rest or take on fuel — and yet, every winter, that is exactly what hundreds of them do. Never here in large numbers, Britain’s population of firecrests is boosted in winter by visitors from across the North Sea — though how many die in passage is impossible to say. Firecrests look similar to goldcrests, but their markings are brighter and bolder, their head stripier, and the male has a bright orange crest. They favour conifers, which they pick over for insects and spiders. Both their song and call are high-pitched and repetitive, the song faster than the call. Melissa Harrison
On this day
In 1688, during the Glorious Revolution, the Catholic James II was “allowed” to flee to France, and was replaced by Mary, his Protestant daughter, and William of Orange, her Dutch husband; in 1938 Margaret Hamilton was badly burnt on her hands and face while filming The Wizard of Oz in her role as the Wicked Witch of the West. A delay to a trap-door opening exposed her to flames set to hide her disappearance. Her stunt-double was also injured during filming; in 1964 it was announced that the British Railways Board chairman Richard Beeching would leave the organisation. His report published in 1963 led to the axing of stations and thousands of miles of railway; in 1986 the Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov returned to Moscow after nearly seven years of forced silence in internal exile. He vowed to continue his fight to free political prisoners.
The Times
Birthdays today
Matt Baker, TV presenter, BBC1, Countryfile, 47; Lord (Michael) Briggs of Westbourne, justice of the Supreme Court, 70; Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, singer-songwriter, first lady of France (2008-12), 57; Baroness (Caroline) Chisholm of Owlpen, baroness-in-waiting (government whip) (2021-22), 73; General Wesley Clark, supreme Allied commander, Europe (1997-2000), 80; Lord (Richard) Dannatt MC, president of Help for Heroes (2011-19), chief of the general staff (2006-09), 74; Sir David Davis, Conservative MP for Goole & Pocklington, Brexit secretary (2016-18), 76; Sir Peter Davis, life vice-president, Marie Curie Cancer Care, chief executive, J Sainsbury (2000-04), 83; Dame Carol Ann Duffy, poet laureate (2009-19), 69; Alberto Galassi, chief executive, Ferretti (yacht-maker), 60; Lord (Jo) Johnson of Marylebone, Conservative MP for Orpington (2010-19), minister for universities, science, research and innovation (2019), 53; Baroness (Jenny) Jones of Moulsecoomb, Green Party politician, 75; Bob Kahn, electrical engineer, one of the “fathers of the internet”, 86; Belinda Lang, actress, Sister Boniface Mysteries (2022-24), 71; Prof Margaret MacMillan OM, historian, warden of St Antony’s College, Oxford (2007-17), 81; Perminder Mann, chief executive, Bonnier Books UK, 53; Roz Savage, Lib Dem MP for South Cotswolds, first woman to row solo across three oceans, 57; Carol Smillie, TV presenter, Changing Rooms (1996-2003), 63; Donna Tartt, novelist, The Goldfinch (2013; Pulitzer prize), 61; Eddie Vedder, musician, Pearl Jam, 60; Prof Sir Simon Wessely, psychiatrist and epidemiologist, president, Royal Society of Medicine (2017-20), 68; Sir Peter Westmacott, UK ambassador to the US (2012-16), 74; Geoffrey Wheatcroft, author and journalist, Churchill’s Shadow (2021), 79.