The Times & The Sunday Times Homepage
PM backs the chancellor as pressure grows over the rising cost of government borrowing and limited spending options
updatedSir Keir Starmer has said that he has “full confidence” in his chancellor Rachel Reeves, his official spokesperson confirming that she would remain in her post until at least the next general election. The prime minister said that Reeves was doing a “fantastic job”, amid concerns about the rising...Sir Keir Starmer has said that he has “full confidence” in his chancellor Rachel Reeves, his official spokesperson confirming that she would remain in her post until at least the next general election. The prime minister said that Reeves was doing a “fantastic job”, amid concerns about the rising...Sir Keir Starmer has said that he has “full confidence” in his chancellor Rachel Reeves, his official spokesperson confirming...
Civil service middle management has doubled in the past decade as officials are over-promoted to get round a pay squeeze, figures suggested. The cost of an increasingly top-heavy civil service has reached almost £2 billion a year, which has prompted calls for a re-think on workforce planning. Less qualified staff are increasingly being...Civil service middle management has doubled in the past decade as officials are over-promoted to get round a pay squeeze, figures suggested. The cost of an increasingly top-heavy civil service has reached almost £2 billion a year, which has prompted calls for a re-think on workforce planning. Less qualified staff are increasingly being...Civil service middle management has doubled in the past decade as officials are over-promoted to get round a pay squeeze...
Nicola Sturgeon has announced she is divorcing her husband, Peter Murrell, as friends say the police investigation into SNP finances put their relationship under strain. The former first minister confirmed they had been “separated for some time now” and it was “time to bring others up to speed”. The announcement...Nicola Sturgeon has announced she is divorcing her husband, Peter Murrell, as friends say the...Nicola Sturgeon has announced she is divorcing her husband, Peter Murrell, as friends say the...
stuart fraser
Those who expected Andy Murray to be on his feet barking instructions at Novak Djokovic or gesturing at his watch towards the umpire as if he was Sir Alex Ferguson were always going to be disappointed. While he was renowned for his on-court...Those who expected Andy Murray to be on his feet barking instructions at Novak Djokovic or...Those who expected Andy Murray to be on his feet barking instructions at Novak Djokovic or...
comment | emma barnett
explainer
Donald Trump will be sworn in for a second term as president on January 20 in Washington, crowning an extraordinary...Donald Trump will be sworn in for a second term as president on January 20 in Washington...Donald Trump will be sworn in for a second term as president on January 20 in Washington...
FIRST PERSON
I always knew I had a sister. And I thought that I knew we would never meet. This “sister” of mine — even the word...I always knew I had a sister. And I thought that I knew we would never meet. This “sister” of...I always knew I had a sister. And I thought that I knew we would never meet. This “sister” of...
Former MI6 chief and party’s own MPs warn of threat to security in ‘ideologically driven’ push to expand renewable energy
Reeves will call in the heads of Britain’s largest regulators to the Treasury on Thursday
The government says it will ‘always be in control of data’ as it targets billions of pounds in investment
The AI email assistant boasts 70% accuracy, but each response will be signed off by staff
A new AI blueprint promises to supercharge Britain’s digital economy, with plans to expand supercomputing capacity twentyfold by 2030. But will it deliver?
Emma Raducanu has revealed that she would like to meet Luke Littler after expressing “amazing respect” for his achievement in becoming a world darts champion 12 months after his stunning breakthrough run to the final. Parallels have been drawn...Emma Raducanu has revealed that she would like to meet Luke Littler after expressing “amazing...Emma Raducanu has revealed that she would like to meet Luke Littler after expressing “amazing...
A former minister believed that the most senior chiefs in the British military should have resigned over a “national...A former minister believed that the most senior chiefs in the British military should have...A former minister believed that the most senior chiefs in the British military should have...
A stone’s throw from Tower Bridge, in central London, David Lake is standing on Chinese land. The car park of his...A stone’s throw from Tower Bridge, in central London, David Lake is standing on Chinese land. The...A stone’s throw from Tower Bridge, in central London, David Lake is standing on Chinese land. The...
Hundreds of acres of productive farmland will be turned into a saltmarsh nature reserve on the Severn Estuary. The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) is spending £21 million on low-lying farmland in an attempt to restore lost wetlands and unlock...Hundreds of acres of productive farmland will be turned into a saltmarsh nature reserve on the...Hundreds of acres of productive farmland will be turned into a saltmarsh nature reserve on the...
An off-duty police officer was killed by a lorry after stopping to help another motorist who had just been involved...An off-duty police officer was killed by a lorry after stopping to help another motorist who had...An off-duty police officer was killed by a lorry after stopping to help another motorist who had...
Whenever a new face arrives at the door, seven-year-old Simphiwe panics that she is being sent back to the orphanage.Whenever a new face arrives at the door, seven-year-old Simphiwe panics that she is being sent...Whenever a new face arrives at the door, seven-year-old Simphiwe panics that she is being sent...
As Tehran looks to Russia — while meeting European diplomats in Geneva — an expert warns Iran is a ‘heartbeat away’ from nuclear weapons capability
Iran has been conducting secret diplomatic missions to Russia to bolster its military and defence capabilities, despite forthcoming talks with the West designed to revive a nuclear treaty. Ali Larijani, a senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been shuttling back and...Iran has been conducting secret diplomatic missions to Russia to bolster its military and defence capabilities, despite forthcoming talks with the West designed to revive a nuclear treaty. Ali Larijani, a senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been shuttling back and...Iran has been conducting secret diplomatic missions to Russia to bolster its military and defence capabilities, despite...
North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia against Ukraine are under orders to commit suicide rather than face capture, and some 3,000 of them have been killed or injured, South Korea’s intelligence agency claims. In a briefing on Monday, Cho Tae-yong, the head of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), told South Korean members of...North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia against Ukraine are under orders to commit suicide rather than face capture, and some 3,000 of them have been killed or injured, South Korea’s intelligence agency claims. In a briefing on Monday, Cho Tae-yong, the head of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), told South Korean members of...North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia against Ukraine are under orders to commit suicide rather than face capture, and some...
Donald Trump could speak to President Putin as early as next week about the war in Ukraine, the US president-elect’s national security adviser has said as Switzerland offers to host peace talks. Although Trump said repeatedly on the campaign trail that he would resolve the war within a day of taking office, both he...Donald Trump could speak to President Putin as early as next week about the war in Ukraine, the...Donald Trump could speak to President Putin as early as next week about the war in Ukraine, the...
video
Geoff Dyer
Marc Veyrat, the French chef famed for incorporating Alpine plants into his cuisine, is happy to welcome almost...Marc Veyrat, the French chef famed for incorporating Alpine plants into his cuisine, is happy to...Marc Veyrat, the French chef famed for incorporating Alpine plants into his cuisine, is happy to...
When the Hindu god Vishnu wrested a gold pitcher containing the nectar of immortality from a demon, four drops fell...When the Hindu god Vishnu wrested a gold pitcher containing the nectar of immortality from a...When the Hindu god Vishnu wrested a gold pitcher containing the nectar of immortality from a...
MATTHEW CAMPBELL
On Valentine’s Day, 2014, the Thai TV host Woody and his partner, Ote, invited close friends to a private gathering on a hotel rooftop on the holiday island of Phuket. Woody, whose real name is Vuthithorn Milintachinda, is one of Thailand’s...On Valentine’s Day, 2014, the Thai TV host Woody and his partner, Ote, invited close friends to a...On Valentine’s Day, 2014, the Thai TV host Woody and his partner, Ote, invited close friends to a...
Turmoil raises speculation that Rachel Reeves will be forced into tax increases or spending cuts as soon as March
UK government borrowing costs extended their rise into a second week and the pound fell to a 14-month low, raising speculation that Rachel Reeves will be forced into tax increases or spending cuts as soon as March. The yield on the 10-year UK government bond increased by five basis points to...UK government borrowing costs extended their rise into a second week and the pound fell to a 14-month low, raising speculation that Rachel Reeves will be forced into tax increases or spending cuts as soon as March. The yield on the 10-year UK government bond increased by five basis points to...UK government borrowing costs extended their rise into a second week and the pound fell to a 14-month low, raising speculation...
The price of oil extended its gains after America imposed a broader range of sanctions on Russian supplies, rising to a three-month high. The sanctions imposed by the Biden administration on Friday targeted the Russian oil majors Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas, as well as blacklisting 183 tankers that ship to India and China, and are...The price of oil extended its gains after America imposed a broader range of sanctions on Russian supplies, rising to a three-month high. The sanctions imposed by the Biden administration on Friday targeted the Russian oil majors Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas, as well as blacklisting 183 tankers that ship to India and China, and are...The price of oil extended its gains after America imposed a broader range of sanctions on Russian supplies, rising to a...
Just two years after stepping into the shoes of Rupert Soames, Mark Irwin has quit as chief executive of Serco. Soames, who is now president of the CBI, was credited with bringing the government contractor back from the abyss of near-insolvency during a decade-long turnaround. But hopes for growth at Serco have not...Just two years after stepping into the shoes of Rupert Soames, Mark Irwin has quit as chief...Just two years after stepping into the shoes of Rupert Soames, Mark Irwin has quit as chief...
SIMON FRENCH
Last week’s turbulence on global bond markets led to a sharp rise in the cost of UK government borrowing. It now...Last week’s turbulence on global bond markets led to a sharp rise in the cost of UK government...Last week’s turbulence on global bond markets led to a sharp rise in the cost of UK government...
Retailers in the key West End tourist district of London have warned the government that new business rates reforms...Retailers in the key West End tourist district of London have warned the government that new...Retailers in the key West End tourist district of London have warned the government that new...
US hedge fund bids to oust the management of Herald Investment Trust, a key backer of UK tech
The government has been urged by a leading science entrepreneur to intervene in the attack by the US hedge fund Saba Capital on Herald Investment Trust, a big backer of UK tech-driven businesses. Martyn Ratcliffe, chairman and 21 per cent owner of the Cambridge-based Science Group, has written to the cabinet minister Peter Kyle, who heads the science and innovation...The government has been urged by a leading science entrepreneur to intervene in the attack by the...The government has been urged by a leading science entrepreneur to intervene in the attack by the...
They don’t get much more competitive than Boaz Weinstein. The New York hedge fund manager was boasting the other day...They don’t get much more competitive than Boaz Weinstein. The New York hedge fund manager was boasting the other day of how he had managed to scrape a draw with one of the greatest chess players of all time, Magnus Carlsen, albeit by being given a huge time advantage. “Bucket list item. Tick,” he crowed on X...They don’t get much more competitive than Boaz Weinstein. The New York hedge fund manager was boasting the other day of how he...
The financial betting giant Plus500 has attracted its biggest number of new clients since the boom in have-a-go trading during the Covid crisis. More than 36,000 customers joined the FTSE 250 company’s platform in the final...The financial betting giant Plus500 has attracted its biggest number of new clients since the boom in have-a-go trading during the Covid crisis. More than 36,000 customers joined the FTSE 250 company’s platform in the final...The financial betting giant Plus500 has attracted its biggest number of new clients since the boom in have-a-go...
Only 156 Bank of England employees have expressed an interest in relocating to Leeds as part of ambitious plans to employ one in ten staff in the city by 2027. The UK’s central bank announced its intention last May to expand in...Only 156 Bank of England employees have expressed an interest in relocating to Leeds as part of ambitious plans to employ one in ten staff in the city by 2027. The UK’s central bank announced its intention last May to expand in...Only 156 Bank of England employees have expressed an interest in relocating to Leeds as part of ambitious plans to...
Apple’s board has urged investors to reject a shareholder proposal to scrap its diversity programmes, diverging from its tech rivals Meta and Amazon, which are rolling back similar initiatives before Donald Trump’s return to presidency. The...Apple’s board has urged investors to reject a shareholder proposal to scrap its diversity...Apple’s board has urged investors to reject a shareholder proposal to scrap its diversity...
management
Many are now offering the kind of packages traditionally associated with large corporations — and seeing it as a worthwhile investment
Comment
All the activity that underpins our business model needs to be constantly challenged
how i made it
Vinita Rathi, founder of Systango, grew up in a traditional family where ‘women wouldn’t go out and work’. Now she runs a firm helping clients with AI
INTERVIEW
Zuber Issa, one half of the duo who took over Asda, explains why he quit the empire he and his brother built – and why, at 52, he’s starting again
richard harpin
Evolution, not revolution. You don’t have to job-hop to find fulfilment; you can thrive by sticking with a company that offers new challenges for all
From the rise of AI agents to the end of the office wars, futurologist Julia Hobsbawm shares her predictions for the year ahead
Out with the old, in with the new way of working. From major corporates enforcing a “return to the office” mandate to the gradual dwindling of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, 2024 saw a number of major changes in the way we work, often pitting employees against employers. But with hiring declining and a far tougher economic outlook ahead, what does this...Out with the old, in with the new way of working. From major corporates enforcing a “return to...Out with the old, in with the new way of working. From major corporates enforcing a “return to...
recruitment
One in ten employees is looking for a new job this January. As managing director for UK and Ireland of Page Group...One in ten employees is looking for a new job this January. As managing director for UK and Ireland of Page Group, the FTSE 250 recruitment firm, Doug Rode has spent the past 25 years helping people land their dream jobs. Here he shares his advice on how companies can win the race for top talent.
1 Offer choice in...One in ten employees is looking for a new job this January. As managing director for UK and Ireland of Page Group, the FTSE 250...
Non-League Tamworth lost 3-0 to Spurs, having held them 0-0 after 90 minutes, when going straight to penalties may have increased chances of an upset
The FA will review whether to scrap extra time in FA Cup matches at the end of the season — but will not consider bringing back replays. There is a view that going straight to penalties after 90 minutes gives minnows a better chance of causing an upset because smaller clubs’ players often run out...The FA will review whether to scrap extra time in FA Cup matches at the end of the season — but will not consider bringing back replays. There is a view that going straight to penalties after 90 minutes gives minnows a better chance of causing an upset because smaller clubs’ players often run out...The FA will review whether to scrap extra time in FA Cup matches at the end of the season — but will not consider bringing back...
Tyson Fury has announced his retirement from professional boxing despite plans for a long-awaited bout with Anthony Joshua at Wembley Stadium this summer. In a cryptic 17-second Instagram video, Fury, 36, who was defeated for a second time in 2024 by Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia last month, said: “Hi everybody, I’ll make this short and...Tyson Fury has announced his retirement from professional boxing despite plans for a long-awaited bout with Anthony Joshua at Wembley Stadium this summer. In a cryptic 17-second Instagram video, Fury, 36, who was defeated for a second time in 2024 by Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia last month, said: “Hi everybody, I’ll make this short and...Tyson Fury has announced his retirement from professional boxing despite plans for a long-awaited bout with Anthony Joshua at...
john westerby
Amid the hysteria of a partisan crowd raucously backing his opponent, Jacob Fearnley kept his cool to win in straight sets against Nick Kyrgios, who later suggested that this would be his final singles appearance at his home grand-slam tournament. Kyrgios, the former world No13 who has barely played in the past two...Amid the hysteria of a partisan crowd raucously backing his opponent, Jacob Fearnley kept his...Amid the hysteria of a partisan crowd raucously backing his opponent, Jacob Fearnley kept his...
james gheerbrant
Last month, Joshua Zirkzee was mercy-subbed before half-time against Newcastle United and exited the Old Trafford...Last month, Joshua Zirkzee was mercy-subbed before half-time against Newcastle United and exited...Last month, Joshua Zirkzee was mercy-subbed before half-time against Newcastle United and exited...
STUART BARNES
“When the facts change, I change my mind.” I’ll go with the economist, John Maynard Keynes, to whom this comment is...“When the facts change, I change my mind.” I’ll go with the economist, John Maynard Keynes, to...“When the facts change, I change my mind.” I’ll go with the economist, John Maynard Keynes, to...
Stuart Fraser
British No1 into second round of Australian Open after five-set epic
Jack Draper dug deep to overcome a lack of preparation for the Australian Open and survive a first-round scare. Well below full fitness because of a recent hip injury, the British No1 battled back from two sets to one down to prevail despite hitting an astonishing 88 unforced errors. Draper had hoped that training sessions with the likes of Novak Djokovic and Jannik...Jack Draper dug deep to overcome a lack of preparation for the Australian Open and survive a...Jack Draper dug deep to overcome a lack of preparation for the Australian Open and survive a...
James Anderson will resume his professional playing career for at least one more season after signing a contract...James Anderson will resume his professional playing career for at least one more season after signing a contract extension with Lancashire. Anderson, who will turn 43 in July, retired from international cricket last summer, playing his 188th and final Test at Lord’s against West Indies. He spent the rest of the...James Anderson will resume his professional playing career for at least one more season after signing a contract extension with...
rick broadbent
This story was originally published on May 17, 2024 before Tyson Fury’s first fight against Oleksandr Usyk. Jimmy Egan’s Boxing Academy sits in the heart of a sprawling estate. It does not look much. Red metal doors open on to a floor dotted...This story was originally published on May 17, 2024 before Tyson Fury’s first fight against...This story was originally published on May 17, 2024 before Tyson Fury’s first fight against...
Martin Samuel
There are a number of things that need to be regulated, or sustainable. Your energy bills, the cleanliness of water...There are a number of things that need to be regulated, or sustainable. Your energy bills, the...There are a number of things that need to be regulated, or sustainable. Your energy bills, the...
Mikel Arteta said he “loves” Kai Havertz, but there is “an element [of the game] that is about putting the ball in...Mikel Arteta said he “loves” Kai Havertz, but there is “an element [of the game] that is about...Mikel Arteta said he “loves” Kai Havertz, but there is “an element [of the game] that is about...
So common are teenage debutants in the modern Premier League era — in cup competitions, at least — that the first start of Rio Ngumoha’s professional career passed almost unnoticed on FA Cup third-round weekend. However, his background, and his...So common are teenage debutants in the modern Premier League era — in cup competitions, at least...So common are teenage debutants in the modern Premier League era — in cup competitions, at least...
FA CUP
Newcastle United recorded an eighth successive win and strolled, eventually, into the fourth round of the FA Cup. What Eddie Howe would have given on December 7, after a 4-2 away defeat by Brentford, to know what the next five weeks of football...Newcastle United recorded an eighth successive win and strolled, eventually, into the fourth...Newcastle United recorded an eighth successive win and strolled, eventually, into the fourth...
The TV game The Traitors has us gripped. But is this going on in your office?
Isabella Machin transformed her friend group into a thrilling game of betrayal
updated
first person
I had lessons in manliness but basic household tasks baffle me. By Zak Asgard
new
comment | emma barnett
Why it was so awful to hear Caroline Darian recall her father’s crimes
FIRST PERSON
My father’s long-lost daughter was a mystery — until a clue in a graveyard allowed me to find her, writes Katie Glass
First Person
I used to work in the City. I was director of a European bank and I was earning six figures. But it was really incompatible with raising a young family (says Kathryn Ebbens, 55). I was leaving the house at 7am and then not getting home until...I used to work in the City. I was director of a European bank and I was earning six figures. But...I used to work in the City. I was director of a European bank and I was earning six figures. But...
FIRST NIGHT review
first night review
first night review
first night review
MindGames
MINDGAMES
ASK THE EXPERTS
Q. I am a reasonably novice investor but have resolved to give more thought to my portfolio and explore new sectors....Q. I am a reasonably novice investor but have resolved to give more thought to my portfolio and...Q. I am a reasonably novice investor but have resolved to give more thought to my portfolio and...
ask the experts
My wife’s father retired at 65 but unfortunately died very soon after due to cancer. He had worked for a company for...My wife’s father retired at 65 but unfortunately died very soon after due to cancer. He had...My wife’s father retired at 65 but unfortunately died very soon after due to cancer. He had...
Viewing GUide
television
TELEVISION
Television
Television
television
TELEVISION
TELEVISION
interview
In a rare interview, the Beatle says Liverpool was always the home of American music — and reveals the lesson he learnt from Elton John’s mum
How did the tiny Pitcairn island in the South Pacific keep its horrifying history a secret for so long?
A school-gate mystery, ‘quarter-life lit’ and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s new novel — these are 2025’s hottest books
FIRST PERSON
Julia Lawrence explains why she quit a well-paid job to study for a degree in her fifties
The reality show is edited backwards to give viewers the warm feeling of being in control — Agatha Christie used a similar trick
Louisa McKenzie traces the surprising history of the jaunty spot stickers loved by Gen-Z and 17th century women
Five of the most glorious seaside villas to dream about for next summer, from an Ibizan farmhouse and a castle on a private island off Cannes to a Cornish clifftop retreat
The Lotus Emeya has 23 speakers for total sound immersion and a charging system that’s as fast as an old-fashioned petrol stop
kate reardon
From cats on Tilos to exploring the Valley of the Butterflies on Rhodes, island-hopping with an Interrail pass is cost-effective and a lot of fun — for kids and grown ups
Slums, street art and Shakespeare — not to mention murder — are all part of the hidden history of London’s Spitalfields and Shoreditch revealed on this witty walking tour
Mark Smith, who runs the popular rail travel website, looks back on more than a century of the international train pass — and why the thrill is still very much alive
Want to see lots of countries but only have limited time for your big adventure? These itineraries will put you on the right track — and not just if you’re under 26
comment
British Airways status points are changing, and from April 1 will be based on spend rather than distance. Here are some ways to maintain your elite perks
If there’s anything likely to raise your blood pressure, it’s finding out you have high blood pressure. Mine had...If there’s anything likely to raise your blood pressure, it’s finding out you have high blood...If there’s anything likely to raise your blood pressure, it’s finding out you have high blood...
Dublin is flooded with fancy hotels but go for one of the city’s apartments and you’ll have much more space to spread...Dublin is flooded with fancy hotels but go for one of the city’s apartments and you’ll have much...Dublin is flooded with fancy hotels but go for one of the city’s apartments and you’ll have much...
obituary
One half of the soul duo Sam & Dave who rocked the charts with scorching ballads of black empowerment
OBITUARY
Coopers accountant who as lord mayor showed remarkable defiance in the face of the Baltic Exchange IRA bombing
OBITUARY
She defended her grip on the cost of living by announcing that ‘every housewife is a monetarist’
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
Balmoral Castle
12th January, 2025
Divine Service was held in Crathie Parish Church this morning. The Reverend...Balmoral Castle
12th January, 2025
Divine Service was held in Crathie Parish Church this...Balmoral Castle
12th January, 2025
Divine Service was held in Crathie Parish Church this...
law report
Supreme Court
Published on January 13, 2025
FIMBank plc v KCH Shipping Co Ltd
Before Lord Hodge, Lord Sales...Supreme Court
Published on January 13, 2025
FIMBank plc v KCH Shipping Co Ltd
Before Lord...Supreme Court
Published on January 13, 2025
FIMBank plc v KCH Shipping Co Ltd
Before Lord...
MindGames and Brain Boost puzzles to print and solve at your leisure
Former first minister says she and her husband, who was charged in relation to the embezzlement of SNP funds last year, have been ‘separated for some time’
updatedNicola Sturgeon has announced she is divorcing her husband, Peter Murrell, as friends say the police investigation into SNP finances put their relationship under strain. The former first minister confirmed they had been “separated for some time now” and it was “time to bring others up to speed”.Nicola Sturgeon has announced she is divorcing her husband, Peter Murrell, as friends say the police investigation into SNP finances put their relationship under strain. The former first minister confirmed they had been “separated for some time now” and it was “time to bring others up to speed”.Nicola Sturgeon has announced she is divorcing her husband, Peter Murrell, as friends say the police investigation into SNP...
John Swinney has said that he will not hesitate to exploit Donald Trump’s love of Scotland if it protects the country from potentially damaging tariffs on exports to the United States. The first minister told the BBC that in a call last month with the US president-elect he had expressed the importance of trade between the countries...John Swinney has said that he will not hesitate to exploit Donald Trump’s love of Scotland if it protects the country from potentially damaging tariffs on exports to the United States. The first minister told the BBC that in a call last month with the US president-elect he had expressed the importance of trade between the countries...John Swinney has said that he will not hesitate to exploit Donald Trump’s love of Scotland if it protects the country from...
IAIN MACWHIRTER
It can surely only be a matter of time. After Panama, Greenland and Canada, how long before Donald Trump proposes annexing Scotland? He’s already got the golf courses as a beachhead. I mean, who really owns Scotland when you think about it? Not the nasty English with their grooming gangs and the dumbest prime...It can surely only be a matter of time. After Panama, Greenland and Canada, how long before...It can surely only be a matter of time. After Panama, Greenland and Canada, how long before...
review
★★★
Although this Edinburgh-based exhibiting society has moved away from its founding precepts, it retains part of its original purpose in showing work in water-based media, often on paper. Most of the work here is still-life, seascape...★★★
Although this Edinburgh-based exhibiting society has moved away from its founding precepts...★★★
Although this Edinburgh-based exhibiting society has moved away from its founding precepts...
natasha radmehr | notebook
Peter Brown, the former Scotland rugby captain who was renowned as one of the great characters of the Scottish game...Peter Brown, the former Scotland rugby captain who was renowned as one of the great characters of...Peter Brown, the former Scotland rugby captain who was renowned as one of the great characters of...
Police have continued to search an icy river in the hunt for two sisters missing in Aberdeen in sub-zero temperatures.Police have continued to search an icy river in the hunt for two sisters missing in Aberdeen in...Police have continued to search an icy river in the hunt for two sisters missing in Aberdeen in...
Seals in Scotland are attacking porpoises and inflicting a slow and painful death on them, researchers have discovered. Attacks by grey seals on harbour porpoises are also a serious infection risk for people handling the wounded creatures, the study by Scottish scientists has found. The grey seals can be responsible for the porpoises suffering protracted, agonising...Seals in Scotland are attacking porpoises and inflicting a slow and painful death on them...Seals in Scotland are attacking porpoises and inflicting a slow and painful death on them...
The prize rabbit produced from a hat at the end of Shona Robison’s budget last month was the announcement that she...The prize rabbit produced from a hat at the end of Shona Robison’s budget last month was the announcement that she would look to “mitigate” or otherwise find the money required to remove the two-child cap on benefits. Dubbed “the rape clause” by SNP politicians and campaigners such as the former MP Alison Thewliss...The prize rabbit produced from a hat at the end of Shona Robison’s budget last month was the announcement that she would look...
Comment
The Premier League doesn’t need a regulator
Martin Samuel
Government has no business trying to meddle in the running of football — one of our few industries that actually works
Libby Purves
Apprenticeship scam is cheating our young
Will Lloyd
Michel de Montaigne is the only guru you need
Emma Duncan
I’m taking cold comfort from these clever clogs
David Halpern
The social bonds that tie us are the UK’s hidden wealth
Leading Articles
Intelligent Planning
The AI boom will reshape the global economy. Labour must enable Britain to pull ahead of its neighbours by embracing innovation
Prisoners Dilemma
More imaginative policies could help to tame the UK’s burgeoning incarceration rate
Downing Tools
Surveys indicate that young adults may be losing a knack for even the most basic DIY
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Employing ex-convicts to prevent reoffending
Write to [email protected] Sir, Innovation that widens the public conversation about prisons is to be welcomed (“Ex-convicts are reliable — hire them, prisons minister urges”, news, Jan 10). But it is a small point in Lord Timpson’s...Write to [email protected] Sir, Innovation that widens the public conversation about prisons...Write to [email protected] Sir, Innovation that widens the public conversation about prisons...
Daily Universal Register
Briefing
UK: The foreign affairs select committee holds a session on the work of the British Council with Scott McDonald, the chief executive, and Kate Ewart-Biggs, the deputy chief executive; the annual TS Eliot prize for poetry is awarded at a ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall, London.
Poland: Wladyslaw Kosiniak, the defence minister, hosts his German, French, UK and Italian counterparts in Warsaw to discuss support for Ukraine. Rustem Umerov, the Ukrainian defence minister, is expected to join virtually.
Switzerland: A meeting of deputy foreign ministers from Iran, France, Germany and the UK takes place in Geneva.
On this day
In 1852 Gezo, the king of Dahomey (now Benin, west Africa), was forced to agree to British demands to stop the export of slaves, but breached the treaty. On his death in 1858, 800 slaves (of a planned 2,000 from weaker tribes) were sacrificed in his memory, for filling a pit “to contain human blood enough to float a canoe”. The king had claimed the “slave trade is the ruling principle of my people”; in 1929 Wyatt Earp, a lawman in the Wild West, died aged 80 — the last survivor of the gunfight at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona, on October 26, 1881. Wyatt and his associates were enforcing a city ordinance against the carrying of weapons against the Cowboys, a group of outlaws. The gunfight lasted less than a minute; in 1989 the Friday the 13th virus struck, deleting files in computers made by IBM and compatible machines; in 2016 three tickets secured a record $1.586 billion in the US Powerball lottery. One winning couple planned to upgrade their truck. A record $1.537 billion was paid out to a single US winner in 2019, shortly before the cut-off deadline for Mega Millions claims; in 2020, in Thailand, the first imported case of the Covid-19 coronavirus from China was confirmed, in a 61-year-old Chinese woman who had travelled from her Wuhan City home.
Nature notes
Cormorants are starting to be seen more often inland, on lakes and rivers, instead of purely around our coasts. Black, hunched and faintly reptilian, they are larger than their cousin the shag, which has a finer beak and yellow mouth-corners. Cormorants eat fish, which they dive for, often staying underwater for well over a minute. If their feathers were waterproof, like a duck’s, they would be too buoyant to hunt efficiently; instead they become waterlogged and then must dry out their plumage, which is why they are often seen perched and holding their wings out heraldically. Our resident population of cormorants increases sevenfold in winter as more birds arrive to spend the colder months here. Melissa Harrison
Melissa Harrison
Birthdays today
Bill Bailey, comedian, Never Mind the Buzzcocks (1998-2008), QI (2003-24), 60; Richard Blackford, composer, Not in Our Time (2011), 71; Sir Matthew Bourne, choreographer and director, 65; Tom Bradby, news anchor, ITV News at Ten, and novelist, Yesterday’s Spy (2022), 58; Ros Canter, Olympic gold medallist in the team eventing (2024), 39; Carol Cleveland, actress and comedian, Monty Python’s Flying Circus (1969-74), 83; Dame Johannah Cutts, High Court judge, presiding judge, Western Circuit (2021-24), 61; Mary Glindon, Labour MP for Newcastle upon Tyne East & Wallsend, opposition whip (2020-24), 68; Stephen Glover, founding editor, The Independent on Sunday (1990-91), 73; Sarah Gosling (née Webb), sailor, two-time Olympic gold medallist (2004, 2008), 48; Liam Hemsworth, actor, The Hunger Games film series, 35; Stephen Hendry, seven-time world snooker champion, 56; Anna Home, chairwoman, Children’s Media Foundation, head of BBC children’s programmes (1986-98), 87; Andy Jassy, president and chief executive, Amazon (technology company), 57; Sir Harpal Kumar, president, Grail BioPharma Business and Europe, chief executive, Cancer Research UK (2007-18), 60; Lord (David) Lloyd-Jones, justice of the Supreme Court, president, Law Council of Wales, chairman, Law Commission (2012-15), 73; Mark O’Meara, golfer, the Open champion (1998), 68; Frances Morris, director, Tate Modern (2016-23, now director emerita), 66; Sir Noel Quinn, group chief executive, HSBC (2020-24, financial services), 63; Lord (Andrew) Roberts of Belgravia, historian, Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Gaza (2023, with David Petraeus), 62; Very Rev Prof Sir Iain Torrance, dean of the Chapel Royal in Scotland and of the Thistle (2014-19), 76; Tim Warrillow, co-founder and chief executive, Fever-Tree (drinks brand), 50.