The Times & The Sunday Times Homepage
IN DEPTH
Starmer’s measures to create a service ‘as convenient as booking a holiday online’ include new surgical and diagnostic hubs
There is “no good reason” why using the NHS should not be as convenient as booking holidays or finding love online, Sir Keir Starmer has said, as he promised to cut waiting lists and fight for the health service “night and day”. On Monday the prime minister launched a plan to slash waiting times...There is “no good reason” why using the NHS should not be as convenient as booking holidays or finding love online, Sir Keir Starmer has said, as he promised to cut waiting lists and fight for the health service “night and day”. On Monday the prime minister launched a plan to slash waiting times...There is “no good reason” why using the NHS should not be as convenient as booking holidays or finding love online, Sir Keir...
European leaders have rounded on Elon Musk for attempting to influence overseas politics, with President Macron of France suggesting that the world’s richest man was attempting to “intervene directly in elections”. Sir Keir Starmer issued a thinly veiled swipe at the tech billionaire in which he criticised “lies and misinformation” over...European leaders have rounded on Elon Musk for attempting to influence overseas politics, with President Macron of France suggesting that the world’s richest man was attempting to “intervene directly in elections”. Sir Keir Starmer issued a thinly veiled swipe at the tech billionaire in which he criticised “lies and misinformation” over...European leaders have rounded on Elon Musk for attempting to influence overseas politics, with President Macron of France...
in depth
In one corner of the boxing ring, a lanky-looking Justin Trudeau, 6ft 2in, shifted nervously on his feet. On the other stood Patrick “Brazz Knuckles” Brazeau, a heavily tattooed Conservative senator and former naval reservist with a black belt in karate. Going into the 2012 charity fight, Trudeau, an MP for a small...In one corner of the boxing ring, a lanky-looking Justin Trudeau, 6ft 2in, shifted nervously on...In one corner of the boxing ring, a lanky-looking Justin Trudeau, 6ft 2in, shifted nervously on...
The story we tell ourselves about who we are shapes the person we become. This narrative is not fixed; it is within...The story we tell ourselves about who we are shapes the person we become. This narrative is not...The story we tell ourselves about who we are shapes the person we become. This narrative is not...
If you can devote just 11 to 12 minutes of your day to exercise, you can get fitter and stronger in 2025. Just ask...If you can devote just 11 to 12 minutes of your day to exercise, you can get fitter and stronger...If you can devote just 11 to 12 minutes of your day to exercise, you can get fitter and stronger...
video
More than 500 flood warnings in place as melting snow and heavy rainfall cause travel chaos and school closures
Major incidents were declared across the Midlands on Monday as flooding caused travel chaos and school closures. More than 500 flood warnings were in place in England and Wales resulting in hundreds of schools being forced to close on their first day of term. In Leicestershire and Lincolnshire, the emergency services declared major incidents. Leicestershire Fire and...Major incidents were declared across the Midlands on Monday as flooding caused travel chaos and...Major incidents were declared across the Midlands on Monday as flooding caused travel chaos and...
Most of the country could only dream of a white Christmas this holiday season. December 25 was mild — unusually so —...Most of the country could only dream of a white Christmas this holiday season. December 25 was mild — unusually so — with temperatures in Glasgow, Edinburgh and London rising to double figures. There is one tiny corner of the UK where children were able to play in the snow at Christmas, but only because tiny Foula...Most of the country could only dream of a white Christmas this holiday season. December 25 was mild — unusually so — with...
Reform UK leader said he would defend his party’s principles and wanted no links with extremism of any kind
ANALYSIS
Keir Starmer and Wes Streeting have unveiled their ambitious strategy to revive healthcare
Labour’s anti-corruption minister faces questions over use of properties linked to her aunt, who was deposed as Bangladeshi PM
The AI-generated content included a backing track describing having sex with a ‘young girl’
Up to £80,000 has been spent renovating Sir Keir Starmer’s Downing Street TV briefing room to rid it of “Tory blue”.
POLITICAL SKETCH
Epsom General Hospital in Surrey is no different from any other general hospital anywhere in the county. You know when you’re almost there because suddenly you’re in a 40-minute traffic jam that snakes back from the main entrance and then down the...Epsom General Hospital in Surrey is no different from any other general hospital anywhere in the...Epsom General Hospital in Surrey is no different from any other general hospital anywhere in the...
People who drink plant-based milks are more likely to suffer from depression than those who drink cow’s milk...People who drink plant-based milks are more likely to suffer from depression than those who drink...People who drink plant-based milks are more likely to suffer from depression than those who drink...
the times diary
Name-dropping seldom goes down well with royals, as I told Princess Anne the other day. The latest volume of the...Name-dropping seldom goes down well with royals, as I told Princess Anne the other day. The...Name-dropping seldom goes down well with royals, as I told Princess Anne the other day. The...
video
The Liberal Party was expected to lose a general election this year
Justin Trudeau has announced his resignation after nine years as prime minister of Canada. Trudeau, 53, said he was stepping down as leader of the ruling Liberal Party, before a general election later this year that he had been widely expected to lose. He said he had met Mary Simon, the Canadian...Justin Trudeau has announced his resignation after nine years as prime minister of Canada. Trudeau, 53, said he was stepping down as leader of the ruling Liberal Party, before a general election later this year that he had been widely expected to lose. He said he had met Mary Simon, the Canadian...Justin Trudeau has announced his resignation after nine years as prime minister of Canada. Trudeau, 53, said he was stepping...
Among the frontrunners to replace Justin Trudeau as Canadian prime minister are his onetime babysitter, a former Bank of England governor and an ex-minister whose own shock resignation foreshadowed Trudeau’s demise. Trudeau, 53, announced he would step down as Liberal leader on Monday morning, citing the paralysis that has gripped the...Among the frontrunners to replace Justin Trudeau as Canadian prime minister are his onetime babysitter, a former Bank of England governor and an ex-minister whose own shock resignation foreshadowed Trudeau’s demise. Trudeau, 53, announced he would step down as Liberal leader on Monday morning, citing the paralysis that has gripped the...Among the frontrunners to replace Justin Trudeau as Canadian prime minister are his onetime babysitter, a former Bank of...
video
anthony loyd in sudan
When she speaks about the night three fighters broke into her home armed with daggers and a pistol and raped her daughter while the family slept, Rahaf refers to “the incident”. “Do you want to hear what happened the night of ‘the incident’ from the point of view of a mother?” she asked, speaking in a temporary...When she speaks about the night three fighters broke into her home armed with daggers and a...When she speaks about the night three fighters broke into her home armed with daggers and a...
For Gonzalo del Río y González-Gordon there’s a magic to the first glass of sherry of the day taken, he says, with a “digestive biscuit at mid-morning”. “If you are a bit down, it lifts you,” adds the 71-year-old, the fifth generation of an...For Gonzalo del Río y González-Gordon there’s a magic to the first glass of sherry of the day...For Gonzalo del Río y González-Gordon there’s a magic to the first glass of sherry of the day...
DISPATCH FROM ODESA
One Saturday evening in the autumn, a high-ranking Ukrainian naval commander received a text message presenting him with a stark choice: betray your country or condemn your family to life in a wretched Russian jail. The day before, officers from...One Saturday evening in the autumn, a high-ranking Ukrainian naval commander received a text...One Saturday evening in the autumn, a high-ranking Ukrainian naval commander received a text...
Parents and their children do not always see eye to eye on politics, and the riot at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 cleaved many families along ideological lines. But Zuny Tarrio and her son Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, who is serving 22 years for...Parents and their children do not always see eye to eye on politics, and the riot at the US...Parents and their children do not always see eye to eye on politics, and the riot at the US...
video
anthony loyd in sudan
The tortured man was buried in haste, the scrape of shovels, the thump of picks, a prayer for the dead. His wrapped...The tortured man was buried in haste, the scrape of shovels, the thump of picks, a prayer for the...The tortured man was buried in haste, the scrape of shovels, the thump of picks, a prayer for the...
A tech entrepreneur said he was trapped inside a self-driving taxi after the vehicle malfunctioned and began driving...A tech entrepreneur said he was trapped inside a self-driving taxi after the vehicle...A tech entrepreneur said he was trapped inside a self-driving taxi after the vehicle...
Companies cut jobs at the fastest pace in four years last month after the budget increased the cost of employing staff and hit confidence, a closely watched survey showed. Excluding the pandemic, the rate of job losses was the fastest in more than 15 years, with nearly one in four firms shedding...Companies cut jobs at the fastest pace in four years last month after the budget increased the cost of employing staff and hit confidence, a closely watched survey showed. Excluding the pandemic, the rate of job losses was the fastest in more than 15 years, with nearly one in four firms shedding...Companies cut jobs at the fastest pace in four years last month after the budget increased the cost of employing staff and hit...
Reforms to encourage Britain’s multi-employer pension schemes to merge must not go so far that the industry is reduced to a “sub-optimal oligopoly”, one of the most acquisitive master trusts has warned. Andrew Evans, chief executive of Smart Pension, which after recent acquisitions will soon be looking after the retirement pots of two...Reforms to encourage Britain’s multi-employer pension schemes to merge must not go so far that the industry is reduced to a “sub-optimal oligopoly”, one of the most acquisitive master trusts has warned. Andrew Evans, chief executive of Smart Pension, which after recent acquisitions will soon be looking after the retirement pots of two...Reforms to encourage Britain’s multi-employer pension schemes to merge must not go so far that the industry is reduced to a...
Rachel Reeves is to lead a delegation of ministers at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos as the government tries to woo international investors and reassure UK business leaders. The chancellor, who has attended the WEF meeting for the last two years as shadow chancellor, will meet sovereign wealth funds and...Rachel Reeves is to lead a delegation of ministers at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos...Rachel Reeves is to lead a delegation of ministers at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos...
ALISTAIR OSBORNE | BUSINESS COMMENTARY
Nothing sets you up better for the new year than having seven fights going simultaneously. Or that, at least, seems...Nothing sets you up better for the new year than having seven fights going simultaneously. Or...Nothing sets you up better for the new year than having seven fights going simultaneously. Or...
MEHREEN KHAN
Rachel Reeves will cut a lonely figure as the only centre-left finance minister in the G7 this year. The chancellor’s...Rachel Reeves will cut a lonely figure as the only centre-left finance minister in the G7 this year.Rachel Reeves will cut a lonely figure as the only centre-left finance minister in the G7 this year.
The simmering hostility between a US hedge fund and seven UK-listed investment trusts has erupted as the two sides exchanged accusations in a string of official announcements. Boaz Weinstein, founder of the New York-based Saba...The simmering hostility between a US hedge fund and seven UK-listed investment trusts has erupted as the two sides exchanged accusations in a string of official announcements. Boaz Weinstein, founder of the New York-based Saba...The simmering hostility between a US hedge fund and seven UK-listed investment trusts has erupted as the two sides...
A company attempting to revive a tungsten and tin mine in Devon is racing to secure funds after warning that its future was in doubt. Tungsten West, based in Plymouth, said there was a “material uncertainty” over its ability to...A company attempting to revive a tungsten and tin mine in Devon is racing to secure funds after warning that its future was in doubt. Tungsten West, based in Plymouth, said there was a “material uncertainty” over its ability to...A company attempting to revive a tungsten and tin mine in Devon is racing to secure funds after warning that its...
A Wiltshire-based protective equipment manufacturer has won a new $18 million order from the US military to provide combat helmets. Avon Technologies said on Monday that Team Wendy, its Ohio subsidiary, had received the order from the US Defense...A Wiltshire-based protective equipment manufacturer has won a new $18 million order from the US...A Wiltshire-based protective equipment manufacturer has won a new $18 million order from the US...
business planning
We lay out some of the key changes that business owners will have to confront in 2025, as well as a few that can be ignored — for now at least
SIR MARTIN SORRELL
Sir Martin Sorrell gives his take on how the global economy, AI and advertising will fare this year
INnovation
In the last of a seven-part series, we meet bosses who have signed up with top business schools to learn the ropes of the new technology
HOW WE MADE IT
Tim Butcher and Lizzie Deshayes took the silk road when they started their textiles firm and have since worked with casinos and fashion designers
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...
Arsenal’s Tim Lewis, West Ham’s Karren Brady and Brighton’s Paul Barber on their fears about the impact of the Football Governance Bill
The Football Governance Bill that is going through parliament will establish an independent football regulator for the English game. It will oversee checks on owners and directors and issue licences to clubs if they can prove they are financially sustainable. It will also have “backstop” powers to impose a financial settlement regarding the amount of money the Premier...The Football Governance Bill that is going through parliament will establish an independent...The Football Governance Bill that is going through parliament will establish an independent...
West Ham United have offered Graham Potter the head coach job until the end of the season after deciding to sack...West Ham United have offered Graham Potter the head coach job until the end of the season after deciding to sack Julen Lopetegui. Although the club have not formally announced Lopetegui’s departure, the Spaniard is not expected to be in charge for their next Premier League match, at home against Fulham next Tuesday...West Ham United have offered Graham Potter the head coach job until the end of the season after deciding to sack Julen Lopetegui.
When Divine Iheme crossed the finish line in a race in Essex on Sunday, it was only after a friend had conducted a brief piece of research on their phone that the outrageously gifted 15-year-old sprinter realised the magnitude of what he had...When Divine Iheme crossed the finish line in a race in Essex on Sunday, it was only after a...When Divine Iheme crossed the finish line in a race in Essex on Sunday, it was only after a...
More than 160 politicians have signed a letter urging the ECB to boycott England’s match against Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy next month in protest over the Taliban’s treatment of women. The campaign is being led by Labour MP Tonia...More than 160 politicians have signed a letter urging the ECB to boycott England’s match against...More than 160 politicians have signed a letter urging the ECB to boycott England’s match against...
martin samuel
The season before the Premier League began, Manchester United were in pursuit of Leeds United for the last First Division title. On Wednesday, April 22, they travelled to Upton Park. There were three games of the season remaining, but West Ham...The season before the Premier League began, Manchester United were in pursuit of Leeds United for...The season before the Premier League began, Manchester United were in pursuit of Leeds United for...
ian hawkey
About €3billion worth of footballing talent will have passed through Riyadh and Jeddah within the first fortnight of...About €3billion worth of footballing talent will have passed through Riyadh and Jeddah within the...About €3billion worth of footballing talent will have passed through Riyadh and Jeddah within the...
Racecards Boujee Gold (5.00 Wolverhampton) This mare has gained both of her previous successes over this course and...Racecards Boujee Gold (5.00 Wolverhampton) This mare has gained both of her previous successes...Racecards Boujee Gold (5.00 Wolverhampton) This mare has gained both of her previous successes...
The actress has revealed that she stays fit with a 12-minute military workout from the 1950s. What do experts think of it, asks Peta Bee
Make this the year that you banish negativity, embrace change and stop overthinking with this expert’s guide by the psychotherapist Julia Samuel
Derided as a ‘popcorn actress’ and damaged by drugs, the star experienced difficulties in her career and married life. But at 62, she has finally received recognition
![Tom Kerridge: “The first couple of years [sober] were very difficult. But drinking is a habit I’ve broken”](https://www.thetimes.com/imageserver/image/%2Fmethode%2Ftimes%2Fprod%2Fweb%2Fbin%2F3aca5dc4-ee72-4eb5-8c8c-05eaa4e089e3.jpg?crop=2479%2C1653%2C237%2C764&resize=320)
what I’ve learnt
The chef behind the country’s only two Michelin star pub on The Bear, his past binge-drinking and the atmosphere he creates in his kitchens
robert crampton
The era of choosing one supermarket and sticking with it is over, as the cost of living crisis makes us all more price-conscious
MY CULTURE FIX
Jane Austen’s Emma. When she was writing it, Austen said: “I’m going to write a novel with a heroine who not many people apart from me will like.” Emma is a bit difficult, uppity, a bit full of herself. I can’t think why she appeals to me, but somehow she does. She’s a bit too much of a kindred spirit, perhaps. I must have read Emma about 15 times. It’s about...Jane Austen’s Emma. When she was writing it, Austen said: “I’m going to write a novel with...Jane Austen’s Emma. When she was writing it, Austen said: “I’m going to write a novel with...
review
Like Harry Potter, Thea is an orphan with a superpower. Or rather, two or three magical talents. When she touches a...Like Harry Potter, Thea is an orphan with a superpower. Or rather, two or three magical talents. When she touches a person she can tell how long they have left to live. But she can also extract years of life from evildoers and kill them. Jenny Morris’s remarkable debut novel resembles Naomi Alderman’s The Power...Like Harry Potter, Thea is an orphan with a superpower. Or rather, two or three magical talents. When she touches a person she...
interview
When the Irish actress Niamh Algar announced herself to the British TV viewing public she did so with a thump. A...When the Irish actress Niamh Algar announced herself to the British TV viewing public she did so...When the Irish actress Niamh Algar announced herself to the British TV viewing public she did so...
first night REVIEW
“So I returned and faced all the injustices done under the sun.” No, not a reflection on staggering back to work in...“So I returned and faced all the injustices done under the sun.” No, not a reflection on...“So I returned and faced all the injustices done under the sun.” No, not a reflection on...
your money matters
Viewing GUide
Television
MindGames
Fifteen questions to get you thinking
1 The Klingon Feast is a convention related to which sci-fi franchise? 2 The NHS suggests getting rid of hiccups by swallowing some granulated what? 3 The Isle of Dogs is a peninsula bounded on three sides by a meander in which river? 4 Nearly all holders of which office have held the post of first lord of the Treasury? 5 Which epic poem by Homer inspired Cream’s 1967...1 The Klingon Feast is a convention related to which sci-fi franchise? 2 The NHS suggests getting...1 The Klingon Feast is a convention related to which sci-fi franchise? 2 The NHS suggests getting...
There is now an ebike for every sort of cyclist, from the urban traffic dodger to the alpine thrill-seeker
Lisa Grainger gets to see the most beautiful hotels in the world. Here she picks her favourite openings of 2024
These are the new hotels, islands and trains you’ll want to book for 2025
Jeremy Langmead delights in his glossy new locks, courtesy of a transplant and some daily pills and potions
Inspired by The Traitors? Practise your own sleuthing skills on one of these exciting events around the UK — and recharge with a cosy stay afterwards
Whatever floats your river boat, there’s something exciting this year, from luxurious family sailings on the Danube to a captivating chance to party at Colombia’s Carnavel
Amongst its historic houses and A-list haunts, Claire Irvin finds her favourite version of Palm Springs at its sexiest hotel — the hip Villa Royale
Montreal’s cobbled streets, bagel joints and lively bars are the ideal introduction to the characterful province of Quebec
If you’re planning a midsummer holiday, we’ve got some ideas for you — from the beaches of Turkey and Fiji to adventures in Alaska and Rwanda
What’s your idea of the perfect Greek holiday? Do you see yourself dining alfresco, perhaps at a table shaded by the...What’s your idea of the perfect Greek holiday? Do you see yourself dining alfresco, perhaps at a...What’s your idea of the perfect Greek holiday? Do you see yourself dining alfresco, perhaps at a...
video
On my first trip to the American South as a student in 1990 I fainted in the heat. I recall lying prone on the...On my first trip to the American South as a student in 1990 I fainted in the heat. I recall lying...On my first trip to the American South as a student in 1990 I fainted in the heat. I recall lying...
OBITUARY
Redoubtable perfectionist who put Twiggy on the cover, a boa constrictor around Nastassja Kinski and collaborated with the photographer Richard Avedon
OBITUARY
Legendary but prickly competitor who claimed his greatest victory was all the money he made
OBITUARY
Endlessly innovative billionaire businessman who founded the pay-per-view channel HBO and foresaw the internet’s potential
OBITUARY
Thinker outside the box who discovered two James Joyce collections and was romantically involved with the dancer Wayne Sleep and a friend of David Hockney
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
THEN Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who hath sent his angel...THEN Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who...THEN Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who...
Sandringham, Norfolk
6th January, 2025
Mr Garry Marsden was received by The King this morning when His Majesty...Sandringham, Norfolk
6th January, 2025
Mr Garry Marsden was received by The King this morning...Sandringham, Norfolk
6th January, 2025
Mr Garry Marsden was received by The King this morning...
MindGames and Brain Boost puzzles to print and solve at your leisure
First minister says government at risk of ‘feeding forces of anti-politics’ if his budget is not backed
Scotland’s first minister has warned opponents against “playing into the hands” of Elon Musk if they fail to back his budget. John Swinney said in his first speech of the new year that blocking the budget risks “feeding the forces of anti-politics and populism”. With the SNP in a minority...Scotland’s first minister has warned opponents against “playing into the hands” of Elon Musk if they fail to back his budget. John Swinney said in his first speech of the new year that blocking the budget risks “feeding the forces of anti-politics and populism”. With the SNP in a minority...Scotland’s first minister has warned opponents against “playing into the hands” of Elon Musk if they fail to back his budget.
Scotland’s train ticket offices have failed inspections just as nationalised ScotRail plans cutbacks on their opening hours. New figures from the railway system’s performance target regime show station staff and sales booths getting the worst possible scores. Spot checks revealed that one in seven ticket offices were not working to...Scotland’s train ticket offices have failed inspections just as nationalised ScotRail plans cutbacks on their opening hours. New figures from the railway system’s performance target regime show station staff and sales booths getting the worst possible scores. Spot checks revealed that one in seven ticket offices were not working to...Scotland’s train ticket offices have failed inspections just as nationalised ScotRail plans cutbacks on their opening hours.
magnus linklater
Humza Yousaf will, I hope, take some solace from the way Elon Musk has treated Nigel Farage. This, Scotland’s former first minister may say, is the price you pay when you deal with the forces of darkness. Farage, who thought Musk’s support made his Reform party look “cool”, has now been dropped, because he “doesn’t...Humza Yousaf will, I hope, take some solace from the way Elon Musk has treated Nigel Farage. This...Humza Yousaf will, I hope, take some solace from the way Elon Musk has treated Nigel Farage. This...
scottish business digest
OBITUARY
In the autumn of 1968, the Fine Art Society in London mounted a pioneering exhibition on British sculpture from 1850...In the autumn of 1968, the Fine Art Society in London mounted a pioneering exhibition on British...In the autumn of 1968, the Fine Art Society in London mounted a pioneering exhibition on British...
Gabriella Bennett | BEST OF 2024
So here it was again. A spider made of fire lodged inside my chest. Fever, cold sweats and a temperature “plenty high...So here it was again. A spider made of fire lodged inside my chest. Fever, cold sweats and a...So here it was again. A spider made of fire lodged inside my chest. Fever, cold sweats and a...
restaurant review | best of 2024
Margot is the hippest new café in Edinburgh. So hip that “café” doesn’t cut the mustard. It is all the now things; a neighbourhood wine café serving small plates, minimal intervention wines, coffee, kombuchas, seasonal juices and sodas, and so on.Margot is the hippest new café in Edinburgh. So hip that “café” doesn’t cut the mustard. It is...Margot is the hippest new café in Edinburgh. So hip that “café” doesn’t cut the mustard. It is...
![Tom Kerridge: “The first couple of years [sober] were very difficult. But drinking is a habit I’ve broken”](https://www.thetimes.com/imageserver/image/%2Fmethode%2Ftimes%2Fprod%2Fweb%2Fbin%2F3aca5dc4-ee72-4eb5-8c8c-05eaa4e089e3.jpg?crop=2610%2C1468%2C198%2C762&resize=320)
Comment
Like it or not, US is more powerful than ever
William Hague
As Trump prepares to take office, our dependence on America has never been greater — that’s unhealthy and increasingly unsafe
melanie phillips
Tommy Robinson’s a menace, not a martyr
james marriott
We’re seeing the end of the long 20th century
Giles Coren | notebook
I’m wise to Elon Musk’s little game, you know
thunderer
It is not teachers’ responsibility to be changing nappies
Leading Articles
Line of Inquiry
The public is rightly furious at the silence around grooming gangs. Only a new national inquiry can fully uncover the truth about this scandal
Heart of Darkness
A bloody civil war risks turning into an international crisis
Missing Yule
The January 6 deadline for removing festive decorations is a Victorian fraud
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Starmer’s prescription to save the NHS
newWrite to [email protected] Sir, In his article (“I won’t let our NHS die — this is my prescription”, Jan 6), Sir Keir Starmer sets out his plan to reduce hospital waiting lists. Among other things it will involve “diagnostic centres...Write to [email protected] Sir, In his article (“I won’t let our NHS die — this is...Write to [email protected] Sir, In his article (“I won’t let our NHS die — this is...
Daily Universal Register
Briefing
UK: The education committee holds an accountability hearing with Sir Martyn Oliver, the Ofsted chief inspector; the Archbishop of York, the Most Rev Stephen Cottrell, temporarily takes over the duties of the Archbishop of Canterbury following Justin Welby’s formal resignation yesterday; teachers in sixth forms in England who are members of the National Education Union go on strike in a dispute over pay and funding.
Ghana: Inauguration of John Dramani Mahama as president.
On this day
In 1610 Galileo Galilei made the first observations that led to his discovery of four moons orbiting Jupiter. Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto are the largest of the planet’s satellites; in 1917 Sergeant Thomas Mottershead became the only non-commissioned officer of the Royal Flying Corps to be awarded the Victoria Cross during the First World War, dying five days later of burn injuries sustained during the combat in Belgium, aged 24. His medal (“for most conspicuous bravery, endurance and skill”) was presented to his widow by King George V; in 1927 the first away game was played by the African-American basketball team (Savoy Big Five) that became known as the Harlem Globetrotters in 1930. The team won 101 of 117 games in their first season; in 1928 the River Thames burst its banks and flooded large parts of central London, with the loss of 14 lives and thousands left homeless. From a Times editorial (Jan 9, 1928): “The modern generation lives — whether by artifice, or choice, or compulsion — on sites which its forefathers … knew better than to build on”. Marjorie Franckeiss, a 19-year-old who rescued a woman and two boys from drowning, was praised by the Westminster coroner for her “coolness, courage, resource and presence of mind”. “If we have girls like this we need not fear for the future generation of English people,” he told the court; in 2005 Rosemary Kennedy, sister of John F Kennedy (US president 1961-63), died aged 86. After undergoing a prefrontal lobotomy in 1941 to calm mood swings her mental capacity diminished to that of a two-year-old child and she was isolated from the family for 20 years.
Nature notes
The water rail is one of the most secretive birds in Britain, which makes it somewhat surprising that it should possess a loud squeal very like a pig’s. On long legs, it creeps around in dense cover in wet and marshy areas, favouring sedges, reeds and other thick, bankside vegetation and while population surveys have proven difficult, it is known to breed in good numbers in central Ireland and to a lesser degree in the south and east of England, the West Midlands and around the Forth and Clyde estuaries. In a hard freeze, when waterborne food is scarce, water rails can turn predatory, either drowning other birds or impaling them with their beaks. They are sometimes, in turn, eaten by herons.
Melissa Harrison
Birthdays today
Sir Richard Armstrong, conductor, music director of Scottish Opera (1993-2005), 82; Mark Bristow, president and chief executive, Barrick Gold Corporation, 66; Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, 55; Nicolas Cage, actor, Leaving Las Vegas (1995), 61; Patrice Caine, chairman and chief executive, Thales Group, 55; Sir Nick Clegg, outgoing president of global affairs at Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook), deputy prime minister (2010-15), 58; Dave Cousins, singer-songwriter, Strawbs, Part of the Union (1973), 80; Hunter Davies, author, The Beatles: The Authorised Biography (1968), and Money columnist for The Sunday Times since 1999, 89; Philip Dukes, viola player, 57; Ivan Glasenberg, chief executive, Glencore (2002-21), 68; Sir Lewis Hamilton, racing driver, seven-time F1 world champion, 40; Sir Stuart Hampson, president, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, chairman, the Crown Estate (2010-16), John Lewis Partnership (1993-2007), 78; Ian La Frenais, screenwriter and producer, Porridge (1974-77), 88; Mark Lamarr, DJ and comedian, Never Mind the Buzzcocks (1996-2005), 58; Christian Louboutin, fashion designer, 62; Luke McShane, chess grandmaster, 41; Trevor Nelson, DJ and presenter, Trevor Nelson’s Rhythm Nation (Radio 2), 61; Prof John Newton, epidemiologist, 66; Catherine Nunn, chief executive, Lakeland, 55; Prof Dame Judith Petts, vice-chancellor, Plymouth University (2016-24), 71; Baroness (Angela) Smith of Basildon, leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal, 66; Prof Sir John E Walker, Nobel prizewinning chemist, 84; Jann Wenner, publisher and co-founder, Rolling Stone magazine, 79; Helen Worth, actress, Coronation Street (1974-2024), 74.