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Muhammad Yunus calls for an investigation into homes given to the anti-corruption minister and her family by allies of her aunt’s deposed regime
newThe leader of Bangladesh has called on Britain’s anti-corruption minister to apologise for using properties given to her and her family by the autocratic regime of his predecessor. Muhammad Yunus has said the London properties used by Tulip Siddiq should be investigated and returned if she is found to have benefited from “plain robbery”. Yunus, an economist and Nobel...The leader of Bangladesh has called on Britain’s anti-corruption minister to apologise for using...The leader of Bangladesh has called on Britain’s anti-corruption minister to apologise for using...
Arron Banks, the multimillionaire businessman who helped fund the Brexit campaign, is unable to attend his own...Arron Banks, the multimillionaire businessman who helped fund the Brexit campaign, is unable to attend his own £150,000 party celebrating Donald Trump’s return to the White House after he was denied entry to the United States. The tycoon, 59, who is close to Nigel Farage and donated more than £8 million to the Leave...Arron Banks, the multimillionaire businessman who helped fund the Brexit campaign, is unable to attend his own £150,000 party...
charlotte ivers
You don’t need to quit your job to relive the mad platform-dashes and couchette drinking sessions of your gap year. We reckon two weeks will do it, with the flexibility of an interrail pass and one of the following multi-nation adventure itineraries.You don’t need to quit your job to relive the mad platform-dashes and couchette drinking sessions...You don’t need to quit your job to relive the mad platform-dashes and couchette drinking sessions...
Rod Liddle
The notion that we have no independent existence and instead are all living inside a vast computer simulation, which...The notion that we have no independent existence and instead are all living inside a vast...The notion that we have no independent existence and instead are all living inside a vast...
MY WEEK
England is broken. True!! You know their king chopped the heads off two of his wives and shut down the monasteries? I...England is broken. True!! You know their king chopped the heads off two of his wives and shut...England is broken. True!! You know their king chopped the heads off two of his wives and shut...
Rachel Reeves pledges to break with Conservative policy and forge closer links
RACHEL REEVES
Labour’s approach to China will prioritise trade that benefits Britain’s workers, strengthens our economy and protects our values
IN DEPTH
The chancellor couldn’t have known how tough this January would be
in depth
The prime minister has cultivated strong links with the Awami League, the party controlled by the deposed leader Sheikh Hasina
The man leading an inquiry into grooming gangs said that men of all races are among the guilty
Philip Marshall has three and a half decades of experience in law enforcement dealing with murder, organised crime, terrorism, human trafficking and corruption. None of that prepared him, however, for the scale of the child sex abuse he and his team have uncovered in Rotherham. Marshall leads Operation Stovewood, the National Crime Agency (NCA) inquiry into grooming...Philip Marshall has three and a half decades of experience in law enforcement dealing with murder...Philip Marshall has three and a half decades of experience in law enforcement dealing with murder...
Grooming gangs are responsible for two child sexual abuse offences reported to the police each day, data has revealed.Grooming gangs are responsible for two child sexual abuse offences reported to the police each day, data has revealed. Forces across England and Wales in 2023 logged 717 reports of “group-based offending”, which involved two or more individuals. There were 572 child sexual “grooming” crimes reported between January...Grooming gangs are responsible for two child sexual abuse offences reported to the police each day, data has revealed. Forces...
A term coined by the American psychologist Lindsay Gibson a decade ago has gained traction with a new wave of Gen Z followers on social media
In the opening line of his 19th-century novel Anna Karenina, Tolstoy wrote, “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” Young people in Britain today may well agree. The phrase “emotionally immature parent” is gaining traction on social media, as Gen Z take to platforms such as TikTok to discuss their childhoods and share advice...In the opening line of his 19th-century novel Anna Karenina, Tolstoy wrote, “All happy...In the opening line of his 19th-century novel Anna Karenina, Tolstoy wrote, “All happy...
People have collected vinyl records, artwork and fridge magnets for generations. But a fluffier collectors’ craze is...People have collected vinyl records, artwork and fridge magnets for generations. But a fluffier collectors’ craze is now surging in popularity — in the form of soft toys. Otherwise known as plushies, they have become the second-largest category in the British toy market. Sales have increased by about 58 per cent...People have collected vinyl records, artwork and fridge magnets for generations. But a fluffier collectors’ craze is now...
TIMES CHRISTMAS APPEAL
Britain has less than a week of gas supplies in storage, the country’s largest supplier has warned after plunging temperatures and high demand. Centrica, the owner of British Gas, said the UK’s gas storage was “concerningly low” after coming under...Britain has less than a week of gas supplies in storage, the country’s largest supplier has...Britain has less than a week of gas supplies in storage, the country’s largest supplier has...
A celebrity osteopath who pleaded guilty to spying on female university students as they undressed in their halls of...A celebrity osteopath who pleaded guilty to spying on female university students as they...A celebrity osteopath who pleaded guilty to spying on female university students as they...
THE TIMES DIARY
Parliament is ever more diverse but not at speaking other languages. A survey by Duolingo, the learning app, found...Parliament is ever more diverse but not at speaking other languages. A survey by Duolingo, the...Parliament is ever more diverse but not at speaking other languages. A survey by Duolingo, the...
MATTHEW CAMPBELL
The president-elect’s son, Donald Jr, pays a visit to loyal supporters in the frozen territory that his father has expressed an interest in taking over
newGreenlanders used to laugh at Jorgen Boassen for supporting Donald Trump. In a place where people generally care more about dog-sledding and reindeer-hunting than American politics, it was a lonely pursuit. “People made fun of me,” the 50-year-old bricklayer told me in a café in Nuuk, the capital, last week. “I was mocked a lot on social media.” Then, in 2019, Trump...Greenlanders used to laugh at Jorgen Boassen for supporting Donald Trump. In a place where people...Greenlanders used to laugh at Jorgen Boassen for supporting Donald Trump. In a place where people...
On Valentine’s Day, 2014, the Thai TV host Woody and his partner, Ote, invited close friends to a private gathering...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 best-known television stars, renowned for his interviews with David Beckham...On Valentine’s Day, 2014, the Thai TV host Woody and his partner, Ote, invited close friends to a private gathering on a hotel...
Dispatch
The Bellittis held hands and prayed as the car passed through the destroyed remnants of their Pacific Palisades...The Bellittis held hands and prayed as the car passed through the destroyed remnants of their...The Bellittis held hands and prayed as the car passed through the destroyed remnants of their...
david charter | analysis
Who is right in the political blame game started by Donald Trump over the California wildfires? Trump has accused...Who is right in the political blame game started by Donald Trump over the California wildfires?Who is right in the political blame game started by Donald Trump over the California wildfires?
Jost Kobusch witnessed one of the most terrifying wonders of nature, quite alone and close up, from one of its most spectacular vantage points. Then he went back to sleep. Kobusch, a German mountaineer who specialises in solo climbing, was the...Jost Kobusch witnessed one of the most terrifying wonders of nature, quite alone and close up...Jost Kobusch witnessed one of the most terrifying wonders of nature, quite alone and close up...
letter from tokyo
In a packed gallery in Lower Manhattan, a young art lover was staring at a mixed media painting by Isabelle Brourman. It depicted a man in the well of a courtroom, conferring with his lawyer, his face duplicated several times and surrounded by a...In a packed gallery in Lower Manhattan, a young art lover was staring at a mixed media painting...In a packed gallery in Lower Manhattan, a young art lover was staring at a mixed media painting...
Reviving the city
The pension industry insists it is investing in Britain — just not through shares. That needs to change
newRobert Maxwell died more than 30 years ago, his body found floating in the sea off the Canary Islands. But the shadow of the former owner of the Mirror newspaper group still looms large over the City. When the media tycoon was found to have plundered the company pension scheme of hundreds of...Robert Maxwell died more than 30 years ago, his body found floating in the sea off the Canary Islands. But the shadow of the former owner of the Mirror newspaper group still looms large over the City. When the media tycoon was found to have plundered the company pension scheme of hundreds of...Robert Maxwell died more than 30 years ago, his body found floating in the sea off the Canary Islands. But the shadow of the...
Multiple private equity firms are eyeing a takeover of restructuring company Interpath, while the backer of Teneo is considering selling its entire stake, as owners of professional services firms look to cash in on the deal frenzy sweeping the sector. Buyout firms Blackstone, Bain Capital, Bridgepoint and Cinven are among those weighing up...Multiple private equity firms are eyeing a takeover of restructuring company Interpath, while the backer of Teneo is considering selling its entire stake, as owners of professional services firms look to cash in on the deal frenzy sweeping the sector. Buyout firms Blackstone, Bain Capital, Bridgepoint and Cinven are among those weighing up...Multiple private equity firms are eyeing a takeover of restructuring company Interpath, while the backer of Teneo is...
INTERVIEW
The balcony of Zuber Issa’s private meeting room offers views over a glassy expanse of water to snow-dusted hills in the distance. “When it’s like this, it’s Switzerland,” the billionaire entrepreneur said as he pointed out landmarks to The Sunday Times on Wednesday. “On a good, sunny day, it’s like the Middle East...The balcony of Zuber Issa’s private meeting room offers views over a glassy expanse of water to...The balcony of Zuber Issa’s private meeting room offers views over a glassy expanse of water to...
IN DEPTH
James Carville, President Clinton’s political strategist, once quipped that if he believed in reincarnation, “I would...James Carville, President Clinton’s political strategist, once quipped that if he believed in...James Carville, President Clinton’s political strategist, once quipped that if he believed in...
Elon Musk has said he is a fan of The Art of War, a book written by the Chinese general Sun Tzu. It is a...Elon Musk has said he is a fan of The Art of War, a book written by the Chinese general Sun...Elon Musk has said he is a fan of The Art of War, a book written by the Chinese general Sun...
Lunch with The Times
investment
Sarah Sclarsic and Sierra Peterson say the city is an innovation hub and vow to ‘figure out’ challenges presented by the budget
food and drink
The Harry Potter star’s premium gin brand is expanding into new markets
hospitality
Siddhi Mittal, who set up the London-based start-up with Heinin Zhang in 2019, says Yhangry is pushing back against the consistently low pay for chefs
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...
Martin Samuel
Could £50m striker solve Arsenal’s title drought?
newArsenal and Alexander Isak isn’t happening. If Mikel Arteta rekindles any interest now, the asking price is likely to be well in excess of the record £115 million Chelsea paid for Moisés Caicedo. And his club won’t pay that. Arteta still needs a striker, though, a player with the experience to hit the ground running and score goals in the Premier League. So what of...Arsenal and Alexander Isak isn’t happening. If Mikel Arteta rekindles any interest now, the...Arsenal and Alexander Isak isn’t happening. If Mikel Arteta rekindles any interest now, the...
jonathan northcroft
At new year, upon getting his OBE, David Moyes did an interview with Sky. It was his Steve Redgrave moment. “I don’t...At new year, upon getting his OBE, David Moyes did an interview with Sky. It was his Steve Redgrave moment. “I don’t want to be at the bottom of the league and fighting relegation, which I have had a few times,” he said. Just as Redgrave found himself rowing in the Olympics again after promising “anyone who sees me...At new year, upon getting his OBE, David Moyes did an interview with Sky. It was his Steve Redgrave moment. “I don’t want to be...
interview
Darts great has some advice for how the sport’s new star can beat his haul of 16 world titles
newLuke Littler is not just inspiring a generation of toddlers with magnetic dartboards. A few days after the teenager claimed his maiden World Championship title at Alexandra Palace, Phil Taylor dusted off an old board and fixed it to the living room wall at his home in Stoke-on-Trent. It had been months since the greatest player in history last threw a dart. A new hip...Luke Littler is not just inspiring a generation of toddlers with magnetic dartboards. A few days...Luke Littler is not just inspiring a generation of toddlers with magnetic dartboards. A few days...
David Moyes has been confirmed as the new Everton manager after he signed a 2½-year deal at the Merseyside club. The...David Moyes has been confirmed as the new Everton manager after he signed a 2½-year deal at the Merseyside club. The Scot said it was “great to be back” after his return to Everton was announced on Saturday morning, two days after Sean Dyche was sacked. The 61-year-old, who managed at Goodison Park from 2002 to 2013...David Moyes has been confirmed as the new Everton manager after he signed a 2½-year deal at the Merseyside club. The Scot said...
Champions Cup | Stuart barnes
FA Cup | Jonathan Northcroft
Chelsea 5 Morecambe 0
newThis was not an FA Cup tie that added to the lore of the old competition. No Match of the Day, 20 years hence, will have a segment featuring footage from this. In the end, it wasn’t about making memories, it was about making statements — about “what happens next” being more important than the game itself. Morecambe are out of the cup — but don’t forget them. For Chelsea...This was not an FA Cup tie that added to the lore of the old competition. No Match of the Day, 20...This was not an FA Cup tie that added to the lore of the old competition. No Match of the Day, 20...
FA CUP
Plenty has changed in the 650 days between Graham Potter’s last game in charge for Chelsea and his first for West Ham...Plenty has changed in the 650 days between Graham Potter’s last game in charge for Chelsea and his first for West Ham United but the need for a big slice of luck remains the same. For over an hour at Villa Park this looked like an instantly improved West Ham side, with Potter having just one training session with...Plenty has changed in the 650 days between Graham Potter’s last game in charge for Chelsea and his first for West Ham United...
OWEN SLOT
My favourite anecdote from the 1972 rugby league World Cup is the simplest. Great Britain won that tournament and in...My favourite anecdote from the 1972 rugby league World Cup is the simplest. Great Britain won...My favourite anecdote from the 1972 rugby league World Cup is the simplest. Great Britain won...
Paul Hirst
They had just played their part in the best performance of Ruben Amorim’s reign, but Manchester United’s players were...They had just played their part in the best performance of Ruben Amorim’s reign, but Manchester...They had just played their part in the best performance of Ruben Amorim’s reign, but Manchester...
Stuart Fraser
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, the joint world-record holder for the fastest second serve, goes into Australian Open with a top-ten ranking in his sights
There is no player on tour who has experienced the full force of the Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard serve more than Jamie Murray in the past six months. Three times he has stood on the opposite side of the net as first and second serves come racing towards him at up to 152mph. Three times he has walked off the court with a defeat. “I haven’t faced anything like it before,”...There is no player on tour who has experienced the full force of the Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard...There is no player on tour who has experienced the full force of the Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard...
The grassroots revolt against Bill Sweeney and the RFU took a significant step forward on Friday when the governing...The grassroots revolt against Bill Sweeney and the RFU took a significant step forward on Friday when the governing body succumbed to calls for a special general meeting, only a day after trying to dismiss the complaints on bureaucratic grounds. However, Sweeney, the chief executive who is at the centre of the pay...The grassroots revolt against Bill Sweeney and the RFU took a significant step forward on Friday when the governing body...
interview
Flanker on Toulon making him a better player, a potential return to England and the similarities between Northampton and the south of France
Lewis Ludlam has always been an emotional man. After he made his England debut in 2019, he became known for belting out the national anthem in floods of tears. At Northampton Saints, his ferocious team-talks were fundamental to their pre-match build-up. And yet, when he joined Toulon from Northampton in the summer, he did not expect to be quite so fired up by his...Lewis Ludlam has always been an emotional man. After he made his England debut in 2019, he became...Lewis Ludlam has always been an emotional man. After he made his England debut in 2019, he became...
Antony, the Manchester United winger, has taken Ajax to court after claiming that they unlawfully fined him hundreds...Antony, the Manchester United winger, has taken Ajax to court after claiming that they unlawfully fined him hundreds of thousands of pounds in the days before he completed his £85million transfer to Old Trafford. When United and Ajax entered negotiations over a possible move to the Premier League club in the summer...Antony, the Manchester United winger, has taken Ajax to court after claiming that they unlawfully fined him hundreds of...
MOLLY HUDSON
The 2025 season is set to be the year of the rookie: a new generation of talents who have been trusted to get behind the wheel and inject some fresh blood into Formula 1. Here is a look at some of their achievements so far, and what to expect in the coming months. The 21-year-old Australian is the most likely to fail to see out the season. That already appears a harsh...The 2025 season is set to be the year of the rookie: a new generation of talents who have been...The 2025 season is set to be the year of the rookie: a new generation of talents who have been...
Scott McTominay. Billy Gilmour. André-Frank Anguissa. And now? Philip Billing. Four players who were battling for...Scott McTominay. Billy Gilmour. André-Frank Anguissa. And now? Philip Billing. Four players who were battling for regular game time at mid-table Premier League clubs are forming the midfield core that Antonio Conte hopes will power Napoli to the Serie A title this season. Billing is set to be added to Conte’s squad...Scott McTominay. Billy Gilmour. André-Frank Anguissa. And now? Philip Billing. Four players who were battling for regular game...
martyn ziegler | sport notebook
patrick kidd | tailender
My wife bought me some socks for Christmas. Not the most thrilling intro, I admit, but stay with me. They were in the...My wife bought me some socks for Christmas. Not the most thrilling intro, I admit, but stay with me.My wife bought me some socks for Christmas. Not the most thrilling intro, I admit, but stay with me.
Racecards Arantes Nascimento (3.45 Newcastle) This gelding was unlucky not to win over this course and distance last...Racecards Arantes Nascimento (3.45 Newcastle) This gelding was unlucky not to win over this...Racecards Arantes Nascimento (3.45 Newcastle) This gelding was unlucky not to win over this...
Savers in the UK are too cautious and should put more of their money into stocks, experts say. Take our quiz to work out which strategy is right for you
The regulator’s move to end the loyalty penalty and make policy costs fairer for customers has led to higher prices across the board, finds George Nixon
Bad news for homeowners as the rise in yields on government bonds could spell a swift end to the rate war
News that Eon entered one customer’s house to check a smart meter had not been tampered with has raised alarm bells — Ali Hussain explains your rights
the big question
Some £285 billion is held in these tax-free accounts, but experts say we should be forced into investing our money instead
your money matters
I am contacting you on behalf of my mother who is 89 and is having an issue with a credit card transfer. In September she saw that Nationwide was offering £175 to switch current accounts. As her nearby Halifax bank branch is now closed, she thought the switch made sense. She went into her local Nationwide branch and an assistant helped her carry out the switch online....I am contacting you on behalf of my mother who is 89 and is having an issue with a credit card...I am contacting you on behalf of my mother who is 89 and is having an issue with a credit card...
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 worked for a company for most of his life. He divorced my wife’s mother some 20 years ago but never made a change to the dependants on his pension scheme. Is there any way that she would have a right to the pension pot (she...My wife’s father retired at 65 but unfortunately died very soon after due to cancer. He had worked for a company for most of...
Book Extract
When the actress started going through the menopause in her thirties, the subject was never discussed in the film industry. Now she has written a book
Looks like you’re close to menopause,” my doctor told me when I was 36 and wondering why I was having so much trouble getting pregnant. I almost fell off the examination table. “What do you mean?” I said, gasping for air. “Close to menopause? That’s for grandmothers. I’m not even a mother yet. And, by the way, that’s what I’m here for, to become a mother. Take it back!”...Looks like you’re close to menopause,” my doctor told me when I was 36 and wondering why I was...Looks like you’re close to menopause,” my doctor told me when I was 36 and wondering why I was...
Caitlin moran | columnist of the year
Over the years, the things you boast about change radically. Take Christmas. As a child, you crow over how many...Over the years, the things you boast about change radically. Take Christmas. As a child, you crow over how many sweets you’ve eaten. As a teenager, it’s the number of parties you go to. In your thirties, maybe you got that fancy handbag you wanted. Me? I’m 49. And, this Christmas, I had the perfect illness. What’s...Over the years, the things you boast about change radically. Take Christmas. As a child, you crow over how many sweets you’ve...
It doesn’t have to be all or nothing, says the scientist Federica Amati. Here’s what she recommends we buy instead
We all know by now that a high intake of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) is bad for health. Research has connected UPFs to an increased risk of obesity, high cholesterol, metabolic syndrome and heart disease. It has also been linked to the rise in colorectal cancer in younger people, according to new research by Cancer Research UK. However, it’s not quite as simple as all...We all know by now that a high intake of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) is bad for health. Research...We all know by now that a high intake of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) is bad for health. Research...
beta male
I’m sure every family has its own traditions, good and bad, banal and weird, incomprehensible to outsiders. When...I’m sure every family has its own traditions, good and bad, banal and weird, incomprehensible to outsiders. When these foibles gain a wider audience they’re easy to mock, so I’m a little nervous about sharing some of ours. Also, we have so many! My children, Sam and Rachel, are 27 and 25 but, as is often the way...I’m sure every family has its own traditions, good and bad, banal and weird, incomprehensible to outsiders. When these foibles...
giles coren
‘To take with you now, you’ve got the smoked salmon, the bagels, the chopped liver, the egg and onion, the soup, the...‘To take with you now, you’ve got the smoked salmon, the bagels, the chopped liver, the egg and...‘To take with you now, you’ve got the smoked salmon, the bagels, the chopped liver, the egg and...
nadine baggott
Fight frizz, stop split ends, add much needed volume and speed up shampooing and styling with these hair helpers. K18...Fight frizz, stop split ends, add much needed volume and speed up shampooing and styling with...Fight frizz, stop split ends, add much needed volume and speed up shampooing and styling with...
interview
The director of Vera Drake and Secrets & Lies on the angry woman in his new film Hard Truths, being mistaken for Ken Loach and voting for Keir Starmer
The reality show is edited backwards to give viewers the warm feeling of being in control — Agatha Christie used a similar trick
As Hollywood stars descend on the UK to act in Sophocles’ masterpieces, we decode the world of the original thespians
TOM PECK on tv
Playing Nice asks tough questions of parents, but would have been more courageous if it hadn’t given the answers too
REVIEW | HISTORY
Adam LeBor in his excellent history, The Last Days of Budapest, tells the city’s story through the lives of a fascinating cast of characters
MY CULTURE FIX
The historian on her favourite scene in Barbie, her weird crush on Sherlock and why she couldn’t finish watching Paddington
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...
Dominic Maxwell
Miles Jupp is on the road with the best show of his career, inspired by his brain seizure and the...Dominic Maxwell
Miles Jupp is on the road with the best show of his career, inspired by his brain seizure and the subsequent removal of his brain tumour. Serious stuff, it’s underpinned by Jupp’s deepened gratitude for life and those he loves. Yet it’s fanciful as well as vivid, teasing as well as sobering, with...Dominic Maxwell
Miles Jupp is on the road with the best show of his career, inspired by his brain seizure and the subsequent...
review | MEMOIR
‘Sleep well? Oh, sure I do,” Fidel Castro’s state executioner told Norman Lewis in 1959. “I go out of my way to show consideration,” continued the American-born Herman Marks, who oversaw more than 200 executions. “These guys are in a highly...‘Sleep well? Oh, sure I do,” Fidel Castro’s state executioner told Norman Lewis in 1959. “I go...‘Sleep well? Oh, sure I do,” Fidel Castro’s state executioner told Norman Lewis in 1959. “I go...
REVIEW | FICTION
review | PHILOSOPHY
REVIEW | GEOPOLITICS
review
What to do when you love someone but hate their politics? The debut novel from the New York Times journalist...What to do when you love someone but hate their politics? The debut novel from the New York Times...What to do when you love someone but hate their politics? The debut novel from the New York Times...
CHILDREN’S BOOK OF THE WEEK
On her tenth birthday, Meticulous “Metty” Jones receives her fate, as all children do, in the form of a magical...On her tenth birthday, Meticulous “Metty” Jones receives her fate, as all children do, in the...On her tenth birthday, Meticulous “Metty” Jones receives her fate, as all children do, in the...
review
Talk about stamina. Varna International Ballet began its UK tour on January 2. By the time this venerable Bulgarian company — founded in 1947, and also responsible for one of the world’s most prestigious ballet competitions — packs up and heads back home after two months, it will have racked up 75 performances in 20 British cities. With scant days off, Varna is juggling...Talk about stamina. Varna International Ballet began its UK tour on January 2. By the time this...Talk about stamina. Varna International Ballet began its UK tour on January 2. By the time this...
review
★★★★★
A while ago I talked with Simon Rattle about growing older. “I think,” he said, “there’s probably a...★★★★★
A while ago I talked with Simon Rattle about growing older. “I think,” he said, “there’s probably a point, somewhere around 70, when conductors start getting competent.” His age of competence has arrived. He turns 70 on January 19. But if this birthday concert with the London Symphony Orchestra is any...★★★★★
A while ago I talked with Simon Rattle about growing older. “I think,” he said, “there’s probably a point...
TELEVISION
MindGames
Twenty questions to get you thinking
1 “It’s better to have 100 friends than 100 roubles” is a proverb from which country? 2 In 1978, which tabloid overtook the Daily Mirror as Britain’s most popular newspaper? 3 Which 1985 dual-venue concert had an estimated global TV audience of 1.9 billion people? 4 Which Muriel Spark title character taught at the Marcia Blaine School for Girls in Edinburgh? 5 What...1 “It’s better to have 100 friends than 100 roubles” is a proverb from which country? 2 In 1978...1 “It’s better to have 100 friends than 100 roubles” is a proverb from which country? 2 In 1978...
Ann Treneman
Our brilliant new gardening columnist Ann Treneman on leaving her beloved Derbyshire garden for a fresh start
Men from 27 to 70 give their very honest accounts of what it’s really like in the trenches of modern romance
first person
Molly Gunn found a hotel-style service made the mornings go more smoothly
Celia Duff started competing in gruelling Hyrox races at 68 — she has been breaking records ever since
New outdoor saunas are opening up all over the country — here are the best places to get steamy
recipe
The identical twin chefs David and Stephen Flynn, aka the Happy Pear, who have a hugely successful YouTube channel and shop in hometown Greystones, Co Wicklow, share their tips on how to eat more vegetables. Whether you are new to a plant-based diet or are just looking to eat less meat and more veg, try one of these easy changes to your healthy eating habits At...The identical twin chefs David and Stephen Flynn, aka the Happy Pear, who have a...The identical twin chefs David and Stephen Flynn, aka the Happy Pear, who have a...
Jane MacQuitty
With two thirds of us limiting our alcohol intake or on the wagon entirely, zero-alcohol booze is no longer niche.With two thirds of us limiting our alcohol intake or on the wagon entirely, zero-alcohol booze is no longer niche. It’s relatively easy to remove alcohol from a 4 per cent beer, hence the dozens of tasty options on offer, but it’s the devil’s own job to strip it from a 40 per cent whisky or gin and produce a...With two thirds of us limiting our alcohol intake or on the wagon entirely, zero-alcohol booze is no longer niche. It’s...
DEEPAK CHOPRA
SEX COUNSEL
Ann Treneman
The limestone escarpment of the Mendip Hills runs eastwards from the Bristol Channel at Brean: a dividing line between the Somerset Levels in the south and the Chew Valley in the north. Formed by colliding landmasses 270 million years ago...The limestone escarpment of the Mendip Hills runs eastwards from the Bristol Channel at Brean: a...The limestone escarpment of the Mendip Hills runs eastwards from the Bristol Channel at Brean: a...
Even experts have wishlists — be inspired by the exciting destinations tempting our team this year — and places they will be steering well clear of
This year is the 250th anniversary of the writer’s birth, and in Southampton — her home for three years — you’ll find walking tours, exhibitions and theatre performances
Take advantage of the quieter season with its cheaper flights and fewer crowds and you’ll find the likes of Amsterdam and Venice are at their most enchanting too
Once her child turned 18, Katie Kelly decided to swap the family holiday for an adults-only break. This swish resort on Lefkada was just the spot
travel doctor
Plus: how to visit the newly restored Notre Dame, the best self-drive tour of southwest Scotland and a group holiday in Spain for £500 a head
Where winter sun is concerned most people want the following: a sandy beach, a nice hotel, good facilities, superb...Where winter sun is concerned most people want the following: a sandy beach, a nice hotel, good...Where winter sun is concerned most people want the following: a sandy beach, a nice hotel, good...
Since time immemorial, travellers have asked: where is great to visit, yet pleasingly cheap? Having consulted surveys...Since time immemorial, travellers have asked: where is great to visit, yet pleasingly cheap?Since time immemorial, travellers have asked: where is great to visit, yet pleasingly cheap?
OBITUARY
She defended her grip on the cost of living by announcing that ‘every housewife is a monetarist’
OBITUARY
Civilian who found himself in the thick of the action in 1982
OBITUARY
He was regarded as the high priest of rigid monetary discipline
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
catherine pepinster
MindGames
1 “It’s better to have 100 friends than 100 roubles” is a proverb from which country? 2 In 1978, which tabloid overtook the Daily Mirror as Britain’s most popular newspaper? 3 Which 1985 dual-venue concert had an estimated global TV audience of...1 “It’s better to have 100 friends than 100 roubles” is a proverb from which country? 2 In 1978...1 “It’s better to have 100 friends than 100 roubles” is a proverb from which country? 2 In 1978...
Zoe Dolphin and Jacob Collins
The SNP promised to scrap the two-child benefit cap to give it a leg up on Labour, but money looks tight
newThe 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...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...The prize rabbit produced from a hat at the end of Shona Robison’s budget last month was the announcement that she would look...
The family of two sisters who vanished near a river in Aberdeen have called for restraint on spreading “any unfounded rumours” about their disappearance as the search was extended to the northeast coast. Eliza and Henrietta Huszti, 32, who have another triplet sibling, were last seen in the city’s Market Street at Victoria Bridge in the...The family of two sisters who vanished near a river in Aberdeen have called for restraint on spreading “any unfounded rumours” about their disappearance as the search was extended to the northeast coast. Eliza and Henrietta Huszti, 32, who have another triplet sibling, were last seen in the city’s Market Street at Victoria Bridge in the...The family of two sisters who vanished near a river in Aberdeen have called for restraint on spreading “any unfounded rumours”...
gillian bowditch
It pains me as a wordsmith to admit it but it’s all about the pictures. It isn’t simply the adage that a picture is worth a thousand words, as the advertising executive Fred R Barnard is credited with observing. It’s that until we see the reality, it’s easy to be seduced by words, to coat them in a kind of mental...It pains me as a wordsmith to admit it but it’s all about the pictures. It isn’t simply the adage...It pains me as a wordsmith to admit it but it’s all about the pictures. It isn’t simply the adage...
obituary
Over the past ten years Kirsty Archer-Thompson transformed the visitor experience at Abbotsford, Sir Walter Scott’s...Over the past ten years Kirsty Archer-Thompson transformed the visitor experience at Abbotsford...Over the past ten years Kirsty Archer-Thompson transformed the visitor experience at Abbotsford...
Champions Cup
Home advantage again proved vital for Glasgow as they booked their place in the Champions Cup last 16 with this bonus...Home advantage again proved vital for Glasgow as they booked their place in the Champions Cup...Home advantage again proved vital for Glasgow as they booked their place in the Champions Cup...
photography
See what has caught the eye of Scottish photographers including frozen lochs and the northern lights
With the cold snap set to continue into the weekend, the Met Office confirmed that Thursday into Friday was the coldest night of winter so far in the UK, with the temperatures falling to minus 14.5C in Altnaharra, in the Scottish Highlands. Temperatures may drop as low as minus 15C or even minus 20C on Friday night. Saturday is also likely to be bitterly cold, while...With the cold snap set to continue into the weekend, the Met Office confirmed that Thursday into...With the cold snap set to continue into the weekend, the Met Office confirmed that Thursday into...
The waters around one of Scotland’s most popular bathing spots are unsafe for more than two days after every sewage...The waters around one of Scotland’s most popular bathing spots are unsafe for more than two days after every sewage spill, modelling suggests, but swimmers remain in the dark about when such incidents happen. Dr Tom Scanlon, a marine expert, placed probes at Joppa Rocks, near Portobello beach in Edinburgh, for four...The waters around one of Scotland’s most popular bathing spots are unsafe for more than two days after every sewage spill...
Peter Irvine picks his favourite places for a behind-the-scenes look at how whisky is made, from a village near Edinburgh all the way to the islands
interview
The Texas frontwoman on headlining Hogmanay in Edinburgh this year, saving a puffling on stage and how she’s definitely not from Bellshill
Review
A café with stunning views over the East Lothian coast is an exceptional place for lunch
Recipe
These gooey caramel treats with a buttery shortbread base always fly off the shelves at Bad Girl Bakery, says Jeni Ianetta
gabriella bennett | COLUMN
TRAVEL | Best of Alba
![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
Starmer can combat Musk with cold hard facts
Fraser Nelson
Attacks by X boss over grooming gangs reveal the danger to PM of dodging data and trying to avoid tricky conversations
weekend essay | Tom Tugendhat
Reeves in China is a step back in time: she should look to Taiwan
Dominic Sandbrook
Trump isn’t the first American to eye Canada
Giles Coren
Kim’s hot dog ban is a banger but I’d go further
Sometimes I think the only sane, competent, non-senile leader left in the world is Kim Jong-un. Or, rather, I thought...Sometimes I think the only sane, competent, non-senile leader left in the world is Kim Jong-un.Sometimes I think the only sane, competent, non-senile leader left in the world is Kim Jong-un.
Janice turner
Easing surrogacy is the mother of all mistakes
At a trade fair called the Modern Family Show in a luxury London hotel I paid £32 to hear a PowerPoint presentation...At a trade fair called the Modern Family Show in a luxury London hotel I paid £32 to hear a...At a trade fair called the Modern Family Show in a luxury London hotel I paid £32 to hear a...
Lara Spirit
Britain needs babies! And PM should find the right words to say so
ann treneman | notebook
Magnificent ruins are the Romans’ gift to Kent
Jim Dixon | Nature notebook
Fight is on to save this fading oasis of peatland
Rob NAsh | Feedback
Sometimes a good Old English word will do — get it?
Leading Articles
First Gear Keir
After another week in which he struggled to grapple with events, Sir Keir Starmer must find a way of setting the agenda and improving his political acumen
Delayed Departure
Mick Lynch, media-savvy union baron, is to quit his role as head of the RMT
Screen Break
The return of the intermission in an acclaimed new film is to be applauded
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Move to regulate homeschooling in Britain
Write to [email protected] Sir, Emma Duncan says she thinks home education should be banned (“It’s time to put home schooling in detention”, comment, Jan 10). Her proposal goes against article 26.3 of the Universal Declaration of Human...Write to [email protected] Sir, Emma Duncan says she thinks home education should be banned...Write to [email protected] Sir, Emma Duncan says she thinks home education should be banned...
Daily Universal Register
Briefing
Today: A report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies says the proportion of 25 to 34-year-olds living with their parents increased from 13 per cent in 2006 to 18 per cent in 2024.
Tomorrow: The Jewish Labour Movement holds its annual conference in north London; Avanti West Coast train managers who are members of the RMT union go on strike in a dispute over rest-day working. Strikes take place on every Sunday from today until May 25.
On this day
Today
In 1920 Sir Pryce Pryce-Jones, a Welsh entrepreneur who formed the first mail-order business (1861), died aged 85. The business, which had its own parcel post system, grew to serve more than 300,000 customers worldwide, including Queen Victoria; in 1922 insulin was first used in the treatment of diabetes, on a seriously ill 14-year-old boy at the Toronto General Hospital. A refined second dose on January 23 was successful. He lived for another 13 years; in 1994 the Irish government announced an end to an 18-year broadcasting ban on the IRA and its political arm, Sinn Fein. The ban was lifted on January 19, 1994; in 1998 the 22-year-old Japanese comedian Nasubi (“eggplant”, aka Tomoaki Hamatsu) began a 24/7 streamed and weekly televised endurance challenge, Susunu! Denpa Shonen, to live on things he won from entering magazine competitions. For 15 months he lived naked and isolated in a small apartment, ate half-cooked rice and dog food — and had to earn his freedom by winning a million yen. His modesty was preserved by a pillow or the use of a digital eggplant emoji. All the time, he had been led to believe that the show would be broadcast, edited, after his endurance had ended.
Tomorrow
In 1820 the Astronomical Society of London was conceived by 14 men attending a dinner at the Freemason’s Tavern in Lincoln’s Inn Fields — it was officially founded on March 10, 1820. A royal charter was signed on March 7, 1831, creating the Royal Astronomical Society; in 1845 a Nubian giraffe given as a gift by the Ottoman viceroy of Egypt to King Charles X of France in 1827 died in Paris. One of three, they were the first giraffes seen in Europe since 1486. She caused a sensation, influencing fashion (La mode à la girafe) and writers including Honoré de Balzac; in 1981 the primetime soap opera Dynasty was first broadcast on US TV network ABC, following the lives of the rival oil-rich Carrington and Colby families; in 2003 Maurice Gibb, one third of the pop group the Bee Gees, died aged 53 of complications after an emergency operation.
Nature notes
Like so many common plants that are traditionally disliked by gardeners, the stinging nettle is a biodiversity powerhouse. Among its eye-catching clients are our most colourful butterflies; the caterpillars of small tortoiseshells, commas and peacocks all devour these prickly leaves. Ladybirds also feast on the aphids that are drawn to nettles. And it’s not only insects. Many birds nest in the stinging clumps, utilising the thick cover. The long list of nettle-nesters includes corncrakes, chiffchaffs, blackcaps, blackbirds, song thrushes and willow warblers. Whitethroats spend so much time skulking among the plant that they were once known as nettle-mongers. In winter too, nettles provide essential assistance. Species such as reed buntings, siskins and bullfinches rely on their seeds. Jonathan Tulloch
Jonathan Tulloch
Birthdays
Saturday
Chris Beardshaw, garden designer and TV presenter, 56; Mary J Blige, singer, 54; Sir Chris Bryant, Labour MP for Rhondda & Ogmore, minister for data protection and telecoms and minister for creative industries, arts and tourism, 63; Jean Chrétien OM, prime minister of Canada (1993-2003), 91; Caryn Franklin, fashion commentator, 66; Melvyn Hayes, actor, It Ain’t Half Hot Mum (1974-81), 90; Prof Sir Tony Hoare, developer of the sorting algorithm Quicksort, emeritus researcher, Microsoft Research, Cambridge, 91; Richard Hughes, flat racing jockey and three-time champion jockey, now trainer, 52; Brian Moore, rugby union player, England (1987-1995), and rugby presenter and pundit, 63; Sarah Olney, Liberal Democrat MP for Richmond Park, 48; Vicki Peterson, guitarist and singer, the Bangles, 67; Rachel Riley, TV presenter, Countdown, 39; Bryan Robson, footballer, Manchester United (1981-94) and England (1980-91), and manager, 68; Arthur Scargill, president, National Union of Mineworkers (1981-2002), 87; Lotte Wubben-Moy, footballer, Arsenal WFC and England, 26; Daniel Zhang Yong, executive chairman and chief executive, Alibaba Group (2019-23), 53; Joel Zwick, film director, My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002), 83.
Sunday
Anthony Andrews, actor, Brideshead Revisited (1981), 77; Michael Aspel, presenter, This Is Your Life (1987-2003), 92; Sir Simon Russell Beale, actor, 64; Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com and Blue Origin (space programme), and owner of The Washington Post, 61; Prof Richard Carwardine, historian, president, Corpus Christi College, Oxford (2010-16), 78; Sir Suma Chakrabarti, chairman, Overseas Development Institute Global (think tank), 66; Melanie Chisholm (Mel C), singer, Spice Girls, 51; Spencer Dale, chief economist, BP, Bank of England (2008-14), 58; Sir Brendan Foster, athlete, Olympic bronze medallist (1976, 10,000m), and founder (1981), the Great North Run, 77; Baroness (Sally) Hamwee, chairwoman, London Assembly (2001-08), 78; Vicky Holland, triathlete, World Triathlon Series world champion (2018), 39; Waldemar Januszczak, chief art critic, The Sunday Times, and film-maker, Art’s Wildest Movement: Mannerism (2024), 71; Pixie Lott, singer, 34; Zayn Malik, singer, 32; Barry Middleton, field hockey player, former captain of the England and GB teams, 41; David Mitchell, novelist, Utopia Avenue (2020), 56; Haruki Murakami, writer, Norwegian Wood (1987), 76; William Nicholson, screenwriter, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013), 77; Sir Richie Richardson, cricketer, West Indies (1983-95), 63; Howard Stern, US radio broadcaster, 71.