The Times & The Sunday Times Homepage
The King has also sent condolences to the family of Edward Pettifer, 31
updatedThe Prince of Wales has said he is “shocked and saddened” by the death of his former nanny’s stepson Edward Pettifer, who has been named as the British victim of the New Orleans terror attack. Pettifer, 31, from Chelsea, west London, was one of 14 people killed when a pick-up truck rammed into a...The Prince of Wales has said he is “shocked and saddened” by the death of his former nanny’s stepson Edward Pettifer, who has been named as the British victim of the New Orleans terror attack. Pettifer, 31, from Chelsea, west London, was one of 14 people killed when a pick-up truck rammed into a...The Prince of Wales has said he is “shocked and saddened” by the death of his former nanny’s stepson Edward Pettifer, who has...
Private schools are splurging on new facilities as the gap widens between those struggling and those thriving. Smaller independent schools say that VAT on fees threatens their survival as parents have given notice to withdraw their children. However, analysis by The Times shows that several larger schools are continuing to spend...Private schools are splurging on new facilities as the gap widens between those struggling and those thriving. Smaller independent schools say that VAT on fees threatens their survival as parents have given notice to withdraw their children. However, analysis by The Times shows that several larger schools are continuing to spend...Private schools are splurging on new facilities as the gap widens between those struggling and those thriving. Smaller...
Alyson Rudd
How do you make a teenage champion? Should you even want to? It instinctively feels perilous for someone so young to be such hot property. Luke Littler was 18 months old when he was given a magnetic darts board purchased from a pound shop and he was hooked immediately. Of course he was. How else could he have risen...How do you make a teenage champion? Should you even want to? It instinctively feels perilous for...How do you make a teenage champion? Should you even want to? It instinctively feels perilous for...
magnus linklater
first person
Getting your liver tested straight after Christmas feels as cruel as trying on a bikini after an all-you-can-eat buffet. But here I am, a few days into 2025, the hangover fog still floating around, waiting to be told about the state of an organ...Getting your liver tested straight after Christmas feels as cruel as trying on a bikini after an...Getting your liver tested straight after Christmas feels as cruel as trying on a bikini after an...
sathnam sanghera
interview
Pete Wicks enters the east London studio where the Times photoshoot is taking place straight from seeing his...Pete Wicks enters the east London studio where the Times photoshoot is taking place straight from...Pete Wicks enters the east London studio where the Times photoshoot is taking place straight from...
interview
A few weeks before Jesse Eisenberg’s new film, A Real Pain, had been seen by anyone, 11.8 per cent of voters...A few weeks before Jesse Eisenberg’s new film, A Real Pain, had been seen by anyone, 11.8...A few weeks before Jesse Eisenberg’s new film, A Real Pain, had been seen by anyone, 11.8...
“Can you hear that?” our guide, Lina Phin, asked, stopping in his tracks. We had just emerged from a hike in the mangrove jungle that makes up most of Koh Ta Kiev, an island just off Cambodia’s southwestern coast, on to a sprawling stretch of sand...“Can you hear that?” our guide, Lina Phin, asked, stopping in his tracks. We had just emerged...“Can you hear that?” our guide, Lina Phin, asked, stopping in his tracks. We had just emerged...
£5 million Montecito farmhouse where the series With Love, Meghan is filmed does not belong to the Sussexes
From the manicured gardens where Meghan is seen snipping fresh herbs to the spacious designer kitchen, the home interiors on display in the Duchess of Sussex’s new Netflix show appear to be as much of a draw for viewers as her homespun recipes. However, it has emerged that the £5 million Montecito farmhouse where the series With Love, Meghan is filmed does not belong to...From the manicured gardens where Meghan is seen snipping fresh herbs to the spacious designer...From the manicured gardens where Meghan is seen snipping fresh herbs to the spacious designer...
The commercial arm of the Duke of York’s Pitch@Palace scheme has withdrawn more than £230,000 from its account, half...The commercial arm of the Duke of York’s Pitch@Palace scheme has withdrawn more than £230,000 from its account, half its cash balance. Accounts filed at Companies House this week show that in the financial year to March 31, 2024, the amount of cash at hand and in bank at Pitch@Palace Global Ltd went from £454,979...The commercial arm of the Duke of York’s Pitch@Palace scheme has withdrawn more than £230,000 from its account, half its cash...
Apple has agreed to pay $95 million (£77 million) to settle a lawsuit in the United States that accused the firm of...Apple has agreed to pay $95 million (£77 million) to settle a lawsuit in the United States that...Apple has agreed to pay $95 million (£77 million) to settle a lawsuit in the United States that...
Sir Nick Clegg could join Sir Tony Blair in becoming a global statesman, helping Britain to rebuild relations with...Sir Nick Clegg could join Sir Tony Blair in becoming a global statesman, helping Britain to...Sir Nick Clegg could join Sir Tony Blair in becoming a global statesman, helping Britain to...
If you have ever wondered what Pablo Escobar’s lavish lifestyle was like, now is your chance to find out. A private jet thought to have once been owned by the late drug kingpin has been transformed into an Airbnb. The renovated Boeing 727...If you have ever wondered what Pablo Escobar’s lavish lifestyle was like, now is your chance to...If you have ever wondered what Pablo Escobar’s lavish lifestyle was like, now is your chance to...
Patients attending hospital with flu have quadrupled, with more than 5,000 admitted last week as the quad-demic of four winter viruses rages on. There were 4,102 patients in hospital with flu on Christmas Day. That rose to...Patients attending hospital with flu have quadrupled, with more than 5,000 admitted last week as the quad-demic of four winter viruses rages on. There were 4,102 patients in hospital with flu on Christmas Day. That rose to...Patients attending hospital with flu have quadrupled, with more than 5,000 admitted last week as the quad-demic of...
Hundreds of foreign criminals are prolific reoffenders who have committed more than ten offences while avoiding deportation. Over the past four years, 537 foreign criminals have committed ten or more offences, and 1,260 have...Hundreds of foreign criminals are prolific reoffenders who have committed more than ten offences while avoiding deportation. Over the past four years, 537 foreign criminals have committed ten or more offences, and 1,260 have...Hundreds of foreign criminals are prolific reoffenders who have committed more than ten offences while avoiding...
interview
Last month Sir Niall Ferguson entered the court of Donald Trump, attending a dinner at Mar-a-Lago where the president-elect gave a speech and had an almost “beatific air” as he basked in his election triumph. When YMCA, Trump’s campaign theme...Last month Sir Niall Ferguson entered the court of Donald Trump, attending a dinner at Mar-a-Lago...Last month Sir Niall Ferguson entered the court of Donald Trump, attending a dinner at Mar-a-Lago...
Gangsters are converting imitation guns used for historical re-enactments and school sports days into lethal weapons...Gangsters are converting imitation guns used for historical re-enactments and school sports days...Gangsters are converting imitation guns used for historical re-enactments and school sports days...
the times diary
As Britain’s most successful Paralympian, who has been on the podium at every Games since 1992, Dame Sarah Storey...As Britain’s most successful Paralympian, who has been on the podium at every Games since 1992...As Britain’s most successful Paralympian, who has been on the podium at every Games since 1992...
As the president-elect prepares to take office, Kyiv is working to seek assurances on his promise to end the war with Russia
For several weeks now President Zelensky’s trusted allies have been dispatched to court and cajole Donald Trump’s entourage in Washington. Yet with just over two weeks until Trump’s inauguration, the inbound presidential team have so far given little indication as to how they intend to make good...For several weeks now President Zelensky’s trusted allies have been dispatched to court and cajole Donald Trump’s entourage in Washington. Yet with just over two weeks until Trump’s inauguration, the inbound presidential team have so far given little indication as to how they intend to make good...For several weeks now President Zelensky’s trusted allies have been dispatched to court and cajole Donald Trump’s entourage in...
The US surgeon-general has said alcoholic drinks should carry similar health warnings to packs of cigarettes, citing figures that show alcohol to be a leading cause of preventable cancer. Vivek Murthy also called for recommended limits of alcohol consumption to be reassessed so that people can weigh the cancer risk when deciding whether or...The US surgeon-general has said alcoholic drinks should carry similar health warnings to packs of cigarettes, citing figures that show alcohol to be a leading cause of preventable cancer. Vivek Murthy also called for recommended limits of alcohol consumption to be reassessed so that people can weigh the cancer risk when deciding whether or...The US surgeon-general has said alcoholic drinks should carry similar health warnings to packs of cigarettes, citing figures...
A decade ago, the whole of France seemed to unite in support of Charlie Hebdo, the satirical weekly that had fallen victim to Islamist terrorism. “Je suis Charlie” T-shirts and banners were everywhere. More than four million people joined marches in support of the magazine across the country. And François...A decade ago, the whole of France seemed to unite in support of Charlie Hebdo, the satirical...A decade ago, the whole of France seemed to unite in support of Charlie Hebdo, the satirical...
Berlin Confidential
Tom Kington in Rome
Giorgia Meloni met her ministers this week to figure out how to free Cecilia Sala, the Italian journalist imprisoned in Tehran’s notorious Evin jail for the past fortnight on vague allegations of “violating the law of the Islamic Republic of Iran”. It was increasingly clear to the Italian prime minister that Iran is using Sala, 29, as a bargaining chip to win the...Giorgia Meloni met her ministers this week to figure out how to free Cecilia Sala, the Italian...Giorgia Meloni met her ministers this week to figure out how to free Cecilia Sala, the Italian...
video
South Korea’s president may be embattled but he is not isolated. Though he was not seen during a six-hour stand-off...South Korea’s president may be embattled but he is not isolated. Though he was not seen during a six-hour stand-off between anti-corruption investigators and his supporters on Friday, his message to “fight to the end” was taken up by some 11,000 people. And even when that end appeared to be nigh and investigators...South Korea’s president may be embattled but he is not isolated. Though he was not seen during a six-hour stand-off between...
video
Mike Johnson retains office in key test of Donald Trump’s influence on Congress
Mike Johnson was re-elected speaker of the US House of Representatives in a down-to-the-wire vote that was a pivotal test of Donald Trump’s influence over Republicans in Congress. As the first round of voting got under way it looked like Johnson would not muster the 218 votes he needed, as three of the 219 Republican representatives declined to back him. All 215...Mike Johnson was re-elected speaker of the US House of Representatives in a down-to-the-wire vote...Mike Johnson was re-elected speaker of the US House of Representatives in a down-to-the-wire vote...
analysis
House Republicans still cannot quit the drama. In the end, Donald Trump got his man as Mike Johnson was re-elected...House Republicans still cannot quit the drama. In the end, Donald Trump got his man as Mike Johnson was re-elected speaker of the House on Friday, but the chaos on the House floor, exposing recurring Republican rifts in spectacular fashion, suggests that tougher battles lie ahead. The abortive rebellion against...House Republicans still cannot quit the drama. In the end, Donald Trump got his man as Mike Johnson was re-elected speaker of...
Possessions in the shabby trailer where Shamsud-Din Jabbar lived chart his descent from proficient US soldier to radicalised Isis killer
dispatch from houston
Members of a close-knit Muslim community in Texas left aghast by New Orleans terror attack
The dead have not been named by the authorities but some families have confirmed that their loved ones are among the victims
analysis
The group linked to the car ramming on New Year’s Day has been quietly rebuilding in Syria, Afghanistan and parts of Africa
in pictures
On a rainy afternoon in the hills of eastern Ohio, half a dozen bronzesmiths stood and marvelled as a giant was winched to its feet, sparkling in the lights. It was Donald Trump as they had never seen him before — 15ft tall, one fist punching the...On a rainy afternoon in the hills of eastern Ohio, half a dozen bronzesmiths stood and marvelled...On a rainy afternoon in the hills of eastern Ohio, half a dozen bronzesmiths stood and marvelled...
The driver of a Tesla Cybertruck that exploded in Las Vegas was a Donald Trump-loving “Rambo-type” who took his own...The driver of a Tesla Cybertruck that exploded in Las Vegas was a Donald Trump-loving...The driver of a Tesla Cybertruck that exploded in Las Vegas was a Donald Trump-loving...
The rescue of an eight-year-old Zimbabwean boy who spent five days alone in a game park which is home to lions has...The rescue of an eight-year-old Zimbabwean boy who spent five days alone in a game park which is...The rescue of an eight-year-old Zimbabwean boy who spent five days alone in a game park which is...
Students forced to endure alcohol poisoning and ‘torture’ — but bipartisan bill challenges shroud of secrecy
Jolayne Houtz drove five hours with her husband from their home in Seattle to Washington State University, where their teenage son had just died. “It was like dropping into an abyss,” she said. “And there was no way to see out.” In November 2019 Sam Martinez, a 19-year-old in his first year of college, was becoming a member of the Alpha Tau Omega social club, in a...Jolayne Houtz drove five hours with her husband from their home in Seattle to Washington State...Jolayne Houtz drove five hours with her husband from their home in Seattle to Washington State...
interview
In the adrenaline-fuelled, male-dominated world of skydiving, Domitille Kiger is one of a select band of women to...In the adrenaline-fuelled, male-dominated world of skydiving, Domitille Kiger is one of a select band of women to have achieved world-record glory. Twice world champion, she broke a skydiving record by leading a team of 96 skydivers who jumped in the largest free-fall formation, linking hands in the air as they...In the adrenaline-fuelled, male-dominated world of skydiving, Domitille Kiger is one of a select band of women to have achieved...
With private buyers resolutely untempted by discounts, the industry says cutting prices to reach government thresholds is unsustainable
Carmakers failed to hit the government’s target for sales of battery electric vehicles in 2024 as demand from private buyers remained weak despite deep discounting, latest industry figures show. Pure battery electric cars made up 19.6 per cent of the new car market last year, with about 320,000...Carmakers failed to hit the government’s target for sales of battery electric vehicles in 2024 as demand from private buyers remained weak despite deep discounting, latest industry figures show. Pure battery electric cars made up 19.6 per cent of the new car market last year, with about 320,000...Carmakers failed to hit the government’s target for sales of battery electric vehicles in 2024 as demand from private buyers...
A slide in revenues at the British arm of the hedge fund co-founded by the media tycoon Sir Paul Marshall knocked the profits shared by its 26 UK partners by almost two thirds to £192 million. Marshall, 65, who backs GB News and last year bought The Spectator magazine, and Ian Wace, 61, set up the London-based firm Marshall Wace 27...A slide in revenues at the British arm of the hedge fund co-founded by the media tycoon Sir Paul Marshall knocked the profits shared by its 26 UK partners by almost two thirds to £192 million. Marshall, 65, who backs GB News and last year bought The Spectator magazine, and Ian Wace, 61, set up the London-based firm Marshall Wace 27...A slide in revenues at the British arm of the hedge fund co-founded by the media tycoon Sir Paul Marshall knocked the profits...
President Biden has blocked a $14.9 billion takeover of US Steel by the Japanese company Nippon Steel on national security grounds. The move came despite warnings that aborting the deal would put thousands of jobs at risk after US Steel warned that it would have to idle mills without the nearly $3 billion in...President Biden has blocked a $14.9 billion takeover of US Steel by the Japanese company Nippon...President Biden has blocked a $14.9 billion takeover of US Steel by the Japanese company Nippon...
dominic o’connell
No one likes making mistakes but it’s much worse when they are made public and everyone has a laugh at your expense.No one likes making mistakes but it’s much worse when they are made public and everyone has a...No one likes making mistakes but it’s much worse when they are made public and everyone has a...
RHYMER RIGBY
Over the years, I have filleted my post-Christmas sales shopping down to almost nothing. When the French fashion...Over the years, I have filleted my post-Christmas sales shopping down to almost nothing. When the...Over the years, I have filleted my post-Christmas sales shopping down to almost nothing. When the...
LUNCH WITH THE TIMES
The Old Parsonage Hotel is a few minutes’ walk from the offices of Oxford Science Enterprises, so for Ed Bussey, the OSE chief executive, it’s his “go-to” place for a “nice quiet” working lunch. We’re dining in a corner of the restaurant, which is...The Old Parsonage Hotel is a few minutes’ walk from the offices of Oxford Science Enterprises, so...The Old Parsonage Hotel is a few minutes’ walk from the offices of Oxford Science Enterprises, so...
Laura Ashley, the middle England brand known for its floral fashions and soft furnishings, is preparing for a new lease of life under fresh American ownership. Marquee Brands, the US owner of Ben Sherman, has bought the struggling British label...Laura Ashley, the middle England brand known for its floral fashions and soft furnishings, is...Laura Ashley, the middle England brand known for its floral fashions and soft furnishings, is...
professional services
In the sixth of our seven-part series, we meet Jeff Lange, boss of the financial advisory firm TFAS, which has used AI tools to speed up its processes
technology
Chief executive Patrik Schumacher says generative design tools improve productivity and woo clients
innovation
Cheap AI tools speed up marketing and save on software costs
RECRUITMENT
With a 33% growth in the past year, the demand for corporate investigators is soaring. Here’s how to get into the industry
Saying you’re employed as an “investigator” conjures up images of sleuths lurking in the shadows, but the new breed of corporate investigator is one of the UK’s fastest-growing professional careers. The incoming 2025 introduction of the new “failure to prevent fraud” offence — which will hold large firms to account if they profit from fraud committed by their employees...Saying you’re employed as an “investigator” conjures up images of sleuths lurking in the shadows...Saying you’re employed as an “investigator” conjures up images of sleuths lurking in the shadows...
SIX FROM THE BEST
It’s the busiest week of the year for jewellery sales. Anna Blackburn, managing director of the family-owned retailer...It’s the busiest week of the year for jewellery sales. Anna Blackburn, managing director of the family-owned retailer Beaverbrooks, began her career on the shopfloor at its Trafford Centre store in Manchester 26 years ago and is the first female, non-family member to lead the chain. Here, she shares her pearls of...It’s the busiest week of the year for jewellery sales. Anna Blackburn, managing director of the family-owned retailer...
Premier League
Man City 4 West Ham 1
It was an afternoon when Manchester City rediscovered some of their swagger— and, perhaps, when Julen Lopetegui’s West Ham United tenure received a final dagger. A clinical three-goal burst either side of half-time decided this contest and ensured Pep Guardiola’s team would win two games in a row for the first time since October, but this was also a strange game whose...It was an afternoon when Manchester City rediscovered some of their swagger— and, perhaps, when...It was an afternoon when Manchester City rediscovered some of their swagger— and, perhaps, when...
Premier LEague
If Tottenham Hotspur were an emoji it would be of two hands behind a head and the face in disbelief. That picture was...If Tottenham Hotspur were an emoji it would be of two hands behind a head and the face in disbelief. That picture was the motif of the final stages of this helter-skelter, car-careering-off-a-cliff, type of game. The 80th minute: James Maddison, just on as a substitute, cutting inside and curling a seemingly...If Tottenham Hotspur were an emoji it would be of two hands behind a head and the face in disbelief. That picture was the motif...
pdc world championship | owen slot
Alyson Rudd
How do you make a teenage champion? Should you even want to? It instinctively feels perilous for someone so young to...How do you make a teenage champion? Should you even want to? It instinctively feels perilous for...How do you make a teenage champion? Should you even want to? It instinctively feels perilous for...
owen slot
I was reminded this week of the day last year that I found myself on the Hull section of the A63. And that may not be...I was reminded this week of the day last year that I found myself on the Hull section of the A63.I was reminded this week of the day last year that I found myself on the Hull section of the A63.
elgan alderman
The 2025 PDC World Darts Championship ended with the final of the organisers’ dreams, and the winner of a lifetime. Michael van Gerwen, the three-times world champion and dominant figure of the post-Phil Taylor age, defeated by Luke Littler...The 2025 PDC World Darts Championship ended with the final of the organisers’ dreams, and the...The 2025 PDC World Darts Championship ended with the final of the organisers’ dreams, and the...
MARTIN HARDY
It is getting close to 100 years since Newcastle United were champions of England, in 1927, and 2025 could be the...It is getting close to 100 years since Newcastle United were champions of England, in 1927, and...It is getting close to 100 years since Newcastle United were champions of England, in 1927, and...
PAUL JOYCE
Arne Slot has scarcely put a foot wrong, Rúben Amorim has hardly put one right. From there, the damning contrasts...Arne Slot has scarcely put a foot wrong, Rúben Amorim has hardly put one right. From there, the...Arne Slot has scarcely put a foot wrong, Rúben Amorim has hardly put one right. From there, the...
gallagher premiership
gallagher premiership
Bath will bring a touch of the Springboks to their Gallagher Premiership meeting with Northampton Saints on Sunday...Bath will bring a touch of the Springboks to their Gallagher Premiership meeting with Northampton...Bath will bring a touch of the Springboks to their Gallagher Premiership meeting with Northampton...
The TAILENDER
The first England women’s cricket team to tour Australia 90 years ago were warned by this paper before departure that...The first England women’s cricket team to tour Australia 90 years ago were warned by this paper...The first England women’s cricket team to tour Australia 90 years ago were warned by this paper...
STUART FRASER
The first public glimpse of the shock coaching partnership between Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray will come on Monday at Melbourne Park in preparation for the Australian Open starting on January 12. A family skiing trip, which had been booked long...The first public glimpse of the shock coaching partnership between Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray...The first public glimpse of the shock coaching partnership between Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray...
About to buy a home? Ali Hussain explains your options
A third of new year’s resolutions are about money. We choose the ones worth keeping
your money matters
Our consumer champion Katherine Denham helps a husband trying to pay his partner’s care fees, and battles TM Lewin’s returns policy
ask the experts
It has been a busy year for our finances. The new Labour government brought in national insurance rises and higher borrowing to fund an increase in public spending, the Bank of England finally started to cut interest rates, and energy prices...It has been a busy year for our finances. The new Labour government brought in national insurance...It has been a busy year for our finances. The new Labour government brought in national insurance...
interview
Back with a new solo album, the Spandau Ballet singer talks fame divorce, guilt and fallouts
sathnam sanghera
As the boy with the topknot immortalised in the title of his bestselling memoir, Sathnam Sanghera’s hair was an expression of religious devotion. But even this experience could not prepare him for his fiancée’s obsession
interview
How the actor best known as DS Arnott divides his time between family life in Las Vegas and work
sophia money-coutts
To her three million Instagram fans Jillian Turecki is known as the break-up fairy godmother. So did her advice work for Sophia Money-Coutts?
caitlin moran | columnist of the year
Pete and I used to talk on the phone for hours but I uninvented mouth-y, breath-y meaty telephone conversations in 1999
Pip Payne, aka the Slimming Foodie, shares low-calorie versions of your favourite takeaways
Are you an air fryer convert? For millions, the air fryer has become the microwave of the 21st century: a counter-top gadget that quickly cooks perfectly juicy meat or golden crispy chips, without the expense of turning on the oven or, crucially, the calories that come from using liberal amounts of butter or oil. Research last year suggested that 45 per cent of British...Are you an air fryer convert? For millions, the air fryer has become the microwave of the 21st...Are you an air fryer convert? For millions, the air fryer has become the microwave of the 21st...
beta male | ben machell
No big new year’s resolutions for 2025. I’ve given it some thought and decided that I’m doing OK as things are. I...No big new year’s resolutions for 2025. I’ve given it some thought and decided that I’m doing OK as things are. I exercise, I enjoy most things in moderation, I’m nice to my family and I barely play Rome: Total War on my computer in secret at all now. I’m in a nice little rhythm, and it would seem a shame to derail...No big new year’s resolutions for 2025. I’ve given it some thought and decided that I’m doing OK as things are. I exercise, I...
interview
The Hollywood star has been a target for antisemites since he was 18. Now he’s tackling the subject in a masterful comedy about Holocaust tourism
interview
The Irish actress on her latest role as a mother who discovers her child isn’t hers
interview
The Glasgow band discuss their rise to fame in the early Noughties, reconciliation and their latest album
The British novelist, famous for his campus trilogy, died this week aged 89. Here’s a guide to his finest work
And they’re off! The race to the Oscars starts with the Golden Globes ceremony. As the first big awards season bunfight, the Globes set the tone for the weeks and months ahead by anointing an unusually large and loosely assembled pack of contenders from two film categories — “drama” and “musical or comedy”. These titles (most notably The Brutalist, released on...And they’re off! The race to the Oscars starts with the Golden Globes ceremony. As the first big...And they’re off! The race to the Oscars starts with the Golden Globes ceremony. As the first big...
The beauty of the Dragons’ Den format is that it never really changes, yet through the shuffling of the dragons and...The beauty of the Dragons’ Den format is that it never really changes, yet through the shuffling of the dragons and the constant flow of entrepreneurs with sublime and ridiculous ideas it never feels stale. Since 2005 the business-tainment behemoth has had no fewer than 19 dragons doling out cash and spiky comments...The beauty of the Dragons’ Den format is that it never really changes, yet through the shuffling of the dragons and the...
The Wire, one of the greatest TV series, conducts an autopsy on a living body, the city of Baltimore. Each season focuses on one part of it — the cops, the docks, City Hall, the schools and the media — to reveal how the illegal drugs racket has infiltrated and corrupted every sector of society. If one line can epitomise a 60-episode drama it is these words spoken...The Wire, one of the greatest TV series, conducts an autopsy on a living body, the city...The Wire, one of the greatest TV series, conducts an autopsy on a living body, the city...
review | fiction
Why isn’t Richard Price acknowledged as a great American novelist? Maybe it’s because his social panoramas are...Why isn’t Richard Price acknowledged as a great American novelist? Maybe it’s because his social panoramas are inner-city and working class, often with plots that mean he’s categorised as a crime novelist. “I hate it,” he said of this pigeonholing. “Is Cormac McCarthy a western novelist?” Maybe it’s because Price is...Why isn’t Richard Price acknowledged as a great American novelist? Maybe it’s because his social panoramas are inner-city and...
MY CULTURE FIX
first night review
There’s nothing unusual about a piano recital featuring the music of Chopin, in this case two Nocturnes and...There’s nothing unusual about a piano recital featuring the music of Chopin, in this case...There’s nothing unusual about a piano recital featuring the music of Chopin, in this case...
Richard Morrison
Second only to Slough in a recent survey of the UK’s “least happy places to live”, Bradford...Richard Morrison
Second only to Slough in a recent survey of the UK’s “least happy places to...Richard Morrison
Second only to Slough in a recent survey of the UK’s “least happy places to...
There are some marquee art moments lined up for 2025, with the National Gallery’s redeveloped Sainsbury Wing reopening on May 15, and V&A East Storehouse opening up the stored collections to the world in east London on May 31. And, ending...There are some marquee art moments lined up for 2025, with the National Gallery’s redeveloped...There are some marquee art moments lined up for 2025, with the National Gallery’s redeveloped...
A history of Edwardian England, a shark hunter’s tale – and what happens when a sexbot becomes conscious
Want to understand the strange world of Vladimir Putin and how he has stayed on top for 25 years? Read this novel by the Italian politico and pundit Giuliano da Empoli. It’s an account of the life of a Kremlin insider, Vadim Baranov, the “wizard”, a former theatre and TV director who treats politics like a form of reality TV. He puts his black arts to the service...Want to understand the strange world of Vladimir Putin and how he has stayed on top for 25 years?Want to understand the strange world of Vladimir Putin and how he has stayed on top for 25 years?
review | health
It was a fun idea for a mini-break, if you are the sort to put the fun in funerals. Matt Morgan invited seven of his...It was a fun idea for a mini-break, if you are the sort to put the fun in funerals. Matt Morgan invited seven of his friends to a rented cottage in France where they would stage their own funerals, with eulogies, favourite music and tears, presided over by an open-minded hired celebrant. Morgan has been an intensive...It was a fun idea for a mini-break, if you are the sort to put the fun in funerals. Matt Morgan invited seven of his friends to...
VIEWING GUIDE
TELEVISION
TELEVISION
television
Television
Television
TELEVISION
The french biochemist Jessie Inchauspé shares some of her favourite healthy dishes
Peta Bee on the small changes that will make a big difference to your wellbeing and fitness in the year ahead
Anna Maxted and Phil Robinson have been married for 27 years — but decided to try sleeping separately
Interview
The bestselling author and podcaster says that the secret to success lies in letting go
interview
The South African star on embracing vulnerability in the jungle, balancing motherhood, and her fiery debut adult novel
HARRY JAMESON
DEEPAK CHOPRA
Gardening can be an expensive hobby, but there are lots of easy ways to keep your garden looking good, without...Gardening can be an expensive hobby, but there are lots of easy ways to keep your garden looking...Gardening can be an expensive hobby, but there are lots of easy ways to keep your garden looking...
Joe Swift
After all those mince pies and glasses of mulled wine it’s a good time for gardeners to reflect on what they achieved...After all those mince pies and glasses of mulled wine it’s a good time for gardeners to reflect...After all those mince pies and glasses of mulled wine it’s a good time for gardeners to reflect...
This moderate six-mile walk follows a gently undulating coastal path and quiet country lanes
We discovered the delightful South Hams village of Noss Mayo on the recommendation of a friend. Not only was this stretch of the South West Coast Path one of his favourite places to walk, he told us, but the chips at the Ship Inn were to die for. It has since become one of our favourite winter walking destinations for its peaceful wooded creeks, wild coastline and...We discovered the delightful South Hams village of Noss Mayo on the recommendation of a friend.We discovered the delightful South Hams village of Noss Mayo on the recommendation of a friend.
Put the gloves and boots on, and get yourself out into that beautiful wintry countryside under a clear blue heaven...Put the gloves and boots on, and get yourself out into that beautiful wintry countryside under a clear blue heaven, with a hint of frost to nip your nose and a scoop of breeze to redden your cheeks. Down through the woods where the shapely skeleton of every tree stands naked to admire. Out by the sea with the...Put the gloves and boots on, and get yourself out into that beautiful wintry countryside under a clear blue heaven, with a hint...
From a farmhouse in an untapped part of rural France to a showstopper in Venice hidden from the tourist hordes, these are the most exciting openings for the year ahead
Little-known Priorat in Catalonia rewards those who seek it out, with an ancient monastery, unspoilt views, award-winning vineyards and a new luxury hotel to explore from
Come for swaggering sunsets and blissful beaches, stay for hilltop restaurants and quotidian calm — all best enjoyed from a lovely villa. Here are our top picks for all budgets
Rural island life, regional dishes and extraordinary mountain scenery await off the beaten track on this Italian island loved by the A-list — even in the off-season
A far cry from the hotspots of Thailand and Vietnam, Cambodia’s empty beaches, buzzing capital and luxury hotels for less are now increasingly accessible
“Torm pionta Mary le do thoil.” Sure, it’s only a few words, but it’s the first phrase of Gaeilge (Irish Gaelic)...“Torm pionta Mary le do thoil.” Sure, it’s only a few words, but it’s the first phrase of...“Torm pionta Mary le do thoil.” Sure, it’s only a few words, but it’s the first phrase of...
Walking through Hotel Indigo’s light and airy corridors, it’s hard not to feel like you are in a Victorian school, or...Walking through Hotel Indigo’s light and airy corridors, it’s hard not to feel like you are in a...Walking through Hotel Indigo’s light and airy corridors, it’s hard not to feel like you are in a...
The year 2025 is supposed to be one of caution in which economic, geopolitical and climate fears keep us close to home and playing it safe, but this list of the year’s best holidays suggests otherwise, with more than 80 brand new itineraries...The year 2025 is supposed to be one of caution in which economic, geopolitical and climate fears...The year 2025 is supposed to be one of caution in which economic, geopolitical and climate fears...
OBITUARY
Popular novelist who reinvigorated the literary genre with his exploration of the comic poignancy of university life, Catholicism and sex
OBITUARY
Lead guitarist who also sang with perfect pitch and came up with Crazy Horses
OBITUARY
Tall, trim and gentlemanly boss who turned a village bakery into a global superbrand
OBITUARY
Hungarian gold medallist who shone at the Melbourne Olympics in 1956 and went on to become the oldest-living Olympic champion
video
The Times has been publishing life stories of the great and the good (and the not so good) for more than 170 years. Now the obituary is also becoming a podcast, explains Anna Temkin
Weather eye
Martyn Percy
There is nothing unique about the premature departure of an Archbishop of Canterbury. Justin Welby leaves office on...There is nothing unique about the premature departure of an Archbishop of Canterbury. Justin...There is nothing unique about the premature departure of an Archbishop of Canterbury. Justin...
REJOICE not when thine enemy falleth and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: lest the LORD see it, and it...REJOICE not when thine enemy falleth and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: lest the...REJOICE not when thine enemy falleth and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: lest the...
MindGames
1 A popular sandwich filling pairs sweetcorn with which fish? 2 Which disciple is said to have betrayed Jesus Christ on Spy Wednesday? 3 Which Bond villain uses his steel teeth to kill Max Kalba in The Spy Who Loved Me? 4 In 2007, Alistair...1 A popular sandwich filling pairs sweetcorn with which fish? 2 Which disciple is said to have...1 A popular sandwich filling pairs sweetcorn with which fish? 2 Which disciple is said to have...
ROSE GLENDINNING AND ANDY EMSLEY
Stewart MacDonald says tech tycoon threatens democracy
Elon Musk is a “hostile foreign influence” who presents a direct threat to the Scottish political system, the former SNP defence spokesman has warned. Stewart McDonald said the world’s richest man, who is regularly seen at Donald Trump’s side and will occupy a key role in the president-elect’s...Elon Musk is a “hostile foreign influence” who presents a direct threat to the Scottish political system, the former SNP defence spokesman has warned. Stewart McDonald said the world’s richest man, who is regularly seen at Donald Trump’s side and will occupy a key role in the president-elect’s...Elon Musk is a “hostile foreign influence” who presents a direct threat to the Scottish political system, the former SNP...
Pharmacies across Scotland are running out of flu vaccine with demand outstripping supply, it has emerged. Outlets in Edinburgh said only a handful remain in stock as stricter eligibility criteria for NHS vaccines this year mean more people are seeking the vaccine privately at local pharmacies. It comes as new figures showed hospital...Pharmacies across Scotland are running out of flu vaccine with demand outstripping supply, it has emerged. Outlets in Edinburgh said only a handful remain in stock as stricter eligibility criteria for NHS vaccines this year mean more people are seeking the vaccine privately at local pharmacies. It comes as new figures showed hospital...Pharmacies across Scotland are running out of flu vaccine with demand outstripping supply, it has emerged. Outlets in Edinburgh...
She was styled as a latter-day Hammer of the Scots but it has emerged that Margaret Thatcher’s government embarked on an unlikely defence of the Tartan Army before the 1990 World Cup. Undercover police officers from the UK were sent to Italy before the tournament, for which England and Scotland had qualified. The...She was styled as a latter-day Hammer of the Scots but it has emerged that Margaret Thatcher’s...She was styled as a latter-day Hammer of the Scots but it has emerged that Margaret Thatcher’s...
Residents and tourists have been left baffled by seemingly official plaques that have appeared across Glasgow to mark...Residents and tourists have been left baffled by seemingly official plaques that have appeared...Residents and tourists have been left baffled by seemingly official plaques that have appeared...
John Swinney has demanded that the families of three people who died in a hotel fire two years ago get answers to...John Swinney has demanded that the families of three people who died in a hotel fire two years...John Swinney has demanded that the families of three people who died in a hotel fire two years...
This is the perfect time of year to get out in the open, then into the pub
q&a
The comedian talks about holidays with his family and picking on the wrong people at live shows
Recipe
Scotland’s national soft drink should only be paired with the very best haggis, says the head chef at Culzean Castle in South Ayrshire
Review
This family-run spot serves food that’s up there with nonna’s best
Comment
You can’t save theatres with film stars alone
AN Wilson
Bad actors, stage versions of sitcoms and ludicrous ticket prices are combining to bury one of the glories of our history
jANICE TURNER
What Starmer should say to my generation
GILES COREN
Hey, Austen fans, try looking under the bonnet
ROBERT HUTTON
Politics in 2025: expect elks, a white van tax and a Badenoch biscuit rant
ann treneman | notebook
Decluttering will soon be fit for the Olympics
WEEKEND ESSAY | ROGER BOYES
Putin’s empire is crumbling: will 2025 prove to be his 1989?
BEN MACINTYRE
Women fought with the war’s rogue heroes
ROB NASH | FEEDBACK
We usually have good antennae for bad plurals
Lesley Thomas wrote in her Notebook last week that she wished she had taken the opportunity to study Latin at school...Lesley Thomas wrote in her Notebook last week that she wished she had taken the opportunity to...Lesley Thomas wrote in her Notebook last week that she wished she had taken the opportunity to...
John Lewis-Stempel | Nature Notebook
Rapidity of its wings sounded like ripping paper
The trees in the winter wood were as bare as driftwood and the sun low and white. We emerged out of the blinding...The trees in the winter wood were as bare as driftwood and the sun low and white. We emerged out...The trees in the winter wood were as bare as driftwood and the sun low and white. We emerged out...
Leading Articles
Crisis of Care
Social care has been left unresolved by successive governments for over 30 years. The health service can’t wait for yet another lengthy independent commission
No Second Act
The New Orleans attack is a reminder that Isis is a resurgent threat to the West
Post Deleted
Sir Nick Clegg’s departure from Facebook signals a change in the political weather
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Delay to promised overhaul of social care
Write to [email protected] Sir, Wes Streeting oversees the Department of Health and Social Care, the name of which recognises that the two are interrelated. In calling for a new and lengthy commission on social care, when the issues are well...Write to [email protected] Sir, Wes Streeting oversees the Department of Health and Social...Write to [email protected] Sir, Wes Streeting oversees the Department of Health and Social...
Daily Universal Register
Briefing
Today, UK: Met Office yellow weather warning for snow across England and Wales.
US: Funeral service in Georgia for the former president Jimmy Carter, who died on December 29 at the age of 100.
Tomorrow, UK: More than 250 bus services join Greater Manchester’s Bee Network, bringing all regional bus services under local control for the first time in nearly 40 years.
US: Golden Globe Awards in California.
On this day
Today
In 1809 Louis Braille was born. He lost his sight after an accident at the age of three. In 1829 he published his tactile reading and writing system for use by blind or visually impaired people; in 1946 Theodore Schurch, a 27-year-old private in the Royal Army Service Corps, became the last person to be hanged in the UK for an offence other than murder, at HMP Pentonville in north London. At court martial he denied nine charges of treachery contrary to the Treachery Act 1940 and one charge of desertion (with intent to join the enemy). The executioner was Albert Pierrepoint, who the previous day had executed William Joyce (Lord Haw-Haw), who had broadcast Nazi propaganda from Germany during the Second World War; in 1951 Chinese and North Korean forces captured Seoul, the South Korean capital, during the Korean War. UN forces won back control in March 1951 and an armistice on July 27, 1953 ended the war; in 1986 Phil Lynott, the former frontman of the rock band Thin Lizzy, died aged 36 from heart failure and pneumonia. Among the band’s hits were Whiskey in the Jar (1972) and The Boys Are Back in Town (1976); in 2018 the Dow Jones industrial average broke 25,000 for the first time, tying the fastest 1,000-point move in its history.
Tomorrow
In 1895 Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish artillery captain in the French army, was publicly stripped of his rank after being convicted (falsely) of passing secrets to Germany. He began a life sentence at Devil’s Island Prison in French Guyana. He was officially exonerated on July 12, 1906; in 1919 the German Workers’ Party was founded, the precursor of the Nazi Party. Adolf Hitler made his first appearance and speech at a meeting of the party in September 1919; in 1943 the Tunisian campaign began with an Allied amphibious landing near Sfax in the east of the country, during the Second World War; in 1964 Pope Paul VI met Athenagoras, the ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople, in Jerusalem in the first encounter in 525 years between leaders of the two churches; in 1970 A Question of Sport was first broadcast on the BBC, hosted by David Vine. Henry Cooper and Cliff Morgan were the team captains. George Best, Ray Illingworth, Lillian Board and Tom Finney were the panellists.
Nature notes
A chilly day, and there is little wildlife in Leeds city centre. Just then, a cackle rings out and a magpie bounces over the square. It’s searching for scraps left over from the Christmas market. With their habit of visibly raiding other birds’ nests and their rattlesnake call, magpies have a poor reputation in this country. But in Asia they are venerated. In the celestial Chinese folktale of the weaver girl and the cowherd, the two lovers are exiled from home and separated by a vast river. The river is the Milky Way. Once a year, a huge flock of magpies flies up into the night sky and forms a bridge over the stars, allowing the lovers to briefly reunite. Jonathan Tulloch
Jonathan Tulloch
Birthdays
Saturday
Lord (Charles) Allen of Kensington, chairman, Balfour Beatty (infrastructure group), THG (e-commerce retail company), Invictus Games Foundation, 68; Lisa Appignanesi, writer, Everyday Madness (2018), chairwoman, Royal Society of Literature (2016-21), 79; Prof Dame Marcela Contreras, blood expert and immunologist, 83; Rev Ronald Corp, conductor and composer, founder (1988) and artistic director of the New London Orchestra, 74; John Hargreaves, businessman, founder of Matalan (retailer), 81; Robert Hiscox, chairman, Hiscox (1996-2013, specialist insurer), 82; Thelma Holt, theatre producer, 93; Lord (Ken) Macdonald of River Glaven KC, warden of Wadham College, Oxford (2012-21), director of public prosecutions (2003-08), 72; Roger Mosey, master of Selwyn College, Cambridge, the BBC’s director of London 2012 Olympic Games coverage, 67; Baroness (Jill) Pitkeathley, deputy speaker (Lords), chairwoman, Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (2009-15), 85; Craig Revel Horwood, dancer and choreographer, judge, Strictly Come Dancing (since 2004), 60; Katharine Viner, journalist, editor-in-chief of The Guardian, 54.
Sunday
Prof Sir Bashir Mohammed Ali Al-Hashimi, vice-president (research and innovation), King’s College London, 64; Alfred Brendel KBE, the first pianist to record the entire piano works of Beethoven, 94; Tom Burke, environmentalist who coined the term “green growth”, chairman, E3G (climate change think tank), 78; Prof David Canter, psychologist and pioneer of “offender profiling”, 81; Juan Carlos I, king of Spain (1975-2014), 87; Peter Friend, professor of transplantation, University of Oxford, and vice-president, Royal College of Surgeons of England, 71; Lord (Peter) Goldsmith KC, chairman, Access to Justice Foundation (2009-20), attorney-general (2001-07), 75; Gen Sir Timothy Granville-Chapman, vice-chief of the defence staff (2005-09), 78; Tom Holland, historian, 57; Diane Keaton, actress, Annie Hall (1977), 79; Philip Long, chief executive, National Trust for Scotland, 59; Albert Read, chairman, Evening Standard, managing director, Condé Nast Britain (2017-24), 55; Gen Sir Michael Rose DSO QGM, commander, 22 SAS Regiment during the Falklands conflict, adjutant-general (1995-97) and author, Washington’s War (2007), 85; Roger Spottiswoode, film director, Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), 80; Chris Weston, chief executive, Thames Water (water supply and waste water treatment), 61.