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The number of people sent to prison is to be reduced after a damning report laid bare the extent of overcrowding. Changes to sentencing will end short custodial terms and ensure more criminals are punished in the community through house arrest and greater use of technology such as electronic...The number of people sent to prison is to be reduced after a damning report laid bare the extent of overcrowding. Changes to sentencing will end short custodial terms and ensure more criminals are punished in the community through house arrest and greater use of technology such as electronic...The number of people sent to prison is to be reduced after a damning report laid bare the extent of overcrowding. Changes to...
Civil servants’ appetite for the office appears to have waned since the election, with most departments recording a rise in remote working since July. However, fewer civil servants are staying at home than during the same period last year, as permanent secretaries insist that they must come into the office at least three days a week.Civil servants’ appetite for the office appears to have waned since the election, with most departments recording a rise in remote working since July. However, fewer civil servants are staying at home than during the same period last year, as permanent secretaries insist that they must come into the office at least three days a week.Civil servants’ appetite for the office appears to have waned since the election, with most departments recording a rise in...
Michel Barnier is set to become the shortest-lived French prime minister in recent history as opposition parties prepare to back a motion to oust his centre-right government. In a last-ditch attempt to save his job, Barnier went on television on Tuesday night to warn of political turmoil, social unrest and financial...Michel Barnier is set to become the shortest-lived French prime minister in recent history as...Michel Barnier is set to become the shortest-lived French prime minister in recent history as...
Healthier, eco-friendly, altogether virtuous? If that’s what you think of yourself as you splash almond milk over...Healthier, eco-friendly, altogether virtuous? If that’s what you think of yourself as you splash...Healthier, eco-friendly, altogether virtuous? If that’s what you think of yourself as you splash...
what i’ve learnt
Dame Arlene Phillips, 81, is a choreographer, theatre director and former dancer. She has choreographed West End and...Dame Arlene Phillips, 81, is a choreographer, theatre director and former dancer. She has...Dame Arlene Phillips, 81, is a choreographer, theatre director and former dancer. She has...
A car draped in a gigantic crocheted doily with Grandmaster Flash blaring from the stereo helped to earn its creator this year’s Turner prize. Jurors praised Jasleen Kaur’s “unexpected and playful combinations of material” including the...A car draped in a gigantic crocheted doily with Grandmaster Flash blaring from the stereo helped...A car draped in a gigantic crocheted doily with Grandmaster Flash blaring from the stereo helped...
The chancellor told the Confederation of British Industry last week there would be no more borrowing or tax rises, but has since refused to commit
Legal experts warn that the proposed reforms are too onerous and will not achieve better conditions
The prime minister is due to travel to Belgium to discuss European security in the light of Donald Trump’s election
The Office of Akshata Murty and Rishi Sunak will promote education initiatives
Opponents of the draft legislation want to toughen up safeguarding measures and avoid a ‘stitch-up’
political sketch
Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have not been afraid to take tough decisions. The only thing they’re less afraid of than taking tough decisions is telling you they’ve been taking tough decisions. One suspects the phrase “taking tough decisions”...Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have not been afraid to take tough decisions. The only thing...Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have not been afraid to take tough decisions. The only thing...
times christmas appeal
A turning point in the campaign to close Romania’s dungeon-like orphanages and cruel homes for the disabled came with the shutting of Camin Spital, a grim block near the Ukrainian border with bars on the windows to stop people from jumping to...A turning point in the campaign to close Romania’s dungeon-like orphanages and cruel homes for...A turning point in the campaign to close Romania’s dungeon-like orphanages and cruel homes for...
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have donated $250,000 to a women’s wellness centre founded by President Biden’s daughter. The gift was made last year by Harry and Meghan’s charity, the Archewell Foundation, to Ashley Biden’s Women’s Wellness Spa(ce) in Philadelphia, tax returns show. The centre aims to help women who have experienced trauma to “break from the cycle of...The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have donated $250,000 to a women’s wellness centre founded by...The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have donated $250,000 to a women’s wellness centre founded by...
The King is selling several of the late Queen’s racehorses at auction this week, collecting more than £200,000 on the...The King is selling several of the late Queen’s racehorses at auction this week, collecting more than £200,000 on the first day alone. Trainers and breeders were seen studying horses from the Royal Stud at the Tattersalls auction house in Newmarket, Suffolk, on Monday. Three were sold, including Make Fast, an...The King is selling several of the late Queen’s racehorses at auction this week, collecting more than £200,000 on the first day...
the times diary
It took only two years for South Korea’s conservative president, Yoon Suk-yeol, to learn the limits of his power. After winning the presidency in 2022 with a vow to strengthen the country’s alliance with the United States and deal “sternly” with North Korea — bringing to an end five years of...It took only two years for South Korea’s conservative president, Yoon Suk-yeol, to learn the limits of his power. After winning the presidency in 2022 with a vow to strengthen the country’s alliance with the United States and deal “sternly” with North Korea — bringing to an end five years of...It took only two years for South Korea’s conservative president, Yoon Suk-yeol, to learn the limits of his power. After winning...
aNALYSIS
South Korea was supposed to be that rare thing in the modern world, a point of stability. That it was situated at the epicentre of some of the world’s great geopolitical flashpoints made it even more exceptional, and valuable. The sight of soldiers scuffling with MPs in the halls of South Korea’s national assembly building on Tuesday show...South Korea was supposed to be that rare thing in the modern world, a point of stability. That it was situated at the epicentre of some of the world’s great geopolitical flashpoints made it even more exceptional, and valuable. The sight of soldiers scuffling with MPs in the halls of South Korea’s national assembly building on Tuesday show...South Korea was supposed to be that rare thing in the modern world, a point of stability. That it was situated at the epicentre...
Donald Trump’s transition team has belatedly agreed to allow the FBI to vet figures he wants to serve in senior positions in his administration, ending a stand-off that defied decades of precedent. The announcement means that routine background checks on his nominees can commence, although the news website Semafor...Donald Trump’s transition team has belatedly agreed to allow the FBI to vet figures he wants to...Donald Trump’s transition team has belatedly agreed to allow the FBI to vet figures he wants to...
Interview
It was somewhere between the third and fourth child that Catherine Pakaluk had a revelation. “There was this sense that, ‘Oh, this isn’t getting any harder, in fact, maybe it’s getting easier’,” she mused on motherhood. “I can only describe it...It was somewhere between the third and fourth child that Catherine Pakaluk had a revelation.It was somewhere between the third and fourth child that Catherine Pakaluk had a revelation.
in depth
For three weeks, the family of Hannah Kobayashi have been issuing desperate pleas after she vanished in Los Angeles.For three weeks, the family of Hannah Kobayashi have been issuing desperate pleas after she...For three weeks, the family of Hannah Kobayashi have been issuing desperate pleas after she...
The French have been making pâté en croûte since the Middle Ages, when the delicacy was often served at banquets.The French have been making pâté en croûte since the Middle Ages, when the delicacy was often...The French have been making pâté en croûte since the Middle Ages, when the delicacy was often...
It was not the 8,000-mile journey across the wild Pacific that thwarted the drug smugglers in the end, nor the £400 million ambition of their crime, but rather a faulty motor on a fishing boat when they were just a few miles offshore. An attempt...It was not the 8,000-mile journey across the wild Pacific that thwarted the drug smugglers in the...It was not the 8,000-mile journey across the wild Pacific that thwarted the drug smugglers in the...
Syrian opposition forces led by the jihadist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) had come within six miles of the city of Hama by the end of Tuesday morning, as Western-backed Kurdish forces opened up a second front against...Syrian opposition forces led by the jihadist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) had come within six miles of the city of Hama by the end of Tuesday morning, as Western-backed Kurdish forces opened up a second front against...Syrian opposition forces led by the jihadist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) had come within six miles of the city...
Israeli prime minister Benyamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Israel was enforcing its ceasefire with Hezbollah with “an iron fist” amidst warnings from his administration that a return to hostilities would trigger more...Israeli prime minister Benyamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Israel was enforcing its ceasefire with Hezbollah with “an iron fist” amidst warnings from his administration that a return to hostilities would trigger more...Israeli prime minister Benyamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Israel was enforcing its ceasefire with Hezbollah with...
Temporary boost from budget but this year’s growth forecast is cut
updatedHigher government spending will temporarily lift the UK’s economic growth next year, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, which also warned of accelerating inflation and the “crowding out” of private investment. The OECD said Britain’s economy would be one of...Higher government spending will temporarily lift the UK’s economic growth next year, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, which also warned of accelerating inflation and the “crowding out” of private investment. The OECD said Britain’s economy would be one of...Higher government spending will temporarily lift the UK’s economic growth next year, according to the Organisation for Economic...
UK investors flocked back into equity funds in November having sold off at a record rate the previous month in anticipation of tax rises in Labour’s budget. Equity fund net inflows hit a record high of more than £3 billion, following net selling of £2.7 billion in October, according to data from Calastone. The global funds network said...UK investors flocked back into equity funds in November having sold off at a record rate the previous month in anticipation of tax rises in Labour’s budget. Equity fund net inflows hit a record high of more than £3 billion, following net selling of £2.7 billion in October, according to data from Calastone. The global funds network said...UK investors flocked back into equity funds in November having sold off at a record rate the previous month in anticipation of...
The UK could escape the worst impact of Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs due to the dominance in Britain of services rather than goods, the governor of the Bank of England has said. Andrew Bailey, who has called himself a “dyed in the wool free trader”, said the inflationary impact of proposed tariffs — up to 60...The UK could escape the worst impact of Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs due to the dominance in...The UK could escape the worst impact of Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs due to the dominance in...
ALISTAIR OSBORNE
Some corporate governance questions look easy to answer. Take this one: should Elon Musk be allowed a gargantuan $56...Some corporate governance questions look easy to answer. Take this one: should Elon Musk be...Some corporate governance questions look easy to answer. Take this one: should Elon Musk be...
DAVID SMITH
Every so often a statistic comes along that makes you sit up and take notice. So it was a few days ago when the...Every so often a statistic comes along that makes you sit up and take notice. So it was a few...Every so often a statistic comes along that makes you sit up and take notice. So it was a few...
An American chief executive made a surprising confession to me during a recent interview in Connecticut: he likes to...An American chief executive made a surprising confession to me during a recent interview in...An American chief executive made a surprising confession to me during a recent interview in...
LAUREN ALMEIDA | TEMPUS
Seasoned green investors will be familiar with the Greencoat brand, seeing as one of its funds — Greencoat UK Wind —...Seasoned green investors will be familiar with the Greencoat brand, seeing as one of its funds —...Seasoned green investors will be familiar with the Greencoat brand, seeing as one of its funds —...
technology
Laura Jardine Paterson’s team of developers delivers projects on time from refugee camps in a war zone
RECRUITMENT
The sector generates £343 billion in annual turnover and is already a bigger player than telecoms
Black Friday may be the nation’s busiest shopping day, but it’s also the most frantic for data processing and collection too. In the UK alone, hundreds of millions of “data validation requests” are generated by shoppers browsing websites, using contactless travel, scrolling social media and paying online. Every single one requires a team of data experts to make it...Black Friday may be the nation’s busiest shopping day, but it’s also the most frantic for data...Black Friday may be the nation’s busiest shopping day, but it’s also the most frantic for data...
SIX FROM THE BEST
As the UN attempts to end the globe’s plastic addiction at the Busan treaty talks in South Korea, Sarah Perreard is...As the UN attempts to end the globe’s plastic addiction at the Busan treaty talks in South Korea, Sarah Perreard is focused on turning sustainability into a catalyst for success. As co-chief executive of the Swiss research consultancy EA Earth Action, she helps global corporations transition to the circular economy.As the UN attempts to end the globe’s plastic addiction at the Busan treaty talks in South Korea, Sarah Perreard is focused on...
Mike Atherton
England go with same team for second Test against New Zealand but, with Jamie Smith to return after this tour, it could have longer-term ramifications
newAt the time, England’s team for the Christchurch Test, with Jacob Bethell at No3, and Ollie Pope at No6 and wearing the gloves, was a stop-gap measure to counter Jordan Cox’s broken thumb and the absence of a spare, specialist wicketkeeper in the squad. It has since dawned on Ben Stokes and...At the time, England’s team for the Christchurch Test, with Jacob Bethell at No3, and Ollie Pope at No6 and wearing the gloves, was a stop-gap measure to counter Jordan Cox’s broken thumb and the absence of a spare, specialist wicketkeeper in the squad. It has since dawned on Ben Stokes and...At the time, England’s team for the Christchurch Test, with Jacob Bethell at No3, and Ollie Pope at No6 and wearing the gloves...
MARTIN SAMUEL
So here we are. “Jesus loves you” may now be a message that brings an FA charge. Had Marc Guéhi tattooed his devotion on a forearm, even stencilled it on his forehead, the FA would not have done a thing about that. Olivier Giroud had Psalm 23 etched on to his right arm, in Latin, during his time with Chelsea, without complaint. Fábio Silva...So here we are. “Jesus loves you” may now be a message that brings an FA charge. Had Marc Guéhi tattooed his devotion on a forearm, even stencilled it on his forehead, the FA would not have done a thing about that. Olivier Giroud had Psalm 23 etched on to his right arm, in Latin, during his time with Chelsea, without complaint. Fábio Silva...So here we are. “Jesus loves you” may now be a message that brings an FA charge. Had Marc Guéhi tattooed his devotion on a...
Experimenting not only helps to find out what works, but also what does not. Indeed, a radically rotated England’s victory over Switzerland at Bramall Lane was illuminating in both positive and negative senses. The positives? Grace Clinton was outstanding yet again. Ruby Mace had a solid debut. Aggie Beever-Jones...Experimenting not only helps to find out what works, but also what does not. Indeed, a radically...Experimenting not only helps to find out what works, but also what does not. Indeed, a radically...
Luke Shaw’s nightmare year took another turn for the worse after he revealed that he had suffered an injury that is...Luke Shaw’s nightmare year took another turn for the worse after he revealed that he had suffered...Luke Shaw’s nightmare year took another turn for the worse after he revealed that he had suffered...
The double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel has broken his right shoulder blade as well as a hand and rib after crashing during a training ride in his native Belgium. The force of the crash snapped his bike in two — with local media reports...The double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel has broken his right shoulder blade as well as a hand...The double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel has broken his right shoulder blade as well as a hand...
A gleaming, 53,000-seat stadium on the banks of the Mersey will welcome Everton next summer, but will they be facing the likes of Coventry City and Millwall rather than Chelsea and Manchester United in their first season at their new home? Everton...A gleaming, 53,000-seat stadium on the banks of the Mersey will welcome Everton next summer, but...A gleaming, 53,000-seat stadium on the banks of the Mersey will welcome Everton next summer, but...
first person
Drunk flirting, illicit snogs, waking up in a taxi … the truth about the office festive knees-up
The actress’s daughter has just ‘come out’ in Paris. Rachel Johnson’s did the same
Plant-based milks are trendy, but some come at a prohibitive cost to the planet a new study has found. By Libby Galvin
Some of the A-list looks at this year’s Fashion Awards were surprisingly practical — if a little tricky to pull off on the dancefloor, says Harriet Walker
what i’ve learnt
What do Sarah Jessica Parker and pretty much every fashion influencer you could care to mention have in common this...What do Sarah Jessica Parker and pretty much every fashion influencer you could care to mention...What do Sarah Jessica Parker and pretty much every fashion influencer you could care to mention...
a life in the day
Born in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, Titchmarsh worked at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew before moving into writing and TV....Born in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, Titchmarsh worked at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew before...Born in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, Titchmarsh worked at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew before...
LAURA FREEMAN
You think the worst of the Turner prize was in the Nineties and early Noughties? When Damien Hirst won for the shark in formaldehyde (1995) and Chris Ofili won for the elephant dung (1998) and Tracey Emin didn’t win for the unmade bed (1999) and Martin Creed won for the lights going on and off and Madonna swore on Channel 4 (2001)? When some bloke in a frock won for his...You think the worst of the Turner prize was in the Nineties and early Noughties? When Damien...You think the worst of the Turner prize was in the Nineties and early Noughties? When Damien...
review
Centuries of speculation about what happened with the Princes in the Tower in 1483 seems to have culminated in the...Centuries of speculation about what happened with the Princes in the Tower in 1483 seems to have culminated in the 2020s in an arms race between British free-to-air TV channels. It’s almost as if we’re obsessed with true-crime mysteries. Rob Rinder may have reckoned that his 2023 Channel 4 programme The Princes in...Centuries of speculation about what happened with the Princes in the Tower in 1483 seems to have culminated in the 2020s in an...
In a gated development about ten minutes’ drive from the centre of Bolton, this iroko-clad modern home has a cool, contemporary vibe. The ground floor is one open-plan space, with kitchen, dining and living areas arranged around the central...In a gated development about ten minutes’ drive from the centre of Bolton, this iroko-clad modern...In a gated development about ten minutes’ drive from the centre of Bolton, this iroko-clad modern...
first night review
first night review
first night review
first night review
It’s a case of the good, the bad and the furry. In this year’s round-up of the finest life writing, we are...It’s a case of the good, the bad and the furry. In this year’s round-up of the finest life...It’s a case of the good, the bad and the furry. In this year’s round-up of the finest life...
Who are the members of the new ruling class? Are mobile phones turning teenagers loopy? Did the Virgin Mary ever...Who are the members of the new ruling class? Are mobile phones turning teenagers loopy? Did the...Who are the members of the new ruling class? Are mobile phones turning teenagers loopy? Did the...
Five easy ways to transform festive side dishes — with the aid of your spice rack. By Rahul Mandal
From pea crostini to honey mustard sausages and brie and cranberry bites
The invitations are landing, but what to wear? Here’s our ultimate party dressing wish list
Bring out the bubbly personalities with these extra special cocktails
Essential tools, growing kits, beautiful pots and how-to books to inspire your friends and family to get outdoors
MindGames
Fifteen questions to get you thinking
1 At which meal do you usually eat a “full English”? 2 Which Labour MP has the Instagram handle @officialhackneyabbott? 3 The ITV version of which show featured Saracen, Jet, Lightning and Shadow? 4 High Adventure (1955) is the first book by which New Zealand mountaineer? 5 The moonlet Pan orbits inside the A ring of which planet? 6 In its original location in London in...1 At which meal do you usually eat a “full English”? 2 Which Labour MP has the Instagram handle...1 At which meal do you usually eat a “full English”? 2 Which Labour MP has the Instagram handle...
TELEVISION
Television
TELEVISION
TELEVISION
Television
television
TELEVISION
Anna Murphy talks to the founder of Abask, Tom Chapman, about his “more is more” philosophy
Leonora Field-Foster compiles a list of treats for the family (or yourself) this Christmas
It’s the season of the white truffle, that fine fragrant tuber. Tony Turnbull recommends the best places to enjoy it — and what to order
Treat your MAMIL with the best bikes, bibs, computers and a nifty foldable helmet
julia samuel
The psychotherapist addresses your dilemmas
Fancy a dip in the Mersey? A new wellness spot at Liverpool’s historic docks means you can take the plunge in style. Plus our pick of other exciting city centre saunas in the UK
It doesn’t get more fabulously festive than these boutiques. Once you’ve stocked up on everything from tartan reindeer to cheese-shaped baubles, make a weekend of it with a cosy stay nearby
Take in 45,000 years of history, cute quokkas and white-sand beaches on a laid-back break in Perth, home to the world’s oldest living culture
Saltmoore, a luxurious boutique stay in the North Yorkshire town of Whitby, is the brain child of former reality TV star Montana Brown. Susan d’Arcy is first to check in
A fortnight travelling from Singapore to Bangkok with her dad and her toddler was a big family holiday test for this writer — with some surprises along the way
comment
I’ve taken so many city breaks over the years that I’ve lost count. There’s nothing like the thrill of waking up in a...I’ve taken so many city breaks over the years that I’ve lost count. There’s nothing like the...I’ve taken so many city breaks over the years that I’ve lost count. There’s nothing like the...
With its culture, cuisine and sun-blessed climate, Spain has long been a magnet for tourists — in fact, it’s the most...With its culture, cuisine and sun-blessed climate, Spain has long been a magnet for tourists — in...With its culture, cuisine and sun-blessed climate, Spain has long been a magnet for tourists — in...
video
Barcelona is known for its outstanding art, architecture and, over the last few years, its issues with overtourism. But there’s so much more to the city than the likes of buzzy La Rambla. Let our expert take you off the tourist trail to...Barcelona is known for its outstanding art, architecture and, over the last few years, its issues...Barcelona is known for its outstanding art, architecture and, over the last few years, its issues...
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
Buckingham Palace
3rd December, 2024
The Emir of the State of Qatar and Sheikha Jawaher Bint Hamad Bin Suhaim...Buckingham Palace
3rd December, 2024
The Emir of the State of Qatar and Sheikha Jawaher Bint...Buckingham Palace
3rd December, 2024
The Emir of the State of Qatar and Sheikha Jawaher Bint...
BANNOCK on 26th November 2024 to Katie Rose (née French) and James Henry, a son, George Henry, brother to Harry Thomas.BANNOCK on 26th November 2024 to Katie Rose (née French) and James Henry, a son, George Henry...BANNOCK on 26th November 2024 to Katie Rose (née French) and James Henry, a son, George Henry...
MindGames and Brain Boost puzzles to print and solve at your leisure
Businesses across Scotland are lobbying ministers to ease the financial strain on workers by scrapping peak rail fares that have doubled the cost for commuters. A survey of 600 companies revealed that one in four want to reinstate a pilot scheme in which ticket prices were subsidised by the...Businesses across Scotland are lobbying ministers to ease the financial strain on workers by scrapping peak rail fares that have doubled the cost for commuters. A survey of 600 companies revealed that one in four want to reinstate a pilot scheme in which ticket prices were subsidised by the...Businesses across Scotland are lobbying ministers to ease the financial strain on workers by scrapping peak rail fares that...
The charity regulator is conducting an inquiry into a transgender youth charity over its criticism of a government review that led to a ban on puberty blockers. LGBT Youth Scotland (LGBTYS) issued a furious response in April to the Cass Review, a report into gender identity services for young people provided by NHS England that found...The charity regulator is conducting an inquiry into a transgender youth charity over its criticism of a government review that led to a ban on puberty blockers. LGBT Youth Scotland (LGBTYS) issued a furious response in April to the Cass Review, a report into gender identity services for young people provided by NHS England that found...The charity regulator is conducting an inquiry into a transgender youth charity over its criticism of a government review that...
kenny farquharson
Let me take you for a stroll through a moral maze. Our topic today is assisted dying, but do not worry — this is not yet another column arguing for or against. Instead I want to talk about nationalism, unionism and empathy. Last Friday in the House of Commons, MPs voted on the second reading of Kim Leadbeater’s...Let me take you for a stroll through a moral maze. Our topic today is assisted dying, but do not...Let me take you for a stroll through a moral maze. Our topic today is assisted dying, but do not...
Premiership | Michael Grant
How does it differ from the UK version? We explain the key differences
updatedThe Scottish government will outline its budget this afternoon, when significant decisions will be made around tax and spending. Shona Robison, the finance secretary, is likely to maintain the existing divergence from the rest of the UK in areas such as levels of income tax and benefits. The Fraser of Allander Institute (FAI) said Robison will have “little room...The Scottish government will outline its budget this afternoon, when significant decisions will...The Scottish government will outline its budget this afternoon, when significant decisions will...
The block grant from Westminster to Holyrood still accounts for most of the money available to the Scottish...The block grant from Westminster to Holyrood still accounts for most of the money available to the Scottish government in its budget, despite significantly increased tax-raising powers being devolved in recent years. The Scottish government will outline its latest budget this week on December 4, when...The block grant from Westminster to Holyrood still accounts for most of the money available to the Scottish government in its...
Struan Stevenson
The combined effects of the highest taxes in the UK, together with huge fiscal transfers from Westminster under the...The combined effects of the highest taxes in the UK, together with huge fiscal transfers from...The combined effects of the highest taxes in the UK, together with huge fiscal transfers from...
scottish business digest
Hello and welcome to our daily digest of business, financial and economic news from around Scotland. 1. The...Hello and welcome to our daily digest of business, financial and economic news from around Scotland.Hello and welcome to our daily digest of business, financial and economic news from around Scotland.
PrEMIERSHIP
Rangers’ attempt to appoint businessman Malcom Offord as their new chairman has broken down. The club had hoped to confirm the 60-year-old as the replacement for John Bennett, who stepped down in September for health reasons, but discussions have...Rangers’ attempt to appoint businessman Malcom Offord as their new chairman has broken down. The...Rangers’ attempt to appoint businessman Malcom Offord as their new chairman has broken down. The...
Comment
Money is starting to talk in British politics
Daniel Finkelstein
Spending has long been key to electoral success in America and online advertising means that will soon be true here
ALICE THOMSON
Wallace the wally and how MeToo went wrong
ROGER BOYES
Three funerals to reshape the Middle East
MATTHEW PARRIS | NOTEBOOK
Lovey-dovey Davey really needs to toughen up
PENELOPE GIBBS
Prosecutions by post are a poor form of justice
georgia heneage | notebook
There’s no place for prudes in Naples
I have never seen as many phalluses as I did on my trip to Naples this weekend. The city is brimming with them: phallus-shaped limoncello bottles and dried pasta, on keyrings, fridge magnets, bottle openers, greetings cards, socks. You’d have your...I have never seen as many phalluses as I did on my trip to Naples this weekend. The city is...I have never seen as many phalluses as I did on my trip to Naples this weekend. The city is...
Leading Articles
Whitehall Warrior
Sir Chris Wormald’s appointment casts doubt over Sir Keir Starmer’s commitment to reform Britain’s lethargic civil service
Cybermen
State and criminal actors pose an increasing threat to national security
Game On
Britons beware: your present may constitute a threat to domestic harmony
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Churches lose faith in refunds for repairs
Write to letters@thetimes.co.uk Sir, Perhaps it is the rigour born of years of practice as an economist, but Rachel Reeves is in danger of forgetting she is a politician too. Worryingly, she appears unable to resist the siren song of Treasury...Write to letters@thetimes.co.uk Sir, Perhaps it is the rigour born of years of practice as an...Write to letters@thetimes.co.uk Sir, Perhaps it is the rigour born of years of practice as an...
Daily Universal Register
Briefing
UK: Sir Keir Starmer hosts Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, the emir of Qatar, who is on a state visit to the UK; Shona Robison, the Scottish finance secretary, delivers the Scottish government’s budget for the coming financial year; staff at The Guardian and The Observer newspapers begin a 48-hour strike.
France: The national assembly debates and votes on a confidence motion on Michel Barnier’s government.
On this day
In 1791 The Observer was first published, a four-page edition. It was the first newspaper to regularly publish on a Sunday; in 1844 James K Polk, a Democrat, won the US presidential election. Sarah Childress Polk, the first lady, observed that her husband was in need of some fanfare to his presidency, establishing the US Marine band tradition of playing Hail to the Chief when the commander-in-chief arrives. The tune, based on a Scottish melody, had been used for previous presidents, but not routinely; in 1937 the first issue of The Dandy comic was published by DC Thomson, based in Dundee. Only ten copies are known to exist, and one free gift, an “express whistler”. The last print edition was on December 4, 2012; in 1957 90 people died and nearly 200 were injured when two trains collided in dense fog near Lewisham, southeast London; in 1991 Terry Anderson was freed after six and a half years as a hostage in Lebanon. The American journalist was reunited with his fiancée and met his six-year-old daughter for the first time (obituary, April 23, 2024).
Nature notes
Gone are the days when wild birds were a staple of London Theatreland — baskets of sparrows were released into the auditorium during Handel’s Rinaldo. But there was a surprise treat for birdwatchers recently in the Gielgud Theatre when a redshank stole the show. It occurred in the excellent production of Sean O’Casey’s Juno and the Paycock when Boyle (a drunken loafer) describes how a creditor reclaimed a pair of unpaid-for trousers. “He whipped them from the chair,” Boyle explains, “an’ was off like a redshank!” This perfectly captures the redshank’s flighty character: they always fly smartly away from even the most distant threat. Before the tidal Thames was canalised, redshanks would often have been heard on a swampy Shaftesbury Avenue. Jonathan Tulloch
Jonathan Tulloch
Birthdays today
Pamela Stephenson (Lady Connolly), pictured, clinical psychologist and comedian, Not the Nine O’Clock News (1979-82), 75; Barbara Amiel (Lady Black of Crossharbour), writer, Friends and Enemies: A Life in Vogue, Prison, & Park Avenue (2022), 84; Dina Asher-Smith, sprinter, Olympics silver medallist (2024, 4x100m relay), 100m and 200m UK record-holder, six-time gold medallist, European Championships, 29; Tyra Banks, model and TV presenter, America’s Next Top Model (2003-18), 51; Ken Bates, businessman, former owner and chairman of football clubs Chelsea and Leeds United, 93; Jeff Bridges, actor, Crazy Heart (2009), 75; Baroness (Angela) Browning, Conservative MP (1992-2010), deputy chairwoman, Conservative Party (2005-07), 78; Maj-Gen Nick Caplin, chief executive, Blind Veterans UK (2014-23), 66; Gus Christie, chairman, Glyndebourne Opera, 61; Ann Christopher, sculptor, 77; Andy Currie, businessman, director of Ineos, 69; Richard Deverell, director, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 59; Peter Godwin, writer, The Fear: Robert Mugabe and the Martyrdom of Zimbabwe (2011), 67; Dame Nia Griffith, Labour MP, minister for Wales and minister for equalities, 68; Lord (Philip) Hammond of Runnymede, Conservative MP (1997-2019), chancellor of the Exchequer (2016-19), 69; Chris Hillman, musician, original bassist with the Byrds, 80; Richard Hollis, graphic designer, 90; Gemma Jones, actress, the Harry Potter film series, 82; Clive Leach, cricketer, chairman, Durham County Cricket Club (2004-16), 90; Lord (Hugh) Matthews, senator of the College of Justice in Scotland, 71; Guy Parker, chief executive, Advertising Standards Authority, 55; (Air Chief Marshal) Lord (Jock) Stirrup AFC, chief of the defence staff (2006-10), 75; Jay-Z, rapper and businessman, 55.