The Times & The Sunday Times Homepage
Families say nothing less than manslaughter charges will do after inquiry into 72 deaths
updatedThere should be consequences for those to blame for the Grenfell Tower tragedy, Angela Rayner has said, as she vowed to speed up the removal of dangerous cladding on buildings. Police and prosecutors have been facing calls to bring criminal charges over the tragedy after a devastating inquiry...There should be consequences for those to blame for the Grenfell Tower tragedy, Angela Rayner has said, as she vowed to speed up the removal of dangerous cladding on buildings. Police and prosecutors have been facing calls to bring criminal charges over the tragedy after a devastating inquiry...There should be consequences for those to blame for the Grenfell Tower tragedy, Angela Rayner has said, as she vowed to speed...
GRENFELL INQUIRY
One of the key cladding executives singled out for devastating criticism after trying to conceal fire safety failings has claimed that he is “100 per cent sure” he bears no personal responsibility for the Grenfell Tower tragedy. Claude Wehrle, a former technical manager at Arconic Architectural Products SAS (AAP), was found to have acted...One of the key cladding executives singled out for devastating criticism after trying to conceal fire safety failings has claimed that he is “100 per cent sure” he bears no personal responsibility for the Grenfell Tower tragedy. Claude Wehrle, a former technical manager at Arconic Architectural Products SAS (AAP), was found to have acted...One of the key cladding executives singled out for devastating criticism after trying to conceal fire safety failings has...
The Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei has died days after being set on fire by her boyfriend, Ugandan officials have said. The marathon runner, who competed at the Paris Games, had been in hospital since the weekend with burns to 80 per cent of her body. On Thursday the Ugandan Athletics Federation posted on X: “We...The Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei has died days after being set on fire by her boyfriend...The Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei has died days after being set on fire by her boyfriend...
The Big QUestion
Scientists have found that women who eat 30 plants a week significantly reduce menopause symptoms, including hot...Scientists have found that women who eat 30 plants a week significantly reduce menopause symptoms...Scientists have found that women who eat 30 plants a week significantly reduce menopause symptoms...
Interview
It’s barely ten minutes into our conversation in a swank south Dublin hotel when the Booker prizewinning author...It’s barely ten minutes into our conversation in a swank south Dublin hotel when the Booker...It’s barely ten minutes into our conversation in a swank south Dublin hotel when the Booker...
BEHIND THE STORY
Salman Rushdie and a fellow Booker prizewinner are in the running for an unprecedented literary double with accounts of their own near-death experiences. Rushdie has been longlisted for the Baillie Gifford prize for non-fiction with Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder, which recounts the near-fatal attack on him two years ago as he prepared to give a...Salman Rushdie and a fellow Booker prizewinner are in the running for an unprecedented literary...Salman Rushdie and a fellow Booker prizewinner are in the running for an unprecedented literary...
Despite his age and frailty, Bhim Kohli rarely missed a chance to tend to the vegetables he grew at his award-winning...Despite his age and frailty, Bhim Kohli rarely missed a chance to tend to the vegetables he grew at his award-winning allotment. Bent forward, with his hands tucked behind his back or pushing a wheelbarrow, Kohli, 80, was often seen slowly walking through Braunstone Town in Leicestershire on his way to care for his...Despite his age and frailty, Bhim Kohli rarely missed a chance to tend to the vegetables he grew at his award-winning allotment.
More than 200 migrants attempted to cross the Channel on Wednesday, hours after 12 people died in the latest tragedy
Sir Tony Blair has backed plans to allow young Europeans to come and live and work in Britain as part of a reset of relations with Brussels after Brexit. The former prime minister said he would support proposals for a reciprocal youth mobility...Sir Tony Blair has backed plans to allow young Europeans to come and live and work in Britain as...Sir Tony Blair has backed plans to allow young Europeans to come and live and work in Britain as...
A mother shot dead two of her children and cut the neck of her third child then blamed her former husband during a...A mother shot dead two of her children and cut the neck of her third child then blamed her former...A mother shot dead two of her children and cut the neck of her third child then blamed her former...
The times diary
When David Sedaris got an email inviting him to discuss comedy with the Pope, the humourist assumed it was spam.When David Sedaris got an email inviting him to discuss comedy with the Pope, the humourist...When David Sedaris got an email inviting him to discuss comedy with the Pope, the humourist...
Macron said to be considering former Brexit negotiator to break political deadlock
newMichel Barnier, the former EU commissioner who negotiated Britain’s departure from the Union, has emerged as President Macron’s latest possible choice as prime minister to end seven weeks of political deadlock over forming a new French government. Macron is reported to have contacted the...Michel Barnier, the former EU commissioner who negotiated Britain’s departure from the Union, has emerged as President Macron’s latest possible choice as prime minister to end seven weeks of political deadlock over forming a new French government. Macron is reported to have contacted the...Michel Barnier, the former EU commissioner who negotiated Britain’s departure from the Union, has emerged as President Macron’s...
Ukraine’s foreign minister has resigned as part of one of the biggest government shake-ups by President Zelensky since the start of the Russian invasion. Dmytro Kuleba and five other ministers stood down after Zelensky said that changes were needed to strengthen his administration. All are believed to have been told to go by the...Ukraine’s foreign minister has resigned as part of one of the biggest government shake-ups by President Zelensky since the start of the Russian invasion. Dmytro Kuleba and five other ministers stood down after Zelensky said that changes were needed to strengthen his administration. All are believed to have been told to go by the...Ukraine’s foreign minister has resigned as part of one of the biggest government shake-ups by President Zelensky since the...
A Dutch sperm donor who admits fathering hundreds of children through deceit is set to sue Netflix for supposedly exaggerating the number into the thousands. Jonathan Meijer, 43, who acknowledges fathering 550 children after misleading scores of women, aims to take the streaming giant to court over The Man with...A Dutch sperm donor who admits fathering hundreds of children through deceit is set to sue...A Dutch sperm donor who admits fathering hundreds of children through deceit is set to sue...
Letter From SUDAN
video
The Pope has reignited his long-running quarrel with childless pet owners after he praised couples with five children...The Pope has reignited his long-running quarrel with childless pet owners after he praised...The Pope has reignited his long-running quarrel with childless pet owners after he praised...
Losing thousands of residents who go in search of higher pay and warmer climes to its next door neighbour has long...Losing thousands of residents who go in search of higher pay and warmer climes to its next door...Losing thousands of residents who go in search of higher pay and warmer climes to its next door...
Shakira has lashed out against the Spanish treasury for trying to “burn her at the stake” in a publicity stunt she compared to an “Inquisition trial”. The Colombian pop star accused the ministry of being sexist, racist and manipulative in the tirade, which comes months after she reached a settlement with Spanish prosecutors to avoid a prison sentence for allegedly...Shakira has lashed out against the Spanish treasury for trying to “burn her at the stake” in a...Shakira has lashed out against the Spanish treasury for trying to “burn her at the stake” in a...
A British woman has died and a British man is missing after they went hiking on Mallorca and were said to have been...A British woman has died and a British man is missing after they went hiking on Mallorca and were said to have been swept away in a flash flood in Torrent de Pareis, a canyon in the northwest of the Mediterranean island. Spanish police said that they had recovered the body of the woman and were searching for the man...A British woman has died and a British man is missing after they went hiking on Mallorca and were said to have been swept away...
Bikes are supposed to be one of the cheapest forms of travel, but the €336,000 cost of a shelter for the Irish parliament has provoked national outrage, the intervention of the Irish prime minister, a formal inquiry and a Game...Bikes are supposed to be one of the cheapest forms of travel, but the €336,000 cost of a shelter for the Irish parliament has provoked national outrage, the intervention of the Irish prime minister, a formal inquiry and a Game...Bikes are supposed to be one of the cheapest forms of travel, but the €336,000 cost of a shelter for the Irish...
The United States has accused Russia of seeking to influence the 2024 presidential election, announcing criminal charges, seizing internet domains and issuing sanctions against state media groups. Merrick Garland, the US...The United States has accused Russia of seeking to influence the 2024 presidential election, announcing criminal charges, seizing internet domains and issuing sanctions against state media groups. Merrick Garland, the US...The United States has accused Russia of seeking to influence the 2024 presidential election, announcing criminal...
Kamala Harris set out her economic vision on Wednesday, promising to lower capital gains tax and offer breaks to small businesses as the Democrats sought to win over middle-class voters. The vice-president, speaking at a campaign event in North Hampton, New Hampshire, proposed a smaller increase in the top rate of capital gains than the almost 40 per cent that President...Kamala Harris set out her economic vision on Wednesday, promising to lower capital gains tax and...Kamala Harris set out her economic vision on Wednesday, promising to lower capital gains tax and...
Donald Trump’s campaign has accused Amazon of election interference after videos emerged showing its Alexa virtual...Donald Trump’s campaign has accused Amazon of election interference after videos emerged showing its Alexa virtual assistant giving different answers when asked about voting for him or Kamala Harris. Amazon acknowledged a mistake that it said was now corrected, after people posted videos on X of Alexa responding to...Donald Trump’s campaign has accused Amazon of election interference after videos emerged showing its Alexa virtual assistant...
in mapS and charts
in maps and charts
IN maps and CHARTS
Kamala Harris has a narrow polling lead over Donald Trump in the 2024 US presidential election, according to a...Kamala Harris has a narrow polling lead over Donald Trump in the 2024 US presidential election...Kamala Harris has a narrow polling lead over Donald Trump in the 2024 US presidential election...
The value of shares in Donald Trump’s social media company Truth Social has slumped more than 74 per cent since late...The value of shares in Donald Trump’s social media company Truth Social has slumped more than 74...The value of shares in Donald Trump’s social media company Truth Social has slumped more than 74...
Regulator proposes overhaul of Royal Mail’s universal service obligations
The delivery of second-class letters on Saturdays is to be scrapped under an overhaul of Royal Mail’s universal service obligation being proposed by the regulator. First-class letters would continue to be delivered six days a week, though, under changes to be put to consultation by Ofcom, which...The delivery of second-class letters on Saturdays is to be scrapped under an overhaul of Royal Mail’s universal service obligation being proposed by the regulator. First-class letters would continue to be delivered six days a week, though, under changes to be put to consultation by Ofcom, which...The delivery of second-class letters on Saturdays is to be scrapped under an overhaul of Royal Mail’s universal service...
Associated British Foods, the food group and owner of Primark, has warned shareholders that falling European sugar prices will “significantly impact” the division’s performance in the coming financial year. Due to increased supply and falling prices, the FTSE 100 company now expects operating profits in its sugar business of between £50...Associated British Foods, the food group and owner of Primark, has warned shareholders that falling European sugar prices will “significantly impact” the division’s performance in the coming financial year. Due to increased supply and falling prices, the FTSE 100 company now expects operating profits in its sugar business of between £50...Associated British Foods, the food group and owner of Primark, has warned shareholders that falling European sugar prices will...
Price cuts and the clearing out of existing stock ahead of the hoped-for big sales push with the September registration plate change have helped electric cars to their best performance in 20 months, according to latest trade figures. The number of all-new cars sold in August fell 1.3 per cent to 84,500, according to...Price cuts and the clearing out of existing stock ahead of the hoped-for big sales push with the...Price cuts and the clearing out of existing stock ahead of the hoped-for big sales push with the...
business commentary
Tragedies typically have multiple causes. Grenfell is no exception. The fire that killed 72 people in June 2017 was...Tragedies typically have multiple causes. Grenfell is no exception. The fire that killed 72...Tragedies typically have multiple causes. Grenfell is no exception. The fire that killed 72...
comment
In 1334, Edward III took a decision that arguably proved one of the most important acts of industrial policy in the...In 1334, Edward III took a decision that arguably proved one of the most important acts of...In 1334, Edward III took a decision that arguably proved one of the most important acts of...
The proportion of former rental properties for sale is the highest on record, an increase that may be driven by landlords’ fears of an increase in capital gains tax in the budget, according to Rightmove. Eighteen per cent of properties for sale...The proportion of former rental properties for sale is the highest on record, an increase that...The proportion of former rental properties for sale is the highest on record, an increase that...
powering up britain
comment
Sir Keir Starmer promised us a government laser-focused on boosting economic growth and a state that would “tread...Sir Keir Starmer promised us a government laser-focused on boosting economic growth and a state...Sir Keir Starmer promised us a government laser-focused on boosting economic growth and a state...
rupert soamEs | comment
Has the FTSE lost its lustre? With activity, returns and listings all falling over the past 20 years, with companies...Has the FTSE lost its lustre? With activity, returns and listings all falling over the past 20...Has the FTSE lost its lustre? With activity, returns and listings all falling over the past 20...
tempus
Student accommodation in Britain is in a mess that is not going to be sorted out in a hurry, but that is welcome news...Student accommodation in Britain is in a mess that is not going to be sorted out in a hurry, but...Student accommodation in Britain is in a mess that is not going to be sorted out in a hurry, but...
market report
Investors in Hilton Food Group were disappointed when first-half results from the mid-cap company failed to impress.Investors in Hilton Food Group were disappointed when first-half results from the mid-cap company...Investors in Hilton Food Group were disappointed when first-half results from the mid-cap company...
Expert tips
Personal Development
international trade
recruitment
The nation’s athletes have been going for gold, clocking up an impressive medal haul at the Paris Olympics and Paralympics. Next week it is the turn of the nation’s trainees and apprentices to do the same at the global WorldSkills competition in Lyon. Held every two years, WorldSkills is the world’s largest international skills contest. Known as the “Skills Olympics”...The nation’s athletes have been going for gold, clocking up an impressive medal haul at the Paris...The nation’s athletes have been going for gold, clocking up an impressive medal haul at the Paris...
recruitment | six from the best
If your children are heading back to primary school this week, it’s likely they’ll be using material from Twinkl.If your children are heading back to primary school this week, it’s likely they’ll be using material from Twinkl. Founded in 2010 by the Oxford alumni and former lawyer Jonathan Seaton, it is a global education resource provider available in 200 countries. Here Seaton shares his lessons on building a business. 1 Be...If your children are heading back to primary school this week, it’s likely they’ll be using material from Twinkl. Founded in...
Players’ union worried as new report raises fears of burnout
newPlayers’ chiefs have claimed that Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah have made electric starts to the season because they have not been “shattered” by a summer international tournament. Maheta Molango, the PFA’s chief executive, contrasted the form of Haaland, 24, and Salah, 32, with the England...Players’ chiefs have claimed that Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah have made electric starts to the season because they have not been “shattered” by a summer international tournament. Maheta Molango, the PFA’s chief executive, contrasted the form of Haaland, 24, and Salah, 32, with the England...Players’ chiefs have claimed that Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah have made electric starts to the season because they have...
MARTIN HARDY
There was a time in the modern ownership of Newcastle United when those who held shares in the club were talking of Eddie Howe as a possible Sir Alex Ferguson figure. It was a little over the top but it spoke of momentum, belief and a head coach driving a football club from the depths he inherited, lurking ominously above the second tier of...There was a time in the modern ownership of Newcastle United when those who held shares in the club were talking of Eddie Howe as a possible Sir Alex Ferguson figure. It was a little over the top but it spoke of momentum, belief and a head coach driving a football club from the depths he inherited, lurking ominously above the second tier of...There was a time in the modern ownership of Newcastle United when those who held shares in the club were talking of Eddie Howe...
Phil Salt will captain England in the T20 series against Australia after Jos Buttler suffered a setback in his recovery from a calf injury. Salt, 28, will lead his country for the first time in the three T20s, the first of which takes place at Southampton on Wednesday, while Buttler is also a doubt for the...Phil Salt will captain England in the T20 series against Australia after Jos Buttler suffered a...Phil Salt will captain England in the T20 series against Australia after Jos Buttler suffered a...
US OPEN | STUART FRASER
matthew syed
The final episode of the second series of Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams was broadcast by the BBC on Tuesday...The final episode of the second series of Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams was broadcast by the...The final episode of the second series of Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams was broadcast by the...
alex lowe
Sir Clive Woodward, Andy Robinson, Brian Ashton, Martin Johnson, Stuart Lancaster and Eddie Jones will all look...Sir Clive Woodward, Andy Robinson, Brian Ashton, Martin Johnson, Stuart Lancaster and Eddie Jones...Sir Clive Woodward, Andy Robinson, Brian Ashton, Martin Johnson, Stuart Lancaster and Eddie Jones...
nations league
Introductions should not really have been necessary for Angel Gomes. After all, he started his career with Manchester United, boasts a World Cup and European Championship winners’ medal and will be playing for Lille in the Champions League this...Introductions should not really have been necessary for Angel Gomes. After all, he started his...Introductions should not really have been necessary for Angel Gomes. After all, he started his...
us open | stuart fraser
martyn ziegler
The Premier League’s financial rules are coming under increasing pressure after a bruising 24 hours that could force...The Premier League’s financial rules are coming under increasing pressure after a bruising 24...The Premier League’s financial rules are coming under increasing pressure after a bruising 24...
steve james
It’s been tough up top in this series. Only one fifty has been scored by anyone batting in the top three on either...It’s been tough up top in this series. Only one fifty has been scored by anyone batting in the...It’s been tough up top in this series. Only one fifty has been scored by anyone batting in the...
Pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis is rarely beaten and he outsprinted 400m hurdler Karsten Warholm in the hotly anticipated 100 metres exhibition race in Zurich on Wednesday, which brought the two world record holders together in a neutral event.Pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis is rarely beaten and he outsprinted 400m hurdler Karsten Warholm in...Pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis is rarely beaten and he outsprinted 400m hurdler Karsten Warholm in...
Bill Edgar’s quiz
The Trend
In response to another humbling defeat — Sunday’s 3-0 reverse at home to Liverpool — Erik ten Hag, the Manchester United manager, blamed “individual mistakes” for the result. It’s not the first time Ten Hag has referred to errors costing his team...In response to another humbling defeat — Sunday’s 3-0 reverse at home to Liverpool — Erik ten Hag...In response to another humbling defeat — Sunday’s 3-0 reverse at home to Liverpool — Erik ten Hag...
Women’s champions league
Was this a symbolic passing of the torch? While Vivianne Miedema watched from the stands, the woman who may fill her boots at Arsenal dazzled on her debut. Granted, the north London club ultimately saw off Rangers comfortably in the first of...Was this a symbolic passing of the torch? While Vivianne Miedema watched from the stands, the...Was this a symbolic passing of the torch? While Vivianne Miedema watched from the stands, the...
Research has concluded that eating a wider variety of vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds could alleviate symptoms
caitlin moran’s celebrity watch
If Noel Gallagher tickets sold for $350 in 2017, these reunion gigs are a bargain
first person
Anthea Rowan has written an extraordinary memoir about her relationship with her mother
Interview
It was a story of domestic abuse that made him a pariah in Ireland but, the author tells Kevin Maher, he had to revisit it
Last summer flames leapt up across the world. Greece experienced its worst wildfires for 20 years. Smoke plumes from north Africa reached as far as South America. On the Hawaiian island of Maui blazes resulted in the deaths of about a hundred people.Last summer flames leapt up across the world. Greece experienced its worst wildfires for 20 years.Last summer flames leapt up across the world. Greece experienced its worst wildfires for 20 years.
review | history
video
REVIEW
In September 2019, at a press conference in Los Angeles, the director Todd Phillips decided to set the record straight. His forthcoming movie, Joker, starring Joaquin Phoenix, would not be getting a sequel. It was designed as a...In September 2019, at a press conference in Los Angeles, the director Todd Phillips decided to...In September 2019, at a press conference in Los Angeles, the director Todd Phillips decided to...
The Big QUestion
video
review
Would somebody please spare a thought for the super-rich? In recent years our interest in watching their miserable, wonderful, terrible lives unravel against various visually arresting picture-postcard backdrops has become nearly obsessive.Would somebody please spare a thought for the super-rich? In recent years our interest in...Would somebody please spare a thought for the super-rich? In recent years our interest in...
GABRIELLA BENNETT
Over a couple of gin and tonics the other day I caught a thought knitting together my friend’s eyebrows. “What’s up?”...Over a couple of gin and tonics the other day I caught a thought knitting together my friend’s...Over a couple of gin and tonics the other day I caught a thought knitting together my friend’s...
Viewing GUide
TELEVISION
Television
Television
Television
television
The entrepreneur talks smudgeproof eyeliner and finding the right shade of brown
A personalised number plate is more popular than ever, but the best ones cost more than your car
Your pen says a lot about you, says Peter Howarth
julia samuel
The psychotherapist addresses your dilemmas
The most beautiful human creations — art, music, poetry — are now in the hands of machines
video
review
The tenth outpost of the popular boutique hotel brand opens this weekend, with characterful rooms, a spa, and a sister pub across the road. Here’s what else to expect
exclusive
video
From quirky art hotels and industrial-chic bolt holes to slick neighbourhood spots and the grandest of grandes dames, wherever you choose to check in, Paris is always a good idea.
video
The company behind some of the world’s most renowned hotels has turned its hand to cruising. Laura Jackson tests the water with a sailing around the Med
Transport yourself to the Land of Rising Sun with a weekend based around these gorgeous Japanese-style spots, complete with special places to stay nearby
video
Exploring via a new train and boat itinerary from Star Clippers is the gentle way to experience the beauty of Bari, Amalfi, Sicily and beyond
WHERE WAS I? COMPETITION
video
Sicily is a richly varied, enormous island — the largest in the Mediterranean — so you shouldn’t expect to see all of its golden beaches, archaeological sites, and regions in one go. But if you’re looking to pack as much Sicilian magic as possible...Sicily is a richly varied, enormous island — the largest in the Mediterranean — so you shouldn’t...Sicily is a richly varied, enormous island — the largest in the Mediterranean — so you shouldn’t...
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
HE SAID to them: “Is a lamp brought in to be put under the bushel basket, or under the bed and not on the lampstand?HE SAID to them: “Is a lamp brought in to be put under the bushel basket, or under the bed and...HE SAID to them: “Is a lamp brought in to be put under the bushel basket, or under the bed and...
Balmoral Castle
4th September, 2024
The Queen, Patron, this evening held a Reception at St James’s Palace to mark...Balmoral Castle
4th September, 2024
The Queen, Patron, this evening held a Reception at St...Balmoral Castle
4th September, 2024
The Queen, Patron, this evening held a Reception at St...
MindGames and Brain Boost puzzles to print and solve at your leisure
Labour is scrambling to ease bosses’ fears over work-life balance proposals
Senior Labour MPs spent much of their time in opposition attempting not to frighten the horses in the City and businesses more widely. Two months into government, ministers are back on the Square Mile breakfast circuit in a bid to calm nerves over proposals for a comprehensive overhaul of employment legislation. Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister, and Jonathan...Senior Labour MPs spent much of their time in opposition attempting not to frighten the horses in...Senior Labour MPs spent much of their time in opposition attempting not to frighten the horses in...
Severe underfunding of the family courts has left thousands of children trapped in legal limbo for months, lawyers...Severe underfunding of the family courts has left thousands of children trapped in legal limbo for months, lawyers have warned, as the most senior judge in the system calls for urgent action to address “unacceptable” delays. Almost 4,000 public law cases — in which a local authority makes an application for an order...Severe underfunding of the family courts has left thousands of children trapped in legal limbo for months, lawyers have warned...
Treasury funding of the justice system has plummeted more than 22 per cent over 15 years even as the British economy has grown by 11.5 per cent, according to Bar leaders. In a report published yesterday, the Bar Council...Treasury funding of the justice system has plummeted more than 22 per cent over 15 years even as the British economy has grown by 11.5 per cent, according to Bar leaders. In a report published yesterday, the Bar Council...Treasury funding of the justice system has plummeted more than 22 per cent over 15 years even as the British economy...
Lawyer of the week
Raj Chada, a partner at the London firm Hodge Jones & Allen, successfully represented Trudi Warner, a retired social worker. A decision to prosecute Warner for contempt of court for holding a placard outside a court was dropped...Raj Chada, a partner at the London firm Hodge Jones & Allen, successfully represented Trudi Warner, a retired social worker. A decision to prosecute Warner for contempt of court for holding a placard outside a court was dropped...Raj Chada, a partner at the London firm Hodge Jones & Allen, successfully represented Trudi Warner, a retired social...
out of court
Supporters of the self-proclaimed “medium” Helen Duncan claimed that in June 1944 she was the last woman to be convicted in England and Wales under the Witchcraft Act 1735. Not so. That dubious distinction goes to a pensioner from London’s east...Supporters of the self-proclaimed “medium” Helen Duncan claimed that in June 1944 she was the...Supporters of the self-proclaimed “medium” Helen Duncan claimed that in June 1944 she was the...
Swinney’s budget at risk after former coalition partners indicate they would vote against it because they can no longer trust the SNP
John Swinney’s former coalition partners have indicated they will vote against his budget because they can no longer trust the SNP in government. The first minister provoked anger from the Scottish Greens as his debut programme for government, Holyrood’s equivalent of the King’s speech, watered...John Swinney’s former coalition partners have indicated they will vote against his budget because they can no longer trust the SNP in government. The first minister provoked anger from the Scottish Greens as his debut programme for government, Holyrood’s equivalent of the King’s speech, watered...John Swinney’s former coalition partners have indicated they will vote against his budget because they can no longer trust the...
Fourteen bills were introduced in the programme for government, but John Swinney announced some other measures in an attempt to kickstart his time as first minister. One was an attempt to signal a John Major “back to basics” approach to distancing himself from previous scandals in the SNP. Investigations into alleged breaches of the...Fourteen bills were introduced in the programme for government, but John Swinney announced some other measures in an attempt to kickstart his time as first minister. One was an attempt to signal a John Major “back to basics” approach to distancing himself from previous scandals in the SNP. Investigations into alleged breaches of the...Fourteen bills were introduced in the programme for government, but John Swinney announced some other measures in an attempt to...
Alex Massie
A scaled-back programme of government for a scaled-back administration. John Swinney’s debut legislative agenda as first minister of Scotland was a quiet but significant course correction. Gone are all the promises of golden tomorrows, replaced by today’s grey reality of astringent managerialism. Not every party...A scaled-back programme of government for a scaled-back administration. John Swinney’s debut...A scaled-back programme of government for a scaled-back administration. John Swinney’s debut...
This superb coastal circuit climbs to the summit of the Hill of Clibberswick, which is crowned by the dramatic Horns of Hagmark on Unst, Britain’s most northerly island. Starting from SaxaVord Spaceport on the Lamba Ness peninsula, the walk...This superb coastal circuit climbs to the summit of the Hill of Clibberswick, which is crowned by...This superb coastal circuit climbs to the summit of the Hill of Clibberswick, which is crowned by...
thunderer
The Grenfell fire exposed a systemic failure in all aspects of cladding installation in buildings throughout the UK.The Grenfell fire exposed a systemic failure in all aspects of cladding installation in buildings...The Grenfell fire exposed a systemic failure in all aspects of cladding installation in buildings...
Scottish cricket rolled out the red carpet as Australia returned to Edinburgh for the first time in 11 years. Given...Scottish cricket rolled out the red carpet as Australia returned to Edinburgh for the first time...Scottish cricket rolled out the red carpet as Australia returned to Edinburgh for the first time...
Scottish business digest
For Glasgow Warriors, Wednesday brought an ideal opportunity for reflection; to look back on last season’s remarkable success and what it meant not only to the club but its wider community. Franco Smith, his players and the entire Scotstoun rugby and administrative staff were guests of honour at a civic reception in the City Chambers, with the URC trophy they claimed in...For Glasgow Warriors, Wednesday brought an ideal opportunity for reflection; to look back on last...For Glasgow Warriors, Wednesday brought an ideal opportunity for reflection; to look back on last...
The former Scotland rugby international Doddie Weir left an estate worth more than £1.6 million to his family. Weir...The former Scotland rugby international Doddie Weir left an estate worth more than £1.6 million to his family. Weir died aged 52 after a battle with motor neurone disease (MND) in 2022. He used his profile to push for more research to be carried out into the illness after his diagnosis in 2016. During his career he...The former Scotland rugby international Doddie Weir left an estate worth more than £1.6 million to his family. Weir died aged...
Comment
Three conference fights Starmer must win
Katy Balls
The prime minister is making unpopular decisions and faces battles with his party over welfare, spending and Gaza
Iain Martin
How to make the Tory party matter again
James Marriott
Putting life in the hands of a rock’n’roll band
Janice Turner | Notebook
Asquith kin takes novel approach to book launch
Jamie Masraff
Flintoff shows need for inspirational youth workers
Leading Articles
Lessons Half Learnt
The final report into the Grenfell Tower disaster lays bare a catalogue of moral, professional and political failures. Yet, seven years on, it could still be repeated
Fatal Delay
Labour must stop prevaricating over small boats and instead reach for bold policies
Hot Dog
Dachshunds are currently proving controversial in their homeland
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Wisdom of Britain’s arms embargo on Israel
Sir, It is right that Israel, like other countries, should be scrutinised for its compliance with international humanitarian law, although the foreign secretary has declared that he could not conclude that Israel had committed war crimes.Sir, It is right that Israel, like other countries, should be scrutinised for its compliance with...Sir, It is right that Israel, like other countries, should be scrutinised for its compliance with...
Daily Universal Register
Briefing
UK: The Mercury prize is awarded for the best album of the year, as chosen by a panel of music industry experts; the Prince of Wales visits the Homelessness: Reframed exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery, London; Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, is questioned at the London Assembly on his role as chair of Transport for London in a session titled “TfL under the microscope”.
US: Kamala Harris, the vice-president and Democratic Party presidential nominee, visits Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
On this day
In 1774 America’s first Continental Congress was convened in Philadelphia. It served as the government of the 13 American colonies; in 1957 the Beat Generation pioneer Jack Kerouac’s second novel On the Road was first published, describing his road-trip adventures and catapulting him to fame; in 1960 Cassius Clay, aged 18, won gold in the light heavyweight division at the Rome Olympics. On March 6, 1964, he changed his name to Muhammad Ali. (Obituary, June 6, 2016); in 1975 an apparent assassination attempt, by a member of Charles Manson’s Manson Family, against the US president Gerald R Ford was foiled by a Secret Service agent; in 1982 Group Captain Sir Douglas Bader, the Second World War fighter ace awarded DSO & Bar and DFC & Bar, died aged 72. In 1931, aged 21, he became a double amputee as a result of an aircraft accident but overcame his injuries to lead the RAF’s 242 squadron. After his Spitfire was shot down in 1941, his escape attempts made him “a plain, bloody nuisance to the Germans”, and he ended the war in Colditz Castle. In addition to a knighthood in 1976 for his work for the disabled community he was immortalised in the book (1954) and film Reach for the Sky (1956), which starred Kenneth More. On his disability, Bader said: “To my way of thinking, a disabled man who has achieved independence is no longer disabled.”
Nature notes
Good news stories can often feel few and far between. Fortunately, the British Trust for Ornithology provided some welcome glad tidings recently. Numbers of turtle doves in western Europe are up 25 per cent. That means an extra 400,000 breeding pairs in the region. The reason for this is simple: a ban on seasonal shooting in Portugal, Spain and France — the countries over which the population of turtle doves in western Europe fly on their 3,000km migration from Africa. The ban has been in place since 2021 and, though only temporary, it might be extended. In Britain, people have been working hard to welcome these extra migrants by providing areas of farmland with plenty of agricultural weeds, untidy thorn scrub and ponds. Jonathan Tulloch
Jonathan Tulloch
Birthdays today
David Brabham, racing driver, winner, Le Mans 24-hour sports car race (2009), 59; Dick Clement, scriptwriter, The Likely Lads (1964-66), Porridge (1974-77), 87; Paddy Considine, actor, writer and film director, House of the Dragon (2022-24), 51; Andrée Dumon, member of the Belgian Comète resistance network during the Second World War, 102; Tracy Edwards, yachtswoman, skipper of the first female crew to sail around the world (1989), 62; Werner Herzog, film and opera director, Queen of the Desert (2015), 82; India Hicks, fashion designer, 57; Chris Hipkins, prime minister of New Zealand (2023), 46; Baroness (Valerie) Howarth of Breckland, founding chief executive, ChildLine (1987-2001), 84; Margaret Howell, fashion designer, 78; Lord (Julian) Hunt of Chesterton, chief executive, Meteorological Office (1992-97), 83; Michael Keaton, actor, Batman (1989), Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024), 73; George Lazenby, actor, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969), 85; Bernard Looney, chief executive, BP (2020-23), 54; Rose McGowan, actress, Charmed (2001-06), 51; John McGrath, chief executive and artistic director, Manchester International Festival, 62; Karita Mattila, soprano, 64; Sir John Mummery, deputy chairman, Takeover Appeal Board, lord justice of appeal (1996-2013), 86; Lord (Malcolm) Offord of Garvel, minister for exports (2023-July 2024), 60; Mark Ramprakash, cricketer, England Lions lead batting coach (2014-19), England player (1991-2002), 55; Sigrid, singer-songwriter, Strangers (2017), 28; Chris Sinclair, chairman, Reckitt Benckiser (2015-May 2024), 74; Al Stewart, folk-rock musician, Year of the Cat (1976), 79; Johnny Vegas, comedian and actor, 54; Annabelle Wallis, actress, Peaky Blinders (2013-19), 40; Loudon Wainwright III, singer-songwriter, Dead Skunk (in the Middle of the Road) (1972), 78; Ben Youngs, rugby union player, Leicester Tigers, England (2010-23), 35.