Labour to unveil plans for new Border Security Command
MI5 agents would be deployed directly to tackle the small boats crisis for the first time under a Labour government, Sir Keir Starmer will announce on Friday. The Labour leader will use a speech in Dover to unveil plans for a new Border Security Command that will incorporate intelligence agents...MI5 agents would be deployed directly to tackle the small boats crisis for the first time under a Labour government, Sir Keir Starmer will announce on Friday. The Labour leader will use a speech in Dover to unveil plans for a new Border Security Command that will incorporate intelligence agents...MI5 agents would be deployed directly to tackle the small boats crisis for the first time under a Labour government, Sir Keir...
Teenagers will be told for the first time the actual A-level grades that universities accept for courses rather than just the formal entry requirement, under an overhaul of admissions. The drive by Ucas, the admissions service, is intended to increase transparency around admissions, which are based on a combination of predicted grades, GCSE...Teenagers will be told for the first time the actual A-level grades that universities accept for courses rather than just the formal entry requirement, under an overhaul of admissions. The drive by Ucas, the admissions service, is intended to increase transparency around admissions, which are based on a combination of predicted grades, GCSE...Teenagers will be told for the first time the actual A-level grades that universities accept for courses rather than just the...
A Russian-owned castle on the Kent-Sussex border that had its diplomatic status removed this week is suspected of being used by Russia’s military intelligence agency to meet and recruit UK agents. Security sources said that Seacox Heath, a Grade II-listed 19th-century castle, had been targeted in the latest round of...A Russian-owned castle on the Kent-Sussex border that had its diplomatic status removed this week...A Russian-owned castle on the Kent-Sussex border that had its diplomatic status removed this week...
first person
There is absolutely nothing good to say about turning 80 except, I suppose, that at least it’s not 90. Strange...There is absolutely nothing good to say about turning 80 except, I suppose, that at least it’s...There is absolutely nothing good to say about turning 80 except, I suppose, that at least it’s...
Obituary
When EL James published her bonkbuster Fifty Shades of Grey, Shirley Conran could not see what all the fuss was...When EL James published her bonkbuster Fifty Shades of Grey, Shirley Conran could not see...When EL James published her bonkbuster Fifty Shades of Grey, Shirley Conran could not see...
The Comedy Pet Photography Awards have revealed the top contenders for 2024, from a cat’s misadventure in a wall to a dog striking a kung-fu pose. Founded by the photographers Paul Joynson-Hicks and Tom Sullam, the competition celebrates the joy...The Comedy Pet Photography Awards have revealed the top contenders for 2024, from a cat’s...The Comedy Pet Photography Awards have revealed the top contenders for 2024, from a cat’s...
A fashion boss who threatened to shoot a staff member is challenging the police refusal to grant him a firearms licence.A fashion boss who threatened to shoot a staff member is challenging the police refusal to grant...A fashion boss who threatened to shoot a staff member is challenging the police refusal to grant...
THE TIMES DIARY
The King has agreed to be patron of Marylebone Cricket Club, where he has been a member since 1975, though he is...The King has agreed to be patron of Marylebone Cricket Club, where he has been a member since...The King has agreed to be patron of Marylebone Cricket Club, where he has been a member since...
The porn actress Stormy Daniels acknowledged making money from her story of an alleged affair with Donald Trump, saying it was exactly what the former president would have done in her shoes. In lively exchanges on her second day of testimony, Daniels, 45, was accused of spending years profiting...The porn actress Stormy Daniels acknowledged making money from her story of an alleged affair with Donald Trump, saying it was exactly what the former president would have done in her shoes. In lively exchanges on her second day of testimony, Daniels, 45, was accused of spending years profiting...The porn actress Stormy Daniels acknowledged making money from her story of an alleged affair with Donald Trump, saying it was...
The Israeli military will not defeat Hamas by “smashing into Rafah”, the White House said, as footage emerged of tanks amassing around the city in the Gaza Strip. While President Biden remains committed to helping Israel “inflict an enduring defeat” on the militant group, “there are better ways to go after what is left of Hamas… than a...The Israeli military will not defeat Hamas by “smashing into Rafah”, the White House said, as footage emerged of tanks amassing around the city in the Gaza Strip. While President Biden remains committed to helping Israel “inflict an enduring defeat” on the militant group, “there are better ways to go after what is left of Hamas… than a...The Israeli military will not defeat Hamas by “smashing into Rafah”, the White House said, as footage emerged of tanks amassing...
The thin nylon tents pitched on sandy ground heat up quickly in the early May sunshine, a reminder of how little protection those who stayed behind in southern Gaza have against the nightly bombings and impending combat. While the UN agency in charge of Palestinian refugees says some 80,000 people have fled eastern...The thin nylon tents pitched on sandy ground heat up quickly in the early May sunshine, a...The thin nylon tents pitched on sandy ground heat up quickly in the early May sunshine, a...
At the back of the courtroom that is hosting the criminal trial of Donald Trump, there is a small holding cell with a bench. There are more downstairs, on the sixth and seventh floors of the Manhattan court, and in the basement. These are larger...At the back of the courtroom that is hosting the criminal trial of Donald Trump, there is a small...At the back of the courtroom that is hosting the criminal trial of Donald Trump, there is a small...
A Miss USA and a Miss Teen USA winner have both handed back their crowns amid reports of bullying in the highest...A Miss USA and a Miss Teen USA winner have both handed back their crowns amid reports of bullying...A Miss USA and a Miss Teen USA winner have both handed back their crowns amid reports of bullying...
Elon Musk’s brain-chip startup Neuralink says part of an implant in its first human patient has malfunctioned. The...Elon Musk’s brain-chip startup Neuralink says part of an implant in its first human patient has...Elon Musk’s brain-chip startup Neuralink says part of an implant in its first human patient has...
Kim Kardashian has been criticised for promoting extreme body shapes after a video emerged of her fighting to breathe in a “grotesque” corset gown at the Met Gala. Kardashian was not the only star to wear a corset at the annual event, which is...Kim Kardashian has been criticised for promoting extreme body shapes after a video emerged of her...Kim Kardashian has been criticised for promoting extreme body shapes after a video emerged of her...
IN maps and CHARTS
gerard baker
It’s common to watch politicians, under the intense pressure of constant public scrutiny, commit unforced errors that...It’s common to watch politicians, under the intense pressure of constant public scrutiny, commit...It’s common to watch politicians, under the intense pressure of constant public scrutiny, commit...
JANE MULKERRINS
Stormy Daniels has lost a great deal by standing up to Donald Trump, including but not limited to: her personal...Stormy Daniels has lost a great deal by standing up to Donald Trump, including but not limited to...Stormy Daniels has lost a great deal by standing up to Donald Trump, including but not limited to...
Traders have ramped up their bets on a UK interest rate cut in June, after the Bank of England signalled it was ready to lower borrowing costs for the first time in four years next month. Financial markets are placing a 56 per cent probability of a 0.25 per cent cut to the base rate on June 20...Traders have ramped up their bets on a UK interest rate cut in June, after the Bank of England signalled it was ready to lower borrowing costs for the first time in four years next month. Financial markets are placing a 56 per cent probability of a 0.25 per cent cut to the base rate on June 20...Traders have ramped up their bets on a UK interest rate cut in June, after the Bank of England signalled it was ready to lower...
A group of 81 current and former dealmakers at 3i have enjoyed a £735 million payday from the private equity business after it earned big gains on its longstanding investment in the discount retailer Action. The windfall from the Netherlands-based Action was spread out over three payments of so-called carried interest by the FTSE 100...A group of 81 current and former dealmakers at 3i have enjoyed a £735 million payday from the private equity business after it earned big gains on its longstanding investment in the discount retailer Action. The windfall from the Netherlands-based Action was spread out over three payments of so-called carried interest by the FTSE 100...A group of 81 current and former dealmakers at 3i have enjoyed a £735 million payday from the private equity business after it...
Thousands of international travellers who used to visit the UK for VAT-free shopping have turned to luxury retailers in Paris and Milan after the British government scrapped the tax incentive in 2021. New research has found that 162,000 visitors from non-EU countries sought VAT refunds in the UK in 2019. Now 20 per...Thousands of international travellers who used to visit the UK for VAT-free shopping have turned...Thousands of international travellers who used to visit the UK for VAT-free shopping have turned...
business commentary
Setting out to “design the future” is all well and good. But say it gets interrupted by another takeover approach at...Setting out to “design the future” is all well and good. But say it gets interrupted by another...Setting out to “design the future” is all well and good. But say it gets interrupted by another...
tempus
The last time Tempus covered Arm, shares in the semiconductor designer traded at an eye-watering price to earnings...The last time Tempus covered Arm, shares in the semiconductor designer traded at an eye-watering...The last time Tempus covered Arm, shares in the semiconductor designer traded at an eye-watering...
The head of the group that was blocked from buying the Telegraph titles and the Spectator magazine by the government has said he would have done things differently if he had realised the strength of the opposition to the deal. Jeff Zucker, the...The head of the group that was blocked from buying the Telegraph titles and the Spectator...The head of the group that was blocked from buying the Telegraph titles and the Spectator...
Comment | HARRY WALLOP
What was the reason for Manchester United’s 0-4 thrashing by Crystal Palace on Monday? It was a loss that led the...What was the reason for Manchester United’s 0-4 thrashing by Crystal Palace on Monday? It was a...What was the reason for Manchester United’s 0-4 thrashing by Crystal Palace on Monday? It was a...
market report
Investors in Airtel Africa — one of the more obscure blue-chip constituents — had a rollercoaster of a session: the...Investors in Airtel Africa — one of the more obscure blue-chip constituents — had a rollercoaster...Investors in Airtel Africa — one of the more obscure blue-chip constituents — had a rollercoaster...
Warner Bros Discovery reported a larger than expected drop in revenue on Thursday, as advertising sales fell sharply at its cable TV unit and the studio segment struggled with the effects of last year’s Hollywood strikes by actors and writers. The...Warner Bros Discovery reported a larger than expected drop in revenue on Thursday, as advertising...Warner Bros Discovery reported a larger than expected drop in revenue on Thursday, as advertising...
Hopes of a bidding war for Hipgnosis Songs Fund have faded after Concord said its latest offer for the London-listed music rights business is final, clearing the way for a $1.6 billion takeover by the American asset manager Blackstone. Concord...Hopes of a bidding war for Hipgnosis Songs Fund have faded after Concord said its latest offer...Hopes of a bidding war for Hipgnosis Songs Fund have faded after Concord said its latest offer...
The government has been urged to hold a parliamentary debate on the Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky’s possible...The government has been urged to hold a parliamentary debate on the Czech billionaire Daniel...The government has been urged to hold a parliamentary debate on the Czech billionaire Daniel...
need to know
1 Mortgage holders are in line for relief after the Bank of England hinted that next month it could cut interest...1 Mortgage holders are in line for relief after the Bank of England hinted that next month it...1 Mortgage holders are in line for relief after the Bank of England hinted that next month it...
recruitment
About six in ten UK staff undergo some form of training at work each year, ranging from mandatory certification and compliance courses to upskilling for a new role, and experts estimate that the UK training market is worth approximately £7 billion. Training and skills development is proved to increase the human capital in the national labour force, narrowing skills gaps...About six in ten UK staff undergo some form of training at work each year, ranging from mandatory...About six in ten UK staff undergo some form of training at work each year, ranging from mandatory...
SIX FROM THE BEST
Guy Singh-Watson is founder of Riverford, an organic vegetable box company which grew from humble beginnings to...Guy Singh-Watson is founder of Riverford, an organic vegetable box company which grew from humble beginnings to 70,000 deliveries a week. The activist recently launched the #GetFairAboutFarming campaign calling for supermarkets to adopt better business practices to safeguard the future of British fruit and veg farmers.Guy Singh-Watson is founder of Riverford, an organic vegetable box company which grew from humble beginnings to 70,000...
MANU TUILAGI INTERVIEW
The good news is that, while Manu Tuilagi is soon to take his leave of English rugby, his three-year-old son is just starting to make his way in the game. Leo Tuilagi has begun Rugbytots classes near his home in Manchester, the weekly play sessions in leisure centre halls that teach children how...The good news is that, while Manu Tuilagi is soon to take his leave of English rugby, his three-year-old son is just starting to make his way in the game. Leo Tuilagi has begun Rugbytots classes near his home in Manchester, the weekly play sessions in leisure centre halls that teach children how...The good news is that, while Manu Tuilagi is soon to take his leave of English rugby, his three-year-old son is just starting...
The All England Club has been forced to cede more ground in its long battle to obtain planning permission for the largest expansion in Wimbledon history by offering another four acres of parkland to the public. Three years after the plans were first revealed, a significant change has suddenly been made to the application while it is being...The All England Club has been forced to cede more ground in its long battle to obtain planning permission for the largest expansion in Wimbledon history by offering another four acres of parkland to the public. Three years after the plans were first revealed, a significant change has suddenly been made to the application while it is being...The All England Club has been forced to cede more ground in its long battle to obtain planning permission for the largest...
interview
Coming out of a pub recently, David Beckham saw a note on his car windscreen. “I thought I’d got a parking ticket,” he says. Opening it up, he found a handwritten message from an England fan who had watched the Netflix Beckham series and been drawn back to the tumult of 1998: Beckham’s sending off in the World Cup...Coming out of a pub recently, David Beckham saw a note on his car windscreen. “I thought I’d got...Coming out of a pub recently, David Beckham saw a note on his car windscreen. “I thought I’d got...
Europa Conference League
Graham Potter has turned down the chance to become the next Ajax head coach, preferring to wait until the right job...Graham Potter has turned down the chance to become the next Ajax head coach, preferring to wait...Graham Potter has turned down the chance to become the next Ajax head coach, preferring to wait...
stuart barnes
As we head into the penultimate round of the Gallagher Premiership season, Bath are three points and three places...As we head into the penultimate round of the Gallagher Premiership season, Bath are three points...As we head into the penultimate round of the Gallagher Premiership season, Bath are three points...
World Rugby plans to overhaul the red card disciplinary system and restrict any advantage enjoyed by richer nations with expensive lawyers. Standard bans of two or four weeks are to be handed down for red cards during a trial in the Under-20 World...World Rugby plans to overhaul the red card disciplinary system and restrict any advantage enjoyed...World Rugby plans to overhaul the red card disciplinary system and restrict any advantage enjoyed...
FA Youth Cup final | Paul hirst
As the managers of Manchester United and Leeds United, Sir Alex Ferguson and Howard Wilkinson were rivals for many years, but off the pitch they were close. In the late Eighties and early Nineties, on the way home from Leeds matches or training...As the managers of Manchester United and Leeds United, Sir Alex Ferguson and Howard Wilkinson...As the managers of Manchester United and Leeds United, Sir Alex Ferguson and Howard Wilkinson...
champions league | Ian Hawkey
gallagher Premiership guide
Sale Sharks v Leicester Tigers
7.45pm, TNT Sports 1
No bread, no water, just meat. These two squadrons of meat battalions contain more beef than the Drake-Kendrick Lamar saga and are ready to throw hands. Despite being sixth and eighth in...Sale Sharks v Leicester Tigers
7.45pm, TNT Sports 1
No bread, no water, just meat. These...Sale Sharks v Leicester Tigers
7.45pm, TNT Sports 1
No bread, no water, just meat. These...
The director grew up watching vintage Powell and Pressburger films and became a close friend of Michael Powell — he salutes the maestro who influenced him
newfirst person
The young may be amused when she smokes and swears but the writer’s big regret is that she can’t afford any new vices
newThe nominations are led by The Crown and Black Mirror — but who do you think should take home the prizes at the biggest night of British television?
newFIRST PERSON
As Gaza demos are held on UK campuses, Eliana Silver shares her own experience
Richard Morrison
video
review
Now on its tenth instalment, this cynical ‘coming of ape’ movie about a teen primate in postapocalyptic California is a symptom of an expiring franchise
Review
The star of Challengers and The Crown is compelling as a moody archaeologist
video
review
The screenwriting is terrible in this story directed by the star’s 22-year-old son Damian, but it is compelling
video
review
The film’s amoral central characters are the perfect protagonists to explore the smug materialism of the Nineties
video
review
The Australian star is at times almost unwatchable in this uneven melodrama about two couples
Danny Fortson
Any tech billionaire worth his salt needs a compound — a proper one. Preferably in the middle of the Pacific on one...Any tech billionaire worth his salt needs a compound — a proper one. Preferably in the middle of...Any tech billionaire worth his salt needs a compound — a proper one. Preferably in the middle of...
MUSIC REVIEWS
Here are some of the best new albums and tracks our critics have heard over the past week. We’ll update the list...Here are some of the best new albums and tracks our critics have heard over the past week. We’ll...Here are some of the best new albums and tracks our critics have heard over the past week. We’ll...
interview
In popular science fiction, aliens live on Mars or, as in HG Wells’ War of the Worlds, they are hiding out in Woking, Surrey. Some people even believe their scrawny little bodies are bagged and refrigerated at a CIA black site in the New...In popular science fiction, aliens live on Mars or, as in HG Wells’ War of the Worlds, they...In popular science fiction, aliens live on Mars or, as in HG Wells’ War of the Worlds, they...
FiRST NIGHT REVIEW
A night of cerebral theatre began when Mitski’s silhouette appeared behind a red curtain, teasing her seated audience. We heard the muted synth-folk stylings of Everyone, a song about the Japanese-American’s struggles with fame. The curtain dropped, the crowd screamed and the intensely personal mood of the show was set. In 2019 Mitski Miyawaki announced that she was...A night of cerebral theatre began when Mitski’s silhouette appeared behind a red curtain, teasing...A night of cerebral theatre began when Mitski’s silhouette appeared behind a red curtain, teasing...
REVIEW
The old media gatekeepers are dead, crow the cheerleaders of the new Spotify autocracy. Well, to blow our own rusty...The old media gatekeepers are dead, crow the cheerleaders of the new Spotify autocracy. Well, to blow our own rusty old trumpet for a second, it’s only — about once a year or so — when journalists flock together on social media to champion an unknown new act that anything alternative pierces the mainstream’s defences.The old media gatekeepers are dead, crow the cheerleaders of the new Spotify autocracy. Well, to blow our own rusty old trumpet...
FIRST NIGHT REVIEW
FIRST NIGHT REVIEW
FIRST NIGHT review
MindGames
1 There are 8,760 hours in one calendar common what? 2 Blind Pew is a sinister pirate in which novel by Robert Louis Stevenson? 3 Which Asian country outlawed the Falun Gong movement as an “evil cult” in 1999? 4 Which Tory statesman’s opposition to Catholic emancipation led to him being nicknamed “Orange Peel”? 5 Which hard black mineral is the most abundant fossil fuel...1 There are 8,760 hours in one calendar common what? 2 Blind Pew is a sinister pirate in which...1 There are 8,760 hours in one calendar common what? 2 Blind Pew is a sinister pirate in which...
Lisa Grainger steps into the rooftop eyrie of the capital’s first luxury eco-hotel
Patek Philippe’s Rare Handcraft collection features examples of artisanal skill that will blow your mind
The more elaborate and beautiful the better. Peter Howarth reports
Tumbled with fresh petals or intricate and tiered: whatever your preference these are the top bakers to consult
video
julia Samuel
The psychotherapist addresses your dilemmas
video
It’s a hardened, weary soul who doesn’t get just a little bit excited when Ferrari pulls the covers off a new car. In the time-honoured maxim, out goes the old and in comes the new; we dispense with the 812 Superfast and gain the Ferrari 12Cilindri.It’s a hardened, weary soul who doesn’t get just a little bit excited when Ferrari pulls the...It’s a hardened, weary soul who doesn’t get just a little bit excited when Ferrari pulls the...
A 35-minute train ride from Portugal’s capital, cool Cascais has exciting new restaurants, stylish hotels, and creativity at every turn
Sail the Mekong, ride the train from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi or flop at a chic resort — these are the country’s most inspiring trips
We’ve picked out the ultimate historic fortresses to roam around, from Devon to the Highlands — plus some lovely places to stay the night nearby
video
With its striking looks, volcanic setting and artistic roots, César Lanzarote is already attracting a stylish crowd
You’ve got to work a little harder to get to Granada than some other Andalusian spots but the flamenco, tapas and Alhambra make a weekend getaway worth the effort
video
‘It’s coming,” says Jared Soleyn, our guide for an energetic three-hour morning trek through the Vermont Nature Trail...‘It’s coming,” says Jared Soleyn, our guide for an energetic three-hour morning trek through the...‘It’s coming,” says Jared Soleyn, our guide for an energetic three-hour morning trek through the...
Kathy Lette | Travel Troubleshooter
Q. I’m happily married and planning a fun short break to Las Vegas with a very close friend to celebrate our...Q. I’m happily married and planning a fun short break to Las Vegas with a very close friend...Q. I’m happily married and planning a fun short break to Las Vegas with a very close friend...
video
Our writer hikes to the top of Morocco’s extraordinary Mount Toubkal a century after a group of French climbers made the first ascent. He’s not ashamed to say that the mountain almost broke him. This is his story. Become a subscriber and,...Our writer hikes to the top of Morocco’s extraordinary Mount Toubkal a century after a group of...Our writer hikes to the top of Morocco’s extraordinary Mount Toubkal a century after a group of...
weather eye
TASTE and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Psalm 34.8 (NIV) Bible verses are...TASTE and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Psalm 34.8 (NIV)...TASTE and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Psalm 34.8 (NIV)...
Buckingham Palace
9th May, 2024 The King, Colonel-in-Chief, Corps of Royal Engineers, this morning visited 3...Buckingham Palace
9th May, 2024 The King, Colonel-in-Chief, Corps of Royal Engineers, this...Buckingham Palace
9th May, 2024 The King, Colonel-in-Chief, Corps of Royal Engineers, this...
MindGames and Brain Boost puzzles to print and solve at your leisure
How lenders are using weather to stall fixed rates
Neil Bouette transformed a 19th-century barn into a fun space complete with pool table, gym and a giant shark
A look inside London’s first custom development, where the buyers have relished developing empty shells
Estate agents can’t recall such a dreary start to the selling season. Plus, how to sell your home in poor weather
A first look at the carmaker’s ‘Bond villain lair’ luxe skyscraper, which comes with a rare Vulcan supercar worth more than $3 million
The days getting longer and the weather finally catching up can mean only one thing: it’s time to go alfresco. Whether your outdoor space is a balcony in Bedford or a patio in Petersfield, you can conjure up an exotic setting with the help of some...The days getting longer and the weather finally catching up can mean only one thing: it’s time to...The days getting longer and the weather finally catching up can mean only one thing: it’s time to...
Mackintosh project won’t be finished this decade
exclusiveA project to rebuild one of Britain’s most celebrated buildings which was destroyed in a 2018 fire has been shelved following a bitter row with insurers. Managers at the Glasgow School of Art (GSA) have warned that work to restore the Charles Rennie Mackintosh masterpiece, which was devastated by...A project to rebuild one of Britain’s most celebrated buildings which was destroyed in a 2018 fire has been shelved following a bitter row with insurers. Managers at the Glasgow School of Art (GSA) have warned that work to restore the Charles Rennie Mackintosh masterpiece, which was devastated by...A project to rebuild one of Britain’s most celebrated buildings which was destroyed in a 2018 fire has been shelved following a...
A Scottish Labour candidate who posted “racist” comments online has been dropped and replaced with the chief executive of a Palestinian aid charity. Wilma Brown, who was standing for the Kirkcaldy & Cowdenbeath constituency, was suspended by the party last month, and was under investigation by her trade union employer, over complaints made...A Scottish Labour candidate who posted “racist” comments online has been dropped and replaced with the chief executive of a Palestinian aid charity. Wilma Brown, who was standing for the Kirkcaldy & Cowdenbeath constituency, was suspended by the party last month, and was under investigation by her trade union employer, over complaints made...A Scottish Labour candidate who posted “racist” comments online has been dropped and replaced with the chief executive of a...
first person
When my son was a few weeks old I started writing my first book. My milk came in and, finally, so did the words. Neither came easy at first, but a decade on I wonder if the difficulty, frustration, tenderness, and the damn constraints were what birthed the book. That I wrote not in spite of the pram in the hall...When my son was a few weeks old I started writing my first book. My milk came in and, finally...When my son was a few weeks old I started writing my first book. My milk came in and, finally...
What’s in your back garden? David Steel has 46,000 pairs of puffins in his. Sometimes a baffled little puffling will shuffle into his kitchen — and he doesn’t even need to fork out for fat balls. As the reserve manager on the Isle of May, a...What’s in your back garden? David Steel has 46,000 pairs of puffins in his. Sometimes a baffled...What’s in your back garden? David Steel has 46,000 pairs of puffins in his. Sometimes a baffled...
A 65-year-old man has gone on trial accused of killing a former teacher from Fettes College in Edinburgh and dumping...A 65-year-old man has gone on trial accused of killing a former teacher from Fettes College in...A 65-year-old man has gone on trial accused of killing a former teacher from Fettes College in...
gabriella bennett
This week I celebrate my second anniversary working on a vegetable farm in rural Perthshire. I say working, but...This week I celebrate my second anniversary working on a vegetable farm in rural Perthshire. I...This week I celebrate my second anniversary working on a vegetable farm in rural Perthshire. I...
SCOTTISH BUSINESS DIGEST
Comment
Elphicke is symbol of Starmer’s new mantra
Patrick Maguire
Welcoming ex-Tory MP across the floor shows how far Labour’s leader is prepared to put the voter before his party
emma duncan
We need to axe red tape to get Britain building
gerard baker
Even the US right draws the line at shooting puppies
martin Samuel | notebook
Politics is spared the full Monty — for now
Sajid Javid
People with ME have been ignored for far too long
Leading Articles
Strange Bedfellows
Natalie Elphicke’s defection from the Conservatives to Labour is a strategic coup for Sir Keir Starmer, but his anxious MPs must be reassured it doesn’t come at a price
No Brainer
Ucas’s publication of actual A-level grades accepted by universities is welcome
Clinging to the Nest
Young people still living at home are being denied a rite of passage into adult life
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Starmer’s acceptance of renegade Tory
newSir, Charlie Elphicke’s misdeeds in office proved him to be unworthy of selection as an MP, and when his wife was “shunted in” to replace him my concerns were summarily dismissed by my local Conservative association. Despite this, I remained a...Sir, Charlie Elphicke’s misdeeds in office proved him to be unworthy of selection as an MP, and...Sir, Charlie Elphicke’s misdeeds in office proved him to be unworthy of selection as an MP, and...
Daily Universal Register
Briefing
UK: ONS publishes quarterly estimate of GDP for the UK, as well as index of production, overseas trade statistics and index of services; Duke of Edinburgh Scheme Gold Award reception is held at Buckingham Palace for young people who have achieved the gold standard; the Prince of Wales visits the Isles of Scilly; FA Youth Cup final takes place in Manchester.
France: Anti-Slavery Day marks the abolition of slavery in France and its former empire.
On this day
In 1940 Winston Churchill replaced Neville Chamberlain as prime minister. Chamberlain had been forced to resign over a disastrous military campaign in Norway; in 1941 Rudolf Hess, deputy leader of the Nazi Party, parachuted into Scotland in an apparent attempt to negotiate a peace deal, but was arrested and imprisoned. He died in 1987; in 1969 the ten-day Battle of Dong Ap Bia (Hamburger Hill) started during the Vietnam War. US and South Vietnamese forces launched an assault on Hill 937, held by the Viet Cong; in 1994 Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as the first black president of South Africa after the victory of his African National Congress party. Mandela had spent 27 years as a political prisoner for his campaign to end white minority rule. He died on December 5, 2013; in 1998 members of Sinn Fein, the political wing of the IRA, voted to accept the Good Friday peace agreement.
Nature notes
By UK standards, southern wood ants are huge. Queens can be 12mm long and workers 10mm. This large size led to them being known as horse ants. Often forming teeming colonies of up to half a million individuals, southern wood ant nests are gargantuan mounds of soil, leaves, twigs and conifer needles. Set in sunlit, woodland clearings, some nests are a few metres wide and over a metre high. The species has developed a useful arsenal against attacks from green woodpeckers and badgers. First, their huge mandibles deliver a nasty bite; second, they can spray formic acid into the eyes of assailants; third, they live in such vast numbers that they overcome predators by sheer dint of crawling numbers. Jonathan Tulloch
Jonathan Tulloch
Birthdays today
Dennis Bergkamp, footballer, Holland (1990-2000) and Arsenal (1995-2006), 55; Bono, singer, U2, The Joshua Tree (1987), 64; Barbara Taylor Bradford, author, A Woman of Substance (1979), 91; Edward Cadogan, Earl Cadogan, chairman, Cadogan Group (property portfolio focused on Chelsea and Knightsbridge, west London), 58; Sir Bill Cash, Conservative MP for Stone, shadow attorney-general (2001-03), 84; Donovan, singer-songwriter, Mellow Yellow (1966), 78; Jonathan Edwards, triple jump world record holder and Olympic gold medallist (2000), 58; Linda Evangelista, model, 59; John Fredriksen, oil tanker and shipping tycoon, 80; Diarmuid Gavin, garden designer, Chelsea Flower Show gold medal (2011), 60; Sir Christopher Gent, chief executive, Vodafone (1997-2003), chairman, GlaxoSmith-Kline (2005-15), 76; Lucinda Lambton, writer, Palaces for Pigs (2011), photographer and broadcaster, 81; Dame Maureen Lipman, actress, Educating Rita (1983), Coronation Street (2002, since 2018), 78; Chloë McCardel, holder of the record for the number of cross-Channel swims (44), 39; David Mackenzie, film director, Perfect Sense (2011), 58; Dave Mason, singer-songwriter and guitarist, Traffic, Feelin’ Alright (1968), 78; Anna Maxwell Martin, actress, Bleak House (2005), 47; Antonio Neri, president and chief executive, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, 57; Ellen Ochoa, astronaut, director of the Johnson Space Center (2013-18), 66; Baroness (Charlotte) Owen of Alderley Edge, special adviser to Boris Johnson (2021-22), 31; Sally Phillips, actress, Smack the Pony (1999-2001), 54; Wolfgang Porsche, chairman of the supervisory board, Porsche AG, 81; Miuccia Prada, fashion designer, 75; Roberto Quarta, chairman, WPP Group, 75; Jon Ronson, journalist and author, The Men Who Stare at Goats (2004), 57; Venetia Williams, racehorse trainer, 64; Debbie Wiseman, composer for the King’s coronation, 61.