Extra funding and more staff can’t improve productivity
Hospitals are struggling to treat more people despite higher funding and extra staff because thousands more patients are stranded on wards with nowhere to go, an internal review has concluded. The most comprehensive internal study of NHS efficiency has caused health chiefs to accept they do have...Hospitals are struggling to treat more people despite higher funding and extra staff because thousands more patients are stranded on wards with nowhere to go, an internal review has concluded. The most comprehensive internal study of NHS efficiency has caused health chiefs to accept they do have...Hospitals are struggling to treat more people despite higher funding and extra staff because thousands more patients are...
Independent school fees have risen by 8 per cent this year, putting private education out of reach of many middle-income families, while some institutions are becoming reliant on China, a report suggests. The average day-school fee is £18,060 — £22,000 in London — while boarding fees increased by 9 per cent to an average of almost £42,500.Independent school fees have risen by 8 per cent this year, putting private education out of reach of many middle-income families, while some institutions are becoming reliant on China, a report suggests. The average day-school fee is £18,060 — £22,000 in London — while boarding fees increased by 9 per cent to an average of almost £42,500.Independent school fees have risen by 8 per cent this year, putting private education out of reach of many middle-income...
A plumbing company that became renowned for fixing pipes and boilers for vulnerable customers without charge is under investigation after it was accused of using fake stories to raise more than £2 million. Following an investigation the BBC accused the social enterprise Depher Community Plumbing & Heating, a...A plumbing company that became renowned for fixing pipes and boilers for vulnerable customers...A plumbing company that became renowned for fixing pipes and boilers for vulnerable customers...
FIRST PERSON
I can’t think of anything more annoying than having a toy boy. Although right now being a cougar is in vogue: there’s...I can’t think of anything more annoying than having a toy boy. Although right now being a cougar...I can’t think of anything more annoying than having a toy boy. Although right now being a cougar...
explainer
It’s a seven-year saga featuring downfall, redemption (of sorts) and dramatic late cameos from Sharon Stone, Stephen...It’s a seven-year saga featuring downfall, redemption (of sorts) and dramatic late cameos from...It’s a seven-year saga featuring downfall, redemption (of sorts) and dramatic late cameos from...
political sketch
analysis
The Labour leader has set out his manifesto to win the next general election
Jeremy Corbyn faces being blocked from standing for Labour at the next election
More universities are at risk of falling into debt and some need to make drastic changes to avoid closure, the higher education watchdog said on Thursday. A report from the Office for Students (OfS) says universities are too reliant on...More universities are at risk of falling into debt and some need to make drastic changes to avoid...More universities are at risk of falling into debt and some need to make drastic changes to avoid...
A 13,000-word New Yorker article on Lucy Letby that is blocked online in the UK but available in the magazine’s print...A 13,000-word New Yorker article on Lucy Letby that is blocked online in the UK but available in...A 13,000-word New Yorker article on Lucy Letby that is blocked online in the UK but available in...
Hundreds of senior doctors have been driven out of their jobs in the NHS after raising concerns about patient safety...Hundreds of senior doctors have been driven out of their jobs in the NHS after raising concerns...Hundreds of senior doctors have been driven out of their jobs in the NHS after raising concerns...
Archaeologists have long wondered why the ancient Egyptians built most of their pyramids on what is now a narrow, inhospitable strip of desert. They may finally have an answer after scientists uncovered evidence that the pharaohs’ tombs originally...Archaeologists have long wondered why the ancient Egyptians built most of their pyramids on what...Archaeologists have long wondered why the ancient Egyptians built most of their pyramids on what...
video
The former head of IT at the Post Office broke down in tears before giving evidence at the public inquiry into the Horizon scandal. Lesley Sewell, who was a senior executive at the Post Office between 2010 and 2015, was...The former head of IT at the Post Office broke down in tears before giving evidence at the public inquiry into the Horizon scandal. Lesley Sewell, who was a senior executive at the Post Office between 2010 and 2015, was...The former head of IT at the Post Office broke down in tears before giving evidence at the public inquiry into the...
Three high street lenders have reduced mortgage rates on more than 100 deals in a boost for borrowers who have faced weeks of increases. Barclays will reduce fixed rates on purchase and remortgage deals by up to 0.45 percentage...Three high street lenders have reduced mortgage rates on more than 100 deals in a boost for borrowers who have faced weeks of increases. Barclays will reduce fixed rates on purchase and remortgage deals by up to 0.45 percentage...Three high street lenders have reduced mortgage rates on more than 100 deals in a boost for borrowers who have faced...
REVIEW
Photo London returns to the capital, filling Somerset House until May 19 with booths and stands displaying images from the dawn of photography to contemporary experiments in light. As always the work ranges from social documentary to personal...Photo London returns to the capital, filling Somerset House until May 19 with booths and stands...Photo London returns to the capital, filling Somerset House until May 19 with booths and stands...
The mother of a six-year-old boy who died early on Thursday morning after falling more than 150ft from a tower block...The mother of a six-year-old boy who died early on Thursday morning after falling more than 150ft...The mother of a six-year-old boy who died early on Thursday morning after falling more than 150ft...
The times diary
Moscow girls made the Beatles sing and shout but if their fans back in the USSR wanted to hear them they had to go to...Moscow girls made the Beatles sing and shout but if their fans back in the USSR wanted to hear...Moscow girls made the Beatles sing and shout but if their fans back in the USSR wanted to hear...
Some inherited their wealth, but most of Britain’s gilded youth have forged their own success in commerce, showbiz and sport
newLucrative government contracts have propelled Graham King onto this year’s Rich List for the first time
newvideo
Carinthia VII has a £2.6 million infinity pool, three staff for each guest — and a dark past
newThe stress almost broke him, so why is John Caudwell working harder than ever at the age of 71?
newrelative values
The founders of the sportswear label Castore, Tom and Phil Beahon, on how sibling rivalry fuels their business
newThe Sunday Times Rich List features figures who have made their fortunes from stairlifts, shipping containers, supermarkets, petrol pumps and Portaloos — and includes a Catholic priest, the King, the prime minister and Britain’s first billionaire...The Sunday Times Rich List features figures who have made their fortunes from stairlifts...The Sunday Times Rich List features figures who have made their fortunes from stairlifts...
Support for the militants is fading as the conflict grinds on
In the nightmare of Gaza, elections are a distant dream. “There is no administration at any level,” says Hajj Yazan, 60, who has been imprisoned more than once during previous wars with Israel, the first and second intifadas. “We lost martyrs, our homes, our land and our money.” Tired from running from an assault on the southern city of Rafah, Atta, 39, a father of...In the nightmare of Gaza, elections are a distant dream. “There is no administration at any...In the nightmare of Gaza, elections are a distant dream. “There is no administration at any...
President Biden has blocked the release of recordings from his interview with a special counsel who characterised him...President Biden has blocked the release of recordings from his interview with a special counsel who characterised him as an “elderly man with a poor memory”, during an investigation into his handling of classified documents. House Republicans have demanded the audio of Biden’s conversations with Robert Hur, whose...President Biden has blocked the release of recordings from his interview with a special counsel who characterised him as an...
Deep in the abundant orchards of California’s wine country stands a grand estate that has become the unlikely focus of a Succession-style family battle. Monticello Vineyards, built on a Prohibition-era prune orchard, is one of the few...Deep in the abundant orchards of California’s wine country stands a grand estate that has become...Deep in the abundant orchards of California’s wine country stands a grand estate that has become...
video
Slovakia’s prime minister Robert Fico “escaped death by just a hair” after being shot several times, the country’s future president said after the alleged gunman was charged with attempted murder. The shooting was the first major assassination attempt on a European political leader for more than 20 years, and has drawn international condemnation. Political analysts and...Slovakia’s prime minister Robert Fico “escaped death by just a hair” after being shot several...Slovakia’s prime minister Robert Fico “escaped death by just a hair” after being shot several...
profile
The 71-year-old man suspected of shooting Robert Fico, the Slovakian prime minister, at point-blank range has been...The 71-year-old man suspected of shooting Robert Fico, the Slovakian prime minister, at point-blank range has been named in local media as Juraj Cintula, an amateur poet and former supermarket security guard said to have links with a pro-Russian paramilitary group, Slovenski Branski, also known as Slovak Conscripts.The 71-year-old man suspected of shooting Robert Fico, the Slovakian prime minister, at point-blank range has been named in...
A US senator on trial for corruption has put the blame on his wife, who is undergoing treatment for cancer, by saying...A US senator on trial for corruption has put the blame on his wife, who is undergoing treatment...A US senator on trial for corruption has put the blame on his wife, who is undergoing treatment...
Russia’s first transgender politician has reverted to the gender he was assigned at birth, issuing an apology to the...Russia’s first transgender politician has reverted to the gender he was assigned at birth...Russia’s first transgender politician has reverted to the gender he was assigned at birth...
Carmen Cervera, the Dowager Baroness Thyssen-Bornemisza and a former Miss Spain, is famed for getting her own way. Tita, as she is known, won popularity in Spain for persuading her late husband, Baron Hans Heinrich von Thyssen-Bornemisza, to sell...Carmen Cervera, the Dowager Baroness Thyssen-Bornemisza and a former Miss Spain, is famed for...Carmen Cervera, the Dowager Baroness Thyssen-Bornemisza and a former Miss Spain, is famed for...
Tech groups accused of using content illegally
Sony Music has written to more than 700 artificial intelligence companies, accusing them of using its artists’ content without permission, as tension builds between the creative and technology sectors. The world’s second biggest record company has asked technology groups including Google...Sony Music has written to more than 700 artificial intelligence companies, accusing them of using its artists’ content without permission, as tension builds between the creative and technology sectors. The world’s second biggest record company has asked technology groups including Google...Sony Music has written to more than 700 artificial intelligence companies, accusing them of using its artists’ content without...
The prospect of government opposition to a proposed £3.5 billion acquisition of the Royal Mail’s parent company has receded after the business secretary welcomed contractual undertakings being negotiated as part of a Czech tycoon’s takeover. In a potentially politically significant moment for the deal, on Thursday Kemi Badenoch met Martin...The prospect of government opposition to a proposed £3.5 billion acquisition of the Royal Mail’s parent company has receded after the business secretary welcomed contractual undertakings being negotiated as part of a Czech tycoon’s takeover. In a potentially politically significant moment for the deal, on Thursday Kemi Badenoch met Martin...The prospect of government opposition to a proposed £3.5 billion acquisition of the Royal Mail’s parent company has receded...
America’s oldest equity index broke through the 40,000 level for the first time on Thursday before slipping back to close at its second highest level. The Dow Jones industrial average, which started with 12 companies in 1896, hit 40,040 during morning trading in New York but reversed those early gains to finish the...America’s oldest equity index broke through the 40,000 level for the first time on Thursday...America’s oldest equity index broke through the 40,000 level for the first time on Thursday...
business commentary
Betting against BT has long been a lucrative trade. Rewind to 2015 and the shares were just shy of £5. So it makes a...Betting against BT has long been a lucrative trade. Rewind to 2015 and the shares were just shy...Betting against BT has long been a lucrative trade. Rewind to 2015 and the shares were just shy...
market report
Talk about surprises. Minutes before the market closed, GSK announced its intention to sell its remaining...Talk about surprises. Minutes before the market closed, GSK announced its intention to sell its...Talk about surprises. Minutes before the market closed, GSK announced its intention to sell its...
Comment
Are monstrous bosses bad for the bottom line? Last week a top executive of Baidu, one of China’s leading technology...Are monstrous bosses bad for the bottom line? Last week a top executive of Baidu, one of China’s...Are monstrous bosses bad for the bottom line? Last week a top executive of Baidu, one of China’s...
TEMPUS
By his own admission, Nick Train is mortified by the recent performance of his listed investment fund. Shares in the...By his own admission, Nick Train is mortified by the recent performance of his listed investment...By his own admission, Nick Train is mortified by the recent performance of his listed investment...
Recruitment
In 2021 Boris Johnson boldly declared that “Britain will become the Qatar of hydrogen” as part of his government’s strategy for reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. The plan was for hydrogen to supply up to 35 per cent of Britain’s energy needs, but was the promise a load of hot air? No, according to key players in the country’s burgeoning hydrogen industry. Already the...In 2021 Boris Johnson boldly declared that “Britain will become the Qatar of hydrogen” as part of...In 2021 Boris Johnson boldly declared that “Britain will become the Qatar of hydrogen” as part of...
Six from the Best
As an award-winning writer on the past, present and future of work, Julia Hobsbawm has observed thousands of...As an award-winning writer on the past, present and future of work, Julia Hobsbawm has observed thousands of companies at close range. Working Assumptions, her latest book, unpacks what employers and employees need to know about the post-Covid changes rippling through the modern workforce. Here she shares her...As an award-winning writer on the past, present and future of work, Julia Hobsbawm has observed thousands of companies at close...
us pga championship
Rory McIlroy banished the psychological demons and personal drama that had accompanied him in the build-up to the US PGA Championship, but he will have to contend with another familiar foe to finally end his decade-long major drought. It was only last week that the Northern Irishman surged from...Rory McIlroy banished the psychological demons and personal drama that had accompanied him in the build-up to the US PGA Championship, but he will have to contend with another familiar foe to finally end his decade-long major drought. It was only last week that the Northern Irishman surged from...Rory McIlroy banished the psychological demons and personal drama that had accompanied him in the build-up to the US PGA...
fury v Usyk
The biggest heavyweight fight in 25 years will take place in Riyadh on Saturday night without any radio coverage in the UK. The BBC sent a team to Saudi Arabia this week expecting to conclude a deal for the rights to broadcast the fight. However, the deal fell through on Wednesday. The bout between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will be the...The biggest heavyweight fight in 25 years will take place in Riyadh on Saturday night without any radio coverage in the UK. The BBC sent a team to Saudi Arabia this week expecting to conclude a deal for the rights to broadcast the fight. However, the deal fell through on Wednesday. The bout between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will be the...The biggest heavyweight fight in 25 years will take place in Riyadh on Saturday night without any radio coverage in the UK. The...
Matt dickinson
Istanbul airport, May 26, 2005. The flight back home with the Liverpool squad is bedlam, befitting the bonkers night before. Normally the media are shoved at the back of the plane but overjoyed, hungover players and their partners are sprawled all over the place. Last to board, I cannot find anywhere to sit. As I...Istanbul airport, May 26, 2005. The flight back home with the Liverpool squad is bedlam...Istanbul airport, May 26, 2005. The flight back home with the Liverpool squad is bedlam...
Championship Play-off semi-Final
Leeds United are going to Wembley. London be warned. A football club have regained their unity. They really will march on together, to the capital and potentially back to the Premier League. It is 52 years since Leeds won a meaningful game at...Leeds United are going to Wembley. London be warned. A football club have regained their unity.Leeds United are going to Wembley. London be warned. A football club have regained their unity.
gallagher premiership | John Westerby
Stuart barnes
Bad news for Sale Sharks; good news for England. Tom Curry isn’t quite ready for Sale’s crucial visit to Saracens for...Bad news for Sale Sharks; good news for England. Tom Curry isn’t quite ready for Sale’s crucial...Bad news for Sale Sharks; good news for England. Tom Curry isn’t quite ready for Sale’s crucial...
Eight years ago Gianni Infantino was a member of the Fifa reform committee that introduced a series of measures to...Eight years ago Gianni Infantino was a member of the Fifa reform committee that introduced a...Eight years ago Gianni Infantino was a member of the Fifa reform committee that introduced a...
Tommy Calvert interview
Tommy Calvert was 11 years old when he first nailed the mega ramp, an Evel Knievel-style skateboarding trick that involves rotating across a 50-foot chasm, board momentarily in hand, before landing on a second ramp at a speed in excess of 30mph. “I had to look in the opposite direction,” his dad, Paul, says. Now 13, Calvert remains unfazed. “When you start skating you...Tommy Calvert was 11 years old when he first nailed the mega ramp, an Evel Knievel-style...Tommy Calvert was 11 years old when he first nailed the mega ramp, an Evel Knievel-style...
Premier League
Stefan Ortega will be in goal for Manchester City’s final two matches of the season after Ederson was ruled out for...Stefan Ortega will be in goal for Manchester City’s final two matches of the season after Ederson was ruled out for the rest of the campaign with a broken eye socket. Ederson suffered what City described as “a minor fracture” in the 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday. Cristian Romero, the Tottenham...Stefan Ortega will be in goal for Manchester City’s final two matches of the season after Ederson was ruled out for the rest of...
Moses Itauma interview
The Ruck podcast special
Gallagher Premiership Guide
BET OF THE DAY
Waxing Gibbous (5.40 Newbury) Racecards This filly caught the eye when second at Doncaster last...BET OF THE DAY
Waxing Gibbous (5.40 Newbury) Racecards This filly caught the eye when second at Doncaster last time and she is fancied to go one better here. She fared easily best of those that were held up in that race, never able to land a blow on the winner, Fiddlers Green, who was prominent from the outset...BET OF THE DAY
Waxing Gibbous (5.40 Newbury) Racecards This filly caught the eye when second at Doncaster last time and she...
As the British heart-throb begins his run of Romeo and Juliet in the West End, we join his fans in the theatre and track his rise from ballet school to Marvel pin-up
FIRST PERSON
For Katie Glass, 43, Anne Hathaway’s age-gap rom-com brought back memories of her days as a cougar
explainer
Sharon Stone, Stephen Fry and Liam Neeson are all lobbying for the disgraced star to be brought back into the Hollywood fold
review
In her confident third album, the star borrows stylistic touches from decades past while singing about coming out, body issues and lesbian lust
what i’ve learnt
The former Manchester United and England defender on parenting, racism — and the secret to his balance and poise
On a spring day in 2009 I phoned my cousin Leonora Carrington with some big news. A painting by her, The Giantess (c...On a spring day in 2009 I phoned my cousin Leonora Carrington with some big news. A painting by...On a spring day in 2009 I phoned my cousin Leonora Carrington with some big news. A painting by...
review
Kate Hudson’s place in rock’n’roll history is assured. As Penny Lane, No 1 groupie/groovy inspiration to the mediocre...Kate Hudson’s place in rock’n’roll history is assured. As Penny Lane, No 1 groupie/groovy...Kate Hudson’s place in rock’n’roll history is assured. As Penny Lane, No 1 groupie/groovy...
video
REVIEW
The star’s character stops Marc Fitoussi’s holiday movie from being too frivolous, but the tear-jerking finale is overdone
video
REVIEW
John Krasinski’s latest turn as a director is about imaginary friends and features his wife, Emily Blunt, plus Ryan Reynolds, Bradley Cooper and more stars
video
REVIEW
Scarlett Johansson narrates a punishing documentary about the Swedish actress and model who bewitched Keith Richards and Mick Jagger
video
review
The director loved this Kill Bill-style drama featuring Raquel Welch
video
review
This mesmerising debut about a girl and her hoarder mother has the sweaty claustrophobia of Andrea Arnold’s Fish Tank
first night review
Learning a language as an adult is a battle. Your voice feels alien; the words can’t quite find their shape. Sanaz Toossi’s 2023 Pulitzer prizewinning drama, having its European premiere presented by the RSC, articulates this struggle in...Learning a language as an adult is a battle. Your voice feels alien; the words can’t quite find...Learning a language as an adult is a battle. Your voice feels alien; the words can’t quite find...
first night review
first night review
Attending this afternoon concert was like stepping into the world of yesterday. Mark Elder conducted the Hallé in...Attending this afternoon concert was like stepping into the world of yesterday. Mark Elder...Attending this afternoon concert was like stepping into the world of yesterday. Mark Elder...
first night review
The two works on Ballet Black’s new double bill, HEROES, can be viewed as having a common theme — the desire...The two works on Ballet Black’s new double bill, HEROES, can be viewed as having a common theme...The two works on Ballet Black’s new double bill, HEROES, can be viewed as having a common theme...
When the Georgian-Russian writer Boris Akunin took to the stage to accept a special Freedom to Publish award at the British Book Awards on Monday evening, he declared himself to be an impostor. Akunin (which is his pen-name; he was born Grigori...When the Georgian-Russian writer Boris Akunin took to the stage to accept a special Freedom to...When the Georgian-Russian writer Boris Akunin took to the stage to accept a special Freedom to...
MindGames
1 Which airline is the UK flag carrier? 2 The remains of the ancient Egyptian city of Thebes are located on the banks...1 Which airline is the UK flag carrier? 2 The remains of the ancient Egyptian city of Thebes are...1 Which airline is the UK flag carrier? 2 The remains of the ancient Egyptian city of Thebes are...
video
review
Bridgerton series 3, part 1
Netflix Bridgerton, the toff, tits and titles drama, is back for a third series. And, Lordy, the intimacy co-ordinators have been busy. Get ready to desteam your spectacles, folks, because the sex has returned too.Bridgerton series 3, part 1
Netflix Bridgerton, the toff, tits and titles drama, is back for...Bridgerton series 3, part 1
Netflix Bridgerton, the toff, tits and titles drama, is back for...
Viewing GUide
Fountains, sculpture, exotic trees, bonkers topiary — why a lavish garden has always been the ultimate status symbol. By Dr Louisa McKenzie
Titouan Bernicot was 16 when the corals surrounding his Polynesian home turned white. Since then he has dedicated his life to revitalising reefs around the world
These fine jewellers are encouraging their successors in the schools and universities of Birmingham. Anna Murphy reports
Lisa Grainger on the island the French aristocracy like to keep to themselves, and more travel news
The manor house has a 300-year-old garden complete with giant mushrooms and lopsided lollipops
video
Aston Martin is surging ahead with several product launches and overhauls under the new ownership of Lawrence Stroll. The latest is the new and improved Vantage, the entry-level sports car from the British manufacturer that is seeking greater...Aston Martin is surging ahead with several product launches and overhauls under the new ownership...Aston Martin is surging ahead with several product launches and overhauls under the new ownership...
Attenborough-approved wildlife, the smallest harbour in Britain and rolling countryside all await in this striking pocket of Scotland — best discovered by ebike
Discover the country’s best Costa, spot bears in wild Asturias or drink in the Duero wine region on these invigorating hikes
video
A private cove, jungle-style surroundings and delicious locally sourced menus await at Yazz Collective, a vibey, luxury hideaway not far from Fethiye
Trips abroad became impossible when our writer’s father developed dementia — until full-time care gave his family a chance to share tears and cheers in Florence and Bologna
Can’t get to Chelsea? Towns and villages around the country are bright with a profusion of spring and summer flowers. These are the best
Getting stuck in a rut is often spoken of in terms of a job, a relationship, a fashion style even, but rarely a holiday.Getting stuck in a rut is often spoken of in terms of a job, a relationship, a fashion style even...Getting stuck in a rut is often spoken of in terms of a job, a relationship, a fashion style even...
WHERE WAS I? COMPETITION
On this particular issue polling would no doubt suggest a nation divided. The issue in question is “Where next?” Of...On this particular issue polling would no doubt suggest a nation divided. The issue in question...On this particular issue polling would no doubt suggest a nation divided. The issue in question...
video
The Welbeck Estate, on the edge of Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, is known for its cookery school, brewery and farm shop. Now it has opened chic new accommodation which food lovers can book to stay in overnight. Alicia Miller checks in.
...The Welbeck Estate, on the edge of Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, is known for its cookery...The Welbeck Estate, on the edge of Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, is known for its cookery...
Weather Eye
AND TAKE the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: praying always with all...AND TAKE the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: praying...AND TAKE the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: praying...
Buckingham Palace
16th May, 2024 His Excellency Mr Ravshan Usmanov was received in audience by The King this...Buckingham Palace
16th May, 2024 His Excellency Mr Ravshan Usmanov was received in audience by...Buckingham Palace
16th May, 2024 His Excellency Mr Ravshan Usmanov was received in audience by...
MindGames and Brain Boost puzzles to print and solve at your leisure
Josie Lywood talks us through every step of her Georgian townhouse upgrade, which added significant value to the property
Most Haunted presenter Yvette Fielding says she has seen poltergeist activity in houses
first person
Luxury developments are offering IV drips to residents. David Byers rolls up his sleeve …
analysis
Thames Water bills 1.2 million households based on a ‘rateable value’ that has little to do with actual usage
first person
People living alone in the UK now make up a third of all households, according to the Office for National Statistics. There has been an 8 per cent increase in solo dwellers in a decade, outpacing the 6 per cent increase in the UK population in the...People living alone in the UK now make up a third of all households, according to the Office for...People living alone in the UK now make up a third of all households, according to the Office for...
If James Bond had a favourite destination, the Bahamas would surely come close. The Caribbean nation’s backdrop of sun, sand and warm seas has featured in multiple Bond movies, impressing Sean Connery so much that he made it his permanent home in...If James Bond had a favourite destination, the Bahamas would surely come close. The Caribbean...If James Bond had a favourite destination, the Bahamas would surely come close. The Caribbean...
Justice secretary refuses to rule out violent offenders being freed under scheme to tackle rising prison population
Up to 500 criminals with fewer than four years left on their sentence will be granted early release under Scottish government plans to ease a prison overcrowding crisis. A surge in the number of inmates has caused a “critical risk” to safety with health and rehabilitation services “severely...Up to 500 criminals with fewer than four years left on their sentence will be granted early release under Scottish government plans to ease a prison overcrowding crisis. A surge in the number of inmates has caused a “critical risk” to safety with health and rehabilitation services “severely...Up to 500 criminals with fewer than four years left on their sentence will be granted early release under Scottish government...
Rebel activists who signed a declaration that “sex is a biological reality” have been expelled from the Scottish Green Party. Sources say at least seven members have received confirmation that their association with the party has been terminated for breaching its code of conduct. The Scottish Green Declaration for Women’s Sex-Based Rights...Rebel activists who signed a declaration that “sex is a biological reality” have been expelled from the Scottish Green Party. Sources say at least seven members have received confirmation that their association with the party has been terminated for breaching its code of conduct. The Scottish Green Declaration for Women’s Sex-Based Rights...Rebel activists who signed a declaration that “sex is a biological reality” have been expelled from the Scottish Green Party.
Holyrood sketch
John Swinney’s spell as first minister is already proving an interesting experiment. For years, Swinney served as Nicola Sturgeon’s staunchest defender. The public might think him a Blairgowrie bank manager from the age when such individuals had the ability to make decisions but within Holyrood he was better known...John Swinney’s spell as first minister is already proving an interesting experiment. For years...John Swinney’s spell as first minister is already proving an interesting experiment. For years...
The biggest outbreak of whooping cough for more than a decade is sweeping Scotland, with new figures showing...The biggest outbreak of whooping cough for more than a decade is sweeping Scotland, with new...The biggest outbreak of whooping cough for more than a decade is sweeping Scotland, with new...
Police Scotland must abandon its “obsession with woke issues” to ensure all crimes are properly investigated instead...Police Scotland must abandon its “obsession with woke issues” to ensure all crimes are properly...Police Scotland must abandon its “obsession with woke issues” to ensure all crimes are properly...
LEADING ARTICLE
There’s something wonderfully wholesome about a traditional log cabin. They hark back to simpler times when screens didn’t dominate, beds were covered in patchwork quilts and children played outdoors until the dinner bell was rung. For those...There’s something wonderfully wholesome about a traditional log cabin. They hark back to simpler...There’s something wonderfully wholesome about a traditional log cabin. They hark back to simpler...
Robin Blacklock | Comment
There are still numerous potential plot twists in the race for the United Rugby Championship play-offs, but Friday...There are still numerous potential plot twists in the race for the United Rugby Championship...There are still numerous potential plot twists in the race for the United Rugby Championship...
scottish business digest
Hello and welcome to our daily digest of business, financial and economic news from around Scotland. 1. One of...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.
Comment
Starmer’s tussle with the unions isn’t over yet
Patrick Maguire
Labour is committed to new workplace rights but a future government will need employers’ help to make them work
emma duncan
RSPB Woman is ready to come out swinging
gerard baker
This Trump trial looks shakier by the day
Martin Samuel | notebook
Suggesting a sushi joint shouldn’t have hit a raw nerve
Zewditu Gebreyohanes
The National Trust is strangely obsessed with race
Leading Articles
Diagnosing the Problem
As an internal review confronts a sharp decline in productivity, coherent reform is needed to ensure our straining health service provides value for money
Promises, Promises
Opposition’s latest policy launch was underwhelming but it probably won’t matter
Dangerous Pursuit
Amending the law to punish reckless cyclists is long overdue
letters to the editor
Getting the unemployed back into work
Sir, Jeremy Hunt and Mel Stride have missed the opportunity to create a more informed debate on how to support people back into work (“When the going gets tough, Britons show their resilience”, comment, May 15). Perpetuating the assumption that...Sir, Jeremy Hunt and Mel Stride have missed the opportunity to create a more informed debate on...Sir, Jeremy Hunt and Mel Stride have missed the opportunity to create a more informed debate on...
Daily Universal Register
Briefing
UK: David Lammy, the shadow foreign secretary, gives a speech on Labour’s foreign policy to the Institute for Government; the education select committee publishes a report on teacher recruitment and retention.
China: Monthly press conference on the country’s economic data.
Thailand: Hosts of the Fifa 2027 Women’s World Cup announced.
On this day
In 1749 Edward Jenner, the English physician, was born. His pioneering work with smallpox vaccinations lay the foundation for modern immunology. The last remaining smallpox virus specimens are held in two laboratories, in Siberia and the US; in 1792, 24 merchants meeting in Wall Street founded the New York stock exchange; in 1916 the Summer Time Act was passed, with clocks advanced in the UK for one hour from May 21 until October 1. The idea of daylight saving time had first been mentioned by Benjamin Franklin in 1784; in 1990 the World Health Organisation removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders. The anniversary is marked by the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia; in 2014 a new species of titanosaur was announced. One of the largest creatures to have walked the Earth, the juvenile herbivore (Patagotitan mayorum) weighed 76 tonnes.
Nature notes
At last the sun came out, and a large red damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) basked on a bramble leaf. It had just emerged from the little woodland pond close by. These insects have a two-year life cycle, most of which is spent underwater in nymph form. Large red damselfly nymphs live at the bottom of ponds, among both living and decaying vegetation, and in their early development eat the microscopic rotifers. They then graduate to consume insect larvae, particularly those of midges. Once they have left the water and grown wings, they do not live long. The mean mature lifespan of adult males is one week; females average five and a half days. However, there are records of both sexes surviving for six weeks as adults. Jonathan Tulloch
Jonathan Tulloch
Birthdays today
Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Baird, Flag Officer, Scotland and Northern Ireland (1979-82), 100; General Sir Richard Barrons, commander, Joint Forces Command (2013-16), 65; Sir Rodric Braithwaite, UK ambassador to USSR/Russia (1988-92), 92; Richard Brooke, chairman, England Boxing, 70; Bill Bruford, rock and jazz drummer, Yes (1968-72), 75; BS Chandrasekhar, cricketer, India (1964-79), 79; Enya, singer, Orinoco Flow (1988), 63; Anthony Eyton, figurative painter, 101; Lucy Frazer KC, culture, media and sport secretary, Conservative MP for South East Cambridgeshire, 52; Martin Harris, UK ambassador to Ukraine, 55; Prof Cyril Hilsum, physicist and and material scientist, 99; Sir Simon Hughes, MP (1983-2015), deputy leader, Liberal Democrats (2010-14), 73; Alan Johnson, Labour MP (1997-2017), home secretary (2009-10), 74; Justin King, chairman, Ovo (energy group), Allwyn UK (operator of the National Lottery), Dexters (estate agency), 63; Johanna Konta, tennis player, former British No 1, 33; Sugar Ray Leonard, boxer, five-weight world champion, 68; Taj Mahal, blues musician, 82; Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, 53; Jane Moore, journalist, columnist for The Sun, and broadcaster, Loose Women, 62; Baroness (Susan) Nye, director, Government Relations, 10 Downing Street (2007-10), 69; Christine Ohuruogu, athlete, Olympic gold medallist (2008), world 400m champion (2007, 2013), 40; Rt Rev Stephen Platten, bishop of Wakefield (2003-14), 77; Tamara Rojo, artistic director and lead principal dancer of English National Ballet (2012-22), 50; Jeremy Vine, presenter and broadcaster, 59; Paul Walker, chairman, Ashtead Group (equipment rental company), RELX Group (information and analytics company), 67; Paul Whitehouse, comedian and writer, The Fast Show (1994-2000), Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing (2018-23), 66.