The man who killed three people in the Nottingham attacks has had his sentence for manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility upheld by three Court of Appeal judges. Valdo Calocane, 32, fatally stabbed the University of Nottingham students Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Barnaby Webber, both 19...The man who killed three people in the Nottingham attacks has had his sentence for manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility upheld by three Court of Appeal judges. Valdo Calocane, 32, fatally stabbed the University of Nottingham students Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Barnaby Webber, both 19...The man who killed three people in the Nottingham attacks has had his sentence for manslaughter by reason of diminished...
The visa route allowing foreign students to stay in the UK for two years after their studies should be retained in its present form, the government’s immigration advisers have recommended. The conclusion from the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) gives Rishi Sunak a fresh headache as he searches for further measures to reduce immigration...The visa route allowing foreign students to stay in the UK for two years after their studies should be retained in its present form, the government’s immigration advisers have recommended. The conclusion from the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) gives Rishi Sunak a fresh headache as he searches for further measures to reduce immigration...The visa route allowing foreign students to stay in the UK for two years after their studies should be retained in its present...
Dame Judi Dench has told theatregoers that they should not go to plays if they are “that sensitive” as she expressed alarm about the increase of trigger warnings before productions. Dench, whose long list of stage and film credits includes Lady Macbeth, was shocked that audiences are routinely warned about...Dame Judi Dench has told theatregoers that they should not go to plays if they are “that...Dame Judi Dench has told theatregoers that they should not go to plays if they are “that...
EXPLAINER
It was never going to be long before social media invented a natural alternative to the much-hyped “miracle”...It was never going to be long before social media invented a natural alternative to the...It was never going to be long before social media invented a natural alternative to the...
interview
When Roman Kemp was four, his godfather bought him a driveable mini Batmobile. When he was five, his teachers started...When Roman Kemp was four, his godfather bought him a driveable mini Batmobile. When he was five...When Roman Kemp was four, his godfather bought him a driveable mini Batmobile. When he was five...
Police would have been given new powers
video
POLITICS
Prime minister defends 14 years of Tory rule
At the foot of a dormant volcano in Iceland, the Swiss company Climeworks has kickstarted a geological process of its own. The eggy smell of sulphur wafts across the valley in plumes of geothermal steam, but Climeworks’s technicians are concerned...At the foot of a dormant volcano in Iceland, the Swiss company Climeworks has kickstarted a...At the foot of a dormant volcano in Iceland, the Swiss company Climeworks has kickstarted a...
Melinda Gates is leaving the charitable foundation she co-founded with Bill, her former husband, more than 20 years...Melinda Gates is leaving the charitable foundation she co-founded with Bill, her former husband...Melinda Gates is leaving the charitable foundation she co-founded with Bill, her former husband...
THE TIMES DIARY
David Miliband returned to British politics to join old cabinet colleagues in a charity football match against the...David Miliband returned to British politics to join old cabinet colleagues in a charity football...David Miliband returned to British politics to join old cabinet colleagues in a charity football...
PHOTOGRAPHY
Photographers and filmmakers from around the globe entered their work in Earth Photo 2024, the international open call and exhibition for images that tell compelling stories about the planet. Of more than 1,900 entries, a judging panel made up of...Photographers and filmmakers from around the globe entered their work in Earth Photo 2024, the...Photographers and filmmakers from around the globe entered their work in Earth Photo 2024, the...
video
The suspected pro-government thugs who attacked Dimitri Chikovani, an opponent of Georgia’s divisive “foreign agent” law, were waiting for him when he got out of his car outside his home in Tbilisi, the country’s capital. Video from CCTV cameras shows the assailants kicking and punching Chikovani...The suspected pro-government thugs who attacked Dimitri Chikovani, an opponent of Georgia’s divisive “foreign agent” law, were waiting for him when he got out of his car outside his home in Tbilisi, the country’s capital. Video from CCTV cameras shows the assailants kicking and punching Chikovani...The suspected pro-government thugs who attacked Dimitri Chikovani, an opponent of Georgia’s divisive “foreign agent” law, were...
Philippines Coast Guard ships are patrolling a remote coral atoll in the South China Sea after evidence revealed that China has been secretly attempting to build it up into a new military base. Filipino vessels have found ground up coral dumped on Sabina Shoal, suggesting efforts to reclaim land around the tiny island which is claimed by...Philippines Coast Guard ships are patrolling a remote coral atoll in the South China Sea after evidence revealed that China has been secretly attempting to build it up into a new military base. Filipino vessels have found ground up coral dumped on Sabina Shoal, suggesting efforts to reclaim land around the tiny island which is claimed by...Philippines Coast Guard ships are patrolling a remote coral atoll in the South China Sea after evidence revealed that China has...
analysis
Michael Cohen lied to Congress, to a New York district court, to the Internal Revenue Service and to his bank. He put his wife at risk of jail by having her sign, over several years, a joint tax return that understated his income by $4 million. He went to jail for fraud and perjury. The role of Cohen, 57, as the...Michael Cohen lied to Congress, to a New York district court, to the Internal Revenue Service and...Michael Cohen lied to Congress, to a New York district court, to the Internal Revenue Service and...
Women have no sense of solidarity with each other, preferring to compete instead of teaming up, and men are to blame...Women have no sense of solidarity with each other, preferring to compete instead of teaming up...Women have no sense of solidarity with each other, preferring to compete instead of teaming up...
The French have an old rhyme for mocking the supposed poor driving skills of women: “Femme au volant, danger au...The French have an old rhyme for mocking the supposed poor driving skills of women: “Femme au...The French have an old rhyme for mocking the supposed poor driving skills of women: “Femme au...
Ukrainian commanders are watching President Putin’s troops advancing into the Kharkiv region and calculating the motive behind his latest move. They lost more border villages on Monday morning, taking to 11 the number of settlements captured by...Ukrainian commanders are watching President Putin’s troops advancing into the Kharkiv region and...Ukrainian commanders are watching President Putin’s troops advancing into the Kharkiv region and...
Analysis
The separatist leader and fugitive from Spanish justice Carles Puigdemont has not yet thrown in the towel, despite...The separatist leader and fugitive from Spanish justice Carles Puigdemont has not yet thrown in...The separatist leader and fugitive from Spanish justice Carles Puigdemont has not yet thrown in...
One recipe suggests having them with kimchi. Another recommends pairing them with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc. A third...One recipe suggests having them with kimchi. Another recommends pairing them with a crisp...One recipe suggests having them with kimchi. Another recommends pairing them with a crisp...
A Nepali sherpa has broken his own record for the most ascents of Mount Everest on the same day that a British man set a new record for a foreign climber. Kami Rita Sherpa, 54, reached the summit of the world’s tallest mountain for the 29th time...A Nepali sherpa has broken his own record for the most ascents of Mount Everest on the same day...A Nepali sherpa has broken his own record for the most ascents of Mount Everest on the same day...
IN maps and CHARTS
Donald Trump turned up the invective and profanity for a huge rally crowd in New Jersey when he repeatedly blamed...Donald Trump turned up the invective and profanity for a huge rally crowd in New Jersey when he...Donald Trump turned up the invective and profanity for a huge rally crowd in New Jersey when he...
Donald Trump became the first serving or former US president to be indicted after being charged with 34 felonies in...Donald Trump became the first serving or former US president to be indicted after being charged...Donald Trump became the first serving or former US president to be indicted after being charged...
Regular pay rose faster than expected in the first quarter while the unemployment rate edged up to 4.3 per cent
updatedWages accelerated faster than expected over the first quarter of the year while unemployment ticked up, casting doubt over how soon the Bank of England could cut interest rates for the first time in four years. Figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that the annual rate of regular...Wages accelerated faster than expected over the first quarter of the year while unemployment ticked up, casting doubt over how soon the Bank of England could cut interest rates for the first time in four years. Figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that the annual rate of regular...Wages accelerated faster than expected over the first quarter of the year while unemployment ticked up, casting doubt over how...
Anglo American has set out a plan to break up its sprawling operations and slow down the development of its $9 billion polyhalite mine in North Yorkshire, as it seeks to defend itself against a buyout by BHP. The FTSE 100 group said it would look to demerge its platinum mining operations and either spin out or sell De Beers, the diamond...Anglo American has set out a plan to break up its sprawling operations and slow down the development of its $9 billion polyhalite mine in North Yorkshire, as it seeks to defend itself against a buyout by BHP. The FTSE 100 group said it would look to demerge its platinum mining operations and either spin out or sell De Beers, the diamond...Anglo American has set out a plan to break up its sprawling operations and slow down the development of its $9 billion...
The former UK chancellor Nadhim Zahawi has been appointed as the new chairman of the Very Group, the online retailer owned by the Barclay family. His appointment comes days after the Stratford-on-Avon MP said that he would not seek re-election as a Conservative MP at the next general election. Zahawi, who has also...The former UK chancellor Nadhim Zahawi has been appointed as the new chairman of the Very Group...The former UK chancellor Nadhim Zahawi has been appointed as the new chairman of the Very Group...
business commentary
When in a hole, keep digging. Trust Mike Henry, the BHP boss, to come up with a twist on that old maxim. He’s already...When in a hole, keep digging. Trust Mike Henry, the BHP boss, to come up with a twist on that old...When in a hole, keep digging. Trust Mike Henry, the BHP boss, to come up with a twist on that old...
Comment
Twenty-five years ago this month Gordon Brown announced the sale of half the UK’s stockpile of gold locked in the...Twenty-five years ago this month Gordon Brown announced the sale of half the UK’s stockpile of...Twenty-five years ago this month Gordon Brown announced the sale of half the UK’s stockpile of...
INTERVIEW
Only days after reports that Saudi Arabia approved the use of lethal force to clear the way for the building of Neom, a futuristic desert city, British ministers are out in force in the country, promoting greater trade links with the UK. Oliver...Only days after reports that Saudi Arabia approved the use of lethal force to clear the way for...Only days after reports that Saudi Arabia approved the use of lethal force to clear the way for...
comment
The sharp increase in interest rates on both sides of the Atlantic since the end of 2021 and early 2022 has been...The sharp increase in interest rates on both sides of the Atlantic since the end of 2021 and...The sharp increase in interest rates on both sides of the Atlantic since the end of 2021 and...
tempus
This trust suits a certain type of investor, and not just those who like long corporate names. As the name suggests...This trust suits a certain type of investor, and not just those who like long corporate names. As...This trust suits a certain type of investor, and not just those who like long corporate names. As...
MARKET REPORT
NEED TO KNOW
International Trade
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...
uefa referees’ chief
Being a referee in the modern game is very difficult. The men in the middle make between 200-250 decisions per match — one every 22 seconds — in difficult and sometimes controversial situations, under huge pressure, with each of them scrutinised and rewatched from multiple different angles by...Being a referee in the modern game is very difficult. The men in the middle make between 200-250 decisions per match — one every 22 seconds — in difficult and sometimes controversial situations, under huge pressure, with each of them scrutinised and rewatched from multiple different angles by...Being a referee in the modern game is very difficult. The men in the middle make between 200-250 decisions per match — one...
steve james
The Derbyshire pace attack, all five of them in Ian Bishop, Ole Mortensen, Devon Malcolm, Alan Warner and Frankie Griffith, were waiting. The pitch at Chesterfield, situated in the picturesque Queen’s Park, with its boating lake, miniature railway and the town’s famous crooked spire in the distance, always provided generous bounce for the...The Derbyshire pace attack, all five of them in Ian Bishop, Ole Mortensen, Devon Malcolm, Alan Warner and Frankie Griffith, were waiting. The pitch at Chesterfield, situated in the picturesque Queen’s Park, with its boating lake, miniature railway and the town’s famous crooked spire in the distance, always provided generous bounce for the...The Derbyshire pace attack, all five of them in Ian Bishop, Ole Mortensen, Devon Malcolm, Alan Warner and Frankie Griffith...
New Zealand, new era. The All Blacks will be under entirely fresh leadership when they tackle England this summer after Scott Robertson, who took charge as head coach after the World Cup, confirmed that Sam Cane will no longer be captain. Scott Barrett, who won seven Super Rugby titles under Robertson at the...New Zealand, new era. The All Blacks will be under entirely fresh leadership when they tackle...New Zealand, new era. The All Blacks will be under entirely fresh leadership when they tackle...
Abbi Pulling interview
Pep Guardiola told his Manchester City players to seize their chance to make history and hit back at the critics who...Pep Guardiola told his Manchester City players to seize their chance to make history and hit back...Pep Guardiola told his Manchester City players to seize their chance to make history and hit back...
The England managing director of cricket Rob Key has revealed that he and Ben Stokes were involved in the...The England managing director of cricket Rob Key has revealed that he and Ben Stokes were...The England managing director of cricket Rob Key has revealed that he and Ben Stokes were...
TIMES SPORT UNSEEN
This week Times photographer Marc Aspland has been experimenting with his drone, capturing the drama of a penalty shoot-out in St Albans and getting a close-up look at Manchester City’s forwards in their win against Fulham in Craven Cottage....This week Times photographer Marc Aspland has been experimenting with his drone, capturing the...This week Times photographer Marc Aspland has been experimenting with his drone, capturing the...
County championship
pga championship | justin thomas interview
Game in numbers
This will be the 39th season in a row in which Celtic or Rangers have won the Scottish league title, a run eight...This will be the 39th season in a row in which Celtic or Rangers have won the Scottish league...This will be the 39th season in a row in which Celtic or Rangers have won the Scottish league...
BET OF THE DAY
Solar Bentley (5.15 Beverley) Racecards This gelding is improving as his stamina is brought into...BET OF THE DAY
Solar Bentley (5.15 Beverley) Racecards This gelding is improving as his stamina...BET OF THE DAY
Solar Bentley (5.15 Beverley) Racecards This gelding is improving as his stamina...
Harry and Meghan have just finished a trip to Nigeria with all the elements of a royal tour — except it wasn’t
interview
After the suicide of his best friend, the presenter has been open about his mental health struggles. Now he’s talking frankly with his dad, Martin, on his new podcast
EXPLAINER
In 50 years, its incidence has increased 400 per cent and it affects as many as one in five young adults. The experts tell Elisabeth Perlman what we can do
EXPLAINER
The DIY beverage made from oats, water, cinnamon and lime juice has amassed over 40 million views on social media for its rumoured health benefits. Peta Bee talks to the experts
my culture fix
DR MARK PORTER
Alarming symptoms such as coughing up blood or finding a lump in your breast trigger surprisingly different responses.Alarming symptoms such as coughing up blood or finding a lump in your breast trigger surprisingly...Alarming symptoms such as coughing up blood or finding a lump in your breast trigger surprisingly...
INTERVIEW
When the Israeli documentary film-maker Duki Dror set off to visit the site of the Supernova festival massacre, he...When the Israeli documentary film-maker Duki Dror set off to visit the site of the Supernova...When the Israeli documentary film-maker Duki Dror set off to visit the site of the Supernova...
explainer
St Catherine’s Court is a grade I listed 16th-century Somerset manor near Bath originally built as a priory grange for the monks of Bath Abbey. It takes its name from the 12th-century Church of St Catherine, which sits beside the house. The actress Jane Seymour (who starred as the tarot-card reading Solitaire in Live and Let Die, the 1973 James Bond film)...St Catherine’s Court is a grade I listed 16th-century Somerset manor near Bath originally built...St Catherine’s Court is a grade I listed 16th-century Somerset manor near Bath originally built...
Troubleshooter
In February my partner and I booked a Viking cruise to Canada and the US Atlantic coast, paying £8,990, which...In February my partner and I booked a Viking cruise to Canada and the US Atlantic coast, paying £8,990, which included flights with American Airlines. Five days after we booked, my partner had an accident while skiing in France and had to have surgery to reconstruct his tibia. Our cruise was in early April and...In February my partner and I booked a Viking cruise to Canada and the US Atlantic coast, paying £8,990, which included flights...
FIRST NIGHT REVIEW
first night review
FIRST NIGHT REVIEW
Our critics travel up and down the country reviewing the latest theatre, musicals and dance, so have the inside track. Here is our guide to the best productions and where to watch them — ordered by when they end. Feel free to get involved in the comments and share your own recommendations. Theatre by the Lake, Keswick
It’s time to deconstruct another Jane Austen...Our critics travel up and down the country reviewing the latest theatre, musicals and dance, so...Our critics travel up and down the country reviewing the latest theatre, musicals and dance, so...
Here are some of the best concerts and opera performances our critics have seen in the past few weeks. We’ll also...Here are some of the best concerts and opera performances our critics have seen in the past few weeks. We’ll also point out when you can catch up with further performances or on-demand streams of these events. Feel free to join in the conversation in the comment section at the end with your own recommendations.Here are some of the best concerts and opera performances our critics have seen in the past few weeks. We’ll also point out...
Viewing GUide
TELEVISION
television
tELEVISION | STREAMING GUIDE
TELEVISION
MindGames
1 Ultramarine, cornflower, electric and cobalt are shades of which primary colour? 2 Operation Starlite (1965) was one of the first large American offensive operations of which war? 3 Which British prime minister is portrayed in the Yousuf Karsh photograph The Roaring Lion? 4 Which British luxury carmaker used the sales slogan “Grace, Space, Pace”? 5 The Lamb Lies...1 Ultramarine, cornflower, electric and cobalt are shades of which primary colour? 2 Operation...1 Ultramarine, cornflower, electric and cobalt are shades of which primary colour? 2 Operation...
It’s London Craft Week, and everywhere you look there’ll be master potters, embroiderers and quilt makers doing their thing
You want your likeness captured for posterity, but who to choose? The Royal Society of Portrait Painters’ Annual Exhibition, on this week, is a good place to start
Are your knees ready to be revealed? If not, try one of these innovative knee smoothing solutions. By Jennifer George
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
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...
video
Moomins, cheap coffee and icy plunges await in Finland’s Tampere, just 90 minutes from Helsinki
Giant lizards, dazzling reefs and villages untouched by tourism — this remote volcanic region is the perfect place to explore on a small ship cruise
video
Have a mini interrail adventure through Italy, Slovenia and Croatia on an affordable route that takes in the Adriatic’s aristocratic history
Jersey’s empty coves, surfing and incredible seafood helped our writer and her teenagers break out of a ten-year family holiday rut
Knowing how much gratuity to leave — if at all — can be a minefield. From cafés to hotel housekeeping we explain the etiquette in the UK other holiday favourites
Kathy Lette | Travel Troubleshooter
comment
Asking for, ahem, a friend: is it ever acceptable to pocket a signed photo of Pat from EastEnders from the Airbnb loo?Asking for, ahem, a friend: is it ever acceptable to pocket a signed photo of Pat from EastEnders...Asking for, ahem, a friend: is it ever acceptable to pocket a signed photo of Pat from EastEnders...
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 the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them...AND the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel...AND the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel...
Buckingham Palace
13th May, 2024 The King, Colonel-in-Chief, Army Air Corps, this morning visited the Army...Buckingham Palace
13th May, 2024 The King, Colonel-in-Chief, Army Air Corps, this morning...Buckingham Palace
13th May, 2024 The King, Colonel-in-Chief, Army Air Corps, this morning...
MindGames and Brain Boost puzzles to print and solve at your leisure
Prime minister angers SNP by saying that ‘Scottish nationalists are trying to tear our United Kingdom apart’
Rishi Sunak has been accused of “puerile” behaviour after he included Scottish independence supporters in a list of extremists that pose a threat to the UK. In a speech in which he claimed Labour was trying to depress its way to victory and that the Conservatives could still win the general...Rishi Sunak has been accused of “puerile” behaviour after he included Scottish independence supporters in a list of extremists that pose a threat to the UK. In a speech in which he claimed Labour was trying to depress its way to victory and that the Conservatives could still win the general...Rishi Sunak has been accused of “puerile” behaviour after he included Scottish independence supporters in a list of extremists...
A funeral firm accused of mismanaging human remains has refused to co-operate with an investigation into its alleged failings, an industry regulator has claimed. Complaints have been lodged against A Milne independent funeral directors, which had branches in Glasgow and Dumbarton, West Dunbartonshire. It has been alleged that the company...A funeral firm accused of mismanaging human remains has refused to co-operate with an investigation into its alleged failings, an industry regulator has claimed. Complaints have been lodged against A Milne independent funeral directors, which had branches in Glasgow and Dumbarton, West Dunbartonshire. It has been alleged that the company...A funeral firm accused of mismanaging human remains has refused to co-operate with an investigation into its alleged failings...
Magnus Linklater
Here’s something Kate Forbes could do, quite quickly, to help one of Scotland’s biggest industries. As the weather eases and the midges begin their summer work, the caravans and campervans are invading the Highlands again. Visitor numbers may be growing, but behind the scenes the holiday trade is suffering. While...Here’s something Kate Forbes could do, quite quickly, to help one of Scotland’s biggest industries.Here’s something Kate Forbes could do, quite quickly, to help one of Scotland’s biggest industries.
Sunday Times Scotland Primary School League Table
A school in which one in ten pupils come from families working in Scotland’s travelling shows and which was among the first to win a “nurturing award” has come top of the The Sunday Times Primary School League Table 2024. Thorntree Primary School...A school in which one in ten pupils come from families working in Scotland’s travelling shows and...A school in which one in ten pupils come from families working in Scotland’s travelling shows and...
scottish business digest
FOOTBALL
Callum McGregor has heaped praise on Brendan Rodgers for having plotted a successful course through the choppy waters of this season to guide Celtic to the brink of a third consecutive title. The championship triumph — which will be mathematically...Callum McGregor has heaped praise on Brendan Rodgers for having plotted a successful course...Callum McGregor has heaped praise on Brendan Rodgers for having plotted a successful course...
Comment
We must roll out red carpet for next big idea
William Hague
As Denmark and Taiwan show, with the right environment a handful of innovators can revitalise whole economies
melanie phillips
Eurovision’s anti-Israel mob behaved like brats
hugo rifkind
Get real, Labour MPs, this is your new normal
giles coren | notebook
An Apple a day keeps the doctor away? Not these days
jawad iqbal
This long wait for compensation adds insult to injustice
Harriet Walker | notebook
From Pret to vapes, why everyone’s going big on ‘little treats’
What was your last “little treat”? A takeaway coffee or croissant? I have a friend who can’t leave museums without a fridge magnet, and another who, on an evening commute, likes to savour what she calls a “solo gin in a tin”. My husband happened...What was your last “little treat”? A takeaway coffee or croissant? I have a friend who can’t...What was your last “little treat”? A takeaway coffee or croissant? I have a friend who can’t...
Leading Articles
Breach of Trust
A parliamentary report paints a damning picture of National Health Service maternity services. Radical reform is needed to make them fit for the 21st century
Secret Craving
China’s appetite for sensitive western military and civilian material is insatiable
End of the Rainbow
The equality, diversity and inclusion industry needs to be culled
letters to the editor
Referendums and the ‘will of the people’
Sir, Matthew Parris makes a powerful case against the use of referendums to decide on complex and far-reaching issues (“Referendums leave us at mercy of the mob”, May 11). But there is another argument against them: too often referendums...Sir, Matthew Parris makes a powerful case against the use of referendums to decide on complex and...Sir, Matthew Parris makes a powerful case against the use of referendums to decide on complex and...
Daily Universal Register
Briefing
UK: Rishi Sunak hosts UK Fork to Farm summit at Downing Street for Britain’s farming industry and food producers; Treasury committee session on the effectiveness of UK government sanctions on Russia, with witnesses including Bill Browder, chief executive of Hermitage Capital Management and head of the Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign; Dame Melanie Dawes, chief executive of Ofcom, gives evidence to the House of Lords committee for its inquiry into the future of news; the Department for Work and Pensions releases figures about the number of people on universal credit; CYBERUK 2024 annual event on cybersecurity begins in Birmingham.
On this day
In 1796 the physician Edward Jenner scratched fluid from a cowpox blister into the skin of an eight-year-old boy, James Phipps, to prove that this could protect against smallpox. On July 1 he inoculated the boy again with matter from a human smallpox sore, and no smallpox developed; in 1904 the opening ceremony for the first Olympic Games to be held in the US took place in St Louis, Missouri. It was held in conjunction with the World’s Fair; in 1935 Magnus Hirschfeld, a German physician and sexologist who founded the World League for Sexual Reform and coined the term transsexual in 1923, died on his 67th birthday. His 1919-founded sex research institute (Institut für Sexualwissenschaft) in Berlin was looted on May 6, 1933, by far-right students’ union members accompanied by a brass band. He died of a heart attack in Nice, France, while in exile from Germany; in 1940 Anthony Eden, the secretary of state for war, made a broadcast asking men between the ages of 17 and 65 to enrol in the new Local Defence Volunteers, better known as the Home Guard. During the Second World War, 1,206 members of this people’s army were killed on duty or died of wounds; in 1991 Winnie Mandela was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment for complicity in the kidnapping and beating of four youths.
Nature notes
To pass through a cloud of fox reek while walking along a residential street is a familiar experience for many city dwellers. Not unlike the redolent air that lingers in place long after someone has smoked a spliff, the skunky smell of fox is never forgotten once identified, and can be a clue to a hidden den — or to a resting animal in an overgrown front garden. Both urine and droppings carry this strong and highly characteristic smell, and help to remotely communicate information including breeding condition and the extent of a fox’s territory; a substance secreted by their anal glands acts as a fragrance booster, while their paws and a small area on their upper tail also produce odiferous compounds. Melissa Harrison
Melissa Harrison
Birthdays today
Anne Baker, writer and NSPCC fundraiser, 110; David Byrne, singer-songwriter and guitarist, Talking Heads, 72; Cate Blanchett, actress, 55; Sir Chay Blyth, yachtsman, the first person to sail nonstop westwards around the world, 84; Ruth Cadbury, Labour MP for Brentford and Isleworth, shadow prisons, parole and probation minister, 65; Eoin Colfer, novelist, the Artemis Fowl series, 59; Sofia Coppola, film director and screenwriter, 53; Sir Michael Fallon, Conservative MP for Sevenoaks (1997-2019), defence secretary (2014-17), 72; Valerie Gooding, chairwoman, Aviva UK Insurance (2018–20), chief executive, Bupa (1998-2008), 74; Baroness (Sarah) Hogg, economist, chairwoman, Financial Reporting Council (2010-14), 78; Richard Huntingford, vice-president, Prince’s Trust, chairman, Unite Students (student accommodation group) and Future (media company), founder, Heart FM (1994), 68; George Lucas, film-maker, the Star Wars and Indiana Jones films, 80; Olly Murs, singer-songwriter, 40; Fraser Nelson, editor, The Spectator, 51; Benedict Nightingale, journalist, theatre critic for The Times (1990-2010), 85; Sir Richard Peto, emeritus professor of medical statistics and epidemiology, University of Oxford, 81; Dame Siân Phillips, actress, 91; Prof Sir Peter Ratcliffe, nephrologist, co-recipient, Nobel prize for physiology or medicine (2019), 70; Campbell Robb, chief executive, Nacro (social justice charity), Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2017-19), Shelter (2010-16), 55; Tim Stevenson, chairman, Johnson Matthey (2011-18), 76; Dirk Van de Put, chairman and chief executive, Mondelez (food company), 64; Lieutenant General Sir Roly Walker, DSO, deputy chief of the Defence Staff (military strategy and operations), who will become chief of the General Staff next month, 54; Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder, Facebook, 40.