The Times & The Sunday Times Homepage
D-Day debacle ‘cost Tories their seats’
newKemi Badenoch has used the first meeting of the shadow cabinet to criticise Rishi Sunak’s election campaign amid concerns that some colleagues are failing to grasp the “enormity” of the Conservative Party’s landslide defeat. The shadow housing secretary, who is seen as a frontrunner for the Tory...Kemi Badenoch has used the first meeting of the shadow cabinet to criticise Rishi Sunak’s election campaign amid concerns that some colleagues are failing to grasp the “enormity” of the Conservative Party’s landslide defeat. The shadow housing secretary, who is seen as a frontrunner for the Tory...Kemi Badenoch has used the first meeting of the shadow cabinet to criticise Rishi Sunak’s election campaign amid concerns that...
comment
Since ten o’clock last Thursday night the new reality has become all too clear for my party, delivered to us with a brutal blow by the electorate. To govern is a privilege, not a right. We have too often taken it for granted and that must change. There is no denying the successes we achieved during our fourteen years in office that we...Since ten o’clock last Thursday night the new reality has become all too clear for my party, delivered to us with a brutal blow by the electorate. To govern is a privilege, not a right. We have too often taken it for granted and that must change. There is no denying the successes we achieved during our fourteen years in office that we...Since ten o’clock last Thursday night the new reality has become all too clear for my party, delivered to us with a brutal blow...
President Biden has been bolstered by a series of endorsements as he battles to save his re-election campaign. Democrats in Congress debated his future behind closed doors at a meeting described by one as “like a funeral” and by another as “sad” amid a pervading sense they are lumbered with Biden as their candidate.President Biden has been bolstered by a series of endorsements as he battles to save his...President Biden has been bolstered by a series of endorsements as he battles to save his...
EURO 2024 | OWEN SLOT
video
FIRST LOOK
When the first Gladiator film came out, in May 2000, Tony Blair was prime minister. Is it a coincidence that the...When the first Gladiator film came out, in May 2000, Tony Blair was prime minister. Is it a...When the first Gladiator film came out, in May 2000, Tony Blair was prime minister. Is it a...
first person
We’ve all pictured the scene: lying in the sun, toes in the sand, a waiter delivering another umbrella-filled pina...We’ve all pictured the scene: lying in the sun, toes in the sand, a waiter delivering another...We’ve all pictured the scene: lying in the sun, toes in the sand, a waiter delivering another...
Both are expected to battle it out for the role
More women, more people of colour and more graduates from non-selective schools than any new parliament in over 50 years
Referees typically take flak for decisions they make during matches, not before. But the man overseeing England’s semi-final game on Wednesday is facing fury from fans over his previous involvement in match-fixing. Felix Zwayer, 43, served a...Referees typically take flak for decisions they make during matches, not before. But the man...Referees typically take flak for decisions they make during matches, not before. But the man...
It is not just Wimbledon fans and holidaymakers who have had enough of this British summer. Naturalists have warned...It is not just Wimbledon fans and holidaymakers who have had enough of this British summer.It is not just Wimbledon fans and holidaymakers who have had enough of this British summer.
the times diary
You are never more popular in Westminster than after losing your seat. “I’ve had so many hugs from Labour MPs,” Nigel...You are never more popular in Westminster than after losing your seat. “I’ve had so many hugs...You are never more popular in Westminster than after losing your seat. “I’ve had so many hugs...
PHOTOGRAPHY
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Moscow has a new ally in its efforts to keep the Northeast Passage open throughout the summer months
It is northern China’s version of the shipping forecast and, like Britain’s nightly bulletin, it marks out the range of its seafarers’ geographical ambitions. So when the Tianjin Coastal Radio Station added the Bering, Dmitry Laptev, Velikitsky and Kara Straits to its list of seaways last week, the decision gave some indication of Chinese interest in a once-unlikely...It is northern China’s version of the shipping forecast and, like Britain’s nightly bulletin, it...It is northern China’s version of the shipping forecast and, like Britain’s nightly bulletin, it...
Marine Le Pen, the figurehead of France’s populist right, has become the target of a criminal inquiry over suspected...Marine Le Pen, the figurehead of France’s populist right, has become the target of a criminal inquiry over suspected fraud in the finances of her last presidential campaign. Word of the preliminary investigation emerged amid soul-searching in Le Pen’s anti-immigrant National Rally over its surprise loss to the...Marine Le Pen, the figurehead of France’s populist right, has become the target of a criminal inquiry over suspected fraud in...
A British dentist who was struck off in the UK over two decades ago is facing manslaughter charges in France over the...A British dentist who was struck off in the UK over two decades ago is facing manslaughter...A British dentist who was struck off in the UK over two decades ago is facing manslaughter...
As the cost of attending university in the US reaches astronomical levels and culture wars divide campuses...As the cost of attending university in the US reaches astronomical levels and culture wars divide...As the cost of attending university in the US reaches astronomical levels and culture wars divide...
Alec Baldwin’s criminal trial for the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of the film Rust is set to begin with jury selection on Tuesday in New Mexico. Baldwin, the 66-year-old actor known for his role in the sitcom 30 Rock and in numerous films, is charged with a single felony count of involuntary manslaughter for the October 2021 shooting. If convicted, he...Alec Baldwin’s criminal trial for the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of the film...Alec Baldwin’s criminal trial for the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of the film...
Alec Baldwin smiled as he arrived at a court in New Mexico with his wife and toddler in tow before the start of his...Alec Baldwin smiled as he arrived at a court in New Mexico with his wife and toddler in tow before the start of his criminal trial over the shooting of a Rust cinematographer. Jury selection began on Tuesday in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Baldwin, 66, is charged with one felony count of involuntary manslaughter...Alec Baldwin smiled as he arrived at a court in New Mexico with his wife and toddler in tow before the start of his criminal...
Scammers use easily available AI software to impersonate bosses
A growing number of FTSE chief executives are being impersonated by fraudsters who are using artificial intelligence to create convincing deepfake clones, The Times can reveal. A number of these sophisticated “CEO scams” have received publicity in recent months but many more are going unreported...A growing number of FTSE chief executives are being impersonated by fraudsters who are using artificial intelligence to create convincing deepfake clones, The Times can reveal. A number of these sophisticated “CEO scams” have received publicity in recent months but many more are going unreported...A growing number of FTSE chief executives are being impersonated by fraudsters who are using artificial intelligence to create...
Dyson is planning to cut as many as 1,000 of its 3,500 UK jobs as part of a restructuring to meet “increasingly fierce and competitive global markets”. The proposed UK redundancies at the appliance manufacturer follow a review of Dyson’s global operations and are necessary so the group is “prepared for the future”, it said. Staff were told...Dyson is planning to cut as many as 1,000 of its 3,500 UK jobs as part of a restructuring to meet “increasingly fierce and competitive global markets”. The proposed UK redundancies at the appliance manufacturer follow a review of Dyson’s global operations and are necessary so the group is “prepared for the future”, it said. Staff were told...Dyson is planning to cut as many as 1,000 of its 3,500 UK jobs as part of a restructuring to meet “increasingly fierce and...
The UK’s high debt and “constrained” fiscal outlook remains a weak spot for its sovereign debt status, one of the world’s leading ratings agencies has said, warning of the uphill challenge facing the new Labour government. S&P Global said the UK’s debt pile was on course to peak at 100 per cent of GDP next year...The UK’s high debt and “constrained” fiscal outlook remains a weak spot for its sovereign debt...The UK’s high debt and “constrained” fiscal outlook remains a weak spot for its sovereign debt...
business commentary
Proof that 7UP, J2O and Lipton Ice Tea are no training ground for negotiating with a beer group. Three rounds from...Proof that 7UP, J2O and Lipton Ice Tea are no training ground for negotiating with a beer group.Proof that 7UP, J2O and Lipton Ice Tea are no training ground for negotiating with a beer group.
comment
Three days after getting the keys to 11 Downing Street and in her maiden speech as chancellor, Rachel Reeves unveiled...Three days after getting the keys to 11 Downing Street and in her maiden speech as chancellor...Three days after getting the keys to 11 Downing Street and in her maiden speech as chancellor...
The Bank of England may finally have got inflation under control but the cost of a humble cuppa looks set to buck the trend after extreme weather disrupted the harvest in India’s main tea-producing region. Heatwaves and flooding have driven the...The Bank of England may finally have got inflation under control but the cost of a humble cuppa...The Bank of England may finally have got inflation under control but the cost of a humble cuppa...
tempus
Bloomsbury Publishing has long relied on the magic of the Harry Potter series, but a powerful combination of romance...Bloomsbury Publishing has long relied on the magic of the Harry Potter series, but a powerful...Bloomsbury Publishing has long relied on the magic of the Harry Potter series, but a powerful...
comment
Sir Keir Starmer says wealth creation will be his No 1 priority as prime minister. Undoubtedly, this will be...Sir Keir Starmer says wealth creation will be his No 1 priority as prime minister. Undoubtedly...Sir Keir Starmer says wealth creation will be his No 1 priority as prime minister. Undoubtedly...
MIKE ATHERTON
In a disjointed summer with the T20 World Cup in June, the Euros now dominating the conversation and the Olympics to come, Test cricket returns at last. It’s four months since England left behind the snow-tipped mountains of Dharamshala, a lengthy gap during which it feels the landscape and...In a disjointed summer with the T20 World Cup in June, the Euros now dominating the conversation and the Olympics to come, Test cricket returns at last. It’s four months since England left behind the snow-tipped mountains of Dharamshala, a lengthy gap during which it feels the landscape and...In a disjointed summer with the T20 World Cup in June, the Euros now dominating the conversation and the Olympics to come, Test...
EURO 2024 | MARTIN SAMUEL
If England are enjoying relative success in any tournament, the moment arrives when it is necessary to retell the story of King Canute. Now, as England approach a third semi-final in four tournaments, all the while being castigated as undeserving chancers riding the crest of a hundred lucky breaks, that time has come. Here goes. Canute the...If England are enjoying relative success in any tournament, the moment arrives when it is necessary to retell the story of King Canute. Now, as England approach a third semi-final in four tournaments, all the while being castigated as undeserving chancers riding the crest of a hundred lucky breaks, that time has come. Here goes. Canute the...If England are enjoying relative success in any tournament, the moment arrives when it is necessary to retell the story of King...
EURO 2024 | MATT LAWTON
There is a sports bar in Dortmund where football fans like to congregate, and this week Wenkers has been as popular with visiting England supporters as it normally is with the locals. “The English like to do selfies in front of the sign,” one Dortmund resident said, explaining how they also often feel the need to...There is a sports bar in Dortmund where football fans like to congregate, and this week Wenkers...There is a sports bar in Dortmund where football fans like to congregate, and this week Wenkers...
EURO 2024 | OWEN SLOT
wimbledon | stuart fraser
Ninety minutes after Novak Djokovic had accused the Wimbledon crowd of disrespect on Monday night, it was a BBC...Ninety minutes after Novak Djokovic had accused the Wimbledon crowd of disrespect on Monday night...Ninety minutes after Novak Djokovic had accused the Wimbledon crowd of disrespect on Monday night...
Steve james
In five County Championship matches this season Zak Crawley has made 322 runs at an average of 32.20. In eight...In five County Championship matches this season Zak Crawley has made 322 runs at an average of...In five County Championship matches this season Zak Crawley has made 322 runs at an average of...
chANDLER CUNNINGHAM-SOUTH INTERVIEW
Chandler Cunningham-South often looks to be a young man at total ease, yet he is even more comfortable in his home from home: Auckland. The England flanker drifts through the team hotel, playing with a tennis ball, and plonks himself down for a chat in the city where he spent 15 years of his life. What has he missed the most about New Zealand, then? “Ah, the KFC,” he...Chandler Cunningham-South often looks to be a young man at total ease, yet he is even more...Chandler Cunningham-South often looks to be a young man at total ease, yet he is even more...
Two France rugby players have been arrested in Argentina for an alleged sexual assault on a woman at the team hotel.Two France rugby players have been arrested in Argentina for an alleged sexual assault on a woman at the team hotel. The arrests came two days after Melvyn Jaminet, another France player, was sent home from the tour amid accusations of racism for posting a video on social media in which he said: “I swear that the...Two France rugby players have been arrested in Argentina for an alleged sexual assault on a woman at the team hotel. The...
jason holder interview
mike atherton
There’s a lot going on this week, if you like sport. Wimbledon and the Euros in full flow, a rugby Test in New Zealand. And Jimmy Anderson bowing out. His like won’t come again, believe me. A great medium-fast swing and seam bowler still at the...There’s a lot going on this week, if you like sport. Wimbledon and the Euros in full flow, a...There’s a lot going on this week, if you like sport. Wimbledon and the Euros in full flow, a...
euro 2024 | martin samuel
Say football teams were like juries. That they could be purged of people the counsels did not like. That England...Say football teams were like juries. That they could be purged of people the counsels did not like.Say football teams were like juries. That they could be purged of people the counsels did not like.
Pierre van Hooijdonk and Rafael van der Vaart
I think there are similarities in how the tournament has gone for England and Holland. When I watch England, they...I think there are similarities in how the tournament has gone for England and Holland. When I...I think there are similarities in how the tournament has gone for England and Holland. When I...
Stuart broad
Jimmy Anderson loves bowling so much that even though he’s turning 42 this month and will walk out for his final Test for England on Wednesday at Lord’s, we still don’t know if that match is the last time we will see him bowl professionally. He...Jimmy Anderson loves bowling so much that even though he’s turning 42 this month and will walk...Jimmy Anderson loves bowling so much that even though he’s turning 42 this month and will walk...
Unseen gallery
As a hectic sport of summer rolls on, Marc Aspland and Bradley Ormesher have been working as hard as ever. Here they share their favourite photographs from the past week, featuring Wimbledon legends and upsets, some uncharacteristically excellent...As a hectic sport of summer rolls on, Marc Aspland and Bradley Ormesher have been working as hard...As a hectic sport of summer rolls on, Marc Aspland and Bradley Ormesher have been working as hard...
Who said it was dingy and dull? Chocolate hues are chic and versatile, says Harriet Walker
HILARY ROSE
The £135 scent aims to ‘evoke the charm of Highgrove Gardens’ — a place most of us have never been. Oh well, there’s always lavender bags, hangers and soap
Prince William may have flashed his health tech at the Euros, but former Whooper Hannah Evans has some words of advice
The actors, both in their sixties, were recently spotted topless and in very good shape, says Ben Machell. Why did they have to go and spoil everything?
I’m a paid-up member of the NW5 brigade, just like Keir Starmer. We’re not flash, says Esther Walker
first person
Over the past two decades, the number of people under the age of 50 being diagnosed with cancer in the UK has risen...Over the past two decades, the number of people under the age of 50 being diagnosed with cancer...Over the past two decades, the number of people under the age of 50 being diagnosed with cancer...
Robert Crampton
The French, eh? So near to us and yet so far away. Are they wild-eyed lefties keen on restaging the revolution? Or...The French, eh? So near to us and yet so far away. Are they wild-eyed lefties keen on restaging...The French, eh? So near to us and yet so far away. Are they wild-eyed lefties keen on restaging...
interview
Stephen Schwartz writes musicals on a biblical scale. The three-time Oscar-winning composer made his name in New York in the 1970s with Godspell, a show based on the parables of the Gospel of Matthew which ends with the crucifixion of Jesus. Then there was Pippin, a coming-of-age tale about the son of a Holy Roman Emperor who embarks on a far-reaching quest across...Stephen Schwartz writes musicals on a biblical scale. The three-time Oscar-winning composer made...Stephen Schwartz writes musicals on a biblical scale. The three-time Oscar-winning composer made...
video
review
Before we get into Spent (BBC2), was anyone else a bit confused that Juliet Cowan, aged 50, was playing the mother of...Before we get into Spent (BBC2), was anyone else a bit confused that Juliet Cowan, aged 50, was playing the mother of Michelle de Swarte, aged 43? Blimey, they’re having kids younger and younger these days, aren’t they? However, let’s not dwell on that because de Swarte and Cowan put in peppy, watchable performances...Before we get into Spent (BBC2), was anyone else a bit confused that Juliet Cowan, aged 50, was playing the mother of Michelle...
troubleshooter
dr mark porter
Feet are on my mind this week. They appreciate fresh air and sunlight, and being cooped up in footwear during the...Feet are on my mind this week. They appreciate fresh air and sunlight, and being cooped up in...Feet are on my mind this week. They appreciate fresh air and sunlight, and being cooped up in...
Caitlin Moran
In all the analysis of last week’s election — looking forward to the economic, diplomatic, environmental and...In all the analysis of last week’s election — looking forward to the economic, diplomatic...In all the analysis of last week’s election — looking forward to the economic, diplomatic...
review | history
One day early in the 16th century, a teenage English princess said goodbye to her father and set off to marry a king. Margaret Tudor was the eldest daughter of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, her brother would become Henry VIII, and negotiations for her marriage to James IV of Scotland had begun when she was just eight years old. Thanks to the intervention of her...One day early in the 16th century, a teenage English princess said goodbye to her father and set...One day early in the 16th century, a teenage English princess said goodbye to her father and set...
FIRST PERSON
I’ve been asking audiences how much they would have to be paid to be deliberately infected with the malaria parasite.I’ve been asking audiences how much they would have to be paid to be deliberately infected with the malaria parasite. Lots of people just shake their heads and say that no money in the world would be enough. That seems a bit precious. When a group of doctors developing a malaria vaccine offered me a couple of grand...I’ve been asking audiences how much they would have to be paid to be deliberately infected with the malaria parasite. Lots of...
FIRST NIGHT REVIEW
FIRST NIGHT REVIEW
first night review
Surrounded by vineyards in the medieval village of Caunes-Minervois, the idyllic world of Tanya and Mike Barrett seems far removed from the recent elections in France and the rioting that followed in Paris. Fourteen months ago the British couple moved from Chesham in Buckinghamshire to a riverside property in the village, which is deep in the south of France. They now...Surrounded by vineyards in the medieval village of Caunes-Minervois, the idyllic world of Tanya...Surrounded by vineyards in the medieval village of Caunes-Minervois, the idyllic world of Tanya...
Like everything that involves design, outdoor furniture has been subject to extensive innovation. We’ve had clever...Like everything that involves design, outdoor furniture has been subject to extensive innovation. We’ve had clever (but arguably aesthetically questionable) “zero gravity” recliners and streamlined Scandi seating made from indestructible steel. But they’re a cumbersome problem come winter, when you’re trying to...Like everything that involves design, outdoor furniture has been subject to extensive innovation. We’ve had clever (but...
mindgames
1 King David, like Jesus Christ, was born in which town? 2 Return to Never Land (2002) is a sequel to which 1953...1 King David, like Jesus Christ, was born in which town? 2 Return to Never Land (2002) is a...1 King David, like Jesus Christ, was born in which town? 2 Return to Never Land (2002) is a...
my culture fix
Just Go with It because it’s escapism. I also like Elf at Christmas. Even though I’ve seen it a million times it still makes me laugh. I like watching films, but often I’ll watch them on Netflix rather than going to the cinema. I didn’t really...Just Go with It because it’s escapism. I also like Elf at Christmas. Even though I’ve seen it a...Just Go with It because it’s escapism. I also like Elf at Christmas. Even though I’ve seen it a...
Viewing GUide
tELEVISION | STREAMING GUIDE
first person
We’ve all pictured the scene: lying in the sun, toes in the sand, a waiter delivering another umbrella-filled pina colada as you smugly fire off an email to your boss telling her the job is in hand. “Working from beach” sounds like the ultimate...We’ve all pictured the scene: lying in the sun, toes in the sand, a waiter delivering another...We’ve all pictured the scene: lying in the sun, toes in the sand, a waiter delivering another...
All eyes aren’t on only the serves at Wimbledon — they’re also on the contenders’ fancy wristwear
In the 1970s you could pick up the model for £33, but a recent surge in popularity has resulted in a brand-new bespoke version of the classic toy. Simon de Burton reports
Creative directors and chief executives select their highlights
Add a burst of colour to your summer with a visit to one of these top spots for hand-plucked blooms
Hundreds of our readers got in touch to share their favourite places to shop and stroll. Here are your top picks, from East Sussex to Lincolnshire
Tala in Paphos is home to beautiful churches, lemon trees and an impressive modern ampitheatre — but what really moved our writer was the family history she uncovered
Here’s how to cycle, hike, tour arty towns or hit the beach during a week in southern Portugal for just £435
video
Corsica’s coastal capital of Ajaccio offers both Californian beachy vibes and a crash course in European history
India Knight
Your child has just finished their A-levels and is going on holiday without you for the first time, whether to enjoy...Your child has just finished their A-levels and is going on holiday without you for the first...Your child has just finished their A-levels and is going on holiday without you for the first...
Here’s an image that didn’t make the family album: me squirming away from my four-year-old in the sea off Porto Santo...Here’s an image that didn’t make the family album: me squirming away from my four-year-old in the...Here’s an image that didn’t make the family album: me squirming away from my four-year-old in the...
video
We’re lucky as travel writers — we have had the chance to experience some of the world’s best places to stay. But it’s not all champagne on arrival and expensive marble bathrooms. From spirit-sapping admin at check-in to absentee kettles and...We’re lucky as travel writers — we have had the chance to experience some of the world’s best...We’re lucky as travel writers — we have had the chance to experience some of the world’s best...
NOT as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that...NOT as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I...NOT as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I...
MindGames and Brain Boost puzzles to print and solve at your leisure
Party will lose nearly £1m in taxpayer support after 39 MPs lose seats. It will also miss out on donations from Westminster
The SNP faces an additional financial black hole of almost £500,000 after its general election disaster. A huge drop in the number of nationalist MPs means that the amount of taxpayer support received by the party is expected to fall to about £350,000 from £1.3 million at present. However The...The SNP faces an additional financial black hole of almost £500,000 after its general election disaster. A huge drop in the number of nationalist MPs means that the amount of taxpayer support received by the party is expected to fall to about £350,000 from £1.3 million at present. However The...The SNP faces an additional financial black hole of almost £500,000 after its general election disaster. A huge drop in the...
Senior Scottish Conservatives are planning an “improved version” of controversial proposals to split from the UK party. Murdo Fraser, the party’s economy spokesman at Holyrood, is considering entering the contest to replace Douglas Ross as the Tory leader north of the border. He advocated splitting the parties in 2011, when he lost a...Senior Scottish Conservatives are planning an “improved version” of controversial proposals to split from the UK party. Murdo Fraser, the party’s economy spokesman at Holyrood, is considering entering the contest to replace Douglas Ross as the Tory leader north of the border. He advocated splitting the parties in 2011, when he lost a...Senior Scottish Conservatives are planning an “improved version” of controversial proposals to split from the UK party. Murdo...
Kenny Farquharson
Buried beneath Labour joy and SNP dismay in last week’s general election results, a particular number caught my eye: Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party won 7 per cent of the Scottish vote. This was despite no Scottish campaign to speak of, with candidates utterly unknown to the Scottish public, no Scottish leader and no...Buried beneath Labour joy and SNP dismay in last week’s general election results, a particular...Buried beneath Labour joy and SNP dismay in last week’s general election results, a particular...
Grangemouth should be a home for the energy industries of the future, Scottish Labour’s deputy leader has said after Sir Keir Starmer pledged to work to safeguard jobs there. Dame Jackie Baillie said her party and the SNP would collaborate as they...Grangemouth should be a home for the energy industries of the future, Scottish Labour’s deputy...Grangemouth should be a home for the energy industries of the future, Scottish Labour’s deputy...
A diabetic man who faced losing both legs by amputation after a verruca festered was saved at the 11th hour by Scottish medical technology. Doctors were resigned to removing 73-year-old Barry Mayled’s legs below the knees...A diabetic man who faced losing both legs by amputation after a verruca festered was saved at the 11th hour by Scottish medical technology. Doctors were resigned to removing 73-year-old Barry Mayled’s legs below the knees...A diabetic man who faced losing both legs by amputation after a verruca festered was saved at the 11th hour by...
A motorist who was using his mobile phone killed his friend after crashing into the back of his motorcycle, a court heard. Paul Shrubsole, 60, struck Julian Wiseman, a teacher, 57, on the M74 near Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire, on...A motorist who was using his mobile phone killed his friend after crashing into the back of his motorcycle, a court heard. Paul Shrubsole, 60, struck Julian Wiseman, a teacher, 57, on the M74 near Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire, on...A motorist who was using his mobile phone killed his friend after crashing into the back of his motorcycle, a court...
Scottish business digest
Comment
Now is the time for Starmer to claim a mandate
Daniel Finkelstein
The general election campaign might look like it’s finished but these are crucial days for defining Labour’s victory
Roger Boyes
What Nato leaders want to see from Biden
newaLICE tHOMSON
Youthful parliament has to bail out Gen Z
newMatthew Parris | Notebook
These weird times when less proves to be more
newJawad Iqbal
Deficient nursing regulator putting patients at risk
newgeorgia heneage | notebook
All this football is bringing out my inner lad
I am usually wary of armchair patriotism but when the Euros or the World Cup come rattling around the bend every few years I buckle up and get on the Great British ride. I curse at the screen, shake my fists and yell “ref!” because I’ve learnt...I am usually wary of armchair patriotism but when the Euros or the World Cup come rattling around...I am usually wary of armchair patriotism but when the Euros or the World Cup come rattling around...
Leading Articles
Unforced Error
French leader’s rash decision to call an election to block the rise of the populist National Rally has destabilised his country and risks destabilising the European Union
Building Britain
Labour has a rare chance to push through a huge expansion in house construction
Grace in Defeat
The Catholic cricket tour of England was a holy, if not wholly successful, outing
letters to the editor
Obstacles to Labour’s housebuilding plan
Sir, Rohan Silva’s article (“Our corrupt planning system needs rebuilding”, Jul 8) reveals corrupting developers, rather than a corrupt planning system. To reform it, the new Labour government and honest developers and commentators need...Sir, Rohan Silva’s article (“Our corrupt planning system needs rebuilding”, Jul 8)...Sir, Rohan Silva’s article (“Our corrupt planning system needs rebuilding”, Jul 8)...
Daily Universal Register
Briefing
UK: The Great Yorkshire Show, the main agricultural show in the north of England, begins in Harrogate, until Friday.
US: President Biden hosts the 2024 Nato Summit in Washington attended by leaders from the other 31 Nato member countries as the alliance marks its 75th anniversary.
World: The OECD releases Employment Outlook 2024, its flagship annual report on employment.
On this day
In 1540 the marriage of King Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves was annulled after six months; in 1877 the first lawn tennis championship was held at Wimbledon, then in Surrey, with 21 amateur players competing. The tournament was won by Wimbledon-born Spencer Gore, who was also a first-class cricketer; in 1910 Edith Cook — Britain’s first female pilot — made a jump from a balloon at Coventry but a gust of wind led to her parachute collapsing and she died on July 14 from injuries sustained, aged 31. Her first flight was in a Bleriot XI in France in January 1910 and she made more than 300 parachute jumps; in 1983 Wham!’s debut album, Fantastic, was released, and spent two weeks at No 1 in the UK album charts. Andrew Ridgeley and George Michael’s first chart hit was Young Guns (Go For It), released on October 16, 1982, peaking at No 3 in the UK singles charts; in 1993 the remains of the last tsar of Russia, Nicholas II, and his family were identified using DNA testing on nine bone fragments.
Nature notes
Horsetail, as many gardeners know to their cost, is an extraordinary plant — tough, rhizomatous and all but impossible to eradicate. Producing spores rather than seeds, it is a living fossil and one of the oldest vascular plants on Earth. Pale, fertile but non-photosynthetic spikes appear in spring; these wilt and are followed by the characteristic green spiky brushes, high in silica, in summer. Also known as bottle-brush, horsetail was once used to scour pots, like a primitive Brillo pad. Silica in plants reduces water loss, protects them from grazing due to its abrasive texture, strengthens stems and helps to resist infection. Other species containing silica, albeit in lower concentrations, include crops such as rice, wheat, sunflowers, tobacco and sugar cane. Melissa Harrison
Melissa Harrison
Birthdays today
David Hockney OM, artist, 87; Marc Almond, singer-songwriter, Soft Cell, Tainted Love (1981), 67; Reg Bailey, vice-president, YMCA (England and Wales), chief executive, Mothers’ Union (1999-2015), 74; Siân Berry, co-leader of the Green Party (2018-21), 50; Rev Prof Judith M Brown, historian of modern south Asia, 80; John Clegg, actor, It Ain’t Half Hot Mum (1974-81), 90; Steve Coppell, footballer, England (1977-83), and manager, 69; Nicholas Elliott, chief executive, Atomic Weapons Establishment, and chairman, Helsing (UK, defence AI company), 59; Mark Getty KBE, co-founder of Getty Images, 64; Tom Grinyer, chief executive, Institute of Physics, British Medical Association (2019-22), 51; Doug Gurr, museum director, The Natural History Museum, and chairman, British Heart Foundation (2015-22), chief executive, Amazon UK (2016-20), 60; Tom Hanks, actor, Elvis (2022), film-maker and writer, 68; Rupert Heseltine, executive chairman, Haymarket Media Group, 57; Prof Sir Brian Jarman, physician, president, British Medical Association (2003-04), 91; Jim Kerr, singer, Simple Minds, Don’t You (Forget About Me) (1985), 65; Daniel Kretinsky, chief executive, Energeticky (Europe’s largest energy group), who has large shareholdings in West Ham FC and Royal Mail, 49; Courtney Love, singer and actress, The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996), 60; Nigel Lythgoe, producer, American Idol (2002-14), 75; Kelly McGillis, actress, Witness (1985), 67; Paul Merton, comedian, Have I Got News For You (since 1990), 67; Clive Stafford Smith, human rights lawyer, founder, Reprieve, 65; Jack White, musician, the White Stripes, Another Way to Die (2008, James Bond theme song), 49; Richard Wilson, actor, One Foot in the Grave (1990-2000), 88; John Yorke, television producer, managing director, Company Pictures (2012-15), including Wolf Hall, 62.