The Times & The Sunday Times Homepage
We’ll win with or without British help, Netanyahu insists
liveThe UK’s decision to suspend some arms sales to Israel has caused a diplomatic row with the country as Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, denounced the move as “shameful” and said it would only “embolden” Hamas. The government has suspended 30 of Britain’s 350 arms export licences...The UK’s decision to suspend some arms sales to Israel has caused a diplomatic row with the country as Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, denounced the move as “shameful” and said it would only “embolden” Hamas. The government has suspended 30 of Britain’s 350 arms export licences...The UK’s decision to suspend some arms sales to Israel has caused a diplomatic row with the country as Binyamin Netanyahu, the...
At least ten migrants are reported to have died after their overcrowded dinghy capsized while they were trying to cross the Channel. Several others were in critical condition, according to La Voix du Nord, the regional newspaper. French media reported that rescue workers were still searching for migrants feared to be lost at sea. The dinghy...At least ten migrants are reported to have died after their overcrowded dinghy capsized while they were trying to cross the Channel. Several others were in critical condition, according to La Voix du Nord, the regional newspaper. French media reported that rescue workers were still searching for migrants feared to be lost at sea. The dinghy...At least ten migrants are reported to have died after their overcrowded dinghy capsized while they were trying to cross the...
Five children have been arrested on suspicion of murder after an 80-year-old man who was walking his dog was attacked at a park in Leicestershire on Sunday. The victim, who has not been named, was walking in Franklin Park, Braunstone Town, at about 6.30pm when he was attacked. Leicestershire police said on Tuesday...Five children have been arrested on suspicion of murder after an 80-year-old man who was walking...Five children have been arrested on suspicion of murder after an 80-year-old man who was walking...
It starts out innocently enough: the shredding of evidence after a Selfridges splurge (the bright yellow bags get...It starts out innocently enough: the shredding of evidence after a Selfridges splurge (the bright...It starts out innocently enough: the shredding of evidence after a Selfridges splurge (the bright...
As much as many of us feel we need a lie-in at the weekend, it has long been freighted with warnings that this...As much as many of us feel we need a lie-in at the weekend, it has long been freighted with...As much as many of us feel we need a lie-in at the weekend, it has long been freighted with...
A viscountess whose pet duck Quackers was strangled and tossed into long grass has turned detective and is being helped by hundreds of amateur sleuths in her hunt for the killer. Viscountess Hinchingbrooke — also known as Julie Montagu, an...A viscountess whose pet duck Quackers was strangled and tossed into long grass has turned...A viscountess whose pet duck Quackers was strangled and tossed into long grass has turned...
A return of summer is unlikely as thunderstorms and unsettled weather are set to hit parts of the UK this week...A return of summer is unlikely as thunderstorms and unsettled weather are set to hit parts of the...A return of summer is unlikely as thunderstorms and unsettled weather are set to hit parts of the...
THE TIMES DIARY
With Kamala Harris leading Donald Trump in the polls, America may finally get a female president. It has been coming...With Kamala Harris leading Donald Trump in the polls, America may finally get a female president.With Kamala Harris leading Donald Trump in the polls, America may finally get a female president.
A Russian missile attack has killed 41 people and injured more than 180 in Poltava, a city in central Ukraine, President Zelensky has said. “Two ballistic missiles hit the territory of an educational institution and a neighbouring hospital,” Zelensky said. Video from the scene showed destroyed...A Russian missile attack has killed 41 people and injured more than 180 in Poltava, a city in central Ukraine, President Zelensky has said. “Two ballistic missiles hit the territory of an educational institution and a neighbouring hospital,” Zelensky said. Video from the scene showed destroyed...A Russian missile attack has killed 41 people and injured more than 180 in Poltava, a city in central Ukraine, President...
When Vladimir Putin arrived in Mongolia, he was met with a guard of honour and not, as many had hoped, handcuffs and a jail cell. Putin’s trip to Mongolia is his first visit to an International Criminal Court (ICC) member country since the court issued a warrant for his arrest last year over the forced deportation of Ukrainian children.When Vladimir Putin arrived in Mongolia, he was met with a guard of honour and not, as many had hoped, handcuffs and a jail cell. Putin’s trip to Mongolia is his first visit to an International Criminal Court (ICC) member country since the court issued a warrant for his arrest last year over the forced deportation of Ukrainian children.When Vladimir Putin arrived in Mongolia, he was met with a guard of honour and not, as many had hoped, handcuffs and a jail cell.
video
Tran Thi Ly Vaan was ten years old when she first heard an explosion in her central Vietnamese home town. The deadly blast, which instantly killed a local woman, left a lasting impression. “This haunted me,” Tran recounted. “It was a constant threat, living in the contaminated area where so many bombs were left...Tran Thi Ly Vaan was ten years old when she first heard an explosion in her central Vietnamese...Tran Thi Ly Vaan was ten years old when she first heard an explosion in her central Vietnamese...
A bronze statue of the Roman goddess Diana that once adorned the first-class lounge of the Titanic has been found half-buried on the ocean floor by a research expedition that used submersibles to photograph the wreck. The statue appeared in the...A bronze statue of the Roman goddess Diana that once adorned the first-class lounge of the...A bronze statue of the Roman goddess Diana that once adorned the first-class lounge of the...
Catherine Philp in Ukraine
in depth
The scrawled handwriting across six pages of notepaper contained sordid details of drug use, trips to ranches owned by cartels and the tale of an innocent mother caught in the spiral of her partner’s addiction. Kouri Richins, 34, already the...The scrawled handwriting across six pages of notepaper contained sordid details of drug use...The scrawled handwriting across six pages of notepaper contained sordid details of drug use...
A Chinese artist whose work satirises the personality cult of Chairman Mao has been arrested in his studio near Beijing. Gao Zhen, 68, and his brother Gao Qiang emerged in 1990s and early 2000s Beijing when monumental works that depicted key...A Chinese artist whose work satirises the personality cult of Chairman Mao has been arrested in...A Chinese artist whose work satirises the personality cult of Chairman Mao has been arrested in...
IN maps and CHARTS
in maps and charts
George Clooney, whose damning op-ed badly damaged Joe Biden’s desperate attempts to stay in the race for re-election...George Clooney, whose damning op-ed badly damaged Joe Biden’s desperate attempts to stay in the...George Clooney, whose damning op-ed badly damaged Joe Biden’s desperate attempts to stay in the...
analysis
Kamala Harris is leading in opinion polls to become the next US president, even as her position on numerous issues...Kamala Harris is leading in opinion polls to become the next US president, even as her position...Kamala Harris is leading in opinion polls to become the next US president, even as her position...
Nine new offshore wind farms were among the record number of projects agreed in the Labour government’s first renewable energy auction. The sixth annual auction round for state subsidies yielded 131 new green infrastructure projects. This was the highest yet, and up from 92 in the previous...Nine new offshore wind farms were among the record number of projects agreed in the Labour government’s first renewable energy auction. The sixth annual auction round for state subsidies yielded 131 new green infrastructure projects. This was the highest yet, and up from 92 in the previous...Nine new offshore wind farms were among the record number of projects agreed in the Labour government’s first renewable energy...
Watches of Switzerland has signalled a recovery in the luxury sector as demand steadies for high-end watches and jewellery. Shares in the FTSE 250 retailer, which sells brands such as Cartier and Tag Heuer, increased by as much as 5 per cent after it welcomed a “continued stabilisation” of the UK market following a period of “challenging...Watches of Switzerland has signalled a recovery in the luxury sector as demand steadies for high-end watches and jewellery. Shares in the FTSE 250 retailer, which sells brands such as Cartier and Tag Heuer, increased by as much as 5 per cent after it welcomed a “continued stabilisation” of the UK market following a period of “challenging...Watches of Switzerland has signalled a recovery in the luxury sector as demand steadies for high-end watches and jewellery.
The John Lewis Partnership has submitted a planning application to build hundreds of flats on the site of one of its old delivery depots in Reading, further underscoring its ambition to become a major landlord. If the proposals are approved by Reading Borough Council, the partnership will spend £80 million knocking...The John Lewis Partnership has submitted a planning application to build hundreds of flats on the...The John Lewis Partnership has submitted a planning application to build hundreds of flats on the...
powering up britain
business commentary
Pre-budget lobbying is a predictable affair. Who yet knows if Offshore Energies UK, the campaigner for the oil and...Pre-budget lobbying is a predictable affair. Who yet knows if Offshore Energies UK, the...Pre-budget lobbying is a predictable affair. Who yet knows if Offshore Energies UK, the...
mehreen khan
This week’s European rentrée from the summer break has been hijacked by a deepening Franco-German headache. In Berlin...This week’s European rentrée from the summer break has been hijacked by a deepening Franco-German...This week’s European rentrée from the summer break has been hijacked by a deepening Franco-German...
The Qatari owners of Harrods have banked another £180 million dividend, despite a 17 per cent decline in operating profits at the world’s most famous department store. The luxury retailer is owned by Harrods Ltd, a company in turn owned by the...The Qatari owners of Harrods have banked another £180 million dividend, despite a 17 per cent...The Qatari owners of Harrods have banked another £180 million dividend, despite a 17 per cent...
comment
On October 14, Sir Keir Starmer will host the UK International Investment Summit, a flagship event for a government...On October 14, Sir Keir Starmer will host the UK International Investment Summit, a flagship...On October 14, Sir Keir Starmer will host the UK International Investment Summit, a flagship...
tempus
On paper, Drax should be a knockout FTSE 250 stock. It presents itself as a sustainable energy business, helping...On paper, Drax should be a knockout FTSE 250 stock. It presents itself as a sustainable energy...On paper, Drax should be a knockout FTSE 250 stock. It presents itself as a sustainable energy...
market report
Personal Development
international trade
six from the best
As a former high-flying London headhunter, Natalie Fee had a house, car and high-paying job by the age of 21. But a chance viewing of a trailer for the film Albatross, about plastic pollution, led her to a career pivot. Now, as the founder of City to Sea, she campaigns to stop plastic pollution at source. 1. For all the good you want to do in the world, start with...As a former high-flying London headhunter, Natalie Fee had a house, car and high-paying job by...As a former high-flying London headhunter, Natalie Fee had a house, car and high-paying job by...
recruitment
Did you dread heading back into the office after the Bank Holiday, or did you bounce back to work? Whichever it was...Did you dread heading back into the office after the Bank Holiday, or did you bounce back to work? Whichever it was, it will have been influenced by your organisation’s culture. Elusive to measure and even harder to achieve successfully, company culture encapsulates the shared norms, values and behaviour of a...Did you dread heading back into the office after the Bank Holiday, or did you bounce back to work? Whichever it was, it will...
ALYSON RUDD
No one should feel sorry for Ivan Toney, who is reportedly now earning nearly £1million a week in Saudi Arabia. And yet… I do feel sorry for the striker, for the parallel life he would be leading had Brentford sold him, as they fully once expected to, to a top six Premier League club. There was a...No one should feel sorry for Ivan Toney, who is reportedly now earning nearly £1million a week in Saudi Arabia. And yet… I do feel sorry for the striker, for the parallel life he would be leading had Brentford sold him, as they fully once expected to, to a top six Premier League club. There was a...No one should feel sorry for Ivan Toney, who is reportedly now earning nearly £1million a week in Saudi Arabia. And yet… I do...
STEVE JAMES
Hearts sank and groans were heard, particularly from the bowlers. The day in London had dawned sunny and hot, the pitch looked brown and flat, and the Sri Lanka captain had just won the toss. A long day in the field surely beckoned for the England team. This was not Lord’s for the recent second Test where Dhananjaya de Silva unfathomably...Hearts sank and groans were heard, particularly from the bowlers. The day in London had dawned sunny and hot, the pitch looked brown and flat, and the Sri Lanka captain had just won the toss. A long day in the field surely beckoned for the England team. This was not Lord’s for the recent second Test where Dhananjaya de Silva unfathomably...Hearts sank and groans were heard, particularly from the bowlers. The day in London had dawned sunny and hot, the pitch looked...
A marathon runner who competed at the Paris Olympics was doused in petrol and set on fire by her boyfriend at her home in Kenya’s elite training hub, police said. Rebecca Cheptegei, who is in a critical condition with burns to 75 per cent of her body, is the latest victim of a wave of attacks on east Africa’s...A marathon runner who competed at the Paris Olympics was doused in petrol and set on fire by her...A marathon runner who competed at the Paris Olympics was doused in petrol and set on fire by her...
US Open | Stuart Fraser
MIKE ATHERTON
At my first glance on Monday morning there were 170 comments under the digital report of Sunday’s play in the second...At my first glance on Monday morning there were 170 comments under the digital report of Sunday’s...At my first glance on Monday morning there were 170 comments under the digital report of Sunday’s...
MATT LAWTON
Mark Bowen and Reading are locked in a legal dispute after the Sky Bet League One club terminated his contract as...Mark Bowen and Reading are locked in a legal dispute after the Sky Bet League One club terminated...Mark Bowen and Reading are locked in a legal dispute after the Sky Bet League One club terminated...
TIMES SPORT UNSEEN
This week Bradley Ormesher is flying solo but that does not mean a smaller Unseen Gallery. Our photographer was busy capturing the action at Old Trafford on Sunday as Liverpool turned up and blew away Manchester United 3-0 in the Premier League. Cricket is on the menu too, with Andrew Flintoff’s son, Rocky, taking centre stage. Bradley also pores through his collection...This week Bradley Ormesher is flying solo but that does not mean a smaller Unseen Gallery. Our...This week Bradley Ormesher is flying solo but that does not mean a smaller Unseen Gallery. Our...
DEEP DIVE | BILL EDGAR
As if the feat of becoming the first team for 21 years to win a top-flight match from three goals down was not enough...As if the feat of becoming the first team for 21 years to win a top-flight match from three goals down was not enough, Bournemouth followed up only five months later — on Saturday — by producing the first victory in the Premier League era by a side who had trailed by two goals as late as the 87th minute. Those two...As if the feat of becoming the first team for 21 years to win a top-flight match from three goals down was not enough...
Amal Clooney is part of a select club of globally famous, immaculately turned-out women. Why wear jeans and a T-shirt when you could wear Versace instead, asks Hilary Rose
New research has found they lower the risk of heart disease, but there’s more to it than that
You may not tell your partner about new shoes, but the rich hide whole houses
interview
The actress is 92 and has dementia, but, like her husband Timothy West, is still working. Without it, they would get depressed, she tells Andrew Billen
ROBERT CRAMPTON
Respect has gone out the window and it’s not just the billionaire Joe Lewis’s careless mooring of his boat
dr mark porter
Ian McKellen has announced he will be taking the rest of this year off after his fall from the stage in the Noël...Ian McKellen has announced he will be taking the rest of this year off after his fall from the...Ian McKellen has announced he will be taking the rest of this year off after his fall from the...
Sarah Jossel
My first published beauty article was “The top 10 lipsticks to buy now”. It was for Glamour magazine when Glamour was...My first published beauty article was “The top 10 lipsticks to buy now”. It was for Glamour...My first published beauty article was “The top 10 lipsticks to buy now”. It was for Glamour...
first person
When you get “the call”, the notification that Ofsted will descend the next day and pass judgment on the entirety of your professional life, there are certain standard reactions not dissimilar to food poisoning. Cold sweats, shaky knees, a queasy...When you get “the call”, the notification that Ofsted will descend the next day and pass judgment...When you get “the call”, the notification that Ofsted will descend the next day and pass judgment...
venice review
The creative evolution of Pedro Almodóvar continues ever onwards in this, his first full-length English-language feature: a movie about friendship, family and the omnipresent spectre of death. We’ve had the sexy, early era Almodóvar (Dark Habits etc), the Hitchcockian classicist of the mid-period (Live Flesh), and even the wistful, autumnal Almodóvar of recent...The creative evolution of Pedro Almodóvar continues ever onwards in this, his first full-length...The creative evolution of Pedro Almodóvar continues ever onwards in this, his first full-length...
The famous Hollywood adage that MGM once contained “more stars than there are in heaven” has been widely co-opted...The famous Hollywood adage that MGM once contained “more stars than there are in heaven” has been widely co-opted this year by the Venice Film Festival. The expected arrival of Nicole Kidman, Joaquin Phoenix, Cate Blanchett, Daniel Craig, Lady Gaga, George Clooney, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jude Law, Angelina Jolie and...The famous Hollywood adage that MGM once contained “more stars than there are in heaven” has been widely co-opted this year by...
first night review
PROMS 2024
Will it be a vintage season at the BBC Proms? It’s David Pickard’s last hurrah as director of the festival, and the concerts are also spread out over Great Britain like never before, with important events scheduled in Bristol and Gateshead as well...Will it be a vintage season at the BBC Proms? It’s David Pickard’s last hurrah as director of the...Will it be a vintage season at the BBC Proms? It’s David Pickard’s last hurrah as director of the...
Viewing GUide
tELEVISION | STREAMING GUIDE
Television
Television
TELEVISION
TELEVISION
MindGames
1 Sanguivores feed on which body fluid? 2 Tom Shippey’s 1982 book The Road to Middle-Earth is a scholarly study of...1 Sanguivores feed on which body fluid? 2 Tom Shippey’s 1982 book The Road to Middle-Earth is a...1 Sanguivores feed on which body fluid? 2 Tom Shippey’s 1982 book The Road to Middle-Earth is a...
ask professor tanya byron
The most beautiful human creations — art, music, poetry — are now in the hands of machines
Beaujolais nouveau is only one of the wonderful products the region is turning out
Coral, pearl and desert crystal: these are the scents that Diptyque’s Parisian master perfumers were tasked with distilling
Ed Gorman witnesses one of the greatest fleets of classic yachts off the coast of Cornwall
A rare glimpse of the Tiffany & Co jeweller’s treasure-filled rustic houses
Transport yourself to the Land of Rising Sun with a weekend based around these gorgeous Japanese-style spots, complete with special places to stay nearby
video
Halifax, Nova Scotia, is North America’s most joyous, laid-back break – and a new direct seasonal flight makes it easier to reach than ever
Our expert classes each of these spots as an absolute must-visit, from a carefree paradise island to a feel-good city with an authentic vibe
video
Exploring via a new train and boat itinerary from Star Clippers is the gentle way to experience the beauty of Bari, Amalfi, Sicily and beyond
video
The pedestrianised Cies Islands, off the coast of Galicia, have some of the world’s most alluring (and exclusive) beaches. No wonder they don’t want everyone to know
WHERE WAS I? COMPETITION
video
Sicily is a richly varied, enormous island — the largest in the Mediterranean — so you shouldn’t expect to see all of its golden beaches, archaeological sites, and regions in one go. But if you’re looking to pack as much Sicilian magic as possible...Sicily is a richly varied, enormous island — the largest in the Mediterranean — so you shouldn’t...Sicily is a richly varied, enormous island — the largest in the Mediterranean — so you shouldn’t...
ARE not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And...ARE not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your...ARE not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your...
video
What have the Victorians ever done for us? Well, along with those familiar things like inventing the telephone...What have the Victorians ever done for us? Well, along with those familiar things like inventing...What have the Victorians ever done for us? Well, along with those familiar things like inventing...
MindGames and Brain Boost puzzles to print and solve at your leisure
Finance secretary to announce £600m of cuts
Scotland is facing a “new era of austerity”, Shona Robison has warned as she prepares to announce up to £600 million spending cuts on Tuesday. The finance secretary will seek to blame Westminster politicians for the financial crisis by invoking past prime ministers before turning her fire on...Scotland is facing a “new era of austerity”, Shona Robison has warned as she prepares to announce up to £600 million spending cuts on Tuesday. The finance secretary will seek to blame Westminster politicians for the financial crisis by invoking past prime ministers before turning her fire on...Scotland is facing a “new era of austerity”, Shona Robison has warned as she prepares to announce up to £600 million spending...
Middle and higher-income Scots may see a reduction in their income tax burden after official forecasters suggested a change to the SNP’s finance strategy. The Scottish Fiscal Commission (SFC), Scotland’s official economic forecaster which also aids the Holyrood budget process, recently released guidance suggesting tax bands might increase...Middle and higher-income Scots may see a reduction in their income tax burden after official forecasters suggested a change to the SNP’s finance strategy. The Scottish Fiscal Commission (SFC), Scotland’s official economic forecaster which also aids the Holyrood budget process, recently released guidance suggesting tax bands might increase...Middle and higher-income Scots may see a reduction in their income tax burden after official forecasters suggested a change to...
Magnus Linklater
How do you quantify risk? Madcap irresponsibility? Or carefully weighing up the consequences, and making a balanced choice? I guess I took the former option when I jumped out of a plane at 12,000ft last weekend. Of course, I put my trust in my North London Skydiving Centre instructor, Gary, who was clutching me to...How do you quantify risk? Madcap irresponsibility? Or carefully weighing up the consequences, and...How do you quantify risk? Madcap irresponsibility? Or carefully weighing up the consequences, and...
Scottish Premiership | Analysis
ScOTTISH BUSINESS DIGEST
Popular Scottish foods such as square sausage, Scotch pies and caramel shortbread are to become healthier thanks to a...Popular Scottish foods such as square sausage, Scotch pies and caramel shortbread are to become...Popular Scottish foods such as square sausage, Scotch pies and caramel shortbread are to become...
conference sketch
Imagine a rock festival where the headliners didn’t show: Woodstock ’69 without Janis Joplin, the Isle of Wight ’70...Imagine a rock festival where the headliners didn’t show: Woodstock ’69 without Janis Joplin, the...Imagine a rock festival where the headliners didn’t show: Woodstock ’69 without Janis Joplin, the...
Comment
Tories will find great dangers in opposition
William Hague
The next Conservative leader must resist a host of temptations if the party is to hold the government to account
HUGO RIFKIND
Then they came for our buttery croissants
MELANIE PHILLIPS
Netanyahu’s problem is his moral cowardice
GILES COREN | NOTEBOOK
Let’s go back to a Bond with no time to diet
MARK DAMAZER
Look beyond GDP for the truth about a shaky economy
Leading Articles
German Alternative
The triumph of the hard-right Alternative for Germany is a warning to Berlin’s unwieldy coalition to cut immigration and boost the economy
Playing to the Gallery
Labour’s half-hearted arms embargo against Israel is cynical and performative
No Time to Die
James Bond is a centenarian by one reckoning. But never say never again
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Aukus pact and American military leadership
Sir, Max Hastings is right to question the wisdom of continuing the “high-reward, high-risk enterprise” of the Aukus deal (“Aukus pact is not a blank cheque for the US”, Sep 2). In any event a decision about the future of the project should be within the context of the strategic defence review. The fundamental issue that our focus should remain fixed on is our...Sir, Max Hastings is right to question the wisdom of continuing the “high-reward, high-risk...Sir, Max Hastings is right to question the wisdom of continuing the “high-reward, high-risk...
HARRIET WALKER | NOTEBOOK
New addition to our household is a star in the making
I knew it was smug and vaguely middle-aged of me to post a pic of my new tumble dryer on Instagram at the weekend...I knew it was smug and vaguely middle-aged of me to post a pic of my new tumble dryer on Instagram at the weekend, but I have been working on self-acceptance recently and if this is my quintessence now, then so be it. What I hadn’t banked on was so many other people’s joy being sparked. Below the artfully styled...I knew it was smug and vaguely middle-aged of me to post a pic of my new tumble dryer on Instagram at the weekend, but I have...
Daily Universal Register
Briefing
UK: Merchant Navy Day, marking the contribution of the navy to the war efforts and remembering those who died; Tour of Britain cycling event begins, until Sunday.
China: António Guterres, the UN secretary-general, visits China, where he participates in the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation summit and is expected to meet Chinese officials.
Mongolia: President Putin is expected to visit at the invitation of the president Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh.
On this day
In 1658 Oliver Cromwell died, aged 59, from complications linked to a form of malaria and kidney stone disease. He appointed his son, Richard, as his successor as lord protector of the commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland; in 1938 the 1940 Olympic Games were awarded to Helsinki (summer) and St Moritz (winter) after the withdrawal of the original host cities of Tokyo and Sapporo on July 16, 1938, with Japan citing the “China incident” — the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945); in 1944 the British Second Army liberated Brussels during the Second World War; in 1954 the National Trust for Scotland acquired Fair Isle, an island known for its birdlife and knitted sweaters. It had been bought by George Waterston, an ornithologist from Edinburgh, in 1948; in 2004 the Beslan school siege by Islamist militants ended in North Ossetia, after a storming by Russian special forces. An estimated 350 people were killed, including more than 180 children.
Nature notes
Slow worms give birth to live young in late summer, having mated in spring. The females incubate their eggs internally; these hatch but remain inside her, feeding on the remains of the yolk sac, until they are ready to emerge later in the year, by which time they are about 4cm long. Not snakes but legless lizards, slow worms have eyelids, unlike snakes, and a flat tongue. Generally pewter-coloured, their scales are smoother than those of other reptiles, making them appear very shiny, as though recently polished; females can be more of a bronze colour and both sexes can develop a darker stripe along their spines. The gardener’s friend, they eat slow-moving things, including large numbers of slugs and snails. Melissa Harrison
Melissa Harrison
Birthdays today
Gareth Southgate, footballer, England (1995-2004), and manager of the England team (2016-Jul 2024), 54; Geoff Arnold, cricketer, England (1967-75), 80; Noah Baumbach, film director and screenwriter, Barbie (2023, co-writer), 55; Sarah Bradford (Viscountess Bangor), historian and author best known for her royal biographies, 86; Caryl Churchill, playwright, Love and Information (2012), 86; Pauline Collins, actress, Shirley Valentine (1989), 84; Fearne Cotton, TV and radio presenter, 43; Tony Defries, impresario who managed David Bowie’s early career, 81; Kiran Desai, author, The Inheritance of Loss (2006, Man Booker prizewinner), 53; Mario Draghi, prime minister of Italy (2021-22), president, European Central Bank (2011-19), 77; Frank Duffy, architect, founder (1974), DEGW architectural practice, 84; Lord (Euan) Geddes, deputy speaker, House of Lords, 87; Malcolm Gladwell, author, The Tipping Point (2000), and journalist, 61; Prof Peter Goddard, mathematical physicist, master, St John’s College, Cambridge (1994-2004), 79; Guido Imbens, economist, co-recipient of the Nobel memorial prize in economics (2021), 61; Al Jardine, singer, the Beach Boys, Help Me, Rhonda (1965), 82; Rachel Johnson, journalist and author, Rake’s Progress (2020, 2021), editor of The Lady (2009-12), 59; Steve Jones, guitarist, the Sex Pistols and Iggy Pop, 69; Dawid Malan, cricketer, Yorkshire County Cricket Club, England (2017-23), 37; Claire Miles, chief executive, Stagecoach, Yell (2019-22), 52; Michael More-Molyneux, lord-lieutenant of Surrey, 73; Rob Page, footballer, manager of the Wales national football team (2020-Jun 2024), 50; Josie Rourke, theatre and film director, Mary Queen of Scots (2018), 48; Charlie Sheen, actor, Wall Street (1987), 59; Dick Strawbridge, presenter, Escape to the Chateau (2016-22), 65.