The Times & The Sunday Times Homepage
Firms could be forced to negotiate with trade unions
newBusiness leaders have called on Sir Keir Starmer to abandon plans for a radical extension of union power in Britain amid warnings it will stifle economic growth. Under proposals being drawn up by ministers, companies will be forced to recognise and negotiate with unions even if only a minority of...Business leaders have called on Sir Keir Starmer to abandon plans for a radical extension of union power in Britain amid warnings it will stifle economic growth. Under proposals being drawn up by ministers, companies will be forced to recognise and negotiate with unions even if only a minority of...Business leaders have called on Sir Keir Starmer to abandon plans for a radical extension of union power in Britain amid...
The Bayesian superyacht capsized and vanished in just 60 seconds, a witness has claimed, underscoring the ferocity of the tornado that is feared to have claimed the lives of six people.
Mike Lynch, 59, one of Britain’s wealthiest entrepreneurs, and his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, are among the passengers missing and feared dead.
CCTV...The Bayesian superyacht capsized and vanished in just 60 seconds, a witness has claimed, underscoring the ferocity of the tornado that is feared to have claimed the lives of six people.
Mike Lynch, 59, one of Britain’s wealthiest entrepreneurs, and his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, are among the passengers missing and feared dead.
CCTV...The Bayesian superyacht capsized and vanished in just 60 seconds, a witness has claimed, underscoring the ferocity of the...
A freak “black swan” weather event is thought to have led to the luxury Bayesian yacht sinking within minutes, maritime experts believe. The unexpected formation of a tornado-like waterspout would have given the captain and terrified passengers little or no warning that the violent summer storm was about to turn...A freak “black swan” weather event is thought to have led to the luxury Bayesian yacht sinking...A freak “black swan” weather event is thought to have led to the luxury Bayesian yacht sinking...
Are you demure? According to Edward Enninful, the fashion oracle and former editor-in-chief of British Vogue, you...Are you demure? According to Edward Enninful, the fashion oracle and former editor-in-chief of...Are you demure? According to Edward Enninful, the fashion oracle and former editor-in-chief of...
DR MARK PORTER
Food allergies are on my mind this week following the inquest into the death of 13-year-old Hannah Jacobs, who had an...Food allergies are on my mind this week following the inquest into the death of 13-year-old...Food allergies are on my mind this week following the inquest into the death of 13-year-old...
video
Procedures at a British spaceport “worked like clockwork”, its chief executive has claimed, despite a rocket engine exploding in a ball of flames during a launch test. Video footage, which has been shared by millions around the world, showed the...Procedures at a British spaceport “worked like clockwork”, its chief executive has claimed...Procedures at a British spaceport “worked like clockwork”, its chief executive has claimed...
A toy tycoon’s son has failed to block his half-brother from claiming a share of a multimillion-pound trust — despite...A toy tycoon’s son has failed to block his half-brother from claiming a share of a...A toy tycoon’s son has failed to block his half-brother from claiming a share of a...
THE TIMES DIARY
The old adage is true: if you want to know what’s happening in Whitehall, ask the drivers. On Radio 4’sThe Reunion...The old adage is true: if you want to know what’s happening in Whitehall, ask the drivers. On...The old adage is true: if you want to know what’s happening in Whitehall, ask the drivers. On...
photography
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catherine philp | dispatch
Pounded by relentless shelling, their morale depleted by mounting casualties, the order to relocate to the Russian border could scarcely have been more welcome to the exhausted Ukrainian defenders of Toretsk. “Compared to there, this is like a vacation,” laughed Serhii, 30, whose unit was ordered from their trenches in the shattered Donbas town to take part in Ukraine’s...Pounded by relentless shelling, their morale depleted by mounting casualties, the order to...Pounded by relentless shelling, their morale depleted by mounting casualties, the order to...
Ukraine’s parliament has banned the Russian Orthodox Church from operating in the country. The Ukrainian parliament...Ukraine’s parliament has banned the Russian Orthodox Church from operating in the country. The Ukrainian parliament has passed a law that prohibits the church and its affiliated organisations, which have had centuries of spiritual influence in the country. This ban is expected to include the Ukrainian Orthodox...Ukraine’s parliament has banned the Russian Orthodox Church from operating in the country. The Ukrainian parliament has passed...
The only private island in the San Francisco Bay has found a mystery buyer almost a year after going on sale for $25 million. Red Rock Island, a lonely, six-acre patch of land accessibly only by helicopter or boat, is home to seabirds and the odd...The only private island in the San Francisco Bay has found a mystery buyer almost a year after...The only private island in the San Francisco Bay has found a mystery buyer almost a year after...
video
President tells convention: ‘America, I gave my best to you’
analysis
President gives robust defence of record and lets slip his emotions
IN maps and CHARTS
Ukraine’s audacious invasion of Russian territory proves that Kremlin threats of retaliation are nothing but a bluff...Ukraine’s audacious invasion of Russian territory proves that Kremlin threats of retaliation are...Ukraine’s audacious invasion of Russian territory proves that Kremlin threats of retaliation are...
One of Germany’s highest courts has upheld a two-year suspended sentence given to a 99-year-old woman who had worked...One of Germany’s highest courts has upheld a two-year suspended sentence given to a 99-year-old...One of Germany’s highest courts has upheld a two-year suspended sentence given to a 99-year-old...
The Indian-British businessman Sanjeev Gupta has described how companies within his steel conglomerate used stamps and digital images of his signature to certify documents because it was “simply not physically possible” for him to attend to the business personally and that the practice meant his signature was on documents he “had not personally reviewed or ever seen”.The Indian-British businessman Sanjeev Gupta has described how companies within his steel...The Indian-British businessman Sanjeev Gupta has described how companies within his steel...
More than £1 billion was wiped off the stock market value ofBT Groupafter Sky struck a deal with one of its biggest...More than £1 billion was wiped off the stock market value ofBT Groupafter Sky struck a deal with one of its biggest competitors to supply fibre broadband to households throughout Britain. The long-term deal with CityFibre, the UK’s largest alternative network provider, or “altnet”, was seen in the City as a...More than £1 billion was wiped off the stock market value ofBT Groupafter Sky struck a deal with one of its biggest...
business commentary
The new prediction for energy prices will make sobering reading for any business reliant on discretionary consumer...The new prediction for energy prices will make sobering reading for any business reliant on...The new prediction for energy prices will make sobering reading for any business reliant on...
comment
It was quite a coincidence. A few days ago, just after the release of the latest official productivity figures, I had...It was quite a coincidence. A few days ago, just after the release of the latest official...It was quite a coincidence. A few days ago, just after the release of the latest official...
It was once the go-to supermarket for millions, cherished by shoppers for its “everyday low prices”, wide product selection and friendly service. In recent years, however, the love affair with Asda has cooled. Rising prices, declining standards...It was once the go-to supermarket for millions, cherished by shoppers for its “everyday low...It was once the go-to supermarket for millions, cherished by shoppers for its “everyday low...
tempus
Rentokil Initial was once one of London’s stock market darlings, building a total return of 434 per cent in the past...Rentokil Initial was once one of London’s stock market darlings, building a total return of 434...Rentokil Initial was once one of London’s stock market darlings, building a total return of 434...
market report
Ouch! Despite finding some upside to Segro’s future prospects, UBS cut its rating over concerns about the company’s...Ouch! Despite finding some upside to Segro’s future prospects, UBS cut its rating over concerns...Ouch! Despite finding some upside to Segro’s future prospects, UBS cut its rating over concerns...
Boohoo is at risk of another backlash among its suppliers amid talk that it has shortened payment terms for only some of them. The struggling fashion retailer, which includes the PrettyLittleThing and Karen Millen labels, upset its suppliers in...Boohoo is at risk of another backlash among its suppliers amid talk that it has shortened payment...Boohoo is at risk of another backlash among its suppliers amid talk that it has shortened payment...
Families are using improvements in living standards to top up their savings rather than splash out on retail purchases. According to a survey by the Centre for Economics and Business Research and Asda, Britons cut their spending by 0.3 per cent on...Families are using improvements in living standards to top up their savings rather than splash...Families are using improvements in living standards to top up their savings rather than splash...
RECRUITMENT
With employers seeking skills over qualifications, teenagers are choosing to work to gain experience and avoid student debt
Leaving school at 16 was once a standard route for those wanting a steady career. In the 1980s, almost a third of students began work straight after school, starting trade apprenticeships or entry-level jobs in retail or manufacturing. In 1999 Tony Blair set his target for half of all children in the UK to attend university, an ambition achieved two decades later after...Leaving school at 16 was once a standard route for those wanting a steady career. In the 1980s...Leaving school at 16 was once a standard route for those wanting a steady career. In the 1980s...
SIX FROM THE BEST
Training as a nurse in the 1980s inspired Jane Hadfield to value on-the-job learning. As NHS England’s lead for...Training as a nurse in the 1980s inspired Jane Hadfield to value on-the-job learning. As NHS England’s lead for apprenticeships and a key supporter of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education, an employer-led group, she is responsible for designing and rolling out healthcare apprenticeships across...Training as a nurse in the 1980s inspired Jane Hadfield to value on-the-job learning. As NHS England’s lead for apprenticeships...
Forward omitted from Europa Conference League play-off squad
newRaheem Sterling’s exclusion from Chelsea’s Europa Conference League play-off squad came as no surprise to the forward after he was told by Enzo Maresca on Friday that he was not in the head coach’s plans this season. Sterling had been preparing for Sunday’s game against his former club Manchester...Raheem Sterling’s exclusion from Chelsea’s Europa Conference League play-off squad came as no surprise to the forward after he was told by Enzo Maresca on Friday that he was not in the head coach’s plans this season. Sterling had been preparing for Sunday’s game against his former club Manchester...Raheem Sterling’s exclusion from Chelsea’s Europa Conference League play-off squad came as no surprise to the forward after he...
Jannik Sinner, the world No1, has escaped a ban after a tribunal accepted that two failed drug tests were caused through contamination from a bare-handed massage by his physiotherapist. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) confirmed on Tuesday that Sinner bears “no fault or negligence” for the discovery of the banned anabolic...Jannik Sinner, the world No1, has escaped a ban after a tribunal accepted that two failed drug tests were caused through contamination from a bare-handed massage by his physiotherapist. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) confirmed on Tuesday that Sinner bears “no fault or negligence” for the discovery of the banned anabolic...Jannik Sinner, the world No1, has escaped a ban after a tribunal accepted that two failed drug tests were caused through...
MARTIN SAMUEL
Steve Claridge was at Birmingham City during the Barry Fry years, when at times they carried 40 or more players in their squad. “We had to call up in the morning to see if we’d been picked for training,” Claridge quips in his after-dinner speeches. And it’s funny now, from a distance. Maybe it was even amusing then.Steve Claridge was at Birmingham City during the Barry Fry years, when at times they carried 40...Steve Claridge was at Birmingham City during the Barry Fry years, when at times they carried 40...
mike Atherton
‘He has the soul of a vice-president.” Eugene McCarthy’s barb stuck to Walter Mondale during the US presidential race...‘He has the soul of a vice-president.” Eugene McCarthy’s barb stuck to Walter Mondale during the...‘He has the soul of a vice-president.” Eugene McCarthy’s barb stuck to Walter Mondale during the...
steve james
Matthew Potts was there at the beginning. The Durham fast bowler’s Test debut was against New Zealand at Lord’s in...Matthew Potts was there at the beginning. The Durham fast bowler’s Test debut was against New...Matthew Potts was there at the beginning. The Durham fast bowler’s Test debut was against New...
olympics
As UK Sport tries to capitalise on fresh Olympic memories with its new talent ID programme, Joe Bendle offers a cautionary voice. As a casualty of a similar scheme launched three years ago, the cyclist was left nursing wounds that he described as “devastatingly harmful” and said watching Paris 2024 had made him relive his trauma. The “Find Your Greatness” campaign was...As UK Sport tries to capitalise on fresh Olympic memories with its new talent ID programme, Joe...As UK Sport tries to capitalise on fresh Olympic memories with its new talent ID programme, Joe...
Matthew Richardson was aware when heswitched nationalities from Australiato Great Britain that there would be a...Matthew Richardson was aware when heswitched nationalities from Australiato Great Britain that there would be a strong reaction from his team-mates, and one former world champion has said that some Australian riders are feeling “ripped off” by his decision. Katherine Bates, a gold-medal winner in the velodrome at...Matthew Richardson was aware when heswitched nationalities from Australiato Great Britain that there would be a strong...
Matt Richardson interview
Rick Broadbent | sam reardon interview
Paralympics | will bayley interview
Mike Atherton
It was 40 years ago this week when Sri Lanka played Test cricket in England for the first time. The late John...It was 40 years ago this week when Sri Lanka played Test cricket in England for the first time.It was 40 years ago this week when Sri Lanka played Test cricket in England for the first time.
First Test
Dan Lawrence may only have opened the batting a handful of times in his first-class career but he did spend years...Dan Lawrence may only have opened the batting a handful of times in his first-class career but he...Dan Lawrence may only have opened the batting a handful of times in his first-class career but he...
By cutting out carbohydrates you risk damage to your arteries and organs, say experts. Peta Bee reports
Interview
At 32, a breast cancer diagnosis meant the professional dancer had to hang up her sequins for chemo and a mastectomy. Now she’s back
Posh highlights but frizzy hair? Luxury shirt, just scrumpled? This is a summer look I can get behind, says Harriet Walker
new
SHANE WATSON
The former president peered over Elizabeth’s shoulder while talking. Here’s how to best his bad manners
new
A new survey finds that delivery drivers are now more popular than postmen. But why?
Ageing doesn’t just creep up on us,according to a study published last week, it sometimes hits us like a...Ageing doesn’t just creep up on us,according to a study published last week, it sometimes...Ageing doesn’t just creep up on us,according to a study published last week, it sometimes...
Recipe
Pork chops. If there was one gripe that I’d have thought Delia Smith had with the eating habits of my generation (I’m...Pork chops. If there was one gripe that I’d have thought Delia Smith had with the eating habits...Pork chops. If there was one gripe that I’d have thought Delia Smith had with the eating habits...
video
review
To call this dazzling directorial debut from Zoë Kravitz a #MeToo thriller is to belittle its wide-ranging ambition and niftier pulp pleasures. Yet the film is indeed a guttural howl of feminist rage, set on a paradise island where essentially powerless women are (no spoilers, it’s in the trailer) intoxicated, bamboozled and manipulated by party bros and captains of...To call this dazzling directorial debut from Zoë Kravitz a #MeToo thriller is to belittle its...To call this dazzling directorial debut from Zoë Kravitz a #MeToo thriller is to belittle its...
INTERVIEW
Lynette Linton is on a roll.Shifters, a play she first directed at the Bush in west London — the theatre she’s...Lynette Linton is on a roll.Shifters, a play she first directed at the Bush in west London — the theatre she’s been in charge of since 2019 — has just opened in the West End. Idris Elba, Maya Jama and Little Simz are supporting this new piece of black British writing by joining the list of producers.Lynette Linton is on a roll.Shifters, a play she first directed at the Bush in west London — the theatre she’s been in...
my culture fix
TROUBLESHOOTER
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...
MindGames
comment
It is difficult to overstate how important housing and planning reform is to the prospects of this Labour government.It is difficult to overstate how important housing and planning reform is to the prospects of...It is difficult to overstate how important housing and planning reform is to the prospects of...
Overwhelmed by flyers on the Mile? Lost in the zillions of options as to what to see during your time in the Scottish capital? We’ve compiled our reviews of the 2024 Edinburgh Festival and Fringe theatre, music and dance shows (if you’re looking for comedy recommendations,we have a separate list). It’s ranked according to rating, from five stars downwards and...Overwhelmed by flyers on the Mile? Lost in the zillions of options as to what to see during your...Overwhelmed by flyers on the Mile? Lost in the zillions of options as to what to see during your...
There are well over a thousand comedy shows playing in Edinburgh this August — which ones are worth seeing? I’m in...There are well over a thousand comedy shows playing in Edinburgh this August — which ones are worth seeing? I’m in town all month to look for the funniest, most memorable, most original comics around. Every day we will publish reviews of the best of what I find, from established acts to total newcomers — ranking...There are well over a thousand comedy shows playing in Edinburgh this August — which ones are worth seeing? I’m in town all...
Television
TELEVISION
tELEVISION | STREAMING GUIDE
TELEVISION
Television
Television
PROFILE
There’s a horribly clunky phrase beloved of serious film academics and it’s “to-be-looked-at-ness”. It describes a quality of a screen performer whose value is entirely rooted in their visual appeal, usually coded as “sexy”. They are nearly always...There’s a horribly clunky phrase beloved of serious film academics and it’s “to-be-looked-at-ness”.There’s a horribly clunky phrase beloved of serious film academics and it’s “to-be-looked-at-ness”.
His designs defined the Nineties, and now he is fashionable all over again
Why men are ditching the clown shoes for sophisticated sneakers
food
Who needs Willy Wonka when we have this mouthwatering array of luxury chocolate shops in the capital
video
Meet the specialists behind some of the world’s most beautiful watches
Tokyo’s Janu hotel has a 4,000 sq m wellness area, 25m skypool and six absurdly good restaurants. Lisa Grainger dons the complimentary cotton pyjamas and reports back
Fancy a challenge? Find your way out of these magnificent puzzles and celebrate your escape with a relaxing stay nearby after
video
Biarritz brings surf vibes, fun museums and great beaches — plus the sun will still be shining
If you forego butler service and other trimmings you can bring the price down on this notoriously expensive but epic destination — home to giant tortoises, iguanas, penguins and more
The coveted rooms at these shabby-chic hotels are often fully booked. So why not start your own trend at one of these these stylish — and often more affordable — alternatives?
INTERVIEW
The singer on why she painted her husband’s face like a cat for a trip to Disneyland and the hotel she loves the most in the UK
WHERE WAS I? COMPETITION
video
England’s longest national trail wraps around the coasts of Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and Dorset. It’s a brilliant adventure, but also a time-consuming and tiring one too. Those who want to get a taste of what it’s all about should choose one of...England’s longest national trail wraps around the coasts of Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and Dorset.England’s longest national trail wraps around the coasts of Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and Dorset.
Balmoral Castle
19th August, 2024
The King arrived at Balmoral Castle this morning, was received by His...Balmoral Castle
19th August, 2024
The King arrived at Balmoral Castle this morning, was received...Balmoral Castle
19th August, 2024
The King arrived at Balmoral Castle this morning, was received...
EVERYTHING in the Scriptures is God’s Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting...EVERYTHING in the Scriptures is God’s Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people...EVERYTHING in the Scriptures is God’s Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people...
MindGames and Brain Boost puzzles to print and solve at your leisure
SNP ministers criticised for decision to scrap pilot scheme which saw an increase in rail passengers
Business leaders have warned Scotland’s economy will be damaged by the SNP government’s doubling of costs for commuters and the reintroduction of peak rail fares. The one-year pilot scheme, which cost about £40 million to introduce and saved some customers thousands of pounds, will end on...Business leaders have warned Scotland’s economy will be damaged by the SNP government’s doubling of costs for commuters and the reintroduction of peak rail fares. The one-year pilot scheme, which cost about £40 million to introduce and saved some customers thousands of pounds, will end on...Business leaders have warned Scotland’s economy will be damaged by the SNP government’s doubling of costs for commuters and the...
Scotland’s drugs deaths have risen again with the rate more than double that of other UK countries. New figures showed drugs claimed the lives of 1,172 Scots in 2023, up 121 from last year’s total, representing a 12 per cent increase. The rise in deaths from drug misuse comes after a large fall had been recorded in 2022, with the total...Scotland’s drugs deaths have risen again with the rate more than double that of other UK countries. New figures showed drugs claimed the lives of 1,172 Scots in 2023, up 121 from last year’s total, representing a 12 per cent increase. The rise in deaths from drug misuse comes after a large fall had been recorded in 2022, with the total...Scotland’s drugs deaths have risen again with the rate more than double that of other UK countries. New figures showed drugs...
Scotland’s state-funded investment bank has awarded its chief executive a bonus worth more than £8,000 a month even though it recorded a £14 million loss. Al Denholm’s total package at the Scottish National Investment Bank is worth in excess of £335,000, with a basic salary of £220,000 and pension contributions of...Scotland’s state-funded investment bank has awarded its chief executive a bonus worth more than...Scotland’s state-funded investment bank has awarded its chief executive a bonus worth more than...
scottish business digest
video
Procedures at a British spaceport “worked like clockwork”, its chief executive has claimed, despite a rocket engine exploding in a ball of flames during a launch test. Video footage, which has been shared by millions around the world, showed the...Procedures at a British spaceport “worked like clockwork”, its chief executive has claimed...Procedures at a British spaceport “worked like clockwork”, its chief executive has claimed...
An SNP minister is to go on leave as she has treatment for breast cancer for a second time. Christina McKelvie, 56...An SNP minister is to go on leave as she has treatment for breast cancer for a second time.An SNP minister is to go on leave as she has treatment for breast cancer for a second time.
SCOTTISH BUSINESS DIGEST
Hello and welcome to our daily digest of business, financial and economic news from around Scotland.1. Homes are...Hello and welcome to our daily digest of business, financial and economic news from around Scotland.Hello and welcome to our daily digest of business, financial and economic news from around Scotland.
edinburgh festivals
MELANIE REID | notebook
Out for lunch recently, I’ve observed a number of young women. I found I had to make a very conscious effort not to...Out for lunch recently, I’ve observed a number of young women. I found I had to make a very...Out for lunch recently, I’ve observed a number of young women. I found I had to make a very...
‘We were disappointed to find that there was no welcome pack at the cottages,” writes a holiday maker after a trip to...‘We were disappointed to find that there was no welcome pack at the cottages,” writes a holiday...‘We were disappointed to find that there was no welcome pack at the cottages,” writes a holiday...
Comment
‘Grown-up’ pay bargaining will prove disastrous
Daniel Finkelstein
Labour has shown its hand when it comes to settling wage disputes — an invitation for unions to come back for more
ROGER BOYES
Why Iran is holding back from a wider war
newKATHLEEN STOCK
TikTok’s new art lovers miss the big picture
newMATTHEW PARRIS | NOTEBOOK
This African deal had the Germans over a barrel
newHARRY HUDSON
State schools must do more to harness power of alumni
newharriet walker | notebook
My children think phones are boring – let’s keep it that way
I am writing this fresh from cycling four kids — mine and a friend’s — up the hill to this week’s holiday camp: all of them strapped into the front of our cargo bike, gossiping like passengers on a Victorian omnibus. What’s in their packed lunch...I am writing this fresh from cycling four kids — mine and a friend’s — up the hill to this week’s...I am writing this fresh from cycling four kids — mine and a friend’s — up the hill to this week’s...
Leading Articles
Old Demons
Labour’s age-old willingness to appease the unions risks undermining its growth agenda. It must prioritise workplace flexibility
Treasure of the Sierra Madre
A rusting hulk is the latest target of Beijing’s expansionism in the South China Sea
Rude Awakening
President Trump’s very best behaviour may not have been quite good enough
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Overdiagnosis in the mental health sector
Sir, Matthew Parris has noticed a real problem (“Mental health industry is cheating the public”, Aug 19). There is a deeper problem in medicine in that modern medicine has thrown all its energy into providing panaceas to people. This works...Sir, Matthew Parris has noticed a real problem (“Mental health industry is cheating the public”...Sir, Matthew Parris has noticed a real problem (“Mental health industry is cheating the public”...
Daily Universal Register
Briefing
UK: Sir Keir Starmer visits a renewable energy site with the Welsh first minister Eluned Morgan as a part of his visit to Wales; Edinburgh International Television Festival begins, until Friday, an event addressing the future of TV in the UK and globally. Highlights include the James MacTaggart lecture.
Egypt: The US secretary of state Antony Blinken visits Cairo as part of his regional trip.
Australia: Lifesaving World Championships begin at Kurrawa Beach in Queensland, until September 8, with about 4,000 competitors and 40 national teams taking part.
On this day
In1773Ottobah Cugoano, who had been sold into slavery in west Africa, was baptised at St James’s Church, Piccadilly, London (as “John Stuart — a Black, aged 16 Years”). He became active in the abolitionist group Sons of Africa. In 1787 he publishedThoughts and Sentiments on the Evil and Wicked Traffic of the Slavery and Commerce of the Human Species; in1940Leon Trotsky, the Marxist revolutionary, was struck in the head with an ice axe in Mexico while in exile from the Soviet Union, and died the next day, aged 60. In 1961 Ramón Mercader, the assassin, was presented with the title Hero of the Soviet Union “for the special deed”. The axe is among exhibits at the International Spy Museum in Washington DC; in1940the prime minister Winston Churchill praised Battle of Britain pilots in a speech to parliament, saying: “Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few”; in2009Abdelbaset Ali Al Megrahi, a Libyan national serving a life sentence in Scotland for his role in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, was freed on compassionate grounds. He had been given three months to live because of prostate cancer, but survived until May 2012.
Nature notes
Shore crabs, which can be found around the whole of the UK, are extraordinary omnivores, eating everything from seaweed to small fish, molluscs, marine worms, skate eggs and even small fish and other crabs. Their shells are variably patterned and change depending on their breeding condition, but are usually greenish; the margin of their carapace has five little points on each side, and three bumps between their eyes. Once fertilised, the female will carry her bright orange egg mass underneath her; if you find one with a pale mass underneath, it’s been parasitised by the crab hacker barnacle, which hitches a ride, takes over the crab’s innards and brain, sterilises it, and forces it to carry its own eggs instead.Melissa Harrison
Melissa Harrison
Birthdays today
Amy Adams, actress,Vice(2018), 50;Amanda Berry, chief executive, The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales, Bafta (2000-22), 63;Baroness (Camilla) Cavendish of Little Venice, head of the Downing Street policy unit (2015-16), chief leader writer, The Times (2010-13), writer,Extra Time(2019), 56;Crista Cullen, field hockey player, Olympic gold medallist (2016), 39;Jamie Cullum, singer and radio presenter, 45;Lord (Nigel) Dodds of Duncairn, deputy leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (2008-21), 66;Patrick Drahi, founder of telecom group Altice and owner of Sotheby’s, 61;John Emburey, cricketer, England (1978-95), 72;Dame Anne Evans, soprano, 83;Sir Roger Gale, MP for Herne Bay and Sandwich, 81;Sir Roy Gardner, chairman, Manchester United (2002-05), 79;Andrew Garfield, actor, the Spider-Man film series, 41;Sylvester McCoy, actor,Doctor Who(1987-89), 81;Lord (Gus) Macdonald of Tradeston, former Labour minister, 84;Tom Mangold, former investigative journalist, BBCPanorama, 90;George Mitchell, American politician, Northern Ireland and Middle East peace negotiator, 91;Mike Nelson, installation artist, 57;Robin Oakley, political editor, BBC (1992-2000), 83;Joe Pasquale, comedian, 63;Robert Plant, singer, Led Zeppelin (1968-80),Stairway to Heaven(1971), 76;Baroness (Janet) Royall of Blaisdon, principal, Somerville College, Oxford, shadow leader of the House of Lords (2010-15), 69;Sir Desmond Swayne, Conservative MP for New Forest West, 68;Squadron Leader Ken WP Symonds, Lancaster flight engineer who flew on the last bombing raid of the Second World War (April 25, 1945; Operation Berchtesgaden), 100;Jaco van Gass, racing cyclist, two-time Paralympian gold medallist (2020), 38;Maxim Vengerov, violinist, 50;David Walliams, comedian and children’s novelist,Astrochimp(2024), 53.