The Times & The Sunday Times Homepage
video
Shadow housing secretary says Conservatives lost voters’ trust
The Conservatives “talked right but governed left” and lost the trust of voters after becoming “mired in scandal,” Kemi Badenoch said. She said that the party had become too “managerial” and “big state” under successive Tory prime ministers, highlighting the net zero target. Launching her...The Conservatives “talked right but governed left” and lost the trust of voters after becoming “mired in scandal,” Kemi Badenoch said. She said that the party had become too “managerial” and “big state” under successive Tory prime ministers, highlighting the net zero target. Launching her...The Conservatives “talked right but governed left” and lost the trust of voters after becoming “mired in scandal,” Kemi...
Almost half of young people are willing to pay for private healthcare, a survey has found, as the “on-demand” generation becomes frustrated with lengthy NHS waiting lists. The survey revealed that 44 per cent of people in their 20s and 30s would go private if needed in the next 12 months, with most citing the need to be seen quickly as...Almost half of young people are willing to pay for private healthcare, a survey has found, as the “on-demand” generation becomes frustrated with lengthy NHS waiting lists. The survey revealed that 44 per cent of people in their 20s and 30s would go private if needed in the next 12 months, with most citing the need to be seen quickly as...Almost half of young people are willing to pay for private healthcare, a survey has found, as the “on-demand” generation...
Catherine Philp in Ukraine
The woman stumbles down the street towards her home, her breath thick with vodka. It is one way to deal with the imminent arrival of the Russian army in her hometown, Pokrovsk, the target of the 40,000-strong force bearing down from the east. “Let them come, we will not be leaving, what will happen will happen,” the...The woman stumbles down the street towards her home, her breath thick with vodka. It is one way...The woman stumbles down the street towards her home, her breath thick with vodka. It is one way...
ask professor tanya byron
Q. I met my closest friend 30 years ago at university and we have been in each other’s lives constantly. We are both...Q. I met my closest friend 30 years ago at university and we have been in each other’s lives...Q. I met my closest friend 30 years ago at university and we have been in each other’s lives...
first person
The whole nation has been affected by the Bayesian yacht tragedy off the coast of Sicily. Watching events unfold, it...The whole nation has been affected by the Bayesian yacht tragedy off the coast of Sicily.The whole nation has been affected by the Bayesian yacht tragedy off the coast of Sicily.
Companies that don’t comply with Labour’s reforms face paying thousands of pounds in penalties
Nigel Farage’s party is taking inspiration from the success of right-wing movements in Germany and France
As the credits rolled on No Time to Die, its filmmakers made the familiar promise: “James Bond will return.” As the hiatus between films reaches three years this month, Bond fans are wondering why that promise — a tradition of the credits...As the credits rolled on No Time to Die, its filmmakers made the familiar promise: “James...As the credits rolled on No Time to Die, its filmmakers made the familiar promise: “James...
Fans going to see Oasis next year will spend £406 each seeing the band, providing a half a billion pound benefit for the UK economy — but this is less than half of the cash spent by followers of Taylor Swift. As the Britpop band sold out 15 UK...Fans going to see Oasis next year will spend £406 each seeing the band, providing a half a...Fans going to see Oasis next year will spend £406 each seeing the band, providing a half a...
Spanish police have arrested three members of a gang suspected of stealing from luxury villas in Ibiza after using...Spanish police have arrested three members of a gang suspected of stealing from luxury villas in...Spanish police have arrested three members of a gang suspected of stealing from luxury villas in...
An increase in the number of “blended families”, together with rising property values, have led to a glut of legal...An increase in the number of “blended families”, together with rising property values, have led...An increase in the number of “blended families”, together with rising property values, have led...
The party won the state elections in Thuringia
Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, is struggling to hold his coalition government together after what he described as a “bitter” victory for the radical right in the eastern state of Thuringia. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, after a campaign spearheaded by the unapologetically...Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, is struggling to hold his coalition government together after what he described as a “bitter” victory for the radical right in the eastern state of Thuringia. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, after a campaign spearheaded by the unapologetically...Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, is struggling to hold his coalition government together after what he described as a...
Russia has warned that it will change its rules for the use of nuclear weapons in response to western involvement in the war in Ukraine. President Putin has threatened on several occasions that Russia could carry out nuclear strikes over the West’s military support for Kyiv. President Zelensky and some western officials have dismissed the...Russia has warned that it will change its rules for the use of nuclear weapons in response to western involvement in the war in Ukraine. President Putin has threatened on several occasions that Russia could carry out nuclear strikes over the West’s military support for Kyiv. President Zelensky and some western officials have dismissed the...Russia has warned that it will change its rules for the use of nuclear weapons in response to western involvement in the war in...
analysis
The resounding defeat of Germany’s ruling parties in Saxony and Thuringia has inevitably prompted a great deal of gossip-mongering about whether the chancellor might be ousted or his coalition might finally fall apart. The conjecture is not completely futile. Even if the government is likely to hold together through...The resounding defeat of Germany’s ruling parties in Saxony and Thuringia has inevitably prompted...The resounding defeat of Germany’s ruling parties in Saxony and Thuringia has inevitably prompted...
Property rights trump residents’ concerns in blocks of flats where some apartments are used for short-term holiday rentals, a Florence court has ruled in a blow to efforts to rein in the proliferation of Airbnbs. The case concerned a building in...Property rights trump residents’ concerns in blocks of flats where some apartments are used for...Property rights trump residents’ concerns in blocks of flats where some apartments are used for...
A beauty pageant contestant who was forced to pull out of the Miss South Africa competition due to a vicious row about her nationality was crowned Miss Universe Nigeria on Saturday night, in the latest twist in a saga that has gripped both countries.A beauty pageant contestant who was forced to pull out of the Miss South Africa competition due...A beauty pageant contestant who was forced to pull out of the Miss South Africa competition due...
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...
As a conservative anti-abortion activist, the past few weeks have been confusing and more than a little disheartening...As a conservative anti-abortion activist, the past few weeks have been confusing and more than a...As a conservative anti-abortion activist, the past few weeks have been confusing and more than a...
Rea Group is considering a potential cash-and-shares offer for Rightmove
Rightmove is facing a potential takeover offer from an Australian rival. Rea Group told the Australian stock exchange that it was considering a cash-and-shares offer for the British property search website. The Australian company, which said it was responding to media speculation, has not...Rightmove is facing a potential takeover offer from an Australian rival. Rea Group told the Australian stock exchange that it was considering a cash-and-shares offer for the British property search website. The Australian company, which said it was responding to media speculation, has not...Rightmove is facing a potential takeover offer from an Australian rival. Rea Group told the Australian stock exchange that it...
The pound is on course to be one of the best-performing leading currencies in the world this year as strong economic growth in Britain and the change in government help to “dispel overly negative views”, leading American investment banks have said. Sterling is predicted to hit a four-year high of $1.41 against the dollar by the end of next...The pound is on course to be one of the best-performing leading currencies in the world this year as strong economic growth in Britain and the change in government help to “dispel overly negative views”, leading American investment banks have said. Sterling is predicted to hit a four-year high of $1.41 against the dollar by the end of next...The pound is on course to be one of the best-performing leading currencies in the world this year as strong economic growth in...
There was a time, not that long ago, when Britain’s commercial property market was dominated by the likes of British Land and Land Securities. The former was known as the owner of the Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield and the Cheesegrater tower in the City of London; the latter built 20 Fenchurch Street...There was a time, not that long ago, when Britain’s commercial property market was dominated by...There was a time, not that long ago, when Britain’s commercial property market was dominated by...
POWERING UP BRITAIN
PAUL JOHNSON
The triple lock has ensured that pensioners’ incomes have risen faster than those of working-age people over the past...The triple lock has ensured that pensioners’ incomes have risen faster than those of working-age...The triple lock has ensured that pensioners’ incomes have risen faster than those of working-age...
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...
The scrapping of VAT-free shopping for tourists is having a “massively negative effect” on spending in Britain, the boss of a high street retailer has warned. Neil Clifford, the chief executive of Kurt Geiger, said people were travelling to other...The scrapping of VAT-free shopping for tourists is having a “massively negative effect” on...The scrapping of VAT-free shopping for tourists is having a “massively negative effect” on...
the week ahead
The most significant and very likely market-moving event this week will be the publication of the US Employment Report on Friday. Jerome Powell, the head of the Federal Reserve, has said already that “the time has come” for an interest rate cut...The most significant and very likely market-moving event this week will be the publication of the...The most significant and very likely market-moving event this week will be the publication of the...
international trade
RICHARD HARPIN | COMMENT
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...
PAUL JOYCE
First of all Mohamed Salah put the ball in Manchester United’s net and, after that, firmly in Liverpool’s court. The buzz word at Anfield this summer has been “opportunistic”, with the new sporting director Richard Hughes indicating that the club’s transfer business, for example, would be...First of all Mohamed Salah put the ball in Manchester United’s net and, after that, firmly in Liverpool’s court. The buzz word at Anfield this summer has been “opportunistic”, with the new sporting director Richard Hughes indicating that the club’s transfer business, for example, would be...First of all Mohamed Salah put the ball in Manchester United’s net and, after that, firmly in Liverpool’s court. The buzz word...
Arsenal have rejected an offer for Leandro Trossard from Al-Ittihad and made clear that the forward is not for sale. Al-Ittihad offered to sign the 29-year-old on loan for about £4 million, with an option to buy him on a permanent deal for about £20 million next summer. The Premier League transfer window has closed but the Saudi Pro League...Arsenal have rejected an offer for Leandro Trossard from Al-Ittihad and made clear that the forward is not for sale. Al-Ittihad offered to sign the 29-year-old on loan for about £4 million, with an option to buy him on a permanent deal for about £20 million next summer. The Premier League transfer window has closed but the Saudi Pro League...Arsenal have rejected an offer for Leandro Trossard from Al-Ittihad and made clear that the forward is not for sale. Al-Ittihad...
PARALYMPICS
Valentina Petrillo, the Italian transgender runner competing at the Paralympics, described her Games debut as “a historic day” after qualifying for the semi-finals of the women’s T12 400m as a fastest loser. World Athletics does not permit transgender women to compete in the female categories of international events.Valentina Petrillo, the Italian transgender runner competing at the Paralympics, described her...Valentina Petrillo, the Italian transgender runner competing at the Paralympics, described her...
premier league | Paul Hirst
premier league | Paul Joyce
second test | mike atherton
STEVE JAMES
‘I do enjoy batting, I’m not going to lie,” Joe Root said on Saturday night when asked by Sky Sports’ Ian Ward about...‘I do enjoy batting, I’m not going to lie,” Joe Root said on Saturday night when asked by Sky...‘I do enjoy batting, I’m not going to lie,” Joe Root said on Saturday night when asked by Sky...
stuart barnes
Twenty-seven phases of possession. To some people this is a stunning figure. On a corner of a television screen the...Twenty-seven phases of possession. To some people this is a stunning figure. On a corner of a...Twenty-seven phases of possession. To some people this is a stunning figure. On a corner of a...
COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP
US OPEN | stuart fraser
ITALIAN GRAND PRIX
gallagher premiership | John Westerby
As much of an achievement as winning a title can be, it is often said that reaching the top is not half as hard as attempting to stay there. That is the task facing Northampton Saints this season, having risen from consecutive semi-final appearances to finish top of the Gallagher Premiership table and then go on to beat Bath in the final at Twickenham in June. They...As much of an achievement as winning a title can be, it is often said that reaching the top is...As much of an achievement as winning a title can be, it is often said that reaching the top is...
MCC has revealed that it will review its pricing strategy after the high cost of tickets was blamed for the thousands...MCC has revealed that it will review its pricing strategy after the high cost of tickets was blamed for the thousands of empty seats at Lord’s on day four of the Test against Sri Lanka. The cheapest adult tickets available were priced at £95, which critics have suggested is too expensive to attract spectators for...MCC has revealed that it will review its pricing strategy after the high cost of tickets was blamed for the thousands of empty...
premier league | martin hardy
premier league | alyson rudd
us open | Stuart Fraser
The former Ivory Coast defender Sol Bamba, who overcame cancer to resume his playing career, has died at the age of...The former Ivory Coast defender Sol Bamba, who overcame cancer to resume his playing career, has...The former Ivory Coast defender Sol Bamba, who overcame cancer to resume his playing career, has...
Racecards BET OF THE DAY Archie’s Angel (5.30 Windsor) This colt did well to make a successful debut at Haydock Park...Racecards BET OF THE DAY Archie’s Angel (5.30 Windsor) This colt did well to make a successful...Racecards BET OF THE DAY Archie’s Angel (5.30 Windsor) This colt did well to make a successful...
first person
In 2013 a speedboat accident killed Victoria Milligan’s husband and their eight-year-old daughter, Emily. In the aftermath of the Bayesian tragedy, she describes her experience of grief
hilary rose
For the first time since his split from Angelina Jolie, the Hollywood actor has publicly debuted a relationship. Here’s all you need to know
new
hilary rose
Pals of the Duke of Sussex are said to be planning his return. The royals will be thrilled
first person
It began with stockpiling at Waitrose, says Sarah Sands
ask professor tanya byron
Q. I met my closest friend 30 years ago at university and we have been in each other’s lives constantly. We are both...Q. I met my closest friend 30 years ago at university and we have been in each other’s lives...Q. I met my closest friend 30 years ago at university and we have been in each other’s lives...
ask the experts
Q. In 2000 I invested £3,500 in the Fidelity Moneybuilder Balanced Fund Isa (£134.61 was taken as a charge). Now, 24...Q. In 2000 I invested £3,500 in the Fidelity Moneybuilder Balanced Fund Isa (£134.61 was taken as...Q. In 2000 I invested £3,500 in the Fidelity Moneybuilder Balanced Fund Isa (£134.61 was taken as...
venice review
There’s a nifty elevator scene between Brad Pitt and George Clooney in Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s Eleven. It features a fast-flowing, sharply written monologue from Clooney’s Danny Ocean, who talks about prison terms and regret (“Yesterday I walked out of the joint after losing four years of my life”) and climaxes with his belief that a successful casino heist...There’s a nifty elevator scene between Brad Pitt and George Clooney in Steven Soderbergh’s...There’s a nifty elevator scene between Brad Pitt and George Clooney in Steven Soderbergh’s...
review
My patience with Grace (ITV1), already quite thin, snapped last year when it served up the story of a sadist in a...My patience with Grace (ITV1), already quite thin, snapped last year when it served up the story of a sadist in a black rubber suit who violated terrified women with a dildo. This same series has offered up other cosy tales, such as a man being buried alive in a coffin fitted with a camera so we could see him...My patience with Grace (ITV1), already quite thin, snapped last year when it served up the story of a sadist in a black rubber...
The story, if you’re in a bit of a hurry, is as follows. In 1986 I sat next to a Top Gear producer at the launch of the Citroën AX. He offered me a job and two years later I started to appear on screen. I did that for a while, got ideas above my station, left, and made some mostly forgettable programmes before dreaming up a new format for Top Gear. I then did that...The story, if you’re in a bit of a hurry, is as follows. In 1986 I sat next to a Top Gear...The story, if you’re in a bit of a hurry, is as follows. In 1986 I sat next to a Top Gear...
review
★★★★★
Britain’s most magically laid-back music festival scored a major coup this year. Bonnie Prince Billy...★★★★★
Britain’s most magically laid-back music festival scored a major coup this year. Bonnie Prince Billy, aka Kentucky’s Will Oldham, is a songwriter of twisted brilliance. He is also a famously awkward character who is not a fan of performing at festivals but, after a decade of trying, this one convinced...★★★★★
Britain’s most magically laid-back music festival scored a major coup this year. Bonnie Prince Billy, aka Kentucky’s...
MindGames
1 Which Italian dictator used the term totalitario in the early 1920s to describe Italy’s new fascist state? 2 What...1 Which Italian dictator used the term totalitario in the early 1920s to describe Italy’s new...1 Which Italian dictator used the term totalitario in the early 1920s to describe Italy’s new...
Viewing GUide
television
TELEVISION
TELEVISION
TELEVISION
Television
tELEVISION | STREAMING GUIDE
television
interview
The straight-talking star of The Crown is on a mission to stop drama getting bland. He rounds on critics of Doctor Who and remembers his late father
IN DEPTH
With VAT on school fees only a few months away we look at the financial burden parents can expect if they want to give their children a private education
interview
He has presented Grand Designs since 1999. Which home trends does he actually like?
With clients such as King Charles, the designer Ben Pentreath is in high demand. We meet the man who made traditional cool again
explainer
Keir Starmer has warned that the Budget will mean pain for taxpayers — but some levies are more likely to go up than others, says Ali Hussain
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
Explora Journeys wants its ships to be like five-star hotels at sea. With their marble-fitted bathrooms, art exhibitions and itineraries, it has succeeded, says Amanda Linfoot
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
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
comment
The airline’s CEO wants airport bars to limit travellers to two drinks each. I have a better way to fix problem drinkers
The French Riviera has year-round appeal — here’s how to soak up its arty side, glitzy coastline and boutique hotels without breaking the bank
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...
video
The Times has been publishing life stories of the great and the good (and the not so good) for more than 170 years. Now the obituary is also becoming a podcast, explains Anna Temkin
IN the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the...IN the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty...IN the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty...
MindGames and Brain Boost puzzles to print and solve at your leisure
First minister says voters have ‘stopped listening’ to the party
John Swinney has said the SNP will make a renewed push for independence after admitting that voters have stopped listening to his party. The first minister said the nationalists needed to win back the votes of Yes supporters from Labour after a damaging general election. He attempted to evoke the...John Swinney has said the SNP will make a renewed push for independence after admitting that voters have stopped listening to his party. The first minister said the nationalists needed to win back the votes of Yes supporters from Labour after a damaging general election. He attempted to evoke the...John Swinney has said the SNP will make a renewed push for independence after admitting that voters have stopped listening to...
Labour will raise less money from the North Sea and put 35,000 jobs at risk if it hikes windfall tax rates for oil and gas developers, an industry lobby group has claimed. The new government has signalled that it will increase the levy first imposed by Boris Johnson in 2022 as energy prices soared after President Putin’s full-scale invasion...Labour will raise less money from the North Sea and put 35,000 jobs at risk if it hikes windfall tax rates for oil and gas developers, an industry lobby group has claimed. The new government has signalled that it will increase the levy first imposed by Boris Johnson in 2022 as energy prices soared after President Putin’s full-scale invasion...Labour will raise less money from the North Sea and put 35,000 jobs at risk if it hikes windfall tax rates for oil and gas...
IAIN MACWHIRTER
Stephen Noon, the former SNP campaign guru, argued that accentuating the positive was the royal road to political success. Alex Salmond used to talk about the positive “mindset change” that helped the SNP to win the 2011 landslide. Well, it seems that optimism is in the bin nowadays. John Swinney and his ministers...Stephen Noon, the former SNP campaign guru, argued that accentuating the positive was the royal...Stephen Noon, the former SNP campaign guru, argued that accentuating the positive was the royal...
MELANIE REID | notebook
Four public inquiries currently underway in Scotland have cost almost £200 million, it has been revealed. The...Four public inquiries currently underway in Scotland have cost almost £200 million, it has been...Four public inquiries currently underway in Scotland have cost almost £200 million, it has been...
A family firm is suing its former office manager to win back nearly £200,000 which she stole to spend on foreign...A family firm is suing its former office manager to win back nearly £200,000 which she stole to...A family firm is suing its former office manager to win back nearly £200,000 which she stole to...
Comment
Aukus pact is not a blank cheque for the US
Max Hastings
Harold Wilson refused to send troops to Vietnam — and we must not blindly follow America into a clash with China
TOMIWA OWoLADE
Disability is simply a mark of being human
Libby purves
Raver Rayner will reap benefits of a boogie
JAMES MARRIOTT | NOTEBOOK
There’s no escaping the complexity of travel
NEIL MENDOZA
Historic buildings offer a solution to housing shortage
Leading Articles
Carnival Costs
Labour must forcefully condemn the violence and killings at the recent Notting Hill carnival and take steps to change its venue and organisation
Easy Target
In peacetime, defence is a tempting source of savings — dangerous ones
A Burning Memory
Should Paris preserve its feelgood Olympic symbols for ever?
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Social media, moderation and censorship
Sir, Rohan Silva is worried that the charges in France against Pavel Durov are broad (“Social media policing is a threat to free speech”, Aug 30). He doesn’t seem to ask why. Telegram is one of the “dirty dozen” companies held up in 2024 by...Sir, Rohan Silva is worried that the charges in France against Pavel Durov are broad (...Sir, Rohan Silva is worried that the charges in France against Pavel Durov are broad (...
Daily Universal Register
Briefing
UK: MPs return from summer recess; the autumn term begins for many schools in England and Wales; the Royal Statistical Society annual conference begins in Brighton.
France: Sébastien Lecornu, the defence minister, hosts a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart in Paris.
US: Labor Day national holiday.
The Vatican: The Pope departs for a visit to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore, until September 13.
On this day
In 490BC Pheidippides was sent by the Athenians to Sparta to seek Spartan help for the Athenian army facing a Persian invasion; in 1898 Sir Horatio (later Lord) Kitchener completed his reconquest of the Sudan by his victory at the Battle of Omdurman; in 1944 the US air force pilot George HW Bush, a future US president, was shot down by Japanese forces and rescued by a US submarine crew. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. In what was known as the Chichijima incident, he was the only one of nine airmen not to be captured by Japanese soldiers, four of whom were cannibalised; in 1994 the entertainer Roy Castle died of lung cancer, aged 62. He presented the BBC children’s TV show Record Breakers from 1972 to 1993, setting nine records himself.
Nature notes
Sometimes, on warm days in late summer, large numbers of male chalkhill blue butterflies congregate on chalk or limestone grasslands in the south of England to look for females, which are more retiring and tend to hide in vegetation. After mating the eggs are laid on horseshoe vetch, a low-growing, yellow-flowered perennial, which is the only plant the caterpillars feed on. There is one brood per year, which emerges in mid-July to find a mate. A cloud of dancing, sky-blue butterflies gives a brief, heart-stopping hint of what abundance must have looked like to our ancestors, who could not have imagined the empty world of today. Melissa Harrison
Melissa Harrison
Birthdays today
Sir Keir Starmer, prime minister and leader of the Labour Party, MP for Holborn & St Pancras, 62; Keith Allen, actor, Trainspotting (1996), 71; Andrew Brode, businessman, executive chairman of RWS Group (2003-23, language services company, of which he is a major shareholder), 84; Jimmy Connors, tennis player, Wimbledon champion (1974, 1982), and commentator, 72; David Dinsmore, chief operating officer, News UK, editor, The Sun (2013-15), 56; Baroness (Mary) Goudie, women’s rights advocate, 78; Paul Goodwin, conductor, 68; Salma Hayek, actress, House of Gucci (2021), 58; Mark Hodges, chairman, RSA Insurance, 59; Guy Laliberté, co-founder (1984), Cirque du Soleil, 65; Lennox Lewis, former world heavyweight boxing champion, 59; Prof Martin Marshall, chairman, Royal College of General Practitioners (2019-22), 63; Dame Louise Martin, president, Commonwealth Games Federation (2015-23), 78; Harry Mount, editor, The Oldie magazine, and author, Summer Madness: How Brexit Split the Tories, Destroyed Labour and Divided the Country (2017), 53; Claude Puel, football manager, Southampton (2016-17), Leicester City (2017-19), 63; Jonathan Reekie, director, Somerset House Trust, 60; Keanu Reeves, actor, The Matrix and John Wick film series, 60; Shirley-Anne Somerville, MSP for Dunfermline, cabinet secretary for social justice, 50; Moira Stuart, BBC newsreader (1981-2018), now with Classic FM, 75; Kate Summerscale, writer, The Peepshow: The Murders at 10 Rillington Place (Oct 2024), 59; Amanda Thompson, managing director, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, 62; Ella Toone, footballer, Manchester United WFC and member of the Euro 2022-winning England national team, 25.