The Times & The Sunday Times Homepage
Inquiry found dishonesty and greed of construction companies led to 72 deaths
Police and prosecutors have been facing calls to bring criminal charges over the Grenfell Tower tragedy after a devastating inquiry uncovered a litany of failings and concluded all of the 72 deaths were avoidable. Bereaved families said that “nothing less than manslaughter [charges] would do”...Police and prosecutors have been facing calls to bring criminal charges over the Grenfell Tower tragedy after a devastating inquiry uncovered a litany of failings and concluded all of the 72 deaths were avoidable. Bereaved families said that “nothing less than manslaughter [charges] would do”...Police and prosecutors have been facing calls to bring criminal charges over the Grenfell Tower tragedy after a devastating...
GRENFELL INQUIRY
One of the key cladding executives singled out for devastating criticism after trying to conceal fire safety failings has claimed that he is “100 per cent sure” he bears no personal responsibility for the Grenfell Tower tragedy. Claude Wehrle, a former technical manager at Arconic Architectural Products SAS (AAP), was found to have acted...One of the key cladding executives singled out for devastating criticism after trying to conceal fire safety failings has claimed that he is “100 per cent sure” he bears no personal responsibility for the Grenfell Tower tragedy. Claude Wehrle, a former technical manager at Arconic Architectural Products SAS (AAP), was found to have acted...One of the key cladding executives singled out for devastating criticism after trying to conceal fire safety failings has...
Victims of the Bayesian yacht tragedy died from asphyxiation when they ran out of oxygen in the cabins of the sunken vessel, it has been claimed. Post-mortem examinations on four of those who died found no water in their lungs, suggesting that they did not drown but suffocated as the air they were breathing filled...Victims of the Bayesian yacht tragedy died from asphyxiation when they ran out of oxygen in the...Victims of the Bayesian yacht tragedy died from asphyxiation when they ran out of oxygen in the...
US OPEN | STUART FRASER
BEHIND THE STORY
Scientists have found that women who eat 30 plants a week significantly reduce menopause symptoms, including hot...Scientists have found that women who eat 30 plants a week significantly reduce menopause symptoms...Scientists have found that women who eat 30 plants a week significantly reduce menopause symptoms...
Interview
It’s barely ten minutes into our conversation in a swank south Dublin hotel when the Booker prizewinning author...It’s barely ten minutes into our conversation in a swank south Dublin hotel when the Booker...It’s barely ten minutes into our conversation in a swank south Dublin hotel when the Booker...
Former prime minister said Labour was trying to ‘feel its way’ regarding the EU
More than 200 migrants attempted to cross the Channel on Wednesday, hours after 12 people died in the latest tragedy
A star violinist is embroiled in a spat with Ryanair over claims that staff refused to let her board the plane with her instrument because it was 1cm over the cabin luggage limit. Esther Abrami, an award-winning concert performer, accused the...A star violinist is embroiled in a spat with Ryanair over claims that staff refused to let her...A star violinist is embroiled in a spat with Ryanair over claims that staff refused to let her...
A mother shot dead two of her children and cut the neck of her third child then blamed her former husband during a...A mother shot dead two of her children and cut the neck of her third child then blamed her former...A mother shot dead two of her children and cut the neck of her third child then blamed her former...
The times diary
When David Sedaris got an email inviting him to discuss comedy with the Pope, the humourist assumed it was spam.When David Sedaris got an email inviting him to discuss comedy with the Pope, the humourist...When David Sedaris got an email inviting him to discuss comedy with the Pope, the humourist...
Foreign minister and five others stand down as president ‘strengthens his administration’
Ukraine’s foreign minister has resigned as part of one of the biggest government shake-ups by President Zelensky since the start of the Russian invasion. Dmytro Kuleba and five other ministers stood down after Zelensky said that changes were needed to strengthen his administration. All are...Ukraine’s foreign minister has resigned as part of one of the biggest government shake-ups by President Zelensky since the start of the Russian invasion. Dmytro Kuleba and five other ministers stood down after Zelensky said that changes were needed to strengthen his administration. All are...Ukraine’s foreign minister has resigned as part of one of the biggest government shake-ups by President Zelensky since the...
A man in western Ukraine is mourning the deaths of his wife and three daughters, killed in a Russian missile strike on their apartment building in Lviv, hundreds of miles from the front lines. The attack happened on Wednesday morning while the female members of the Bazelevych family were standing on the stairwell outside their flat.A man in western Ukraine is mourning the deaths of his wife and three daughters, killed in a Russian missile strike on their apartment building in Lviv, hundreds of miles from the front lines. The attack happened on Wednesday morning while the female members of the Bazelevych family were standing on the stairwell outside their flat.A man in western Ukraine is mourning the deaths of his wife and three daughters, killed in a Russian missile strike on their...
Letter From SUDAN
None of us chose this place. To live in Zamzam is to live in the shadow of hunger, disease and rape. Yet we are among half a million people who, over the past two decades, have come to be crammed into this miserable, terrifying corner of Darfur. We fled the many atrocities of an Arab militia we came to know, and...None of us chose this place. To live in Zamzam is to live in the shadow of hunger, disease and rape.None of us chose this place. To live in Zamzam is to live in the shadow of hunger, disease and rape.
Nasa has expressed confidence in Boeing’s Starliner capsule making a safe return to Earth, despite deciding that its crew should stay behind on the International Space Station to avoid the potential risk of failure. Final preparations are under...Nasa has expressed confidence in Boeing’s Starliner capsule making a safe return to Earth...Nasa has expressed confidence in Boeing’s Starliner capsule making a safe return to Earth...
The United States has accused Russia of seeking to influence the 2024 presidential election, announcing criminal...The United States has accused Russia of seeking to influence the 2024 presidential election...The United States has accused Russia of seeking to influence the 2024 presidential election...
The value of shares in Donald Trump’s social media company Truth Social has slumped more than 74 per cent since late...The value of shares in Donald Trump’s social media company Truth Social has slumped more than 74...The value of shares in Donald Trump’s social media company Truth Social has slumped more than 74...
A little more than a decade ago, Britain was persuaded to entrust the future of its nuclear energy sector largely to the French. Nicolas Sarkozy, then president, had made the case forcefully, notably at a summit with David Cameron in the Élysée...A little more than a decade ago, Britain was persuaded to entrust the future of its nuclear...A little more than a decade ago, Britain was persuaded to entrust the future of its nuclear...
Bikes are supposed to be one of the cheapest forms of travel, but the €336,000 cost of a shelter for the Irish...Bikes are supposed to be one of the cheapest forms of travel, but the €336,000 cost of a shelter...Bikes are supposed to be one of the cheapest forms of travel, but the €336,000 cost of a shelter...
When Austrian police were told a senior neurosurgeon had taken her 13-year-old daughter into work and allowed her to...When Austrian police were told a senior neurosurgeon had taken her 13-year-old daughter into work...When Austrian police were told a senior neurosurgeon had taken her 13-year-old daughter into work...
Netflix India has been forced to edit a new show that dramatises the hijacking of an airliner after online criticism and a warning from ministers that it depicts Islamist terrorists too sympathetically. The series, IC 814: Kandahar Hijack...Netflix India has been forced to edit a new show that dramatises the hijacking of an airliner...Netflix India has been forced to edit a new show that dramatises the hijacking of an airliner...
IN maps and CHARTS
Kamala Harris has a narrow polling lead over Donald Trump in the 2024 US presidential election, according to a...Kamala Harris has a narrow polling lead over Donald Trump in the 2024 US presidential election...Kamala Harris has a narrow polling lead over Donald Trump in the 2024 US presidential election...
in maps and charts
The travel schedules of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have made it clear that the US presidential election is being...The travel schedules of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have made it clear that the US...The travel schedules of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have made it clear that the US...
in mapS and charts
“You win some, you lose some. And then there’s that little-known third category.” So said Al Gore, the Democratic presidential candidate in 2000, who secured half a million more votes than George W Bush and yet was not declared the victor. The...“You win some, you lose some. And then there’s that little-known third category.” So said Al Gore...“You win some, you lose some. And then there’s that little-known third category.” So said Al Gore...
Volvo, the Swedish car marque renowned for its environmental commitment, has scrapped plans to sell only fully electric cars by 2030 in the latest sign of a global slowdown in growth for battery-powered vehicles. Another of Europe’s leading car makers, Germany’s Volkswagen, has indicated it could...Volvo, the Swedish car marque renowned for its environmental commitment, has scrapped plans to sell only fully electric cars by 2030 in the latest sign of a global slowdown in growth for battery-powered vehicles. Another of Europe’s leading car makers, Germany’s Volkswagen, has indicated it could...Volvo, the Swedish car marque renowned for its environmental commitment, has scrapped plans to sell only fully electric cars by...
Inflation is on course to rise over the rest of the year, forcing the Bank of England into incremental interest rate cuts of 0.1 percentage points over the next year, according to the British Chambers of Commerce. In its latest quarterly forecasts for the UK, the BCC said that consumer price inflation would rise steadily to 2.6 per cent...Inflation is on course to rise over the rest of the year, forcing the Bank of England into incremental interest rate cuts of 0.1 percentage points over the next year, according to the British Chambers of Commerce. In its latest quarterly forecasts for the UK, the BCC said that consumer price inflation would rise steadily to 2.6 per cent...Inflation is on course to rise over the rest of the year, forcing the Bank of England into incremental interest rate cuts of...
The private sector economy expanded more quickly than expected last month, but businesses have expressed concerns about possible tax rises in Rachel Reeves’s first budget. The final S&P Global composite purchasing managers’ index (PMI) rose to 53.8 in August from 52.8 in July, well above analysts’ expectations...The private sector economy expanded more quickly than expected last month, but businesses have...The private sector economy expanded more quickly than expected last month, but businesses have...
The new boss of Direct Line has insisted a turnaround of the beleaguered motor insurer is on track despite the company posting a smaller-than-expected return to profit. Half-year results from the London-listed group showed it...The new boss of Direct Line has insisted a turnaround of the beleaguered motor insurer is on track despite the company posting a smaller-than-expected return to profit. Half-year results from the London-listed group showed it...The new boss of Direct Line has insisted a turnaround of the beleaguered motor insurer is on track despite the...
Profits at Barratt Developments, Britain’s biggest housebuilder, collapsed last year when it sold fewer homes and at lower prices amid a “challenging” property market downturn. The FTSE 100 developer turned in a pre-tax profit...Profits at Barratt Developments, Britain’s biggest housebuilder, collapsed last year when it sold fewer homes and at lower prices amid a “challenging” property market downturn. The FTSE 100 developer turned in a pre-tax profit...Profits at Barratt Developments, Britain’s biggest housebuilder, collapsed last year when it sold fewer homes and at...
business commentary
rupert soamEs | comment
powering up britain
When Ed Miliband first put forward the idea of a temporary freeze on energy bills as leader of the opposition in 2013, he was ridiculed by David Cameron, then prime minister, as wanting to live in a “Marxist universe”. The energy price cap...When Ed Miliband first put forward the idea of a temporary freeze on energy bills as leader of...When Ed Miliband first put forward the idea of a temporary freeze on energy bills as leader of...
In 1334, Edward III took a decision that arguably proved one of the most important acts of industrial policy in the...In 1334, Edward III took a decision that arguably proved one of the most important acts of...In 1334, Edward III took a decision that arguably proved one of the most important acts of...
Sir Keir Starmer promised us a government laser-focused on boosting economic growth and a state that would “tread...Sir Keir Starmer promised us a government laser-focused on boosting economic growth and a state...Sir Keir Starmer promised us a government laser-focused on boosting economic growth and a state...
Tax changes on ultra-rich non-doms could lose or raise £1 billion a year for the government, depending on how many wealthy people choose to leave, according to research. Figures commissioned by Foreign Investors for Britain, a lobby group, found...Tax changes on ultra-rich non-doms could lose or raise £1 billion a year for the government...Tax changes on ultra-rich non-doms could lose or raise £1 billion a year for the government...
market report
Expert tips
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...
US OPEN | STUART FRASER
Three years on from Emma Raducanu’s blistering run to the 2021 US Open title, there is another special British sporting story brewing as Jack Draper continues to blitz his way through the draw. The 22-year-old has reached the semi-finals without dropping a set after another stunning display in the concrete jungle where dreams are made. “It’s amazing,” Draper said. “To...Three years on from Emma Raducanu’s blistering run to the 2021 US Open title, there is another...Three years on from Emma Raducanu’s blistering run to the 2021 US Open title, there is another...
Design guru Adrian Newey is set to become an Aston Martin shareholder as part of a lucrative multimillion-pound deal...Design guru Adrian Newey is set to become an Aston Martin shareholder as part of a lucrative multimillion-pound deal to join the Formula 1 team. Newey, 65, is regarded widely as one of the brightest minds in the sport. He has been part of 12 drivers’ championships and 13 constructors’ titles for Williams, McLaren...Design guru Adrian Newey is set to become an Aston Martin shareholder as part of a lucrative multimillion-pound deal to join...
alex lowe
Sir Clive Woodward, Andy Robinson, Brian Ashton, Martin Johnson, Stuart Lancaster and Eddie Jones will all look...Sir Clive Woodward, Andy Robinson, Brian Ashton, Martin Johnson, Stuart Lancaster and Eddie Jones...Sir Clive Woodward, Andy Robinson, Brian Ashton, Martin Johnson, Stuart Lancaster and Eddie Jones...
matthew syed
The final episode of the second series of Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams was broadcast by the BBC on Tuesday...The final episode of the second series of Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams was broadcast by the...The final episode of the second series of Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams was broadcast by the...
steve james
It’s been tough up top in this series. Only one fifty has been scored by anyone batting in the top three on either side in the two Tests so far: the 55 made by Sri Lanka’s left-handed opener, Dimuth Karunaratne, in the second innings of the second Test at Lord’s. Most attention has quite naturally focused upon England’s captain and No3, Ollie Pope, who has mustered only...It’s been tough up top in this series. Only one fifty has been scored by anyone batting in the...It’s been tough up top in this series. Only one fifty has been scored by anyone batting in the...
Josh Hull will make his Test debut as England look to complete a series whitewash against Sri Lanka, replacing...Josh Hull will make his Test debut as England look to complete a series whitewash against Sri Lanka, replacing Matthew Potts in the only change to the team. The 20-year-old left-arm fast bowler was called into the squad to replace Mark Wood, who was injured during the first Test at Old Trafford last month. Now, with...Josh Hull will make his Test debut as England look to complete a series whitewash against Sri Lanka, replacing Matthew Potts in...
Women’s champions league
Pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis is rarely beaten and he outsprinted 400m hurdler Karsten Warholm in the hotly anticipated 100 metres exhibition race in Zurich on Wednesday, which brought the two world record holders together in a neutral event.Pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis is rarely beaten and he outsprinted 400m hurdler Karsten Warholm in...Pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis is rarely beaten and he outsprinted 400m hurdler Karsten Warholm in...
us open | stuart fraser
The Trend
In response to another humbling defeat — Sunday’s 3-0 reverse at home to Liverpool — Erik ten Hag, the Manchester United manager, blamed “individual mistakes” for the result. It’s not the first time Ten Hag has referred to errors costing his team...In response to another humbling defeat — Sunday’s 3-0 reverse at home to Liverpool — Erik ten Hag...In response to another humbling defeat — Sunday’s 3-0 reverse at home to Liverpool — Erik ten Hag...
Research has concluded that eating a wider variety of vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds could alleviate symptoms
caitlin moran’s celebrity watch
If Noel Gallagher tickets sold for $350 in 2017, these reunion gigs are a bargain
first person
Anthea Rowan has written an extraordinary memoir about her relationship with her mother
Interview
It was a story of domestic abuse that made him a pariah in Ireland but, the author tells Kevin Maher, he had to revisit it
When a restaurant from Copenhagen pops up in London and causes a buzz, you wouldn’t be a fool for assuming it was the...When a restaurant from Copenhagen pops up in London and causes a buzz, you wouldn’t be a fool for...When a restaurant from Copenhagen pops up in London and causes a buzz, you wouldn’t be a fool for...
The Big QUestion
Last week a man who crashed into two women while cycling drunk — causing one to have a finger amputated — was spared...Last week a man who crashed into two women while cycling drunk — causing one to have a finger...Last week a man who crashed into two women while cycling drunk — causing one to have a finger...
video
FILM REVIEW
review
Tony Blair didn’t look terribly relaxed at first in Amol Rajan Interviews (BBC2), even though Rajan opened with a chummy, “So, Tony, thanks for speaking to me,” and a softball question about what it feels like to be the leader of a new government. Blair wore the frowny, slightly stricken expression of a man who half expected a trapdoor to open beneath his leather chair...Tony Blair didn’t look terribly relaxed at first in Amol Rajan Interviews (BBC2), even though...Tony Blair didn’t look terribly relaxed at first in Amol Rajan Interviews (BBC2), even though...
review
I learnt a lot from Michael Waldman’s The Zelensky Story (BBC2), not least that Volodymyr Zelensky has a very...I learnt a lot from Michael Waldman’s The Zelensky Story (BBC2), not least that Volodymyr Zelensky has a very understanding wife. Imagine being on a skiing holiday with your husband and children. You’re watching one of his pre-recorded TV shows on which he announces that he is standing to be Ukraine’s president —...I learnt a lot from Michael Waldman’s The Zelensky Story (BBC2), not least that Volodymyr Zelensky has a very understanding wife.
Putney Park House is a split-level two-bedroom flat in a listed building with access to communal gardens. The grounds...Putney Park House is a split-level two-bedroom flat in a listed building with access to communal...Putney Park House is a split-level two-bedroom flat in a listed building with access to communal...
Honestly? The word on the Lido, whispered among the attendees towards the end of the festival, was that this was the...Honestly? The word on the Lido, whispered among the attendees towards the end of the festival...Honestly? The word on the Lido, whispered among the attendees towards the end of the festival...
first night review
FIRST NIGHT REVIEW
GABRIELLA BENNETT
Over a couple of gin and tonics the other day I caught a thought knitting together my friend’s eyebrows. “What’s up?”...Over a couple of gin and tonics the other day I caught a thought knitting together my friend’s...Over a couple of gin and tonics the other day I caught a thought knitting together my friend’s...
Viewing GUide
TELEVISION
Television
Television
Television
television
interview
Congratulations are in order for Justin Theroux. Last week, he got engaged to his girlfriend, the actress Nicole Brydon Bloom. Theroux gave her a ring with both of their birthstones embedded in it and he grins bashfully when I bring it up. “Of...Congratulations are in order for Justin Theroux. Last week, he got engaged to his girlfriend, the...Congratulations are in order for Justin Theroux. Last week, he got engaged to his girlfriend, the...
The entrepreneur talks smudgeproof eyeliner and finding the right shade of brown
A personalised number plate is more popular than ever, but the best ones cost more than your car
Your pen says a lot about you, says Peter Howarth
julia samuel
The psychotherapist addresses your dilemmas
The most beautiful human creations — art, music, poetry — are now in the hands of machines
video
review
The tenth outpost of the popular boutique hotel brand opens this weekend, with characterful rooms, a spa, and a sister pub across the road. Here’s what else to expect
exclusive
video
From quirky art hotels and industrial-chic bolt holes to slick neighbourhood spots and the grandest of grandes dames, wherever you choose to check in, Paris is always a good idea.
video
The company behind some of the world’s most renowned hotels has turned its hand to cruising. Laura Jackson tests the water with a sailing around the Med
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
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
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
weather eye
HE SAID to them: “Is a lamp brought in to be put under the bushel basket, or under the bed and not on the lampstand?HE SAID to them: “Is a lamp brought in to be put under the bushel basket, or under the bed and...HE SAID to them: “Is a lamp brought in to be put under the bushel basket, or under the bed and...
Balmoral Castle
4th September, 2024
The Queen, Patron, this evening held a Reception at St James’s Palace to mark...Balmoral Castle
4th September, 2024
The Queen, Patron, this evening held a Reception at St...Balmoral Castle
4th September, 2024
The Queen, Patron, this evening held a Reception at St...
MindGames and Brain Boost puzzles to print and solve at your leisure
Labour is scrambling to ease bosses’ fears over work-life balance proposals
Senior Labour MPs spent much of their time in opposition attempting not to frighten the horses in the City and businesses more widely. Two months into government, ministers are back on the Square Mile breakfast circuit in a bid to calm nerves over proposals for a comprehensive overhaul of employment legislation. Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister, and Jonathan...Senior Labour MPs spent much of their time in opposition attempting not to frighten the horses in...Senior Labour MPs spent much of their time in opposition attempting not to frighten the horses in...
Severe underfunding of the family courts has left thousands of children trapped in legal limbo for months, lawyers...Severe underfunding of the family courts has left thousands of children trapped in legal limbo for months, lawyers have warned, as the most senior judge in the system calls for urgent action to address “unacceptable” delays. Almost 4,000 public law cases — in which a local authority makes an application for an order...Severe underfunding of the family courts has left thousands of children trapped in legal limbo for months, lawyers have warned...
Treasury funding of the justice system has plummeted more than 22 per cent over 15 years even as the British economy has grown by 11.5 per cent, according to Bar leaders. In a report published yesterday, the Bar Council...Treasury funding of the justice system has plummeted more than 22 per cent over 15 years even as the British economy has grown by 11.5 per cent, according to Bar leaders. In a report published yesterday, the Bar Council...Treasury funding of the justice system has plummeted more than 22 per cent over 15 years even as the British economy...
Lawyer of the week
Raj Chada, a partner at the London firm Hodge Jones & Allen, successfully represented Trudi Warner, a retired social worker. A decision to prosecute Warner for contempt of court for holding a placard outside a court was dropped...Raj Chada, a partner at the London firm Hodge Jones & Allen, successfully represented Trudi Warner, a retired social worker. A decision to prosecute Warner for contempt of court for holding a placard outside a court was dropped...Raj Chada, a partner at the London firm Hodge Jones & Allen, successfully represented Trudi Warner, a retired social...
out of court
Supporters of the self-proclaimed “medium” Helen Duncan claimed that in June 1944 she was the last woman to be convicted in England and Wales under the Witchcraft Act 1735. Not so. That dubious distinction goes to a pensioner from London’s east...Supporters of the self-proclaimed “medium” Helen Duncan claimed that in June 1944 she was the...Supporters of the self-proclaimed “medium” Helen Duncan claimed that in June 1944 she was the...
Swinney’s budget at risk after former coalition partners indicate they would vote against it because they can no longer trust the SNP
John Swinney’s former coalition partners have indicated they will vote against his budget because they can no longer trust the SNP in government. The first minister provoked anger from the Scottish Greens as his debut programme for government, Holyrood’s equivalent of the King’s speech, watered...John Swinney’s former coalition partners have indicated they will vote against his budget because they can no longer trust the SNP in government. The first minister provoked anger from the Scottish Greens as his debut programme for government, Holyrood’s equivalent of the King’s speech, watered...John Swinney’s former coalition partners have indicated they will vote against his budget because they can no longer trust the...
Fourteen bills were introduced in the programme for government, but John Swinney announced some other measures in an attempt to kickstart his time as first minister. One was an attempt to signal a John Major “back to basics” approach to distancing himself from previous scandals in the SNP. Investigations into alleged breaches of the...Fourteen bills were introduced in the programme for government, but John Swinney announced some other measures in an attempt to kickstart his time as first minister. One was an attempt to signal a John Major “back to basics” approach to distancing himself from previous scandals in the SNP. Investigations into alleged breaches of the...Fourteen bills were introduced in the programme for government, but John Swinney announced some other measures in an attempt to...
Alex Massie
A scaled-back programme of government for a scaled-back administration. John Swinney’s debut legislative agenda as first minister of Scotland was a quiet but significant course correction. Gone are all the promises of golden tomorrows, replaced by today’s grey reality of astringent managerialism. Not every party...A scaled-back programme of government for a scaled-back administration. John Swinney’s debut...A scaled-back programme of government for a scaled-back administration. John Swinney’s debut...
This superb coastal circuit climbs to the summit of the Hill of Clibberswick, which is crowned by the dramatic Horns of Hagmark on Unst, Britain’s most northerly island. Starting from SaxaVord Spaceport on the Lamba Ness peninsula, the walk...This superb coastal circuit climbs to the summit of the Hill of Clibberswick, which is crowned by...This superb coastal circuit climbs to the summit of the Hill of Clibberswick, which is crowned by...
thunderer
The Grenfell fire exposed a systemic failure in all aspects of cladding installation in buildings throughout the UK.The Grenfell fire exposed a systemic failure in all aspects of cladding installation in buildings...The Grenfell fire exposed a systemic failure in all aspects of cladding installation in buildings...
Scottish cricket rolled out the red carpet as Australia returned to Edinburgh for the first time in 11 years. Given...Scottish cricket rolled out the red carpet as Australia returned to Edinburgh for the first time...Scottish cricket rolled out the red carpet as Australia returned to Edinburgh for the first time...
Scottish business digest
For Glasgow Warriors, Wednesday brought an ideal opportunity for reflection; to look back on last season’s remarkable success and what it meant not only to the club but its wider community. Franco Smith, his players and the entire Scotstoun rugby and administrative staff were guests of honour at a civic reception in the City Chambers, with the URC trophy they claimed in...For Glasgow Warriors, Wednesday brought an ideal opportunity for reflection; to look back on last...For Glasgow Warriors, Wednesday brought an ideal opportunity for reflection; to look back on last...
The former Scotland rugby international Doddie Weir left an estate worth more than £1.6 million to his family. Weir...The former Scotland rugby international Doddie Weir left an estate worth more than £1.6 million to his family. Weir died aged 52 after a battle with motor neurone disease (MND) in 2022. He used his profile to push for more research to be carried out into the illness after his diagnosis in 2016. During his career he...The former Scotland rugby international Doddie Weir left an estate worth more than £1.6 million to his family. Weir died aged...
Comment
Three conference fights Starmer must win
Katy Balls
The prime minister is making unpopular decisions and faces battles with his party over welfare, spending and Gaza
Iain Martin
How to make the Tory party matter again
James Marriott
Putting life in the hands of a rock’n’roll band
Janice Turner | Notebook
Asquith kin takes novel approach to book launch
Jamie Masraff
Flintoff shows need for inspirational youth workers
Leading Articles
Lessons Half Learnt
The final report into the Grenfell Tower disaster lays bare a catalogue of moral, professional and political failures. Yet, seven years on, it could still be repeated
Fatal Delay
Labour must stop prevaricating over small boats and instead reach for bold policies
Hot Dog
Dachshunds are currently proving controversial in their homeland
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Wisdom of Britain’s arms embargo on Israel
Sir, It is right that Israel, like other countries, should be scrutinised for its compliance with international humanitarian law, although the foreign secretary has declared that he could not conclude that Israel had committed war crimes.Sir, It is right that Israel, like other countries, should be scrutinised for its compliance with...Sir, It is right that Israel, like other countries, should be scrutinised for its compliance with...
Daily Universal Register
Briefing
UK: The Mercury prize is awarded for the best album of the year, as chosen by a panel of music industry experts; the Prince of Wales visits the Homelessness: Reframed exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery, London; Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, is questioned at the London Assembly on his role as chair of Transport for London in a session titled “TfL under the microscope”.
US: Kamala Harris, the vice-president and Democratic Party presidential nominee, visits Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
On this day
In 1774 America’s first Continental Congress was convened in Philadelphia. It served as the government of the 13 American colonies; in 1957 the Beat Generation pioneer Jack Kerouac’s second novel On the Road was first published, describing his road-trip adventures and catapulting him to fame; in 1960 Cassius Clay, aged 18, won gold in the light heavyweight division at the Rome Olympics. On March 6, 1964, he changed his name to Muhammad Ali. (Obituary, June 6, 2016); in 1975 an apparent assassination attempt, by a member of Charles Manson’s Manson Family, against the US president Gerald R Ford was foiled by a Secret Service agent; in 1982 Group Captain Sir Douglas Bader, the Second World War fighter ace awarded DSO & Bar and DFC & Bar, died aged 72. In 1931, aged 21, he became a double amputee as a result of an aircraft accident but overcame his injuries to lead the RAF’s 242 squadron. After his Spitfire was shot down in 1941, his escape attempts made him “a plain, bloody nuisance to the Germans”, and he ended the war in Colditz Castle. In addition to a knighthood in 1976 for his work for the disabled community he was immortalised in the book (1954) and film Reach for the Sky (1956), which starred Kenneth More. On his disability, Bader said: “To my way of thinking, a disabled man who has achieved independence is no longer disabled.”
Nature notes
Good news stories can often feel few and far between. Fortunately, the British Trust for Ornithology provided some welcome glad tidings recently. Numbers of turtle doves in western Europe are up 25 per cent. That means an extra 400,000 breeding pairs in the region. The reason for this is simple: a ban on seasonal shooting in Portugal, Spain and France — the countries over which the population of turtle doves in western Europe fly on their 3,000km migration from Africa. The ban has been in place since 2021 and, though only temporary, it might be extended. In Britain, people have been working hard to welcome these extra migrants by providing areas of farmland with plenty of agricultural weeds, untidy thorn scrub and ponds. Jonathan Tulloch
Jonathan Tulloch
Birthdays today
David Brabham, racing driver, winner, Le Mans 24-hour sports car race (2009), 59; Dick Clement, scriptwriter, The Likely Lads (1964-66), Porridge (1974-77), 87; Paddy Considine, actor, writer and film director, House of the Dragon (2022-24), 51; Andrée Dumon, member of the Belgian Comète resistance network during the Second World War, 102; Tracy Edwards, yachtswoman, skipper of the first female crew to sail around the world (1989), 62; Werner Herzog, film and opera director, Queen of the Desert (2015), 82; India Hicks, fashion designer, 57; Chris Hipkins, prime minister of New Zealand (2023), 46; Baroness (Valerie) Howarth of Breckland, founding chief executive, ChildLine (1987-2001), 84; Margaret Howell, fashion designer, 78; Lord (Julian) Hunt of Chesterton, chief executive, Meteorological Office (1992-97), 83; Michael Keaton, actor, Batman (1989), Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024), 73; George Lazenby, actor, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969), 85; Bernard Looney, chief executive, BP (2020-23), 54; Rose McGowan, actress, Charmed (2001-06), 51; John McGrath, chief executive and artistic director, Manchester International Festival, 62; Karita Mattila, soprano, 64; Sir John Mummery, deputy chairman, Takeover Appeal Board, lord justice of appeal (1996-2013), 86; Lord (Malcolm) Offord of Garvel, minister for exports (2023-July 2024), 60; Mark Ramprakash, cricketer, England Lions lead batting coach (2014-19), England player (1991-2002), 55; Sigrid, singer-songwriter, Strangers (2017), 28; Chris Sinclair, chairman, Reckitt Benckiser (2015-May 2024), 74; Al Stewart, folk-rock musician, Year of the Cat (1976), 79; Johnny Vegas, comedian and actor, 54; Annabelle Wallis, actress, Peaky Blinders (2013-19), 40; Loudon Wainwright III, singer-songwriter, Dead Skunk (in the Middle of the Road) (1972), 78; Ben Youngs, rugby union player, Leicester Tigers, England (2010-23), 35.