The Times & The Sunday Times Homepage
British army ‘only fit to fight for a month’
newSir Keir Starmer is under pressure from former military chiefs to increase defence spending amid warnings that the world is more dangerous than at any time since 1945. The prime minister will on Wednesday attend a Nato summit in Washington, his first foreign trip since the general election, where...Sir Keir Starmer is under pressure from former military chiefs to increase defence spending amid warnings that the world is more dangerous than at any time since 1945. The prime minister will on Wednesday attend a Nato summit in Washington, his first foreign trip since the general election, where...Sir Keir Starmer is under pressure from former military chiefs to increase defence spending amid warnings that the world is...
The outgoing head of the army has called on the UK and Nato to wake up to the very real threat of a World War Three-style global conflict within five years. General Sir Patrick Sanders, the former chief of the general staff, insists the alliance may only have until the end of the decade to substantially re-arm to ward off a Russian attack...The outgoing head of the army has called on the UK and Nato to wake up to the very real threat of a World War Three-style global conflict within five years. General Sir Patrick Sanders, the former chief of the general staff, insists the alliance may only have until the end of the decade to substantially re-arm to ward off a Russian attack...The outgoing head of the army has called on the UK and Nato to wake up to the very real threat of a World War Three-style...
analysis
Calling into a morning TV show, ranting against “elites”, attacking the polls and his rivals — President Biden took a leaf out of Donald Trump’s playbook on Monday to try and get back on the front foot. Viewers of Fox & Friends became accustomed to the impromptu phone interview during Trump’s presidency and on...Calling into a morning TV show, ranting against “elites”, attacking the polls and his rivals —...Calling into a morning TV show, ranting against “elites”, attacking the polls and his rivals —...
FIRST NIGHT REVIEW
It’s brace, brace at this time of year. We’re officially into What Are the Brits Abroad Getting Up to Season, and …...It’s brace, brace at this time of year. We’re officially into What Are the Brits Abroad Getting...It’s brace, brace at this time of year. We’re officially into What Are the Brits Abroad Getting...
POLLY VERNON
Within 24 hours of Keir Starmer’s cabinet being announced, the social mobility charity the Sutton Trust had...Within 24 hours of Keir Starmer’s cabinet being announced, the social mobility charity the Sutton...Within 24 hours of Keir Starmer’s cabinet being announced, the social mobility charity the Sutton...
Steve Reed, the new environment secretary, has said cleaning up Britain’s rivers, lakes and seas is one of his five core priorities
newThe party faces many of the same old problems that have bedevilled the UK’s post-Brexit relationship with Brussels
The Archbishop of Canterbury has said he and his wife felt pressure from doctors to have an abortion when health...The Archbishop of Canterbury has said he and his wife felt pressure from doctors to have an...The Archbishop of Canterbury has said he and his wife felt pressure from doctors to have an...
A violent misogynist who planned to kidnap, rape and murder Holly Willoughby is a danger to society who should be...A violent misogynist who planned to kidnap, rape and murder Holly Willoughby is a danger to...A violent misogynist who planned to kidnap, rape and murder Holly Willoughby is a danger to...
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video
President sends letter to Congress insisting he will not stand down
updatedPresident Biden has told his fellow Democrats that it is time to put up or shut up, daring those who want to replace him as the party’s White House nominee to challenge him at next month’s convention. In a series of combative moves on Monday Biden, 81, told congressional colleagues on their first...President Biden has told his fellow Democrats that it is time to put up or shut up, daring those who want to replace him as the party’s White House nominee to challenge him at next month’s convention. In a series of combative moves on Monday Biden, 81, told congressional colleagues on their first...President Biden has told his fellow Democrats that it is time to put up or shut up, daring those who want to replace him as the...
video
The Biden administration refused to answer several questions about a leading neurologist’s visits to the White House during a heated media briefing on Monday. Kevin Cannard, a Parkinson’s expert at Walter Reed military hospital, visited the White House eight times between August 2023 and March 2024. On January 17, he met Biden’s personal...The Biden administration refused to answer several questions about a leading neurologist’s visits to the White House during a heated media briefing on Monday. Kevin Cannard, a Parkinson’s expert at Walter Reed military hospital, visited the White House eight times between August 2023 and March 2024. On January 17, he met Biden’s personal...The Biden administration refused to answer several questions about a leading neurologist’s visits to the White House during a...
video
A Russian cruise missile slammed into a children’s hospital in Kyiv during a barrage of strikes across Ukraine on Monday, drawing international condemnation as more than 37 people were killed. The Okhmatdyt children’s hospital in Kyiv, Ukraine’s biggest children’s medical facility, suffered extensive destruction...A Russian cruise missile slammed into a children’s hospital in Kyiv during a barrage of strikes...A Russian cruise missile slammed into a children’s hospital in Kyiv during a barrage of strikes...
The pollsters failed to foresee the left’s victory in France’s parliamentary elections, or indeed the defeat of the populist National Rally. Marine Le Pen’s hard-right movement won the first round of the elections on June 30 but lost the second as...The pollsters failed to foresee the left’s victory in France’s parliamentary elections, or indeed...The pollsters failed to foresee the left’s victory in France’s parliamentary elections, or indeed...
When Charles Manson gave his televised interviews from prison, the cult leader and murderer was offered a virtual megaphone to the world. Adoring fans wrote him letters and even proposals of marriage as his following only grew. Alex Arreaza, a...When Charles Manson gave his televised interviews from prison, the cult leader and murderer was...When Charles Manson gave his televised interviews from prison, the cult leader and murderer was...
Germany’s defence minister has expressed his “annoyance” after being handed a real-terms cut to the regular military...Germany’s defence minister has expressed his “annoyance” after being handed a real-terms cut to...Germany’s defence minister has expressed his “annoyance” after being handed a real-terms cut to...
The daughter of the Nobel-prizewinning author Alice Munro has alleged that her mother knew she was sexually assaulted...The daughter of the Nobel-prizewinning author Alice Munro has alleged that her mother knew she...The daughter of the Nobel-prizewinning author Alice Munro has alleged that her mother knew she...
video
At least four senior Democrats have told colleagues they want President Biden to step aside as their candidate for...At least four senior Democrats have told colleagues they want President Biden to step aside as...At least four senior Democrats have told colleagues they want President Biden to step aside as...
louise callaghan in michigan
When Gretchen Whitmer was the opposition leader in the Michigan Senate she would spend her days in pitched battle...When Gretchen Whitmer was the opposition leader in the Michigan Senate she would spend her days...When Gretchen Whitmer was the opposition leader in the Michigan Senate she would spend her days...
Danish brewer is offering £13.15 a share, including a 25p-a-share special dividend for Britvic shareholders
Britvic has recommended that its shareholders accept a sweetened £3.3 billion takeover by Carlsberg, the Danish brewer. The maker of Robinsons Fruit Shoot and J2O has accepted an increased bid after rejecting an earlier approach at £12.50 a share that had valued the business a £3.1 billion.Britvic has recommended that its shareholders accept a sweetened £3.3 billion takeover by Carlsberg, the Danish brewer. The maker of Robinsons Fruit Shoot and J2O has accepted an increased bid after rejecting an earlier approach at £12.50 a share that had valued the business a £3.1 billion.Britvic has recommended that its shareholders accept a sweetened £3.3 billion takeover by Carlsberg, the Danish brewer. The...
A right-left, two-punch combination in the end proved too much for the Paris stock market when trading resumed after a momentous election in France. After early initial relief that it had dodged the prospect of victory by the hard-right party of Marine Le Pen, it was hit by fears of what a left-wing coalition might mean for the economy.A right-left, two-punch combination in the end proved too much for the Paris stock market when trading resumed after a momentous election in France. After early initial relief that it had dodged the prospect of victory by the hard-right party of Marine Le Pen, it was hit by fears of what a left-wing coalition might mean for the economy.A right-left, two-punch combination in the end proved too much for the Paris stock market when trading resumed after a...
Boeing will plead guilty to a criminal fraud conspiracy charge related to two fatal 737 Max jet crashes that killed 346 passengers and crew. In a damning admission by one of the world’s largest aerospace companies, the maker of almost half of the world’s commercial airliner fleet also has agreed to pay a criminal...Boeing will plead guilty to a criminal fraud conspiracy charge related to two fatal 737 Max jet...Boeing will plead guilty to a criminal fraud conspiracy charge related to two fatal 737 Max jet...
British Airways has come under scrutiny for its high level of cancellations compared with rivals as the busy summer travel season gets under way. The airline cancelled 2.3 per cent of its flights out of the UK last year, or...British Airways has come under scrutiny for its high level of cancellations compared with rivals as the busy summer travel season gets under way. The airline cancelled 2.3 per cent of its flights out of the UK last year, or...British Airways has come under scrutiny for its high level of cancellations compared with rivals as the busy summer...
The German state has begun auctioning off confiscated bitcoin worth €2.5 billion in a sale that may have contributed to a recent slump in the cryptocurrency’s value. Authorities impounded a digital wallet containing nearly...The German state has begun auctioning off confiscated bitcoin worth €2.5 billion in a sale that may have contributed to a recent slump in the cryptocurrency’s value. Authorities impounded a digital wallet containing nearly...The German state has begun auctioning off confiscated bitcoin worth €2.5 billion in a sale that may have contributed...
The new business secretary has expressed concerns about a tax “loophole” being exploited by Shein. Jonathan Reynolds told Times Radio that if the Chinese fast-fashion retailer committed to a listing on the London Stock Exchange, it would be...The new business secretary has expressed concerns about a tax “loophole” being exploited by Shein.The new business secretary has expressed concerns about a tax “loophole” being exploited by Shein.
Britain’s biggest asset manager has made the case for higher executive pay in the UK, warning that a gap between the...Britain’s biggest asset manager has made the case for higher executive pay in the UK, warning...Britain’s biggest asset manager has made the case for higher executive pay in the UK, warning...
Annual sales and profits have increased markedly at Superdrug after the health and beauty chain added more stores to...Annual sales and profits have increased markedly at Superdrug after the health and beauty chain...Annual sales and profits have increased markedly at Superdrug after the health and beauty chain...
Expert Tips
Q: I’m a director and I’ve just been made redundant after what was essentially a massive disagreement with the chief executive. I’m feeling numb, my confidence is shattered and I worry about my prospects. Help. A: This is such an important question, because it affects us all. Our institute did some research that showed 97 per cent of people admitted to experiencing...Q: I’m a director and I’ve just been made redundant after what was essentially a massive...Q: I’m a director and I’ve just been made redundant after what was essentially a massive...
recruitment
For whoever collects the keys to No 10 on Friday, overhauling the UK’s sclerotic industrial strategy will be top of...For whoever collects the keys to No 10 on Friday, overhauling the UK’s sclerotic industrial strategy will be top of the in-tray. All the major parties’ manifestos covered new uses for AI, but there was scant mention of the technology most likely to boost our vital manufacturing sector — robotics. While basic robots...For whoever collects the keys to No 10 on Friday, overhauling the UK’s sclerotic industrial strategy will be top of the in-tray.
euro 2024 | martin samuel
Without their talisman lose more than just goals – they lose their compass
newSay football teams were like juries. That they could be purged of people the counsels did not like. That England could object to one or two names in Holland’s starting XI. That Holland could do the same. Who would Ronald Koeman chuck out? One imagines his first expulsion would be Harry Kane. Get...Say football teams were like juries. That they could be purged of people the counsels did not like. That England could object to one or two names in Holland’s starting XI. That Holland could do the same. Who would Ronald Koeman chuck out? One imagines his first expulsion would be Harry Kane. Get...Say football teams were like juries. That they could be purged of people the counsels did not like. That England could object...
euro 2024
The referee for England’s European Championship semi-final against Holland served a six-month ban for his role in a match-fixing scandal — and was once accused of being corrupt by Jude Bellingham. The Times understands that Uefa has reviewed the decision to appoint Felix Zwayer as referee for the match in Dortmund on Wednesday night and are...The referee for England’s European Championship semi-final against Holland served a six-month ban for his role in a match-fixing scandal — and was once accused of being corrupt by Jude Bellingham. The Times understands that Uefa has reviewed the decision to appoint Felix Zwayer as referee for the match in Dortmund on Wednesday night and are...The referee for England’s European Championship semi-final against Holland served a six-month ban for his role in a...
euro 2024 | James Gheerbrant
As strange as it sounds now, there was a time when France and Spain were the great underachievers of international football. Didier Deschamps was the captain of a French team that faced Spain at the Stade de France in January 1998; at that point, both teams had won only one European Championship in their history...As strange as it sounds now, there was a time when France and Spain were the great underachievers...As strange as it sounds now, there was a time when France and Spain were the great underachievers...
tour de france | david walsh
mike atherton
There’s a lot going on this week, if you like sport. Wimbledon and the Euros in full flow, a rugby Test in New Zealand.There’s a lot going on this week, if you like sport. Wimbledon and the Euros in full flow, a...There’s a lot going on this week, if you like sport. Wimbledon and the Euros in full flow, a...
Pierre van Hooijdonk and Rafael van der Vaart
I think there are similarities in how the tournament has gone for England and Holland. When I watch England, they...I think there are similarities in how the tournament has gone for England and Holland. When I...I think there are similarities in how the tournament has gone for England and Holland. When I...
As if to rub it in that she had missed quite an opportunity at Wimbledon, Emma Raducanu departed the All England Club’s media theatre on Sunday night to discover that Coco Gauff had just followed her in exiting the tournament at the last-16 stage.As if to rub it in that she had missed quite an opportunity at Wimbledon, Emma Raducanu departed...As if to rub it in that she had missed quite an opportunity at Wimbledon, Emma Raducanu departed...
alex lowe
This time last year Steve Borthwick was preparing to omit Henry Slade from England’s World Cup squad. The Exeter Chiefs centre had played 30 of the 37 Tests since the previous tournament in 2019, more than any other England back during that period, but was suddenly surplus to requirements, squeezed out to make room for an extra wing. Borthwick’s brutal decision was...This time last year Steve Borthwick was preparing to omit Henry Slade from England’s World Cup...This time last year Steve Borthwick was preparing to omit Henry Slade from England’s World Cup...
will kelleher
Making a debut away from home against the All Blacks, and then lining up for a first start at Eden Park, looks a...Making a debut away from home against the All Blacks, and then lining up for a first start at Eden Park, looks a daunting prospect for a green front-row forward. Yet speak to those who know Fin Baxter, who looks likely to replace the injured Joe Marler for England’s second Test in Auckland on Saturday, and they are...Making a debut away from home against the All Blacks, and then lining up for a first start at Eden Park, looks a daunting...
Martin odegaard interview
stuart fraser
January 24, 2022. I am on the 15th hole of the Holey Moley Golf Club, Melbourne, in a perilous position. In a group...January 24, 2022. I am on the 15th hole of the Holey Moley Golf Club, Melbourne, in a perilous...January 24, 2022. I am on the 15th hole of the Holey Moley Golf Club, Melbourne, in a perilous...
Alex Lowe
Steve Borthwick will have watched back England’s 16-15 defeat by New Zealand four times by the end of Sunday, on each...Steve Borthwick will have watched back England’s 16-15 defeat by New Zealand four times by the...Steve Borthwick will have watched back England’s 16-15 defeat by New Zealand four times by the...
EURO 2024 | jonathan northcroft
Sven, a German journalist who covers England, left the press conference angry. “Don’t they understand Southgate?” he beseeched. It had started nicely, Gareth glowing about Bukayo Saka and the particular joy of winning on penalties. But soon it descended into a tussle with snide, familiar questions. Can’t England play better? Where’s the entertainment? What’s up with...Sven, a German journalist who covers England, left the press conference angry. “Don’t they...Sven, a German journalist who covers England, left the press conference angry. “Don’t they...
EURO 2024
Gareth Southgate has said that the hate and ridicule to which he has been subjected is merely fuelling his...Gareth Southgate has said that the hate and ridicule to which he has been subjected is merely fuelling his determination to lead England to silverware at Euro 2024. Enthused by the penalty shoot-out success over Switzerland, which has set up a mouth-watering semi-final showdown with Holland on Wednesday, the England...Gareth Southgate has said that the hate and ridicule to which he has been subjected is merely fuelling his determination to...
bill edgar | euros in numbers
euro 2024 | MARTIN SAMUEL
It was the night of Tuesday, March 5, 1996. Actually, it was the morning of March 6 because we’d been at it some while.It was the night of Tuesday, March 5, 1996. Actually, it was the morning of March 6 because we’d...It was the night of Tuesday, March 5, 1996. Actually, it was the morning of March 6 because we’d...
Racecards Get Up Mush (5.35 Uttoxeter)
This gelding looked a natural on his first try over fences at this track...Racecards Get Up Mush (5.35 Uttoxeter)
This gelding looked a natural on his first try over...Racecards Get Up Mush (5.35 Uttoxeter)
This gelding looked a natural on his first try over...
From asking for your own special menu to treating everyone as if they’re ripping you off, don’t be one of those people when you go on holiday, says Shane Watson
first person
Research suggests that millions of us are going to clock on remotely. Here are the pitfalls, says Katie Glass
Clare Hornby built Me+Em into a brand loved by royals, film stars and Labour’s elite. By Charlie Gowans-Eglinton
interview
Stephen Schwartz talks to Henry Bird about bringing a 50-year passion project to London — and why Wicked on screen will confound the critics
interview
When Taffy Brodesser-Akner, 48, was writing Long Island Compromise, the follow-up to her smash 2019 debut...When Taffy Brodesser-Akner, 48, was writing Long Island Compromise, the follow-up to her...When Taffy Brodesser-Akner, 48, was writing Long Island Compromise, the follow-up to her...
ask Professor Tanya Byron
I have a friend who is generally very sensible, holds down a job, says she has loyal friends and is devoted to her...I have a friend who is generally very sensible, holds down a job, says she has loyal friends and...I have a friend who is generally very sensible, holds down a job, says she has loyal friends and...
review | books
The election? The Olympics? Taylor Swift? Fuhgeddaboutit. Each big calendar event of this summer is just another distraction. The moment you’ve really been waiting for is finally here: our guide to the most interesting summer reads. Big day. We’ve got riveting fiction, rip-roaring histories, rock’n’roll memoirs, mind-bending science and more. Slather on the suntan...The election? The Olympics? Taylor Swift? Fuhgeddaboutit. Each big calendar event of this summer...The election? The Olympics? Taylor Swift? Fuhgeddaboutit. Each big calendar event of this summer...
ask the experts
Q. I recently got divorced after 24 years of marriage. It was fairly amicable and we agreed my wife would remain in...Q. I recently got divorced after 24 years of marriage. It was fairly amicable and we agreed my wife would remain in the family home so as to minimise the disruption to our teenage and young adult children. Lump sums from inheritances and bonuses over the years meant we were fortunate to both be in a decent position...Q. I recently got divorced after 24 years of marriage. It was fairly amicable and we agreed my wife would remain in the family...
First person
FIRST NIGHT REVIEW
Operatic life would be much duller without the music of Michael Tippett and the work of Birmingham Opera Company. In this show the two bring out the best in each other. Leaving reality, you enter a circus tent in Birmingham city centre and enter...Operatic life would be much duller without the music of Michael Tippett and the work of...Operatic life would be much duller without the music of Michael Tippett and the work of...
first night review
FIRST NIGHT REVIEW
FIRST NIGHT REVIEW
FIRST NIGHT REVIEW
As if the seismic shift in Westminster wasn’t enough Nineties nostalgia for one day, over in Hyde Park there was an arguably even more era-defining event: a concert celebrating 30 years of the tireless Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. Perhaps not tireless; the 65-year-old classical crossover supremo spent about half of the concert backstage, which was odd considering that...As if the seismic shift in Westminster wasn’t enough Nineties nostalgia for one day, over in Hyde...As if the seismic shift in Westminster wasn’t enough Nineties nostalgia for one day, over in Hyde...
Here are some of the best concerts and opera performances our critics have seen in the past few weeks. We’ll also...Here are some of the best concerts and opera performances our critics have seen in the past few weeks. We’ll also point out when you can catch up with further performances or on-demand streams of these events. Feel free to join in the conversation in the comment section at the end with your own recommendations. At a...Here are some of the best concerts and opera performances our critics have seen in the past few weeks. We’ll also point out...
Viewing GUide
tELEVISION | STREAMING GUIDE
MINDGAMES
1 First produced by Rowntree’s, which sweet is known as “the mint with the hole”? 2 In 2016, Zac Goldsmith resigned as a Tory MP over government backing for which airport’s third runway? 3 Which male Shakespearean title character features in the Nato phonetic alphabet? 4 William Blake painted The Number of the Beast is … what? 5 Which Heston Blumenthal restaurant earned...1 First produced by Rowntree’s, which sweet is known as “the mint with the hole”? 2 In 2016, Zac...1 First produced by Rowntree’s, which sweet is known as “the mint with the hole”? 2 In 2016, Zac...
The self-confessed “building bore” Judith Leary-Joyce has lived in a three-bedroom end-of-terrace house in an...The self-confessed “building bore” Judith Leary-Joyce has lived in a three-bedroom end-of-terrace...The self-confessed “building bore” Judith Leary-Joyce has lived in a three-bedroom end-of-terrace...
In a maroon-carpeted conference room at a suburban Frankfurt hotel, 80 people are on their feet, clapping and swaying...In a maroon-carpeted conference room at a suburban Frankfurt hotel, 80 people are on their feet...In a maroon-carpeted conference room at a suburban Frankfurt hotel, 80 people are on their feet...
Our critics travel up and down the country reviewing the latest theatre, musicals and dance, so have the inside track. Here is our guide to the best productions and where to watch them — ordered by when they end. Feel free to get involved in...Our critics travel up and down the country reviewing the latest theatre, musicals and dance, so...Our critics travel up and down the country reviewing the latest theatre, musicals and dance, so...
In the 1970s you could pick up the model for £33, but a recent surge in popularity has resulted in a brand-new bespoke version of the classic toy. Simon de Burton reports
Creative directors and chief executives select their highlights
This high-end destination has all the latest longevity tech. Alice B-B gets an exclusive health MOT at Surrenne
Lisa Grainger steps inside a 420-year-old nunnery resurrected as Nice’s most heavenly hotel
Hundreds of our readers got in touch to share their favourite places to shop and stroll. Here are your top picks, from East Sussex to Lincolnshire
video
Corsica’s coastal capital of Ajaccio offers both Californian beachy vibes and a crash course in European history
A classic journey along a stretch of the Rhine — from Amsterdam to Basel — has been revitalised thanks to a new ship and exciting excursions
These intrepid parents share their secrets on tackling big outdoor challenges as a family — and reveal how getting back to nature bonded them in the process
Here’s how to cycle, hike, tour arty towns or hit the beach during a week in southern Portugal for just £435
KATHY LETTE | TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER
India Knight
Your child has just finished their A-levels and is going on holiday without you for the first time, whether to enjoy...Your child has just finished their A-levels and is going on holiday without you for the first...Your child has just finished their A-levels and is going on holiday without you for the first...
Here’s an image that didn’t make the family album: me squirming away from my four-year-old in the sea off Porto Santo...Here’s an image that didn’t make the family album: me squirming away from my four-year-old in the...Here’s an image that didn’t make the family album: me squirming away from my four-year-old in the...
video
We’re lucky as travel writers — we have had the chance to experience some of the world’s best places to stay. But it’s not all champagne on arrival and expensive marble bathrooms. From spirit-sapping admin at check-in to absentee kettles and...We’re lucky as travel writers — we have had the chance to experience some of the world’s best...We’re lucky as travel writers — we have had the chance to experience some of the world’s best...
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
FAVOUR is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. Give her of the...FAVOUR is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.FAVOUR is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
Buckingham Palace
6th July, 2024
The King held a Council at 9.45am. There were present: the Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer...Buckingham Palace
6th July, 2024
The King held a Council at 9.45am. There were present: the Rt...Buckingham Palace
6th July, 2024
The King held a Council at 9.45am. There were present: the Rt...
MindGames and Brain Boost puzzles to print and solve at your leisure
video
We can work together, says Swinney after Bute House meeting
Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to make saving jobs at Grangemouth a top priority as Scotland’s oil refinery faces closure. The facility, which employs 500 of the 2,000 people who work at the wider complex, plans to become solely a distribution hub early next year with the expected loss of 400 jobs.Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to make saving jobs at Grangemouth a top priority as Scotland’s oil refinery faces closure. The facility, which employs 500 of the 2,000 people who work at the wider complex, plans to become solely a distribution hub early next year with the expected loss of 400 jobs.Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to make saving jobs at Grangemouth a top priority as Scotland’s oil refinery faces closure. The...
Magnanimity is so much easier in victory’s bright glow. It is always easier to aspire to a warm and constructive relationship with an opponent one has so roundly vanquished. So it was on Sunday when Sir Keir Starmer, the new prime minister, had his first meeting with John Swinney, first minister of Scotland. It wouldn’t have been surprising...Magnanimity is so much easier in victory’s bright glow. It is always easier to aspire to a warm and constructive relationship with an opponent one has so roundly vanquished. So it was on Sunday when Sir Keir Starmer, the new prime minister, had his first meeting with John Swinney, first minister of Scotland. It wouldn’t have been surprising...Magnanimity is so much easier in victory’s bright glow. It is always easier to aspire to a warm and constructive relationship...
IAIN MACWHIRTER
This column has received an exclusive transcript of the Bute House encounter between the new prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, and John Swinney. FM: Congratulations, prime minister, on winning fewer votes than Jeremy Corbyn. Ha ha. Just my little joke. But seriously: how about that special Scottish immigration visa...This column has received an exclusive transcript of the Bute House encounter between the new...This column has received an exclusive transcript of the Bute House encounter between the new...
Scottish business digest
The Scottish Conservatives risk “political extinction” if the party establishment imposes a “continuity” replacement...The Scottish Conservatives risk “political extinction” if the party establishment imposes a...The Scottish Conservatives risk “political extinction” if the party establishment imposes a...
MELANIE REID | NOTEBOOK
It’s the fate of every new prime minister to endure analysis by armchair psychologists. I imagine Sir Keir Starmer, a...It’s the fate of every new prime minister to endure analysis by armchair psychologists. I imagine...It’s the fate of every new prime minister to endure analysis by armchair psychologists. I imagine...
Andy Murray’s team were given a different reason for Emma Raducanu’s withdrawal from Wimbledon’s mixed doubles from the excuse given in her public statement, sources have claimed. The game, which had been due to take place on Saturday night, was...Andy Murray’s team were given a different reason for Emma Raducanu’s withdrawal from Wimbledon’s...Andy Murray’s team were given a different reason for Emma Raducanu’s withdrawal from Wimbledon’s...
weather eye
In Glasgow the weather in summer is summed up as “taps aff” or “taps oan”, meaning it is either hot enough to take...In Glasgow the weather in summer is summed up as “taps aff” or “taps oan”, meaning it is either...In Glasgow the weather in summer is summed up as “taps aff” or “taps oan”, meaning it is either...
Gregor Townsend has revealed that he is considering fielding an entirely changed starting XV in Friday’s second...Gregor Townsend has revealed that he is considering fielding an entirely changed starting XV in...Gregor Townsend has revealed that he is considering fielding an entirely changed starting XV in...
Comment
Farage’s posturing offers no future for Tories
William Hague
Reform leader will launch a charm offensive on Conservatives but his permanent opposition to everything is a dead end
hugo rifkind
This outbreak of calm will take getting used to
newmelanie phillips
ID cards are useless to stem the migrant flow
newgiles coren | notebook
It isn’t all Emma’s fault — tennis is just a selfish game
newDenis MacShane
It would be smart politics to return Elgin Marbles now
newgeorgia heneage | notebook
All this football is bringing out my inner lad
newI am usually wary of armchair patriotism but when the Euros or the World Cup come rattling around the bend every few years I buckle up and get on the Great British ride. I curse at the screen, shake my fists and yell “ref!” because I’ve learnt...I am usually wary of armchair patriotism but when the Euros or the World Cup come rattling around...I am usually wary of armchair patriotism but when the Euros or the World Cup come rattling around...
LIBBY PURVES
James Timpson’s a man who gets things done
tomiwa owolade
Sometimes success comes down to timing
emma duncan | notebook
Tory tale is a tragedy the Greeks could have written
rufus norris
Our world-leading creativity needs nurturing at source
Leading Articles
Unforced Error
French leader’s rash decision to call an election to block the rise of the populist National Rally has destabilised his country and risks destabilising the European Union
Building Britain
Labour has a rare chance to push through a huge expansion in house construction
Grace in Defeat
The Catholic cricket tour of England was a holy, if not wholly successful, outing
letters to the editor
Tory leadership race and future of the party
Sir, Lord Hague of Richmond, with experienced and timely advice, cautions against rushing into the choice of a new Conservative leader (“Party’s next move will lead to recovery or extinction”, Jul 6). This seems paramount as we need the...Sir, Lord Hague of Richmond, with experienced and timely advice, cautions against rushing into...Sir, Lord Hague of Richmond, with experienced and timely advice, cautions against rushing into...
Daily Universal Register
Briefing
UK: Sir Keir Starmer visits Northern Ireland and Wales on his four nations tour; Kew the Music outdoor summer festival at Kew Gardens begins, until Sunday.
US: Lloyd Austin, the US defence secretary, hosts the Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg for talks before this week’s Nato summit.
Russia: Narendra Modi, the Indian prime minister, is due to visit Russia for talks with President Putin on his first foreign visit since beginning his third term.
Nature notes
Water boatmen are common insects of ponds, ditches and the stiller parts of rivers and streams, easy to identify by the long oar-like hind legs by which they swim around. Once roughly divided into “greater” and “lesser” types, greater water boatmen (which very widely in size) are often now called “backswimmers” as they swim on their backs whereas all the members of the lesser group swim on their fronts. As they can all fly, a good wildlife pond will often attract them quite quickly; look for them hanging near the surface waiting for prey to fall in. The larger backswimmers will also eat tadpoles, spawn and even small fish, injecting them with toxic saliva and then sucking out their innards. Melissa Harrison
On this day
In 1853 Commodore Matthew Perry, of the US navy, led his four ships into Tokyo Bay, seeking to re-establish regular trade with the western world; in 1898 Jefferson Randolph “Soapy” Smith II, a con artist and gangster, died aged 37 in a gunfight in Alaska. Using sleight of hand, one racket was to sell bars of soap, some with prize money hidden inside — but were “won” by members of his gang among a crowd. During the Klondike gold rush he plied his “trade” at Skagway, including setting up a fake telegraph office — that only sent messages as far as the office wall. On Friday, July 15, the Skaguay News led with the story “Soapy Smith’s Last Bluff”. He was buried outside the town’s cemetery; in 1923 Virginia Woolf finished typesetting the first English edition of TS Eliot’s The Waste Land for the Hogarth Press; in 1965 Ronald Biggs, a 1963 Great Train Robber, escaped from Wandsworth prison, London. After living as a fugitive until 2001, he returned to the UK and was imprisoned until 2009, when he was released on compassionate grounds (obituary, December 19, 2013); in 1994 Kim Il-sung, the first leader of North Korea, died, having ruled the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea since it was established in 1948.
The Times
Birthdays today
Dame Ellen MacArthur, round-the-world sailor, 48; Ayman Asfari, chief executive, Petrofac (2002-20, oilfield service company), 66; Kevin Bacon, actor, Mystic River (2003), 66; Prof Dinesh Bhugra, president, British Medical Association (2018-19), World Psychiatric Association (2014-17), 72; Sir Alan Campbell, parliamentary secretary to the Treasury (chief whip), Labour MP for Tynemouth, 67; Martin Carver, archaeologist, emeritus professor, University of York, 83; John Clark, founder (1976) and chairman, John Clark Motor Group, 77; Jamie Cook, guitarist, Arctic Monkeys, 39; Claire Coutinho, Conservative MP for East Surrey, secretary of state for energy security and net zero (2019-July 2024), 39; Monty Don, TV presenter, Gardeners’ World, and gardening writer, 69; Giuseppe Eskenazi, Oriental art dealer, 85; Sir Douglas Flint, chairman, abrdn (formerly Standard Life Aberdeen), group chairman, HSBC Holdings plc (2010-17), 69; Sourav Ganguly, cricketer, India (1996-2008), 52; James Graham, playwright, Dear England (2023), 42; Benjamin Grosvenor, classical pianist, 32; Guto Harri, director of communications, 10 Downing Street (2022), 58; John Heaps, chairman, Yorkshire Building Society (2015-23), 71; Anjelica Huston, actress, Prizzi’s Honor (1985), 73; Polly James, actress, The Liver Birds (1969-74, 1996), 83; Sarah Kennedy, broadcaster, The Dawn Patrol (1993-2010, BBC Radio 2), 74; Germán Larrea Mota-Velasco, businessman, chief executive, Grupo México (mining), 83; Katherine Parkinson, actress, The IT Crowd (2006-13), 47; Pauline Quirke, actress, Birds of a Feather (1989-2017), 65; Lord (Chris) Rennard, chief executive, Liberal Democrats (2003-09), 64; Dame Jo Williams, chairwoman, Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, chief executive, Mencap (2002-08), 76; Valerii Zaluzhnyi, ambassador of Ukraine to the UK, commander-in-chief, armed forces of Ukraine (2021-Feb 2024), 51.