The Times & The Sunday Times Homepage
Trusts urge patients to stay away if condition is not life-threatening
newEight major hospitals have declared critical incidents within the past 24 hours as “exceptionally high demands” of seasonal flu pile pressure on A&E departments, with one advising there could be 50-hour waits for care. NHS leaders have said that staff are under significant pressure as flu...Eight major hospitals have declared critical incidents within the past 24 hours as “exceptionally high demands” of seasonal flu pile pressure on A&E departments, with one advising there could be 50-hour waits for care. NHS leaders have said that staff are under significant pressure as flu...Eight major hospitals have declared critical incidents within the past 24 hours as “exceptionally high demands” of seasonal flu...
The UK’s long-term borrowing costs have risen to the highest level since 1998, wiping out much of the chancellor’s fiscal headroom and raising the prospect of more tax raises and spending cuts this year. Investors dumped UK government bonds on Tuesday, driving yields on 30-year gilts by 0.08 percentage points to 5.25 per cent, surpassing...The UK’s long-term borrowing costs have risen to the highest level since 1998, wiping out much of the chancellor’s fiscal headroom and raising the prospect of more tax raises and spending cuts this year. Investors dumped UK government bonds on Tuesday, driving yields on 30-year gilts by 0.08 percentage points to 5.25 per cent, surpassing...The UK’s long-term borrowing costs have risen to the highest level since 1998, wiping out much of the chancellor’s fiscal...
Mark Zuckerberg has scrapped external fact checkers on Meta platforms and installed a new system used by Elon Musk on X. The Meta founder and chief executive pivoted his company further towards Donald Trump by announcing that third-party fact checking on Facebook, Instagram and Threads will be replaced by a...Mark Zuckerberg has scrapped external fact checkers on Meta platforms and installed a new system...Mark Zuckerberg has scrapped external fact checkers on Meta platforms and installed a new system...
The story we tell ourselves about who we are shapes the person we become. This narrative is not fixed; it is within...The story we tell ourselves about who we are shapes the person we become. This narrative is not...The story we tell ourselves about who we are shapes the person we become. This narrative is not...
If you can devote just 11 to 12 minutes of your day to exercise, you can get fitter and stronger in 2025. Just ask...If you can devote just 11 to 12 minutes of your day to exercise, you can get fitter and stronger...If you can devote just 11 to 12 minutes of your day to exercise, you can get fitter and stronger...
Snow, ice and flooding have caused widespread disruption across the UK — with more snow expected to hit regions including London. Railway lines, roads, airports and schools closed on Tuesday as snow fell across northern Scotland and parts of north...Snow, ice and flooding have caused widespread disruption across the UK — with more snow expected...Snow, ice and flooding have caused widespread disruption across the UK — with more snow expected...
Reform UK leader says he will defend his party’s principles and wants no links with extremism of any kind
Years after claims of the abuse of girls emerged, a Times investigation exposed a conspiracy of silence that has now been thrust back into the headlines
Labour’s anti-corruption minister faces questions over use of properties linked to her aunt, who was deposed as Bangladeshi PM
IN DEPTH
Starmer’s measures to create a service ‘as convenient as booking a holiday online’ include new surgical and diagnostic hubs
ANALYSIS
Starmer and Streeting have unveiled their ambitious strategy to revive healthcare
POLITICAL SKETCH
Starmer’s most impressive moments were somewhat scripted
Epsom General Hospital in Surrey is no different from any other general hospital anywhere in the county. You know when you’re almost there because suddenly you’re in a 40-minute traffic jam that snakes back from the main entrance and then down the high street for several miles. Surrey cab drivers are understandably very reluctant to get stuck in it, meaning that most...Epsom General Hospital in Surrey is no different from any other general hospital anywhere in the...Epsom General Hospital in Surrey is no different from any other general hospital anywhere in the...
Labour has been forced to apologise for releasing a TikTok video featuring a soundtrack which included obscene lyrics...Labour has been forced to apologise for releasing a TikTok video featuring a soundtrack which included obscene lyrics about punching the genitalia of a “naughty young girl”. The video, celebrating Labour’s achievements since coming to power, featured AI-generated animals including a bulldog dressed as a police...Labour has been forced to apologise for releasing a TikTok video featuring a soundtrack which included obscene lyrics about...
The top tier of the Royal Society of Literature has resigned after a torrid year in which its very survival was at risk.The top tier of the Royal Society of Literature has resigned after a torrid year in which its...The top tier of the Royal Society of Literature has resigned after a torrid year in which its...
the times diary
The latest volume of the history of The Times, the eighth, reveals that the royals hate spoilers as much as any reader.The latest volume of the history of The Times, the eighth, reveals that the royals hate spoilers...The latest volume of the history of The Times, the eighth, reveals that the royals hate spoilers...
ANTHONY LOYD IN SUDAN
In the final part of our series on Sudan’s forgotten war, a family man tells of his dramatic escape as war destroyed his tranquil island home
newOnce the dusk was dark enough the swimmer rose from his hiding place in the reeds and stepped into the water. A strong, broad-shouldered man, Abdullah Elamin had swum in the River Nile along the banks of Tuti Island since he was a boy. This time, aged 62, the stakes were much higher. An...Once the dusk was dark enough the swimmer rose from his hiding place in the reeds and stepped into the water. A strong, broad-shouldered man, Abdullah Elamin had swum in the River Nile along the banks of Tuti Island since he was a boy. This time, aged 62, the stakes were much higher. An...Once the dusk was dark enough the swimmer rose from his hiding place in the reeds and stepped into the water. A strong...
analysis | michael evans
The resignation of a top official before Donald Trump’s inauguration is a warning sign of an expected exodus of career civil servants from the Pentagon. Laura Cooper, deputy assistant secretary of defence for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia, played a key leadership role in the multibillion-dollar military aid programme to Kyiv after the Russian...The resignation of a top official before Donald Trump’s inauguration is a warning sign of an expected exodus of career civil servants from the Pentagon. Laura Cooper, deputy assistant secretary of defence for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia, played a key leadership role in the multibillion-dollar military aid programme to Kyiv after the Russian...The resignation of a top official before Donald Trump’s inauguration is a warning sign of an expected exodus of career civil...
Jean-Marie Le Pen continued to divide France in death as he did in life, with the populist right hailing him as a visionary and the left denouncing him as a racist. President Macron was non-committal, saying it was up to history to judge the man who dominated the French hard right for decades. Marine Le Pen, 56, his...Jean-Marie Le Pen continued to divide France in death as he did in life, with the populist right...Jean-Marie Le Pen continued to divide France in death as he did in life, with the populist right...
Crosses and religious icons bearing President Putin’s initials will be sent to Russian commanders in Ukraine for Orthodox Christmas. The gifts were blessed by Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church and a powerful Kremlin ally...Crosses and religious icons bearing President Putin’s initials will be sent to Russian commanders...Crosses and religious icons bearing President Putin’s initials will be sent to Russian commanders...
The beach is a symbol of Australia, open to all and a place where, for a few short hours at least, the trappings of...The beach is a symbol of Australia, open to all and a place where, for a few short hours at least...The beach is a symbol of Australia, open to all and a place where, for a few short hours at least...
When the Belgian city of Ghent suggested that a green solution to preventing festive waste was to use Christmas trees...When the Belgian city of Ghent suggested that a green solution to preventing festive waste was to...When the Belgian city of Ghent suggested that a green solution to preventing festive waste was to...
video
anthony loyd in sudan
When she speaks about the night three fighters broke into her home armed with daggers and a pistol and raped her daughter while the family slept, Rahaf refers to “the incident”. “Do you want to hear what happened the night of ‘the incident’ from...When she speaks about the night three fighters broke into her home armed with daggers and a...When she speaks about the night three fighters broke into her home armed with daggers and a...
Donald Trump is planning to throw “the most spectacular” party for the 250th birthday of modern America, spanning an...Donald Trump is planning to throw “the most spectacular” party for the 250th birthday of modern...Donald Trump is planning to throw “the most spectacular” party for the 250th birthday of modern...
When Diana Atieh learnt she was pregnant, she suddenly found herself worrying about things that had not concerned her...When Diana Atieh learnt she was pregnant, she suddenly found herself worrying about things that...When Diana Atieh learnt she was pregnant, she suddenly found herself worrying about things that...
in depth
In one corner of the boxing ring, a lanky-looking Justin Trudeau, 6ft 2in, shifted nervously on his feet. On the other stood Patrick “Brazz Knuckles” Brazeau, a heavily tattooed Conservative senator and former naval reservist with a black belt in karate. Going into the 2012 charity fight, Trudeau, an MP for a small district in Montreal, was considered the underdog, with...In one corner of the boxing ring, a lanky-looking Justin Trudeau, 6ft 2in, shifted nervously on...In one corner of the boxing ring, a lanky-looking Justin Trudeau, 6ft 2in, shifted nervously on...
Among the frontrunners to replace Justin Trudeau as Canadian prime minister are his onetime babysitter, a former Bank...Among the frontrunners to replace Justin Trudeau as Canadian prime minister are his onetime babysitter, a former Bank of England governor and an ex-minister whose own shock resignation foreshadowed Trudeau’s demise. Trudeau, 53, announced he would step down as Liberal leader on Monday morning, citing the paralysis...Among the frontrunners to replace Justin Trudeau as Canadian prime minister are his onetime babysitter, a former Bank of...
Tax rises and spending cuts may be more likely as a result
updatedThe UK’s long-term borrowing costs have risen to the highest level since 1998, wiping out much of the chancellor’s fiscal headroom and raising the prospect of more tax raises and spending cuts this year. Investors dumped UK government bonds on Tuesday, driving yields on 30-year gilts by 0.08...The UK’s long-term borrowing costs have risen to the highest level since 1998, wiping out much of the chancellor’s fiscal headroom and raising the prospect of more tax raises and spending cuts this year. Investors dumped UK government bonds on Tuesday, driving yields on 30-year gilts by 0.08...The UK’s long-term borrowing costs have risen to the highest level since 1998, wiping out much of the chancellor’s fiscal...
Debt-laden Asda was the worst-performing supermarket chain over Christmas.
The private equity-controlled group suffered a 5.8 per cent fall in sales in the 12 weeks to December 29, driving its market share down from 13.5 per cent to 12.5 per cent, data from the market research group Kantar showed. Asda said it had seen improvements to...Debt-laden Asda was the worst-performing supermarket chain over Christmas.
The private equity-controlled group suffered a 5.8 per cent fall in sales in the 12 weeks to December 29, driving its market share down from 13.5 per cent to 12.5 per cent, data from the market research group Kantar showed. Asda said it had seen improvements to...Debt-laden Asda was the worst-performing supermarket chain over Christmas.
The private equity-controlled group suffered a...
A showdown with investors looms for Shell after three local government pension funds urged the energy group to explain an “apparent disconnect” between plans to increase gas production and a goal to hit net zero by 2050. The Merseyside Pension Fund, Greater Manchester Pension Fund and Brunel Pension Partnership have...A showdown with investors looms for Shell after three local government pension funds urged the...A showdown with investors looms for Shell after three local government pension funds urged the...
ALISTAIR OSBORNE | BUSINESS COMMENTARY
Nothing sets you up better for the new year than having seven fights going simultaneously. Or that, at least, seems...Nothing sets you up better for the new year than having seven fights going simultaneously. Or...Nothing sets you up better for the new year than having seven fights going simultaneously. Or...
DAVID WIGHTON
Reform of the Local Government Pension Scheme may not sound the most exciting of political issues. However, it lies...Reform of the Local Government Pension Scheme may not sound the most exciting of political issues.Reform of the Local Government Pension Scheme may not sound the most exciting of political issues.
TEMPUS
A new era of rearmament has helped to bolster the order books of big defence businesses and the FTSE 250 group...A new era of rearmament has helped to bolster the order books of big defence businesses and the...A new era of rearmament has helped to bolster the order books of big defence businesses and the...
MEHREEN KHAN
Rachel Reeves will cut a lonely figure as the only centre-left finance minister in the G7 this year. The chancellor’s...Rachel Reeves will cut a lonely figure as the only centre-left finance minister in the G7 this year.Rachel Reeves will cut a lonely figure as the only centre-left finance minister in the G7 this year.
FLEXIBLE WORKING
International survey shows adoption of hybrid arrangements almost doubled in 2024
business planning
We lay out some of the key changes that business owners will have to confront in 2025, as well as a few that can be ignored — for now at least
SIR MARTIN SORRELL
Sir Martin Sorrell gives his take on how the global economy, AI and advertising will fare this year
INnovation
In the last of a seven-part series, we meet bosses who have signed up with top business schools to learn the ropes of the new technology
RECRUITMENT
With a 33% growth in the past year, the demand for corporate investigators is soaring. Here’s how to get into the industry
Saying you’re employed as an “investigator” conjures up images of sleuths lurking in the shadows, but the new breed of corporate investigator is one of the UK’s fastest-growing professional careers. The incoming 2025 introduction of the new “failure to prevent fraud” offence — which will hold large firms to account if they profit from fraud committed by their employees...Saying you’re employed as an “investigator” conjures up images of sleuths lurking in the shadows...Saying you’re employed as an “investigator” conjures up images of sleuths lurking in the shadows...
SIX FROM THE BEST
It’s the busiest week of the year for jewellery sales. Anna Blackburn, managing director of the family-owned retailer...It’s the busiest week of the year for jewellery sales. Anna Blackburn, managing director of the family-owned retailer Beaverbrooks, began her career on the shopfloor at its Trafford Centre store in Manchester 26 years ago and is the first female, non-family member to lead the chain. Here, she shares her pearls of...It’s the busiest week of the year for jewellery sales. Anna Blackburn, managing director of the family-owned retailer...
matt lawton
Billionaire’s father claims his family knew ‘quite a few’ of the Beatles
newLiverpool’s American owners have no appetite to sell despite a claim from Elon Musk’s father that the tech billionaire wants to buy the Premier League club. In an interview with Times Radio, Errol Musk said his son, the world’s richest man, would “like to” purchase Liverpool because the family...Liverpool’s American owners have no appetite to sell despite a claim from Elon Musk’s father that the tech billionaire wants to buy the Premier League club. In an interview with Times Radio, Errol Musk said his son, the world’s richest man, would “like to” purchase Liverpool because the family...Liverpool’s American owners have no appetite to sell despite a claim from Elon Musk’s father that the tech billionaire wants to...
West Ham United’s bid to appoint Graham Potter is in deadlock over the proposed length of his contract. Potter has been offered a deal until the end of the season with the club retaining an option to extend it by two years. However, the 49-year-old has asked for a 2½-year contract in an apparent shift from his position last month, when he...West Ham United’s bid to appoint Graham Potter is in deadlock over the proposed length of his contract. Potter has been offered a deal until the end of the season with the club retaining an option to extend it by two years. However, the 49-year-old has asked for a 2½-year contract in an apparent shift from his position last month, when he...West Ham United’s bid to appoint Graham Potter is in deadlock over the proposed length of his contract. Potter has been offered...
martin samuel
Well, they finally did it. They broke Ange Postecoglou. Not the results. He seems able to handle losing. Not saying he’s happy in 12th place. If defeat brought out his dark side he would have flipped long ago — and probably wouldn’t have stuck with that high line down to nine men against Chelsea. No, it was modern...Well, they finally did it. They broke Ange Postecoglou. Not the results. He seems able to handle...Well, they finally did it. They broke Ange Postecoglou. Not the results. He seems able to handle...
nfl
The Kansas City Chiefs are chasing history. No team have ever won three Super Bowls in a row, but Patrick Mahomes and his supporting cast appear well on track to change that after going 15-2 in the NFL regular season — and you can ignore that second loss, after they wrapped up the No1 seed and then wrapped their starters in cotton wool for an inconsequential 38-0 defeat...The Kansas City Chiefs are chasing history. No team have ever won three Super Bowls in a row, but...The Kansas City Chiefs are chasing history. No team have ever won three Super Bowls in a row, but...
Cameron Norrie apologised and avoided disqualification when a racket he tossed in the air struck a spectator at the...Cameron Norrie apologised and avoided disqualification when a racket he tossed in the air struck a spectator at the ATP Tour tournament in Auckland on Tuesday. Norrie, the British men’s No2 who grew up in Auckland, was one point away from losing against Facundo Díaz Acosta of Argentina when he lightly tossed his...Cameron Norrie apologised and avoided disqualification when a racket he tossed in the air struck a spectator at the ATP Tour...
The Saudi Pro League has been alerted to the availability of Casemiro, who is willing to leave Manchester United this...The Saudi Pro League has been alerted to the availability of Casemiro, who is willing to leave...The Saudi Pro League has been alerted to the availability of Casemiro, who is willing to leave...
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso will miss the entire Six Nations after England’s star performer over the past year opted to have...Immanuel Feyi-Waboso will miss the entire Six Nations after England’s star performer over the...Immanuel Feyi-Waboso will miss the entire Six Nations after England’s star performer over the...
When Divine Iheme crossed the finish line in a race in Essex on Sunday, it was only after a friend had conducted a brief piece of research on their phone that the outrageously gifted 15-year-old sprinter realised the magnitude of what he had...When Divine Iheme crossed the finish line in a race in Essex on Sunday, it was only after a...When Divine Iheme crossed the finish line in a race in Essex on Sunday, it was only after a...
Times Sport Unseen
Our Unseen guests have travelled the world to capture iconic and award-winning photographs (Marc writes). Colin Elsey’s iconic “Mud Man” image of Fran Cotton was taken in 1977 in Wellington, New Zealand, and Krystle Wright captured her Red Bull...Our Unseen guests have travelled the world to capture iconic and award-winning photographs (Marc...Our Unseen guests have travelled the world to capture iconic and award-winning photographs (Marc...
The actress has revealed that she stays fit with a 12-minute military workout from the 1950s. What do experts think of it, asks Peta Bee
Make this the year that you banish negativity, embrace change and stop overthinking with this expert’s guide by the psychotherapist Julia Samuel
Derided as a ‘popcorn actress’ and damaged by drugs, the star experienced difficulties in her career and married life. But at 62, she has finally received recognition
![Tom Kerridge: “The first couple of years [sober] were very difficult. But drinking is a habit I’ve broken”](https://www.thetimes.com/imageserver/image/%2Fmethode%2Ftimes%2Fprod%2Fweb%2Fbin%2F3aca5dc4-ee72-4eb5-8c8c-05eaa4e089e3.jpg?crop=2479%2C1653%2C237%2C764&resize=320)
what I’ve learnt
The chef behind the country’s only two Michelin star pub on The Bear, his past binge-drinking and the atmosphere he creates in his kitchens
robert crampton
The era of choosing one supermarket and sticking with it is over, as the cost of living crisis makes us all more price-conscious
first person
Imagine a dreary brown field somewhere just outside of Bedford. It’s January and it’s raining and we’re covered in mud. My colleague and I are crouched in a ditch we’d excavated over the past few days, and in front of us is an almost complete Iron Age pot. The pottery is dark grey, and it is filled with soil, but on top is a thin layer of charcoal, a sign of burning.Imagine a dreary brown field somewhere just outside of Bedford. It’s January and it’s raining and...Imagine a dreary brown field somewhere just outside of Bedford. It’s January and it’s raining and...
MY CULTURE FIX
Jane Austen’s Emma. When she was writing it, Austen said: “I’m going to write a novel with a heroine who not...Jane Austen’s Emma. When she was writing it, Austen said: “I’m going to write a novel with a heroine who not many people apart from me will like.” Emma is a bit difficult, uppity, a bit full of herself. I can’t think why she appeals to me, but somehow she does. She’s a bit too much of a kindred spirit, perhaps.Jane Austen’s Emma. When she was writing it, Austen said: “I’m going to write a novel with a heroine who not many people...
review
Like Harry Potter, Thea is an orphan with a superpower. Or rather, two or three magical talents. When she touches a...Like Harry Potter, Thea is an orphan with a superpower. Or rather, two or three magical talents.Like Harry Potter, Thea is an orphan with a superpower. Or rather, two or three magical talents.
first night review
Don’t look directly into Rob Copland’s eyes, he urges us, or we will catch ADHD. It’s a joke: Copland’s hour, which...Don’t look directly into Rob Copland’s eyes, he urges us, or we will catch ADHD. It’s a joke...Don’t look directly into Rob Copland’s eyes, he urges us, or we will catch ADHD. It’s a joke...
The essence of Demi Moore’s Golden Globes win and her new status as an awards season frontrunner is an acknowledgement that, well, here is an icon. Her A-list career was famously split, and split cruelly, right down the middle. It ended precipitously in the mid-to-late 1990s with a few splashy standouts, including GI Jane and Striptease, and then nothing. Just...
The essence of Demi Moore’s Golden Globes win and her new status as an awards season frontrunner...
The essence of Demi Moore’s Golden Globes win and her new status as an awards season frontrunner...
review
I’m sure many a TV critic has used the well-worn metaphor that Silent Witness (BBC1), unlike the grey, marbled...I’m sure many a TV critic has used the well-worn metaphor that Silent Witness (BBC1), unlike the grey, marbled corpses on its slab, is the zombie show that refuses to die. I certainly have — and I have a soft spot for it, even though its plots are often ridiculous. It is now on its 28th series, which makes it the...I’m sure many a TV critic has used the well-worn metaphor that Silent Witness (BBC1), unlike the grey, marbled corpses on its...
first night REVIEW
your money matters
Viewing GUide
Television
MindGames
Fifteen questions to get you thinking
1 The Klingon Feast is a convention related to which sci-fi franchise? 2 The NHS suggests getting rid of hiccups by swallowing some granulated what? 3 The Isle of Dogs is a peninsula bounded on three sides by a meander in which river? 4 Nearly all holders of which office have held the post of first lord of the Treasury? 5 Which epic poem by Homer inspired Cream’s 1967...1 The Klingon Feast is a convention related to which sci-fi franchise? 2 The NHS suggests getting...1 The Klingon Feast is a convention related to which sci-fi franchise? 2 The NHS suggests getting...
There is now an ebike for every sort of cyclist, from the urban traffic dodger to the alpine thrill-seeker
Lisa Grainger gets to see the most beautiful hotels in the world. Here she picks her favourite openings of 2024
These are the new hotels, islands and trains you’ll want to book for 2025
Jeremy Langmead delights in his glossy new locks, courtesy of a transplant and some daily pills and potions
Inspired by The Traitors? Practise your own sleuthing skills on one of these exciting events around the UK — and recharge with a cosy stay afterwards
Whatever floats your river boat, there’s something exciting this year, from luxurious family sailings on the Danube to a captivating chance to party at Colombia’s Carnavel
Amongst its historic houses and A-list haunts, Claire Irvin finds her favourite version of Palm Springs at its sexiest hotel — the hip Villa Royale
Montreal’s cobbled streets, bagel joints and lively bars are the ideal introduction to the characterful province of Quebec
If you’re planning a midsummer holiday, we’ve got some ideas for you — from the beaches of Turkey and Fiji to adventures in Alaska and Rwanda
What’s your idea of the perfect Greek holiday? Do you see yourself dining alfresco, perhaps at a table shaded by the...What’s your idea of the perfect Greek holiday? Do you see yourself dining alfresco, perhaps at a...What’s your idea of the perfect Greek holiday? Do you see yourself dining alfresco, perhaps at a...
video
On my first trip to the American South as a student in 1990 I fainted in the heat. I recall lying prone on the...On my first trip to the American South as a student in 1990 I fainted in the heat. I recall lying...On my first trip to the American South as a student in 1990 I fainted in the heat. I recall lying...
OBITUARY
Redoubtable perfectionist who put Twiggy on the cover, a boa constrictor around Nastassja Kinski and collaborated with the photographer Richard Avedon
OBITUARY
Legendary but prickly competitor who claimed his greatest victory was all the money he made
OBITUARY
Endlessly innovative billionaire businessman who founded the pay-per-view channel HBO and foresaw the internet’s potential
OBITUARY
Thinker outside the box who discovered two James Joyce collections and was romantically involved with the dancer Wayne Sleep and a friend of David Hockney
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
THEN Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who hath sent his angel...THEN Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who...THEN Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who...
Sandringham, Norfolk
6th January, 2025
Mr Garry Marsden was received by The King this morning when His Majesty...Sandringham, Norfolk
6th January, 2025
Mr Garry Marsden was received by The King this morning...Sandringham, Norfolk
6th January, 2025
Mr Garry Marsden was received by The King this morning...
MindGames and Brain Boost puzzles to print and solve at your leisure
John Swinney’s budget is likely to pass after Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, said his party would abstain on the Holyrood vote. Sarwar said he would vote for the budget if the SNP committed to ending the two-child benefit cap on April 1. The Scottish Labour leader said that the first...John Swinney’s budget is likely to pass after Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, said his party would abstain on the Holyrood vote. Sarwar said he would vote for the budget if the SNP committed to ending the two-child benefit cap on April 1. The Scottish Labour leader said that the first...John Swinney’s budget is likely to pass after Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, said his party would abstain on the...
Economists have warned that taxes in Scotland will have to rise or spending cut if SNP ministers go ahead with plans to scrap the two-child benefit cap. It will cost the Scottish government £155 million to get rid of the policy that prevents families from receiving means-tested support for a third or subsequent child. The Scottish Fiscal...Economists have warned that taxes in Scotland will have to rise or spending cut if SNP ministers go ahead with plans to scrap the two-child benefit cap. It will cost the Scottish government £155 million to get rid of the policy that prevents families from receiving means-tested support for a third or subsequent child. The Scottish Fiscal...Economists have warned that taxes in Scotland will have to rise or spending cut if SNP ministers go ahead with plans to scrap...
kenny farquharson
The start of January brings familiar routines. The last trace of tinsel is removed from the mantelpiece. The final mince pie is eaten for breakfast. Art lovers queue to see JMW Turner’s watercolours at the National Gallery of Scotland, where they go on show at this time every year. The newspapers are full of fitness...The start of January brings familiar routines. The last trace of tinsel is removed from the...The start of January brings familiar routines. The last trace of tinsel is removed from the...
scottish business digest
Most of the country could only dream of a white Christmas this holiday season. December 25 was mild — unusually so — with temperatures in Glasgow, Edinburgh and London rising to double figures. There is one tiny corner of the UK where children...Most of the country could only dream of a white Christmas this holiday season. December 25 was...Most of the country could only dream of a white Christmas this holiday season. December 25 was...
magnus linklater
OBITUARY
In the autumn of 1968, the Fine Art Society in London mounted a pioneering exhibition on British sculpture from 1850...In the autumn of 1968, the Fine Art Society in London mounted a pioneering exhibition on British...In the autumn of 1968, the Fine Art Society in London mounted a pioneering exhibition on British...
Gabriella Bennett | BEST OF 2024
So here it was again. A spider made of fire lodged inside my chest. Fever, cold sweats and a temperature “plenty high...So here it was again. A spider made of fire lodged inside my chest. Fever, cold sweats and a...So here it was again. A spider made of fire lodged inside my chest. Fever, cold sweats and a...
restaurant review | best of 2024
Margot is the hippest new café in Edinburgh. So hip that “café” doesn’t cut the mustard. It is all the now things; a neighbourhood wine café serving small plates, minimal intervention wines, coffee, kombuchas, seasonal juices and sodas, and so on.Margot is the hippest new café in Edinburgh. So hip that “café” doesn’t cut the mustard. It is...Margot is the hippest new café in Edinburgh. So hip that “café” doesn’t cut the mustard. It is...
![Tom Kerridge: “The first couple of years [sober] were very difficult. But drinking is a habit I’ve broken”](https://www.thetimes.com/imageserver/image/%2Fmethode%2Ftimes%2Fprod%2Fweb%2Fbin%2F3aca5dc4-ee72-4eb5-8c8c-05eaa4e089e3.jpg?crop=2610%2C1468%2C198%2C762&resize=320)
Comment
Like it or not, US is more powerful than ever
William Hague
As Trump prepares to take office, our dependence on America has never been greater — that’s unhealthy and increasingly unsafe
melanie phillips
Tommy Robinson’s a menace, not a martyr
james marriott
We’re seeing the end of the long 20th century
Giles Coren | notebook
I’m wise to Elon Musk’s little game, you know
thunderer
It is not teachers’ responsibility to be changing nappies
Leading Articles
Line of Inquiry
The public is rightly furious at the silence around grooming gangs. Only a new national inquiry can fully uncover the truth about this scandal
Heart of Darkness
A bloody civil war risks turning into an international crisis
Missing Yule
The January 6 deadline for removing festive decorations is a Victorian fraud
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Starmer’s prescription to save the NHS
Write to letters@thetimes.co.uk Sir, In his article (“I won’t let our NHS die — this is my prescription”, Jan 6), Sir Keir Starmer sets out his plan to reduce hospital waiting lists. Among other things it will involve “diagnostic centres...Write to letters@thetimes.co.uk Sir, In his article (“I won’t let our NHS die — this is...Write to letters@thetimes.co.uk Sir, In his article (“I won’t let our NHS die — this is...
Daily Universal Register
Briefing
UK: The education committee holds an accountability hearing with Sir Martyn Oliver, the Ofsted chief inspector; the Archbishop of York, the Most Rev Stephen Cottrell, temporarily takes over the duties of the Archbishop of Canterbury following Justin Welby’s formal resignation yesterday; teachers in sixth forms in England who are members of the National Education Union go on strike in a dispute over pay and funding.
Ghana: Inauguration of John Dramani Mahama as president.
On this day
In 1610 Galileo Galilei made the first observations that led to his discovery of four moons orbiting Jupiter. Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto are the largest of the planet’s satellites; in 1917 Sergeant Thomas Mottershead became the only non-commissioned officer of the Royal Flying Corps to be awarded the Victoria Cross during the First World War, dying five days later of burn injuries sustained during the combat in Belgium, aged 24. His medal (“for most conspicuous bravery, endurance and skill”) was presented to his widow by King George V; in 1927 the first away game was played by the African-American basketball team (Savoy Big Five) that became known as the Harlem Globetrotters in 1930. The team won 101 of 117 games in their first season; in 1928 the River Thames burst its banks and flooded large parts of central London, with the loss of 14 lives and thousands left homeless. From a Times editorial (Jan 9, 1928): “The modern generation lives — whether by artifice, or choice, or compulsion — on sites which its forefathers … knew better than to build on”. Marjorie Franckeiss, a 19-year-old who rescued a woman and two boys from drowning, was praised by the Westminster coroner for her “coolness, courage, resource and presence of mind”. “If we have girls like this we need not fear for the future generation of English people,” he told the court; in 2005 Rosemary Kennedy, sister of John F Kennedy (US president 1961-63), died aged 86. After undergoing a prefrontal lobotomy in 1941 to calm mood swings her mental capacity diminished to that of a two-year-old child and she was isolated from the family for 20 years.
Nature notes
The water rail is one of the most secretive birds in Britain, which makes it somewhat surprising that it should possess a loud squeal very like a pig’s. On long legs, it creeps around in dense cover in wet and marshy areas, favouring sedges, reeds and other thick, bankside vegetation and while population surveys have proven difficult, it is known to breed in good numbers in central Ireland and to a lesser degree in the south and east of England, the West Midlands and around the Forth and Clyde estuaries. In a hard freeze, when waterborne food is scarce, water rails can turn predatory, either drowning other birds or impaling them with their beaks. They are sometimes, in turn, eaten by herons.
Melissa Harrison
Birthdays today
Sir Richard Armstrong, conductor, music director of Scottish Opera (1993-2005), 82; Mark Bristow, president and chief executive, Barrick Gold Corporation, 66; Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, 55; Nicolas Cage, actor, Leaving Las Vegas (1995), 61; Patrice Caine, chairman and chief executive, Thales Group, 55; Sir Nick Clegg, outgoing president of global affairs at Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook), deputy prime minister (2010-15), 58; Dave Cousins, singer-songwriter, Strawbs, Part of the Union (1973), 80; Hunter Davies, author, The Beatles: The Authorised Biography (1968), and Money columnist for The Sunday Times since 1999, 89; Philip Dukes, viola player, 57; Ivan Glasenberg, chief executive, Glencore (2002-21), 68; Sir Lewis Hamilton, racing driver, seven-time F1 world champion, 40; Sir Stuart Hampson, president, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, chairman, the Crown Estate (2010-16), John Lewis Partnership (1993-2007), 78; Ian La Frenais, screenwriter and producer, Porridge (1974-77), 88; Mark Lamarr, DJ and comedian, Never Mind the Buzzcocks (1996-2005), 58; Christian Louboutin, fashion designer, 62; Luke McShane, chess grandmaster, 41; Trevor Nelson, DJ and presenter, Trevor Nelson’s Rhythm Nation (Radio 2), 61; Prof John Newton, epidemiologist, 66; Catherine Nunn, chief executive, Lakeland, 55; Prof Dame Judith Petts, vice-chancellor, Plymouth University (2016-24), 71; Baroness (Angela) Smith of Basildon, leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal, 66; Prof Sir John E Walker, Nobel prizewinning chemist, 84; Jann Wenner, publisher and co-founder, Rolling Stone magazine, 79; Helen Worth, actress, Coronation Street (1974-2024), 74.