The Times & The Sunday Times Homepage
Parents deterred by higher fees, which could rise by up to 20%
The number of children joining private schools has dropped by the largest proportion in more than a decade, new figures reveal. Enrolments at independent schools this academic year have fallen by 2.7 per cent, according to a report by the Independent Schools Council (ISC), the largest annual drop...The number of children joining private schools has dropped by the largest proportion in more than a decade, new figures reveal. Enrolments at independent schools this academic year have fallen by 2.7 per cent, according to a report by the Independent Schools Council (ISC), the largest annual drop...The number of children joining private schools has dropped by the largest proportion in more than a decade, new figures reveal.
After her Tory MP husband was convicted of sexual assault in 2020, Natalie Elphicke was as emphatic in her support of him as she was in dismissing his victims. The criminal allegations were “complete nonsense”, she insisted, saying that because Charlie Elphicke was attractive, charming and wealthy he was an “easy target for dirty politics...After her Tory MP husband was convicted of sexual assault in 2020, Natalie Elphicke was as emphatic in her support of him as she was in dismissing his victims. The criminal allegations were “complete nonsense”, she insisted, saying that because Charlie Elphicke was attractive, charming and wealthy he was an “easy target for dirty politics...After her Tory MP husband was convicted of sexual assault in 2020, Natalie Elphicke was as emphatic in her support of him as...
Even in his gardens at Highgrove on Friday the King was still working as he continued his return to public duties. The Times understands that David Beckham, the former England football captain, met the King for a private meeting. No pictures were released and no press notice was issued. Beckham is understood to have...Even in his gardens at Highgrove on Friday the King was still working as he continued his return...Even in his gardens at Highgrove on Friday the King was still working as he continued his return...
I honestly think if I had stuck at it, I could have been pretty good,” Emma Raducanu says. She is musing about how...I honestly think if I had stuck at it, I could have been pretty good,” Emma Raducanu says. She is...I honestly think if I had stuck at it, I could have been pretty good,” Emma Raducanu says. She is...
Mike Atherton
Australia is no place for old men: hard grounds, hard pitches, hard sun, hard people, as Mike Brearley once said.Australia is no place for old men: hard grounds, hard pitches, hard sun, hard people, as Mike...Australia is no place for old men: hard grounds, hard pitches, hard sun, hard people, as Mike...
IN GRAPHICS
Labour’s lead in a raft of polls is so big that even if Reform’s supporters voted Conservative, Starmer would still win a general election
new
political sketch
Train drivers have not had a pay rise since 2019, but their pay has increased by 5 percentage points more than inflation over the last ten years
Britain’s human rights watchdog has accused “activist” trans rights campaigners of attempting to “unduly influence”...Britain’s human rights watchdog has accused “activist” trans rights campaigners of attempting to...Britain’s human rights watchdog has accused “activist” trans rights campaigners of attempting to...
Eurovision is struggling to have its songs heard above the din of Middle Eastern politics with Saturday night’s final...Eurovision is struggling to have its songs heard above the din of Middle Eastern politics with...Eurovision is struggling to have its songs heard above the din of Middle Eastern politics with...
The Prince of Wales has said that Princess Catherine is “doing well” in an update about her condition after the...The Prince of Wales has said that Princess Catherine is “doing well” in an update about her...The Prince of Wales has said that Princess Catherine is “doing well” in an update about her...
A woman driver who was pulled over by a fake policeman with a baseball bat and handcuffs in his car has told a court...A woman driver who was pulled over by a fake policeman with a baseball bat and handcuffs in his...A woman driver who was pulled over by a fake policeman with a baseball bat and handcuffs in his...
Photography
Janette Beckman’s exhibition — Rebels: An Ode to Subversives, Revolutionaries and Provocateurs — opens at Foam museum in Amsterdam on May 10 until September 8 and will be part of Amsterdam Art Week, from May 29 to June 1. The exhibition is the...Janette Beckman’s exhibition — Rebels: An Ode to Subversives, Revolutionaries and Provocateurs —...Janette Beckman’s exhibition — Rebels: An Ode to Subversives, Revolutionaries and Provocateurs —...
My Week
We’ve just won a glorious victory in the local elections! But we mustn’t be complacent. “Totally,” says Emily...We’ve just won a glorious victory in the local elections! But we mustn’t be complacent.We’ve just won a glorious victory in the local elections! But we mustn’t be complacent.
The Times diary
The late Eric Anderson’s influence on modern politics ran deep. As a teacher at Gordonstoun and Fettes, head at Eton...The late Eric Anderson’s influence on modern politics ran deep. As a teacher at Gordonstoun and...The late Eric Anderson’s influence on modern politics ran deep. As a teacher at Gordonstoun and...
Israel is likely to have breached international humanitarian law with American weapons during its military campaign in Gaza, a US government report has concluded. However, the long-awaited US State Department report added that Israel’s forces did not act in a way that would prevent Washington...Israel is likely to have breached international humanitarian law with American weapons during its military campaign in Gaza, a US government report has concluded. However, the long-awaited US State Department report added that Israel’s forces did not act in a way that would prevent Washington...Israel is likely to have breached international humanitarian law with American weapons during its military campaign in Gaza, a...
analysis
President Xi finished his European tour on Friday with pledges of co-operation with the “renegade” EU state, Hungary. Xi promised investment in the country’s rail infrastructure, saying that Hungary’s relationship with China had reached a level of “all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for the new era” — the type of flowery...President Xi finished his European tour on Friday with pledges of co-operation with the “renegade” EU state, Hungary. Xi promised investment in the country’s rail infrastructure, saying that Hungary’s relationship with China had reached a level of “all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for the new era” — the type of flowery...President Xi finished his European tour on Friday with pledges of co-operation with the “renegade” EU state, Hungary. Xi...
Since before Xi Jinping became president in 2013, western alarm over the rise of China has expressed itself in a baffling array of partnerships, pacts and acronyms. It began with the Arc of Freedom and Prosperity, a short-lived Japanese effort to unite China-wary democracies from Asia to Europe. Then came something...Since before Xi Jinping became president in 2013, western alarm over the rise of China has...Since before Xi Jinping became president in 2013, western alarm over the rise of China has...
A Florida man has described what it was like to fall into a shark pit in the Bahamas and live to tell the tale. Marlin Deere Wakeman, 24, was working on a boat at the Flying Fish Marina on Long Island when he slipped and fell into a “den” of Caribbean reef sharks on April 26. Two sharks attacked him, one pulling him under the water by the leg and another attacking his...A Florida man has described what it was like to fall into a shark pit in the Bahamas and live to...A Florida man has described what it was like to fall into a shark pit in the Bahamas and live to...
Despite having a name that has become a byword for time travel, Kat DeLorean has plenty of real reasons to want to...Despite having a name that has become a byword for time travel, Kat DeLorean has plenty of real reasons to want to turn back the clock. Within two years of her father releasing the first of his gull-winged sports cars in 1981, his company was bankrupt and he was facing charges of cocaine trafficking. By 1985, when...Despite having a name that has become a byword for time travel, Kat DeLorean has plenty of real reasons to want to turn back...
PHOTOGRAPHY
The book Fabulous Faces of Classic Hollywood, by Robert Dance and Simon Crocker, presents some of the greatest portraits taken by eminent photographers during the film industry’s golden years of 1920 to 1960. Little-seen negatives, long buried...The book Fabulous Faces of Classic Hollywood, by Robert Dance and Simon Crocker, presents some...The book Fabulous Faces of Classic Hollywood, by Robert Dance and Simon Crocker, presents some...
An American woman is set to be extradited to Northern Ireland to face fraud charges. Marianne “Mair” Smyth, 54, has...An American woman is set to be extradited to Northern Ireland to face fraud charges. Marianne...An American woman is set to be extradited to Northern Ireland to face fraud charges. Marianne...
The musician Brian Wilson should be in a court conservatorship because he is no longer capable of managing his...The musician Brian Wilson should be in a court conservatorship because he is no longer capable of...The musician Brian Wilson should be in a court conservatorship because he is no longer capable of...
DOMINIC SANDBROOK
Trump may be suffering the confessions of a porn star but US political impropriety goes back to the founding fathers
IN maps and CHARTS
Turnout vital in Biden-Trump rematch
GDP expanded by 0.6 per cent in the first quarter of the year
The UK economy went “gangbusters” at the start of 2024, growing at the fastest pace in two years and exiting a short recession, the Office for National Statistics said. Rishi Sunak said the economy had “turned a corner” after output rose by 0.6 per cent in the first quarter, better than forecasts...The UK economy went “gangbusters” at the start of 2024, growing at the fastest pace in two years and exiting a short recession, the Office for National Statistics said. Rishi Sunak said the economy had “turned a corner” after output rose by 0.6 per cent in the first quarter, better than forecasts...The UK economy went “gangbusters” at the start of 2024, growing at the fastest pace in two years and exiting a short recession...
British Airways has created 1,700 jobs as it gears up for a summer boom allowing its parent company IAG to match last year’s operating profit bonanza of €3.5 billion. BA has been putting on 7 per cent more capacity and the hires have been to staff the cabins as well as bringing in technology workers to get the airline’s digital offering up...British Airways has created 1,700 jobs as it gears up for a summer boom allowing its parent company IAG to match last year’s operating profit bonanza of €3.5 billion. BA has been putting on 7 per cent more capacity and the hires have been to staff the cabins as well as bringing in technology workers to get the airline’s digital offering up...British Airways has created 1,700 jobs as it gears up for a summer boom allowing its parent company IAG to match last year’s...
On Tuesday Sir Keir Starmer will sit down with union bosses for a crunch meeting to discuss Labour’s latest workers’ rights reforms, a core and contentious part of the party’s plans for government. A “watered down” version of its New Deal for Working People, which leaked this week, provoked an angry response from...On Tuesday Sir Keir Starmer will sit down with union bosses for a crunch meeting to discuss...On Tuesday Sir Keir Starmer will sit down with union bosses for a crunch meeting to discuss...
market report
Investor confidence in Trainline has been somewhat derailed in recent weeks after Labour said it would renationalise...Investor confidence in Trainline has been somewhat derailed in recent weeks after Labour said it...Investor confidence in Trainline has been somewhat derailed in recent weeks after Labour said it...
Comment
Markets often move in mysterious ways. Last year many fund managers became convinced that Japan’s currency, which had...Markets often move in mysterious ways. Last year many fund managers became convinced that Japan’s...Markets often move in mysterious ways. Last year many fund managers became convinced that Japan’s...
The Manifesto
Rami Baitiéh paces through Morrisons’ shop in Stratford, east London, pointing out to employees things that irritate him. Punnets full of squashed raspberries, customers shivering because the air conditioning is too cold, staff handing out the wrong shopping baskets at the entrance, food label design errors, the list goes on. “We need to pay attention because no one is...Rami Baitiéh paces through Morrisons’ shop in Stratford, east London, pointing out to employees...Rami Baitiéh paces through Morrisons’ shop in Stratford, east London, pointing out to employees...
need to know
1 The UK economy went “gangbusters” at the start of 2024, growing at its fastest rate in two years and exiting a...1 The UK economy went “gangbusters” at the start of 2024, growing at its fastest rate in two years and exiting a short recession, the Office for National Statistics said. Rishi Sunak said the economy had “turned a corner” after output rose by 0.6 per cent in the first quarter, better than the 0.4 per cent expected...1 The UK economy went “gangbusters” at the start of 2024, growing at its fastest rate in two years and exiting a short...
recruitment
About six in ten UK staff undergo some form of training at work each year, ranging from mandatory certification and compliance courses to upskilling for a new role, and experts estimate that the UK training market is worth approximately £7 billion. Training and skills development is proved to increase the human capital in the national labour force, narrowing skills gaps...About six in ten UK staff undergo some form of training at work each year, ranging from mandatory...About six in ten UK staff undergo some form of training at work each year, ranging from mandatory...
SIX FROM THE BEST
Guy Singh-Watson is founder of Riverford, an organic vegetable box company which grew from humble beginnings to...Guy Singh-Watson is founder of Riverford, an organic vegetable box company which grew from humble beginnings to 70,000 deliveries a week. The activist recently launched the #GetFairAboutFarming campaign calling for supermarkets to adopt better business practices to safeguard the future of British fruit and veg farmers.Guy Singh-Watson is founder of Riverford, an organic vegetable box company which grew from humble beginnings to 70,000...
Mike Atherton
Australia is no place for old men: hard grounds, hard pitches, hard sun, hard people, as Mike Brearley once said. James Anderson will be 43 years old when England next contest the Ashes in Australia and no one should think one of the country’s finest-ever bowlers should be spearheading the attack down under at that age. The Guardian reported on Friday that Anderson will...Australia is no place for old men: hard grounds, hard pitches, hard sun, hard people, as Mike...Australia is no place for old men: hard grounds, hard pitches, hard sun, hard people, as Mike...
Mauricio Pochettino has warned Chelsea that he could walk away from the club in the summer before they have the...Mauricio Pochettino has warned Chelsea that he could walk away from the club in the summer before they have the chance to sack him. The head coach’s position has been under constant scrutiny since he was appointed last summer, with the five-times Premier League champions failing to compete for a top-four spot this...Mauricio Pochettino has warned Chelsea that he could walk away from the club in the summer before they have the chance to sack...
andrew cole and dwight yorke interview
James Gheerbrant
A small but defiantly noisy bank of away fans greeting their players with an ovation. A club synonymous with chaos...A small but defiantly noisy bank of away fans greeting their players with an ovation. A club...A small but defiantly noisy bank of away fans greeting their players with an ovation. A club...
Novak Djokovic required medical attention after being accidentally struck by a metal water bottle after his...Novak Djokovic required medical attention after being accidentally struck by a metal water bottle...Novak Djokovic required medical attention after being accidentally struck by a metal water bottle...
rick broadbent
Jimmy Egan’s Boxing Academy sits in the heart of a sprawling estate. It does not look much. Red metal doors open on to a floor dotted with hanging bags. A ring is marinated in sweat, cobwebs cling from rafters. This is the 13th location since it opened in 1980 and the founder’s diary entry from day one hangs in a frame by the doorway. “In time the results will macome...Jimmy Egan’s Boxing Academy sits in the heart of a sprawling estate. It does not look much. Red...Jimmy Egan’s Boxing Academy sits in the heart of a sprawling estate. It does not look much. Red...
Lennox Lewis favours Tyson Fury to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since he achieved the feat 25...Lennox Lewis favours Tyson Fury to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since he achieved the feat 25 years ago, but says Oleksandr Usyk is knocking on the door of the pantheon of greats. Although Fury, the WBC champion, has looked far trimmer than when coming alarmingly close to suffering a first, and...Lennox Lewis favours Tyson Fury to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since he achieved the feat 25 years ago...
Gallagher Premiership
PHIL KENYON INTERVIEW
Molly Caudery portrays herself a clumsy, accident-prone figure who meets “chaos with chaos” but she made simple enough work of another significant victory in Doha on Friday night. The Cornish pole vaulter, 24, won her first Diamond League meeting...Molly Caudery portrays herself a clumsy, accident-prone figure who meets “chaos with chaos” but...Molly Caudery portrays herself a clumsy, accident-prone figure who meets “chaos with chaos” but...
Gallagher Premiership
harry thacker interview
County championship
Brendan foster interview
The early retirement of Dominic Thiem evoked an outpouring of sadness in the tennis world on Friday. Here was a...The early retirement of Dominic Thiem evoked an outpouring of sadness in the tennis world on Friday.The early retirement of Dominic Thiem evoked an outpouring of sadness in the tennis world on Friday.
Rory McIlroy has confirmed he is involved in talks to broker an investment deal with Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth...Rory McIlroy has confirmed he is involved in talks to broker an investment deal with Saudi...Rory McIlroy has confirmed he is involved in talks to broker an investment deal with Saudi...
hal robson-kanu interview
I spotted Hal Robson-Kanu in a smart cafe, furiously typing on a laptop, dressed in a sharp suit and tie, looking every inch the extremely busy businessman — which is exactly what the former Wales forward has become. “I’ve just come from meeting the prime minister,” he says, in order to explain his attire. It is, after all, very rare indeed to bump into a footballer who...I spotted Hal Robson-Kanu in a smart cafe, furiously typing on a laptop, dressed in a sharp suit...I spotted Hal Robson-Kanu in a smart cafe, furiously typing on a laptop, dressed in a sharp suit...
Jürgen Klopp has said he will be on his best behaviour against Aston Villa as he looks to avoid triggering a...Jürgen Klopp has said he will be on his best behaviour against Aston Villa as he looks to avoid triggering a touchline ban for his Anfield farewell. The Liverpool manager has received two bookings this season and a third caution against Unai Emery’s side would mean he would have to sit in the stand for his final...Jürgen Klopp has said he will be on his best behaviour against Aston Villa as he looks to avoid triggering a touchline ban for...
the tailender | patrick kidd
I wrote last week about the 70th anniversary of Roger Bannister’s four-minute mile. He was not the only British...I wrote last week about the 70th anniversary of Roger Bannister’s four-minute mile. He was not...I wrote last week about the 70th anniversary of Roger Bannister’s four-minute mile. He was not...
notebook | martyn ziegler
The government has said that state-backed football clubs will be subject to the same tests as other owners by the new...The government has said that state-backed football clubs will be subject to the same tests as...The government has said that state-backed football clubs will be subject to the same tests as...
women’s fa cup final
If Manchester United Women team are to satisfy Ineos this season, winning the FA Cup final is a necessity. As Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the Ineos chairman, outlined when his group completed its minority investment in the club in February, every United side “must be focused on winning”. However, Marc Skinner’s team have done a fair bit of losing in this campaign. By the time...If Manchester United Women team are to satisfy Ineos this season, winning the FA Cup final is a...If Manchester United Women team are to satisfy Ineos this season, winning the FA Cup final is a...
first t20 international
It is a mark of the pace of the growth of the women’s game that more than 75,000 tickets have been sold for this...It is a mark of the pace of the growth of the women’s game that more than 75,000 tickets have been sold for this summer’s internationals, a figure greater than at this point last year despite the Ashes taking place. This year, England are playing two lower-key series against Pakistan and New Zealand, but momentum in...It is a mark of the pace of the growth of the women’s game that more than 75,000 tickets have been sold for this summer’s...
Savers are boosting their retirement pots amid fears that a Labour government will limit contributions, but there’s no need to be rash, says Ali Hussain
holly mead | deputy money editor
Millions of drivers are seeking compensation after paying hidden commissions, but this will come at a price — for all of us, says Holly Mead
The BBC news anchor Peter Levy lost half his life savings in 15 minutes during a friendly call with a ‘brilliant’ fraudster, he tells Lucy Alderson
Getting on to the ladder in your twenties is hard, but some schemes offer a leg up
the big question
With the qualifying age going up and up, we ask two experts if you should be able to get the benefit sooner if you take a smaller payout
David Brenchley | Investment Eye
Troubleshooter
In June I went to a wedding in Maidstone and the next morning, before leaving the hotel, I went on to the gov.uk...In June I went to a wedding in Maidstone and the next morning, before leaving the hotel, I went...In June I went to a wedding in Maidstone and the next morning, before leaving the hotel, I went...
ask the experts
Q: When my son was born, his grandfather took out some Premium Bonds in his name. It was a thoughtful gift and...Q: When my son was born, his grandfather took out some Premium Bonds in his name. It was...Q: When my son was born, his grandfather took out some Premium Bonds in his name. It was...
interview
The broadcaster on her years of IVF and dealing with the devastating impact of endometriosis
interview
He can’t read a clock face or do up his shoelaces. But Alastair Stewart can still remember what it was like to be one of Britain’s leading broadcasters
interview
The author Sebastian Junger on his battle for survival when an artery ruptured in his abdomen
interview
Prone to suicidal thoughts, the comedian Joe Tracini was diagnosed with the condition ten years ago, but it didn’t make life easier
caitlin moran
As a child, I could list everything my parents owned — that’s how I knew we were poor
interview
In popular science fiction, aliens live on Mars or, as in HG Wells’ War of the Worlds, they are hiding out in Woking, Surrey. Some people even believe their scrawny little bodies are bagged and refrigerated at a CIA black site in the New...In popular science fiction, aliens live on Mars or, as in HG Wells’ War of the Worlds, they...In popular science fiction, aliens live on Mars or, as in HG Wells’ War of the Worlds, they...
what I’ve learnt
interview
There’s a lovely smell in here,” says an eight-year-old boy as he walks up the Downing Street staircase. The kiddos, as Akshata Murty calls them, have taken over No 10. “Maybe don’t poke Larry — he can be snappy,” the prime minister’s wife gently suggests as a girl grabs the cat’s tail. “I just saw Rishi Sunak,” another tells her. “He’s the president of Britain and he’s...There’s a lovely smell in here,” says an eight-year-old boy as he walks up the Downing Street...There’s a lovely smell in here,” says an eight-year-old boy as he walks up the Downing Street...
beta male
My unlikely effort to learn to speak German, you may be surprised to hear, continues in dogged fashion, every Tuesday...My unlikely effort to learn to speak German, you may be surprised to hear, continues in dogged fashion, every Tuesday night in term time. I’ve been at it since mid-September, so almost eight months. From the keen 18 who started out back in the early autumn, we’re down to a hard core of eight survivors, deep in the...My unlikely effort to learn to speak German, you may be surprised to hear, continues in dogged fashion, every Tuesday night in...
Chiara Brown trains her sleeping brain and learns how to lucid dream
There is a pleasure in knowing where you stand — literally. It’s with everyone else, suggests Hugo Rifkind
The tennis star known for her prowess on court could just as easily have been a motocross racer
new
And other tips from Waterside Inn’s chef Alain Roux
How you feel about yourself is key to understanding whether you should have a facial procedure
Typically it takes three or four years to build a superyacht, from laying the keel to delivery. Yet when the Dutch-American entrepreneur Erik Vonk started on his, Tony Blair was in No 10 and Lehman Brothers was thinking long term. Then finally...Typically it takes three or four years to build a superyacht, from laying the keel to delivery.Typically it takes three or four years to build a superyacht, from laying the keel to delivery.
Sometimes when it comes to jewellery, less is more. With big chunky jewels, wearing just one or two pieces screams...Sometimes when it comes to jewellery, less is more. With big chunky jewels, wearing just one or...Sometimes when it comes to jewellery, less is more. With big chunky jewels, wearing just one or...
In the early 14th century the artist Giotto was commissioned to decorate the interior of the Scrovegni chapel in Padua.In the early 14th century the artist Giotto was commissioned to decorate the interior of the...In the early 14th century the artist Giotto was commissioned to decorate the interior of the...
fashion
Buying a vintage watch is exciting — not only because of the old-school design but the history it has witnessed. Imagine, then, how inspiring it would be to glance at your wrist and see a fragment from a heavenly body that’s billions of years old...Buying a vintage watch is exciting — not only because of the old-school design but the history it...Buying a vintage watch is exciting — not only because of the old-school design but the history it...
How do we solve a problem like coral bleaching? Corals are the jewels of the ocean, cradles of biodiversity. They are...How do we solve a problem like coral bleaching? Corals are the jewels of the ocean, cradles of...How do we solve a problem like coral bleaching? Corals are the jewels of the ocean, cradles of...
Modern definitions of luxury have less to do with expense and elitism and more to do with craftsmanship and pleasure.Modern definitions of luxury have less to do with expense and elitism and more to do with...Modern definitions of luxury have less to do with expense and elitism and more to do with...
Life is all about the daily luxuries, really — the things that stop the everyday from becoming mundane. So what can you add to your life right now that will oomph up your routine? Look no further for quotidian delights worth coveting. Hugo Boss’s...Life is all about the daily luxuries, really — the things that stop the everyday from becoming...Life is all about the daily luxuries, really — the things that stop the everyday from becoming...
interview
The actress, 71, on modelling as a young woman and directing films about animal sex
interview
As his crusty cop gets a reboot, the author talks about Scottish politics, social media and Edinburgh noir
art
Snobs sneered at the self-taught artist’s raunchy paintings of larger ladies. Now a new exhibition uncovers her cheeky skill
review | health
This funny and shocking memoir warns that our mental health services are at breaking point
HUGO RIFKIND
The movie star, Oscar winner and theatre maestro was the boss. He had power and he knew it, but did he abuse it?
As Ncuti Gatwa enters the Tardis as the Fifteenth Doctor for his first full series, we take a look back at the best Doctor Who incarnations of the past 60 years
For more than 60 years, the BBC’s sci-fi flagship Doctor Who has ridden a television rollercoaster ride from groundbreaking dizzy highs to crashing cancellation lows, and through myriad showrunners, format changes and reboots. But while shifting sands have tumbled around it, one thing has remained — the Doctor. The time travelling Gallifreyan with two hearts has always...For more than 60 years, the BBC’s sci-fi flagship Doctor Who has ridden a television...For more than 60 years, the BBC’s sci-fi flagship Doctor Who has ridden a television...
video
review
This is a spoiler-free review Doctor Who: Space Babies
★★★☆☆ Doctor Who: The Devil’s Chord
★★★★☆ One of the things...This is a spoiler-free review Doctor Who: Space Babies
★★★☆☆ Doctor Who: The Devil’s Chord
★★★★☆ One of the things that makes Doctor Who so special and beloved by its fans is the constant sense of possibility. And there is no bigger fan than the showrunner Russell T Davies, who has often spoken about those moments...This is a spoiler-free review Doctor Who: Space Babies
★★★☆☆ Doctor Who: The Devil’s Chord
★★★★☆ One of the things that...
REVIEW | art
Review | history
first night review
FiRST NIGHT REVIEW
REVIEW | fiction
review | Rereading
REVIEW | history
review | fiction
my culture fix
My favourite author or book
I’m on a Joan Didion bender. Currently it’s The Year of Magical Thinking. The book I’m reading
I’m always juggling three or four — I need one for the dinner table, one for commuting, one in my ears as I run and one...My favourite author or book
I’m on a Joan Didion bender. Currently it’s The Year of Magical Thinking...My favourite author or book
I’m on a Joan Didion bender. Currently it’s The Year of Magical Thinking...
Television
tELEVISION | STREAMING GUIDE
Television
REVIEW | popular FICTION
Siobhan Murphy reviews the month’s best popular fiction, from romance on Prince Edward Island to an ode to puzzles
Jolene’s marvellously passive-aggressive way of dealing with a soul-sucking office job alongside colleagues she despises is simple. After concocting a suitably anodyne response to a co-worker’s email, she will write what she really thinks of them as a postscript, then white out that text and hit send. When her misdemeanour is uncovered, she’s forced to take an...Jolene’s marvellously passive-aggressive way of dealing with a soul-sucking office job alongside...Jolene’s marvellously passive-aggressive way of dealing with a soul-sucking office job alongside...
CHILDREN’S BOOK OF THE WEEK
Did you know that Frida Kahlo had a dog called Señor Xólotl? Or that Jackson Pollock worked as a statue cleaner? Or...Did you know that Frida Kahlo had a dog called Señor Xólotl? Or that Jackson Pollock worked as a statue cleaner? Or that art competitions were once part of the Olympics? Many people may already be familiar with The Art Book, the first A-Z art dictionary of its kind; a coffee-table tome that minimised academic...Did you know that Frida Kahlo had a dog called Señor Xólotl? Or that Jackson Pollock worked as a statue cleaner? Or that art...
MINDGAMES
MINDGAMES
MindGAMES
MUSIC REVIEWS
health
Men really are hit harder by colds, while women have more gut problems. Peta Bee on the surprising strengths and vulnerabilities that set us apart
first person
Two years ago the chef Ravinder Bhogal lost her baby at 12 weeks. She describes her devastating loss
outside
Jen and Sim Benson on the best dog-friendly walks around National Trust sites, taking in coast, countryside and historic houses
food
Giulia Crouch’s Italian relatives taught her to love pasta and eat in moderation — now science is catching up. Plus seven delicious Italian recipes
first person
More young men are staying at home. One writer explains why … but Charlie Gowans-Eglinton warns he may never grow out of it
JOE SWIFT
There is much debate about when’s best to plant out any tender plants to avoid a cold snap shocking and knocking them back, or even worse, killing them off. Of course, it varies on precisely where you garden in the UK as local climate plays a big part — and we all know it’s been a little temperamental this spring. I was always taught that they are better growing away in...There is much debate about when’s best to plant out any tender plants to avoid a cold snap...There is much debate about when’s best to plant out any tender plants to avoid a cold snap...
gardens
There are some plants that I can’t walk past without rubbing a leaf and taking in its glorious scent. Although we...There are some plants that I can’t walk past without rubbing a leaf and taking in its glorious scent. Although we don’t all love the same smells, who can resist lemon? For me, the stronger the better. When we eat lemon-infused chicken at home it’s always me who finishes up the chunks of cooked fruit. And then there...There are some plants that I can’t walk past without rubbing a leaf and taking in its glorious scent. Although we don’t all...
video
Sail the Mekong, ride the train from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi or flop at a chic resort — these are the country’s most inspiring trips
Jersey’s empty coves, surfing and incredible seafood helped our writer and her teenagers break out of a ten-year family holiday rut
video
Lagoons, lizards, tacos and tequila: this grown-up tour of the Yucatan designed with women over 40 in mind is a great introduction to the country
TRAVEL DOCTOR
Plus: the most family-friendly stay in Lisbon and how to find a hotel in the UK with an accessible pool
A revamped tower in the Pope’s official residence traces the dramatic history of the Borgia family — and is the ideal starting point to soak up Rome’s past
video
Our writer hikes to the top of Morocco’s extraordinary Mount Toubkal a century after a group of French climbers made the first ascent. He’s not ashamed to say that the mountain almost broke him. This is his story. Become a subscriber and,...Our writer hikes to the top of Morocco’s extraordinary Mount Toubkal a century after a group of...Our writer hikes to the top of Morocco’s extraordinary Mount Toubkal a century after a group of...
MindGames
1 Which TV presenter uses the Instagram handle @claudiawinkle? 2 In 2022, a bronze statue of which prime minister was unveiled in Grantham, Lincolnshire? 3 Which Radio 4 quiz has been hosted by Franklin Engelmann, Robert Robinson and Peter Snow? 4...1 Which TV presenter uses the Instagram handle @claudiawinkle? 2 In 2022, a bronze statue of...1 Which TV presenter uses the Instagram handle @claudiawinkle? 2 In 2022, a bronze statue of...
Alexandra Borrelli and David Rowthorn
Alexandra Borrelli, 31, who works in biotech sales and as a private tutor, and David Rowthorn, 38, a software engineer, were married on January 19, 2024, at Cambridge Register Office in Cambridge Alex and David’s dating profiles were a perfect match. They both love dogs, jazz and the saxophone. She worried that they were too alike because opposites are supposed to...Alexandra Borrelli, 31, who works in biotech sales and as a private tutor, and David Rowthorn...Alexandra Borrelli, 31, who works in biotech sales and as a private tutor, and David Rowthorn...
Arlo Grayson William Jacobs was born on March 28, 2024, at Tunbridge Wells Hospital in Kent to Amy Jacobs, 33 Arlo...Arlo Grayson William Jacobs was born on March 28, 2024, at Tunbridge Wells Hospital in Kent to Amy Jacobs, 33 Arlo was Amy’s miracle baby. “I was never a baby-orientated person and I didn’t think I could have children,” she said, “but when I found out I was pregnant I didn’t think the chance would come again.” Her...Arlo Grayson William Jacobs was born on March 28, 2024, at Tunbridge Wells Hospital in Kent to Amy Jacobs, 33 Arlo was Amy’s...
Sunday Times Scotland Primary School League Table
A school in which one in ten pupils come from families working in Scotland’s travelling shows and which was among the first to win a “nurturing award” has come top of the The Sunday Times Primary School League Table 2024. Thorntree Primary School, in Shettleston in the east end of Glasgow...A school in which one in ten pupils come from families working in Scotland’s travelling shows and which was among the first to win a “nurturing award” has come top of the The Sunday Times Primary School League Table 2024. Thorntree Primary School, in Shettleston in the east end of Glasgow...A school in which one in ten pupils come from families working in Scotland’s travelling shows and which was among the first to...
John Swinney has said that Scottish independence can be achieved within five years “because the arguments for it are compelling”. The first minister said that it is the “answer” to the cost of living crisis and Brexit, since these were the result of decisions made in Westminster. Swinney told Sky News: “I think independence can be delivered...John Swinney has said that Scottish independence can be achieved within five years “because the arguments for it are compelling”. The first minister said that it is the “answer” to the cost of living crisis and Brexit, since these were the result of decisions made in Westminster. Swinney told Sky News: “I think independence can be delivered...John Swinney has said that Scottish independence can be achieved within five years “because the arguments for it are compelling”.
Child poverty targets in Scotland will be missed as progress has “stagnated” and key SNP welfare policies have had a limited impact, economists have said. The Fraser of Allander Institute (FAI), at Strathclyde University, said Scottish ministers’ aims to more than halve relative child poverty rates to 10 per cent by...Child poverty targets in Scotland will be missed as progress has “stagnated” and key SNP welfare...Child poverty targets in Scotland will be missed as progress has “stagnated” and key SNP welfare...
A drug dealer who became notorious after abusing a former England rugby coach has been caught running a major...A drug dealer who became notorious after abusing a former England rugby coach has been caught...A drug dealer who became notorious after abusing a former England rugby coach has been caught...
A case of mad cow disease (BSE) has been confirmed on a farm in Ayrshire, Scottish ministers have said. Precautionary...A case of mad cow disease (BSE) has been confirmed on a farm in Ayrshire, Scottish ministers have...A case of mad cow disease (BSE) has been confirmed on a farm in Ayrshire, Scottish ministers have...
scottish business digest
Nothing can prepare you for how many birds you will see on the Isle of May, an untouched nature reserve in the Firth of Forth that’s less than a mile long, writes Ashley Davies
gabriella bennett
A new exhibition in Glasgow, Cultivating Equality by Sophie Gerrard, illustrates the lives of regenerative farmers. I’m nowhere near tough enough to do it
review
Chitra Ramaswamy finds a brother and sister team knocking out fantastically sophisticated yet unpretentious food at the Creel on the harbour
first person
Chitra Ramaswamy on her memoir about pregnancy, Expecting, and how the world has changed ahead of its new edition
Peter Irvine takes you on a tour of dramatic lochside settings, Shakespearean connections and romantic history as he picks his favourite ancient forts and baronial piles
The Times’s Alba restaurant critic Chitra Ramaswamy has eaten all over Edinburgh, from Marchmont noodle bars to Auld...The Times’s Alba restaurant critic Chitra Ramaswamy has eaten all over Edinburgh, from Marchmont...The Times’s Alba restaurant critic Chitra Ramaswamy has eaten all over Edinburgh, from Marchmont...
The Times’s Alba restaurant critic Chitra Ramaswamy has eaten at almost every table in Glasgow, from a kebab shop...The Times’s Alba restaurant critic Chitra Ramaswamy has eaten at almost every table in Glasgow...The Times’s Alba restaurant critic Chitra Ramaswamy has eaten at almost every table in Glasgow...
Comment
Referendums leave us at the mercy of the mob
Matthew Parris
As Catalonia and Quebec show, the ‘will of the people’ is a shifting, nebulous concept that shouldn’t be decided so crudely
JANICE TURNER
The Greens have lost their ‘nice’ tag for good
giles coren
This life on automatic is driving us to ruin
Hilary Rose | notebook
The voodoo magic cure for rosé and white jeans
MATT CHORLEY
Yes of course we’re heading for a hung parliament — there’s just one problem…
WEEKEND ESSAY
The kingmaker in Labour who’s ensuring Keir is no heir to Blair
DOMINIC SANDBROOK
With sex, presidents have a stormy past
Rose Wild | feedback
Wild boars are scary but not an existential threat
Gordon Abington of Angmering, West Sussex, has a suggestion. He says he has lost count of how many times we’ve been...Gordon Abington of Angmering, West Sussex, has a suggestion. He says he has lost count of how...Gordon Abington of Angmering, West Sussex, has a suggestion. He says he has lost count of how...
JIM DIXON | NATURE NOTEBOOK
Brooks and birdsong in Leonardo’s footsteps
The Valdarno, or valley of the river Arno, combines geology, nature and art like no other European valley I know. It...The Valdarno, or valley of the river Arno, combines geology, nature and art like no other...The Valdarno, or valley of the river Arno, combines geology, nature and art like no other...
Leading Articles
Cool and Calculating
The Chinese leader’s flattery of Serbia and Hungary this week may have massaged egos. But he views the world with a cold eye
Back to School
A stubbornly high rate of truancy is a threat to the wellbeing of children and society
Facing the Music
Eden Golan’s courage in standing up to mob intimidation is admirable
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
PM’s zero tolerance for campus antisemitism
newSir, The prime minister is right: we must have zero tolerance for antisemitism (“Rishi Sunak: Hateful antisemitism has no place in universities”, May 8). Yet dismissing the urge to protest over the Gaza war as just an expression of “the very...Sir, The prime minister is right: we must have zero tolerance for antisemitism (“Rishi...Sir, The prime minister is right: we must have zero tolerance for antisemitism (“Rishi...
Daily Universal Register
Briefing
Saturday
UK: The human rights group Liberty holds its annual conference.
Sweden: The grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest takes place in Malmo.
Sunday
UK: The Baftas at the Royal Festival Hall in London; Manchester United take on Tottenham Hotspur in the Women’s FA Cup final at Wembley.
On this day
Saturday
In 1949 Siam officially changed its name to Prathet Thai, or Thailand. The country had been known as Siam until June 1939, when it was changed to Thailand; it was then renamed Siam between 1945 and May 11 1949, before Thailand was adopted; in 1960 Adolf Eichmann, the Nazi SS officer who organised the “final solution of the Jewish question”, was seized by Israeli secret agents in Argentina. On May 31, 1962 he was hanged near Tel Aviv; in 1998 the first euro coin was minted in France, when Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the economy minister, activated the mint printing press; in 2000 Aastha Arora was named as India’s billionth citizen. She was born at Safdarjung hospital in Delhi, one of an estimated 42,000 children born that day in India.
Sunday
In 1820 Florence Nightingale, the English nursing pioneer of the Crimean War, was born. On February 8, 1855, The Times reported: “She is a ‘ministering angel’ without any exaggeration in these hospitals, and as her slender form glides quietly along each corridor every poor fellow’s face softens with gratitude at the sight of her”; in 1994 the Labour Party leader John Smith died after a heart attack, aged 55. Deputy leader Margaret Beckett stood in until an election when Smith was succeeded by Tony Blair, who became prime minister after Labour’s landslide win in 1997; in 1999 the newly elected Scottish parliament met for the first time since the 1707 Act of Union, ahead of its official opening by Queen Elizabeth II on July 1 when it assumed its full set of powers; in 2017 a ransomware cyberattack hit nearly 100 countries, including in the UK, where NHS computer systems were taken offline after hackers demanded money to unfreeze devices.
Nature notes
By UK standards, southern wood ants are huge. Queens can be 12mm long and workers 10mm. This large size led to them being known as horse ants. Often forming teeming colonies of up to half a million individuals, southern wood ant nests are gargantuan mounds of soil, leaves, twigs and conifer needles. Set in sunlit, woodland clearings, some nests are a few metres wide and over a metre high. The species has developed a useful arsenal against attacks from green woodpeckers and badgers. First, their huge mandibles deliver a nasty bite; second, they can spray formic acid into the eyes of assailants; third, they live in such vast numbers that they overcome predators by sheer dint of crawling numbers. Jonathan Tulloch
Jonathan Tulloch
Birthdays
Saturday
Eva Schloss, Holocaust survivor and author, co-founder of the Anne Frank Trust UK, and writer, Eva’s Story: A Holocaust Survivor’s Tale by the Stepsister of Anne Frank, 95; Bill Ackman, hedge fund manager, founder and chief executive officer, Pershing Square Capital Management, 58; Lady Rachel Billington, writer, Clouds of Love and War (2020), 82; Donald Bren, businessman, chairman and owner of the Irvine Company (US property company), 92; Sir Julian Flaux, chancellor of the High Court, lord justice of appeal (2016-21), 69; John Griffith-Jones, chairman, StepChange Debt Charity (2019-Apr 2024), 70; Valerie Grove, journalist and author, A Voyage Round John Mortimer (2007), 78; Dr Robert Jarvik, scientist who developed the first permanent artificial heart, 78; Lord (Narendra) Patel, obstetrician, chancellor, University of Dundee (2006-17), 86; Jeremy Paxman, journalist and broadcaster, University Challenge (1994-2023), Newsnight (1989-2014), 74; Clare Pelham, chief executive, Epilepsy Society, 65; Prof Christopher Perrins, ornithologist, The New Encyclopedia of Birds (2003), warden of the swans in the Royal Household, 89; Valentino, fashion designer, 92; Dame Judith Weir, composer, master of the King’s Music, 70.
Sunday
Rishi Sunak, prime minister, Conservative MP for Richmond (Yorks), 44; Neil Astley, editor, Bloodaxe Books, and author, The End of My Tether (2002), 71; Sir Dominic Cadbury, chairman, the Wellcome Trust (2000-06), Cadbury Schweppes (1993-2000), 84; Dr Michael Dixon, head of the Royal Medical Household and personal doctor to the King, chairman, College of Medicine, NHS Alliance (1998-2015), 72; Sir Terry Farrell, architect, 86; Natalia Galibarenko, head of the mission of Ukraine to Nato, UK (2015-20), 46; Sir Christopher Greenwood, international lawyer, master of Magdalene College, Cambridge, International Court of Justice judge (2009-18), 69; Brian Kay, broadcaster, BBC Radio 2, 3 and 4, conductor, 80; Daniel Libeskind, architect, the Imperial War Museum North, Manchester (2002), 78; Dame Jenni Murray, presenter, Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio 4 (1987-2020), 74; Lord (Chris) Patten of Barnes, chancellor of the University of Oxford, chairman, BBC Trust (2011-14), governor of Hong Kong (1992-97), 80; Dame Rosalind Savill, director, the Wallace Collection (1992-2011), now curator emerita, 73; Dr Miriam Stoppard (Lady Hogg), writer, Bonding with Your Bump (2008), and broadcaster, 87; Sir Nicholas Underhill, lord justice of appeal, vice-president of the Court of Appeal civil division, 72.