in depth
Users feel they are ‘cash cows’ as unregulated service moves from advisers to algorithms
newAfter spending more than £1,000 over the past 15 months with GenderGP, an unregulated private clinic, Theo was already feeling less like a patient and more like “a cash cow”. The 20-year-old student, whose name we have changed, is transitioning from female to male, and is among many of his...After spending more than £1,000 over the past 15 months with GenderGP, an unregulated private clinic, Theo was already feeling less like a patient and more like “a cash cow”. The 20-year-old student, whose name we have changed, is transitioning from female to male, and is among many of his...After spending more than £1,000 over the past 15 months with GenderGP, an unregulated private clinic, Theo was already feeling...
The government has stopped giving funding to a disinformation ratings agency that has been condemned for blacklisting gender-critical columnists, according to Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton. The foreign secretary has responded to a letter from Kemi Badenoch, the business secretary, that highlighted “concerning reports” about the Global...The government has stopped giving funding to a disinformation ratings agency that has been condemned for blacklisting gender-critical columnists, according to Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton. The foreign secretary has responded to a letter from Kemi Badenoch, the business secretary, that highlighted “concerning reports” about the Global...The government has stopped giving funding to a disinformation ratings agency that has been condemned for blacklisting...
profiles
When The Times knocked on the door of the modest former home of Dr Helen and Michael Webberley, in Abergavenny, south Wales, this week, the new owner could not provide a forwarding address. But she did complain of frequent visits from bailiffs and debt-collectors looking for the couple, who established the online...When The Times knocked on the door of the modest former home of Dr Helen and Michael Webberley...When The Times knocked on the door of the modest former home of Dr Helen and Michael Webberley...
in charts
Mae Muller’s Eurovision performance last year delivered what the nation has come to expect from our entries: an...Mae Muller’s Eurovision performance last year delivered what the nation has come to expect from...Mae Muller’s Eurovision performance last year delivered what the nation has come to expect from...
FIRST PERSON
When I was accepted last year to do a master’s degree at a prestigious university in London I was excited. Being the...When I was accepted last year to do a master’s degree at a prestigious university in London I was...When I was accepted last year to do a master’s degree at a prestigious university in London I was...
dr mark porter
Margaret Atwood, Sting and Coldplay are among more than a hundred cultural figures who have called for the death sentence on the Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi to be quashed and for his release from prison. A revolutionary court in Salehi’s home town of Isfahan sentenced him to be hanged for supporting anti-regime protests after the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini...Margaret Atwood, Sting and Coldplay are among more than a hundred cultural figures who have...Margaret Atwood, Sting and Coldplay are among more than a hundred cultural figures who have...
DANIEL FINKELSTEIN
I am not a great fan of open letters and petitions. I almost never sign them. Almost every issue is more complicated...I am not a great fan of open letters and petitions. I almost never sign them. Almost every issue is more complicated than it seems at first, and I prefer to express myself in my own words, ones that allow for nuance and recognise the strength of alternative positions. But I was happy to join others in a statement...I am not a great fan of open letters and petitions. I almost never sign them. Almost every issue is more complicated than it...
The Comedy Pet Photography Awards have revealed the top contenders for 2024, from a cat’s misadventure in a wall to a dog striking a kung-fu pose. Founded by the photographers Paul Joynson-Hicks and Tom Sullam, the competition celebrates the joy...The Comedy Pet Photography Awards have revealed the top contenders for 2024, from a cat’s...The Comedy Pet Photography Awards have revealed the top contenders for 2024, from a cat’s...
Teenagers will be told for the first time the actual A-level grades that universities accept for courses rather than just the formal entry requirement, under an overhaul of admissions. The drive by Ucas, the admissions service...Teenagers will be told for the first time the actual A-level grades that universities accept for courses rather than just the formal entry requirement, under an overhaul of admissions. The drive by Ucas, the admissions service...Teenagers will be told for the first time the actual A-level grades that universities accept for courses rather than...
Parents working from home have contributed to an “unacceptable” rise in pupils skipping school on Fridays, the education secretary has said. Gillian Keegan said that 50,000 more pupils were absent at the end of the week...Parents working from home have contributed to an “unacceptable” rise in pupils skipping school on Fridays, the education secretary has said. Gillian Keegan said that 50,000 more pupils were absent at the end of the week...Parents working from home have contributed to an “unacceptable” rise in pupils skipping school on Fridays, the...
THE TIMES DIARY
Like a growing number of black American voters, Roboma Johnson is ending a decades-long family tradition of faithfully supporting the Democratic Party. His vote in the vital swing state of Michigan, where he works for Detroit’s Veterans’ Affairs office, will go to Donald Trump this November.Like a growing number of black American voters, Roboma Johnson is ending a decades-long family tradition of faithfully supporting the Democratic Party. His vote in the vital swing state of Michigan, where he works for Detroit’s Veterans’ Affairs office, will go to Donald Trump this November.Like a growing number of black American voters, Roboma Johnson is ending a decades-long family tradition of faithfully...
The Israeli military will not defeat Hamas by “smashing into Rafah”, the White House said as footage emerged of tanks amassing around the city in the Gaza Strip. While President Biden remains committed to helping Israel “inflict an enduring defeat” on the militant group, “there are better ways to go after what is left of Hamas … than a...The Israeli military will not defeat Hamas by “smashing into Rafah”, the White House said as footage emerged of tanks amassing around the city in the Gaza Strip. While President Biden remains committed to helping Israel “inflict an enduring defeat” on the militant group, “there are better ways to go after what is left of Hamas … than a...The Israeli military will not defeat Hamas by “smashing into Rafah”, the White House said as footage emerged of tanks amassing...
A Miss USA winner raised complaints of sexual harassment and a “toxic work environment” as she handed back her crown, joining two other women associated with the pageant to resign in less than a week. Noelia Voigt, 24, last year’s Miss USA titleholder, became the first in the pageant’s 72-year history to voluntarily...A Miss USA winner raised complaints of sexual harassment and a “toxic work environment” as she...A Miss USA winner raised complaints of sexual harassment and a “toxic work environment” as she...
video
The Pope has renewed his plea to Europeans to have more children, warning that the demographic winter was making the...The Pope has renewed his plea to Europeans to have more children, warning that the demographic...The Pope has renewed his plea to Europeans to have more children, warning that the demographic...
INTERVIEW
Jasmine Hartin has spent the best part of an hour waiting for a judge in Belize to log on to an online court hearing.Jasmine Hartin has spent the best part of an hour waiting for a judge in Belize to log on to an...Jasmine Hartin has spent the best part of an hour waiting for a judge in Belize to log on to an...
video
As Xi Jinping arrived in Hungary on Thursday he was met with open arms. For his host, Viktor Orban, the Chinese president is a willing partner in the face of a hostile EU driving him away from Brussels and toward Beijing. The historic trip — and a flurry of lucrative economic deals — seal the Hungarian prime minister as a key ally for Beijing, in a geopolitical shift...As Xi Jinping arrived in Hungary on Thursday he was met with open arms. For his host, Viktor...As Xi Jinping arrived in Hungary on Thursday he was met with open arms. For his host, Viktor...
Pedro Sánchez, the Spanish prime minister, says that his favourite author is Javier Cercas, who has gained...Pedro Sánchez, the Spanish prime minister, says that his favourite author is Javier Cercas, who has gained international fame with his book Soldiers of Salamis. He may have cause to regret his endorsement now that Cercas, a fellow left-winger, has denounced his policies for Catalonia before the region’s elections...Pedro Sánchez, the Spanish prime minister, says that his favourite author is Javier Cercas, who has gained international fame...
Hunter Biden will go on trial next month after a federal appeals court dismissed his bid to throw out criminal...Hunter Biden will go on trial next month after a federal appeals court dismissed his bid to throw...Hunter Biden will go on trial next month after a federal appeals court dismissed his bid to throw...
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...
IN maps and CHARTS
Turnout vital in Biden-Trump rematch
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. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the economy had “turned a corner” after output rose by 0.6 per cent in the first quarter, better...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. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the economy had “turned a corner” after output rose by 0.6 per cent in the first quarter, better...The UK economy went “gangbusters’ at the start of 2024, growing at the fastest pace in two years and exiting a short recession...
When Gordon Brown unveiled his plan to create individual savings accounts in 1997, the aim was to encourage thrift at a time when saving levels were low. “Half the adult population of our country hardly save at all,” Brown, then chancellor, warned in his inaugural budget. “Through the new Isa we intend to encourage the habit of saving among...When Gordon Brown unveiled his plan to create individual savings accounts in 1997, the aim was to encourage thrift at a time when saving levels were low. “Half the adult population of our country hardly save at all,” Brown, then chancellor, warned in his inaugural budget. “Through the new Isa we intend to encourage the habit of saving among...When Gordon Brown unveiled his plan to create individual savings accounts in 1997, the aim was to encourage thrift at a time...
Jaguar Land Rover has reported best ever profits and expects to do so again this year despite the tricky transition to electric vehicles and lower volumes from the run-off of the current fleet of conventional Jaguar models. The West Midlands company also claimed that £16 billion of its sales went from the UK to the...Jaguar Land Rover has reported best ever profits and expects to do so again this year despite the...Jaguar Land Rover has reported best ever profits and expects to do so again this year despite the...
The Manifesto
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...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...
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...
tempus
The last time Tempus covered Arm, shares in the semiconductor designer traded at an eye-watering price to earnings...The last time Tempus covered Arm, shares in the semiconductor designer traded at an eye-watering...The last time Tempus covered Arm, shares in the semiconductor designer traded at an eye-watering...
The waiting list for Soho House memberships has reached a record high of 102,000 as the glitterati continue to buy into the private members’ club concept. Memberships rose by 10 per cent to almost 262,000 in the first quarter of this year, but are...The waiting list for Soho House memberships has reached a record high of 102,000 as the...The waiting list for Soho House memberships has reached a record high of 102,000 as the...
business commentary
Gordon Ramsay is betting on the continuing return of City workers to the office after announcing plans for the UK’s highest restaurant and bar at 22 Bishopsgate, London. The announcement of the 25,000 sq ft space, which will include an...Gordon Ramsay is betting on the continuing return of City workers to the office after announcing...Gordon Ramsay is betting on the continuing return of City workers to the office after announcing...
Comment | HARRY WALLOP
What was the reason for Manchester United’s 0-4 thrashing by Crystal Palace on Monday? It was a loss that led the...What was the reason for Manchester United’s 0-4 thrashing by Crystal Palace on Monday? It was a...What was the reason for Manchester United’s 0-4 thrashing by Crystal Palace on Monday? It was a...
Comment
The Bank of England has made a big step towards its first interest rate cut in more than four years, reviving the...The Bank of England has made a big step towards its first interest rate cut in more than four...The Bank of England has made a big step towards its first interest rate cut in more than four...
ITV has reported a total fall in sales, as its brighter advertising numbers were pulled down by numbers from its production arm, which was hit by the Hollywood actors and writers strike. Britain’s biggest free-to-air commercial broadcaster...ITV has reported a total fall in sales, as its brighter advertising numbers were pulled down by...ITV has reported a total fall in sales, as its brighter advertising numbers were pulled down by...
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...
James Anderson will end his record-breaking England career at the end of the summer after Brendon McCullum, England’s head coach, told him that the Test team are looking to the future without him. The 41-year-old will be given one last summer and a final home Test match at Old Trafford before his England career comes to an end — in all likelihood sooner than he had hoped.James Anderson will end his record-breaking England career at the end of the summer after Brendon...James Anderson will end his record-breaking England career at the end of the summer after Brendon...
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...
harry thacker interview
The best wave Harry Thacker ever caught was in the Maldives, the first time he rode through a barrel. “It was like, ‘Holy shit, this is happening,’ ” he says. “Time slows down a bit. It is a pretty epic feeling. But it was a few years ago now.” These days, the Bristol Bears hooker tends to jump into his black VW van and head off to the beaches of Croyde or Porthcawl; or...The best wave Harry Thacker ever caught was in the Maldives, the first time he rode through a...The best wave Harry Thacker ever caught was in the Maldives, the first time he rode through a...
GIRO D’ITALIA
File this seventh-stage victory away with Tadej Pogacar’s most astonishing days on a bike — along with the moment...
File this seventh-stage victory away with Tadej Pogacar’s most astonishing days on a bike — along with the moment that divided Slovenia in 2020, when he won the Tour de France from Primoz Roglic on the penultimate day at La Planche des Belles Filles. Pogacar rode to a stunning time-trial victory at the Giro d’Italia...
File this seventh-stage victory away with Tadej Pogacar’s most astonishing days on a bike — along with the moment that divided...
PHIL KENYON INTERVIEW
hal robson-kanu 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.
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...
Brendan foster interview
MANU TUILAGI INTERVIEW
The good news is that, while Manu Tuilagi is soon to take his leave of English rugby, his three-year-old son is just starting to make his way in the game. Leo Tuilagi has begun Rugbytots classes near his home in Manchester, the weekly play...The good news is that, while Manu Tuilagi is soon to take his leave of English rugby, his...The good news is that, while Manu Tuilagi is soon to take his leave of English rugby, his...
Champions League
stuart barnes
As we head into the penultimate round of the Gallagher Premiership season, Bath are three points and three places...As we head into the penultimate round of the Gallagher Premiership season, Bath are three points...As we head into the penultimate round of the Gallagher Premiership season, Bath are three points...
champions league | Ian Hawkey
Six years ago to the day, José Luis Mato Sanmartín, best known as Joselu, made his last visit to Wembley as a player.Six years ago to the day, José Luis Mato Sanmartín, best known as Joselu, made his last visit to...Six years ago to the day, José Luis Mato Sanmartín, best known as Joselu, made his last visit to...
Bill Edgar’s Deep Dive
Europa Conference League
gallagher Premiership guide
Sale Sharks v Leicester Tigers
7.45pm, TNT Sports 1
No bread, no water, just meat. These two squadrons of meat battalions contain more beef than the Drake-Kendrick Lamar saga and are ready to throw hands. Despite being sixth and eighth in...Sale Sharks v Leicester Tigers
7.45pm, TNT Sports 1
No bread, no water, just meat. These...Sale Sharks v Leicester Tigers
7.45pm, TNT Sports 1
No bread, no water, just meat. These...
The director grew up watching vintage Powell and Pressburger films and became a close friend of Michael Powell — he salutes the maestro who influenced him
Will the winner be Georgia’s Nutsa, Lithuania’s Belt or Croatia’s Baby Lasagna? Ed Potton rates the 2024 contestants ahead of tomorrow’s final
first person
The young may be amused when she smokes and swears but the writer’s big regret is that she can’t afford any new vices
FIRST PERSON
As Gaza demos are held on UK campuses, Eliana Silver shares her own experience
food
Not until my early twenties did I hear anyone talk about food as if it were a bad thing —something to be controlled, restricted or divided into moral and immoral camps. Although everybody in my family loves food, it was from my nonna that I took my biggest culinary inspiration. Her cooking was the quietly masterful kind that can take nothing much and turn it into...Not until my early twenties did I hear anyone talk about food as if it were a bad thing...Not until my early twenties did I hear anyone talk about food as if it were a bad thing...
Jane MacQuitty
The vast sweep of Languedoc-Roussillon that hugs the Mediterranean coast from the Pyrenees in the west right round to...The vast sweep of Languedoc-Roussillon that hugs the Mediterranean coast from the Pyrenees in the west right round to the Rhône in the east — commonly called Le Midi — is home to some of the most exciting and best-value wines that France produces. The canny fifth-generation Midi winemaker Jean-Claude Mas claims he...The vast sweep of Languedoc-Roussillon that hugs the Mediterranean coast from the Pyrenees in the west right round to the Rhône...
Richard Morrison
It’s not just the change, it’s the pace of the change that seems overwhelming. Only 25 years ago Britain had 13...It’s not just the change, it’s the pace of the change that seems overwhelming. Only 25 years ago...It’s not just the change, it’s the pace of the change that seems overwhelming. Only 25 years ago...
review
Mention the word Britpop and a few things come to mind: Union Jacks, Mini Coopers, the laddish bonhomie of Oasis, the...Mention the word Britpop and a few things come to mind: Union Jacks, Mini Coopers, the laddish...Mention the word Britpop and a few things come to mind: Union Jacks, Mini Coopers, the laddish...
video
review
Now on its tenth instalment, this cynical ‘coming of ape’ movie about a teen primate in postapocalyptic California is a symptom of an expiring franchise
Review
The star of Challengers and The Crown is compelling as a moody archaeologist
video
review
The screenwriting is terrible in this story directed by the star’s 22-year-old son Damian, but it is compelling
video
review
The film’s amoral central characters are the perfect protagonists to explore the smug materialism of the Nineties
video
review
The Australian star is at times almost unwatchable in this uneven melodrama about two couples
REVIEW | FICTION
review
For a seven-time Grammy Award winner, Kacey Musgraves sure kept it simple on her first UK tour for six years. No screens, no costume changes — just a great band, fun banter and beautiful songs. The country superstar has never been fond of fuss, but her sixth album, Deeper Well, released in March, is among her most sonically sparse. Much of it made the set list...For a seven-time Grammy Award winner, Kacey Musgraves sure kept it simple on her first UK tour...For a seven-time Grammy Award winner, Kacey Musgraves sure kept it simple on her first UK tour...
first night review
Which venue has the edge in the summer Shakespeare stakes? Over at the Globe, you can bask in a winning version of...Which venue has the edge in the summer Shakespeare stakes? Over at the Globe, you can bask in a winning version of Much Ado About Nothing that is much more relaxed and conventional than most of that establishment’s usual fare. Meanwhile, across town, the director Owen Horsley unveils a vision of Illyria which...Which venue has the edge in the summer Shakespeare stakes? Over at the Globe, you can bask in a winning version of Much Ado...
first night review
FiRST NIGHT REVIEW
Viewing GUide
Television
MindGames
1 There are 8,760 hours in one calendar common what? 2 Blind Pew is a sinister pirate in which novel by Robert Louis Stevenson? 3 Which Asian country outlawed the Falun Gong movement as an “evil cult” in 1999? 4 Which Tory statesman’s opposition to Catholic emancipation led to him being nicknamed “Orange Peel”? 5 Which hard black mineral is the most abundant fossil fuel...1 There are 8,760 hours in one calendar common what? 2 Blind Pew is a sinister pirate in which...1 There are 8,760 hours in one calendar common what? 2 Blind Pew is a sinister pirate in which...
Lisa Grainger steps into the rooftop eyrie of the capital’s first luxury eco-hotel
Patek Philippe’s Rare Handcraft collection features examples of artisanal skill that will blow your mind
The more elaborate and beautiful the better. Peter Howarth reports
Tumbled with fresh petals or intricate and tiered: whatever your preference these are the top bakers to consult
video
julia Samuel
The psychotherapist addresses your dilemmas
video
It’s a hardened, weary soul who doesn’t get just a little bit excited when Ferrari pulls the covers off a new car. In the time-honoured maxim, out goes the old and in comes the new; we dispense with the 812 Superfast and gain the Ferrari 12Cilindri.It’s a hardened, weary soul who doesn’t get just a little bit excited when Ferrari pulls the...It’s a hardened, weary soul who doesn’t get just a little bit excited when Ferrari pulls the...
A 35-minute train ride from Portugal’s capital, cool Cascais has exciting new restaurants, stylish hotels, and creativity at every turn
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
We’ve picked out the ultimate historic fortresses to roam around, from Devon to the Highlands — plus some lovely places to stay the night nearby
video
With its striking looks, volcanic setting and artistic roots, César Lanzarote is already attracting a stylish crowd
You’ve got to work a little harder to get to Granada than some other Andalusian spots but the flamenco, tapas and Alhambra make a weekend getaway worth the effort
video
‘It’s coming,” says Jared Soleyn, our guide for an energetic three-hour morning trek through the Vermont Nature Trail...‘It’s coming,” says Jared Soleyn, our guide for an energetic three-hour morning trek through the...‘It’s coming,” says Jared Soleyn, our guide for an energetic three-hour morning trek through the...
Kathy Lette | Travel Troubleshooter
Q. I’m happily married and planning a fun short break to Las Vegas with a very close friend to celebrate our...Q. I’m happily married and planning a fun short break to Las Vegas with a very close friend...Q. I’m happily married and planning a fun short break to Las Vegas with a very close friend...
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...
weather eye
TASTE and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Psalm 34.8 (NIV) Bible verses are...TASTE and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Psalm 34.8 (NIV)...TASTE and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Psalm 34.8 (NIV)...
Buckingham Palace
9th May, 2024 The King, Colonel-in-Chief, Corps of Royal Engineers, this morning visited 3...Buckingham Palace
9th May, 2024 The King, Colonel-in-Chief, Corps of Royal Engineers, this...Buckingham Palace
9th May, 2024 The King, Colonel-in-Chief, Corps of Royal Engineers, this...
MindGames and Brain Boost puzzles to print and solve at your leisure
How lenders are using weather to stall fixed rates
Neil Bouette transformed a 19th-century barn into a fun space complete with pool table, gym and a giant shark
A look inside London’s first custom development, where the buyers have relished developing empty shells
Estate agents can’t recall such a dreary start to the selling season. Plus, how to sell your home in poor weather
A first look at the carmaker’s ‘Bond villain lair’ luxe skyscraper, which comes with a rare Vulcan supercar worth more than $3 million
The days getting longer and the weather finally catching up can mean only one thing: it’s time to go alfresco. Whether your outdoor space is a balcony in Bedford or a patio in Petersfield, you can conjure up an exotic setting with the help of some...The days getting longer and the weather finally catching up can mean only one thing: it’s time to...The days getting longer and the weather finally catching up can mean only one thing: it’s time to...
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...
A case of mad cow disease (BSE) has been confirmed on a farm in Ayrshire, Scottish ministers have said. Precautionary movement restrictions have been put in place at the farm of the animal’s origin and two further places where animals have access to the same food. BSE is a fatal brain disease that affects cattle. Thousands of cows were...A case of mad cow disease (BSE) has been confirmed on a farm in Ayrshire, Scottish ministers have said. Precautionary movement restrictions have been put in place at the farm of the animal’s origin and two further places where animals have access to the same food. BSE is a fatal brain disease that affects cattle. Thousands of cows were...A case of mad cow disease (BSE) has been confirmed on a farm in Ayrshire, Scottish ministers have said. Precautionary movement...
first person
When my son was a few weeks old I started writing my first book. My milk came in and, finally, so did the words. Neither came easy at first, but a decade on I wonder if the difficulty, frustration, tenderness, and the damn constraints were what birthed the book. That I wrote not in spite of the pram in the hall...When my son was a few weeks old I started writing my first book. My milk came in and, finally...When my son was a few weeks old I started writing my first book. My milk came in and, finally...
scottish business digest
One of the country’s grandest Georgian properties has been saved from collapse and dereliction after a multimillion pound rescue package was unveiled. Mavisbank House, on the outskirts of Edinburgh, was built in the 1720s as a summer residence for Sir John Clerk of Penicuik, a judge, politician and composer, a little more than a decade after he had been a signatory to...One of the country’s grandest Georgian properties has been saved from collapse and dereliction...One of the country’s grandest Georgian properties has been saved from collapse and dereliction...
Alex Massie | political sketch
Patrick Harvie has never been accused of suffering from a surfeit of grace. The co-leader of the Green Party can...Patrick Harvie has never been accused of suffering from a surfeit of grace. The co-leader of the Green Party can hardly be expected to welcome or embrace his relegation to the backbenches but it is evident that time has not yet soothed his hurt feelings and injured pride. Nor will it for some months yet. John...Patrick Harvie has never been accused of suffering from a surfeit of grace. The co-leader of the Green Party can hardly be...
gabriella bennett
This week I celebrate my second anniversary working on a vegetable farm in rural Perthshire. I say working, but...This week I celebrate my second anniversary working on a vegetable farm in rural Perthshire. I...This week I celebrate my second anniversary working on a vegetable farm in rural Perthshire. I...
A 65-year-old man has gone on trial accused of killing a former teacher from Fettes College in Edinburgh and dumping...A 65-year-old man has gone on trial accused of killing a former teacher from Fettes College in...A 65-year-old man has gone on trial accused of killing a former teacher from Fettes College in...
SCOTTISH BUSINESS DIGEST
Comment
This life on automatic is driving us to ruin
Giles Coren
When the manual gearbox goes the way of dial phones, axes and the washing up, we’ll lose another slice of daily artistry
WEEKEND ESSAY
The kingmaker in Labour who’s ensuring Keir is no heir to Blair
DOMINIC SANDBROOK
With sex, presidents have a stormy past
MATT CHORLEY
Yes of course we’re heading for a hung parliament — there’s just one problem…
I might be wrong, but hear me out. Is it just possible that when the No 10 pollster Isaac Levido told Tory MPs this...I might be wrong, but hear me out. Is it just possible that when the No 10 pollster Isaac Levido...I might be wrong, but hear me out. Is it just possible that when the No 10 pollster Isaac Levido...
patrick maguire
Elphicke is symbol of Starmer’s new mantra
It has just gone noon in the House of Commons and an MP who owes their livelihood to Boris Johnson’s 2019 landslide...It has just gone noon in the House of Commons and an MP who owes their livelihood to Boris...It has just gone noon in the House of Commons and an MP who owes their livelihood to Boris...
emma duncan
We need to axe red tape to get Britain building
gerard baker
Even the US right draws the line at shooting puppies
martin Samuel | notebook
Politics is spared the full Monty — for now
Sajid Javid
People with ME have been ignored for far too long
Leading Articles
Strange Bedfellows
Natalie Elphicke’s defection from the Conservatives to Labour is a strategic coup for Sir Keir Starmer, but his anxious MPs must be reassured it doesn’t come at a price
No Brainer
Ucas’s publication of actual A-level grades accepted by universities is welcome
Clinging to the Nest
Young people still living at home are being denied a rite of passage into adult life
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Starmer’s acceptance of renegade Tory
Sir, Charlie Elphicke’s misdeeds in office proved him to be unworthy of selection as an MP, and when his wife was “shunted in” to replace him my concerns were summarily dismissed by my local Conservative association. Despite this, I remained a...Sir, Charlie Elphicke’s misdeeds in office proved him to be unworthy of selection as an MP, and...Sir, Charlie Elphicke’s misdeeds in office proved him to be unworthy of selection as an MP, and...
Daily Universal Register
Briefing
UK: ONS publishes quarterly estimate of GDP for the UK, as well as index of production, overseas trade statistics and index of services; Duke of Edinburgh Scheme Gold Award reception is held at Buckingham Palace for young people who have achieved the gold standard; the Prince of Wales visits the Isles of Scilly; FA Youth Cup final takes place in Manchester.
France: Anti-Slavery Day marks the abolition of slavery in France and its former empire.
On this day
In 1940 Winston Churchill replaced Neville Chamberlain as prime minister. Chamberlain had been forced to resign over a disastrous military campaign in Norway; in 1941 Rudolf Hess, deputy leader of the Nazi Party, parachuted into Scotland in an apparent attempt to negotiate a peace deal, but was arrested and imprisoned. He died in 1987; in 1969 the ten-day Battle of Dong Ap Bia (Hamburger Hill) started during the Vietnam War. US and South Vietnamese forces launched an assault on Hill 937, held by the Viet Cong; in 1994 Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as the first black president of South Africa after the victory of his African National Congress party. Mandela had spent 27 years as a political prisoner for his campaign to end white minority rule. He died on December 5, 2013; in 1998 members of Sinn Fein, the political wing of the IRA, voted to accept the Good Friday peace agreement.
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 today
Dennis Bergkamp, footballer, Holland (1990-2000) and Arsenal (1995-2006), 55; Bono, singer, U2, The Joshua Tree (1987), 64; Barbara Taylor Bradford, author, A Woman of Substance (1979), 91; Edward Cadogan, Earl Cadogan, chairman, Cadogan Group (property portfolio focused on Chelsea and Knightsbridge, west London), 58; Sir Bill Cash, Conservative MP for Stone, shadow attorney-general (2001-03), 84; Donovan, singer-songwriter, Mellow Yellow (1966), 78; Jonathan Edwards, triple jump world record holder and Olympic gold medallist (2000), 58; Linda Evangelista, model, 59; John Fredriksen, oil tanker and shipping tycoon, 80; Diarmuid Gavin, garden designer, Chelsea Flower Show gold medal (2011), 60; Sir Christopher Gent, chief executive, Vodafone (1997-2003), chairman, GlaxoSmith-Kline (2005-15), 76; Lucinda Lambton, writer, Palaces for Pigs (2011), photographer and broadcaster, 81; Dame Maureen Lipman, actress, Educating Rita (1983), Coronation Street (2002, since 2018), 78; Chloë McCardel, holder of the record for the number of cross-Channel swims (44), 39; David Mackenzie, film director, Perfect Sense (2011), 58; Dave Mason, singer-songwriter and guitarist, Traffic, Feelin’ Alright (1968), 78; Anna Maxwell Martin, actress, Bleak House (2005), 47; Antonio Neri, president and chief executive, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, 57; Ellen Ochoa, astronaut, director of the Johnson Space Center (2013-18), 66; Baroness (Charlotte) Owen of Alderley Edge, special adviser to Boris Johnson (2021-22), 31; Sally Phillips, actress, Smack the Pony (1999-2001), 54; Wolfgang Porsche, chairman of the supervisory board, Porsche AG, 81; Miuccia Prada, fashion designer, 75; Roberto Quarta, chairman, WPP Group, 75; Jon Ronson, journalist and author, The Men Who Stare at Goats (2004), 57; Venetia Williams, racehorse trainer, 64; Debbie Wiseman, composer for the King’s coronation, 61.