Rishi Sunak has used the first televised debate of the election campaign to claim that Labour will raise taxes by £2,000 while Sir Keir Starmer accused the prime minister of “living in a different world”. In a fractious debate, Starmer accused Sunak of being “ashamed” of the past 14 years of...Rishi Sunak has used the first televised debate of the election campaign to claim that Labour will raise taxes by £2,000 while Sir Keir Starmer accused the prime minister of “living in a different world”. In a fractious debate, Starmer accused Sunak of being “ashamed” of the past 14 years of...Rishi Sunak has used the first televised debate of the election campaign to claim that Labour will raise taxes by £2,000 while...
High noons so often aren’t. Head-to-heads become not a duel between two lone individuals, but a battle between two briefing teams: crews who, after days of preparation and rehearsal, each send in their exhausted proxy, head so stuffed with lines-to-take that definition blurs. From time to time this debate descended into over-prepared stuffing.High noons so often aren’t. Head-to-heads become not a duel between two lone individuals, but a battle between two briefing teams: crews who, after days of preparation and rehearsal, each send in their exhausted proxy, head so stuffed with lines-to-take that definition blurs. From time to time this debate descended into over-prepared stuffing.High noons so often aren’t. Head-to-heads become not a duel between two lone individuals, but a battle between two briefing...
The next election will be Nigel Farage’s eighth attempt to enter the House of Commons. Regardless of what happens in Clacton, it could be his most influential Westminster campaign yet. For more than a year, opinion polls have shown support for the Conservatives squeezed on the left by Labour and on the right by...The next election will be Nigel Farage’s eighth attempt to enter the House of Commons. Regardless...The next election will be Nigel Farage’s eighth attempt to enter the House of Commons. Regardless...
interview
‘I hate fashion,” the fashion designer Agnès b says, speaking so quietly that her voice is close to a whisper, her...‘I hate fashion,” the fashion designer Agnès b says, speaking so quietly that her voice is close...‘I hate fashion,” the fashion designer Agnès b says, speaking so quietly that her voice is close...
First person
My daughter, Allegra, has just graduated from Georgetown University in Washington DC where she has spent the past...My daughter, Allegra, has just graduated from Georgetown University in Washington DC where she...My daughter, Allegra, has just graduated from Georgetown University in Washington DC where she...
POLITICAL SKETCH
The self-installed leader of Reform UK returns to Clacton’ to meet the adoring fans who followed his lead to a glorious Brexit
A race row has broken out at Oxford, with its ousted president-elect accusing the Oxford Union of Islamophobia. Three...A race row has broken out at Oxford, with its ousted president-elect accusing the Oxford Union of...A race row has broken out at Oxford, with its ousted president-elect accusing the Oxford Union of...
Marylebone Cricket Club members have called for Stephen Fry’s suspension after he lambasted the establishment for...Marylebone Cricket Club members have called for Stephen Fry’s suspension after he lambasted the...Marylebone Cricket Club members have called for Stephen Fry’s suspension after he lambasted the...
When they were last seen in public, the Cavalry horses Trojan and Vida were galloping manically through the streets of London covered in blood and crashing into traffic. Just weeks later, the military working horses are nearing a return to duties...When they were last seen in public, the Cavalry horses Trojan and Vida were galloping manically...When they were last seen in public, the Cavalry horses Trojan and Vida were galloping manically...
A man accused of murdering a personal trainer and injuring another woman on a Bournemouth beach will stand trial in...A man accused of murdering a personal trainer and injuring another woman on a Bournemouth beach...A man accused of murdering a personal trainer and injuring another woman on a Bournemouth beach...
THE TIMES DIARY
As the party leaders prepared for the election debate, one of Ed Miliband’s former advisers told Sky that sometimes...As the party leaders prepared for the election debate, one of Ed Miliband’s former advisers told...As the party leaders prepared for the election debate, one of Ed Miliband’s former advisers told...
A Hamas operation in Turkey is trying to direct terrorist attacks within Israel, including an alleged suicide bomb plot that was foiled this week, Israeli intelligence officials claim. Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security agency, said it had arrested Anas Shurman, a Jordanian citizen of...A Hamas operation in Turkey is trying to direct terrorist attacks within Israel, including an alleged suicide bomb plot that was foiled this week, Israeli intelligence officials claim. Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security agency, said it had arrested Anas Shurman, a Jordanian citizen of...A Hamas operation in Turkey is trying to direct terrorist attacks within Israel, including an alleged suicide bomb plot that...
President Biden has suggested that Binyamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, is prolonging the war in Gaza for his own political reasons. In remarks likely to increase tensions between the US and Israel, Biden’s comments in an interview for Time magazine were made a few days before he took the unusual step of going public with the...President Biden has suggested that Binyamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, is prolonging the war in Gaza for his own political reasons. In remarks likely to increase tensions between the US and Israel, Biden’s comments in an interview for Time magazine were made a few days before he took the unusual step of going public with the...President Biden has suggested that Binyamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, is prolonging the war in Gaza for his own...
When she stands up to address judges in Florence on Wednesday, Amanda Knox will hope it is the very last court appearance she ever has to make in Italy. The hearing marks nine years since she was acquitted of murdering the British student Meredith Kercher after four years in an Italian jail and five trials that...When she stands up to address judges in Florence on Wednesday, Amanda Knox will hope it is the...When she stands up to address judges in Florence on Wednesday, Amanda Knox will hope it is the...
In 2018, after 2,000 film fans spent four hours climbing 600 metres to watch Tom Cruise’s new film on the top of a sheer cliff in Norway, the star was impressed. Reaching the top of Preikestolen or Pulpit Rock was no mean feat, said Cruise at the...In 2018, after 2,000 film fans spent four hours climbing 600 metres to watch Tom Cruise’s new...In 2018, after 2,000 film fans spent four hours climbing 600 metres to watch Tom Cruise’s new...
Duolingo has removed references to gay people on the Russian version of its language learning app after threats from...Duolingo has removed references to gay people on the Russian version of its language learning app...Duolingo has removed references to gay people on the Russian version of its language learning app...
The US was due to close its border with Mexico on Tuesday after President Biden signed an executive order severely...The US was due to close its border with Mexico on Tuesday after President Biden signed an...The US was due to close its border with Mexico on Tuesday after President Biden signed an...
photography
An exhibition in London this summer explores the work of the Mexican photographer, Graciela Iturbide, whose black and white images offer a unique perspective on her country’s society and culture. Iturbide, widely considered one of Latin America’s...An exhibition in London this summer explores the work of the Mexican photographer, Graciela...An exhibition in London this summer explores the work of the Mexican photographer, Graciela...
Don’t mention the royals or politics, stock up on tea bags and talk about the weather is the advice to France’s hospitality industry as it prepares to welcome British holidaymakers ahead of this summer’s Olympics. In a video that seeks to explain...Don’t mention the royals or politics, stock up on tea bags and talk about the weather is the...Don’t mention the royals or politics, stock up on tea bags and talk about the weather is the...
The right-hand man of the Czech tycoon seeking to pull off the £3.6 billion takeover of Royal Mail’s parent company has met union bosses in an attempt to convince them of the merits of the deal. Roman Silha, who heads mergers and acquisitions for EP Group’s investments, sought to reassure the...The right-hand man of the Czech tycoon seeking to pull off the £3.6 billion takeover of Royal Mail’s parent company has met union bosses in an attempt to convince them of the merits of the deal. Roman Silha, who heads mergers and acquisitions for EP Group’s investments, sought to reassure the...The right-hand man of the Czech tycoon seeking to pull off the £3.6 billion takeover of Royal Mail’s parent company has met...
Trafigura has settled a lawsuit brought by the Reuben brothers, the property and metals billionaires, over a cargo of nickel sold to them that was part of a high-profile fraud. The Swiss commodities business is still dealing with the fallout of a scam after it announced last year that it had discovered there was no nickel in some of the...Trafigura has settled a lawsuit brought by the Reuben brothers, the property and metals billionaires, over a cargo of nickel sold to them that was part of a high-profile fraud. The Swiss commodities business is still dealing with the fallout of a scam after it announced last year that it had discovered there was no nickel in some of the...Trafigura has settled a lawsuit brought by the Reuben brothers, the property and metals billionaires, over a cargo of nickel...
Not since the global financial crisis 15 years ago have UK stock market investors valued commercial property companies so lowly. On average, shares in London-listed landlords are trading at a 24 per cent discount to their net asset value (NAV), the latest estimate of what their buildings are worth, Morningstar data...Not since the global financial crisis 15 years ago have UK stock market investors valued...Not since the global financial crisis 15 years ago have UK stock market investors valued...
business commentary
Some Czechs don’t bounce. The notion that Daniel Kretinsky will drown the posties in debt, imperilling the finances...Some Czechs don’t bounce. The notion that Daniel Kretinsky will drown the posties in debt...Some Czechs don’t bounce. The notion that Daniel Kretinsky will drown the posties in debt...
tempus
Unilever is one of the biggest consumer goods businesses in the world, but in recent years and by its own chief...Unilever is one of the biggest consumer goods businesses in the world, but in recent years and by...Unilever is one of the biggest consumer goods businesses in the world, but in recent years and by...
Protesters with banners saying “Fink Again Larry” and wheelbarrows full of pretend sacks of cash gathered outside the London offices of BlackRock, the world’s largest fund manager, calling on Larry Fink, the chief executive, to cancel Ghana’s debt.Protesters with banners saying “Fink Again Larry” and wheelbarrows full of pretend sacks of cash...Protesters with banners saying “Fink Again Larry” and wheelbarrows full of pretend sacks of cash...
DAVID SMITH
Don’t turn the page yet, fearing that this is an “oh no, not another one” piece about the election. It is, but not...Don’t turn the page yet, fearing that this is an “oh no, not another one” piece about the election.Don’t turn the page yet, fearing that this is an “oh no, not another one” piece about the election.
COMMENT
I am a lifelong supporter of the principles of free enterprise, endeavour and reward for hard work. Until now, I have...I am a lifelong supporter of the principles of free enterprise, endeavour and reward for hard work.I am a lifelong supporter of the principles of free enterprise, endeavour and reward for hard work.
Publishers that depend on search traffic for their income will be “devastated” by the rise of artificial intelligence chatbots, senior media executives have warned. Rich Caccappolo, the chief executive of DMG Media, said: “If you don’t have direct...Publishers that depend on search traffic for their income will be “devastated” by the rise of...Publishers that depend on search traffic for their income will be “devastated” by the rise of...
katie prescott
More than a decade ago, jazzy television adverts encouraged Britons to “SWITCH!” their bank accounts to a different...More than a decade ago, jazzy television adverts encouraged Britons to “SWITCH!” their bank...More than a decade ago, jazzy television adverts encouraged Britons to “SWITCH!” their bank...
market report
If there’s anything that investors in Carnival crave, then presumably it’s a spell of plain sailing. In which case...If there’s anything that investors in Carnival crave, then presumably it’s a spell of plain sailing.If there’s anything that investors in Carnival crave, then presumably it’s a spell of plain sailing.
need to know
Recruitment
RECRUITMENT
We spend billions of pounds each year designing and upgrading our homes, but should the same care and attention be lavished on our workplaces? The average UK employee spends 90,000 hours in their workplace, but more than half of staff claim their offices are “uninspiring”. With the post-pandemic battle to encourage staff to return to the office still raging, a...We spend billions of pounds each year designing and upgrading our homes, but should the same care...We spend billions of pounds each year designing and upgrading our homes, but should the same care...
SIX FROM THE BEST
In 1989 aged 23, Wayne Griffiths approached Audi and persuaded it to hire him, before driving from Manchester to...In 1989 aged 23, Wayne Griffiths approached Audi and persuaded it to hire him, before driving from Manchester to Ingolstadt in southern Germany to start work. He is now chief executive of Seat and Cupra, one of Europe’s fastest-growing automotive brands. Here are his tips to drive your career forward. 1 Be brave....In 1989 aged 23, Wayne Griffiths approached Audi and persuaded it to hire him, before driving from Manchester to Ingolstadt in...
Claim may help club see off 115 charges
exclusiveManchester City have launched an unprecedented legal action against the Premier League in a move that has sparked civil war in English football’s top flight. The dispute, which has become a battle between the most powerful clubs in the country, will be settled after a two-week private arbitration hearing starting on Monday. The outcome could dramatically alter the...Manchester City have launched an unprecedented legal action against the Premier League in a move...Manchester City have launched an unprecedented legal action against the Premier League in a move...
owen slot
It is but 2½ weeks since we were digesting the reality that Manchester City had won their fourth consecutive Premier...It is but 2½ weeks since we were digesting the reality that Manchester City had won their fourth consecutive Premier League title and thus established themselves as statistically the most dominant club in English football history. That is not enough, though. This latest news tells us that from this position of...It is but 2½ weeks since we were digesting the reality that Manchester City had won their fourth consecutive Premier League...
RICK BROADBENT | NOAH LYLES INTERVIEW
euro 2024 | Jonathan Northcroft
Ten years ago the Japanese broadcaster NHK delved into why Xavi and Andrés Iniesta were such special footballers.Ten years ago the Japanese broadcaster NHK delved into why Xavi and Andrés Iniesta were such...Ten years ago the Japanese broadcaster NHK delved into why Xavi and Andrés Iniesta were such...
FRENCH OPEN
Novak Djokovic’s disappointing season took another significant turn for the worse on Tuesday when he was forced to...Novak Djokovic’s disappointing season took another significant turn for the worse on Tuesday when...Novak Djokovic’s disappointing season took another significant turn for the worse on Tuesday when...
t20 world cup | simon wilde
England’s defence of their T20 World Cup crown got off to a damp and frustrating start here when their Group B game against Scotland was rained off with only ten overs bowled. Scotland’s openers George Munsey and Michael Jones, unfazed by Mark...England’s defence of their T20 World Cup crown got off to a damp and frustrating start here when...England’s defence of their T20 World Cup crown got off to a damp and frustrating start here when...
Women’s Euro 2025 Qualifier
Euro 2024 | group A guide
After a strong qualifying campaign during which they beat Spain, Steve Clarke’s Scotland side face a tough group that includes Germany, the hosts and three-times winners, as well as an improved Hungary side. Constantin Eckner, German football expert (@cc_eckner) World Ranking 16
Previous best Champions (1972, 1980, 1996)
Odds 9-2 What’s the coach, Julian...After a strong qualifying campaign during which they beat Spain, Steve Clarke’s Scotland side...After a strong qualifying campaign during which they beat Spain, Steve Clarke’s Scotland side...
euro 2024 | group b guide
The former champions Spain and Italy join Croatia and Albania in group B, with the latter appearing at a European...The former champions Spain and Italy join Croatia and Albania in group B, with the latter appearing at a European Championship for only the second time. Here are the experts’ views of the four teams. Karlo Ledinski, sport editor of Vecernji list World ranking 10
Previous best Quarter-finals (1996, 2008)
Odds ...The former champions Spain and Italy join Croatia and Albania in group B, with the latter appearing at a European Championship...
euro 2024 | group c guide
euro 2024 | group d guide
Euro 2024 | Group E guide
euro 2024 | group f guide
EURO 2024 | James Gheerbrant
‘I was thinking of nothing,” Andreas Brehme recalled of the moments before he scored the 85th-minute penalty that won the 1990 World Cup final for West Germany. No single kick could be so fraught with anxiety and freighted with consequence, yet...‘I was thinking of nothing,” Andreas Brehme recalled of the moments before he scored the...‘I was thinking of nothing,” Andreas Brehme recalled of the moments before he scored the...
elgan alderman
When the students of Haverford College boarded their flight at Heathrow on Thursday, a slice of cricket history returned to Pennsylvania with them. As the United States hosts a T20 World Cup at grounds in Florida, New York and Texas, followed by...When the students of Haverford College boarded their flight at Heathrow on Thursday, a slice of...When the students of Haverford College boarded their flight at Heathrow on Thursday, a slice of...
ben machell
With Euro 2024 kicking off on June 14, we select our international dream(boat) team
Hilary Rose
For years she has apparently been hiding her true self. Come off it, says Hilary Rose
From blatant misogyny to sexual assault, women are speaking out about the toxic male agricultural scene
interview
Agnès b may be a champagne socialist with rock star connections and an art collection, but the designer has experienced poverty and abuse
On Friday “the most exclusive wedding of the year” is happening in Chester. The Duke of Westminster (the richest...On Friday “the most exclusive wedding of the year” is happening in Chester. The Duke of...On Friday “the most exclusive wedding of the year” is happening in Chester. The Duke of...
a life in the day
Roux was born in Kent, the son of the French chef Albert Roux. After leaving school at 16 he trained in France before...Roux was born in Kent, the son of the French chef Albert Roux. After leaving school at 16 he...Roux was born in Kent, the son of the French chef Albert Roux. After leaving school at 16 he...
video
review
As we creep closer to half a century of Star Wars it’s clear that, as cosmic metaphysical powers go, the Force is problematic. Sure, if you have it within you you can do anything: raise a crashed spaceship out of a lake, use your lightsaber to...As we creep closer to half a century of Star Wars it’s clear that, as cosmic metaphysical powers...As we creep closer to half a century of Star Wars it’s clear that, as cosmic metaphysical powers...
video
first night review
gardening
COMMENT
British art institutions responded to the Black Lives Matter movement with “kneejerk” and “stopgap” solutions. So...British art institutions responded to the Black Lives Matter movement with “kneejerk” and...British art institutions responded to the Black Lives Matter movement with “kneejerk” and...
Ask the experts
Q. My wife and I are keen to cash in on the high interest rates on offer, but are a bit nervous about locking away...Q. My wife and I are keen to cash in on the high interest rates on offer, but are a bit nervous...Q. My wife and I are keen to cash in on the high interest rates on offer, but are a bit nervous...
first night review
FIRST NIGHT REVIEW
first night review
FIRST NIGHT REVIEW
Viewing GUide
TELEVISION
Television
Television
MindGames
1 The butter in chicken Kiev is usually seasoned with parsley and which member of the onion family? 2 Pliny the Younger wrote two letters to Tacitus about the eruption of which Italian volcano? 3 In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, where is it “always winter, but never Christmas”? 4 Which late Strictly Come Dancing co-host was knighted in 2011? 5 The...1 The butter in chicken Kiev is usually seasoned with parsley and which member of the onion family?1 The butter in chicken Kiev is usually seasoned with parsley and which member of the onion family?
travel
These gorgeous hotels and apartments are all contenders for an Olympic gold
julia samuel
The psychotherapist addresses your dilemmas
Corby Castle has its own medieval tower and salmon river
Rachel Church on the jewellery gallery with back stories more extravagant than the exhibits
Chiara Brown trains her sleeping brain and learns how to lucid dream
video
Do you like the sound of a golden zipper as it eases open a leather Louis Vuitton suitcase? What about the feeling of a cool string of Tasaki pearls hitting your palm, the pearls lightly tapping against each other? Does the sound of an Hermès...Do you like the sound of a golden zipper as it eases open a leather Louis Vuitton suitcase? What...Do you like the sound of a golden zipper as it eases open a leather Louis Vuitton suitcase? What...
video
The Duke of Westminster and Olivia Henson will marry this week in Chester. But are its ancient walls and pretty streets worth the hype? Our writer visits to find out
Trainspotters, get excited: these are the rail-inspired stays to know about, featuring a bar made from ticket booths and an old passenger carriage by a beach
video
Cycladic architecture, Greek food and clear sea — the only thing missing is the caldera. This luxury new resort (almost) transports you to the romantic isle
Major airports will miss this summer’s deadline to install 3D security scanners, although some airports including London City and Birmingham are already using the new technology
video
Thanks to the Champions League final and the Euros this summer, Dortmund is attracting new crowds – and there’s plenty more than football to enjoy in this powerhouse
Over the past 20 years of holidaying in Puglia, I’ve witnessed mass tourism hit the heel. I’m not complaining: I love...Over the past 20 years of holidaying in Puglia, I’ve witnessed mass tourism hit the heel. I’m not...Over the past 20 years of holidaying in Puglia, I’ve witnessed mass tourism hit the heel. I’m not...
kathy lette | travel troubleshooter
Q. My daughter often goes for long weekends away with my wife — and I feel left out. Their relationship gets closer...Q. My daughter often goes for long weekends away with my wife — and I feel left out. Their...Q. My daughter often goes for long weekends away with my wife — and I feel left out. Their...
video
In Sweden there are six million bicycles among ten million inhabitants — making it one of the world’s best places to saddle up. Simon Parker takes on a challenging but beautiful 400-mile gravel bike route in the west of the country that takes in...In Sweden there are six million bicycles among ten million inhabitants — making it one of the...In Sweden there are six million bicycles among ten million inhabitants — making it one of the...
Obituary
Obituary | Video
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
MindGames and Brain Boost puzzles to print and solve at your leisure
Patients ‘falsely reassured’ after not being called back due to low screening threshold
Four in ten patients who return a positive bowel cancer test are not being followed up due to a lack of capacity in the NHS to investigate, a surgeon has warned. Professor Farhat Din told MSPs she was seeing patients with the disease who had been “falsely reassured” because they had received no...Four in ten patients who return a positive bowel cancer test are not being followed up due to a lack of capacity in the NHS to investigate, a surgeon has warned. Professor Farhat Din told MSPs she was seeing patients with the disease who had been “falsely reassured” because they had received no...Four in ten patients who return a positive bowel cancer test are not being followed up due to a lack of capacity in the NHS to...
Labour is attempting to pin the SNP’s Westminster leader down in his Aberdeen constituency by targeting the northeast of Scotland. Senior Labour figures will spend the coming days outside the party’s key target seats in the central belt and west of the country, and some figures believe that previously written-off constituencies are now in...Labour is attempting to pin the SNP’s Westminster leader down in his Aberdeen constituency by targeting the northeast of Scotland. Senior Labour figures will spend the coming days outside the party’s key target seats in the central belt and west of the country, and some figures believe that previously written-off constituencies are now in...Labour is attempting to pin the SNP’s Westminster leader down in his Aberdeen constituency by targeting the northeast of Scotland.
Kenny Farquharson | comment
In 1987 the celebrated Scottish journalist Ian Jack published a book of essays called Before the Oil Ran Out. In the preface he wrote about the declining output from the North Sea that was apparent even then. He wondered how this would come to be seen by Scots in the 21st century. He wrote: “By the early years...In 1987 the celebrated Scottish journalist Ian Jack published a book of essays called Before the...In 1987 the celebrated Scottish journalist Ian Jack published a book of essays called Before the...
Jason Leitch, the national clinical director who resigned from the Scottish government amid controversy over his...Jason Leitch, the national clinical director who resigned from the Scottish government amid...Jason Leitch, the national clinical director who resigned from the Scottish government amid...
SNP ministers have been urged to explain how much money will be “poured down the drain” by a failure to spend...SNP ministers have been urged to explain how much money will be “poured down the drain” by a...SNP ministers have been urged to explain how much money will be “poured down the drain” by a...
A property investor has revealed new designs for a house he plans to build on the site of a Highland cottage once owned by Jimmy Savile. The paedophile television presenter lived at Allt-na-Reigh in Glen Coe from 1998 until his death in 2011. The...A property investor has revealed new designs for a house he plans to build on the site of a...A property investor has revealed new designs for a house he plans to build on the site of a...
Scrapping peak train fares across Scotland has not led to a surge in rail travel, according to new data, but ministers say they remain supportive of the policy. A report by Transport Scotland found growing numbers of passengers...Scrapping peak train fares across Scotland has not led to a surge in rail travel, according to new data, but ministers say they remain supportive of the policy. A report by Transport Scotland found growing numbers of passengers...Scrapping peak train fares across Scotland has not led to a surge in rail travel, according to new data, but...
Women are being put off joining Police Scotland due to high levels of misogyny in the force, a union has warned, as figures reveal the gender split has widened consistently over the past two years. Despite being given a larger...Women are being put off joining Police Scotland due to high levels of misogyny in the force, a union has warned, as figures reveal the gender split has widened consistently over the past two years. Despite being given a larger...Women are being put off joining Police Scotland due to high levels of misogyny in the force, a union has warned, as...
Scottish business digest
t20 world cup | simon wilde
England’s defence of their T20 World Cup crown got off to a damp and frustrating start here when their Group B game against Scotland was rained off with only ten overs bowled. Scotland’s openers George Munsey and Michael Jones, unfazed by Mark...England’s defence of their T20 World Cup crown got off to a damp and frustrating start here when...England’s defence of their T20 World Cup crown got off to a damp and frustrating start here when...
Comment
Nigel Farage is the continuity chaos candidate
Daniel Finkelstein
Reform leader is standing against ‘boring’ politics but Britain needs stability, not the further disarray he would bring
ALICE THOMSON
There’s a careful plan behind Ed Davey’s japes
ROGER BOYES
China is beginning to see Russia as a bad bet
MATTHEW PARRIS
Why waste national service on the young?
NICK CARTER
D-Day reminds us the nation must be ready to go to war
Leading Articles
Delaying Action
Sir Keir Starmer says that he will be strong on defence. Yet Labour refuses to say when its promise to spend 2.5 per cent of GDP on the armed forces will materialise
Modi’s Mistake
The BJP has failed India’s poor and been punished at the polls accordingly
Bon Appétit
For fine dining when you cross the Channel, keep going
letters to the editor
‘Local’ MPs and the need for global leadership
Sir, William Hague is right that MPs who spend all their time dealing with potholes and bin collections are unlikely to be effective overseers of legislation or have a detailed grasp of international issues (“ ‘Local’ MPs can’t give leadership we...Sir, William Hague is right that MPs who spend all their time dealing with potholes and bin...Sir, William Hague is right that MPs who spend all their time dealing with potholes and bin...
Daily Universal Register
Briefing
UK: On the eve of D-Day’s 80th anniversary, a national commemoration — the King and Queen to attend — at Southsea Common, Portsmouth; Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders publishes latest car sales figures.
On this day
In 1806 Napoléon’s brother Louis was declared king of the newly formed Kingdom of Holland; in 1873 the last permanent slave market in east Africa closed, after the British government forced Sultan Barghash to end slavery in Zanzibar (Tanzania). In 1879 UK missionaries built a cathedral on the site, and in 1890 the country became a British protectorate. In 2013 a heritage centre to the abolition of slavery was created where once 70,000 slaves a year were traded; in 1916 Lord (Horatio Herbert) Kitchener, the secretary of state for war, died when HMS Hampshire struck a German mine and sank in less than 20 minutes off the coast of Orkney. There were 12 survivors, with 737 lives lost. Kitchener was on a diplomatic mission to Russia; in 1967 the Six-Day War began in the Middle East, with Israel launching Operation Focus, a surprise aerial attack on Egypt.
Nature notes
Who could expect an Edinburgh tram to drop you at one of Britain’s premier birding sites? As the passengers alighted at Leith, the tram bell still ringing in their ears, they heard a strange, almost comic sound from the adjacent docks. It was the rolling, cooing ar-ooo call made by displaying eider ducks, though the human travellers could be forgiven for thinking that someone in the nearby flats was watching an old Frankie Howerd film, so similar is the eider call to the sound that he used to make on hearing a double entendre. These hefty sea ducks are one of our wildest, but here in the Port of Leith they swim around the docks like mallards on a boating lake. Jonathan Tulloch
Jonathan Tulloch
Birthdays today
Laurie Anderson, musician and performance artist, 77; Moira Anderson, singer, Stars on Sunday (1969-79), 86; Martha Argerich, pianist, 83; John Carlos, athlete, 1968 US Olympic bronze medallist who, with Tommie Smith, gave the Black Power salute on the medal podium, 79; Dame Margaret Drabble, author, A Summer Birdcage (1963), The Dark Flood Rises (2016), 85; Earl of Dundee, chairman, Council of Europe education committee, 75; Alex Ellis, diplomat, UK ambassador-designate to Spain, UK high commissioner to India (2021-24), 57; Ken Follett, novelist, The Pillars of the Earth (1989), 75; Baroness (Claire) Fox of Buckley, founder and director, Institute of Ideas think tank, 64; Dame Elizabeth Gloster, lady justice of appeal (2013-18), the first woman to be a judge of the Commercial Court, 75; Kenny G, saxophonist, Duotones (1986), 68; Sir David Hare, playwright, Teeth ’n’ Smiles (1975), and screenwriter, The Reader (2008), 77; Chris Hill, chief executive, Hargreaves Lansdown (2017-23, financial services), 53; Ven Andrew Hillier, chaplain of the Fleet and archdeacon of the Royal Navy, 56; Simon Hopkinson, restaurateur, chef and writer, Simon Hopkinson Cooks (2013), 70; Adam Kamani, businessman, co-founder of PrettyLittleThing (fashion retailer) and chief executive of Kamani Property Group, 35; Dame Siobhan Keegan, lady chief justice of Northern Ireland, 53; Very Rev David Monteith, dean of Canterbury, 56; Phil Neale, cricketer, captain of Worcestershire (1982-91), 70; Ross Noble, comedian, 48; Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, president of Equatorial Guinea (since 1979), 82; Salil Parekh, chief executive and managing director, Infosys (information technology), 60; Nigel Rees, author, founder and host, BBC Radio 4 programme Quote … Unquote (1976-2021), 80; Lord (Jeff) Rooker, Labour MP (1974-2001), chairman, Food Standards Agency (2009-13), 83; Richard Stone, royal portrait painter, 73; Mark Wahlberg, actor, The Fighter (2010), 53; David Weir, wheelchair athlete, six-time Paralympic gold medallist (2008, 2012) and eight-time London Marathon winner, 45; Lord (Ed) Vaizey of Didcot, Times Radio presenter, Conservative MP for Wantage (2005-19), culture and the digital economy minister (2014-16), 56.