The Times & The Sunday Times Homepage
Labour releases 1,700 inmates
updatedViolent criminals released from prison early on Tuesday have said they are “certainly not” rehabilitated and may reoffend. Men jailed for burglaries or serious assaults described a prison system in crisis after leaving HMP Brixton in south London, most after serving only 40 per cent of their sentences. One man, 59, who gave his name only as “Mr T”, told The Times he was...Violent criminals released from prison early on Tuesday have said they are “certainly not”...Violent criminals released from prison early on Tuesday have said they are “certainly not”...
Heavy snorers could be prescribed a daily pill that a study has shown halves their symptoms and helps them sleep...Heavy snorers could be prescribed a daily pill that a study has shown halves their symptoms and helps them sleep soundly through the night. Experts hope the drug, called sulthiame, could provide the first effective medical treatment for millions of snorers, helping to reduce the risk of heart complications and...Heavy snorers could be prescribed a daily pill that a study has shown halves their symptoms and helps them sleep soundly...
The Big question
The triple lock guarantees that state pension payments go up by 2.5 per cent, the rate of inflation or average...The triple lock guarantees that state pension payments go up by 2.5 per cent, the rate of...The triple lock guarantees that state pension payments go up by 2.5 per cent, the rate of...
Valentina Petrillo interview
For Valentina Petrillo, the 51-year-old transgender sprinter, the entrance to the Paralympic village was like a...For Valentina Petrillo, the 51-year-old transgender sprinter, the entrance to the Paralympic...For Valentina Petrillo, the 51-year-old transgender sprinter, the entrance to the Paralympic...
video
Kate speaks of ‘relief’ at completing treatment and says she is focusing on staying ‘cancer-free’
The Princess of Wales has announced with “relief” that she has finished her cancer treatment and looks forward to returning to duties “when I can”. Kate, 42, said: “Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes.” In a personal health update which was released with a new video of the...The Princess of Wales has announced with “relief” that she has finished her cancer treatment and...The Princess of Wales has announced with “relief” that she has finished her cancer treatment and...
video
In Depth
Leaning on her husband’s shoulder as he looks into the distance and gives her hand a reassuring pat, the Princess of...Leaning on her husband’s shoulder as he looks into the distance and gives her hand a reassuring pat, the Princess of Wales has given the most personal insight yet into her life with Prince William and their three children. “You lead the way,” Kate says to her children as she walks through a forest with her young...Leaning on her husband’s shoulder as he looks into the distance and gives her hand a reassuring pat, the Princess of Wales has...
Political sketch
Rachel Reeves swooping down Committee Corridor to address a room full of Labour MPs who are absolutely furious with the party leadership is enough to make you come over all nostalgic. There are more than a handful of Labour MPs who hadn’t even done their GCSEs when Comrades Corbyn and McDonnell used to walk this exact walk: the one that goes across the horrible...Rachel Reeves swooping down Committee Corridor to address a room full of Labour MPs who are...Rachel Reeves swooping down Committee Corridor to address a room full of Labour MPs who are...
For weeks, ministers have taken flak for handing big pay rises to public-sector unions. Now they are under pressure...For weeks, ministers have taken flak for handing big pay rises to public-sector unions. Now they are under pressure to do so for their own aides, as special advisers sign up to a union over their pay and conditions. Advisers in Downing Street and working for cabinet ministers have agreed to join a union en masse...For weeks, ministers have taken flak for handing big pay rises to public-sector unions. Now they are under pressure to do so...
A surrogate mother has secured access to her biological son after a judge intervened in a row over parental rights...A surrogate mother has secured access to her biological son after a judge intervened in a row...A surrogate mother has secured access to her biological son after a judge intervened in a row...
A renowned feminist barrister has accused regulators of sexism as a tribunal ruled that claims she attacked a judge...A renowned feminist barrister has accused regulators of sexism as a tribunal ruled that claims...A renowned feminist barrister has accused regulators of sexism as a tribunal ruled that claims...
New York Fashion Week has delivered some real moments over the past few days, from Ralph Lauren’s extravaganza in the Hamptons to Tommy Hilfiger’s star-studded takeover of what was once the Staten Island Ferry. And there’s one more showman to come...New York Fashion Week has delivered some real moments over the past few days, from Ralph Lauren’s...New York Fashion Week has delivered some real moments over the past few days, from Ralph Lauren’s...
A Scottish fish farm that was supplying salmon to M&S this summer has admitted “unacceptable lapses” after a...A Scottish fish farm that was supplying salmon to M&S this summer has admitted...A Scottish fish farm that was supplying salmon to M&S this summer has admitted...
The Times DIary
Eardrums were bleeding in north London on Sunday as Robert Peston showed his enthusiastic (cough) talents for singing...Eardrums were bleeding in north London on Sunday as Robert Peston showed his enthusiastic (cough)...Eardrums were bleeding in north London on Sunday as Robert Peston showed his enthusiastic (cough)...
video
A woman has been killed in a Ukrainian drone attack near Moscow in the first deadly strike so close to the Russian capital since the start of the war. The 46-year-old died when a drone slammed into a block of flats in Ramenskoye, a town 20 miles from the outskirts of Moscow and just 35 miles from...A woman has been killed in a Ukrainian drone attack near Moscow in the first deadly strike so close to the Russian capital since the start of the war. The 46-year-old died when a drone slammed into a block of flats in Ramenskoye, a town 20 miles from the outskirts of Moscow and just 35 miles from...A woman has been killed in a Ukrainian drone attack near Moscow in the first deadly strike so close to the Russian capital...
Australia is to impose an age limit on those using social media, one of the first of its kind in the world. The limit, yet to be decided but expected to apply to those under 14 or 16, will affect platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat, and be enforced before the next election, which is due by May. Anthony Albanese, the...Australia is to impose an age limit on those using social media, one of the first of its kind in the world. The limit, yet to be decided but expected to apply to those under 14 or 16, will affect platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat, and be enforced before the next election, which is due by May. Anthony Albanese, the...Australia is to impose an age limit on those using social media, one of the first of its kind in the world. The limit, yet to...
Panic over bedbugs erupted in Paris last year after sightings in the Metro and cinemas, but French scientists now claim to have discovered a remedy that eradicates them within 24 hours. The biting insects are notoriously difficult to remove from mattresses and have developed resistance to common pesticides. But a...Panic over bedbugs erupted in Paris last year after sightings in the Metro and cinemas, but...Panic over bedbugs erupted in Paris last year after sightings in the Metro and cinemas, but...
Ever since Petrus was served at the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten in 1947, it has been...Ever since Petrus was served at the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten in 1947...Ever since Petrus was served at the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten in 1947...
A man is suing the seller of a tea supplement called kratom after his 32-year-old wife died from the “harmless herbal...A man is suing the seller of a tea supplement called kratom after his 32-year-old wife died from...A man is suing the seller of a tea supplement called kratom after his 32-year-old wife died from...
Christian Moreno had just downed his second lobster roll when he started to choke. Moreno, 26, one of six competitors...Christian Moreno had just downed his second lobster roll when he started to choke. Moreno, 26...Christian Moreno had just downed his second lobster roll when he started to choke. Moreno, 26...
Tim Burton’s long-awaited horror comedy sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice dominated the US box office over the weekend...Tim Burton’s long-awaited horror comedy sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice dominated the US box...Tim Burton’s long-awaited horror comedy sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice dominated the US box...
Lords’ committee says Sir Keir Starmer must confront ‘painful choices’
Sir Keir Starmer must raise taxes or rein in the state, because not doing so would risk putting Britain “on a path to unsustainable debt” that could trigger Liz Truss-style market crises, a House of Lords committee has warned. The Lords’ economic affairs committee said in a report that the prime...Sir Keir Starmer must raise taxes or rein in the state, because not doing so would risk putting Britain “on a path to unsustainable debt” that could trigger Liz Truss-style market crises, a House of Lords committee has warned. The Lords’ economic affairs committee said in a report that the prime...Sir Keir Starmer must raise taxes or rein in the state, because not doing so would risk putting Britain “on a path to...
The state pension is set to rise by £460 a year from April after the latest official data showed that wages had grown by 4 per cent. Under the so-called triple lock, the state pension goes up each year by either 2.5 per cent, the rate of inflation or average earnings, whichever is the highest figure. The Office for National Statistics...The state pension is set to rise by £460 a year from April after the latest official data showed that wages had grown by 4 per cent. Under the so-called triple lock, the state pension goes up each year by either 2.5 per cent, the rate of inflation or average earnings, whichever is the highest figure. The Office for National Statistics...The state pension is set to rise by £460 a year from April after the latest official data showed that wages had grown by 4 per...
The Spectator has been sold to Sir Paul Marshall for £100 million after a long-running takeover battle for the magazine and its sister Telegraph newspaper titles. Marshall, the financier behind Marshall Wace, the hedge fund, and GB News, the television channel, has bought the magazine after its purchase by an Abu...The Spectator has been sold to Sir Paul Marshall for £100 million after a long-running takeover...The Spectator has been sold to Sir Paul Marshall for £100 million after a long-running takeover...
business commentary
Housing projects often look pretty on the architect’s plan. The “Made” partnership is no exception. The venture...Housing projects often look pretty on the architect’s plan. The “Made” partnership is no exception.Housing projects often look pretty on the architect’s plan. The “Made” partnership is no exception.
comment
Financial markets are on edge. Trading desks around the world have become beholden to single data points about the...Financial markets are on edge. Trading desks around the world have become beholden to single data...Financial markets are on edge. Trading desks around the world have become beholden to single data...
Tens of thousands of students are going straight from university to long-term sickness, after a steep rise in recent years driven by mental health problems. Liz Kendall, the work and pensions secretary, says that “spiralling inactivity is the...Tens of thousands of students are going straight from university to long-term sickness, after a...Tens of thousands of students are going straight from university to long-term sickness, after a...
tempus
Ashtead operates in the notoriously cyclical construction industry, yet its shares have been a steady compounder in...Ashtead operates in the notoriously cyclical construction industry, yet its shares have been a...Ashtead operates in the notoriously cyclical construction industry, yet its shares have been a...
comment
Does it matter that Britain’s national debt could soon reach 100 per cent of its gross domestic product, meaning that...Does it matter that Britain’s national debt could soon reach 100 per cent of its gross domestic...Does it matter that Britain’s national debt could soon reach 100 per cent of its gross domestic...
It’s been the golden rule for finance ministers since Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Louis XIV’s energetic chief tax collector, coined it more than 300 years ago. Pluck the goose in a way that maximises the feathers while minimising the hissing, he advised.It’s been the golden rule for finance ministers since Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Louis XIV’s...It’s been the golden rule for finance ministers since Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Louis XIV’s...
market report
A rebound in the price of copper gave London’s listed miners some much-needed respite, with inflation figures from...A rebound in the price of copper gave London’s listed miners some much-needed respite, with...A rebound in the price of copper gave London’s listed miners some much-needed respite, with...
Revolution Bars has been given a much-needed pick-me-up with the news that Luke Johnson, the hospitality entrepreneur...Revolution Bars has been given a much-needed pick-me-up with the news that Luke Johnson, the...Revolution Bars has been given a much-needed pick-me-up with the news that Luke Johnson, the...
INdustrial Strategy
Artificial intelligence
International Trade
recruitment
The nation’s athletes have been going for gold, clocking up an impressive medal haul at the Paris Olympics and Paralympics. Next week it is the turn of the nation’s trainees and apprentices to do the same at the global WorldSkills competition in Lyon. Held every two years, WorldSkills is the world’s largest international skills contest. Known as the “Skills Olympics”...The nation’s athletes have been going for gold, clocking up an impressive medal haul at the Paris...The nation’s athletes have been going for gold, clocking up an impressive medal haul at the Paris...
recruitment | six from the best
If your children are heading back to primary school this week, it’s likely they’ll be using material from Twinkl.If your children are heading back to primary school this week, it’s likely they’ll be using material from Twinkl. Founded in 2010 by the Oxford alumni and former lawyer Jonathan Seaton, it is a global education resource provider available in 200 countries. Here Seaton shares his lessons on building a business. 1 Be...If your children are heading back to primary school this week, it’s likely they’ll be using material from Twinkl. Founded in...
The Stockport County assistant coach Andy Mangan has lost out on a dream move to Real Madrid after being denied a work permit. The 38-year-old was set to join Carlo Ancelotti’s coaching staff at the Spanish champions but it is understood that due to Brexit regulations his application has been...The Stockport County assistant coach Andy Mangan has lost out on a dream move to Real Madrid after being denied a work permit. The 38-year-old was set to join Carlo Ancelotti’s coaching staff at the Spanish champions but it is understood that due to Brexit regulations his application has been...The Stockport County assistant coach Andy Mangan has lost out on a dream move to Real Madrid after being denied a work permit.
England have selected Jamie Overton as a specialist batsman alongside two other debutants for the first T20 against Australia as they begin the regeneration of the limited-overs sides under the new leadership of Brendon McCullum. Although McCullum does not officially take charge of all three England teams until January, the interim head...England have selected Jamie Overton as a specialist batsman alongside two other debutants for the first T20 against Australia as they begin the regeneration of the limited-overs sides under the new leadership of Brendon McCullum. Although McCullum does not officially take charge of all three England teams until January, the interim head...England have selected Jamie Overton as a specialist batsman alongside two other debutants for the first T20 against Australia...
Such is the dearth of genuine options at left back that whenever an English player produces a good performance or two, their name is mentioned in the same breath as the England starting XI. However, there is something different about Lewis Hall, for whom these references have been a long time coming. The Newcastle...Such is the dearth of genuine options at left back that whenever an English player produces a...Such is the dearth of genuine options at left back that whenever an English player produces a...
Valentina Petrillo interview
jonathan northcroft
Caoimhin Kelleher has voiced his frustration at not being allowed to leave Liverpool in the summer, with the club...Caoimhin Kelleher has voiced his frustration at not being allowed to leave Liverpool in the...Caoimhin Kelleher has voiced his frustration at not being allowed to leave Liverpool in the...
Steve James
Way back in the day when drink had presumably been taken at some of the bigger matches a section of Glamorgan fans...Way back in the day when drink had presumably been taken at some of the bigger matches a section...Way back in the day when drink had presumably been taken at some of the bigger matches a section...
Times sport unseen
This gallery is dedicated to the 4,400 athletes around the world who competed in 549 medal events across 22 sports. The Paralympics are truly awe-inspiring and incredibly humbling. I specifically chose certain events to best showcase their outstanding performances and hope they have an impact and can shift perceptions of disability in society and inspire others. I...This gallery is dedicated to the 4,400 athletes around the world who competed in 549 medal events...This gallery is dedicated to the 4,400 athletes around the world who competed in 549 medal events...
Bill edgar
Harry Kane will become the tenth player to win 100 caps for the England men’s team if he plays against Finland on...Harry Kane will become the tenth player to win 100 caps for the England men’s team if he plays against Finland on Tuesday. Billy Wright was the first – in fact he was the first to make 100 appearances for any nation – followed by Bobby Charlton and Bobby Moore. Between 1973 and 2008 only Peter Shilton reached a...Harry Kane will become the tenth player to win 100 caps for the England men’s team if he plays against Finland on Tuesday.
uefa nations league
MICHAEL GRANT
county championship
Somerset’s hopes of gaining the victory that looks essential to their chances of catching Surrey at the top of...Somerset’s hopes of gaining the victory that looks essential to their chances of catching Surrey...Somerset’s hopes of gaining the victory that looks essential to their chances of catching Surrey...
Racecards BET OF THE DAY Barefoot Warrior (7.00 Newcastle) An eye-catching third on his debut at Thirsk, this gelding...Racecards BET OF THE DAY Barefoot Warrior (7.00 Newcastle) An eye-catching third on his debut at...Racecards BET OF THE DAY Barefoot Warrior (7.00 Newcastle) An eye-catching third on his debut at...
The video released to mark the end of the Princess of Wales’s cancer treatment is groundbreaking
With three theatres in London already, does the UK’s foremost home of new work really need another in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park?
Interview
She couldn’t save her son, but through the suicide prevention centres she set up in his name, is helping men like him. By Helen Rumbelow
The new Disney+ TV series, In Vogue: The 90s, reveals the true extent of Anna Wintour’s influence
Robert Crampton
From Prague to Paris, I’ve always found that a trip to a cemetery is the best way to impress a woman
review
If ever a TV drama earned the right to pat itself on the back it was Mr Bates vs the Post Office. It ignited public support to get Paula Vennells stripped of her CBE and usher in legislation to exonerate wrongly convicted...If ever a TV drama earned the right to pat itself on the back it was Mr Bates vs the Post Office...If ever a TV drama earned the right to pat itself on the back it was Mr Bates vs the Post Office...
Interview
It is 20 years since the classic 2004 rockumentary Dig! shone a light on the chaotic, hilarious, violent world of the...It is 20 years since the classic 2004 rockumentary Dig! shone a light on the chaotic, hilarious...It is 20 years since the classic 2004 rockumentary Dig! shone a light on the chaotic, hilarious...
My Culture fix
The one I always go back to is Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes. It’s about finding your...The one I always go back to is Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes. It’s...The one I always go back to is Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes. It’s...
From grand opera to chamber music, featuring artists including Yunchan Lim, Jonas Kaufmann, Magdalena Kozena and Ivan Fischer, these are the best albums our critics have heard this year, and what they’re listening to this week. What have been your...From grand opera to chamber music, featuring artists including Yunchan Lim, Jonas Kaufmann...From grand opera to chamber music, featuring artists including Yunchan Lim, Jonas Kaufmann...
television
Television
TELEVISION
TELEVISION
TELEVISION
Television
MindGames
Fifteen questions to get you thinking
1 The revolutionary leader Michael Collins said: “Whoever controls Dublin controls…” which country? 2 The publication Mersey Beat (1961-64) focused on the music of which city? 3 Utopia, Limited (1893) is an opera with a libretto by WS Gilbert and music by which composer? 4 In 2000, who became the first person to win the £1 million prize on the British version of Who...1 The revolutionary leader Michael Collins said: “Whoever controls Dublin controls…” which country?1 The revolutionary leader Michael Collins said: “Whoever controls Dublin controls…” which country?
Ask PROFESSOR TANYA BYRON
Lisa Grainger gets a feel of a £27,000 Norwegian eiderdown
The founder of the Aleto Foundation on why his biggest thrill is giving away what he’s learnt and earned
interview
The jeweller and Crayola have teamed up for a colourful jewellery collection
Anna Murphy on why Harvey Nichols was her wonderwall
With the season of misty mornings and mellow afternoons comes apple harvest, so we’ve picked the best orchards for tastings and picnics (and where to stay nearby)
video
Beaches, baroque palaces, tasty tapas and boutique hotels await in one of western Europe’s oldest cities – and it’s sunny through to November
With mountains, lakes, beaches, forests, rivers and even icebergs to choose from, Canada’s beauty spots are a wish list of natural wonders
As the new school term starts, Katie Bowman investigates whether combining her daughter’s curriculum with a family trip will score an A+ or a fail
Private stretches of sand, thalassotherapy treatments, great golf courses and an atmospheric medina await in Hammamet
video
It’s easy to feel envious of the Nordics, with their bike lanes, their social welfare system, the cinnamon buns, the...It’s easy to feel envious of the Nordics, with their bike lanes, their social welfare system, the...It’s easy to feel envious of the Nordics, with their bike lanes, their social welfare system, the...
Commiserations to everyone with kids or a teaching job. Now that the schools have gone back, Spain is at its absolute...Commiserations to everyone with kids or a teaching job. Now that the schools have gone back...Commiserations to everyone with kids or a teaching job. Now that the schools have gone back...
WHERE WAS I? COMPETITION
video
Once-in-a-lifetime adventures can be equal parts exhilarating and expensive. One way to cut costs is to tick off lots of incredible experiences in a single trip — with a cruise. We’ve found the sailings that show off the best of what the world has...Once-in-a-lifetime adventures can be equal parts exhilarating and expensive. One way to cut costs...Once-in-a-lifetime adventures can be equal parts exhilarating and expensive. One way to cut costs...
OBITUARY
Stylist whose painting Special K mused on the Americanisation of British culture and prefigured Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup pictures
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
Weather eye
Kensington Palace
9th September, 2024 The Duke of Kent, President, the Stroke Association, this morning received...Kensington Palace
9th September, 2024 The Duke of Kent, President, the Stroke Association...Kensington Palace
9th September, 2024 The Duke of Kent, President, the Stroke Association...
EARLY in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realise that it was Jesus. He called out to...EARLY in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realise that it was Jesus.EARLY in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realise that it was Jesus.
MindGames and Brain Boost puzzles to print and solve at your leisure
The prime minister has accused the SNP of “walking past” tough financial decisions as pensioners urged him to make a U-turn on slashing the winter fuel payment. Sir Keir Starmer faces the prospect of rebellion from his own benches in a crunch vote on the controversial decision to reduce the...The prime minister has accused the SNP of “walking past” tough financial decisions as pensioners urged him to make a U-turn on slashing the winter fuel payment. Sir Keir Starmer faces the prospect of rebellion from his own benches in a crunch vote on the controversial decision to reduce the...The prime minister has accused the SNP of “walking past” tough financial decisions as pensioners urged him to make a U-turn on...
Support for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK has surged in Scotland with the English nationalist’s party almost neck and neck with the Scottish Conservatives in the race for Holyrood. A poll by Survation found that the Tories would win just 11 per cent of votes on the proportional regional list, which is where most of their MSPs were returned in...Support for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK has surged in Scotland with the English nationalist’s party almost neck and neck with the Scottish Conservatives in the race for Holyrood. A poll by Survation found that the Tories would win just 11 per cent of votes on the proportional regional list, which is where most of their MSPs were returned in...Support for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK has surged in Scotland with the English nationalist’s party almost neck and neck with the...
Sandy Begbie
As chief executive of the trade body representing Scotland’s financial services sector, there are a lot of things you would expect to be asked when meeting potential investors in New York. You would expect to be asked about this country’s globally renowned higher education sector; our expertise in fintech, asset...As chief executive of the trade body representing Scotland’s financial services sector, there are...As chief executive of the trade body representing Scotland’s financial services sector, there are...
FIRST NIGHT | Classical music
Katherine Crawford
I was astonished by the UK government’s decision to scrap the universal winter fuel payment for pensioners and...I was astonished by the UK government’s decision to scrap the universal winter fuel payment for...I was astonished by the UK government’s decision to scrap the universal winter fuel payment for...
Scottish business digest
Hello and welcome to our daily digest of business, financial and economic news from around Scotland. 1. A Scottish...Hello and welcome to our daily digest of business, financial and economic news from around Scotland.Hello and welcome to our daily digest of business, financial and economic news from around Scotland.
Franco Smith knows there is a risk of Glasgow becoming victims of their own success, with a significant number of their best players having had their pre-season shortened by the club going all the way to the URC final on June 22 followed by their...Franco Smith knows there is a risk of Glasgow becoming victims of their own success, with a...Franco Smith knows there is a risk of Glasgow becoming victims of their own success, with a...
Comment
Democracy depends on taming tech giants
William Hague
If freedom of speech is to survive, legions of bots can’t be allowed to churn out divisive disinformation for profit
MELANIE PHILLIPS
Can a father be guilty of the sins of his son?
SARAH DITUM
Ruth Perry tragedy taught us wrong lesson
GILES COREN | NOTEBOOK
Patriots stay put and pay their fair share, Chaz
Anthony Browne
Wealth tax is a flawed concept certain to fail
tomiwa owolade | notebook
Public libraries are precious, they taught me about my neighbours
I can’t imagine my life without libraries. The first one I encountered was in my primary school. I remember the soft red carpet. The books tightly covered by translucent plastic. And the discovery that I quite liked learning things and being...I can’t imagine my life without libraries. The first one I encountered was in my primary school.I can’t imagine my life without libraries. The first one I encountered was in my primary school.
Leading Articles
Cold Comfort
The government’s withdrawal of the winter fuel payment from millions of pensioners in genuine need is both morally questionable and politically inept
Storm Clouds
Britain and America must reaffirm support for Ukraine as a long winter approaches
Gold Rush
As expected, Great Britain’s Paralympians have done their country proud
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Identity cards and effects on illegal migration
Sir, Libby Purves’s article on illegal migrants (“There’s an obvious way to stop the boats”, Sep 9) makes the case for identity cards perfectly. When I lived in Germany and later the Netherlands, in addition to having an ID card you had...Sir, Libby Purves’s article on illegal migrants (“There’s an obvious way to stop the boats”...Sir, Libby Purves’s article on illegal migrants (“There’s an obvious way to stop the boats”...
Daily Universal Register
Briefing
UK: Labour market statistics; Chief inspector of prisons to release annual report; Nations League football: England v Finland (7.45pm).
On this day
In 1067 Lady Godiva died, according to tradition, having risen to fame by riding naked through Coventry. Her husband, Leofric, Earl of Mercia, told her that if she did so he would agree not to raise taxes (the heregeld) imposed by Danish king Canute. Embellishments to the story include the voyeur Peeping Tom; in 1547 the last pitched battle between English and Scottish armies took place at Pinkie Cleugh, near Musselburgh, Scotland, with a decisive victory for the Duke of Somerset’s forces. With Scottish deaths estimated as 6,000, the defeat is known as Black Saturday; in 1797 Mary Wollstonecraft, a women’s rights advocate, died, aged 38, from complications after giving birth to her daughter, the writer Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein (1818); in 1897 George Smith, a London taxi-driver, became the first person to be convicted of drink-driving, after crashing his electric cab into a building. He was fined 20 shillings.
Nature notes
Batesian mimicry is the phenomenon whereby a harmless creature adopts the appearance or behaviour of a venomous, poisonous, noxious or predatory creature as a defence. It is named after Henry Walter Bates, an English naturalist, entomologist and explorer, who first observed it among Amazonian butterflies. Closer to home, Batesian mimicry can be seen in several common species of hoverfly, which resemble bees, wasps and hornets, while the lunar hornet moth is all but indistinguishable from a wasp to the casual observer. There is even a beetle, the wasp beetle, with a yellow and black striped abdomen; it moves in a similar way to a wasp, with quick, jerky movements designed to put off all but the most persistent predator. Melissa Harrison
Melissa Harrison
Birthdays today
Sir Thomas Allen, opera singer, chancellor, Durham University (2011-22), 80; The Rt Rev Dr John Armes, bishop of Edinburgh, 69; Baroness (Lorely) Burt of Solihull, Lib Dem MP (2005-15), 70; Prof Jane Clarke, biophysical chemist, president, Wolfson College, Cambridge, 74; Chris Columbus, film director and producer, the Harry Potter film series, 66; Edmund de Waal, ceramic artist and writer, 60; Baroness (Audrey) Emerton, president, Florence Nightingale Foundation (2014-16), chief commander, St John Ambulance (1998-2002), 89; Colin Firth, actor, The King’s Speech (2010), 64; Liv Garfield, chief executive, Severn Trent (water authority), 49; Judy Geeson, actress, To Sir, with Love (1967), 76; Jack Grealish, footballer, Manchester City and England, 29; David “Diddy” Hamilton, DJ, 86; Richard Harpin, founder and chairman, HomeServe and Growth Partner, 60; Amy Irving, actress, Yentl (1983), 71; Prof Neal Juster, vice-chancellor, University of Lincoln, 63; Sam Kerr, footballer, Chelsea, 31; Marian Keyes, My Favourite Mistake (2024), 61; Dame Shân Legge-Bourke, lord-lieutenant of Powys (1998-2018), 81; Peter Lovesey, writer, The Last Detective (1991), 88; Jack Ma, co-founder of Alibaba (e-commerce group), 60; Eoin Morgan, cricketer, captain of England’s World Cup-winning team (2019), 38; Joe Perry, guitarist, Aerosmith, 74; Sir David Pountney, artistic director, Welsh National Opera (2011-19), 77; Guy Ritchie, film director, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998), The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024), 56; Bill Rogers, golfer, Open champion (1981), 73; Peter Straus, managing director, RCW literary agency, 64; Viscount (John) Thurso, chairman, VisitScotland, MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (2001-15), 71; Prof Janet Todd, literary scholar and author, Don’t You Know There’s a War On? (2020), president, Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge (2008-15), 82.