The Times & The Sunday Times Homepage
The U-turn follows a night of protest
liveSouth Korea’s cabinet has agreed to lift martial law, the country’s Yonhap News Agency reported. The decision came less than an hour after the president announced he would back down on his original decision. According to the AFP news agency, people outside South Korea’s National Assembly celebrated within moments of hearing that the martial law order had been rescinded.South Korea’s cabinet has agreed to lift martial law, the country’s Yonhap News Agency reported.South Korea’s cabinet has agreed to lift martial law, the country’s Yonhap News Agency reported.
It took only two years for South Korea’s conservative president, Yoon Suk-yeol, to learn the limits of his power.It took only two years for South Korea’s conservative president, Yoon Suk-yeol, to learn the limits of his power. After winning the presidency in 2022 with a vow to strengthen the country’s alliance with the United States and deal “sternly” with North Korea — bringing to an end five years of engagement with...It took only two years for South Korea’s conservative president, Yoon Suk-yeol, to learn the limits of his power. After winning...
times christmas appeal
christmas appeal
Nick Hewer, the former adviser on the BBC series The Apprentice, has recalled how he was first “duped” by...Nick Hewer, the former adviser on the BBC series The Apprentice, has recalled how he was...Nick Hewer, the former adviser on the BBC series The Apprentice, has recalled how he was...
dr mark porter
Over the decades that I have been a GP, I don’t think there has been a single week when I haven’t seen at least one...Over the decades that I have been a GP, I don’t think there has been a single week when I haven’t...Over the decades that I have been a GP, I don’t think there has been a single week when I haven’t...
Legal experts warn that the proposed reforms are too onerous and will not achieve better conditions
Bernie Ecclestone is selling his collection of 69 motor-racing cars, which have been valued at about £300 million, a year after he pleaded guilty to tax fraud. The billionaire former boss of Formula 1 agreed to pay HM Revenue & Customs more than...Bernie Ecclestone is selling his collection of 69 motor-racing cars, which have been valued at...Bernie Ecclestone is selling his collection of 69 motor-racing cars, which have been valued at...
Researchers in Oxford have deciphered part of a Roman papyrus scroll that was turned into a lump of carbon when Mount...Researchers in Oxford have deciphered part of a Roman papyrus scroll that was turned into a lump...Researchers in Oxford have deciphered part of a Roman papyrus scroll that was turned into a lump...
the times diary
A new book about Winston Churchill, charting his appearances in The Times, has been edited by James Owen to coincide...A new book about Winston Churchill, charting his appearances in The Times, has been edited by...A new book about Winston Churchill, charting his appearances in The Times, has been edited by...
Opposition parties prepare for confidence vote
President Macron is already casting around for a new prime minister to replace Michel Barnier, whose government is set to be toppled this week. The administration’s collapse would leave France facing a political crisis unlike anything it has experienced in six decades. Macron, who is due...President Macron is already casting around for a new prime minister to replace Michel Barnier, whose government is set to be toppled this week. The administration’s collapse would leave France facing a political crisis unlike anything it has experienced in six decades. Macron, who is due...President Macron is already casting around for a new prime minister to replace Michel Barnier, whose government is set to be...
It was not the 8,000-mile journey across the wild Pacific that thwarted the drug smugglers in the end, nor the £400 million ambition of their crime, but rather a faulty motor on a fishing boat when they were just a few miles offshore. An attempt to land the largest known shipment of cocaine to Australia was foiled on Saturday when an...It was not the 8,000-mile journey across the wild Pacific that thwarted the drug smugglers in the end, nor the £400 million ambition of their crime, but rather a faulty motor on a fishing boat when they were just a few miles offshore. An attempt to land the largest known shipment of cocaine to Australia was foiled on Saturday when an...It was not the 8,000-mile journey across the wild Pacific that thwarted the drug smugglers in the end, nor the £400 million...
Interview
It was somewhere between the third and fourth child that Catherine Pakaluk had a revelation. “There was this sense that, ‘Oh, this isn’t getting any harder, in fact, maybe it’s getting easier’,” she mused on motherhood. “I can only describe it like an athlete getting a high when they’re at peak performance. The...It was somewhere between the third and fourth child that Catherine Pakaluk had a revelation.It was somewhere between the third and fourth child that Catherine Pakaluk had a revelation.
video
When the newly elected President Macron met Donald Trump in 2017, he gripped his American counterpart’s hand in a white-knuckle handshake that appeared to parody Trump’s own habit of crushing other leaders’ fingers. Macron described it as a...When the newly elected President Macron met Donald Trump in 2017, he gripped his American...When the newly elected President Macron met Donald Trump in 2017, he gripped his American...
For more than a century, Miss America beauty pageants have been a cornerstone of American popular culture. From the tiaras to the talent performances, few competitions have held such a nostalgic grip on the public’s imagination. However, ugly...For more than a century, Miss America beauty pageants have been a cornerstone of American popular...For more than a century, Miss America beauty pageants have been a cornerstone of American popular...
After boarding a flight in Oregon on the eve of Thanksgiving in 1971, a passenger named Dan Cooper ordered a bourbon and soda before calmly informing the air hostess he had a bomb in his briefcase. The plane landed in Seattle, where the...After boarding a flight in Oregon on the eve of Thanksgiving in 1971, a passenger named Dan...After boarding a flight in Oregon on the eve of Thanksgiving in 1971, a passenger named Dan...
Company appoints a ‘chief restructuring officer’ to oversee its attempts to recapitalise the business
The Conservative Party treasurer has emerged as the leading candidate to rescue the stricken Thames Water in return for a major shareholding. Graham Edwards is part of a consortium also including Castle Water, the leading beneficiary of liberalisation of the sector, and the billionaire Pears family.The Conservative Party treasurer has emerged as the leading candidate to rescue the stricken Thames Water in return for a major shareholding. Graham Edwards is part of a consortium also including Castle Water, the leading beneficiary of liberalisation of the sector, and the billionaire Pears family.The Conservative Party treasurer has emerged as the leading candidate to rescue the stricken Thames Water in return for a major...
Elon Musk has lost an attempt to receive a $56 billion compensation package, despite the backing of Tesla shareholders. A Delaware judge declined on Monday to reinstate the record-breaking pay deal, which was rescinded in a January ruling. Musk, the Tesla chief executive who has become an adviser to Donald Trump, the president-elect...Elon Musk has lost an attempt to receive a $56 billion compensation package, despite the backing of Tesla shareholders. A Delaware judge declined on Monday to reinstate the record-breaking pay deal, which was rescinded in a January ruling. Musk, the Tesla chief executive who has become an adviser to Donald Trump, the president-elect...Elon Musk has lost an attempt to receive a $56 billion compensation package, despite the backing of Tesla shareholders. A...
The European Union risks being stuck with a 30 per cent income growth gap with the United States unless it pursues deeper market integration or takes in new eastern member states, the International Monetary Fund has said. In its latest regional outlook for the continent, the IMF said the GDP per capita income gap...The European Union risks being stuck with a 30 per cent income growth gap with the United States...The European Union risks being stuck with a 30 per cent income growth gap with the United States...
mehreen khan
Donald Trump will not be formally inaugurated as US president until January 20 but his policy intentions are already...Donald Trump will not be formally inaugurated as US president until January 20 but his policy...Donald Trump will not be formally inaugurated as US president until January 20 but his policy...
TRACEY BOLES | business commentary
Businesses have a lot to grapple with at the moment from the ramifications of the budget, to the opportunities (and...Businesses have a lot to grapple with at the moment from the ramifications of the budget, to the...Businesses have a lot to grapple with at the moment from the ramifications of the budget, to the...
A Commons committee has warned that the two-year delay in reforming the UK’s official labour market statistics is a “major blow” that could lead the Bank of England and the government into making “misinformed” decisions about the economy. Dame Meg...A Commons committee has warned that the two-year delay in reforming the UK’s official labour...A Commons committee has warned that the two-year delay in reforming the UK’s official labour...
in depth
As Britain entered a cold snap on a frosty November morning, gas-fired power plants were turned up, providing almost half of the country’s electricity supply. Without enough energy storage, less windy weather than usual is one reason for the...As Britain entered a cold snap on a frosty November morning, gas-fired power plants were turned...As Britain entered a cold snap on a frosty November morning, gas-fired power plants were turned...
david wighton
Donald Trump’s determination to shake up the US Department of Defense doesn’t stop at his nomination of the former...Donald Trump’s determination to shake up the US Department of Defense doesn’t stop at his...Donald Trump’s determination to shake up the US Department of Defense doesn’t stop at his...
Lauren Almeida | tempus
Just over half of British households keep a furry or scaly friend, which means the FTSE 250 retailer Pets at Homecan...Just over half of British households keep a furry or scaly friend, which means the FTSE 250...Just over half of British households keep a furry or scaly friend, which means the FTSE 250...
Private Equity
health and wellbeing
RECRUITMENT
The sector generates £343 billion in annual turnover and is already a bigger player than telecoms
Black Friday may be the nation’s busiest shopping day, but it’s also the most frantic for data processing and collection too. In the UK alone, hundreds of millions of “data validation requests” are generated by shoppers browsing websites, using contactless travel, scrolling social media and paying online. Every single one requires a team of data experts to make it...Black Friday may be the nation’s busiest shopping day, but it’s also the most frantic for data...Black Friday may be the nation’s busiest shopping day, but it’s also the most frantic for data...
SIX FROM THE BEST
As the UN attempts to end the globe’s plastic addiction at the Busan treaty talks in South Korea, Sarah Perreard is...As the UN attempts to end the globe’s plastic addiction at the Busan treaty talks in South Korea, Sarah Perreard is focused on turning sustainability into a catalyst for success. As co-chief executive of the Swiss research consultancy EA Earth Action, she helps global corporations transition to the circular economy.As the UN attempts to end the globe’s plastic addiction at the Busan treaty talks in South Korea, Sarah Perreard is focused on...
Crystal Palace captain appears to ignore a reminder from the governing body by wearing armband reading “Jesus loves you”
updatedMarc Guéhi has run the risk of an Football Association charge after appearing to ignore a reminder from the governing body about religious messages on his captain’s armband. The Crystal Palace and England defender wore a rainbow armband saying “Jesus loves you” during the match away to Ipswich...Marc Guéhi has run the risk of an Football Association charge after appearing to ignore a reminder from the governing body about religious messages on his captain’s armband. The Crystal Palace and England defender wore a rainbow armband saying “Jesus loves you” during the match away to Ipswich...Marc Guéhi has run the risk of an Football Association charge after appearing to ignore a reminder from the governing body...
The RFU president Rob Udwin has called an emergency council meeting for December 18 in the face of a grassroots revolt against the union’s under-fire senior leaders Bill Sweeney and Tom Ilube. There are growing attempts among council members and the 1,849 community member clubs to call for a vote of no confidence in the RFU leadership, to...The RFU president Rob Udwin has called an emergency council meeting for December 18 in the face of a grassroots revolt against the union’s under-fire senior leaders Bill Sweeney and Tom Ilube. There are growing attempts among council members and the 1,849 community member clubs to call for a vote of no confidence in the RFU leadership, to...The RFU president Rob Udwin has called an emergency council meeting for December 18 in the face of a grassroots revolt against...
The double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel has broken his right shoulder blade as well as a hand and rib after crashing during a training ride in his native Belgium. The force of the crash snapped his bike in two — with local media reports suggesting the 24-year-old struck the open door of a postal vehicle in...The double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel has broken his right shoulder blade as well as a hand...The double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel has broken his right shoulder blade as well as a hand...
premier league
Paul Hirst Absolutely. Another bonus for Liverpool is that they are top of the Champions League table, having won all five of their games. Arne Slot could therefore rest a few players for the final three matches against Girona (away), Lille and...Paul Hirst Absolutely. Another bonus for Liverpool is that they are top of the Champions League...Paul Hirst Absolutely. Another bonus for Liverpool is that they are top of the Champions League...
STEVE JAMES
That, in cricketing terms, we are all products of our environment and therefore are best suited to home conditions...That, in cricketing terms, we are all products of our environment and therefore are best suited...That, in cricketing terms, we are all products of our environment and therefore are best suited...
paul joyce
Trent Alexander-Arnold tells a story that offers a glimpse into Arne Slot’s attention to detail and desire to drive...Trent Alexander-Arnold tells a story that offers a glimpse into Arne Slot’s attention to detail...Trent Alexander-Arnold tells a story that offers a glimpse into Arne Slot’s attention to detail...
Times sport unseen
sportswomen of the year NEWSLETTER
When I met the presenter two years ago, I found his jokes funny — and felt a bit sorry for him. Now I don’t know what to think, says Michael Odell
This season it’s go huge or stay at home, says Anna Murphy
new
Noel Streatfeild’s bestseller Ballet Shoes is coming to the National Theatre for Christmas
Gregg Wallace says this is the group that has it in for him. This is my tribe, here’s how to spot us. By Shane Watson
Last month Zoe Ball resigned from BBC Radio 2’s breakfast show to “step away from the very early mornings and focus...Last month Zoe Ball resigned from BBC Radio 2’s breakfast show to “step away from the very early...Last month Zoe Ball resigned from BBC Radio 2’s breakfast show to “step away from the very early...
When the time came to hand over each of my babies to my husband on shared parental leave (SPL), I did wonder whether...When the time came to hand over each of my babies to my husband on shared parental leave (SPL), I...When the time came to hand over each of my babies to my husband on shared parental leave (SPL), I...
Ignore the outrage from those who like their old masters dark and dingy — a National Gallery restoration has given Parmigianino’s Vision of St Jerome extraordinary new life
The Italian old master Parmigianino (1503-40) is one of those artists for whom the label “old master” feels ill-fitting. He’s too youthful a presence — too fresh, lively and weird — to sit comfortably in the past. He died young as well, aged 37, so there was no time to slow down or grow wise. If art were a classroom, Parmigianino would be the boy with his finger up...The Italian old master Parmigianino (1503-40) is one of those artists for whom the label “old...The Italian old master Parmigianino (1503-40) is one of those artists for whom the label “old...
robert crampton
I once had a meal with John Prescott, recently deceased, in the Rainbow Room restaurant at the Rockefeller Center in...I once had a meal with John Prescott, recently deceased, in the Rainbow Room restaurant at the Rockefeller Center in New York. It was a snooty place back in 1996, probably still is, and I had to borrow one of Prescott’s iconic houndstooth jackets to comply with the dress code. A woman seated at a table behind the...I once had a meal with John Prescott, recently deceased, in the Rainbow Room restaurant at the Rockefeller Center in New York.
My culture fix
Anything by JS Bach. His technical mastery of melody, harmony, structure and counterpoint is breathtaking, yet his...Anything by JS Bach. His technical mastery of melody, harmony, structure and counterpoint is...Anything by JS Bach. His technical mastery of melody, harmony, structure and counterpoint is...
review
In late 2019, when the director Robert Eggers (The Witch) was preparing this lavish remake of the FW Murnau...In late 2019, when the director Robert Eggers (The Witch) was preparing this lavish remake of...In late 2019, when the director Robert Eggers (The Witch) was preparing this lavish remake of...
the lowdown
first night review
Nick Mohammed’s multilayered seasonal confection was a judiciously ludicrous delight when it first opened two Christmases ago at the intimate Soho Theatre. Now, though, it has moved to Sohoplace, adding a gold curtain, a 10m-high backdrop of drawers and devices and, most significantly, a good half an hour in running time. It’s still great fun in places, but its wilful...Nick Mohammed’s multilayered seasonal confection was a judiciously ludicrous delight when it...Nick Mohammed’s multilayered seasonal confection was a judiciously ludicrous delight when it...
first night review
The most radical thing you can do with 19th-century operetta in our revisionist era is present it exactly as its...The most radical thing you can do with 19th-century operetta in our revisionist era is present it exactly as its creators would have expected. Having recreated the premiere of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado with impeccable authenticity in his film Topsy-Turvy, the director Mike Leigh did much the same job on ...The most radical thing you can do with 19th-century operetta in our revisionist era is present it exactly as its creators would...
first night review
first night review
first night review
Richard Hawley kicked off his latest British tour with a night of deadpan humour, kitchen-sink romanticism and...Richard Hawley kicked off his latest British tour with a night of deadpan humour, kitchen-sink...Richard Hawley kicked off his latest British tour with a night of deadpan humour, kitchen-sink...
first night review
The Unthanks love a theme. On previous tours, the northeastern folk group have focused on the songs of Robert Wyatt...The Unthanks love a theme. On previous tours, the northeastern folk group have focused on the...The Unthanks love a theme. On previous tours, the northeastern folk group have focused on the...
first night review
In Glasgow, Paul Heaton kicked off Christmas early. The modest, anorak-clad musician didn’t require so much as a tree or tinsel — although there was an explosion of gold streamers in the encore — to pour festive spirit into a packed Hydro. Amid...In Glasgow, Paul Heaton kicked off Christmas early. The modest, anorak-clad musician didn’t...In Glasgow, Paul Heaton kicked off Christmas early. The modest, anorak-clad musician didn’t...
Squeezed into a side garden, this homage to postwar architecture is a modest but worthy winner of the prestigious award
Suburban 1950s houses are not considered the high point of British architecture. So it comes as a surprise that architecture’s top prize has been awarded to a new home that was designed to blend in with the postwar semis on its street. Six Columns, a four-bedroom reddish brick home near Crystal Palace, south London, has won the 2024 House of the Year award from the...Suburban 1950s houses are not considered the high point of British architecture. So it comes as a...Suburban 1950s houses are not considered the high point of British architecture. So it comes as a...
your money matters
In March my husband was taken to hospital with a bleed on the brain. I have power of attorney over his finances and I...In March my husband was taken to hospital with a bleed on the brain. I have power of attorney over his finances and I accessed his bank account for the first time. I was upset to discover that he was paying £165 a month for a phone and broadband contract with V4 Consumer. My son pays £50 a month and told me that was...In March my husband was taken to hospital with a bleed on the brain. I have power of attorney over his finances and I accessed...
What’s your preferred crime scene? A killing spree on a reality TV show; a French copper investigates people...What’s your preferred crime scene? A killing spree on a reality TV show; a French copper...What’s your preferred crime scene? A killing spree on a reality TV show; a French copper...
gabriella bennett
It’s a brown, mulchy sort of strength, but it is strength all the same. Trees are at their most powerful at this time...It’s a brown, mulchy sort of strength, but it is strength all the same. Trees are at their most...It’s a brown, mulchy sort of strength, but it is strength all the same. Trees are at their most...
MindGames
MINDGAMES
Television
TELEVISION
TELEVISION
TELEVISION
Television
television
TELEVISION
Treat your MAMIL with the best bikes, bibs, computers and a nifty foldable helmet
julia samuel
The psychotherapist addresses your dilemmas
As a Van Dyck painting hiding a secret landscape goes under the hammer at Christie’s, Louisa McKenzie reveals other undercover gems
gavanndra hodge
Ignite imaginations with fun games and a great cake — but ditch the party bags
It doesn’t get more fabulously festive than these boutiques. Once you’ve stocked up on everything from tartan reindeer to cheese-shaped baubles, make a weekend of it with a cosy stay nearby
Saltmoore, a luxurious boutique stay in the North Yorkshire town of Whitby, is the brain child of former reality TV star Montana Brown. Susan d’Arcy is first to check in
Take in 45,000 years of history, cute quokkas and white-sand beaches on a laid-back break in Perth, home to the world’s oldest living culture
On a gastronomic parador-hopping road trip, city-dwelling Stephen Phelan samples Galicia’s mussels, tuna, octopus and more at source — and finds them hard to beat
You may not have heard of Boone, in the Appalachians of North Carolina — but Emma John can’t get enough of its enduring appeal, hip new hangouts and striking surroundings
With its culture, cuisine and sun-blessed climate, Spain has long been a magnet for tourists — in fact, it’s the most...With its culture, cuisine and sun-blessed climate, Spain has long been a magnet for tourists — in...With its culture, cuisine and sun-blessed climate, Spain has long been a magnet for tourists — in...
comment
I’ve taken so many city breaks over the years that I’ve lost count. There’s nothing like the thrill of waking up in a...I’ve taken so many city breaks over the years that I’ve lost count. There’s nothing like the...I’ve taken so many city breaks over the years that I’ve lost count. There’s nothing like the...
video
Barcelona is known for its outstanding art, architecture and, over the last few years, its issues with overtourism. But there’s so much more to the city than the likes of buzzy La Rambla. Let our expert take you off the tourist trail to...Barcelona is known for its outstanding art, architecture and, over the last few years, its issues...Barcelona is known for its outstanding art, architecture and, over the last few years, its issues...
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
As the winter solstice draws near on December 21 the days are now very dark, but this is a good time to admire two spectacles at the later sunrises and earlier sunsets. Look across to the opposite horizon from where the sun rises or sets, and in...As the winter solstice draws near on December 21 the days are now very dark, but this is a good...As the winter solstice draws near on December 21 the days are now very dark, but this is a good...
AND ON the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which...AND ON the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day...AND ON the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day...
Buckingham Palace
2nd December, 2024
The Viscount Hood (Lord in Waiting) was present at London Stansted Airport...Buckingham Palace
2nd December, 2024
The Viscount Hood (Lord in Waiting) was present at...Buckingham Palace
2nd December, 2024
The Viscount Hood (Lord in Waiting) was present at...
MindGames and Brain Boost puzzles to print and solve at your leisure
Swinney’s plan criticised as a carbon copy of 2020 vision already dismissed by Audit Scotland
A failed strategy to fix Scotland’s health service has been rehashed by SNP ministers despite repeated official warnings that it will not work and an exodus of patients to private hospitals. Scotland’s auditor general has condemned Scottish ministers for publishing a “vision for health and social...A failed strategy to fix Scotland’s health service has been rehashed by SNP ministers despite repeated official warnings that it will not work and an exodus of patients to private hospitals. Scotland’s auditor general has condemned Scottish ministers for publishing a “vision for health and social...A failed strategy to fix Scotland’s health service has been rehashed by SNP ministers despite repeated official warnings that...
A prestigious private school group in Edinburgh has set up a “hardship fund” after warning that Sir Keir Starmer’s VAT raid will force some parents to use food banks to meet rising fees. Erskine Stewart’s Melville Schools (ESMS) said fee-paying schools faced “an existential crisis” after the decision by the Labour government at Westminster...A prestigious private school group in Edinburgh has set up a “hardship fund” after warning that Sir Keir Starmer’s VAT raid will force some parents to use food banks to meet rising fees. Erskine Stewart’s Melville Schools (ESMS) said fee-paying schools faced “an existential crisis” after the decision by the Labour government at Westminster...A prestigious private school group in Edinburgh has set up a “hardship fund” after warning that Sir Keir Starmer’s VAT raid...
kenny farquharson
Let me take you for a stroll through a moral maze. Our topic today is assisted dying, but do not worry — this is not yet another column arguing for or against. Instead I want to talk about nationalism, unionism and empathy. Last Friday in the House of Commons, MPs voted on the second reading of Kim Leadbeater’s...Let me take you for a stroll through a moral maze. Our topic today is assisted dying, but do not...Let me take you for a stroll through a moral maze. Our topic today is assisted dying, but do not...
scottish business digest
magnus linklater
It’s not often you hear a genuine scoop delivered from the pulpit. That, however, is what we got at St Giles’...It’s not often you hear a genuine scoop delivered from the pulpit. That, however, is what we got...It’s not often you hear a genuine scoop delivered from the pulpit. That, however, is what we got...
The Scottish government will outline its budget tomorrow on December 4, when significant decisions will be made...The Scottish government will outline its budget tomorrow on December 4, when significant...The Scottish government will outline its budget tomorrow on December 4, when significant...
gabriella bennett
It’s a brown, mulchy sort of strength, but it is strength all the same. Trees are at their most powerful at this time...It’s a brown, mulchy sort of strength, but it is strength all the same. Trees are at their most...It’s a brown, mulchy sort of strength, but it is strength all the same. Trees are at their most...
Trust in the Scottish government plunged in the 12 months before ministers dropped the question from annual national...Trust in the Scottish government plunged in the 12 months before ministers dropped the question...Trust in the Scottish government plunged in the 12 months before ministers dropped the question...
Comment
Money is starting to talk in British politics
Daniel Finkelstein
Spending has long been key to electoral success in America and online advertising means that will soon be true here
robert colvile
Miliband needs to come clean on green targets
james marriott
True knowledge is worth a million TikToks
giles coren | notebook
MasterChef Gregg’s vibe was always a bit different
Jawad Iqbal
Police should not have to put up with dangerous carnival
georgia heneage | notebook
There’s no place for prudes in Naples
I have never seen as many phalluses as I did on my trip to Naples this weekend. The city is brimming with them: phallus-shaped limoncello bottles and dried pasta, on keyrings, fridge magnets, bottle openers, greetings cards, socks. You’d have your...I have never seen as many phalluses as I did on my trip to Naples this weekend. The city is...I have never seen as many phalluses as I did on my trip to Naples this weekend. The city is...
Leading Articles
Man in the Middle
Sir Keir Starmer’s Lord Mayor’s speech covered the right trifecta, but failed to explain any hard choices
Forever War
As Syria’s regime battles resurgent rebels, the axis of authoritarianism looks shaky
Terminal Diagnosis
Brain rot is the 2024 ‘word of the year’
letters to the editor
Devil in the detail of the assisted dying bill
Write to letters@thetimes.co.uk Sir, I am wondering how the High Court judge would be able in practice to carry out his/her supervisory role under the proposed assisted dying legislation, unless there were some independent person (similar to a...Write to letters@thetimes.co.uk Sir, I am wondering how the High Court judge would be able in...Write to letters@thetimes.co.uk Sir, I am wondering how the High Court judge would be able in...
Daily Universal Register
Briefing
UK: The King hosts the Emir of Qatar as part of a two-day state visit, with a banquet at Buckingham Palace in the evening; Anneliese Dodds, the international development minister, visits the occupied Palestinian territories as part of a three-day regional visit to the Middle East that includes Egypt and Israel; Lord Timpson, the prisons minister, delivers the keynote speech at the Clinks annual conference focusing on voluntary sector engagement in criminal justice; the winner of the Turner art prize is announced at Tate Britain in London.
World: Today is Giving Tuesday, a campaign that asks people to do one thing for a good cause.
On this day
In 1823 Giovanni Belzoni (aka The Great Belzoni), an Italian explorer and pioneering Egyptologist, died aged 45. With the approval of the ruler of Egypt, he shipped the 7.25-tonne statue of Ramesses to England, which arrived in 1818 at the British Museum. In 1813, while working as a circus strongman, he married Sara Bane, an Englishwoman, and in 1815 they travelled to Egypt. In 1818 he led an exploration of the Pyramid of Khafre (the second pyramid of the Giza complex), although the pharaoh’s burial chamber had long been looted; in 1926 the crime writer Agatha Christie disappeared from her Berkshire home. The mystery was solved 11 days later when she was found at a North Yorkshire hotel, claiming memory loss, after a search involving three police forces; in 1944 a parade was held in central London for the wartime Home Guard, which was officially stood down. At its peak it was nearly 1.87 million strong, and disbanded on December 31, 1945; in 1976 Bob Marley, the reggae musician, survived a murder attempt when seven men armed with guns broke into his home in Kingston, Jamaica, during rehearsals with band members. Marley’s chest was grazed by a bullet that then lodged in his arm and the attackers fled. After performing at a controversial concert two days later, he moved to the UK for two years of self-imposed exile.
Nature notes
A classic winter mushroom, orange-peel fungus looks exactly as you’d expect: as though someone had peeled an orange or tangerine and cast the frilled and furled rind with its paler, downy underside down to the ground. Its colour is extraordinarily bright, especially in winter when there’s little else to catch the eye; it can grow on bare soil such as ploughland, which makes it stand out even more strongly. Orange-peel fungus is saprobic, which means it consumes and decomposes organic matter and recycles carbon; it’s also edible, although not, apparently, particularly delicious. The colour comes from carotenoids, an antioxidant pigment also found in carrots and pumpkins, which is thought to have a role in the production of spores in fungi. Melissa Harrison
Melissa Harrison
Birthdays today
Mark Apsey, president, Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), 48; Henry Fitzalan-Howard, Earl of Arundel and Surrey, 37; Daniel Bedingfield, singer-songwriter, Gotta Get Thru This (2001), 45; Mark Boucher, cricketer, South Africa, (1997-2012), 48; Jean-Frédéric Dufour, chief executive, Rolex Group (watches), 57; Paula Dunn, athlete, head coach (including the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games), UK Athletics, UK Athletics Paralympic head coach (2012-22), 60; Mike Gibson, rugby union player, Ireland (1964-79), British and Irish Lions (1966-71), 82; Lord (Angus) Glennie, senator of the College of Justice in Scotland (2005-20), 74; Daryl Hannah, actress, Splash (1984), 64; Eamonn Holmes, broadcaster, GB News, This Morning (2006-21), 65; Ralph McTell, singer-songwriter, The Streets of London (1969), 80; Julianne Moore, actress, Still Alice (2014), The Room Next Door (2024), 64; Paul Nicholas, singer and actor, EastEnders (2015-16), 80; Ozzy Osbourne, singer, Paranoid (1970), 13 (2013), 76; Lord (David) Prior of Brampton, chairman, NHS England (2018-22), Conservative MP (1997-2001), business, energy and industrial strategy minister (2016-17), deputy chairman and chief executive of the Conservative Party (1999-2001), 70; Craig Raine, poet and novelist, The Divine Comedy (2012), 80; Jonathan Harmsworth, Viscount Rothermere, chairman, Daily Mail and General Trust, 57; Stephen Rubin, chairman, Pentland Group (brand management company), 87; Dan Snow, historian and TV presenter, The Colosseum with Dan Snow (2024), 46; Mickey Thomas, rock singer, Jefferson Starship and Starship, Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now (1987), 75; Peter Ventress, chairman, Howdens (joinery and hardware), Bunzl (distribution and services group), 64.