In the News
‘R’ number suggests increase in infections
updatedThe “R” number that describes how fast new coronavirus infections are spreading in Britain may have slightly increased and could even be as high as 1, according to new official figures that suggest there is almost no room for further lifting of the lockdown. The latest estimates of the crucial...The “R” number that describes how fast new coronavirus infections are spreading in Britain may have slightly increased and could even be as high as 1, according to new official figures that suggest there is almost no room for further lifting of the lockdown. The latest estimates of the crucial...The “R” number that describes how fast new coronavirus infections are spreading in Britain may have slightly increased and...
Read the full storyCoronavirus
Less than 10% of contact-tracers hired
newDoubt has been cast over whether Matt Hancock, the health secretary, will hit his target of hiring enough people to trace the contacts of coronavirus sufferers next week, after a minister said today that less than 10 per cent of the workforce had been recruited. Downing Street has claimed it is “on course” to recruit the 18,000 people it...Doubt has been cast over whether Matt Hancock, the health secretary, will hit his target of hiring enough people to trace the contacts of coronavirus sufferers next week, after a minister said today that less than 10 per cent of the workforce had been recruited. Downing Street has claimed it is “on course” to recruit the 18,000 people it...Doubt has been cast over whether Matt Hancock, the health secretary, will hit his target of hiring enough people to trace the...
Read the full storyChange tack or we won’t make a deal, Frost tells Barnier
newDavid Frost, the prime minister’s chief Brexit negotiator, has given the European Union a two-week ultimatum to change course in trade and fisheries talks and accused Michel Barnier of putting ideology before getting a deal. Post-Brexit talks have hit an impasse just six weeks before a legally binding deadline...David Frost, the prime minister’s chief Brexit negotiator, has given the European Union a...David Frost, the prime minister’s chief Brexit negotiator, has given the European Union a...
Read the full storyCoronavirus
Rising death toll of most vulnerable
coronavirus
47,000 passengers waiting for flight refunds from BA
More than 47,000 British Airways passengers are still awaiting refunds for flights cancelled because of the coronavirus amid claims that travellers’ rights have been eroded during the lockdown. Figures published by the airline...More than 47,000 British Airways passengers are still awaiting refunds for flights cancelled because of the coronavirus amid claims that travellers’ rights have been eroded during the lockdown. Figures published by the airline...More than 47,000 British Airways passengers are still awaiting refunds for flights cancelled because of the...
Read the full storyCoronavirus
SNP is ‘using lockdown to plot break-up of Union’
Scottish nationalists with “too much time on their hands” are playing politics with coronavirus by drawing up plans to break up Britain during lockdown, a cabinet minister has said. Alister Jack, the secretary of state for...Scottish nationalists with “too much time on their hands” are playing politics with coronavirus by drawing up plans to break up Britain during lockdown, a cabinet minister has said. Alister Jack, the secretary of state for...Scottish nationalists with “too much time on their hands” are playing politics with coronavirus by drawing up plans...
Read the full storyPolitical Sketch
Silky Shapps, best friend of the happy camper
RED BOX | ESTHER WEBBER
The trouble with leaving the House
Plan now, go later
From Wales to Cyprus: great European mountain getaways
Caitlin Moran
Nothing to look forward to? Here are my new dates for your diary
No Botox, no fillers
What do I miss now? The tweakments that keep me looking young
Furlough Q&A
What to do if you’ve been furloughed and what happens next?
Coronavirus
Survey estimates 148,000 cases
An estimated 148,000 people in England are infected with coronavirus, according to the most comprehensive national survey yet. Jonathan Van-Tam, the deputy chief medical officer for England, said that the figures, which...An estimated 148,000 people in England are infected with coronavirus, according to the most comprehensive national survey yet. Jonathan Van-Tam, the deputy chief medical officer for England, said that the figures, which...An estimated 148,000 people in England are infected with coronavirus, according to the most comprehensive...
Read the full storyvideo
Coronavirus
Healthcare workers first in line for antibody test
Frontline healthcare workers will be the first of hundreds of thousands of people in Britain to be given a “game-changing” test to see if they have had Covid-19, ministers have announced. The government is in negotiations with...Frontline healthcare workers will be the first of hundreds of thousands of people in Britain to be given a “game-changing” test to see if they have had Covid-19, ministers have announced. The government is in negotiations with...Frontline healthcare workers will be the first of hundreds of thousands of people in Britain to be given a...
Read the full storyvideo
Coronavirus
Oxford vaccine success on monkeys
Coronavirus around the world
Rohingya refugee camp faces care crisis
Coronavirus
Big Issue seller got on his bike for a job
‘Confused’ efforts to update ageing health service computers waste £8bn
A £8.1 billion project that is designed to lead to the digital transformation of the NHS is so behind target that...A £8.1 billion project that is designed to lead to the digital transformation of the NHS is so...A £8.1 billion project that is designed to lead to the digital transformation of the NHS is so...
Read the full storyCoronation St actor wanted over sale of military planes to Ghana
A former Coronation Street star is wanted for questioning by police in Ghana over an alleged bribery scandal at the...A former Coronation Street star is wanted for questioning by police in Ghana over an alleged...A former Coronation Street star is wanted for questioning by police in Ghana over an alleged...
Read the full storySuicides rise after years of mental provision cuts
More than a dozen people a day killed themselves in England and Wales last year as suicides rose by 11 per cent compared with 2018. Nearly one death in five assessed by coroners’ courts last year involved people who had taken...More than a dozen people a day killed themselves in England and Wales last year as suicides rose by 11 per cent compared with 2018. Nearly one death in five assessed by coroners’ courts last year involved people who had taken...More than a dozen people a day killed themselves in England and Wales last year as suicides rose by 11 per cent...
Read the full storySharp increase in stop and search as arrest rate falls
Stop-and-search powers were used more than 30,000 times in London last month, the highest level in seven years. Scotland Yard has markedly increased its use of stop and search, despite relatively empty streets during the...Stop-and-search powers were used more than 30,000 times in London last month, the highest level in seven years. Scotland Yard has markedly increased its use of stop and search, despite relatively empty streets during the...Stop-and-search powers were used more than 30,000 times in London last month, the highest level in seven years.
Read the full storyThe Times Diary
In a swoon over Sir Keir
News in pictures
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Read the full storyWORLD AT FIVE
Backlash over return of hostage who converted to Islam
newSilvia Costanza Romano was all smiles when she stepped off a plane in Rome and hugged her family after 18 months of captivity at the hands of an African Islamist terrorist group. Italy’s prime minister and foreign minister were on the runway to welcome the 25-year-old aid worker. Church bells rang at her home town in Milan as her release prompted celebrations in a...Silvia Costanza Romano was all smiles when she stepped off a plane in Rome and hugged her family...Silvia Costanza Romano was all smiles when she stepped off a plane in Rome and hugged her family...
Read the full storyCash crisis forces UN to cut Yemen aid
newThe United Nations is to start closing most of its aid programmes in Yemen for lack of money just as coronavirus...The United Nations is to start closing most of its aid programmes in Yemen for lack of money just as coronavirus starts to spread unchecked through the country. Yemen is in the middle of two civil wars and already experiencing widespread hunger and disease, and has now also begun recording deaths from the virus on...The United Nations is to start closing most of its aid programmes in Yemen for lack of money just as coronavirus starts to...
Read the full storyFirst jump was almost parachutist’s last
The men came hurtling out of a blue sky dotted with clouds. A woman walking a dog in the Florida city of Titusville saw two spiralling parachutes and thought the skydivers were showing off. But they kept falling fast over the suburban houses. “Oh...The men came hurtling out of a blue sky dotted with clouds. A woman walking a dog in the Florida...The men came hurtling out of a blue sky dotted with clouds. A woman walking a dog in the Florida...
Read the full storyKremlin drops plans for state-approved Wikipedia
Russia has dropped plans for an alternative to Wikipedia based on a government-approved encyclopaedia. The Kremlin had earmarked £22 million for the interactive website. Officials said that they hoped it would attract up to 15...Russia has dropped plans for an alternative to Wikipedia based on a government-approved encyclopaedia. The Kremlin had earmarked £22 million for the interactive website. Officials said that they hoped it would attract up to 15...Russia has dropped plans for an alternative to Wikipedia based on a government-approved encyclopaedia. The Kremlin...
Read the full storyRenewable energy overtakes coal in US
For the first time on record the United States is on course to generate more electricity this year from renewable power than from coal, new government forecasts show. The shift stems partly from the unique circumstances of the...For the first time on record the United States is on course to generate more electricity this year from renewable power than from coal, new government forecasts show. The shift stems partly from the unique circumstances of the...For the first time on record the United States is on course to generate more electricity this year from renewable...
Read the full storyInvesco fund manager quits ‘by mutual agreement’
The beleaguered fund manager Mark Barnett has left Invesco in an abrupt departure that follows years of investment underperformance by the stockpicker. Invesco said that it had “mutually agreed” with Mr Barnett, who was a former protégé of the fallen fund manager Neil Woodford, that he should...The beleaguered fund manager Mark Barnett has left Invesco in an abrupt departure that follows years of investment underperformance by the stockpicker. Invesco said that it had “mutually agreed” with Mr Barnett, who was a former protégé of the fallen fund manager Neil Woodford, that he should...The beleaguered fund manager Mark Barnett has left Invesco in an abrupt departure that follows years of investment...
Read the full storyRoyal Mail chief steps down
Royal Mail has announced the immediate departure of its chief executive, Rico Back. Mr Back, who is German and lives in Switzerland, leaves the job after agreeing his departure with the board. He took over the role in June 2018 from Dame Moya Greene and received a £5.8 million “golden hello” to lure him from Royal Mail’s GLS parcels...Royal Mail has announced the immediate departure of its chief executive, Rico Back. Mr Back, who is German and lives in Switzerland, leaves the job after agreeing his departure with the board. He took over the role in June 2018 from Dame Moya Greene and received a £5.8 million “golden hello” to lure him from Royal Mail’s GLS parcels...Royal Mail has announced the immediate departure of its chief executive, Rico Back. Mr Back, who is German and lives in...
Read the full storyClock was ticking for Woodford protégé
newWas he pushed or did he jump? No matter, because the departure of Mark Barnett from Invesco seemed inevitable from the moment Neil Woodford’s empire collapsed last year. Mr Barnett was a protégé of Mr Woodford when the Invesco Income and High Income funds were the star performers in the asset management world. He...Was he pushed or did he jump? No matter, because the departure of Mark Barnett from Invesco...Was he pushed or did he jump? No matter, because the departure of Mark Barnett from Invesco...
Read the full storycomment
Britain is ripe for an employee ownership revolution to aid Covid recovery
newLockdown has created an economic twilight zone, a half imagined existence where 7.5 million jobs are artificially...Lockdown has created an economic twilight zone, a half imagined existence where 7.5 million jobs...Lockdown has created an economic twilight zone, a half imagined existence where 7.5 million jobs...
Read the full storyMan who bet big on disruptors lambasts Buffett’s risk aversion
newThe investment philosophy espoused by Warren Buffett has been a disaster for pension savers, according to one of...The investment philosophy espoused by Warren Buffett has been a disaster for pension savers...The investment philosophy espoused by Warren Buffett has been a disaster for pension savers...
Read the full storyBoohoo ready for high street swoop
Struggling high street chains could provide rich pickings for Boohoo, which launched a surprise £200 million share placing last night to fund swoops on its fallen rivals. The online retailer’s decision to tap investors in an accelerated bookbuild...Struggling high street chains could provide rich pickings for Boohoo, which launched a surprise...Struggling high street chains could provide rich pickings for Boohoo, which launched a surprise...
Read the full storybusiness commentary
It’s hard to make sense of Sensyne
Being a “clinical AI” company has one big advantage: you can train the algorithms to write the full-year trading update.Being a “clinical AI” company has one big advantage: you can train the algorithms to write the...Being a “clinical AI” company has one big advantage: you can train the algorithms to write the...
Read the full storycomment
Make the most of remote working but don’t forget the joy of gossip
Last week Google and Facebook announced that they would be continuing their working from home policies until the end...Last week Google and Facebook announced that they would be continuing their working from home...Last week Google and Facebook announced that they would be continuing their working from home...
Read the full storyHenry Winter | Ademola Lookman interview
‘Bundesliga is showing football the way out of lockdown’
new“All eyes are on the Bundesliga,” Ademola Lookman says with a smile. The RB Leipzig attacker is still in his kit, quarantining in his training-ground bedroom, preparing for the resumption of German football this weekend. The 22-year-old Londoner is straight from practice, flecks of sweat still on...“All eyes are on the Bundesliga,” Ademola Lookman says with a smile. The RB Leipzig attacker is still in his kit, quarantining in his training-ground bedroom, preparing for the resumption of German football this weekend. The 22-year-old Londoner is straight from practice, flecks of sweat still on...“All eyes are on the Bundesliga,” Ademola Lookman says with a smile. The RB Leipzig attacker is still in his kit, quarantining...
Read the full storyPremier League
Plan to show English Premier League matches on BBC for the first time
newThe BBC would be given an unprecedented opportunity to broadcast some Premier League matches live under a plan to make many of the behind-closed-doors games free to air. The proposal for playing the remaining 92 matches of the season in empty grounds would mean all the games televised. Of these, 47 have already been allocated for TV...The BBC would be given an unprecedented opportunity to broadcast some Premier League matches live under a plan to make many of the behind-closed-doors games free to air. The proposal for playing the remaining 92 matches of the season in empty grounds would mean all the games televised. Of these, 47 have already been allocated for TV...The BBC would be given an unprecedented opportunity to broadcast some Premier League matches live under a plan to make many of...
Read the full storyFootball
‘Gascoigne should have had two reds’ – rewatching the 1991 FA Cup final with a Premier League referee
It is one way to keep a Premier League referee sharp in lockdown although I did worry that watching, in its entirety, the 1991 FA Cup Final might frazzle the brain of Chris Kavanagh. Kavanagh, 34, tried really hard to justify the startlingly relaxed style of Roger Milford, the referee at Wembley for the game between...It is one way to keep a Premier League referee sharp in lockdown although I did worry that...It is one way to keep a Premier League referee sharp in lockdown although I did worry that...
Read the full storycricket | Keaton Jennings interview
‘Walking into an Indian boardroom to do business was a different pressure’
newRugby union | Owen Slot
The days of superstar signings in English rugby could be numbered
newThe transfer news that broke yesterday morning was that Malcolm Marx, the Springbok hooker, has cancelled his...The transfer news that broke yesterday morning was that Malcolm Marx, the Springbok hooker, has...The transfer news that broke yesterday morning was that Malcolm Marx, the Springbok hooker, has...
Read the full storyGolf
McIlroy: I will never play golf with Trump again
newRory McIlroy has said that he would not play another round of golf with Donald Trump after accusing the US President...Rory McIlroy has said that he would not play another round of golf with Donald Trump after...Rory McIlroy has said that he would not play another round of golf with Donald Trump after...
Read the full storyQuiz
Can you crack our weekend sporting quiz?
new1 Who, playing for West Ham United at home to Arsenal in 2016, was the last player to score a Premier League hat-trick without finishing on the winning side? 2 Which English one-cap wonder started for Stade Français in the 2001 Heineken Cup final? 3 Which Premier League club has two Italy internationals who were born in Brazil? 4 Who is the only bowler to have taken...1 Who, playing for West Ham United at home to Arsenal in 2016, was the last player to score a...1 Who, playing for West Ham United at home to Arsenal in 2016, was the last player to score a...
Read the full storyFootball
How BT are bringing the Bundesliga from their front room to yours
newThere will be no fake crowd noises, for now, and the thorny issue of players and managers swearing will be tempered...There will be no fake crowd noises, for now, and the thorny issue of players and managers swearing will be tempered by the fact it will largely be in German, but the technological strides taken by BT Sport are impressive enough to reveal they have fast forwarded their plans from 2022 to get the Bundesliga into...There will be no fake crowd noises, for now, and the thorny issue of players and managers swearing will be tempered by the fact...
Read the full storyCricket | Mike Atherton
Squad of 30 in a ‘mini-household’ – England’s three-step restart plan
The Game Daily | Gregor Robertson
Players will feel scared about returning – I know I would
How easy it is to sit behind a keyboard, or a microphone, or social media, and talk about risk. To tell estate agents...How easy it is to sit behind a keyboard, or a microphone, or social media, and talk about risk.How easy it is to sit behind a keyboard, or a microphone, or social media, and talk about risk.
Read the full storyThe Game Daily | Molly Hudson
Don’t resume WSL for sake of equality – ending season can grow women’s game
It has been 82 days since Manchester City and Chelsea shared six goals in a thrilling 3-3 draw at the Academy Stadium.It has been 82 days since Manchester City and Chelsea shared six goals in a thrilling 3-3 draw at...It has been 82 days since Manchester City and Chelsea shared six goals in a thrilling 3-3 draw at...
Read the full storyrugby union
Jan Machacek – from behind the Iron Curtain to five-course lunches at Clermont
Life behind the Iron Curtain was dull. No travel. No western music, TV or films. Minimal freedom of choice. Factories polluting the country. Don’t take my word for it: take Jan Machacek’s. Machacek was born in Prague on February 15, 1972. He was...Life behind the Iron Curtain was dull. No travel. No western music, TV or films. Minimal freedom...Life behind the Iron Curtain was dull. No travel. No western music, TV or films. Minimal freedom...
Read the full storyFootball | matt dickinson
Bobby Moore – a marvel under the greatest pressure
Rugby Union | Owen Slot
Cheats will no longer prosper under new proposals
If the recommendations being proposed by Lord Myners had been in place over recent years, then Maro Itoje might have...If the recommendations being proposed by Lord Myners had been in place over recent years, then...If the recommendations being proposed by Lord Myners had been in place over recent years, then...
Read the full storyRugby union | Stuart Barnes
South West poised to become a dominant force in English rugby
Thirty years ago Bath faced Gloucester in the Pilkington Cup final — English club rugby’s showpiece in the amateur days.Thirty years ago Bath faced Gloucester in the Pilkington Cup final — English club rugby’s...Thirty years ago Bath faced Gloucester in the Pilkington Cup final — English club rugby’s...
Read the full storyfootball | james restall
Captain’s gesture is one that his England colleagues should follow
The SLice | STuart Fraser
The incredible record on clay that even Nadal cannot match
Much has been said and written through the years of Rafael Nadal’s dominance on clay courts, but even the Spanish warrior has not come close to breaking one of the greatest records in the history of the sport. It was during this week 41 years ago...Much has been said and written through the years of Rafael Nadal’s dominance on clay courts, but...Much has been said and written through the years of Rafael Nadal’s dominance on clay courts, but...
Read the full storyobituary
James Beggs
Imposing military veteran who became head of Nasa during the Reagan space shuttle years that ended with the Challenger disaster
Her role as a galactic adventurer in Barbarella aside, Jane Fonda had few links to space travel. That changed when the space shuttle Challenger lifted off on June 18, 1983, with a crew including Sally Ride, who was to become the first American woman in space. Fonda was married at the time to Tom Hayden, a Democratic politician whose constituents in Santa Monica...Her role as a galactic adventurer in Barbarella aside, Jane Fonda had few links to space travel.Her role as a galactic adventurer in Barbarella aside, Jane Fonda had few links to space travel.
Read the full storyobituary
Dr Judith Darmady
Dr Judith Darmady arrived at a seedy hotel in Uganda where the electricity supply was at best erratic. This was...Dr Judith Darmady arrived at a seedy hotel in Uganda where the electricity supply was at best erratic. This was potentially life-threatening because she suffered from sleep apnoea, which results in breathing stopping at night. She needed to power the machine that regulated her breathing as she slept. Not for the...Dr Judith Darmady arrived at a seedy hotel in Uganda where the electricity supply was at best erratic. This was potentially...
Read the full storyweather eye
Temperatures plummet overnight in frost hollow
The nights have been so cold this week that Northern Ireland came close to breaking its May low temperature record, when the hamlet of Katesbridge recorded minus 6.1C on Wednesday night, close to the record low of minus 6.5C. Katesbridge is a frost hollow — it sits in a natural bowl surrounded by the rolling hills of Co Down, and on calm chilly nights cold air flows...The nights have been so cold this week that Northern Ireland came close to breaking its May low...The nights have been so cold this week that Northern Ireland came close to breaking its May low...
Read the full storyCourt Circular
May 14, 2020
Clarence House
14th May, 2020
The Duchess of Cornwall, Vice Patron, the Royal Commonwealth Society, this morning held...Clarence House
14th May, 2020
The Duchess of Cornwall, Vice Patron, the Royal Commonwealth Society, this morning held a Meeting for The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition via video link. Kensington Palace
14th May, 2020
The Duke of Cambridge this morning spoke to members of the Muslim community in Christchurch...Clarence House
14th May, 2020
The Duchess of Cornwall, Vice Patron, the Royal Commonwealth Society, this morning held a...
‘I know we’re both single now’ — how it began for Marianne and Connell
Marianne and Connell, the stars of Sally Rooney’s novel Normal People, now the hit TV series, first appeared in At the Clinic, a short story published in 2016 in The White Review. We republish it here
newARTS
No intervals. One-act operas. Socially‑distanced divas — can a radical plan save the Royal Opera House?
As the Royal Opera House faces financial crisis, its bosses Alex Beard and Antonio Pappano tell Neil Fisher their radical plans for its emergence from lockdown
music
What next for the music industry after lockdown?
Musicians, festival organisers and record label bosses tell Will Hodgkinson how the pandemic has changed their lives
newTHE ARTS COLUMN
The fear factor has to recede for the shows to get back on the road
A survey showed that persuading people to return to the theatres will take a huge leap of faith
THE BIG FILM REVIEW
Rebel in the Rye — this Salinger biopic needs a rewrite
FILM REVIEW
The Orphanage — deadpan and wryly amusing drama
★★★★☆
Tom Brown’s School Days meets Afghan Dickens in this soulful, funny, Dari-language drama about a...★★★★☆
Tom Brown’s School Days meets Afghan Dickens in this soulful, funny, Dari-language...★★★★☆
Tom Brown’s School Days meets Afghan Dickens in this soulful, funny, Dari-language...
album review
Charli XCX: How I’m Feeling Now review — she’s my lockdown darling
★★★★☆
Someone had to make the world’s first lockdown album, and it isn’t massively surprising that the someone...★★★★☆
Someone had to make the world’s first lockdown album, and it isn’t massively surprising...★★★★☆
Someone had to make the world’s first lockdown album, and it isn’t massively surprising...
WEEK FIVE
The Times Film Club — Unfaithfully Yours
What did you think of Unfaithfully Yours? Join Kevin Maher for a live chat about the film on Monday, May 18,...What did you think of Unfaithfully Yours? Join Kevin Maher for a live chat about the film...What did you think of Unfaithfully Yours? Join Kevin Maher for a live chat about the film...
Read the full storyFILM REVIEW
The Atom: A Love Affair — everything you already knew about nuclear power
★★☆☆☆
A truly bizarre and ultimately unsustainable formal device becomes irritating deadweight in this...★★☆☆☆
A truly bizarre and ultimately unsustainable formal device becomes irritating deadweight...★★☆☆☆
A truly bizarre and ultimately unsustainable formal device becomes irritating deadweight...
album review
Perfume Genius: Set My Heart On Fire Immediately review — a long, slow pleasure
★★★★☆
Despite his impatience implied in the title, the fifth album by self-proclaimed lavender mastermind Mike...★★★★☆
Despite his impatience implied in the title, the fifth album by self-proclaimed...★★★★☆
Despite his impatience implied in the title, the fifth album by self-proclaimed...
album review
Magnetic Fields: Quickies review — fun, clever and rather ephemeral
★★★☆☆
Quickies they are. The New York songwriter Stephin Merritt’s new album consists of 28 tunes ranging between...★★★☆☆
Quickies they are. The New York songwriter Stephin Merritt’s new album consists of 28...★★★☆☆
Quickies they are. The New York songwriter Stephin Merritt’s new album consists of 28...
Essential tracks
The best new music, from Gorrilaz to Ariana Grande
HEALTH
Sex Matters by Dr Alyson J McGregor — medicine is a man’s world
We can all identify someone having a stroke, can’t we? A sudden loss of function on one side of the body, drooping...We can all identify someone having a stroke, can’t we? A sudden loss of function on one side of...We can all identify someone having a stroke, can’t we? A sudden loss of function on one side of...
Read the full storyWhat are you reading? Times writers and readers share their May book tips
These are strange times, we keep saying, and book sales are no exception. Sales of religious and spiritual titles are...These are strange times, we keep saying, and book sales are no exception. Sales of religious and...These are strange times, we keep saying, and book sales are no exception. Sales of religious and...
Read the full storyPODCASTS & RADIO
Backlisted review — at last, a book show for believers
FIRST NIGHT | THEATRE
Midnight Your Time — beautifully played and neatly written
FILM REVIEW
Capone — this movie is criminally ill judged
viewing guide
What’s on TV and radio tonight
For full TV listings for the week, see thetimes.co.uk/tvplanner Viewing guide, by James Jackson Portillo’s Empire...For full TV listings for the week, see thetimes.co.uk/tvplanner Viewing guide, by James Jackson...For full TV listings for the week, see thetimes.co.uk/tvplanner Viewing guide, by James Jackson...
Read the full storyMindGames
The Times Daily Quiz
1 Oolong, orange pekoe and lapsang souchong are all varieties of what drink? 2 Terry Johnson’s 1993 play Hysteria...1 Oolong, orange pekoe and lapsang souchong are all varieties of what drink? 2 Terry Johnson’s...1 Oolong, orange pekoe and lapsang souchong are all varieties of what drink? 2 Terry Johnson’s...
Read the full storyLandlords’ coronavirus questions answered
We report on what the government’s updated guidance for property transactions means for landlords
Renters’ coronavirus questions answered
We report on what the government’s updated guidance for the property market means for tenants
Build an outdoor cinema in your back garden, plus the best films to watch
Set up a projector and screen, then settle down with a bowl of popcorn
DECOR DECODED
Top tips for creating the perfect garden terrace
Save & Splurge: our pick of the best serving trays
SAVE
Blue and white Hydrangea tray in birch veneer with a melamine finish, £33, above, emmabritton.net The...SAVE
Blue and white Hydrangea tray in birch veneer with a melamine finish, £33, above...SAVE
Blue and white Hydrangea tray in birch veneer with a melamine finish, £33, above...
Create a lasting impression with a painting of your own home
When Sir Tom Jones was filmed for the One World: Together at Home concert, the image on the wall he turned to wasn’t...When Sir Tom Jones was filmed for the One World: Together at Home concert, the image on the wall...When Sir Tom Jones was filmed for the One World: Together at Home concert, the image on the wall...
Read the full storycoronavirus
Care workers with Covid-19 ‘should finish shift’ if short of staff
newCare home workers who test positive for Covid-19 should finish their shift if there are staff shortages, Scotland’s health authority has said. The number of care homes that have at least one suspected case of the virus today increased by 48 to 488, the highest number that has been recorded in...Care home workers who test positive for Covid-19 should finish their shift if there are staff shortages, Scotland’s health authority has said. The number of care homes that have at least one suspected case of the virus today increased by 48 to 488, the highest number that has been recorded in...Care home workers who test positive for Covid-19 should finish their shift if there are staff shortages, Scotland’s health...
Read the full storyTwo thirds trust Sturgeon’s handling of outbreak
The majority of Scots have “markedly” less faith in UK ministers than in Nicola Sturgeon to stave off a second outbreak of coronavirus, a survey suggests. Sixty-two per cent believed Holyrood ministers were capable of preventing a second wave of Covid-19, while 37 per cent said they were confident in the UK government doing so. When...The majority of Scots have “markedly” less faith in UK ministers than in Nicola Sturgeon to stave off a second outbreak of coronavirus, a survey suggests. Sixty-two per cent believed Holyrood ministers were capable of preventing a second wave of Covid-19, while 37 per cent said they were confident in the UK government doing so. When...The majority of Scots have “markedly” less faith in UK ministers than in Nicola Sturgeon to stave off a second outbreak of...
Read the full storycoronavirus
Half of Scotland’s homeless to be given permanent shelter
Half of Scotland’s long-term rough sleepers have been rehoused permanently, ending a cycle that some have endured for decades. One of Scotland’s biggest housing associations will provide tenancies for 100 homeless people being put up in hotels across Edinburgh and Glasgow. The Wheatley Group will also flip the...Half of Scotland’s long-term rough sleepers have been rehoused permanently, ending a cycle that...Half of Scotland’s long-term rough sleepers have been rehoused permanently, ending a cycle that...
Read the full storyPicts lived the high life on hilltop thanks to wine from the Med
The mysterious painted warriors who resisted the might of the Roman empire were dismissed by their opponents as little more than primitive barbarians. However, new evidence has shown that the Picts, who dominated much of what is now northern and...The mysterious painted warriors who resisted the might of the Roman empire were dismissed by...The mysterious painted warriors who resisted the might of the Roman empire were dismissed by...
Read the full storyBillionaire urged to drop campaign against spaceport
Campaigners are urging Scotland’s biggest landowner to withdraw his objection to a spaceport being planned in the Highlands. Anders Holch Povlsen, the Danish billionaire who owns land in the area, has described the project as...Campaigners are urging Scotland’s biggest landowner to withdraw his objection to a spaceport being planned in the Highlands. Anders Holch Povlsen, the Danish billionaire who owns land in the area, has described the project as...Campaigners are urging Scotland’s biggest landowner to withdraw his objection to a spaceport being planned in the...
Read the full storyCoronavirus
SNP is ‘using lockdown to plot break-up of Union’
Scottish nationalists with “too much time on their hands” are playing politics with coronavirus by drawing up plans to break up Britain during lockdown, a cabinet minister has said. Alister Jack, the secretary of state for...Scottish nationalists with “too much time on their hands” are playing politics with coronavirus by drawing up plans to break up Britain during lockdown, a cabinet minister has said. Alister Jack, the secretary of state for...Scottish nationalists with “too much time on their hands” are playing politics with coronavirus by drawing up plans...
Read the full storyLEADING ARTICLE
The Borrowers
Outlander star battled low self-worth
Sam Heughan, star of the hit series Outlander, has said that he was crippled by insecurity before becoming an actor. Heughan, from Dumfries and Galloway, said that taking part in school productions as a child helped to boost his self-esteem at...Sam Heughan, star of the hit series Outlander, has said that he was crippled by insecurity...Sam Heughan, star of the hit series Outlander, has said that he was crippled by insecurity...
Read the full storyOBITUARY
Bill Spence
COMMENT
Returning workers need protection
With countries across Europe lifting lockdown measures, it is not a surprise that the UK is also moving in that...With countries across Europe lifting lockdown measures, it is not a surprise that the UK is also...With countries across Europe lifting lockdown measures, it is not a surprise that the UK is also...
Read the full storyTeenage rapist attacked third victim while on bail
A teenager who raped two girls in West Lothian went on to rape a third while on bail. The 17-year-old boy has...A teenager who raped two girls in West Lothian went on to rape a third while on bail. The...A teenager who raped two girls in West Lothian went on to rape a third while on bail. The...
Read the full storyFootball
Football may come back in neutral ‘hubs’
Scottish football could return to competitive action at a network of regional “hub” stadiums in which multiple matches, attended by supporters, are staged over the course of a weekend. The joint response group, set up to explore how and when the Scottish game can safely resume, confirmed yesterday that its six sub-groups were considering a plan to restrict matches to a...Scottish football could return to competitive action at a network of regional “hub” stadiums in...Scottish football could return to competitive action at a network of regional “hub” stadiums in...
Read the full storyrugby union
Russell return for Scotland still uncertain
Gregor Townsend yesterday expressed cautious optimism over the prospect of Finn Russell returning to the...Gregor Townsend yesterday expressed cautious optimism over the prospect of Finn Russell returning to the international fold but the Scotland head coach stopped short of confirming that the fly half, who made a dramatic exit from the team hotel in January, is fully back on board. Russell’s sudden departure only two...Gregor Townsend yesterday expressed cautious optimism over the prospect of Finn Russell returning to the international fold but...
Read the full storyClashes over virus response ‘inevitable’
Tension shows our commitment, says Holohan
The chief medical officer said it was inevitable that tensions would arise between bodies such as the HSE and the Department of Health and that if there were none it would be a sign that “we’re not pushing ourselves”. Tony Holohan said the response to Covid-19 is a “pressurised situation for all...The chief medical officer said it was inevitable that tensions would arise between bodies such as the HSE and the Department of Health and that if there were none it would be a sign that “we’re not pushing ourselves”. Tony Holohan said the response to Covid-19 is a “pressurised situation for all...The chief medical officer said it was inevitable that tensions would arise between bodies such as the HSE and the Department of...
Read the full storyScout leaders ‘protected child abusers for decades’
Senior figures in Scouting Ireland helped to cover up cases of child sex abuse and some had a “sexual interest in young people”, a damning review of the organisation has found. The body apologised yesterday, admitting that it had failed victims, many of whom had previously attempted to come forward. “Individuals who had a sexual interest in...Senior figures in Scouting Ireland helped to cover up cases of child sex abuse and some had a “sexual interest in young people”, a damning review of the organisation has found. The body apologised yesterday, admitting that it had failed victims, many of whom had previously attempted to come forward. “Individuals who had a sexual interest in...Senior figures in Scouting Ireland helped to cover up cases of child sex abuse and some had a “sexual interest in young people”...
Read the full storySCOUTS | ANALYSIS
A damning verdict, but there is more to be found
Yesterday’s damning review into Scouting Ireland, and the organisation’s subsequent apology, will hopefully be some relief to the hundreds of victims of child sexual abuse. Not only did it confirm a legacy of abuse and cover-up spanning decades, it also found that victims had previously tried to come forward but had...Yesterday’s damning review into Scouting Ireland, and the organisation’s subsequent apology, will...Yesterday’s damning review into Scouting Ireland, and the organisation’s subsequent apology, will...
Read the full storycoronavirus
Letters expose tensions over testing policy
CORONAVIRUS
‘Grave’ outbreaks in meat plants
Micheál Martin has described the number of coronavirus clusters in meat processing plants as “gravely serious”. The latest figures from the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) show there have been ten outbreaks of Covid-19 in meat...Micheál Martin has described the number of coronavirus clusters in meat processing plants as...Micheál Martin has described the number of coronavirus clusters in meat processing plants as...
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Comment
Sun, sea and stun guns at the Hotel de Coren
Giles Coren
Apart from food cannon serving meals and robot hornets punishing rulebreakers, it’s just a normal summer holiday
newMATTHEW PARRIS
Who’s having a good or bad war on Covid?
newANN TRENEMAN
Going back to real world is quite an expedition
James Forsyth
Johnson launches a new battle of the bulge
James Coney
Cavalier travel trade needs policing by an ombudsman
video
ANIMATED CARTOON
Morten Morland on the easing of lockdown
letters to the editor
Furlough scheme’s effect on health and work
Better care for the elderly begins at home
When the reckoning is done on the extent to which poor government exacerbated Britain’s Covid-19 crisis, it is likely...When the reckoning is done on the extent to which poor government exacerbated Britain’s Covid-19...When the reckoning is done on the extent to which poor government exacerbated Britain’s Covid-19...
Read the full storyED CONWAY
New tech can help us thrive in a Covid world
You might not have heard of a plethysmograph but there is a chance you’re already wearing one. It’s a little sensor...You might not have heard of a plethysmograph but there is a chance you’re already wearing one.You might not have heard of a plethysmograph but there is a chance you’re already wearing one.
Read the full storyLeading Articles
Class Conflict
Teaching unions seem determined to block any prospect of schools reopening before the summer. In doing so they are damaging the interests of children
Leaving the Herd
Britain must rethink some of its coronavirus policies in the light of new data
We’ve Been Here Before
For those frustrated with lockdown, our ancestors offer ancient advice
Readers' poll
Is saving the economy more important than protecting public health?
RED BOX | NICK ROBINSON
Journalists are not at war with the virus or with those trying to control it
RED BOX | TALI FRASER
Students like me have been left in a lonely limbo
RED BOX | SAQIB BHATTI
The pre-pandemic Tory manifesto is now more relevant than ever
RED BOX | JOHN KAMPFNER
Now, as in other times of crisis, Britain reverts to nostalgia
Daily Universal Register
Briefing
UK: Expert witnesses appear before the Treasury committee to discuss the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Germany: GDP figures for the first quarter of 2020 are published; border crossings with France, Austria and Switzerland are open for business trips and family visits.
Spain: Two-week quarantine is imposed for all overseas travellers.
On this day
In 1567 Mary, Queen of Scots married James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh; in 1930 Ellen Church became the world’s first air stewardess when she welcomed passengers aboard a Boeing 80A at Oakland Airport, California. She was a registered nurse and licensed aircraft pilot, and had inquired about being a pilot for the airline, but was turned down; in 1932 the first official broadcast was made from Broadcasting House, the BBC’s central London premises. The first music programme was performed by Henry Hall and his BBC Dance Orchestra; in 1940 nylon stockings went on general sale for the first time in the US. Four million pairs were sold in the first four days; in 1944 mass deportations of Hungarian Jews to Auschwitz-Birkenau began. By July 9, 142 trains had transported 440,000 people, with most dying in the gas chambers; in 1957 Britain’s first hydrogen bomb (Short Granite, dropped by a Valiant B1 bomber) was tested over Malden Island in the central Pacific; in 2004 Arsenal football club completed the Premier League 2003-04 season unbeaten with 26 wins and 12 draws. It was the first club to end a league campaign undefeated since Preston in 1888-89.
Nature notes
The first of the newly arrived cuckoos have mated and eggs are being laid by the females in the nests of other species, especially dunnocks and reed warblers. The female cuckoo watches these birds from an outpost and when she has chosen a foster nest glides down to it, usually in the afternoon. She removes one of the eggs in the nest and lays one of her own in it. She lays about 12 eggs in different nests like this in a season. When the cuckoo chick hatches, it heaves out any other eggs or chicks that are in the nest and remains as its large, solitary occupant. Its foster parents accept it and feed it for about three weeks. Neither of the cuckoos who are its parents takes the least interest in its future. d
Derwent May
Birthdays today
Madeleine Albright, US secretary of state (1997-2001), 83; Aly Bain, fiddler, 74; Dame Inga Beale, chief executive, Lloyd’s of London (2014-18), 57; David Cronenberg, film director, The Fly (1986), 78; Ben Derbyshire, architect, president, Royal Institute of British Architects (2017-19), 67; Ted Dexter, cricketer, England (1958-68), 85; Prof Michael Dexter, haematologist, director, Wellcome Trust (1998-2003), 75; Prof Dame Athene Donald, physicist, master of Churchill College, University of Cambridge, 67; Sir Peter Donnelly, chief executive, Genomics, professor of statistical science, University of Oxford, 61; Brian Eno, musician, An Ending (Ascent) (1983), and producer, 72; Prof Sir Chris Ham, chief executive, King’s Fund (2010-18), 69; Alison Jackson, artist and photographer, 60; Jasper Johns, painter and printmaker, Flag (1955), 90; Karin Krog, jazz singer, We Could be Flying (1974), 83; Prof Diana Liverman, environmental scientist, 66; Sir Keith Mills, deputy chairman, London Organising Committee, 2012 Olympic Games (2005-13), 70; Sir Andy Murray, tennis player, Wimbledon men’s singles champion (2013, 2016), 33; Mike Oldfield, musician and composer, Tubular Bells (1973), 67; Sir Craig Oliver, director of communications for David Cameron (2011-16), 51; Sophie Raworth, broadcaster, BBC newsreader, 52; Don Robert, chairman, London Stock Exchange Group, 61; Matthew Sadler, chess grandmaster and writer, 46; Prof Sir Stephen Sparks, volcanologist, trustee, Natural History Museum, 71; Ralph Steadman, cartoonist and illustrator, 84; Caroline Thomson (Lady Liddle), chairwoman, Oxfam, 66; Zara Tindall, equestrian, world champion (2006), 39; Ben Wallace, Conservative MP for Wyre and Preston North, defence secretary, 50; Paul Walsh, chairman, Compass Group, 65; Sir Alimuddin Zumla, professor of infectious diseases and international health, University College London, 65.