INVESTIGATION
The files that reveal how Lucy Letby was treated as a victim
When doctors warned that she might be a killer, hospital bosses took her side — offering to support her with a master’s degree and find her a role at a top children’s hospital
exclusiveLucy Letby sat with her parents in a meeting with senior managers at the Countess of Chester Hospital, where she worked, waiting patiently for an apology. She had prepared a statement that was read out by her parents to Tony Chambers, the hospital’s chief executive, about being bullied and...Lucy Letby sat with her parents in a meeting with senior managers at the Countess of Chester Hospital, where she worked, waiting patiently for an apology. She had prepared a statement that was read out by her parents to Tony Chambers, the hospital’s chief executive, about being bullied and...Lucy Letby sat with her parents in a meeting with senior managers at the Countess of Chester Hospital, where she worked...
Louise Callaghan | interview
‘I’ll win or die’: why an Afghan interpreter is paying smugglers to reach UK
newThe curtains are always drawn in the basement flat in Istanbul where Ali lives with five other young Afghan men. It is dark, but it means the police cannot see in. They have already raided the flat several times: dragging out the men inside and deporting them to Taliban-controlled Kabul, because they don’t have papers. So far, through a...The curtains are always drawn in the basement flat in Istanbul where Ali lives with five other young Afghan men. It is dark, but it means the police cannot see in. They have already raided the flat several times: dragging out the men inside and deporting them to Taliban-controlled Kabul, because they don’t have papers. So far, through a...The curtains are always drawn in the basement flat in Istanbul where Ali lives with five other young Afghan men. It is dark...
King Charles’s first year on the throne: was it a success?
newIn her explosive Panorama interview in 1995, the biggest bomb that Diana, Princess of Wales, dropped was not her comment that there were “three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded”. It was her scepticism that her husband at the time was fit to be King. Almost a year into the top job, there is quiet...In her explosive Panorama interview in 1995, the biggest bomb that Diana, Princess of Wales...In her explosive Panorama interview in 1995, the biggest bomb that Diana, Princess of Wales...
The incredible 192-mile hike that helped me heal when my mum died
newAs I caught my breath at the top of Dent Fell, the first summit on my 14-day walk, I looked out towards the much larger hills to come and thought, “I probably should have trained for this.” My ethos of “it’s just walking, right?” now seemed unwise.As I caught my breath at the top of Dent Fell, the first summit on my 14-day walk, I looked out...As I caught my breath at the top of Dent Fell, the first summit on my 14-day walk, I looked out...
LUCY LETBY PROFILE
Caring girl known as Mary Poppins by her friends grew into monster
WOMEN'S WORLD CUP
It’s a victory already: over sexism, scorn and neglect
Tomorrow a fair-haired English centre half wearing number six, with a commanding presence, upright bearing and a knack for arrowing long passes out of defence, will hope to stand on the summit of football holding the World Cup. As Millie Bright leads the Lionesses in pursuit of the ultimate glory, that is probably as far as any similarities with Bobby Moore, 1966 and...Tomorrow a fair-haired English centre half wearing number six, with a commanding presence...Tomorrow a fair-haired English centre half wearing number six, with a commanding presence...
Women's World Cup | Jonathan Northcroft
How St George’s Park has played starring role in rise of Lionesses
For Georgia Stanway, for Alessia Russo, for Chloe Kelly and Lauren Hemp, a World Cup final is an opportunity, not an...For Georgia Stanway, for Alessia Russo, for Chloe Kelly and Lauren Hemp, a World Cup final is an opportunity, not an ordeal. They know what a challenging environment really looks like. And that it’s not a pristine football pitch in a beautiful stadium, where — when it comes down to it — there’s just another game to...For Georgia Stanway, for Alessia Russo, for Chloe Kelly and Lauren Hemp, a World Cup final is an opportunity, not an ordeal.
POLITICS IN DEPTH
Inside the tent or outside? The Braverman conundrum
FAMILY
The secret to a happy family? An imperfect mum
Our baby had been screaming for hours when, at 4am, I walked into the spare room to where I’d banished my husband so...Our baby had been screaming for hours when, at 4am, I walked into the spare room to where I’d...Our baby had been screaming for hours when, at 4am, I walked into the spare room to where I’d...
HEALTH
What is the healthiest cereal? The popular brands, rated
Snap, crackle, stop. So came the warning from campaigners this week, urging children’s cereal manufacturers to be...Snap, crackle, stop. So came the warning from campaigners this week, urging children’s cereal...Snap, crackle, stop. So came the warning from campaigners this week, urging children’s cereal...
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
Michel Roux to close Le Gavroche after 34 years in charge
Photography
Red, green and solid gold: Bob Marley & Roots Reggae revisited
On the 50th anniversary of Bob Marley’s first Island Records release, Catch a Fire, Genesis Publications will issue a hardback edition of Rebel Music: Bob Marley & Roots Reggae by Kate Simon. It was first released by Genesis in 2004 as a...On the 50th anniversary of Bob Marley’s first Island Records release, Catch a Fire, Genesis...On the 50th anniversary of Bob Marley’s first Island Records release, Catch a Fire, Genesis...
Health
New Covid variant ‘most striking since Omicron’
A new variant of Covid-19 described as the “most striking” since Omicron has been identified in a patient in London and placed under surveillance by health officials. Health agencies have stressed that there is no evidence yet...A new variant of Covid-19 described as the “most striking” since Omicron has been identified in a patient in London and placed under surveillance by health officials. Health agencies have stressed that there is no evidence yet...A new variant of Covid-19 described as the “most striking” since Omicron has been identified in a patient in London...
COURTS
Woman who posed as man to kiss girl avoids jail
A woman who posed as a man to lure a short-sighted teenager into a relationship was spared jail yesterday and instead given a community order. Georgia Bilham, 21, was convicted of sexual assault by kissing but cleared of 16...A woman who posed as a man to lure a short-sighted teenager into a relationship was spared jail yesterday and instead given a community order. Georgia Bilham, 21, was convicted of sexual assault by kissing but cleared of 16...A woman who posed as a man to lure a short-sighted teenager into a relationship was spared jail yesterday and instead...
The Times diary
Morality tale of No 10 fat cats
Zimbabwe’s Crocodile fights dirty in ‘rigged’ election
newFor Chris Mapua it is hard now to recall the tyranny of Robert Mugabe. Life in Zimbabwe is more wretched and often more terrifying under the rule of the man who toppled him. “This is what passes for skilled labour,” Mapua said, taking a filthy, ragged $5 note, polishing it with a lemon and...For Chris Mapua it is hard now to recall the tyranny of Robert Mugabe. Life in Zimbabwe is more wretched and often more terrifying under the rule of the man who toppled him. “This is what passes for skilled labour,” Mapua said, taking a filthy, ragged $5 note, polishing it with a lemon and...For Chris Mapua it is hard now to recall the tyranny of Robert Mugabe. Life in Zimbabwe is more wretched and often more...
Beer and schnitzels with the AfD in Germany’s right-wing heartlands
newOver beer and schnitzels, members of the local branch of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party gathered one evening last week in the back room of a rustic inn in Waltershausen, on the edge of the Thuringian forest. As they discussed their politics, considered radically right-wing by many in Germany, the walls behind were...Over beer and schnitzels, members of the local branch of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party gathered one evening last week in the back room of a rustic inn in Waltershausen, on the edge of the Thuringian forest. As they discussed their politics, considered radically right-wing by many in Germany, the walls behind were...Over beer and schnitzels, members of the local branch of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party gathered one...
How Putin’s using the Russian Orthodox Church in war against Ukraine
newAt the Army 2023 expo of Russian military technology last week, it was not the vast Yars intercontinental missile or the captured western armoured vehicles that stole the show but an inflatable church. The mobile chapel, or military field temple, is meant to serve the spiritual needs of Russian soldiers in the red...At the Army 2023 expo of Russian military technology last week, it was not the vast Yars...At the Army 2023 expo of Russian military technology last week, it was not the vast Yars...
Worst wildfires in Canada’s history force thousands to flee
newA state of emergency was declared in British Columbia as the worst wildfires in Canada’s history raged across the country, threatening its cities. About 15,000 households were ordered to leave, with a further 20,000 under an evacuation alert.A state of emergency was declared in British Columbia as the worst wildfires in Canada’s history...A state of emergency was declared in British Columbia as the worst wildfires in Canada’s history...
War in Ukraine
Ukraine war casualties ‘near 500,000’
Gay adoption is like cannibalism, claims Italian general
A decorated Italian army general is facing disciplinary charges and has been removed from his post after he claimed homosexuals were “not normal” and likened gay adoption to cannibalism in a bestselling book. General Roberto...A decorated Italian army general is facing disciplinary charges and has been removed from his post after he claimed homosexuals were “not normal” and likened gay adoption to cannibalism in a bestselling book. General Roberto...A decorated Italian army general is facing disciplinary charges and has been removed from his post after he claimed...
Indian lander sends back lunar images
India’s space agency has released its latest images of the moon as the mission races to become the first craft to land at the lunar south pole. The pictures, taken by Vikram, Chandrayaan-3’s lander, show a close-up of craters...India’s space agency has released its latest images of the moon as the mission races to become the first craft to land at the lunar south pole. The pictures, taken by Vikram, Chandrayaan-3’s lander, show a close-up of craters...India’s space agency has released its latest images of the moon as the mission races to become the first craft to...
Bond’s Swiss village under siege from tourists
Gunshots and screeching tyres shattered the silence of the chocolate-box Swiss village as James Bond and his wife, Contessa Teresa di Vicenzo, sped through the snow-covered streets in a red Mercury Cougar XR7 convertible. Now, almost 55 years...Gunshots and screeching tyres shattered the silence of the chocolate-box Swiss village as James...Gunshots and screeching tyres shattered the silence of the chocolate-box Swiss village as James...
China crisis and inflation spook the FTSE
‘Perfect storm’ sends index into losing streak
London’s senior share index fell for the sixth consecutive trading session yesterday, taking its weekly loss to 3.5 per cent, as the deepening crisis in the Chinese economy compounded fears over Britain’s stubbornly high inflation and rising interest rates. The FTSE 100 fell 47.78 points, or 0.7...London’s senior share index fell for the sixth consecutive trading session yesterday, taking its weekly loss to 3.5 per cent, as the deepening crisis in the Chinese economy compounded fears over Britain’s stubbornly high inflation and rising interest rates. The FTSE 100 fell 47.78 points, or 0.7...London’s senior share index fell for the sixth consecutive trading session yesterday, taking its weekly loss to 3.5 per cent...
Arm valued at $64bn before flotation as SoftBank buys stake
SoftBank has bought a 25 per cent stake in Arm Holdings from its Vision Fund, valuing the chip designer at more than $64 billion in the run-up to its stock market flotation. The move by the fund’s parent company, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, is a show of confidence by the Japanese technology investor in Arm. Twenty-eight banks...SoftBank has bought a 25 per cent stake in Arm Holdings from its Vision Fund, valuing the chip designer at more than $64 billion in the run-up to its stock market flotation. The move by the fund’s parent company, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, is a show of confidence by the Japanese technology investor in Arm. Twenty-eight banks...SoftBank has bought a 25 per cent stake in Arm Holdings from its Vision Fund, valuing the chip designer at more than $64...
Netflix’s gaming push is a last roll of the dice
newAt a conference in New York last year, Reed Hastings, Netflix’s billionaire founder and executive chairman, was asked whether the streaming giant was about to dive into live sports. “Talk to us after we’re a big leader in games,” he replied. “We have a lot of investment to do [there].” Indeed it does. Two years...At a conference in New York last year, Reed Hastings, Netflix’s billionaire founder and executive...At a conference in New York last year, Reed Hastings, Netflix’s billionaire founder and executive...
interview | dervilla mitchell
Engineering’s not all oily rags and factories — it’s about helping to save the planet
new
David Smith | Economic Outlook
It was daft to leave the EU, but don’t romanticise rejoining
newWhen, a week ago, I wrote about the UK’s growth problem, underlined by GDP (gross domestic product) per head being...When, a week ago, I wrote about the UK’s growth problem, underlined by GDP (gross domestic...When, a week ago, I wrote about the UK’s growth problem, underlined by GDP (gross domestic...
comment
Why it’s not completely nuts to buy shares in a company that’s going bust
If a company is going bust, you shouldn’t rush to buy the shares. That sounds obvious, but it’s not always true. Over...If a company is going bust, you shouldn’t rush to buy the shares. That sounds obvious, but it’s...If a company is going bust, you shouldn’t rush to buy the shares. That sounds obvious, but it’s...
The Manifesto
The construction supplier putting what he believes in — and sells — into practice
Many chief executives are convincing when they are talking the talk. Some can be good at walking the walk. Joe Vorih is building the build. After moving to Britain after nearly three decades in engineering and manufacturing in the United States...Many chief executives are convincing when they are talking the talk. Some can be good at walking...Many chief executives are convincing when they are talking the talk. Some can be good at walking...
rugby union
England World Cup plans in disarray as Vunipola sent off in Ireland humbling
Ireland 29 England 10
newA storybook conclusion for Ireland, who conspired to decorate their 12th straight victory with a try for Keith Earls on the occasion of his 100th international cap — and a depressingly familiar plotline for England, who suffered their fourth straight defeat by the world’s No 1 team. Incredibly, this was also the third consecutive game between the sides where England...A storybook conclusion for Ireland, who conspired to decorate their 12th straight victory with a...A storybook conclusion for Ireland, who conspired to decorate their 12th straight victory with a...
women's world cup final preview
Lionesses have world at their feet – it is time to break new ground
If England beat Spain in the World Cup final today, they will end 57 years of hurt since the men’s team lifted the...If England beat Spain in the World Cup final today, they will end 57 years of hurt since the men’s team lifted the trophy in 1966. It is hard to comprehend fully just how much has changed in the women’s game in that time. When Bobby Moore raised the trophy aloft in July ’66, women were suffering from an FA ban on...If England beat Spain in the World Cup final today, they will end 57 years of hurt since the men’s team lifted the trophy in 1966.
FORMULA ONE | BOOK EXTRACT
How Verstappen’s parents built the perfect champion
Football | Nigel Pearson interview
‘The message read: your brother was killed – I don’t recall much after that’
new
martin samuel
Duty to reintegrate Greenwood lies with United – not another club
newRachel Riley has said she will stop supporting Manchester United if they bring back Mason Greenwood. She won’t be alone.Rachel Riley has said she will stop supporting Manchester United if they bring back Mason Greenwood.Rachel Riley has said she will stop supporting Manchester United if they bring back Mason Greenwood.
cricket
Wood latest to be wooed by franchise cricket – and could miss England Tests
newEngland may face a struggle for the services of Mark Wood this winter when they tour India for five Tests as it has...England may face a struggle for the services of Mark Wood this winter when they tour India for...England may face a struggle for the services of Mark Wood this winter when they tour India for...
rugby union
World champions deal Wales embarrassing reality check
newToo big, too physical, too experienced, too sharp and ultimately way too good. It was probably no surprise that this formidable looking South Africa side beat a callow Wales outfit here, but the margin of the world champions’ victory was something...Too big, too physical, too experienced, too sharp and ultimately way too good. It was probably no...Too big, too physical, too experienced, too sharp and ultimately way too good. It was probably no...
Women's World Cup | Jonathan Northcroft
How St George’s Park has played starring role in rise of Lionesses
Women's World Cup
‘We have a plan – but we must play the game of our lives’
Women's World Cup | Gregor Robertson
Lionesses not only inspiring future generations – they are shining a spotlight on sins of the past
Faye White’s lightbulb moment arrived in the summer of 1995. White, then 17, had always felt a bit “odd” for wanting...Faye White’s lightbulb moment arrived in the summer of 1995. White, then 17, had always felt a...Faye White’s lightbulb moment arrived in the summer of 1995. White, then 17, had always felt a...
Women's World Cup | Casey Stoney
Spain’s belief in the way they play could prove their downfall
Our expert columnist, who won 130 England caps, picks out Spain’s main threats as they prepare to take on Sarina...Our expert columnist, who won 130 England caps, picks out Spain’s main threats as they prepare to...Our expert columnist, who won 130 England caps, picks out Spain’s main threats as they prepare to...
Premier League
Liverpool front three delivers but Mac Allister sees red
football | james gheerbrant
Why Kane’s Bayern arrival is music to ears of Sané and Musiala
Cricket | simon wilde
Heroes of 2019 target one last hurrah before next generation take over
Loyalty appears to have been the byword when it came to selecting England’s World Cup squad. If it is understandable that room was found for Ben Stokes, once it was clear he was willing to come out of retirement to assist the team in the defence...Loyalty appears to have been the byword when it came to selecting England’s World Cup squad. If...Loyalty appears to have been the byword when it came to selecting England’s World Cup squad. If...
RUGBY UNION | STEPHEN JONES
World Cup set to be a lawyer’s dream and a referee’s nightmare
ATHLETICS | Letsile Tebogo interview
‘I could have won Olympic 100m gold at 18’ – meet the reluctant heir to Usain Bolt
new
football | james gheerbrant
Kane creates opener and strikes late on dream league debut
Women's World Cup final
Women's World Cup final
Key battles, a stadium of memories and TV details – your guide to the final
Women's World Cup | Owen Slot
A match that could change world – yet it’s a bundle of fun for Lionesses
Women's World Cup
Every England player to receive new year honour if they beat Spain
WOMEN'S WORLD CUP
The England squad, by those who know them best
Women's World Cup | Alyson Rudd
Lionesses’ success has made me think: What if I’d learnt to play as a child, not an adult?
Alessia Russo spread her arms like an eagle to swoop in celebration after England’s third goal against Australia. That was how I used to peel away after scoring goals for Leyton Orient Ladies — not that there were many people to swoop towards. The...Alessia Russo spread her arms like an eagle to swoop in celebration after England’s third goal...Alessia Russo spread her arms like an eagle to swoop in celebration after England’s third goal...
WOMEN'S WORLD CUP | ENI ALUKO INTERVIEW
‘James shouldn’t start – she can be England’s match-winner from bench’
WOMEN'S WORLD CUP | OWEN SLOT
How ‘The Bull’ Hemp timed her ascent to perfection
women's world cup | phil neville
Wiegman is as good as Guardiola and deserves a salary to match her talent
After guiding the England women’s team to the semi-finals of the 2019 World Cup, I received a fair amount of praise...After guiding the England women’s team to the semi-finals of the 2019 World Cup, I received a...After guiding the England women’s team to the semi-finals of the 2019 World Cup, I received a...
owen slot
Strewth! So much for a mature England-Aussie rivalry
For a final word on England-Australia, our extended sporting summer of rivalry, two nations, both genders, tribalism...For a final word on England-Australia, our extended sporting summer of rivalry, two nations, both...For a final word on England-Australia, our extended sporting summer of rivalry, two nations, both...
Women's World Cup | Sarina Wiegman interview
‘I’m enjoying the job and people seem to like me – I have no plans to leave’
While Sarina Wiegman celebrated on the touchline as England scored goal after goal against China in a statement-setting 6-1 victory, television cameras captured Arjan Veurink, the assistant manager, sitting behind her in the dugout with a smile on...While Sarina Wiegman celebrated on the touchline as England scored goal after goal against China...While Sarina Wiegman celebrated on the touchline as England scored goal after goal against China...
premier league | henry winter
Wood has last laugh as Forest leave it late
Football | martin hardy
‘It’s like we’re kids and they’re pros’ – can Newcastle finally win at City?
Football | James Gheerbrant
Neymar’s sad descent from grandmaster to pawn in geopolitical game
football | ruben loftus-cheek interview
‘I felt like a caged animal at Chelsea – leaving was a no-brainer’
newIn a small room at the back of Milanello, the rural training headquarters of AC Milan, a language lesson is taking place. “Uomo means ‘man on’, then sinistra means left and destro right,” explains Ruben Loftus-Cheek, the new student of the...In a small room at the back of Milanello, the rural training headquarters of AC Milan, a language...In a small room at the back of Milanello, the rural training headquarters of AC Milan, a language...
rugby union | mack hansen interview
‘When Andy saw my tattoo of him and didn’t reply, I thought I’d never play again’
Athletics | Matt Lawton
Hodgkinson planning to keep pace with Lionesses and schoolfriend Toone
Football | James Garner interview
‘I lost my England medal in a sock – now I want to find my way in Premier League’
sky bet championship
Late Ayling header saves winless Leeds
premier league
Pochettino: Players on eight-year deals must prove worth
premier league
Headache for Pep as injured De Bruyne out for six months
Kevin De Bruyne could be out of Manchester City’s campaign until February with Pep Guardiola forced to move in the...Kevin De Bruyne could be out of Manchester City’s campaign until February with Pep Guardiola...Kevin De Bruyne could be out of Manchester City’s campaign until February with Pep Guardiola...
premier league
Ten Hag nurturing ‘multi-functional’ Mount
Erik ten Hag insists Mason Mount can evolve into a more “multi-functional” midfielder and help Casemiro with...Erik ten Hag insists Mason Mount can evolve into a more “multi-functional” midfielder and help...Erik ten Hag insists Mason Mount can evolve into a more “multi-functional” midfielder and help...
Bill Edgar's deep dive
Bolton, Arsenal and yo-yo clubs – promotion and relegation in numbers
triathlon | lucy charles-barclay interview
‘Most athletes want Olympic gold, but not me’
Football | Bill Edgar
Premier League quiz: test your football knowledge
racing
Thunderer’s racing tips
MONEY
I bought my parents’ house. They didn’t give me a discount
Mortgage rates are sky-high but first-time buyers are still finding a way
Holly Mead | Deputy Money Editor
Who wants to be a millionaire? I don’t
MONEY
The rise of financial influencers — should you follow their advice?
With many younger investors looking to social media for tips, Lily Russell-Jones examines whether the guidance they are getting stacks up
THE BIG QUESTION
Should HMRC staff be allowed to work from home?
TIMES MONEY MENTOR TROUBLESHOOTER
Barclays botched my 4% Isa deal
In February I visited my local Barclays branch to transfer £20,000 from my current account into a one-year fixed-rate cash Isa paying 4 per cent interest. I had asked for the interest to be paid monthly but the staff member made a mistake by...In February I visited my local Barclays branch to transfer £20,000 from my current account into a...In February I visited my local Barclays branch to transfer £20,000 from my current account into a...
£45m unclaimed after power of attorney mix-up
More than £45 million is sitting unclaimed by those who were overcharged when registering a power of attorney.More than £45 million is sitting unclaimed by those who were overcharged when registering a power...More than £45 million is sitting unclaimed by those who were overcharged when registering a power...
David Brenchley | INVESTMENT EYE
Why I’m shifting my old funds into smaller stocks
The big firms are getting bigger. The share prices of the seven largest companies on the US stock market are up 58...The big firms are getting bigger. The share prices of the seven largest companies on the US stock...The big firms are getting bigger. The share prices of the seven largest companies on the US stock...
STUDENT GUIDE
How to plan a student budget and manage your money at uni
It’s tough being a student through a cost of living crisis — which is why recent graduate Mei Geater took up a part-time job to make sure she kept her debt at a minimum. Geater, 21, is set to graduate this summer with a first from the University...It’s tough being a student through a cost of living crisis — which is why recent graduate Mei...It’s tough being a student through a cost of living crisis — which is why recent graduate Mei...
first person
The problem with porn and teenage boys? I should know
Sean Russell, 30, used to watch hours of adult videos at 13. He reveals the impact of porn’s addictive grip — and why its effects are worse for teenagers today
In the cavernous church of Our Lady Immaculate I sat in a wooden pew and looked up at the stone Jesus above the altar until I was called forward by the priest for confession, far out of earshot of anyone – we didn’t use those little booths like you see in the movies for school-time confessions. “Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned,” I said, just 13 years old. “Confess...In the cavernous church of Our Lady Immaculate I sat in a wooden pew and looked up at the stone...In the cavernous church of Our Lady Immaculate I sat in a wooden pew and looked up at the stone...
WHAT I’VE LEARNT
Pepsi & Shirlie: ‘We feel George Michael’s presence strongly’
Shirlie Kemp, 61, and Pepsi DeMacque, 64, became famous as the backing singers for Wham! in the Eighties. They formed...Shirlie Kemp, 61, and Pepsi DeMacque, 64, became famous as the backing singers for Wham! in the Eighties. They formed a pop duo, Pepsi & Shirlie, and their debut single reached No 2 in the UK. Kemp is married to the former Spandau Ballet bassist Martin Kemp, while DeMacque lives in St Lucia with her husband. The...Shirlie Kemp, 61, and Pepsi DeMacque, 64, became famous as the backing singers for Wham! in the Eighties. They formed a pop duo,...
health
A half-marathon before work? Meet Britain’s superfit set
We talk to the exercise obsessives who only date other runners and live to post their personal bests online
Abandon your social life. Get up at 4am. Run a quick half-marathon before heading to the office. For some fitness superfans that’s all in a day’s work. After smashing a personal best (PB) on a Tuesday morning (and on a Wednesday and Thursday too), they log it on Strava and head to their day jobs in recruitment and law. Not long ago it was really only elite athletes who...Abandon your social life. Get up at 4am. Run a quick half-marathon before heading to the office.Abandon your social life. Get up at 4am. Run a quick half-marathon before heading to the office.
Beta male
My family see me as some sort of comedy stooge
Only just back from France, I then head off into a cloud in Pembrokeshire: mist; wind; horizontal driving rain. It’s...Only just back from France, I then head off into a cloud in Pembrokeshire: mist; wind; horizontal driving rain. It’s like going from midsummer to late autumn, July to November, in 260 miles. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Twenty-three years and we’ve been coming to this hotel, the same week every August, the same...Only just back from France, I then head off into a cloud in Pembrokeshire: mist; wind; horizontal driving rain. It’s like going...
first person | property
My disastrous decade as a ‘guppy’ — grown up and still renting
I thought house-shares were bad in my twenties, but little did I know. I am 33 and far too old to be sharing a...I thought house-shares were bad in my twenties, but little did I know. I am 33 and far too old to...I thought house-shares were bad in my twenties, but little did I know. I am 33 and far too old to...
food
49 best bakeries in Britain, according to local chefs
Say no to rubbish bread and dry, dull pastries — the bakeries below are some of the best in the country, specialising...Say no to rubbish bread and dry, dull pastries — the bakeries below are some of the best in the...Say no to rubbish bread and dry, dull pastries — the bakeries below are some of the best in the...
MUSIC | INTERVIEW
Alice Cooper: ‘Biting off a chicken’s head? It never happened’
The rock legend tells Will Hodgkinson about playing the villain and forming a band with Johnny Depp
FILM | INTERVIEW
Reader, I sobbed: Kevin Maher’s film of 2023
Our critic talks to Celine Song about Past Lives, her lauded directorial debut about friends and fate
TECHNOLOGY | INTERVIEW
Computer says, we’re all doomed! Will AI ruin our world?
The philosopher John Gray’s latest book predicts an age of decline — but we’ll still have love, he tells James Marriott
FASHION
Get the Bloomsbury look (clashing patterns, lampshade hat, short hair)
When Virginia Woolf sawed through her stays in 1903 she released a freedom of dress that remains to this day
HUGO RIFKIND ON TV
I, Claudius — the majesty of Rome done on a BBC budget
Also reviewed: Henpocalypse!; At Home with the Furys; Harlan Coben’s Shelter
BOOK OF THE WEEK
The Hundred Years’ War is finally over (England lost)
BOOKS | BIOGRAPHY
How to ‘ambush’ a life — confessions of a master biographer
BOOKS | REREADING
A true crime novel that beguiles you with its Southern charm
INTERVIEW
My culture fix: Stanley Wells
My favourite author and book
Having devoted most of my professional and some of my private life to studying...My favourite author and book
Having devoted most of my professional and some of my private life...My favourite author and book
Having devoted most of my professional and some of my private life...
CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE WEEK
What if you could have an extra hour every day? What would you do with it?
The Magic Hour tick-tocks around a deliciously simple “what if?”. What if an extra hour were available every day?The Magic Hour tick-tocks around a deliciously simple “what if?”. What if an extra hour were...The Magic Hour tick-tocks around a deliciously simple “what if?”. What if an extra hour were...
Edinburgh festivals 2023
EDINBURGH FESTIVALS | comedy
Martin Urbano — exquisitely constructed (and knowingly unacceptable) jokes
EDINBURGH FESTIVALS | THEATRE
Bullring Techno Makeout Jamz — of love, life and haircuts
EDINBURGH FESTIVALS | Dance
After All — funerals have never been such fun
EDINBURGH FESTIVALS | DANCE
Dances Like a Bomb — a darkly comic celebration of older bodies
EDINBURGH FESTIVALS | THEATRE
Strategic Love Play — here’s a first date to savour
Edinburgh festivals | Theatre
Lena review — a poignant narrative of a talent cut short
EDINBURGH FESTIVALS | COMEDY
Michelle Brasier — an exuberant tale of a conman
★★★★☆
“I am riddled with empathy,” Michelle Brasier declares midway through this exuberant hour of stand-up...★★★★☆
“I am riddled with empathy,” Michelle Brasier declares midway through this exuberant hour...★★★★☆
“I am riddled with empathy,” Michelle Brasier declares midway through this exuberant hour...
ARTS
The best of Edinburgh Festival and Fringe 2023: the critics’ verdicts
updatedHere are all our reviews from this year’s Edinburgh Festival and Fringe, from comedy to classical music, theatre to...Here are all our reviews from this year’s Edinburgh Festival and Fringe, from comedy to classical...Here are all our reviews from this year’s Edinburgh Festival and Fringe, from comedy to classical...
BOOKS
The latest thrillers — Danger! Can you trust your perfect wife?
The French narrator of Maud Ventura’s sharply written debut loves her husband deeply. Truly. After 15 years together, she seems to have a perfect life. Two lovely kids, a good amount of cash and her looks still, not to mention a partner who has...The French narrator of Maud Ventura’s sharply written debut loves her husband deeply. Truly.The French narrator of Maud Ventura’s sharply written debut loves her husband deeply. Truly.
tELEVISION | STREAMING GUIDE
What to watch now on Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Prime Video and beyond
updated
viewing guide
What’s on TV and radio this weekend
MINDGAMES
Literary Quiz
MINDGAMES
Word Watch
INTERVIEW
Gabby Logan: The Lionesses will bring it home
The BBC presenter talks to Michael Odell about the Women’s World Cup final and her midlife reinvention
health
How to have a healthy summer (and still enjoy it)
From the chefs’ low-calorie recipes, to the summer sports that burn fat — Emily Sargent rounds up this season’s healthiest treats
FAMILY
The secret to a happy family? An imperfect mum
Despite being a psychotherapist, Anna Mathur felt she was failing as a mother of three — until she learnt this
FIRST PERSON
Why I love going on holiday without my kids
Molly Gunn explains why her family are going to Spain without her — while she’s off to Ibiza
HEALTH
What is the healthiest cereal? The popular brands, rated
Manufacturers have come under fire this week for the amount of sugar some products contain. Nutrition therapist Ian Marber rates the bestsellers on the supermarket shelves
HEALTH
How long should a nap really be? Here’s what the science says
Most of us know the benefits of a Mediterranean-style diet, but there are benefits to Mediterranean-style napping too.Most of us know the benefits of a Mediterranean-style diet, but there are benefits to...Most of us know the benefits of a Mediterranean-style diet, but there are benefits to...
HEALTH
Creatine or maca — should you take the new supplements?
Do you know your maca root from your lion’s mane mushrooms or your plant-based collagen from your creatine? Social...Do you know your maca root from your lion’s mane mushrooms or your plant-based collagen from your...Do you know your maca root from your lion’s mane mushrooms or your plant-based collagen from your...
FOOD
Six ways to use pesto — from salad to salmon
There’s so much more you can do than put it on pasta, the foodies tell Sarah Rainey
What’s gloriously green, perks up your pasta and is found in the cupboard of every UK kitchen? Pesto, of course — that staple ingredient of middle-class Britain, which has become nothing short of obsessed with the Italian basil-based paste. Our ready-made pesto industry is worth £38 million (worldwide it’s £1.7 billion), with supermarkets selling more than 20 varieties...What’s gloriously green, perks up your pasta and is found in the cupboard of every UK kitchen?What’s gloriously green, perks up your pasta and is found in the cupboard of every UK kitchen?
DRINKS
The four best wines to serve at your summer BBQ
On/off summers like this one make choosing barbecue wines even more of a challenge. Never mind. What’s wanted, with...On/off summers like this one make choosing barbecue wines even more of a challenge. Never mind. What’s wanted, with or without the sun, are big, bold, beautiful wines with lashings of sweet fruit and lots of body and backbone; wines that won’t wilt alongside the barbecue assault course of smoke, char, chilli-hot...On/off summers like this one make choosing barbecue wines even more of a challenge. Never mind. What’s wanted, with or without...
men's health
My do-it-anywhere routine
outside
A good walk: Miller’s Dale and High Dale, Derbyshire
I don’t walk with my godson, a geologist, as often as I’d like, but when I do he opens a window onto a hidden but wonderful world. On this hot summer’s day on the White Peak it was all about limestone, that pale rock that accrued infinitely slowly...I don’t walk with my godson, a geologist, as often as I’d like, but when I do he opens a window...I don’t walk with my godson, a geologist, as often as I’d like, but when I do he opens a window...
greece
These under-the-radar Greek islands make an ideal laid-back twin break
If you haven’t heard of Sifnos or Serifos, you won’t forget their buzzy squares, lovely beaches and charming hotels — and they’re just a 20-minute ferry apart
travel doctor
‘I booked a £5,567 flight with a company that went bust — and Atol won’t help’
Plus: the best solo holidays for under-40s and where to go in October half-term for sunshine and snorkelling
DEALS
18 last-minute bargains to book before summer is over
There’s still time for that villa on the Côte d’Azur, Med sailing trip or Atlas mountains trek
ITALY
The secret way to see Lake Como without the crowds
Serene swimming spots and quiet hiking trails await at Italy‘s prettiest lake — for those who know where to look
NORWAY
Europe’s surreal island home to polar bears and glaciers
Fashion director Anna Murphy is enchanted by Game of Thrones-style scenery — and incredible wildlife up close — in Svalbard
From the archive
What kind of tests do learner drivers really need?
Timothy Radcliffe | Credo
Questions can mean more than answers in the Gospel
How does a Christian read or listen to the Bible? Does one look for information about God or a moral vision or for...How does a Christian read or listen to the Bible? Does one look for information about God or a...How does a Christian read or listen to the Bible? Does one look for information about God or a...
Announcements
Births, marriages and deaths
WHY DO YOU spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which does not satisfy? Listen... WHY DO YOU spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which does not... WHY DO YOU spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which does not...
MindGames
The Times Saturday Quiz
1 Which Catalan city is the second most populous city in Spain? 2 Which Chinese language is the language with the most native speakers in the world? 3 In 1960, the Kellogg’s breakfast cereal Cocoa Krispies was introduced to Britain with what name?1 Which Catalan city is the second most populous city in Spain? 2 Which Chinese language is the...1 Which Catalan city is the second most populous city in Spain? 2 Which Chinese language is the...
marriages and engagements
Ugandan rituals kick off celebrations
remembering loved ones
David Russell, 93: Advertising head and host of operettas in his barn
remembering loved ones
Robert Organ, 90: Independent-minded figurative painter turned modern architect
readers’ lives
How to feature a tribute
Health
Rise of rickets in Scotland fuels fears over poverty and diet
newA “disease of poverty” that haunted the city slums of Victorian Britain is on the rise in Scotland, where cases are now an alarming 700 per cent higher than in England. Rickets is caused by a sustained lack of vitamin D, which comes from exposure to sunlight or is found in food like oily fish or...A “disease of poverty” that haunted the city slums of Victorian Britain is on the rise in Scotland, where cases are now an alarming 700 per cent higher than in England. Rickets is caused by a sustained lack of vitamin D, which comes from exposure to sunlight or is found in food like oily fish or...A “disease of poverty” that haunted the city slums of Victorian Britain is on the rise in Scotland, where cases are now an...
Forbes hints at another leadership bid
Kate Forbes has opened the door to standing again for the leadership of the SNP. In a significant shift in tone, the former finance secretary, who narrowly lost to Humza Yousaf in March, said “never say never” when asked about the prospect of putting her hat in the ring for a second time. She said that she was tempted by the prospect of...Kate Forbes has opened the door to standing again for the leadership of the SNP. In a significant shift in tone, the former finance secretary, who narrowly lost to Humza Yousaf in March, said “never say never” when asked about the prospect of putting her hat in the ring for a second time. She said that she was tempted by the prospect of...Kate Forbes has opened the door to standing again for the leadership of the SNP. In a significant shift in tone, the former...
Alex Massie | Comment
SNP dislike of the English is there for all of us to see
newSome years ago Scottish nationalists discovered that it is better to speak in a kind of code. Why talk about the “English” when you may instead deplore “Westminster”? Everyone knows what you mean but you retain a scintilla of deniability. Westminster is synecdoche; a part representing the whole. Why talk about...Some years ago Scottish nationalists discovered that it is better to speak in a kind of code. Why...Some years ago Scottish nationalists discovered that it is better to speak in a kind of code. Why...
Be picky with fungi, foragers warned
Amateur foragers have been warned to “pick only what you need” after reports they are damaging biodiversity and...Amateur foragers have been warned to “pick only what you need” after reports they are damaging...Amateur foragers have been warned to “pick only what you need” after reports they are damaging...
Cricket racism whistleblower ‘abused while umpiring’
Scottish cricket must prove it is serious about tackling racism within the sport, the former national player Majid...Scottish cricket must prove it is serious about tackling racism within the sport, the former...Scottish cricket must prove it is serious about tackling racism within the sport, the former...
Cricket | Majid Haq interview
‘I do ask myself if it is worth standing there on a Saturday for 40 quid’
Like any umpire, Majid Haq will be hoping for a quiet day when he steps out at the Marress ground in Irvine on Saturday afternoon. The former Scotland international, his country’s all-time leading wicket-taker, is officiating Irvine v Glasgow...Like any umpire, Majid Haq will be hoping for a quiet day when he steps out at the Marress ground...Like any umpire, Majid Haq will be hoping for a quiet day when he steps out at the Marress ground...
EDINBURGH FESTIVALS | DANCE
Dances Like a Bomb — a darkly comic celebration of older bodies
EDINBURGH FESTIVALS | THEATRE
Bullring Techno Makeout Jamz — of love, life and haircuts
traVEL
It’s a Bute: this isle makes me feel lucky to call Scotland home
At the Charcoal Huts, two new off-grid woodland cabins on the quiet northern end of the beautiful island, you won’t believe you’re less than two hours from the bustle of Glasgow
food
Aran Bakery, Dunkeld review — is this Scotland’s best bakery?
Bake Off star Flora Shedden’s artisanal fare is so good, I’m searching for properties nearby
entertainment
Five things to do in Scotland this week: from mixology masterclasses to Austen
Head outdoors for a Pride & Prejudice theatre adaptation, jump about to Primal Scream at Connect Festival or knock a couple back at Scotland’s biggest spirit festival
interview
Jack Docherty: ‘I once had to get my money back off a homeless man’
The comedian on his comedy influences, persevering with Proust and leaving his sandwiches up Aonach Eagach for a year
travel
The €100m tourism hub transforming Porto’s wine district
The city wants to reinvent its south bank as a modern cultural hub full of museums and restaurants. Jeremy Watson heads to Portugal to see what WOW is all about
FOOD
The secret to a successful barbecue? Whack on a whole lobster
Put this on the menu and everyone will want to come to your barbecue. You can’t beat the smoky sweet flavours you get...Put this on the menu and everyone will want to come to your barbecue. You can’t beat the smoky...Put this on the menu and everyone will want to come to your barbecue. You can’t beat the smoky...
Natasha Radmehr
The gospel of minimalism is a lie. Let me hoard
The alert pops up while I’m lying in bed, unable to sleep. Lisa in Daventry wants to purchase the blouse I’m selling...The alert pops up while I’m lying in bed, unable to sleep. Lisa in Daventry wants to purchase the...The alert pops up while I’m lying in bed, unable to sleep. Lisa in Daventry wants to purchase the...
outside
Walk of the week: the Saltings to Bowling Harbour
The Erskine Bridge looms over this canalside route that ends at a boat graveyard
The Erskine Bridge dominates most of the route. Built in the late 1960s and opened in 1971, the bridge replaced a ferry service across the Clyde that had run since 1777, when the river was dredged to allow for larger ships. The crossing was originally established in the 1700s when, at low tide, it was possible to walk across the Clyde from Old Kilpatrick to Erskine on...The Erskine Bridge dominates most of the route. Built in the late 1960s and opened in 1971, the...The Erskine Bridge dominates most of the route. Built in the late 1960s and opened in 1971, the...
Travel
The best cycle routes in Scotland
Criss-crossed by car-free tracks and quiet country lanes, Scotland is packed with stunning cycle routes. From easy...Criss-crossed by car-free tracks and quiet country lanes, Scotland is packed with stunning cycle routes. From easy coastal loops and gentle city trundles to all-day epics and trips through brooding glens, here is your definitive list of the best cycle trips in Scotland in one easy-to-access place. No need to buy a...Criss-crossed by car-free tracks and quiet country lanes, Scotland is packed with stunning cycle routes. From easy coastal...
Edinburgh festivals 2023
INTERVIEW | EDINBURGH FESTIVALS 2023
Bridget Christie: ‘If Boris Johnson was a woman there’s no way she would have been elected’
EDINBURGH FESTIVALS 2023
The best and worst of the Edinburgh Art Festival 2023
critics' choice
Comment
Animal Farm is still horribly relevant today
AN Wilson
Britain’s welcome for MBS and dealings with China shows our willingness to compromise with evil when it suits us
RHYS BLAKELEY
AI will read your mind sooner than you think
LARA SPIRIT
Rishi is under peer pressure as lords say no to rolling up their sleeves
ROBERT CRAMPTON
Picking my pride of the Lionesses isn’t easy
HELEN RUMBELOW | NOTEBOOK
Our England women know dad’s their mane man
MAX HASTINGS
Tulle is a tale of rival wartime atrocities
Tom Whipple | Weekend Essay
Google changed the world but search is on for the next big hit
John Lewis-Stempel | Nature Notebook
There’s a bit of a buzz in the estuary this summer
In one of British nature’s perfect synchronicities, sea aster — a daisy-like plant of salt marsh — flowers from July...In one of British nature’s perfect synchronicities, sea aster — a daisy-like plant of salt marsh...In one of British nature’s perfect synchronicities, sea aster — a daisy-like plant of salt marsh...
Rose Wild | Feedback
We forecast cool objectivity with a spot of hot debate
A friend of mine used to read the Shipping Forecast on the BBC and I remember her saying once how difficult it was...A friend of mine used to read the Shipping Forecast on the BBC and I remember her saying once how...A friend of mine used to read the Shipping Forecast on the BBC and I remember her saying once how...
Leading Articles
A Killer on the Wards
The worst instance of serial child murder in modern times holds lessons for all hospitals, the police and those trying to spot and stop abuse
Belgrade’s Bluster
Western governments have been too soft on Serbia’s president, a Putin ally
Final Service
A byword for French haute cuisine is closing after 56 years
letters to the editor
Private sale of coronavirus booster shots
Sir, Restricting access to free coronavirus boosters to the over-65s and clinically vulnerable is short-sighted (“Rule change lets anyone buy a Covid booster jab”, Aug 18). It will inevitably result in more infections needing treatment as well...Sir, Restricting access to free coronavirus boosters to the over-65s and clinically vulnerable is...Sir, Restricting access to free coronavirus boosters to the over-65s and clinically vulnerable is...
Daily Universal Register
Briefing
Today
International: The World Athletics Championships take place in Budapest, Hungary, this weekend; Ireland take on England at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin, while Wales play South Africa at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff in Rugby World Cup warm-ups.
Tomorrow
Australia: England face Spain in the Fifa Women’s World Cup final in Sydney.
Ecuador: Presidential and legislative elections take place after President Lasso dissolved the national assembly in May before an impeachment vote.
On this day
Today
In 1959 the sculptor Sir Jacob Epstein died. Works include the tomb of the poet and playwright Oscar Wilde in Paris and a statue of the statesman Jan Smuts in Parliament Square, London; in 1987 a gunman, Michael Ryan, killed 16 people in Hungerford, Berkshire; in 1989 Wojciech Jaruzelski, the president of Poland, nominated the Solidarity activist Tadeusz Mazowiecki to become the country’s first non-communist prime minister for 42 years. He took office five days later; in 1999 about 100,000 demonstrators in Belgrade demanded the resignation of the Serbian president, Slobodan Milosevic; in 2004 the internet search engine company Google debuted on New York’s Nasdaq exchange.
Tomorrow
In 1773 Ottobah Cugoano, who had been sold into slavery in west Africa, was baptised at St James’s Church, Piccadilly, London (as “John Stuart — a Black, aged 16 Years”). He became active in the abolitionist group Sons of Africa. In 1787 he published Thoughts and Sentiments on the Evil and Wicked Traffic of the Slavery and Commerce of the Human Species; in 1897 the physician Sir Ronald Ross made the significant discovery of malaria parasites while dissecting a mosquito that had been fed four days previously on a malarious patient; in 1940 Leon Trotsky, the Marxist revolutionary, was struck in the head with an ice axe in Mexico while in exile from the Soviet Union, and died the next day, aged 60. In 1961 Ramón Mercader, the assassin, was presented with the title Hero of the Soviet Union “for the special deed”. The axe is among exhibits at the International Spy Museum in Washington DC; in 1989, 51 people died when a dredger collided with the pleasure cruiser Marchioness on the River Thames in London; in 2009 Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, a Libyan national serving a life sentence in Scotland for his role in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, was freed on compassionate grounds. He had been given three months to live because of prostate cancer, but survived until May 2012.
Nature notes
Half a dozen tiny, fawn-coloured seeds were lodged in the cobweb. They were birch seeds and had come from the tree growing about 50 metres away. The seeds’ light weight and pair of small wings had allowed them to easily ride the wind for this distance. Typically, birch seeds travel between 40 and 360 metres, with some journeying even further when the wind is roaring. These dispersal distances allow birch trees to quickly colonise new ground. Their sheer fecundity also allows the species to spread swiftly — in a good year, one mature silver birch can produce 6.5 million seeds. These seeds can remain dormant in soil for up to five years.
Jonathan Tulloch
Birthdays
Today
Shekhar Anantharaman, chief executive, Olam Food Ingredients, 60; Jennie Bond, journalist, BBC royal correspondent (1989-2003), 73; Bill Clinton, US president (1993-2001), 77; Jonathan Coe, writer, The Terrible Privacy of Maxwell Sim (2010), Middle England (2018), 62; Laura Deas, skeleton racer, Olympic bronze medallist (2018), 35; Lord (Edward) Faulks KC, chairman, Independent Press Standards Organisation, minister for civil justice (2014-16), 73; Mary Joe Fernández, tennis player, two-time Olympic gold medallist (1992, 1996), 52; Rebecca Gallantree, diver, gold medallist, Commonwealth Games (2014), 39; Richard Ingrams, editor, Private Eye (1963-86) and The Oldie (1992-2014), 86; Baroness (Patricia) Scotland of Asthal KC, Commonwealth secretary-general, attorney general (2007-10), 68; Jill St John, actress, Diamonds Are Forever (1971), 83; Clare Waight Keller, artistic director of Givenchy (2017-20), designer of the Duchess of Sussex’s wedding dress, 53; Jonathan Williams, deputy director, British Museum, 56; Lee Ann Womack, singer, I Hope You Dance (2000), 57.
Tomorrow
Amy Adams, actress, Enchanted (2007), American Hustle (2013), 49; Ben Barnes, actor, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010), Westworld (2016-18), 42; Baroness (Camilla) Cavendish of Little Venice, head of the Downing Street policy unit (2015-16), chief leader writer, The Times (2010-13), 55; Crista Cullen, field hockey player, Olympic gold medallist (2016), 38; Jamie Cullum, singer, Pointless Nostalgic (2002), Interlude (2014), and radio presenter, 44; Lord (Nigel) Dodds of Duncairn, deputy leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (2008-21), MP for Belfast North (2001-19), 65; Patrick Drahi, founder of telecom group Altice and owner of Sotheby’s, 60; John Emburey, cricketer, England (1978-95), 71; Dame Anne Evans, soprano, 82; Sir Roger Gale, MP for North Thanet, deputy speaker and chairman of Ways and Means, 80; Ralf Hütter, musician, Kraftwerk, Autobahn (1974), 77; Don King, pictured, boxing promoter, promoter of the Rumble in the Jungle (1974) and the Thrilla in Manila (1975), 92; George Mitchell, US politician, Northern Ireland and Middle East peace negotiator, 90; Robert Plant, singer, Led Zeppelin (1968-80), Stairway to Heaven (1971), 75; Nat Sciver-Brunt, cricketer, England women’s team, 31; Maxim Vengerov, violinist, 49.