Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer are out on the campaign trail for a second day after the prime minister called a general election for July 4. Starmer is visiting Scotland, where Labour is hoping to win dozens of seats, to tell voters north of the border that they can decide who runs the government.Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer are out on the campaign trail for a second day after the prime minister called a general election for July 4. Starmer is visiting Scotland, where Labour is hoping to win dozens of seats, to tell voters north of the border that they can decide who runs the government.Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer are out on the campaign trail for a second day after the prime minister called a general...
video
Paula Vennells completed her evidence to the Post Office inquiry on Friday after three days of intense questioning about how she oversaw the response to the Horizon IT scandal. The former Post Office chief executive once again broke down in tears during her evidence, in which she dismissed claims of a cover-up and named colleagues she...Paula Vennells completed her evidence to the Post Office inquiry on Friday after three days of intense questioning about how she oversaw the response to the Horizon IT scandal. The former Post Office chief executive once again broke down in tears during her evidence, in which she dismissed claims of a cover-up and named colleagues she...Paula Vennells completed her evidence to the Post Office inquiry on Friday after three days of intense questioning about how...
The United Nations’ top court has ordered Israel to halt its offensive on Rafah in the latest in a string of diplomatic and legal moves against the country. Nawaf Salam, the president of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), said the military offensive must be “immediately halted” in provisional measures upheld...The United Nations’ top court has ordered Israel to halt its offensive on Rafah in the latest in...The United Nations’ top court has ordered Israel to halt its offensive on Rafah in the latest in...
STUART FRASER | STAN WAWRINKA INTERVIEW
JANE MACQUITTY
Stuffy drinkers may hope that we have reached peak pink, but the tidal wave of rosé crashing onto our shelves...Stuffy drinkers may hope that we have reached peak pink, but the tidal wave of rosé crashing onto...Stuffy drinkers may hope that we have reached peak pink, but the tidal wave of rosé crashing onto...
RECIPES
Hot sauce, spicy mayonnaise, “hot” honey — is there anything in this country that we don’t now insist on covering...Hot sauce, spicy mayonnaise, “hot” honey — is there anything in this country that we don’t now...Hot sauce, spicy mayonnaise, “hot” honey — is there anything in this country that we don’t now...
The BBC’s director of comedy has issued a plea to TV producers to “save our sitcom” as he warned that it faces extinction. Jon Petrie said the triple-whammy effect of strikes, inflation and recession had negatively affected the next generation of...The BBC’s director of comedy has issued a plea to TV producers to “save our sitcom” as he warned...The BBC’s director of comedy has issued a plea to TV producers to “save our sitcom” as he warned...
They could have been a local hero or they could have been a global megastar. Whether famous or overlooked, if you think there is someone who deserves the honour of a blue plaque, then the time has come to put their name in the hat. On Friday, as...They could have been a local hero or they could have been a global megastar. Whether famous or...They could have been a local hero or they could have been a global megastar. Whether famous or...
A boy who was born in London in 1991 and died of leukaemia at the age of only 15 is to become the Catholic church’s...A boy who was born in London in 1991 and died of leukaemia at the age of only 15 is to become the...A boy who was born in London in 1991 and died of leukaemia at the age of only 15 is to become the...
THE TIMES DIARY
At a memorial service for Dame Ann Leslie, the pioneering foreign correspondent, much was made of her glamour in war.At a memorial service for Dame Ann Leslie, the pioneering foreign correspondent, much was made of...At a memorial service for Dame Ann Leslie, the pioneering foreign correspondent, much was made of...
IN DEPTH
When President Putin unveiled the Kremlin’s arsenal of hypersonic missiles during a state-of-the-nation speech in Moscow, he boasted that the weapons were “invincible”. The nuclear-capable Avangard, Kinzhal and Zircon missiles, Putin told members of the Russian elite in 2018, were “without global...When President Putin unveiled the Kremlin’s arsenal of hypersonic missiles during a state-of-the-nation speech in Moscow, he boasted that the weapons were “invincible”. The nuclear-capable Avangard, Kinzhal and Zircon missiles, Putin told members of the Russian elite in 2018, were “without global...When President Putin unveiled the Kremlin’s arsenal of hypersonic missiles during a state-of-the-nation speech in Moscow, he...
DISPATCH | JANE FLANAGAN
Audrey Herbert’s son is a long-term drug user who is now banned from the family home. Today, she gets up before dawn to shepherd children to school, past thieves and foot soldiers for the gangs who have brought turf wars to her door in the lawless Cape Flats. After dark she sets out again as part of a neighbourhood watch patrol — a group of...Audrey Herbert’s son is a long-term drug user who is now banned from the family home. Today, she gets up before dawn to shepherd children to school, past thieves and foot soldiers for the gangs who have brought turf wars to her door in the lawless Cape Flats. After dark she sets out again as part of a neighbourhood watch patrol — a group of...Audrey Herbert’s son is a long-term drug user who is now banned from the family home. Today, she gets up before dawn to...
Dispatch | Richard Lloyd Parry
The thieves in the night were masked and silent, and knew exactly what they were after. One man climbed over a fence and removed the treasures from a shelf in the garden; he passed them to his accomplice who placed them in the waiting car. They were in and out in half an hour with 33 precious pieces, together worth...The thieves in the night were masked and silent, and knew exactly what they were after. One man...The thieves in the night were masked and silent, and knew exactly what they were after. One man...
Dispatch from Madeira
Winston Churchill’s painting holiday on Madeira in 1950 put the Portuguese sub-tropical island back on the tourist...Winston Churchill’s painting holiday on Madeira in 1950 put the Portuguese sub-tropical island...Winston Churchill’s painting holiday on Madeira in 1950 put the Portuguese sub-tropical island...
Morgan Spurlock, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker whose documentary Super Size Me exposed the health dangers of fast...Morgan Spurlock, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker whose documentary Super Size Me exposed the health...Morgan Spurlock, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker whose documentary Super Size Me exposed the health...
FRANCE CONFIDENTIAL
In the 1930s, Aldous Huxley would head to Les Deux Magots for a drink and a debate with Georges Neveux, the French dramatist who was his brother-in-law. Pablo Picasso went to the Parisian café too, although he was more interested in the female...In the 1930s, Aldous Huxley would head to Les Deux Magots for a drink and a debate with Georges...In the 1930s, Aldous Huxley would head to Les Deux Magots for a drink and a debate with Georges...
Had he still been alive, Francis Bacon may have had some sympathy for the thieves responsible for stealing five of...Had he still been alive, Francis Bacon may have had some sympathy for the thieves responsible for...Had he still been alive, Francis Bacon may have had some sympathy for the thieves responsible for...
video
A two-storey building collapsed on the beach in Palma de Mallorca on Thursday, killing at least four people and...A two-storey building collapsed on the beach in Palma de Mallorca on Thursday, killing at least...A two-storey building collapsed on the beach in Palma de Mallorca on Thursday, killing at least...
Fund management company says time is right for a change of leadership
The chief executive of Abrdn is stepping down following a tumultuous period of less than four years in charge in which the £508 billion fund management giant has courted controversy and its share price has plunged. The FTSE 250 company said that its board, which is led by the City veteran Sir...The chief executive of Abrdn is stepping down following a tumultuous period of less than four years in charge in which the £508 billion fund management giant has courted controversy and its share price has plunged. The FTSE 250 company said that its board, which is led by the City veteran Sir...The chief executive of Abrdn is stepping down following a tumultuous period of less than four years in charge in which the £508...
Coventry Building Society has reached agreement on a £780 million takeover of The Co-operative Bank in the second buyout of a high street lender by a customer-owned mutual this year. The deal, which is subject to approval by both the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulatory Authority, will return the Co-op Bank to the...Coventry Building Society has reached agreement on a £780 million takeover of The Co-operative Bank in the second buyout of a high street lender by a customer-owned mutual this year. The deal, which is subject to approval by both the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulatory Authority, will return the Co-op Bank to the...Coventry Building Society has reached agreement on a £780 million takeover of The Co-operative Bank in the second buyout of a...
analysis
The general election offers a chance to fortify the economy after years of turmoil. Labour wants voters to believe that a change in economic management is required; the Conservatives want to see through a recovery that has just begun after four years of upheaval from the pandemic, war in Ukraine and ensuing energy...The general election offers a chance to fortify the economy after years of turmoil. Labour wants...The general election offers a chance to fortify the economy after years of turmoil. Labour wants...
business commentary
Some companies can choose whether to invest in the energy transition. Not National Grid. Imagine if it failed to...Some companies can choose whether to invest in the energy transition. Not National Grid.Some companies can choose whether to invest in the energy transition. Not National Grid.
comment
Which bits of you do you take to work? Do your beliefs, values and feelings travel with you? Or do you leave them at...
Which bits of you do you take to work? Do your beliefs, values and feelings travel with you? Or...
Which bits of you do you take to work? Do your beliefs, values and feelings travel with you? Or...
Energy and water shares suffer steep falls after announcement of rights issue to finance a five-year £60 billion investment programme
More than £6 billion was wiped off the London stock market’s energy and water sector after National Grid unveiled plans for one of the largest fundraisings in more than a decade and amid fears that an election will delay energy policy decisions. The near-£7 billion rights issue would be the largest from a company in Europe outside the banking sector in 15 years, the...More than £6 billion was wiped off the London stock market’s energy and water sector after...More than £6 billion was wiped off the London stock market’s energy and water sector after...
If anyone was in any doubt about the mountainous task facing National Grid, it was made all too clear today.If anyone was in any doubt about the mountainous task facing National Grid, it was made all too clear today. According to John Pettigrew, the chief executive of National Grid, Britain is “at the foothills of the energy transition” and the company is facing the challenge of future-proofing the nation’s power network.If anyone was in any doubt about the mountainous task facing National Grid, it was made all too clear today. According to John...
Comment
Rishi, this is how you could turn the tide
Giles Coren
newMATT CHORLEY
The magical moments still to come after sorry Sunak’s mix-up in a brewery
newDominic Sandbrook
Failed German ‘coup’ just the latest plot
newWeekend essay
Historians will look back on 14 years of lost opportunities
newPATRICK MAGUIRE
There will be a wobble — can Starmer cope?
Leading Articles
Stage Right
As Nigel Farage rules out entering the electoral race, prospective voters should take a questioning look at what his party is really offering
Divine Retribution
The former chief executive is at last having to face up to the suffering of the Horizon victims
Funny Business
Comics and commissioners need to take more risks if the British sitcom is to survive
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Sunak’s decision to go to the country in July
Sir, Amid all the speculation around the reasons for Rishi Sunak’s announcement of an early election, none has mentioned the possibility that secretly he might actually want to lose. The scale of the problems facing the country and the paucity...Sir, Amid all the speculation around the reasons for Rishi Sunak’s announcement of an early...Sir, Amid all the speculation around the reasons for Rishi Sunak’s announcement of an early...
Daily Universal Register
Briefing
UK: Final day of Paula Vennells’s evidence to the Post Office inquiry; Sir Keir Starmer and Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, launch Labour’s general election campaign in Scotland; Ofgem announces the energy tariff cap to come into effect from July 1; latest estimate of monthly retail sales figures published by the Office for National Statistics.
Germany: Final GDP figures for the first quarter of the year announced.
Switzerland: The World Health Organisation publishes its World Health Statistics report, examining the impact of Covid-19 on global life expectancy.
Lebanon: A memorial in Beirut for the Iranian president, Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed in a helicopter crash on May 19, will be addressed by Hassan Nasrallah, secretary-general of the militant group Hezbollah.
On this day
In 1819 Queen Victoria was born. Her reign lasted from June 20, 1837, until her death on January 22, 1901. She was buried at Windsor beside Prince Albert. They had nine children, born between 1840 and 1857; in 1877 Bertie, the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) arranged for the socialite Lillie Langtry to be seated next to him at a dinner party (with her husband at the far end of the table) — she was the prince’s mistress until she became pregnant by another lover in 1880, but they remained friends; in 1956 the first Eurovision Song Contest was held, in Lugano, Switzerland. Seven countries took part, with Lys Assia from Switzerland winning with her song Refrain. The other participating countries were Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands; in 1975, 80 journalists, including nine Britons, became the first westerners to fly out of Saigon in South Vietnam after communist forces had taken control of the city on April 29. Between April 29 and 30, US forces evacuated more than 7,000 people during Operation Frequent Wind; in 1982 HMS Antelope sank in San Carlos Water during the Falklands conflict after coming under Argentine air attack the previous day. One 500lb bomb lodged in the ship’s engine room detonated while being defused, breaking the back of the Type 21 frigate. Two Royal Navy servicemen lost their lives.
Nature notes
As the spring bird migration reaches a climax, keen birdwatchers look out for the fleeting visit of the Temminck’s stint. After a winter in Africa, this small wader is returning to breed in the taiga of the far north. Stopping off in Britain, the traveller can be occasionally glimpsed at pools, lakes or marshes. The bird is named after Coenraad Jacob Temminck, a highly influential Dutch zoologist, who died in 1858. This influential figure gave his name to a wide range of bird species, including the Temminck’s cormorant, Temminck’s fruit dove and Temminck’s hornbill. He also provided the name for a broadfin shark, many fish, reptiles and mammals including a pangolin, and a flying fox. Temminck’s golden cat is a beautiful Asian wild cat. Jonathan Tulloch
Jonathan Tulloch
Birthdays today
Ali Bacher, former South African Test cricket captain, 82; Stanley Baxter, comedian, 98; Jim Broadbent, actor, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (2023), 75; Eric Cantona, footballer, Manchester United (1992-97) and actor, The Salvation (2014), 58; Michael Chabon, novelist, Moonglow (2017), 61; John Christodoulou, businessman, owner of Yianis Group (property), 59; Tansu Ciller, economist, the first female prime minister of Turkey (1993-96), 78; Sir Roger Deakins, two-time Oscar-winning cinematographer, Blade Runner 2049 (2017), 1917 (2019), 75; Bob Dylan, singer-songwriter, Nobel prize in literature (2016), 83; Orla Kiely, fashion designer, 61; Patti LaBelle, singer, Lady Marmalade (1975), 80; Liz McColgan, athlete, Olympic silver medallist (1988), 60; Paul McCreesh, founder (1982) and artistic director, Gabrieli (Consort & Players), 64; Alfred Molina, actor, Chocolat (2000), 71; Adrian Moorhouse, swimmer, Olympic gold medallist (1988), 60; Dermot O’Leary, radio and TV presenter, 51; Dave Peacock, singer, Chas ’n’ Dave, 79; Prof Nick Pearce, director, Institute for Policy Research, University of Bath, head, prime minister’s policy unit (2008-10), 56; Annamarie Phelps, vice-chairwoman, British Olympic Association (Team GB), 58; Priscilla Presley, actress, Dallas (1983-98), 79; Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, Conservative MP for North East Somerset, business, energy and industrial strategy secretary (2022), 55; John C Reilly, actor, Holmes & Watson (2018), 59; Sir Luke Rittner, chief executive, Royal Academy of Dance (1999-22), London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (1994-2017), 77; Archie Shepp, jazz musician, 87; Dame Kristin Scott Thomas, actress, The English Patient (1996), 64; Prof Jeremy Treglown, editor, The Times Literary Supplement (1982-90), 78; Richard Wilson, sculptor, 20:50 (1987), 71.