In the News
Care home deaths double in four weeks
Virus linked to more than 1,000 fatalities
newThe number of people dying in care homes has almost doubled in four weeks, with more than 1,000 deaths attributed to coronavirus. Figures released by the Office for National Statistics showed that there were 4,927 deaths in care homes in the week ending April 10. In the week ending March 13...The number of people dying in care homes has almost doubled in four weeks, with more than 1,000 deaths attributed to coronavirus. Figures released by the Office for National Statistics showed that there were 4,927 deaths in care homes in the week ending April 10. In the week ending March 13...The number of people dying in care homes has almost doubled in four weeks, with more than 1,000 deaths attributed to coronavirus...
Read the full storyCORONAVIRUS
Facemasks for public ‘risk NHS shortage’
Ministers have been warned by NHS bosses that advising people to wear facemasks to slow the spread of coronavirus risks jeopardising critical supplies to the health service. Government scientists will examine the evidence about masks today before making a formal recommendation on whether the public should wear them. The World Health...Ministers have been warned by NHS bosses that advising people to wear facemasks to slow the spread of coronavirus risks jeopardising critical supplies to the health service. Government scientists will examine the evidence about masks today before making a formal recommendation on whether the public should wear them. The World Health...Ministers have been warned by NHS bosses that advising people to wear facemasks to slow the spread of coronavirus risks...
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CORONAVIRUS
Government employs 1m people in a day
Taxpayers will pay the wages of a million people at a cost of more than £1 billion after 144,000 companies hit by coronavirus applied for government support in a single day. Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, said that employers would receive grants within six days to pay staff who had been furloughed, as the government...Taxpayers will pay the wages of a million people at a cost of more than £1 billion after 144,000...Taxpayers will pay the wages of a million people at a cost of more than £1 billion after 144,000...
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CORONAVIRUS | q&a
Why is there a PPE shortage?
RED BOX | MATT CHORLEY
Rules for virtual MPs: No pink shorts or noises
CORONAVIRUS
Branson offers up island for public cash
CORONAVIRUS
Mum, I am really scared — crisis as virus causes surge in child anxiety
One night, as Lindy Darkin began the family’s bedtime routine, her daughter Emily-Rose suddenly broke down in tears. She sat in bed sobbing and asking if life would ever return to normal. “She was putting on a brave face and then one of the...One night, as Lindy Darkin began the family’s bedtime routine, her daughter Emily-Rose suddenly...One night, as Lindy Darkin began the family’s bedtime routine, her daughter Emily-Rose suddenly...
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video
Coronavirus
Be ready for second wave to strike, scientist tells country
Britain must prepare for a second wave of Covid-19, a leading scientist working on a vaccine has said. Robin Shattock of Imperial College said that a second wave is highly probable in the UK when social distancing is...Britain must prepare for a second wave of Covid-19, a leading scientist working on a vaccine has said. Robin Shattock of Imperial College said that a second wave is highly probable in the UK when social distancing is...Britain must prepare for a second wave of Covid-19, a leading scientist working on a vaccine has said. Robin...
Read the full storyCORONAVIRUS
Supermarket, train and bus staff to be offered testing
Supermarket staff will be offered tests for coronavirus as the government expands checks to private sector key workers in a scramble to hit its 100,000-a-day target. Train and bus staff will also be given checks and home-test...Supermarket staff will be offered tests for coronavirus as the government expands checks to private sector key workers in a scramble to hit its 100,000-a-day target. Train and bus staff will also be given checks and home-test...Supermarket staff will be offered tests for coronavirus as the government expands checks to private sector key...
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POLITICAL SKETCH
Sprightly Sunak hosts the daily exercise class
CORONAVIRUS
Grateful duke comes out of retirement
CORONAVIRUS
Arthritis drug hope in biggest Covid trial
CORONAVIRUS
TV watchdog ticks off host over 5G comments
CORONAVIRUS
Pampered pets face normality shock
CORONAVIRUS
School travel firm rules out refunds for cancelled trips
Head teachers are being forced to raid their budgets to repay parents for cancelled school trips after the biggest provider said it would not offer refunds. PGL Travel runs short-stay school trips with outdoor activities for thousands of pupils...Head teachers are being forced to raid their budgets to repay parents for cancelled school trips...Head teachers are being forced to raid their budgets to repay parents for cancelled school trips...
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WORLD AT FIVE | CORONAVIRUS
Can Bolsonaro dodge the coronavirus crisis?
Coronavirus
Tycoons bunker down in virus haven
Scowling quiz king’s imperious Imperial rout rivals in TV final
It was billed as a clash of the trivia titans, with the American quiz show fiend Brandon Blackwell going head to head...It was billed as a clash of the trivia titans, with the American quiz show fiend Brandon...It was billed as a clash of the trivia titans, with the American quiz show fiend Brandon...
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THE TIMES DIARY
Once more unto the bar...
Where are the lushes of yesteryear? The actress Frances Barber has been reminiscing about soaks she once knew. “I...Where are the lushes of yesteryear? The actress Frances Barber has been reminiscing about soaks...Where are the lushes of yesteryear? The actress Frances Barber has been reminiscing about soaks...
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Britain in a jam on roads more crowded than ever
The number of vehicles on the road exceeded 40 million for the first time last year after the popularity of online shopping brought a big increase in delivery vans. Research to be published today shows that a record total of...The number of vehicles on the road exceeded 40 million for the first time last year after the popularity of online shopping brought a big increase in delivery vans. Research to be published today shows that a record total of...The number of vehicles on the road exceeded 40 million for the first time last year after the popularity of online...
Read the full storyPoliceman’s widow to sue Met over his killing by Westminster terrorist
The widow of a police officer who was stabbed to death at parliament in a terrorist attack is to sue Scotland Yard after accusing it of failing to protect him. PC Keith Palmer was one of five people murdered in a car and knife...The widow of a police officer who was stabbed to death at parliament in a terrorist attack is to sue Scotland Yard after accusing it of failing to protect him. PC Keith Palmer was one of five people murdered in a car and knife...The widow of a police officer who was stabbed to death at parliament in a terrorist attack is to sue Scotland Yard...
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News in pictures
For more pictures from The Times, follow us on InstagramFor more pictures from The Times, follow us on InstagramFor more pictures from The Times, follow us on Instagram
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video
Gunman’s wife was first of 19 to die in massacre
A wealthy dental specialist who turned his house into a “shrine” to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is believed to have been responsible for the deadliest mass shooting in Canadian history. Gabriel Wortman is thought to have killed his estranged wife, her new partner and at least 17 others during a 12-hour rampage through several small Canadian towns in Nova Scotia...A wealthy dental specialist who turned his house into a “shrine” to the Royal Canadian Mounted...A wealthy dental specialist who turned his house into a “shrine” to the Royal Canadian Mounted...
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Biden accuses Trump of being too soft on China
Joe Biden has sought to turn the tables on critics who charge him with being weak on China by claiming that President...Joe Biden has sought to turn the tables on critics who charge him with being weak on China by claiming that President Trump “rolled over” to Beijing and failed to protect America. The Trump campaign will target Mr Biden for playing down China’s threat to US manufacturing and for his son Hunter’s business dealings...Joe Biden has sought to turn the tables on critics who charge him with being weak on China by claiming that President Trump...
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Trump says he rejected South Korea’s offer to pay for defence costs
President Trump has said that he rejected a substantial cash offer from South Korea to pay for US troops deployed there after he demanded increased payments. Mr Trump said that Seoul was paying “a billion dollars a year” after...President Trump has said that he rejected a substantial cash offer from South Korea to pay for US troops deployed there after he demanded increased payments. Mr Trump said that Seoul was paying “a billion dollars a year” after...President Trump has said that he rejected a substantial cash offer from South Korea to pay for US troops deployed...
Read the full storyNuclear row over US jets splits Merkel government
The German defence minister has angered her centre-left coalition partners by forging ahead with a plan to buy 45 US fighter jets, 30 of which will be fitted to carry American atom bombs. Germany’s fleet of roughly 90 Tornado...The German defence minister has angered her centre-left coalition partners by forging ahead with a plan to buy 45 US fighter jets, 30 of which will be fitted to carry American atom bombs. Germany’s fleet of roughly 90 Tornado...The German defence minister has angered her centre-left coalition partners by forging ahead with a plan to buy 45 US...
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Site of Hannibal’s first great victory found
The battlefield that gave Hannibal his first great victory and paved the way for his march on Rome may have been discovered in Spain. A study has placed the Battle of the Tagus, in which the Carthaginian commander vanquished a larger force of...The battlefield that gave Hannibal his first great victory and paved the way for his march on...The battlefield that gave Hannibal his first great victory and paved the way for his march on...
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Mushroom canoe? That’s a fungi idea
A student in Nebraska has grown a canoe made out of mushrooms. Katy Ayers, 28, fashioned the 8ft vessel from mycelium, the fibrous roots of the mushroom that are typically found beneath soil which are also dense, buoyant and waterproof. The boat...A student in Nebraska has grown a canoe made out of mushrooms. Katy Ayers, 28, fashioned the 8ft...A student in Nebraska has grown a canoe made out of mushrooms. Katy Ayers, 28, fashioned the 8ft...
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US oil price crashes below zero
updatedAmerica’s oil price plunged below zero for the first time in history last night as producers failed to find enough space to store a glut of crude, forcing them to pay buyers to take it off their hands. West Texas Intermediate, the US benchmark, fell to -$37.63 a barrel, a loss of 306 per cent, or $55.90, for the day. On Friday, it had closed at $18.27 a barrel. Demand...America’s oil price plunged below zero for the first time in history last night as producers...America’s oil price plunged below zero for the first time in history last night as producers...
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Oil storage ‘filling at rates never seen before’
About 70 miles northeast of Oklahoma City lies Cushing, a small town home to about 8,000 people and 55 million...About 70 miles northeast of Oklahoma City lies Cushing, a small town home to about 8,000 people and 55 million barrels of oil. At least, that was the most recent estimate. The oil figure keeps on rising as the hundreds of huge steel storage tanks surrounding the town are filled up with surplus crude. Cushing’s...About 70 miles northeast of Oklahoma City lies Cushing, a small town home to about 8,000 people and 55 million barrels of oil.
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coronavirus
Virgin Australia goes into administration
Business commentary
Pot, kettle, black in fundraising row
Standing up for small shareholders is always a good look. So who wouldn’t want to be among the 27 signatories to a...Standing up for small shareholders is always a good look. So who wouldn’t want to be among the 27...Standing up for small shareholders is always a good look. So who wouldn’t want to be among the 27...
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comment
Optimism is all very well, but the markets are ahead of themselves
The rally in world share markets since the panicky low point of March 23 has been remarkable. In the space of the...The rally in world share markets since the panicky low point of March 23 has been remarkable. In...The rally in world share markets since the panicky low point of March 23 has been remarkable. In...
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There are better ways to spend money than handing state bailouts to start‑ups
The social justice warriors have finally got what they wanted. Britain has become egalitarian. Whether you are an...The social justice warriors have finally got what they wanted. Britain has become egalitarian.The social justice warriors have finally got what they wanted. Britain has become egalitarian.
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morning briefing
US oil prices recover overnight
Good morning: US oil prices recovered in overnight trading in Asia, to return to positive territory after sinking...Good morning: US oil prices recovered in overnight trading in Asia, to return to positive...Good morning: US oil prices recovered in overnight trading in Asia, to return to positive...
Read the full storySlump gives Halliburton a billion-dollar headache
Halliburton is to cut $1 billion costs and slash spending by $800 million this year as it grapples with the downturn in America’s oil and gas industry. The oilfield services provider yesterday reported a $1 billion first-quarter loss as revenue...Halliburton is to cut $1 billion costs and slash spending by $800 million this year as it...Halliburton is to cut $1 billion costs and slash spending by $800 million this year as it...
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Consumer confidence suffers record drop
Household confidence has deteriorated at its sharpest pace on record amid concerns about job losses and falling incomes, according to a closely watched survey. IHS Markit’s household finance index fell from 42.5 in March to 34.9 in April. This was...Household confidence has deteriorated at its sharpest pace on record amid concerns about job...Household confidence has deteriorated at its sharpest pace on record amid concerns about job...
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Extradition a step closer after Mallya’s appeal ends in defeat
The Indian tycoon once known as the “king of good times” for his lavish lifestyle yesterday lost an appeal against his extradition to India to face fraud charges. Vijay Mallya, whose business empire once included breweries, distilleries...The Indian tycoon once known as the “king of good times” for his lavish lifestyle yesterday lost...The Indian tycoon once known as the “king of good times” for his lavish lifestyle yesterday lost...
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rugby union
Fiji chief kicked out of World Rugby elections over conviction
newThe chairman of the Fiji Rugby Union has been stood down from the World Rugby council and removed from Sunday’s elections for a place on the executive committee following allegations published in The Sunday Times. Francis Kean, the brother-in-law of Fiji’s prime minister, has a conviction...The chairman of the Fiji Rugby Union has been stood down from the World Rugby council and removed from Sunday’s elections for a place on the executive committee following allegations published in The Sunday Times. Francis Kean, the brother-in-law of Fiji’s prime minister, has a conviction...The chairman of the Fiji Rugby Union has been stood down from the World Rugby council and removed from Sunday’s elections for a...
Read the full storyTennis
Jamie Murray leads plans for British event to fill Wimbledon void
British tennis players could return to action this summer on home soil in a closed-doors tournament limited to eight singles competitors and a handful of doubles teams. Plans are in place for an event that would replicate the season-ending ATP Finals, with the top eight British male players competing in a round-robin format of two groups.British tennis players could return to action this summer on home soil in a closed-doors tournament limited to eight singles competitors and a handful of doubles teams. Plans are in place for an event that would replicate the season-ending ATP Finals, with the top eight British male players competing in a round-robin format of two groups.British tennis players could return to action this summer on home soil in a closed-doors tournament limited to eight singles...
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Cricket
‘Umpires share blame for sandpaper-gate’
Ian Gould was the man at the centre of the storm that became known as sandpaper-gate. As the third umpire during the now-infamous third Test between South Africa and Australia in 2018, it was the man they call “Gunner” who pulled the trigger on one of cricket’s biggest scandals. Indeed, for a man who shuns the...Ian Gould was the man at the centre of the storm that became known as sandpaper-gate. As the...Ian Gould was the man at the centre of the storm that became known as sandpaper-gate. As the...
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The Game Daily | Paul Joyce
Do Liverpool stick or twist when the transfer window eventually opens?
new
Golf | Rick Broadbent
No heckling - maybe it’s time to accept a Ryder Cup without fans
Social media tells us we should be doing something useful in lockdown. While it has been truly great to watch clips...Social media tells us we should be doing something useful in lockdown. While it has been truly...Social media tells us we should be doing something useful in lockdown. While it has been truly...
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Owen Slot | Chief Rugby Correspondent
Decision time has arrived as Premiership clubs teeter on brink
The longer this goes on, the closer we are getting to peering over the abyss. The clubs in the Premiership have been...The longer this goes on, the closer we are getting to peering over the abyss. The clubs in the...The longer this goes on, the closer we are getting to peering over the abyss. The clubs in the...
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sport
Could we do more? Now is the time for you to let us know
If you’ve alighted on this article, you love sport and sports writing. I’d also wager that magical moments played out on a football or rugby pitch, a cricket ground or tennis court, are woven into the strands of your DNA. You will have been...If you’ve alighted on this article, you love sport and sports writing. I’d also wager that...If you’ve alighted on this article, you love sport and sports writing. I’d also wager that...
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Football
In China, work begins on the world’s biggest club stadium
Work has begun on a massive stadium for Guangzhou Evergrande in China. It will be bigger than the Nou Camp — making it the largest club stadium in the world — but not quite the biggest football stadium in the world. With a capacity of 100,000 it...Work has begun on a massive stadium for Guangzhou Evergrande in China. It will be bigger than the...Work has begun on a massive stadium for Guangzhou Evergrande in China. It will be bigger than the...
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i was there when | rick broadbent
I’ll never forget the dawning of the age of Usain Bolt
Sports photography
Times Sport Unseen: reliving the drama of Manchester City v Tottenham
Only at events of real significance do Bradley and I both attend and a Champions League quarter-final between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur 12 months ago was one such occasion. It was a good job too given the number of goals and amount of...Only at events of real significance do Bradley and I both attend and a Champions League...Only at events of real significance do Bradley and I both attend and a Champions League...
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obituary
Peter Beard
Hedonistic American photographer described as ‘half Tarzan, half Byron’ who captured through his lens the fragile beauty of Africa
Peter Beard liked blood. “Everybody thinks I am very sick, but blood is better than any ink or paint,” he explained. He would use his own, or that of a zebra, to enhance his photographs. A New Yorker by birth, this socialite and artist who had a keen appetite for life’s pleasures was drawn to Africa through the writings of Karen Blixen, of Out of Africa fame, following...Peter Beard liked blood. “Everybody thinks I am very sick, but blood is better than any ink or...Peter Beard liked blood. “Everybody thinks I am very sick, but blood is better than any ink or...
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Obituary
Sir David Barnes
When David Barnes became head of ICI’s pharmaceuticals division, he happily spent £50,000 for a brand agency to come...When David Barnes became head of ICI’s pharmaceuticals division, he happily spent £50,000 for a brand agency to come up with a jazzy new name for it that was “phonetically memorable, of no more than three syllables and didn’t mean anything stupid, funny or rude in other languages.” Zeneca met those criteria, but...When David Barnes became head of ICI’s pharmaceuticals division, he happily spent £50,000 for a brand agency to come up with a...
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Weather eye
Gardeners feel effect of the sunshine — and geography
Strange things tumbled from the sky recently — rain fell over much of southern Britain last Friday and Saturday after weeks of barely a drop. Met Office figures show that it had hardly rained in many areas since March 19 and many parts of southern...Strange things tumbled from the sky recently — rain fell over much of southern Britain last...Strange things tumbled from the sky recently — rain fell over much of southern Britain last...
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HEALTH
Walk, don’t run! How to do 8,000 steps indoors
You can stay fit during the lockdown with these experts’ regimens — even if you can’t leave your house
It’s Megxit, the first 100 days — are you missing them yet?
It was the first great shock of 2020: the Sussexes going rogue. Now, their awfully big adventure has hit a milestone
HEALTH
My son has a lung condition and I live in fear for his life
The threat of Covid-19 is just the latest danger to be faced by Catherine Soskice-Gandhi and her toddler
DR MARK PORTER
How a doctor can help with your anxiety during isolation
HEALTH
Vitamin D: are you sure you’re getting enough?
What to do to get your levels up to protect your immunity
THE GUIDE
How supermarkets are reaching the government’s vulnerable list
The UK government has advised more than 1.5 million clinically vulnerable people to stay at home for 12 weeks during the Covid-19 outbreak. To make it easier for those in need to access basic supplies such as food, members of the public in England can register as an extremely vulnerable person online here, or someone else can register for you. You’ll be asked for...The UK government has advised more than 1.5 million clinically vulnerable people to stay at home...The UK government has advised more than 1.5 million clinically vulnerable people to stay at home...
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The lowdown: Ikea meatballs
Thank you, Ikea
Oh my giddy aunt — are they opening their stores? Can I take my kids there? Wait, can I LEAVE them...Thank you, Ikea
Oh my giddy aunt — are they opening their stores? Can I take my kids there? Wait, can I LEAVE them there? Hold your horses, lockdown cowboy. You can’t GO to Ikea. Not yet. But you can bring a little bit of it home.
What, you think what British households need now is flat-pack furniture? Not exactly.
...Thank you, Ikea
Oh my giddy aunt — are they opening their stores? Can I take my kids there? Wait, can I LEAVE them there? ...
What are you reading? Times writers and readers share their April book tips
If you have to pick the best thing about social distancing, it must be this: no one can blame you for hiding away...If you have to pick the best thing about social distancing, it must be this: no one can blame you...If you have to pick the best thing about social distancing, it must be this: no one can blame you...
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BOOK REVIEW
Hitler’s Peace by Philip Kerr — a fast‑paced spy story set in Nazi Europe
Although it was published in the US in 2005, Philip Kerr’s thriller Hitler’s Peace is only this month being...Although it was published in the US in 2005, Philip Kerr’s thriller Hitler’s Peace is only...Although it was published in the US in 2005, Philip Kerr’s thriller Hitler’s Peace is only...
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viewing guide
What’s on TV and radio tonight
The Times streaming guide
Where should you go for the best TV streaming?
Times Sleep Guide
How to get a good night’s sleep: the definitive guide
BOOKS
Best books of 2020: our favourites so far
Here’s our pick of the best books of 2020 so far. If you panic at the sight of groaning bookshop tables and Amazon’s...Here’s our pick of the best books of 2020 so far. If you panic at the sight of groaning bookshop...Here’s our pick of the best books of 2020 so far. If you panic at the sight of groaning bookshop...
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FIVE CRIME THRILLERS
The best new crime fiction for April 2020 — from the mists of Reykjavik to the backstreets of 1960s Soho
BOOK OF THE MONTH
The Mist by Ragnar Jonasson, trans. Victoria Cribb, Michael Joseph, 320pp;...BOOK OF THE MONTH
The Mist by Ragnar Jonasson, trans. Victoria Cribb, Michael Joseph,...BOOK OF THE MONTH
The Mist by Ragnar Jonasson, trans. Victoria Cribb, Michael Joseph,...
CORONAVIRUS
Estimated grades can change based on school’s record
Grades awarded to pupils by their teachers in the absence of formal tests can be reversed by the exams authority, who will factor in a school’s past performance. The criteria laid out by the Scottish Qualifications Authority means that pupils from schools in more deprived postcodes could be at...Grades awarded to pupils by their teachers in the absence of formal tests can be reversed by the exams authority, who will factor in a school’s past performance. The criteria laid out by the Scottish Qualifications Authority means that pupils from schools in more deprived postcodes could be at...Grades awarded to pupils by their teachers in the absence of formal tests can be reversed by the exams authority, who will...
Read the full storyCoronavirus
Surge in demand for wills driven by health workers
Frontline NHS staff are fuelling a rise in demand for will services in Scotland, solicitors have said. Health and social care employees were said to be “terrified” by the impact of Covid-19 and were putting their affairs in order, according to unions. Thompsons Solicitors, which acts for members of the GMB, Unite and Unison trade unions...Frontline NHS staff are fuelling a rise in demand for will services in Scotland, solicitors have said. Health and social care employees were said to be “terrified” by the impact of Covid-19 and were putting their affairs in order, according to unions. Thompsons Solicitors, which acts for members of the GMB, Unite and Unison trade unions...Frontline NHS staff are fuelling a rise in demand for will services in Scotland, solicitors have said. Health and social care...
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Coronavirus
Care home stops admissions
A care home has stopped admitting new residents after 15 people with confirmed or suspected coronavirus were said to have died in the past month. Jackie Baillie, the Scottish Labour deputy leader, said that she was contacted by a whistleblower over concerns at Crosslet House Nursing Home in Dumbarton. The...A care home has stopped admitting new residents after 15 people with confirmed or suspected...A care home has stopped admitting new residents after 15 people with confirmed or suspected...
Read the full storyCoronavirus
Nervous wait at £43m new field hospital
coronavirus
Young doctors fast‑tracked to help coronavirus battle
A new wave of fast-tracked graduate doctors has been drafted in to support the NHS as part of the coronavirus response. Hundreds of medical students have graduated early from universities across Scotland and had their registrations accelerated to...A new wave of fast-tracked graduate doctors has been drafted in to support the NHS as part of the...A new wave of fast-tracked graduate doctors has been drafted in to support the NHS as part of the...
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Coronavirus
Farmers’ markets reap rewards online
COMMENT
World leaders must set aside rivalry to fight this scourge
‘The only thing which will redeem mankind is co-operation,” observed the philosopher Bertrand Russell. Perhaps only a...‘The only thing which will redeem mankind is co-operation,” observed the philosopher Bertrand...‘The only thing which will redeem mankind is co-operation,” observed the philosopher Bertrand...
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Comment
A more relaxed Union is within our grasp
Quietly and almost without anyone noticing the United Kingdom is changing. There are many ways of measuring this but...Quietly and almost without anyone noticing the United Kingdom is changing. There are many ways of...Quietly and almost without anyone noticing the United Kingdom is changing. There are many ways of...
Read the full storyEager German beavers boost Highland colony
The mating habits of Norwegian and German immigrants are key to one of Scotland’s most fragile populations of mammals. The animals in question are beavers, reintroduced in Knapdale, Argyllshire, in 2009, after being hunted to extinction in Britain...The mating habits of Norwegian and German immigrants are key to one of Scotland’s most fragile...The mating habits of Norwegian and German immigrants are key to one of Scotland’s most fragile...
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Granite City’s food hygiene ranks bottom
Aberdeen has the worst food standards ratings in Scotland, according to research. Which?, the consumer review company, said that 24 per cent of food businesses in the city failed their safety checks, the highest of all 32 local...Aberdeen has the worst food standards ratings in Scotland, according to research. Which?, the consumer review company, said that 24 per cent of food businesses in the city failed their safety checks, the highest of all 32 local...Aberdeen has the worst food standards ratings in Scotland, according to research. Which?, the consumer review company...
Read the full storyEars hold key to history of the crocodile
Prehistoric sea crocodiles developed similar shapes and senses to whales to dominate Jurassic seas, research shows. Thalattosuchia evolved from their land-living antecedents into fast-swimming predators, with flippers...Prehistoric sea crocodiles developed similar shapes and senses to whales to dominate Jurassic seas, research shows. Thalattosuchia evolved from their land-living antecedents into fast-swimming predators, with flippers...Prehistoric sea crocodiles developed similar shapes and senses to whales to dominate Jurassic seas, research shows.
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COMMENT | NOTEBOOK
My country is no longer in need of a Local Hero
Boxing
From Hawick’s back row to bare-knuckle boxing
Davey Price made the mistake of lifting his hand to wipe some blood from his eye. In that moment, Gareth Walker saw his chance. Walker lined up Price, threw another ferocious blow at his right temple, and dropped the champion to the floor. Price staggered to his feet but struggled to stay upright. A minute later he was ruled unfit to continue. Welcome to the world of...Davey Price made the mistake of lifting his hand to wipe some blood from his eye. In that moment...Davey Price made the mistake of lifting his hand to wipe some blood from his eye. In that moment...
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Football
‘Meteor’ is set to hit the Scottish game, says Hibs chief
Leeann Dempster, the Hibernian chief executive, last night claimed that Scottish football is confronting the biggest...Leeann Dempster, the Hibernian chief executive, last night claimed that Scottish football is confronting the biggest challenge of its long history and warned that a “meteor” is about to hit it. On a day when Nicola Sturgeon, the first minister, said that fans would not be returning to stadia any time soon, Dempster...Leeann Dempster, the Hibernian chief executive, last night claimed that Scottish football is confronting the biggest challenge...
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Coronavirus
Time will tell if care residents could have been saved, says Varadkar
No one can say whether earlier action on nursing homes would have made a difference in the scale of infection and death in Ireland, the taoiseach has said, adding that 40 to 60 per cent of worldwide deaths were being recorded in this category. His remarks came on the same day Dr Marcus de Brun resigned from the board of the Medical Council over the government’s...No one can say whether earlier action on nursing homes would have made a difference in the scale...No one can say whether earlier action on nursing homes would have made a difference in the scale...
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Coronavirus
Leading doctor quits medical council after attacking nursing home policy
A prominent doctor has resigned from the Irish Medical Council after strongly criticising the government’s handling...A prominent doctor has resigned from the Irish Medical Council after strongly criticising the government’s handling of Covid-19 outbreaks in nursing homes. Marcus de Brun, a GP based in Rush, Co Dublin, was appointed to the board of the council by Simon Harris, the health minister, in 2018 to serve a five year term.A prominent doctor has resigned from the Irish Medical Council after strongly criticising the government’s handling of Covid-19...
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Coronavirus
Lockdown fatigue ‘won’t change timetable’
coronavirus
Renters hit as house-mates leave
Coronavirus
Prison officers want all new inmates tested
Call for abuse survivors to get enhanced medical cards
Survivors of childhood abuse in residential settings should have enhanced medical cards, a group established to...Survivors of childhood abuse in residential settings should have enhanced medical cards, a group...Survivors of childhood abuse in residential settings should have enhanced medical cards, a group...
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Teenager jailed for murdering student
A teenage boy who murdered a 20-year-old college student by stabbing him in the neck outside a house party in Cork...A teenage boy who murdered a 20-year-old college student by stabbing him in the neck outside a...A teenage boy who murdered a 20-year-old college student by stabbing him in the neck outside a...
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Comment
Scrap immigration rules that penalise carers
Rachel Sylvester
The home secretary’s visa system for foreign workers treats care home staff as second-class citizens and has to change
HUGO RIFKIND
Are we really heading for a greener future?
Jeremy Hunt
Wanted: a big hitter to get a grip on contact tracing
GILES COREN
Save your pity, what your cleaner needs is cash
SARA TOR
At last, our dastardly immigrant plot is revealed
MELANIE PHILLIPS
Quiz drama proves we can’t believe what we see
Nearly two decades after his conviction for cheating his way to the million-pound jackpot on the hit TV quiz show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, the so-called “coughing major” has had his case reopened in the court of public opinion. In...Nearly two decades after his conviction for cheating his way to the million-pound jackpot on the...Nearly two decades after his conviction for cheating his way to the million-pound jackpot on the...
Read the full storyLeading Articles
Unlocking Britain
Evidence from the 1918 Spanish flu suggests that cities which had the strictest lockdowns and kept them in place longest suffered least economic damage
Saving Jobs
The Treasury should keep its support packages under review
Royal Ruckus
The Sussexes are misguided to pick a fight with the tabloids
letters to the editor
Easing restrictions on over-70s and children
Sir, The warning that the over-70s may have to wait for more than a year before they can return to normal life is well founded (“Call to ease restrictions in weeks as concern grows for vulnerable”, Apr 20). Of course this must depend on the...Sir, The warning that the over-70s may have to wait for more than a year before they can return...Sir, The warning that the over-70s may have to wait for more than a year before they can return...
Read the full storyReaders’ poll
Should schools reopen for the summer term?
RED BOX | Agnes Arnold-Forster and Caitjan Gainty
Being seen as an ‘NHS hero’ comes at a cost
RED BOX | Theresa Villiers
A glimmer of hope may help thousands of firms on the brink
RED BOX | Andrew Goddard
Let’s reset the narrative and welcome migrants into the NHS
RED BOX | Kate Woodthorpe
We need practical guidance for dealing with serious illness at home
RED BOX | CHRIS HOPSON
What steps are NHS trusts taking when they run out of gowns?
Much has been said over the last 72 hours about why the NHS’s national supply and distribution system is running out of gowns. Little has been said, however, about what local NHS trusts are doing to address this critical problem. For the trust...Much has been said over the last 72 hours about why the NHS’s national supply and distribution...Much has been said over the last 72 hours about why the NHS’s national supply and distribution...
Read the full storyDaily Universal Register
Briefing
UK: The Commons returns after the Easter recess. Social distancing means that up to 50 MPs are allowed in the chamber at one time. MPs vote on technological solutions to ensure a virtual chamber can function; Captain Tom Moore opens the NHS Nightingale Yorkshire and Humber temporary hospital at the Harrogate Convention Centre by video link after raising more than £25 million for NHS charities by completing 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday; the shortlist for the Women’s Prize for Fiction is announced.
Israel: Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day.
On this day
In 753BC, according to tradition, the city of Rome was founded by Romulus and his twin brother, Remus. The date was set by Marcus Terentius Varro, a Roman scholar; in 1509 Henry VIII became King of England, aged 17, on the death of his father Henry VII from tuberculosis; in 1916 Sir Roger Casement was arrested for high treason for his role in plotting the Easter Rising in Dublin; in 1960 Brasilia was inaugurated as the capital of Brazil, with a high-modernist design; in 1983 £1 coins were introduced into Britain, replacing £1 paper notes. On March 28, 2017 the round coin was replaced by a 12-sided design; in 1989 about 100,000 student-led protestors gathered in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, China. The protests culminated in June with the Tiananmen Square massacre, in which at least 10,000 people were thought to have been killed by the Chinese army; in 2004 Mordechai Vanunu was released from prison in Israel after serving 18 years, mostly in solitary confinement, for treason and espionage for revealing to The Sunday Times an Israeli nuclear weapons programme in the 1980s.
Nature notes
Garden warblers are back here for the summer. They have a misleading name for they are not much seen in gardens. They are essentially woodland birds, often heard singing near blackcaps, though they are not so common as blackcaps, which are now so abundant. They are very plain, brown birds, nor is their song so rich and dramatic as the blackcap’s. It is a sweet song but can be recognised by its steady flowing evenness, which can continue for a long time. It is as if the bird were saying: “I am an unashamedly plain bird, both in looks and temperament, and am happy to go on repeating the fact for as long as it suits me. I am not afraid of boring you.”
Derwent May
Birthdays today
The Queen celebrates her 94th birthday today; Steve Backshall, naturalist and TV presenter, Expedition with Steve Backshall (2019-20), 47; Angela Barrett (née Mortimer), Wimbledon tennis champion (1961), 88; Maurice Blik, sculptor, president, Royal British Society of Sculptors (1996-97), 81; Prof Ian Bruce, vice-president, Royal National Institute of Blind People, 75; Prof Sir Alan Fersht, organic chemist, master, Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge (2012-18), 77; Dame Cheryl Gillan, Conservative MP for Chesham and Amersham, secretary of state for Wales (2010-12), 68; Robin Dixon, Lord Glentoran, bobsledder, Olympic gold medallist (1964), and Conservative Party politician, 85; Janice Graham, leader, English National Opera Orchestra, and leader and artistic director, English Sinfonia, 52; Andrew Haines, chief executive, Network Rail, Civil Aviation Authority (2009-18), 56; Peter Kosminsky, film and TV director, White Oleander (2002), Wolf Hall (2015), 64; Lord (David) Lipsey, journalist, associate editor, The Times (1990-92), 72; Patti LuPone, actress and singer, 71; Tony Macaulay, songwriter for Elvis Presley, Gladys Knight, 76; Andie MacDowell, actress, Groundhog Day (1993), 62; Elaine May, actress and film-maker, Heaven Can Wait (1978), 88; James McAvoy, actor, The Last King of Scotland (2006), 41; Sir Michael Oswald, National Hunt racing adviser to the Queen, 86; Sister Helen Prejean, anti-death penalty campaigner, author, Dead Man Walking (1993), 81; Iggy Pop, rock singer, Lust For Life (1977), 73; Paul Tennant, chief executive, Law Society, 59; Srinivas Venkataraghavan, cricketer, India (1965-83), and umpire, 75; Admiral Lord (Alan) West, first sea lord (2002-06) and Labour minister, 72; Dame Sharon White, chairwoman, John Lewis Partnership, 53; Prof Chris Whitty, chief medical officer for England and chief scientific adviser, Department of Health and Social Care, 54.