The Times & The Sunday Times Homepage
Tory claim comes as Shapps admits party faces defeat
newBritain faces a “generation under Labour” if people vote for Reform, the Conservatives have warned after a Cabinet minister admitted for the first time that the Tories are on course to lose the election. In a direct appeal to voters who backed the Conservatives in 2019 voters but have since...Britain faces a “generation under Labour” if people vote for Reform, the Conservatives have warned after a Cabinet minister admitted for the first time that the Tories are on course to lose the election. In a direct appeal to voters who backed the Conservatives in 2019 voters but have since...Britain faces a “generation under Labour” if people vote for Reform, the Conservatives have warned after a Cabinet minister...
in depth
Labour is facing questions over whether it will revalue council tax bands if it wins the election, amid intensifying pressure from the Conservatives. Over the weekend Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, repeatedly refused to rule out conducting a revaluation of council tax bands. Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow paymaster general...Labour is facing questions over whether it will revalue council tax bands if it wins the election, amid intensifying pressure from the Conservatives. Over the weekend Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, repeatedly refused to rule out conducting a revaluation of council tax bands. Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow paymaster general...Labour is facing questions over whether it will revalue council tax bands if it wins the election, amid intensifying pressure...
political sketch
The police officers in hi-vis guarding every corner of the Gurnos Community Sports Club are an indication that something slightly out of the ordinary is occurring. Or then again, maybe not. “I’d like to say I’ve never seen so many coppers outside the Gurnos, but that’s not true,” says a local cabbie. Not quoting...The police officers in hi-vis guarding every corner of the Gurnos Community Sports Club are an...The police officers in hi-vis guarding every corner of the Gurnos Community Sports Club are an...
US OPEN | MATTHEW SYED
Rory McIlroy was in the zone. There’s no other word for it. Watching him bounce around the US Open course was like a...Rory McIlroy was in the zone. There’s no other word for it. Watching him bounce around the US...Rory McIlroy was in the zone. There’s no other word for it. Watching him bounce around the US...
ASK PROFESSOR TANYA BYRON
Q. Outwardly I am a “normal” woman in her sixties. My life has not been without its sadnesses and losses — both my...Q. Outwardly I am a “normal” woman in her sixties. My life has not been without its sadnesses and...Q. Outwardly I am a “normal” woman in her sixties. My life has not been without its sadnesses and...
euro 2024 | martin samuel
One of the most pleasant aspects of covering tournaments has always been talking football with Arsenal’s greatest...One of the most pleasant aspects of covering tournaments has always been talking football with...One of the most pleasant aspects of covering tournaments has always been talking football with...
euro 2024 | jonathan northcroft
Marc Guéhi did the England YouTube show, Lions’ Den, on Monday, and grinned from ear to ear when shown a good...Marc Guéhi did the England YouTube show, Lions’ Den, on Monday, and grinned from ear to ear...Marc Guéhi did the England YouTube show, Lions’ Den, on Monday, and grinned from ear to ear...
euro 2024
England fans drank two months’ worth of beer over a single weekend at the most popular bar in Gelsenkirchen before the Euro 2024 game against Serbia on Sunday night. Thirsty supporters started “pre-loading” local lagers at 9am at the GE Piazza...England fans drank two months’ worth of beer over a single weekend at the most popular bar in...England fans drank two months’ worth of beer over a single weekend at the most popular bar in...
Doctors will lobby the next government to reduce England’s drink-driving limit so that drivers could only drink one...Doctors will lobby the next government to reduce England’s drink-driving limit so that drivers...Doctors will lobby the next government to reduce England’s drink-driving limit so that drivers...
A care home has asked relatives to give consent for their loved ones to be referred to by terms of endearment...A care home has asked relatives to give consent for their loved ones to be referred to by terms...A care home has asked relatives to give consent for their loved ones to be referred to by terms...
The United States is making “excuses” over its failure to train sufficient numbers of Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet pilots, the head of Ukraine’s special parliamentary commission on arms and munitions has claimed. The hold-up means that Ukraine will probably have only 20 pilots who have been fully...The United States is making “excuses” over its failure to train sufficient numbers of Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet pilots, the head of Ukraine’s special parliamentary commission on arms and munitions has claimed. The hold-up means that Ukraine will probably have only 20 pilots who have been fully...The United States is making “excuses” over its failure to train sufficient numbers of Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet pilots, the...
The White House has hit back at reports that President Biden has appeared to freeze during recent public events, describing the claims as “cheap fakes”. Aides of the president, 81, say that a number of news organisations and the Republican party have deliberately edited videos to show him looking confused or lost during public engagements.The White House has hit back at reports that President Biden has appeared to freeze during recent public events, describing the claims as “cheap fakes”. Aides of the president, 81, say that a number of news organisations and the Republican party have deliberately edited videos to show him looking confused or lost during public engagements.The White House has hit back at reports that President Biden has appeared to freeze during recent public events, describing the...
President Putin has appointed his cousin’s daughter as one of Russia’s deputy defence ministers. Anna Tsivileva, was announced by presidential decree on Monday as one of the replacements for four deputy defence ministers who were fired. Tsivileva, 52, is the daughter of Putin’s late cousin, Yevgeny Putin. She is...President Putin has appointed his cousin’s daughter as one of Russia’s deputy defence ministers.President Putin has appointed his cousin’s daughter as one of Russia’s deputy defence ministers.
Every so often while working on a house, the carpenter Matt Panella will ask his crew to pause for a moment while he adjusts his GoPro camera. “We shoot GoPro with a cinema rig,” he said. He does not like to slow things down, but he wants to make...Every so often while working on a house, the carpenter Matt Panella will ask his crew to pause...Every so often while working on a house, the carpenter Matt Panella will ask his crew to pause...
The trial of Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter jailed in Russia after being accused of spying for...The trial of Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter jailed in Russia after being...The trial of Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter jailed in Russia after being...
Armie Hammer has said he is “grateful” that his Hollywood career was destroyed as he gave a rare interview about the...Armie Hammer has said he is “grateful” that his Hollywood career was destroyed as he gave a rare...Armie Hammer has said he is “grateful” that his Hollywood career was destroyed as he gave a rare...
Yoga instructors have filed a lawsuit against officials in San Diego, saying that a ban on holding cliff-side classes violates their First Amendment rights. With its striking rock formations overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Sunset Cliffs Natural...Yoga instructors have filed a lawsuit against officials in San Diego, saying that a ban on...Yoga instructors have filed a lawsuit against officials in San Diego, saying that a ban on...
A crowd-sourced global search is under way to find 126 bird species that are feared to be “lost”. The Search for Lost Birds is the most comprehensive database of missing birds compiled to date, drawn from the study of 42 million videos, photos and...A crowd-sourced global search is under way to find 126 bird species that are feared to be “lost”.A crowd-sourced global search is under way to find 126 bird species that are feared to be “lost”.
A packed room of House Republicans sang Happy Birthday to Donald Trump, who turns 78 on Friday, as he visited Capitol...A packed room of House Republicans sang Happy Birthday to Donald Trump, who turns 78 on Friday...A packed room of House Republicans sang Happy Birthday to Donald Trump, who turns 78 on Friday...
President Biden’s re-election campaign raised a record $28 million at a star-studded Hollywood event featuring Julia...President Biden’s re-election campaign raised a record $28 million at a star-studded Hollywood...President Biden’s re-election campaign raised a record $28 million at a star-studded Hollywood...
London has reclaimed its crown as Europe’s biggest stock market from Paris, which has been buffeted by political upheaval in France. The total value of companies listed on the UK stock market stands at £2.54 trillion, data from FactSet shows, enough to take London back above Paris, whose stocks...London has reclaimed its crown as Europe’s biggest stock market from Paris, which has been buffeted by political upheaval in France. The total value of companies listed on the UK stock market stands at £2.54 trillion, data from FactSet shows, enough to take London back above Paris, whose stocks...London has reclaimed its crown as Europe’s biggest stock market from Paris, which has been buffeted by political upheaval in...
The King has been urged to strip Cadbury, Unilever and other prominent consumer goods groups of their royal warrants because of their links with Russia. A Ukrainian campaign group has sent a letter to King Charles calling for him to revoke the coveted awards from companies that continue to operate under President Putin’s regime. B4...The King has been urged to strip Cadbury, Unilever and other prominent consumer goods groups of their royal warrants because of their links with Russia. A Ukrainian campaign group has sent a letter to King Charles calling for him to revoke the coveted awards from companies that continue to operate under President Putin’s regime. B4...The King has been urged to strip Cadbury, Unilever and other prominent consumer goods groups of their royal warrants because of...
Adidas has said it is investigating allegations of corruption in China after the German sportswear retailer received a complaint from whistleblowers that accused senior staff of embezzling “millions of euros”. The anonymous letter, from “employees of Adidas China”, names several Chinese staff members, including a...Adidas has said it is investigating allegations of corruption in China after the German...Adidas has said it is investigating allegations of corruption in China after the German...
tempus
More than a £1 billion was wiped off the stock market value of Wise last week. Why? Because it had failed to keep up...More than a £1 billion was wiped off the stock market value of Wise last week. Why? Because it...More than a £1 billion was wiped off the stock market value of Wise last week. Why? Because it...
market report
The red carpet was rolled out for investors in Ascential after a well-received trading update from the specialist...The red carpet was rolled out for investors in Ascential after a well-received trading update...The red carpet was rolled out for investors in Ascential after a well-received trading update...
China’s economy has flashed further warning signals, with industrial output growing by less than expected in May and with its property sector continuing to flounder. Apart from retail sales that beat forecasts because of a holiday boost, the...China’s economy has flashed further warning signals, with industrial output growing by less than...China’s economy has flashed further warning signals, with industrial output growing by less than...
SIMON FRENCH
There was an intriguing line in last week’s Labour Party manifesto. It came early in the piece, in only the second...There was an intriguing line in last week’s Labour Party manifesto. It came early in the piece...There was an intriguing line in last week’s Labour Party manifesto. It came early in the piece...
The dealmaker who led Melrose Industries is preparing to list a new investment vehicle next month in a rare flotation...The dealmaker who led Melrose Industries is preparing to list a new investment vehicle next month...The dealmaker who led Melrose Industries is preparing to list a new investment vehicle next month...
Britain’s cut-price response to Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Starlink programmes is getting ready for lift-off, with stratospheric testing of near-space gliders to begin this summer. Developed in Farnborough, Hampshire, and funded by Airbus, the...Britain’s cut-price response to Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Starlink programmes is getting ready for...Britain’s cut-price response to Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Starlink programmes is getting ready for...
the week ahead
recruitment
With 1,030 vineyards, 221 wineries and a vibrant community of wine experts, it’s one of the most sought-after places to work in the global wine trade. So are we talking about Tuscany? Or Bordeaux? Or Napa Valley? No, Britain. English and Welsh bottles are the toast of the wine world, with a string of award-winners, including Hambledon Vineyard’s première cuvée brut NV...With 1,030 vineyards, 221 wineries and a vibrant community of wine experts, it’s one of the most...With 1,030 vineyards, 221 wineries and a vibrant community of wine experts, it’s one of the most...
recruitment | six from the best
One third of the world’s food is wasted and Mette Lykke, the chief executive of Too Good To Go, has dedicated her...One third of the world’s food is wasted and Mette Lykke, the chief executive of Too Good To Go, has dedicated her career to changing this. As the world’s largest surplus food marketplace, with 90 million users and 155,000 partners in 17 countries, the platform fights food waste. Here she reveals her advice for...One third of the world’s food is wasted and Mette Lykke, the chief executive of Too Good To Go, has dedicated her career to...
euro 2024
England stars subjected to alleged monkey chants in Euro 2024 opener
Uefa is investigating claims that Serbia fans abused black England players with monkey chants during the game in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday night. While the complaint has not come from the FA, it is understood that the abuse was heard during the first half of the group game. In a statement, Uefa...Uefa is investigating claims that Serbia fans abused black England players with monkey chants during the game in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday night. While the complaint has not come from the FA, it is understood that the abuse was heard during the first half of the group game. In a statement, Uefa...Uefa is investigating claims that Serbia fans abused black England players with monkey chants during the game in Gelsenkirchen...
euro 2024 | martin samuel
One of the most pleasant aspects of covering tournaments has always been talking football with Arsenal’s greatest manager. Arsène Wenger guarded his time preciously through the season, but could often be found in the summer months at games, or between games, travelling to, travelling from, time on his hands and happy to chat. You’d end up...One of the most pleasant aspects of covering tournaments has always been talking football with Arsenal’s greatest manager. Arsène Wenger guarded his time preciously through the season, but could often be found in the summer months at games, or between games, travelling to, travelling from, time on his hands and happy to chat. You’d end up...One of the most pleasant aspects of covering tournaments has always been talking football with Arsenal’s greatest manager.
US OPEN | MATTHEW SYED
Rory McIlroy was in the zone. There’s no other word for it. Watching him bounce around the US Open course was like a throwback to the days of yore, this Tigger-like golfer enjoying every moment, hitting iron shots with fizz, his driver lighting up the fairways, his putter hotter than a George Foreman grill. His...Rory McIlroy was in the zone. There’s no other word for it. Watching him bounce around the US...Rory McIlroy was in the zone. There’s no other word for it. Watching him bounce around the US...
euro 2024 | jonathan northcroft
Marc Guéhi did the England YouTube show, Lions’ Den, on Monday, and grinned from ear to ear when shown a good...Marc Guéhi did the England YouTube show, Lions’ Den, on Monday, and grinned from ear to ear...Marc Guéhi did the England YouTube show, Lions’ Den, on Monday, and grinned from ear to ear...
EURO 2024 | MATT LAWTON
Travelling England fans always like to mark a piece of foreign territory with their flags and on Friday night they...Travelling England fans always like to mark a piece of foreign territory with their flags and on...Travelling England fans always like to mark a piece of foreign territory with their flags and on...
euro 2024
Belgium 0 Slovakia 1
Blocks on the line, knees to the head — from a team-mate at that — and then the intervention of cricket’s Snickometer. It was all there, as Slovakia pulled off what is statistically the greatest upset in the European Championship since Fifa introduced world rankings in the 1990s. Slovakia began Monday as only the 48th-highest ranked country in world football. They ended...Blocks on the line, knees to the head — from a team-mate at that — and then the intervention of...Blocks on the line, knees to the head — from a team-mate at that — and then the intervention of...
EURO 2024 | DAVID WALSH
Someone once said that opening night is the night before you’re ready to perform. So it seemed for England through...Someone once said that opening night is the night before you’re ready to perform. So it seemed for England through the second half in Gelsenkirchen. Way before the end, the team played to see out the game against Serbia, leaning on their organisation and an excellent central defensive partnership to get them over...Someone once said that opening night is the night before you’re ready to perform. So it seemed for England through the second...
euro 2024 | james gheerbrant
George Furbank interview
Euro 2024 | Owen Slot
Half an hour before kick-off on Sunday night we pulled up a chair at Garibaldi’s, which is a restaurant/bar in...Half an hour before kick-off on Sunday night we pulled up a chair at Garibaldi’s, which is a...Half an hour before kick-off on Sunday night we pulled up a chair at Garibaldi’s, which is a...
T20 WORLD CUP
As the T20 World Cup moves into its next phase, there is an expectation that the cricket may also change gear. The...As the T20 World Cup moves into its next phase, there is an expectation that the cricket may also...As the T20 World Cup moves into its next phase, there is an expectation that the cricket may also...
Euro 2024
Romania 3 Ukraine 0
Romania once had what was predictably called “a golden generation” but after beating Ukraine 3-0, Edward Iordanescu, the Romania head coach, insisted that the class of 2024 be allowed to perform free of any such metallic metaphor because, he claimed, they are actually “the generation of soul.” Indeed Iordanescu enjoyed this generation’s Euros debut so much that he...Romania once had what was predictably called “a golden generation” but after beating Ukraine 3-0...Romania once had what was predictably called “a golden generation” but after beating Ukraine 3-0...
Labour will consider imposing a transfer levy on Premier League and international transfers to fund football’s...Labour will consider imposing a transfer levy on Premier League and international transfers to fund football’s pyramid in a move that will delight campaigners but cause alarm among some top-flight clubs. Thangam Debbonaire, the shadow culture secretary, said Labour would look at all recommendations included in...Labour will consider imposing a transfer levy on Premier League and international transfers to fund football’s pyramid in a...
EURO 2024 | DAVID WEBB INTERVIEW
Almost a decade has passed since David Webb bumped into the former Bayern Munich and France defender Willy Sagnol by...Almost a decade has passed since David Webb bumped into the former Bayern Munich and France...Almost a decade has passed since David Webb bumped into the former Bayern Munich and France...
martin Samuel
Just so much more than a pretty face. That’s the thing with the great ones. They may be the models, they may be the...Just so much more than a pretty face. That’s the thing with the great ones. They may be the...Just so much more than a pretty face. That’s the thing with the great ones. They may be the...
Jake Wightman interview
Jake Wightman was conflicted. Injury had forced his abdication and so he took a seat in the pundits’ gantry and watched his old Edinburgh team-mate Josh Kerr take his world 1,500m title in Budapest. The swirling joy around him underlined what he...Jake Wightman was conflicted. Injury had forced his abdication and so he took a seat in the...Jake Wightman was conflicted. Injury had forced his abdication and so he took a seat in the...
royal ascot | rob wright
t20 World Cup | mike atherton
You are either, in cricketing terms, an expansionist … or what exactly? After all, although the game was established...You are either, in cricketing terms, an expansionist … or what exactly? After all, although the...You are either, in cricketing terms, an expansionist … or what exactly? After all, although the...
Erik ten Hag said Manchester United admitted speaking to Thomas Tuchel about replacing him and flew out to Ibiza to...Erik ten Hag said Manchester United admitted speaking to Thomas Tuchel about replacing him and...Erik ten Hag said Manchester United admitted speaking to Thomas Tuchel about replacing him and...
EURO 2024
Mike Dodds
Former head of academy at Birmingham City I coached his first and last session at Birmingham because I was working with the first team when he left. His was a unique journey. But when he came in at under-seven level he was no different to any boy at that age, he didn’t really stand out. He was good, obviously, but you wouldn’t have said that he would have...Mike Dodds
Former head of academy at Birmingham City I coached his first and last session...Mike Dodds
Former head of academy at Birmingham City I coached his first and last session...
Euro 2024 | paul Joyce
Pep Guardiola sat Phil Foden down at the start of the season and proceeded to impart the sort of insight and advice...Pep Guardiola sat Phil Foden down at the start of the season and proceeded to impart the sort of insight and advice that only a mind as sharp as his would have spotted. The Manchester City manager recognises the homegrown talent is a street footballer, and had come to hold the view that he was prone to overly...Pep Guardiola sat Phil Foden down at the start of the season and proceeded to impart the sort of insight and advice that only a...
Euro 2024 | James Gheerbrant
Euro 2024 | wayne rooney
euro 2024 | ian hawkey
Euro 2024
England are the bookmakers’ favourites, with France and host nation Germany also fancied – but what about Scotland?
The Euro 2024 hosts, Germany, kick off this year’s UEFA tournament against Scotland tonight, Friday, June 14. The favourites, England, begin their campaign two days later against Serbia on Sunday, June 16. But can Gareth Southgate’s side, who lost in the Euro 2020 final at Wembley, go one better this year? Will Harry Kane, the England captain who scored 44 goals in...The Euro 2024 hosts, Germany, kick off this year’s UEFA tournament against Scotland tonight...The Euro 2024 hosts, Germany, kick off this year’s UEFA tournament against Scotland tonight...
Harriet Walker returns to the leafy suburb where she grew up and finds a metropolitan elite who would never admit voting Tory
They’ve been married for almost 25 years and together they’re worth £455 million. Now Victoria and David Beckham are the subject of a book by Tom Bower. Will what’s revealed damage them?
first person
After suffering an aneurysm, Emilia Clarke feared for her acting career. My first concern was about a boy, says Sacha Bonsor
INTERVIEW
The comedian’s love of food has served him well, but he’s conscious of his inner binge-eater
dr mark porter
Bacteria and viruses have been found in packaged food, but they’re often lurking in other, less likely sources
video
review
House of the Dragon
Sky Atlantic/Now
★★★★☆ As the smoke of giant reptile breath finally cleared after series one of this successful Game of Thrones prequel, one thing was clear: the slicing in half of young Prince Lucerys and his mount Arrax by the fearsome dragon Vhagar, piloted by the eye patch-wearing wrong’un Prince Aemond wasn’t going to mean a peaceful start...House of the Dragon
Sky Atlantic/Now
★★★★☆ As the smoke of giant reptile breath finally...House of the Dragon
Sky Atlantic/Now
★★★★☆ As the smoke of giant reptile breath finally...
After the huge international success of Game of Thrones, there was a significant weight of expectation on the...After the huge international success of Game of Thrones, there was a significant weight of expectation on the prequel, House of the Dragon, when it arrived in August 2022 — and thankfully for fantasy fans it didn’t disappoint. The sprawling series, based on George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire books...After the huge international success of Game of Thrones, there was a significant weight of expectation on the prequel, House...
ASK PROFESSOR TANYA BYRON
Q. Outwardly I am a “normal” woman in her sixties. My life has not been without its sadnesses and losses — both my...Q. Outwardly I am a “normal” woman in her sixties. My life has not been without its sadnesses and...Q. Outwardly I am a “normal” woman in her sixties. My life has not been without its sadnesses and...
Think of a car boot sale and you might picture middle-aged sellers flogging moth-eaten coats, bric-a-brac, train sets...Think of a car boot sale and you might picture middle-aged sellers flogging moth-eaten coats...Think of a car boot sale and you might picture middle-aged sellers flogging moth-eaten coats...
review
Comment
A tiny opposition is a danger to democracy
William Hague
Having led the smallest Tory rump since the war, I know well how a Labour supermajority would govern unchecked
Melanie Phillips
Calling out Starmer for hypocrisy is fair game
newhugo rifkind
Brexit’s failed, right? So why is Nigel off the hook?
newgiles coren | notebook
Don’t stop, phone thief! You’re doing us a favour
newRyan Prince
Only joined-up thinking will solve our housing crisis
newharriet walker | notebook
Apparently, I owe my children a minimum wage
newParenting and money: two things it is best not to talk about in public. So here goes. It turns out my husband and I are running a sort of shady slave labour racket in our house by not paying our kids a decent wage. My eldest turns seven this...Parenting and money: two things it is best not to talk about in public. So here goes. It turns...Parenting and money: two things it is best not to talk about in public. So here goes. It turns...
trevor phillips
We can’t let populists have the best lines
sarah ditum
‘Tech made me do it’ is no excuse for adultery
edward lucas
Lib Dems are shaping up as the real opposition
tom whipple | notebook
Weather so far this year has left us all cheesed off
Leading Articles
Lame Duck
President Macron hoped a snap election would defuse the challenge from France’s hard right and rebellious left. Instead, his hubris could leave him fatally weakened
Nigelomics
Nigel Farage does not need to make his fiscal proposals add up. His fans don’t care
Cowboy Policing
Surrey officers displayed bovine stupidity in tackling a moderately confused calf
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Improving the economy and faith in politics
Sir, You report (“Starmer ‘ready to make enemies’ but stays tight-lipped over taxes”, Jun 15) that the Labour leader does not expect to have to choose between raising taxes and cutting public spending. This implies that shortfalls in the public...Sir, You report (“Starmer ‘ready to make enemies’ but stays tight-lipped over taxes”, Jun 15)...Sir, You report (“Starmer ‘ready to make enemies’ but stays tight-lipped over taxes”, Jun 15)...
Daily Universal Register
Briefing
UK: Service for the Order of the Garter, annual service to mark new appointments to the senior and oldest British order of chivalry at Windsor Castle, King and Queen to attend; Rightmove house price index is published.
On this day
In 1940 German aircraft sank the Cunard liner The Lancastria off Saint-Nazaire, with the loss of more than 3,000 troops and refugees; in 1944 Iceland was established as a republic. The population voted in a referendum to cut all ties with Denmark; in 1950 the first kidney transplant took place in Chicago, US, on a 44-year-old woman; in 1972 five men were caught attempting to bug and steal documents from the Democratic National Committee offices at the Watergate office complex in Washington; in 1980 the British government announced that US nuclear cruise missiles would be located at RAF Greenham Common in Berkshire and at the disused RAF Molesworth in Cambridgeshire.
Nature notes
With its ball of tubular flowers and trifoliate leaves, clover is one of the flowers children can often name, alongside daisies and dandelions — perhaps because all three grow in lawns and parks and on sports pitches, where kids play. Wild clover comes in two varieties, white and red (actually a sort of dirty pink) and both are beloved of bees and other pollinators; they are both sometimes sown by farmers too, both as fodder for livestock and to improve the nitrogen content of the soil. Crimson, or Italian, clover is a souped-up version used as a cover crop, taller, redder and beefier than its wild cousin, while hop clover, also known as lesser trefoil, nonesuch and black medick, has tiny yellow flowers. Melissa Harrison
Melissa Harrison
Birthdays today
Rear-Admiral Paul Beattie, transformation director and MoD climate change and sustainability lead for the maritime sector, 55; Paul Brason, president, Royal Society of Portrait Painters (2000-02), 72; Sir Patrick Duffy, former Labour MP, the oldest living former MP, Royal Navy minister (1976-79), 104; Newt Gingrich, politician, Speaker, US House of Representatives (1995-99), 81; Prof Lawrence Goldman, historian and editor, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (2004-14), 67; Tom Kitchin, chef, 47; Kendrick Lamar, Pulitzer prizewinning (2018) rapper and songwriter, Damn (2017), 37; Miles Leonard, co-founder of TokenTraxx (NFT marketplace), former chairman of Parlophone and Warner Records, 57; Ken Livingstone, mayor of London (2000-08) and former MP, 79; Phyllida Lloyd, theatre and film director, Mamma Mia! (2008), 67; Ken Loach, TV and film director, Kes (1969), 88; Peter Lupus, actor, Mission: Impossible (1966-73), 92; Barry Manilow, singer, Copacabana (1978), 81; Eddy Merckx, cyclist, five-time winner of the Tour de France (1969-72, 1974), 79; Diane Modahl, athlete, 800 metres Commonwealth gold medallist (1990), 58; Baroness (Estelle) Morris of Yardley, Labour MP (1992-2005), education and skills secretary (2001-02), 72; Sir Jon Murphy QPM, chief constable of Merseyside police (2010-16), 66; Elena Rybakina, Wimbledon singles winner (2022), 25; Peggy Seeger, folk singer, about whom Ewan MacColl wrote The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (1957), 89; Prof Karol Sikora, oncologist, 76; Nicola Tuxworth, head of programming, The Times and Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival, 64; Jodie Whittaker, actress, Doctor Who (2017-22), 42; Venus Williams, tennis player, five-time Wimbledon singles champion (2000-01, 2005, 2007-08), 44; Laura Wright, soprano, 34.