-
23 May ' 21:00
Markets slide as Europe prepares for Greek exit
Global investors dumped shares and sold the euro as officials stepped up preparations for a single currency without Greece and as Europe’s economic prospects darkened. The FTSE 100 suffered its steepest one-day fall since November, dropping 2.5 per cent to 5,266.41 and wiping the equivalent of £35.5 billion off its value. The euro hit a 21-month low against the dollar, touching $1.2563. Highlighting investors’ mounting aversion to risk, Germany sold two-year bonds at zero per cent interest, as investors sought a safe place to put their cash even at the cost of receiving no return on their money. In Britain, worsening economic prospects were highlighted by data revealing the steepest drop in retail sales for two years. Charlie Bean, a Bank of England deputy governor, became the latest member of the interest-rate-setting committee to say that it may be necessary to print more money. In Italy, consumer confidence sank to a record low amid government cuts and falling output. The market falls came before last night’s European Union leaders’ summit in Brussels and were triggered by reports that each eurozone country had agreed to prepare contingency plans for a Greek departure from the currency. David Cameron urged eurozone leaders at the summit to act once and for all to save the single currency as France and Germany clashed over President Hollande’s plans for stimulating growth. Mr Cameron told them that two years of pl
-
Zara Phillips takes the Olympic flame into Cheltenham racecourseJoe Giddens/LOCOG/PA1 of 6 -
The Queen's granddaughter has hopes of competing at London 2012Tim Ireland/PA2 of 6 -
Carrying the torch was a "massive honour, she saidYui Mok/LOCOG/PA3 of 6 -
Didier Drogba was mobbed by thousandsLOCOCG/EPA4 of 6
-
The Chelsea player meets fansJoe Giddens/LOCOG/PA5 of 6 -
Proud honour for the IvorianBen Birchall/LOCOG/PA6 of 6
Zara carries Olympic torch for royalty
Barton loses QPR captaincy after FA’s 12-match ban
Joey Barton is to be stripped of the Queens Park Rangers captaincy and forced to train with the reserves after he was handed a record 12-match ban and fined £75,000 by the Football Association yesterday. QPR are holding an internal inquiry into Barton’s violent reaction to his sending-off against Manchester City on the final day of the Barclays Premier League season, which they hope will be concluded in a fortnight. But a source close to the board said last night that the midfielder would not be included in the club’s 25-man squad for the Barclays Premier League next season. It must be submitted by September 1, but can be amended in January. It is also thought that QPR, who have hired an external lawyer, are considering terminating Barton’s contract — worth £10.5 million over the next three years — or paying him off after only one season with the club. Ba
Last updated at 6:56PM, May 23 2012£270m scandal of empty fire stations
Taxpayers are spending more than £1 million every month on the rent and upkeep of mothballed fire service control rooms that have never been used, The Times can reveal. The total cost of one of Whitehall’s most disastrous projects has reached £270 million, and counting. The Government will not finish paying for the rent, maintenance and utility bills of all the buildings for more than 20 years. Details of the growing cost of the nine centres have been uncovered using the Freedom of Information Act. Only one of the centres built as part of the “FiReControl” project is in use. Rent, electricity, water and repair costs on the remaining eight centres stand at £1,134,566 a month. Costs will be incurred for years to come as no break clauses were placed in the agreements to lease the buildings. Two leases come to an end in 2027, one in 2028, two in 2032, three i
Published at 12:01AM, May 24 2012- Iran ‘panic’: nuclear concessionTehran may allow UN inspections to stop tougher sanctions
- Tory ‘revolt’: Cameron under pressureGrass roots says No 10 out of touch on real issues
- Rabies case: victim bitten in south AsiaWoman went to hospital twice, but was sent home
- Kenya death: Briton was in custody28-year-old son of baron held over cannabis
- danger spots ‘left until after Games’‘Not ideal time for digging,’ says Mayor
- Egypt poll: calm start voters welcome chance to put revolution and chaos behind them
- brilliant or s**t? Palme d’Or entry features Kylie, lizard sex and a talking limo
Investors sue over share price crash after flotation
Lawsuit says vital trading information was withheld
Brazil win World Cup; IRA ceasefire; two cloned sheep
In pictures, the historic events of the Queen’s reign: 1994 - 1995
-
Planning for the Worst
The IMF judges that if the Government and the Bank don’t act fast to bolster growth, the economy may need a tax stimulus
-
Honest to God
A new Archbishop of Canterbury will need skills in politics as well as spirituality
-
Flipping Marvellous
Eugene Polley said inventing the remote control meant his life wasn’t wasted
The former Daily Mirror editor Piers Morgan once told Jeremy Paxman how to access voicemail messages, the Leveson inquiry into press standards heard today
Mother said, ‘Just finish it here’, sister tells murder trial
At the climax of a furious row, murdered teenager’s mother ordered her husband to ‘just finish it here’, a court was told yesterday
Modern Wealth
Investing in uncertain times
How to get your investment portfolio off to a flying start
Met detective arrested over claims of bribery
Serving detective and three former officers arrested as part of an investigation into bribery at Scotland Yard’s elite anticorruption unit
Danger junctions will left until after Olympics
Key road junctions will not be improved until after the Olympic Games, it has emerged, as recommendations are yet to be made
‘Failing’ back-to-work scheme faces a rethink
Iain Duncan Smith is reviewing £5 billion Work Programme after its failure to get enough sick and disabled people back into jobs
Aid threat after Pakistan jails man who led CIA to bin Laden
Pakistan condemned as an enemy in the war against al-Qaeda for jailing a doctor who helped the CIA
Aid workers kidnapped by gunmen in Afghanistan
Two female Western medical experts are among five aid workers who have been snatched by a band of gunmen in northeastern Afghanistan
Southern voters turn their backs on Obama candidacy
Two out of five Democratic primary voters in Arkansas and Kentucky failing to back him as their presidential candidate
End free current accounts, says leading banker
Banks in Britain should be forced to start charging customers for current accounts, one of the City’s most senior regulators says
Drugs giants put rivalries aside to tackle superbugs
GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca has secured funding of €224 million from the European Commission to search for a new class of antibiotics
Saudi Arabia rides to the rescue of BAE workers
Government of Gulf state has saved hundreds of factory jobs in Humberside by placing a £1.6 billion order for Hawk jets
Mike Lynch joins casualties of Hewlett-Packard jobs cull
Britain’s most successful technology entrepreneur is among 27,000 staff to lose their jobs at world’s biggest computer maker
Parker’s presence gives England a lift
The Spurs midfielder was able to take part in Roy Hodgson’s first training session despite carrying an injury
Cook: decline in fast bowling is myth
The England batsman would not wish to have his record undervalued by suggestion that Test runs come cheaply in the modern game
Wary Foden on his guard before stern test
While many question the value of the fixture, the Barbarians have been good enough to beat England in two of their past three encounters
Wingman: watch the video of his historic flight
Out of helicopter and into a pile of cardboard boxes
Will deferred prosecution deals turn out to be a damp squib?
Initiative to introduce US-style agreements is welcome, but there are pitfalls to watch out for
Student Law: tough at the top: radical steps to equality
This year’s The Times- Herbert Smith advocacy competition asks students to debate the topic – Quotas: has their time come?
Student Law: keep up to speed with the latest in law apps
Mobile device programs are giving students the chance to tap in to a wide range of legal services, says Grania Langdon-Down
-
-
23 May ' 10:00
Clarke blames the press for ‘curse’ of crowded jails
Richard Ford, Home CorrespondentUpdated 34 minutes agoKen Clarke has blamed the popular press for tens of thousands of people being in jail when they should not have been sent to prison. The Justice Secretary urged the courts and sentencers to resist some of the pressure from the popular press to keep increasing the number of offenders put behind bars. Mr Clarke denied that his aim was to reduce the prison population but added that after a surge in the last fifteen years it was time for a “pause”. “It would be nice if we could resist some of the pressure from the popular press to keep increasing the numbers at the rate we have in recent years”, Mr Clarke told the Justice Select Committee. He added: “The popular press, I think, are themselves responsible for tens of thousands of people being in prison and not all of them need to be there”. The Justice Secretary said it was believed that the British public wanted more people in more prisons with long sentences but this was a “fairly non productive avenue” which the country had gone quite a long way down. “We have had such a surge in the prison population in the last 15 years and such a surge in sentencing lengths it would be very helfpful if we could have a bit a pause in order to addresss what we can do with the people we have got,” he added. “I put it cautiously because any suggestion you might have as a main policy objective reducing the number of prisoners sets off great excitement in parts of the political world”.
Stuntman Gary Connery enters the record books after a hair-raising 2,400ft descent with no parachute into a pile of cardboard boxes‘Wingman’ hurtles 2,400ft into records
Morgan ‘gave me hacking lesson,’ says Paxman
The former Daily Mirror editor Piers Morgan once told Jeremy Paxman how to access voicemail messages, the Leveson inquiry into press standards heard today. The veteran Newsnight anchorman told the inquiry said that he attended a lunch at Mirror headquarters in September 2002 at which Mr Morgan teased Ulrika Jonsson about her relationship with Sven-Goran Eriksson, the former England football manager, and told her he knew about a conversation they had. Mr Paxman said Mr Morgan explained to him how to access people’s phone messages after teasing the Swedish television presenter about the conversation and repeated phrases back to her in a mock-Swedish accent. Mr Paxman told the inquiry: “He turned to me and said ’Have you got a mobile phone?’ “I said yes and he asked if there was a security setting on the message bit of it. I didn’t know what he was tal
Last updated at 4:00PM, May 23 2012Facebook sued by upset investors
Facebook and its bankers were hit today with a multi-billion dollar lawsuit from shareholders who claim that they were kept in the dark about the company’s revised growth forecasts before its stock market flotation last week. Investors in the social media network lost up to a fifth of their money in the first days of trading as its plunging share price cut the company’s book value from $104 billion to just $85 billion. Since Facebook had raised $16 billion in its Initial Public Offering, the fall cost shareholders almost $3 billion in just three days. Although Facebook shares rebounded today, Reuters reported that small shareholders had filed a lawsuit at the US District Court in Manhattan against Facebook Inc, its chief executive Mark Zuckerberg and a group of banks led by Morgan Stanley. The defendants were accused of concealing from investors dur
Last updated at 3:30PM, May 23 2012- Tchenguiz brothers: Former DPP attacks SFOIt presented ‘false picture’
- Markets live: shares slide ahead of EU summitStock exchanges down on ‘eurobonds’ rejection
- #cyclesafe: danger juntions declared safeSix of the worst locations passed without improvements
- Richest woman: Australian miner takes top spotGina Rinehart is now worth £18.8bn
- Prisoners to get voting rights: Euro judges ruleGovernment has six months to comply
- Live football chat: join Tony EvansTransfers, Euro 2012, Liverpool...
- Ronald Reagan: blood sample to be soldUK company stages auction
Riots in LA, war in the Balkans, and cheers for Yeltsin
In pictures, the historic events of the Queen’s reign: 1992 - 1993
Forget ASBOs. Bring back justice by community
Frank Field
-
Rendering Truth
While being a supportive ally of America, Britain must be open in countering allegations of rendition
-
Egypt’s Election
The vote for a new president is an advance for liberty and a prerequisite of stability
-
Space Invader
Elon Musk’s commercial mission into space has opened a new era in US spaceflight
Cameron defies rights court over prison votes
PM insists it is up to Parliament whether prisoners get to vote, and not the European judges who yesterday gave UK ultimatum
Aung San Suu Kyi will address Commons and Lords
The Burmese democracy leader will become only the fifth foreigner since the Second World War to be given a hearing by both houses
-
Heads of Client Services
Home Group - England
£50,000
-
Exclusive Hip Luxury Masseria Hotel
Spectacular private beach, fab spa. Children under 12 free. Southern Italy at its best!
Save up to £198/couple at Inghams Chalet Hotel Al Pigher. From £449 pp with no flight sup
Vince Cable is a ‘socialist,’ government adviser says
Adrian Beecroft, whose report on employment law split the coalition, said Mr Cable’s objections to his proposals were ‘ideological’
‘Church of England bishops like wife beaters’
Dr Miranda Threlfall-Holmes, tipped as a future bishop, voiced her disappointment at last-minute changes by male bishops to proposals
#cyclesafe: Danger junctions declared safe for cyclists
Six of the worst road junctions in London inspected in a cycle safety review have passed without any improvements being made
Alastair Campbell teams up in PR with Number 10 deputy
Alastair Campbell has been hired by a former Number 10 spin doctor to take his first permanent job in PR since leaving Downing Street
Doctor jailed for helping CIA in bin Laden raid
A Pakistani doctor accused of helping the CIA find Osama bin Laden has been jailed for 33 years for treason, officials said
Savagery of al-Qaeda’s retreat in Yemen
The town of Lawdar in southern Yemen is the latest front line in the War on Terror
Australian miner becomes richest woman in the world
Iron ore magnate Gina Rinehart has seen her fortune balloon to nearly A$30 billion as it rises by A$1 million every half hour
Live: Markets slide ahead of EU summit
Rolling coverage from our Business and Foreign staff around the world on the market turmoil and latest on the debt crisis
Nationwide to start small business lending
The lender said it would would like to play an increasing role in providing credit to ‘an important part of the economy’
Burberry suits up for expansion
The luxury clothing brand has announced plans to increase its retail selling space by up to 14 per cent this year
New players take heat off BSkyB movies
The Competition Commission has found that Netflic and Lovefilm have eroded BSkyB’s dominance of the pay-TV movie market
Brooking: England will be well prepared
Roy Hodgson will have enough time to fine-tune the squad in the 19 days before they face France at Euro 2012
Khan set to face Garcia in Vegas
British boxer will face unbeaten WBC light-welterweight champion on July 14 after rematch with Peterson scrapped but may need belts back
Bayern fans slated for booing Robben
Club’s fans turn on winger during Holland friendly after his penalty miss during Champions League final against Chelsea
Prince Charles: (AKA DJ Duchy) takes to the decks
The heir to the throne turns his hand to being a DJ in Canada
Olympics: an (unlikely) history of the Torch Relay
Today it symbolises unity, but its origins were far from noble
Giles Coren: our writer reads from his new book
His happiest childhood moments were meals at the local Chinese
Cannes: ‘I was literally soaked with tears’
Our critics report on their festival highlights - and lowlights
Eclipse: watch amazing footage of the ‘ring of fire’
The Sun was turned into a burning ring around the Moon
Video animation: when François faced Angela
Morten Morland’s satirical view of Franco-German relations
Share your royal memorabilia with other readers
Send your pictures with your most treasured items of royal memorabilia to us and we’ll feature them on our Flikr page
Interactive map: the Queen’s tour of Britain
Explore our interactive map to find out which parts of Britain the Royal family are visiting, and when, using our Jubilee calendar
Interactive: the Thames Diamond Jubilee pageant
Take a look at our comprehensive interactive guide to the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant: what you’ll see and where to see it from
Mounties get (to guard) their Ma’am
The Mounties will have the honour of becoming the first foreign non-military unit to guard the Queen at Horse Guards Parade
Kristen Stewart’s bare role in On the Road
Rather than mirror the poetry and originality of Kerouac’s novel, Salles opts for a handsome but straight adaptation
Stylish debut for Baz Luhrmann’s Great Gatsby
Video: the first glimpse of the highly anticipated adaptation has been revealed
The Big Reissue: Ram by Paul & Linda McCartney
Bob Stanley reckons McCartney’s 1971 solo album Ram is a lost classic that was unfairly maligned - not least by John and Ringo
-
20 May ' 19:32
Osborne was ‘aghast’ at swift coalition
Last updated at 9:40PM, May 20 2012George Osborne was “aghast” at David Cameron’s swift offer to Nick Clegg of a full coalition, a revised biography of the Prime Minister reveals. Mr Osborne harboured doubts about Mr Cameron’s “big, open and comprehensive offer” to the Liberal Democrats the day after polling day in 2010 before the Conservatives had nailed down the terms of such a deal. Mr Cameron’s landmark speech offering Mr Clegg seats in government went through at least five drafts, in part because Mr Osborne objected to the word “coalition” being used so many times. The details are disclosed in an updated version of Cameron: Practically a Conservative by Francis Elliott of The Times and James Hanning of The Independent on Sunday. Despite the “very high levels of trust” between Mr Cameron and Mr Osborne, it recounts a number of pivotal moments in the past few years when they have disagreed. The book also relates how Mr Osborne confessed to a friend that he was “hating every minute” of his role as Tory election co-ordinator in 2010. The campaign was “quarrelsome and dysfunctional”, in part because of competing demands made by Steve Hilton, Mr Cameron’s strategy guru, and Andy Coulson, his communications chief. It tells how Mr Cameron was “catatonic with depression”, according to a close ally, after he had flopped in the first televised leaders’ debate. And it reveals how shortly afterwards, with an outright Tory victory looking unlikely, senio
-
Robin Gibb, who has died aged 62Times photographer, Paul Rogers1 of 13 -
Robin GibbYui Mok/PA2 of 13 -
The Bee Gees in their Seventies heydayGetty Images3 of 13 - The singer had been in a comaTimes photographer, Richard Cannon4 of 13
- Maurice, Robin and Barry GibbMichael Stevens/PA5 of 13
- Paul Gambaccini, the veteran broadcaster, said Gibb had been “talented beyond even his own understanding”Eckehard Schulz/AP6 of 13
- The Gibb brothers in about 1963Redferns/Getty7 of 13
- The brothers were child stars in Australia before returning to the UKNews Group Newspapers Ltd8 of 13
-
The soundtrack for the 1977 film Saturday Night Fever propelled them into superstardomNBC/Getty Images9 of 13
-
As well as their own hits, they were prolific songwriters for other artists including Diana Ross and Dolly Parton and Kenny RogersMichael Stevens/PA10 of 13
-
The name Bee Gees was a contraction of the Brothers GibbTimes photographer, Des Jenson11 of 13
-
The band's first hit was MassachusettsIan Tyas/Getty12 of 13 -
Robin and Barry Gibb were appointed CBEs in 2002John Stillwell/AFP/Getty Images13 of 13
Bee Gee Robin Gibb dies aged 62
Fresh calls for full truth on Lockerbie bombing
The death of the only man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing has led to renewed demands to find out who ordered and orchestrated the worst attack on British shores since the Second World War. Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi succumbed yesterday to prostate cancer, 33 months after the Scottish government provoked international outrage by releasing him from a Glasgow prison on the ground of compassion. At the time it was said that he had three months to live. Officials in Holyrood are pressing Libya’s government to allow Scottish police into the country to continue investigating the bombing. They want evidence about others they believe are responsible for the atrocity, on December 21, 1988, in which all 259 people on board Pan Am Flight 103 from London to New York were killed, along with 11 people on the ground. Al-Megrahi, sentenced to 27 years in prison, prote
Last updated at 12:01AM, May 21 2012Growth and tax pressure Cameron
Conservative MPs will call this week for a new runway to be built in the South East by 2020 as David Cameron is hit with a rush of new ideas to drag Britain out of recession. A group of Tory MPs will call for a new industrial strategy based on 25 plans, dubbed The Growth Factory. The new runway is its priority and represents a direct challenge to the Prime Minister, who has ruled out the proposal as part of the coalition agreement. Backbenchers are also warning the Prime Minister to draw up contingency plans for a Greek exit from the euro, a three-year freeze on benefits and for Britain to ditch the European working time directive. Separately a group of business leaders will call today for a radical overhaul of the tax system to cut rates and public spending dramatically as a way of stimulating growth. These pleas for action come against a background of turmoil in the eurozone. The Prime
Published at 12:01AM, May 21 2012- Olympic torches: selling on eBayFlame relay runners take golden chance to make cash
- G8: scant progress on eurozoneMerkel holds out against UK and US during tetchy talks
- Metal thefts: costs insurers £1m every week industry details crime’s financial impact
- Pakistan: demands spoil Nato summit Obama snubs Zardari over $5,000 per lorry to reopen Afghan border
- Greece: Cameron election warningBack the bailout or leave the euro, PM tells Athens
- Serbia: Milosevic’s ghost hangs over election populist former ally wins run-off
- Women bishops: CofE women rebel 2,200 women from the church’s own ranks object
Torch Relay Day 2: whipping up the crowds in Devon
Support for blind torchbearer drowns out even the town crier
Tiananmen, the fall of Ceausescu, and climate change
In pictures, the historic events of the Queen’s reign: 1988 - 1989
-
A Sorry Affair
The death of Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi brings a disgraceful episode to an end
-
Personal Politics
The G8 meeting showed that personal chemistry is lacking among the leaders
-
The Price of Competition
It is a shame to see Olympic torches turning up instantly on eBay
Comrades, Britain needs an eight-year plan
James Purnell
Cuts will push poor into ‘forgotten Britain’
Charities will warn of a “forgotten Britain” unless the impact of future Budgets on the most vulnerable is checked independently
Online booking for GPs to avoid phone wait
NHS patients will be able to book GP appointments online within three years and order repeat prescriptions over the internet
Insurers call for action to halt rise of metal thieves
Metal theft is costing Britain’s insurers more than £1m every week in claims as gangs strip copper wiring from telephone and rail networks
Facebook float ‘will mark end of Silicon Valley as we know it’
Hype around social media is allegedly strangling investment in other areas, including a cure for cancer and meeting global energy needs
You are forcing up inflation, Polish bank chief tells West
Poland’s central bank chief has accused the Western policymakers of forcing up global commodity prices and exacerbating inflation
Saving for retirement hits record low
New report says the percentage of people saving enough for a comfortable retirement has fallen from 51% to 46% over the past year
‘Outcast’ Torres slams Chelsea
Striker is furious at being overlooked while Roberto Di Matteo, the interim first-team coach, gave a Champions League debut to Ryan Bertrand
Chanderpaul ensures fight to finish will be hot ticket
Not only have West Indies exceed expectations in first Test against England, but they have given themselves a chance of victory
Times artist will use iPad as ultimate sketchbook
Tim Vyner, a 48-year-old illustrator from Bath, will capture snapshots from the Games as the newspaper’s official artist during London 2012
Pakistan’s border demands set to spoil Nato summit
Bid to find agreement on US convoys crossing the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan stalls over ‘extortionate’ demands
Ghost of Milosevic hangs over election run-off
Serbs voted on whether to put the country’s EU candidacy in the hands of a former cemetery manager who was an ally of Slobodan Milosevic
Syrian regime denies ministers killed by poisoning
The Military Council of the Free Syrian Army had said that a cook had posioned President Assad’s brother-in-law and other ministers
History lies in ruins as Italy quake kills six
A five-year-old girl was pulled alive from the rubble of her home two hours after an earthquake that left at least six people dead in northeast Italy
Hope and horror beneath the palms
The celebrities are in Cannes, but at least someone’s happy to pour cold water on their pink champagne, writes Kate Muir
TV review: The Bridge finale
Growing personalities met tidy plotting, as we learnt the fate of Saga, our flawed heroine, and Martin, our flawed hero
Book of the week: Behind the Beautiful Forevers
Katherine Boo’s unflinching look at the lives of India’s slum-dwellers who are still neglected by every section of the State
-
-
19 May ' 01:01
Weekend secrets of the ‘chillaxing’ PM
Last updated at 12:01AM, May 19 2012David Cameron’s secrets of how to switch off from the pressures of work are revealed today: karaoke, snooker, tennis against a machine dubbed “the Clegger” and three or four glasses of wine at Sunday lunch. An intimate portrait of life at Chequers is revealed in an updated biography of the Prime Minister serialised in The Times. “If there was an Olympic gold medal for ‘chillaxing’, he would win it,” according to an ally. The book also discloses how a frustrated Steve Hilton left Downing Street this week believing that Mr Cameron had become too focused on power rather than forcing through radical change. It charts a loss of faith between Mr Cameron and his policy guru despite their 20-year friendship. With Britain in recession and the Conservatives slipping in the polls, the Prime Minister’s leisure habits have increasingly been used against him by both
-
Ben Ainslie said starting the Torch Relay felt as good as winning a gold medalEPA1 of 10 -
Ainslie sets off with the torchLOCOG/PA2 of 10 -
Ainslie was the first torch bearer to kick off the relayAshling O’ Connor3 of 10 -
Ainslie lets the crowd touch the torchYui Mok/LOCOG/PA4 of 10
-
Ainslie handed over to Tassy Swallow, 18, from St Ives, CornwallYui Mok/LOCOG/PA5 of 10
-
Eric Smith, 76, from Woking in Surrey, does his bitYui Mok/LOCOG/PA6 of 10
-
A Royal Navy Sea King helicopter prepares to bring the flame to Land's EndPA7 of 10
-
Beckham arrived from Greece with the Olympic flame last nightAP8 of 10
-
Beckham lit the torch at RNAS Culdrose in CornwallTOBY MELVILLE/REUTERS9 of 10 -
The delegation, including the Princess Royal, were met by Nick CleggAFP10 of 10
Live: Olympic Torch Relay - Day 1
- Suu Kyi: to address both Houses of ParliamentShe will speak to MPs and Lords
- Blind activist: set to leave ChinaChen Guangcheng to fly from Beijing to New York
- Facebook: shares get a bumpy rideAfter early wobble, the price has since stabilised
- Santander: bank calls for calm British savers take out money after Spanish downgrade
- School places: ‘more should hold lotteries’ make admissions more diverse, says chief
- Jubilee dinner: ‘dine with a despot’or the greatest royal gathering of modern times?
- Dementia: patient seen by 106 carers in a yearwidow condemns undignified ‘conveyer belt’
Cold War summit, Bhopal, Live Aid, and a hijacking
In pictures, the historic events of the Queen’s reign: 1984 - 1985
Meet the women who breastfeed well beyond infancy
Mums explain why they fed their kids until almost school age
Suu Kyi to address both Houses of Parliament
Burmese leader will speak to both MPs and Lords in an unprecedented week-long UK visit starting on June 18
Underwriters reportedly stepped in to support the company’s shares in the first hour to prevent them falling below the IPO price, but the price has since stabilised
Time to stop the cameras rolling, say cinema chiefs
The heads of Vue, Cineworld and Odeon have complained that Britain has one of the lightest regimes in the world on film piracy
Pessimistic dove prepares to take flight from the Bank
The arch-dove will leave the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee to take the helm at a leading American think-tank
Whitehall mandarin wins race for bank
Sir Suma Chakrabarti, who serves as the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, will lead the EBRD for the next four years
Di Matteo fearing the final verdict
Chelsea manager accepts not even Champions League triumph can secure him job next season
Strauss lets his bat do the talking
England captain managed to bat his way in and out of headlines at the same time with an imperious century at Lord’s against West Indies
Nolan puts Wembley hopes on his shoulders
Ninety minutes separate the West Ham United captain from proving something, or from knuckling down and starting again
Blind dissident Chen ‘set to leave China’
Chen Guangcheng is currently at Beijing’s international airport and is believed to be flying to New York in the coming hours
Fear for future as disease wipes out wombats
Newly discovered condition blamed on non-native weeds causes marsupials to lose all their fur and starve to death
Afghanistan exit no reason to cut defence, Nato told
Nato members hoping to make cuts when the campaign ends are to be asked to safeguard military budgets for future shared operations
Life in jail for ‘most corrupt businessman’
Smuggling kingpin China described as country’s most corrupt man in 60 years of Communist rule has been jailed for bribing hundreds of officials
-
-
18 May ' 14:17
Exclusive: Secrets of the ‘chillaxing’ PM
David Cameron’s secrets of how to switch off from the pressures of work are revealed today: karaoke, snooker, tennis against a machine dubbed “the Clegger” and three or four glasses of wine at Sunday lunch. The Prime Minister’s pastimes are laid bare in an intimate portrait of life at Chequers, detailed in a biography to be published next week. Serialised in The Times today, the book reveals how an ally of Mr Cameron said: “If there was an Olympic gold medal for ‘chillaxing’, the Prime Minister would win it.” The book also discloses how a frustrated Steve Hilton left Downing Street this week believing Mr Cameron had become too focused on power rather than forcing through radical change. It charts a loss of faith between Mr Cameron and his policy guru, despite their 20-year friendship. With Britain in recession and the Conservatives slipping in the poll
-
David Cameron, who has come under fire for “always relaxing” when he is out of the spotlight, has a tennis machine at Chequers that he calls the CleggerChris Radburn/AFP/Getty Images
Obama warns Merkel: back growth plans
President Barack Obama is stepping up pressure on Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany at the G8 meeting in Camp David this weekend to back a package of euro-zone measures to stimulate jobs and growth and to loosen austerity measures in Europe or risk plunging the global economy – and America - back into recession. The summit comes at a key time for the President six months before Americans decide whether to return the him to the White House in an election that will be decided largely on whether his handling of economy - with its emphasis on stimulus spending, not austerity - is seen to be working. Mr Obama yesterday made clear his determination not to allow Europe to drag him down, saying after a meeting today morning with the new French President Francois Hollande, another proponent of growth policies, that he wanted to persuade the euro-zone countries
Facebook shares get a bumpy ride
Looking excited, if overwhelmed by the occasion, Mark Zuckerberg, the 28-year-old chief executive and co-founder of Facebook, pressed a button yesterday morning at his company’s headquarters in Menlo Park, California. With that, he sounded the bell to open the Nasdaq stock exchange in New York as his company began trading its shares publicly for the first time. The move made him a multibillionaire and one of the world’s richest men. Thanks to the engineers who had “hacked” the button, a status update instantly appeared on his personal Facebook page. It read: “Mark Zuckerberg listed a company on NASDAQ.” When Facebook shares began trading soon after, its stock opened at about $42 (£26) a share, up about 10 per cent from its offer price of $38 a share. At that higher figure, the company is worth close to $115 billion (£72 billion). However, the share price
- Royal lunch: ‘dine with a despot’ angerBahraini King on Royal guest list
- Cyber-espionage: US accuses China Pentagon report details attacks on its systems
- PM: set for stormy Hollande meetingDavid Cameron to meet French President in US
- Parenting: classes ‘not nanny state’Cameron defends plan and opens up about son
- Lost at sea: hunt on for Dorset vesselThree feared drowned
- Sniper: soldier shot Briton by accidentWas told he was shooting at Taleban
Can you see what it is yet? Come on! Yes, it’s art (really)
Leading British gallery devotes show to works that are invisible
-
The Second Elizabethan Age
Queen Elizabeth’s realm has changed almost beyond recognition since she took the throne, but it is still British
-
Parental Guidance Suggested
Everybody knows how to raise other people’s children. Even the Government
-
Feeling Blue
Surely, for just a couple of hours, you can support Chelsea
Santander calls for calm as savers digest downgrades
There was a rise in customers withdrawing money in the wake of the downgrading of the Spanish-owned bank’s credit rating
Councils are owed £465m in residential care fees
Charities say that the numbers highlight a growing crisis in social care, with many people struggling to meet rising costs
Santander UK, one of Britain’s leading high street banks, has been downgraded by the ratings agency Moody’s
Billionaire paperboy packs a few more titles into his bag
The billionaire investor and former paperboy is paying $142 million to buy dozens of daily and weekly papers from Media General
Rain damps down trade at Mitchells & Butlers
The Harvester and Toby Carvery owner warned that the consumer environment remains “challenging”, but expected cost pressures to ease
Drogba rejects Bayern ‘actor’ gibe
The Chelsea striker responds after the Bayern Munich coach suggested that he “overdoes it a bit” ahead of tomorrow’s Champions League final
Rodgers delivers snub to Liverpool
Swansea City manager has declined the opportunity to discuss a move to Anfield as Merseyside club step up hunt for new coach
Aston Villa open talks with Solskjaer
Former Manchester United striker on his way to Birmingham after a private jet is sent by Randy Lerner to Norway to collect him
Medical examiners found evidence of marijuana in Trayvon Martin’s system after he was fatally shot by a neighborhood watch volunteer
Statistics expose how Putin’s party fixed election
A team from Imperial College, London, has analysed the results of Russia’s Parliamentary elections and presidential elections
Two British citizens ‘engaged in terrorist activity’ have been killed in Syria, according to a leaked letter from the country’s UN Ambassador
Hollande’s half-female government steps forward
A record 17 women ministers took their seats at President Hollande’s first government council yesterday at the Elysée Palace
Harry Belafonte at 85: his amazing life
He sold millions of records and, as a civil rights activist, he bailed Martin Luther King out of jail. Now, the ‘Calypso King’ recalls his amazing life
How Ziggy Stardust changed my life
Forty years ago, David Bowie’s alter ego inspired a pop generation, not least Spandau Ballet’s Ivor Novello-winning Gary Kemp
Vicky McClure: TV’s brightest rising star
The star of This is England tells all about suffering for director Shane Meadows. And eating Madonna’s birthday cake
-
-
17 May ' 18:43
Santander UK downgraded by credit ratings agency
Graham KeeleyLast updated at 10:39PM, May 17 2012One of Britain’s leading high street banks has been downgraded by the ratings agency Moody’s. Santander UK, which has more than 25 million customers and more than 1,400 branches had its credit rating downgraded together with 16 Spanish banks. The agency said that the Spanish government’s ability to provide support to the institutions had been reduced. In cutting the long-term debt and deposit ratings by “one to three notches”, Moody’s cited Spain’s soaring unemployment, which stands at 24 per cent, the possibility that property loans will not be repaid in full and concerns that the banks may find it more difficult to raise money in the market due to the debt crisis. The credit rating cuts by Moody’s follow concerns over the country’s deepening recession and property crash. They came after Spain’s cost of borrowing rocketed earlier amid fears that the crisis of confidence afflicting Greece was spreading to other parts of the euro area periphery. The one-notch cut to Santander UK’s rating to A2 was less severe than the downgrade to its Spanish parent, Banco Santander, which was cut by two notches to A3. Earlier Madrid was forced to deny reports that customers of Bankia, a troubled lender, had withdrawn more than €1 billion of deposits, but the shares still fell by more than a fifth before recouping some of their losses. The Spanish Government was forced to pay 5 per cent to attract buyers of the bonds it uses to plu
-
She died at 63 after a long struggle with cancerRex Features1 of 6 -
Donna Summer was known for hits such as This Time I Know It's for RealGetty2 of 6 -
She came to fame in the 1970sHandout3 of 6 -
She was in Florida at the time of her deathAFP/Getty Images4 of 6
-
Summer was known as the Queen of DiscoMario Anzuoni/Reuters5 of 6 -
She became a born-again Christian later in lifePA6 of 6
Disco star Donna Summer dies aged 63
Photos show Trayvon killer ‘injured before shooting’
Newly-released photographs of George Zimmerman, the Florida Neighbourhood Watch captain accused of shooting dead Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black man, shows him with head injuries after the altercation. Mr Zimmerman, who faces a second-degree murder charge for the shooting after an altercation with the 17-year-old high school student in February, claimed that he was acting in self defence after the teenager attacked him. The picture was among a massive release of evidence that included an investigator’s recommendation to prosecutors that Mr Zimmerman be arrested on manslaughter charges. The investigator, who was on the scene after the shooting, wrote that the confrontation should have been avoided. That report came nearly a month before Mr Zimmerman was arrested. The package of documents, photos and video was handed over by prosecutors to defence law
Last updated at 12:04AM, May 18 2012Float hands $19bn to Facebook chief
Facebook will make one of the most ambitious stockmarket debuts in history today after its founders valued the social networking website at more than $100 billion. The co-creator and chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, will become a multibillionaire and 1,000 present and former employees will be transformed into millionaires when the site launches on New York’s Nasdaq stock exchange about lunchtime. Five others will also become billionaires as Facebook, which began its existence in a dormitory at Harvard University, eclipses the likes of Disney and McDonald’s as one of the world’s biggest corporate powerhouses. Last night Facebook set a price of $38 a share, valuing the company at $104 billion. Reports suggest that it was pushing for a higher price to net existing stockholders more cash but was rebuffed by sceptical investors. Even at this share price, Mr
Published at 12:01AM, May 18 2012- Liverpool: Wigan boss interviewedMartinez, Guardiola and Capello on shortlist for manager
- Navy on alert: Spain’s queen cancels visit Row over Gibraltar fishing rights escalates
- Drachma: printing firm preparesDe La Rue dusts off old moulds in case Athens orders
- Olympic flame: Athens handover Cheers for “Sir” Becks as Princess Royal takes torch
- Cameron: Germany must do morePM tells Merkel to take decisive action” to save the euro
- Vauxhall: creates 700 new jobs in UKA further 2,100 jobs protected
- Mladic trial halted: failure to disclose million pages Trial could be delayed for months
In 1976 swarms of seven-spots darkened the sky
Now experts say we are heading for a second Year of the Ladybird
Falklands war, civil wars and a new royal grandson
In pictures, the historic events of the Queen’s reign: 1982 - 1983
-
The Social Network
The internet has changed the world. Facebook is part of that story, regardless of whether it lives up to its financial claims
-
The Hallam Scandal
Seven years in jail for an innocent man was a disastrous legal failure
-
Torch Song
The Times will follow the Olympic flame across Britain
Let’s do a deal, fraud office told tycoons after arrest blunder
The Serious Fraud Office offered to drop its criminal investigation of the Tchenguiz brothers if the property tycoons made a donation to charity
Miscarriage of justice victim tells of prison ‘nightmare’
Sam Hallam, 24, has his conviction quashed by Court of Appeal after a seven year campaign by his family to prove his innocence
HSBC may pull out of Britain if it fails tough new profit test
Stuart Gulliver says the bank will have to meet strict internal targets when the new rules come in — and if it does not, it will be sold
Tax avoidance no longer worth the risk, admits Tenon
RSM Tenon is to close its specialist tax division in a move that will be seen a victory for the HMRC against tax avoidance by the rich
Cairn investors refuse to back chief’s deal
Shareholders speaking for more than 67 per cent of the shares in the oil explorer voted against a £1.4m payment to Sir Bill Gammell
Pay deal secures future of Vauxhall plant
Ellesmere Port staff have accepted an increase in hours, a cut in pay and the end of the final-salary pension scheme for new entrants
Capello and Guardiola top Liverpool wanted list
The search for Dalglish’s successor began in earnest yesterday with approaches for the right to speak to Martinez and Rodgers
Broad appreciates the joy of six at Lord’s
It was a reflection of the levels to which West Indies have sunk that their performance yesterday was regarded by some as a mini-triumph
Lampard’s troubles over on road to Munich
With John Terry suspended, the midfielder will be Chelsea’s captain in the Champions League final against Bayern at the Allianz Arena
The new world: white babies are now minority in US
Census Bureau data showed that non-Hispanic whites accounted for 49.6 per cent of births between July 2010 and July 2011
Mladic trial halted indefinitely over prosecution blunders
Ratko Mladic genocide trial suspended indefinitely due to prosecution’s failure to hand over case files in good time to his defence
British ‘terrorists’ among dead, says Syrian ambassador
Two British citizens “engaged in terrorist activity” have been killed in Syria, according to a leaked letter from the country’s UN Ambassador
Bin Laden films may have role in deciding White House race
Harvey Weinstein ‘close to buying’ movie that will depict death of terror chief and may be released weeks before polling day
Conran says, ‘We need vision, ambition and pride’
The entrepreneur believes that Britain must build its way out of recession
Aldgate is the entry-level gateway to the City
Here is the alternative for those priced out of London’s more übercool suburbs - though it still has the builders in
The man who can head off a wrecking ball
George Clarke is on a mission to stop demolishing and start refurbishing empty homes but just don’t call him a czar
-
-
15 May ' 17:43
Lagarde dares to talk of ‘messy’ Greek euro exit
Greece was served notice last night that the euro can survive without it as Athens prepared for another general election that could end the country’s membership of the single currency. Europe must prepare for Greece to return to the drachma if voters return a left-wing government bent on ripping up the terms of the country’s international bailout, politicians warned. Christine Lagarde, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, said that the eurozone needed to be “technically prepared for anything” while warning that a Greek exit could be “quite messy”. Ben Knapen, the Dutch Minister for Europe, said that the eurozone was ready to survive a Greek exit and that there was no scope to water down the country’s austerity plans. Their comments came as last-ditch coalition talks collapsed in Athens, paving the way for an election on June 10 or 17. If Greece reneges on the rescue terms, its lifeline from official creditors is likely to be severed, forcing it to dump the euro. Adding to the political drama, an aircraft carrying President Hollande of France to Berlin was forced to turn back after a lightning strike. Mr Hollande switched to another aircraft to make the journey to attend talks with Angela Merkel aimed at resetting France’s relationship with Germany. The euro slid to a four-month low against the dollar as figures showed that the eurozone narrowly avoided recession in the first quarter of the year.
Rebekah Brooks, former chief executive of News International, said conspiracy charges against her were biasedBrooks: we will fight ‘unjust’ charges
Rio Ferdinand left out of Euro 2012 by Hodgson
Rio Ferdinand emerged last night as the big-name casualty of Roy Hodgson’s England squad for the European Championship finals. The new England manager telephoned Ferdinand yesterday to inform him that he is out of the squad, effectively signalling the end of the Manchester United defender’s international career. Hodgson will maintain when he announces his 23-man squad at 1pm today that the decision has been made purely for football reasons, citing the player’s age and injury problems, but Ferdinand, 33, is understood to believe that tensions between him and John Terry are a factor. When asked last night, after a United friendly against an Irish Premier League Select XI in Belfast, whether Hodgson had left him out of the squad, Ferdinand said: “Yes.” On a dramatic day, Hodgson also: • Held face-to-face discussions with the Chelsea players at the club’s
Last updated at 12:01AM, May 16 2012Air chaos blamed on ‘wrong wind’
The wind is one of the reasons for the long queues at British airports, the Immigration Minister said yesterday. Damian Green said that a flight from New York could arrive ten minutes later or earlier than one from Lagos, Nigeria, making a big difference to the time taken for passengers to get through the airport. “That will depend on the wind over which, with the best will in the world, airlines and the Border Force don’t have the control,” Mr Green told the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee. He was speaking as Joan Collins vented her anger at being caught up in lengthy queues at Heathrow. The actress, who is 78, tweeted to her 68,000 followers: “Arrived LHR after great trip on @British_Airways but 1000s waiting at passport control — listen up Ms May — need more officers.” Last night Keith Vaz, chairman of the committee, said that he would try to c
Last updated at 6:26PM, May 15 2012- Hollande: meets MerkelPlane hit by lightning but new French leader makes it to Berlin
- Iran hanging: blamed on WikileaksDetails of man who killed scientist on leaked US cable
- Obama: poll blowUS President’s backing of gay marriage leaves him behind Romney
- Tidal energy: private cash neededSevern barrage could win government approval
- Syria: funeral killingsUN monitors attacked as Assad forces kill more than 20 mourners
- Leveson: BSkyB questionsHunt and aide to be questioned under oath over leaks
- Bride ‘kidnapped’: family accusedReprisal for refusing arranged marriage, court told
Superman, a super (test-tube) baby and a woman PM
Relive moments of history in the Queen’s reign: 1978-1979
Can a computer convincingly talk like a human?
Competition pits some artifical intelligence against Tom Whipple’s
-
Starting Over
With fresh Greek elections now a certainty, Germany and France must work together. Both must change their positions
-
Bums On Seats
The best way to fund more films is to sell more tickets
-
Nice Car, Monsieur
But it was a bit of a shame about the cuirassiers
Ball guest ‘raped by hunt master after getting lift home’
The woman told a court that she was attacked by a married hunt master for 20 minutes before she was able to escape
Tougher jail terms for owners of dangerous dogs
Owners could face up to six months in jail if they allow their pets get out of control in a public place, even if no one is injured
-
Logica Graduate Programme
Logica - England
£21,600 - £26,000
-
Director Of the Leadership College
Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) - Coventry Based
c.£100k per annum
-
Programme Manager
Skills Funding Agency - Coventry
£50,318 - £60,417
‘Don’t waste taxpayer cash in sale of banks’
Investors warn the Government not to do a sweetheart deal with sovereign wealth fund to jump-start sale of taxpayers’ stakes in RBS and Lloyds
Councils take their cash out of Santander
Councils have been taking millions of pounds out of British Santander branches because of fears about the weakening Spanish economy
UK exporters look away from the eurozone
Share of British exports to the eurozone has slipped to its lowest level on record in the first quarter of 2012 but demand from China soars
Employers say ‘empty words are not enough’
Manufacturers deliver a withering judgment on the Government’s industrial policy, accusing the coalition of resorting to empty rhetoric
Dalglish future remains unclear
The Liverpool manager has been left in limbo after face-to-face talks with owners concluded without confirmation over his position
Murray defeats Nalbandian on comeback
The world No 4 returned to the court after sitting out last week’s Madrid Open to reach the third round of Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome
Wheelchair duel has grand slams aplenty
Former England rugby union international Alastair Hignell, who has multiple sclerosis, reports on the sport’s Paralympic relation
Defiant Mladic in bid to delay war crimes trial
The 70-year-old former Bosnian Serb army chief will do his best to delay justice at the start of his landmark trial in the Hague tomorrow
‘Saddam’s attacks on us must be called genocide’
A British endorsement would help gain international recognition that the suffering endured by Iraq’s Kurds was genocide
UN monitors caught in Syria funeral ‘massacre’
UN ceasefire monitors came under attack yesterday as they attended a funeral in which Syrian regime forces reportedly opened fire on mourners
WikiLeaks cable ‘may have led Tehran to hang kick-boxer
Songs we wish we’d written, by Noel, Rufus, Slash and more
The Ivor Novello songwriting awards are tomorrow. We asked musicians to nominate their ultimate pop tunes
Fassbender’s Shame competition
Kate Muir invites readers to write a one-sentence review of the film Shame for the chance of winning a copy on Blu-ray
Last night’s TV: Andrew Billen on Silk and Mad Men
There’s nothing much wrong with the legal drama Silk, which returned last night, but then you compare it to Mad Men...
-
14 May ' 22:47
Whitehall gets seven weeks off for the Olympics
Sam CoatesDeputy Political EditorPublished at 12:01AM, May 15 2012Civil servants have been told they can work from home for seven weeks during the Olympics, prompting incredulity from ministers, MPs and business leaders. Tens of thousands of civil servants based in Central London will be allowed to work from home from July 21 — six days before the opening ceremony. Flexible working arrangements will remain for the 15 days between the Olympic Games and the Paralympics, ending on September 9 after the second closing ceremony. Business groups expressed deep dismay at the plans. A spokesman for the Business Services Association, which represents Britain’s biggest outsourcing companies, said: “Seven weeks is a long time to have the heart of government working intermittently. “We would encourage ministers and Whitehall to apply themselves as energetically as the private sector is to driving the economy forward, Olympic Games or no Olympic Games.” David Cameron attempted to smooth tensions between Whitehall and business yesterday with a meeting of his Business Council, a day after three Cabinet ministers, including William Hague, said that people and businesses in Britain would have to “work harder”. Philip Hammond, the Defence Secretary and ally of George Osborne, criticised “whingeing” company executives for refusing to take risks and increase employment. During the seven-week Olympic period, Whitehall will institute a new target, to “cut or change” 50 per cent of journeys by civil servants.
Roberto Mancini’s team needed no excuse to party as they hit the town after securing their first league title since 1968City fans flock to cheer victorious team
Dalai Lama gives his £1m prize to Save the Children
The economic crisis was made by man not by God and the British people must not feel “hopeless”, the Dalai Lama said yesterday as he received the £1.1 million Templeton Prize at St Paul’s Cathedral. The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader said: “We must make every effort to work on these things ... We need self-confidence. Please do not feel helpless or hopeless.” He added that after last August’s riots he wrote to David Cameron to express his condolences. He is to donate almost £900,000 of the prize to Save the Children to help its work in India. He will also give £125,000 to the Mind and Life Institute, which promotes collaboration between science and spirituality. The remainder will fund science education for student Tibetan monks. The award, created by the American-born philanthropist John Templeton, who died in 2008, is made to a living person “who has ma
Published at 12:01AM, May 15 2012EU wouldn’t dare kick us out of the euro, says Syriza
The new left-wing star of Greek politics is gambling that the European Union cannot afford to kick Greece out of the euro. Alexis Tsipras of the Radical Left Coalition (Syriza), which took a surprise second place in the May 6 election and is expected to win a rerun, wants to rip up the harsh terms of Greece’s international bailout agreement while remaining in the common currency. After a week of high drama, he refused again last night to join a power-sharing government with pro-bailout parties, accusing them of wanting to implement a “criminal” agreement. Syriza brushes off threats by European policymakers that Greece will be forced from the euro if it reneges on the bailout deal. “We really believe that at this moment a possible exit of the Greek economy from the eurozone would have a very, very big cost for the eurozone as a whole,” Gabriel Sakella
Published at 12:01AM, May 15 2012- Lady Gaga: Indonesia gig threatIslamists threaten violence against singer
- NZ: Accidental millionaireCourt hears man yelled ‘I’m f***ing rich!’ after $10m bank blunder
- Euro crisis: markets tumbleTreasury braced for more downgrades to UK economic outlook
- Iran: hangs nuclear ‘assassin’Majid Jamali Fashi was convicted of killing leading nuclear scientist
- Rebekah Brooks: CPS decisionFormer NI chief executive will learn today if she faces charges
- Lansley heckled: by nurses at annual congressBut he stands firm over pay
- #cyclesafe: red lights surveyCyclists break the law for their safety, survey reveals
What is the point of talking about death? It’s rubbish
Dying may matter, but speaking about it is not in everyone’s interest
Drought, Darth Vader and a perfect 10 for little Nadia
Relive moments of history in the Queen’s reign: 1976-1977
-
Labour Leaders
Ed Miliband has called on his party to seize this moment. He should do so and build a front bench capable of governing
-
Declaration of War
If the Ministry of Defence can really balance its books, it holds lessons for others
-
Sweat Equity
The Facebook founder’s hoodie has upset Wall Street
Kebab shop owner who gave to charity ran teenage brothel
Azad Miah preyed on neglected girls aged from 12 to 16 who were all vulnerable to the lure of money, drugs and alcohol
Girl died of TB after doctors said she was bulimic
A 15-year-old schoolgirl died of tuberculosis after a doctor told her she had bulimia, despite having been treated for lung disease
7 nts catered chalet accommodation, from £525 per person - save £199 with Crystal Summer
Doubts grow over Dimon’s ‘staying power’ at the top
The bank’s chief executive is looking to minimise the $2 billion loss over time rather than close out the botched investment position
Recovery expert charges £6,000 a day to axe jobs
Donald Muir is to earn £470,000 for six months’ part-time work while RSM Tenon he was brought in to save cuts a tenth of its workforce
We will not increase bills this year, E.ON chief vows
The German-owned energy supplier is trying to win over consumers by promising not to raise bills tin 2012, despite rising wholesale prices
Groupon settles nerves with sharp increase in customers
The online discount voucher business has reported upbeat results, with sales rising 89 per cent to $559.3 million in the first-quarter
United warn City big spenders
Sir Alex Ferguson slams ‘silly’ transfers and wages as the Premier League champions eye £90m worth of talent for next season
QPR face tough decisions over Barton
The midfielder faces a ban of up to ten matches after being charged by the FA with two acts of violent conduct during defeat by Manchester City
Hodgson makes shrewd move for Neville
A blast of plain speaking hit the England camp when the former Manchester United defender was recruited to the coaching staff
Israel offers peace talks as hunger strikers claim victory
The offer comes days after Binyamin Netanyahu forged a new national unity Government, sparking calls for him to use his mandate to renew talks
Iran hangs nuclear ‘assassin’
Majid Jamali Fashi, 24, had been convicted of killing Masoud ali Mohammadi, a particle physics professor at Tehran University
‘Cherchez les femmes’ as Hollande looks to fulfil pledge
François Hollande will make a dozen women happy — and probably disappoint at as many men — when he names his first Government
Islamists threaten Lady Gaga’s Indonesia gig
Amid increasing violence to non-Muslims in Indonesia, radical group threaten to break up ‘devil worshipper’ Lady Gaga’s concert
Spira mirabilis: the world’s most democratic orchestra?
Is an orchestra where all players have an equal say a recipe for amity or anarchy? Neil Fisher finds out
Art on the cutting edge - the respectable side of murder
The new Noble Art of the Sword exhibition at the Wallace Collection reveals that a fine sword is about more than GBH
-
13 May ' 23:21
Keep hoping, says Cable as he sounds euro alarm
in Athens and Michael SavageLast updated at 12:07AM, May 14 2012A “massive” economic impact awaits Britain should the eurozone fail to contain the turmoil sweeping the Continent, Vince Cable warned yesterday. In the bleakest prediction of the UK’s economic vulnerability to date by a senior minister, the Business Secretary said that there was little Britain could do apart from hope the eurozone’s economic firewalls were strong enough to stop Greece’s problems from spreading. His intervention came as the fate of the single currency hung in the balance. Greek coalition talks appeared close to collapse last night, more than a week after the country’s inconclusive general election. German voters, meanwhile, delivered a fresh rebuke to Angela Merkel, the Chancellor and the architect of Europe’s austerity policies. Mrs Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) suffered a crushing defeat in North Rhine-Westphalia, a western German state with a larger population than the Netherlands and an economy the size of Turkey. According to projections, support for the CDU plunged almost ten percentage points to just 25.8 per cent, its worst result in the state since the Second World War. Dr Cable said that Britain did not have the problem of managing the troubles raging in Europe, as it had remained outside the eurozone. But he said Britain could be hit. “The problem would affect us if it spread, if you had these contagion effects in Italy and Spain,” he said. “[Michel] Barnier [the EU Commissioner for the
-
Vincent Kompany, captain of Manchester City, lifts the Premier League trophy after a last-minute goal won them the titleDarren Staples/Reuters -
Roberto Mancini, City's manager, celebrates with Edin Dzeko, who scored the second goalTimes photographer, Bradley Ormesher -
A dejected Manchester United fan, who until the last five minutes thought the title was going to his teamMichael Regan/Getty Images -
Fans invaded the pitch after the final whistlePeter Byrne/PA
Epic finale to Man City’s title quest
Father drowns in vain attempt to rescue son, 3
Witnesses described yesterday how a father died while unsuccessfully trying to rescue his young son after their boat capsized on a swollen river near their home. Julian Mynott, 42, took his son Freddie, 3, and two other children out for a trip in their new rowing boat on the Avon near Barford in Warwickshire on Saturday but lost control in the fast-flowing river, swollen by recent rain. The boat is thought to have overturned at a three-metre weir, throwing the group into the water. After the tragedy the Environment Agency warned of the dangers posed by rivers that have been swollen by weeks of heavy rain. It particularly urged boat owners to take extra precautions. Neighbours said that they saw Mr Mynott, an antiques dealer who recently moved to the area, struggling to reach the children, two of whom were rescued by people who rushed to help. A girl, w
Published at 12:01AM, May 14 2012No council homes for couples on £40k
Couples earning more than £40,000 a year would no longer be entitled to a council house under radical proposals drawn up by a prominent Conservative council. Hammersmith & Fulham, in West London, is also proposing to give priority for council homes to foster parents, former Army personnel and special constables in its overhaul of housing policy. People in work or training and those with a connection in the borough, such as their parents, would get preference. The authority is one of the first to spell out how it plans to implement the Government’s legislation that ends the council “tenancy for life” and gives authorities more flexibility to deal with waiting lists. The laws, which came into effect last month, will stop the current practice which allows those on high incomes to stay in council homes for life and pass them on to their children. Frank Dobson, the former Labour Health Se
Published at 12:01AM, May 14 2012- Castaway: sues shipping companyClaims cruise liner ignored his drifting fishing boat
- Royal show: horses starDiamond Jubilee Pageant like “a big overseas tour with all the boring bits taken out”
- NHS reforms: no new deal for nursesLansley to defend his £20bn cuts at RCN conference
- Rangers: ‘£8.5m saviour’Charles Green has vision to expand club Far East
- Leveson: Chancellor “should attend”Osborne had private meeting with Brooks
- Romney: rejects gay marriageIn speech to Christian university graduates
- Austerity blow: Merkel crushedChancellor’s party humiliated by voters
A Tube disaster, Nixon quits and the first VCR is sold
Relive moments of history in the Queen’s reign: 1974-1975
-
Europe’s Moment
Policymakers need to plan for Greece’s exit from the euro and encourage structural reform elsewhere
-
Soldiering On
The death of two British servicemen in Afghanistan must not cloud Nato’s mission
-
A City of Two Tales
City pip United to the league title. Manchester, and football, emerge winners
Rogue Afghan policemen kill British soldier and airman
It is a hugely worrying sign for Britain’s plans to hand control of security to the Afghan authorities and leave the country
The Shadow Welsh Secretary wants to leave ‘on a high’ after a strong showing for Labour in the council elections in Wales
Royal Mail sweetens sell-off with a £1bn property dowry
The company’s plans to develop more than half its famous Central London mail centre at Mount Pleasant are said to be well advanced
The geek who wasn’t forced to quit Yahoo!
Scott Thompson’s departure is expected to be confirmed today after an activist investor challenged him over inaccuracies on his CV
JPMorgan Chase counts the cost of scandal
Three high-ranking staff at the bank are set to leave as the fallout deepens from the trading blunder that has cost it at least $2bn
Free ticket or a dangerous leap in the dark?
Executives are refusing corporate hospitality invitations to the Olympic Games because of fears they could break new anti-bribery rules
Mancini’s crazy gang make every second count
Manchester City claim the title but Sir Alex Ferguson insists history still sets his United team apart
Sunderland 0 Manchester United 1: win proves in vain
The acrid tang of failure hangs around Sir Alex Ferguson and his players, a brutal judgment on a season determined on the final day
Bairstow gets his chance as luck deserts Bopara again
Essex man’s quadricep injury means that he will now not get chance to add to three hundreds he has already made against West Indies
Huge assault on al-Qaeda after intelligence by British agent
Yemeni and American troops have began an assault against al-Qaeda-linked militants following intelligence provided by a British agent
Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson arrested in Germany
Paul Watson faces extradition to Costa Rica on charges linked to a confrontation with a shark finning ship in 2002
Nearly 50 mutilated bodies found as drug war escalates
The remains of at least 49 people have been found in northern Mexico along with a message written by a drug cartel
Facebook tycoon bins passport to avoid $600m tax bill
Eduardo Saverin has renounced American citizenship to avoid millions of dollars in taxes when the social network site goes public
The ‘lost’ musical by the lyricist for Wizard of Oz
Project to revive ‘lost’ musicals has discovered a McCarthy-era satire, Flahooley: just don’t expect rainbows
The Big Reissue with Bob Stanley: Burt Bacharach
A brilliant appraisal of a reissue of Bacharach’s early recordings, dipping into cowboy novelties, guitar instrumentals and cocktail jazz
Cowell’s life must now be complete as dog wins BGT
The schoolgirl and her amazing vertical dog walk away with £500,000 after winning the seventh series of Britain’s Got Talent
-
-
12 May ' 23:31
Last-ditch talks today to stave off new Greek election
The President of Greece has summoned the country’s political party leaders to last-ditch talks today to stave off a second general election likely to send the country hurtling out of the euro. After negotiations to form a pro-austerity coalition government collapsed on Friday night, Karolos Papoulias will this morning meet the heads of the three parties which won the most votes. Then he will hold individual talks with the leaders of four smaller parties which won parliamentary seats. They include Alexis Tsipras of the Radical Left Coalition (Syrzia), who last night moved to force a new election - which he would be expected to win - when he rejected a final coalition bid by three other parties seeking to avoid a second poll. The parties will have until Thursday to reach agreement on a caretaker government. If they cannot, new elections will be held within weeks, probably on June 17. Meanwhile fears mount that Greece will default on its 240 billion euro debt to the EU and IMF or drop out of the eurozone altogether. The collapse of the third round of coalition talks last night has increased the risk of contagion to other countries mired in the euro debt crisis, including Spain, Portugal and Italy. Mr Tsipras, a rising star of Greece’s left wing, wants to rip up Athens’ euro bailout agreement entirely, which would probably trigger the country’s exit from the single currency. Greece’s international creditors have
Lewis Hamilton has been sensationally thrown out of qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix and sent to the back of the grid by race stewards for tomorrow’s race. This will be yet another stern test of character for a young driver who seems to race into controversy at every turn. This time, a catastrophic error and a couple of pints of petrol were the differences between Hamilton starting from the front of the grid to race to what many believed would be his first victory of the season and what is now an uphill battle for respectable points to stay in contention for the world championship. Hamilton’s beaming smile as he savoured his pole-winning lap was soon wiped from his face as the awful reality dawned and he watched McLaren’s senior executives racing to and from the stewards’ office. Sam Michael, McLaren’s new sporting director, was called to explain
After all the bitching, the dog wins it
Ashley and Pudsey win £500,000 in final of Britain’s Got Talent
Peter Hain to quit frontline politics
The shadow Welsh secretary wants to leave ‘on a high’ after a strong showing for Labour in the council elections in Wales
Leicester crush Saracens to reach final
Leicester 24 Saracens 15: Home side beat champions to meet Harlequins at Twickenham
Bayern suffer setback in final preparations
Week before taking on Chelsea Bavarian side were beaten 5-2 by Borussia Dortmund in German Cup final in Berlin
Spence first in world championships in Rome
Scot takes gold while Samantha Murray secures bronze as British duo meet modern pentathlon Olympic qualfication time in Rome
Spain’s ‘Indignants’ rally for first anniversary
At least 100,000 protesters took to the streets to mark the first anniversary of demonstrations against Spain’s economic crisis
Dalai Lama: hit-women may try to poison me
The exiled spiritual leader claims to have received warnings from within Tibet that women posing as devotees may try to attack him
Search the Site
