video
Biden forced to defend rhetoric in light of shooting
newDonald Trump has been crowned the Republican Party’s presidential nominee two days after surviving an assassination attempt, and has picked the young Ohio senator JD Vance as his running-mate. The declarations came hours after the former president received a substantial boost to his campaign when...Donald Trump has been crowned the Republican Party’s presidential nominee two days after surviving an assassination attempt, and has picked the young Ohio senator JD Vance as his running-mate. The declarations came hours after the former president received a substantial boost to his campaign when...Donald Trump has been crowned the Republican Party’s presidential nominee two days after surviving an assassination attempt...
profile
Not long after Donald Trump announced his candidacy for president in 2016, a relatively little-known conservative author from Ohio made his disdain for the Republican known. “I’m a Never Trump guy,” James David “JD” Vance said proudly, calling the presumptive nominee “America’s Hitler”. It reflects a feat of dexterous political gymnastics...Not long after Donald Trump announced his candidacy for president in 2016, a relatively little-known conservative author from Ohio made his disdain for the Republican known. “I’m a Never Trump guy,” James David “JD” Vance said proudly, calling the presumptive nominee “America’s Hitler”. It reflects a feat of dexterous political gymnastics...Not long after Donald Trump announced his candidacy for president in 2016, a relatively little-known conservative author from...
It may have been brief but the phone call between Sir Keir Starmer and Donald Trump on Sunday night was a major diplomatic coup. International messages of goodwill came flooding in after Trump survived an assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally over the weekend. Presidents and prime ministers, from Binyamin...It may have been brief but the phone call between Sir Keir Starmer and Donald Trump on Sunday...It may have been brief but the phone call between Sir Keir Starmer and Donald Trump on Sunday...
interview
After six years away from live comedy, it took time, therapy and a restraining order against her stalker to get Anna...After six years away from live comedy, it took time, therapy and a restraining order against her...After six years away from live comedy, it took time, therapy and a restraining order against her...
Robert crampton
After being told at the start of the election campaign that they needed to “get out of their bubble” and do national...After being told at the start of the election campaign that they needed to “get out of their...After being told at the start of the election campaign that they needed to “get out of their...
Donald Trump has significant momentum in the race for the White House, moving ahead of President Biden in every swing state even before Saturday’s assassination attempt, new polling for The Times reveals. Trump leads Biden in seven states where voters were surveyed and November’s election is expected to be won or lost: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina...Donald Trump has significant momentum in the race for the White House, moving ahead of President...Donald Trump has significant momentum in the race for the White House, moving ahead of President...
Residents of a small blue-collar town in the shadow of the Appalachian hills were struggling to comprehend what would...Residents of a small blue-collar town in the shadow of the Appalachian hills were struggling to comprehend what would motivate a shy and polite maths whizz to attempt an assassination of the former president Donald Trump. Officials said that Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, from Bethel Park just south of the former steel...Residents of a small blue-collar town in the shadow of the Appalachian hills were struggling to comprehend what would motivate...
An American citizen who is accused of leaving a nurse unable to walk for six weeks after a car crash has been...An American citizen who is accused of leaving a nurse unable to walk for six weeks after a car...An American citizen who is accused of leaving a nurse unable to walk for six weeks after a car...
An escort for asylum seekers who was sacked by a government contractor during a scandal over racist slurs must be...An escort for asylum seekers who was sacked by a government contractor during a scandal over...An escort for asylum seekers who was sacked by a government contractor during a scandal over...
video
BEST BEACHES 2024
Police started another search for the remains of Muriel McKay on Monday, 55 years after she was murdered. The...Police started another search for the remains of Muriel McKay on Monday, 55 years after she was...Police started another search for the remains of Muriel McKay on Monday, 55 years after she was...
THE TIMES DIARY
An early star of the new parliament is Jennie, a four-year-old guide dog who belongs to Steve Darling, the Lib Dem MP...An early star of the new parliament is Jennie, a four-year-old guide dog who belongs to Steve...An early star of the new parliament is Jennie, a four-year-old guide dog who belongs to Steve...
Run of good fortune continued with dismissal of charges that he illegally kept White House files
Donald Trump’s summer just keeps getting better. No Hollywood scriptwriter could have imagined such a sensational sequence of events, beginning with Joe Biden’s disastrous debate performance, continuing with a Supreme Court ruling giving Trump wide-ranging immunity from prosecution and culminating in the dramatic images of him emerging bloodied but unbowed from an...Donald Trump’s summer just keeps getting better. No Hollywood scriptwriter could have imagined...Donald Trump’s summer just keeps getting better. No Hollywood scriptwriter could have imagined...
The man who made an attempt on the life of Donald Trump carried out his attack with an AR-15, a weapon considered the...The man who made an attempt on the life of Donald Trump carried out his attack with an AR-15, a weapon considered the deadliest flashpoint in the debate over American gun carnage and the right to bear arms. Designed for the battlefield in the 1950s but now accounting for more than 24 million of the 393 million...The man who made an attempt on the life of Donald Trump carried out his attack with an AR-15, a weapon considered the deadliest...
President Xi will make an appeal to private businesses to support his personal vision for China’s future as he...President Xi will make an appeal to private businesses to support his personal vision for China’s...President Xi will make an appeal to private businesses to support his personal vision for China’s...
Family-friendly films are riding to the rescue of the Hollywood box office after a sluggish start to the year.Family-friendly films are riding to the rescue of the Hollywood box office after a sluggish start...Family-friendly films are riding to the rescue of the Hollywood box office after a sluggish start...
IN maps and CHARTS
The US election will pit two presidents against each other — but the familiarity of the likely candidates is doing little to help predict a winner. American voters are not excited about a rematch between the incumbent, Joe Biden, and the...The US election will pit two presidents against each other — but the familiarity of the likely...The US election will pit two presidents against each other — but the familiarity of the likely...
Burberry has ousted its chief executive and axed its dividend after issuing the latest in a series of profit warnings. Shares in the troubled British luxury label tumbled after it said it had appointed Joshua Schulman, the former boss of Michael Kors and Coach, the American fashion brands, to...Burberry has ousted its chief executive and axed its dividend after issuing the latest in a series of profit warnings. Shares in the troubled British luxury label tumbled after it said it had appointed Joshua Schulman, the former boss of Michael Kors and Coach, the American fashion brands, to...Burberry has ousted its chief executive and axed its dividend after issuing the latest in a series of profit warnings. Shares...
Donald Trump’s social media company surged on Wall Street after the attempted assassination of the presidential candidate boosted the “Trump trade”. Shares in Trump Media & Technology, the parent company of Truth Social, the former president’s social media platform, leapt by 37 per cent after the opening bell and retained most of those...Donald Trump’s social media company surged on Wall Street after the attempted assassination of the presidential candidate boosted the “Trump trade”. Shares in Trump Media & Technology, the parent company of Truth Social, the former president’s social media platform, leapt by 37 per cent after the opening bell and retained most of those...Donald Trump’s social media company surged on Wall Street after the attempted assassination of the presidential candidate...
SSE and TotalEnergies have created a joint venture to install 3,000 electric vehicle charging points in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. The new ultra-fast charging points are intended to provide enough power in only six minutes for a vehicle to travel more than sixty miles. The business, named Source, will...SSE and TotalEnergies have created a joint venture to install 3,000 electric vehicle charging...SSE and TotalEnergies have created a joint venture to install 3,000 electric vehicle charging...
One of the Bank of England’s most doveish ratesetters has called for interest rate cuts to help with the cost of...One of the Bank of England’s most doveish ratesetters has called for interest rate cuts to help...One of the Bank of England’s most doveish ratesetters has called for interest rate cuts to help...
market report
Investors hit “return” on Ocado, the online grocer, after concerns about delays to the company’s customer fulfilment...Investors hit “return” on Ocado, the online grocer, after concerns about delays to the company’s...Investors hit “return” on Ocado, the online grocer, after concerns about delays to the company’s...
The continuing decline in demand for luxury goods in China has taken its toll on Swatch Group, with the world’s...The continuing decline in demand for luxury goods in China has taken its toll on Swatch Group...The continuing decline in demand for luxury goods in China has taken its toll on Swatch Group...
Lloyds Banking Group is to convert a number of its old buildings into affordable homes, starting with a soon-to-be...Lloyds Banking Group is to convert a number of its old buildings into affordable homes, starting...Lloyds Banking Group is to convert a number of its old buildings into affordable homes, starting...
mental health
Recruitment
This year’s “Summer of Sport” will deliver a £233 million boost to the UK economy, as supporters splash out on food, drink and new TVs and devices to watch the Euros and Olympics. While a welcome addition to our sluggish national spending, it’s a tiny fraction of the £20 billion the sports sector generates for the economy each year. Equivalent to about 1 per cent of...This year’s “Summer of Sport” will deliver a £233 million boost to the UK economy, as supporters...This year’s “Summer of Sport” will deliver a £233 million boost to the UK economy, as supporters...
recruitment | six from the best
The international marketing expert Naomi Walkland is best known for masterminding the expansion of the first...The international marketing expert Naomi Walkland is best known for masterminding the expansion of the first female-led dating app Bumble into 15 regions worldwide. Now as chief marketing officer of the UK’s fastest-growing car marketplace, Motorway.co.uk, Naomi shares her advice on building your team while...The international marketing expert Naomi Walkland is best known for masterminding the expansion of the first female-led dating...
Euro 2024 | Jonathan Northcroft
Vern Law was both an All-Star baseball pitcher and an ordained priest. Sport and faith left him rich in perspective. “Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards,” Law said. Ultimately, England failed the test again. This time they really ought to learn...Vern Law was both an All-Star baseball pitcher and an ordained priest. Sport and faith left him rich in perspective. “Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards,” Law said. Ultimately, England failed the test again. This time they really ought to learn...Vern Law was both an All-Star baseball pitcher and an ordained priest. Sport and faith left him rich in perspective.
Martin Hardy
Newcastle’s training ground was still in darkness when Eddie Howe drove in for his first day at work as the club’s new head coach. It was 6.45am on an international week and the building was deserted. On the previous international break, the club’s managerial staff had gone on holiday. Howe rustled together academy players to make up for a...Newcastle’s training ground was still in darkness when Eddie Howe drove in for his first day at work as the club’s new head coach. It was 6.45am on an international week and the building was deserted. On the previous international break, the club’s managerial staff had gone on holiday. Howe rustled together academy players to make up for a...Newcastle’s training ground was still in darkness when Eddie Howe drove in for his first day at work as the club’s new head coach.
Eddie Howe would be a leading contender to replace Gareth Southgate if he decides to call time on his tenure as England manager. Southgate has said that he wants to take the next few days to consider his future after another crushing European Championship final defeat, this time by Spain on Sunday night. England...Eddie Howe would be a leading contender to replace Gareth Southgate if he decides to call time on...Eddie Howe would be a leading contender to replace Gareth Southgate if he decides to call time on...
the open | Tom Watson interview
EURO 2024 | PAUL JOYCE
The Open | Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston interview
The pulsating duel between Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson will always be remembered as one of the Open’s greatest final rounds, but nobody pricked the public consciousness at Royal Troon in 2016 quite like Andrew “Beef” Johnston. The son of a London bus driver and a dinner lady, with a straggly beard, a comforting paunch and an indelible nickname, he was a golfing...The pulsating duel between Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson will always be remembered as one of...The pulsating duel between Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson will always be remembered as one of...
The open
The chief executive of the R&A has explained the modest hike in prize money for the Open Championship by saying he...The chief executive of the R&A has explained the modest hike in prize money for the Open Championship by saying he is concerned about the sustainability of vastly inflated jackpots. The champion golfer at Royal Troon will receive $3.1million (£2.39million) on Sunday, and while that is an enormous figure it is...The chief executive of the R&A has explained the modest hike in prize money for the Open Championship by saying he is...
EURO 2024 | TONY CASCARINO
Centre forwards almost became redundant in this tournament. The likes of Harry Kane, Cristiano Ronaldo, Álvaro Morata...Centre forwards almost became redundant in this tournament. The likes of Harry Kane, Cristiano...Centre forwards almost became redundant in this tournament. The likes of Harry Kane, Cristiano...
euro 2024 | jonathan northcroft
Gareth Southgate said he had given no thought to the symbolism of it ending in Berlin, the city which lived on a...Gareth Southgate said he had given no thought to the symbolism of it ending in Berlin, the city...Gareth Southgate said he had given no thought to the symbolism of it ending in Berlin, the city...
EURO 2025
Amid the heartache of Sunday night it is worth remembering that England are still European champions in the women’s game — though Sarina Wiegman’s side have not been playing like continental queens this year. One excellent win away to France aside...Amid the heartache of Sunday night it is worth remembering that England are still European...Amid the heartache of Sunday night it is worth remembering that England are still European...
First Giovanni Pernice left the show after allegations of mistreatment. Now Graziano Di Prima has gone too. How did it come to this, asks Andrew Billen
EXPLAINER
From getting check ups to choosing sunglasses, the experts give their best advice on how to look after your vision
Research shows that strong legs are good for longevity. Here’s how to enhance yours. Plus, a three-tier exercise routine to gain shapely pins at home
analysis
The brand has lost its CEO after an attempt at reinvention didn’t quite come off, says Anna Murphy
my culture fix
You may have noticed the trendy accessory sported by the superfit set in the cycling lane or on the running track...You may have noticed the trendy accessory sported by the superfit set in the cycling lane or on...You may have noticed the trendy accessory sported by the superfit set in the cycling lane or on...
As many as one in ten of us will develop a stomach or duodenal ulcer at some stage. For most it will be a relatively...As many as one in ten of us will develop a stomach or duodenal ulcer at some stage. For most it...As many as one in ten of us will develop a stomach or duodenal ulcer at some stage. For most it...
The Three Lions didn’t manage to bring it home this time — but their WAGs brought back an equally historic fashion emblem instead. I’m not talking about BBBDs (big bouncy blow-drys) or oversized sunglasses, I’m referring to jorts — aka jean shorts. That’s right, for fashion types the Nineties-inspired denim cut-offs are as hot a topic as Cole Palmer’s 73rd-minute...The Three Lions didn’t manage to bring it home this time — but their WAGs brought back an equally...The Three Lions didn’t manage to bring it home this time — but their WAGs brought back an equally...
Sarah Jossel
Here at The Sunday Times we are renowned for our groundbreaking investigations. We won awards for the (13 years in...Here at The Sunday Times we are renowned for our groundbreaking investigations. We won awards for the (13 years in the making) Lance Armstrong doping story, we uncovered the Qatar World Cup bid scandal. And now I’m set to add this year’s biggest beauty inquiry to our prestigious list of successes: “What lipstick has...Here at The Sunday Times we are renowned for our groundbreaking investigations. We won awards for the (13 years in the making)...
what i’ve learnt
MINDGAMES
MindGames
1 Gareth Roberts’s 2006 novella I Am a Dalek is based on which TV series? 2 Which Swedish environmental activist...1 Gareth Roberts’s 2006 novella I Am a Dalek is based on which TV series? 2 Which Swedish...1 Gareth Roberts’s 2006 novella I Am a Dalek is based on which TV series? 2 Which Swedish...
Here are some of the best concerts and opera performances our critics have seen in the past few weeks. We’ll also...Here are some of the best concerts and opera performances our critics have seen in the past few...Here are some of the best concerts and opera performances our critics have seen in the past few...
first night review
Kaleidoscope is a north London community festival on steroids on a site sprawling across the hill with arguably the best view of the city. The line-up is carefully selected to appeal to Gen X parents and not be overly objectionable to their children. So we had the Go! Team, whose effervescent funk-rock-rap went down very easily, even with those who weren’t born when...Kaleidoscope is a north London community festival on steroids on a site sprawling across the hill...Kaleidoscope is a north London community festival on steroids on a site sprawling across the hill...
first night review
Some stars dazzle you with spiky charisma, political passion, jaw-dropping vocal gymnastics or emotionally raw...Some stars dazzle you with spiky charisma, political passion, jaw-dropping vocal gymnastics or emotionally raw confessionals. Kylie Minogue is not one of those artists. A blank canvas of cosy glamour and frictionless showmanship, the ageless Australian dance-pop diva came to Hyde Park to make 65,000 people dance...Some stars dazzle you with spiky charisma, political passion, jaw-dropping vocal gymnastics or emotionally raw confessionals.
InveStigation by Decca Aitkenhead
Even if the sun isn’t shining, a splendid new pair of shades is an essential summer accessory
Ikea bags containing priceless paintings, tip-offs from criminals and evenings spent with Jesus’s blood — it’s all in a day’s work for the stolen art sleuths
This summer the fashion houses have taken over the world’s most exclusive beach clubs
Zulal Wellness in Qatar is divided into two, equally luxurious, halves — one is adults only, the other gives children a lesson in wellness
video
If you are going to learn how to cook, you may as well learn from the best — and you can’t get better than the Waterside Inn in Bray. Established by the brothers Michel and Albert Roux in 1972 and for the past 22 years under the control of...If you are going to learn how to cook, you may as well learn from the best — and you can’t get...If you are going to learn how to cook, you may as well learn from the best — and you can’t get...
video
Direct flights launching from London to lesser-known Linz later this year will make it more accessible than ever before. Visit now before the crowds descend
BEST BEACHES 2024
From a family-owned takeaway on the harbour to an art deco chippy that also serves oysters, these are our favourite places to tuck in from as little as £6.20
BEST BEACHES 2024
The 16th edition of our annual survey is our most rigorous yet, with concerns about water quality front and centre
video
BEST BEACHES 2024
We’ve travelled 5,583 miles, visited 543 beaches and sampled 17 chip suppers to discover the nation’s superior stretches of sand for this year’s regional guide
A luxury voyage from Mauritius to Tanzania stops at one of the world’s most far-flung places: the Aldabra islands, 715 miles from the Seychelles’ capital
BEST BEACHES 2024
If you’re a hotel designer who loves period features there’s nowhere in the world with a deeper well to draw from...If you’re a hotel designer who loves period features there’s nowhere in the world with a deeper...If you’re a hotel designer who loves period features there’s nowhere in the world with a deeper...
WHERE WAS I? COMPETITION
Was it for this that we drove so far? To stand craning our necks, trying to see a test track? There’s no way we will...Was it for this that we drove so far? To stand craning our necks, trying to see a test track?Was it for this that we drove so far? To stand craning our necks, trying to see a test track?
video
The Times has been publishing life stories of the great and the good (and the not so good) for more than 170 years. Now the obituary is also becoming a podcast, explains Anna Temkin
LET us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.LET us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is...LET us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is...
Buckingham Palace
15th July, 2024
The King and Queen this afternoon arrived at Jersey Airport and were received by...Buckingham Palace
15th July, 2024
The King and Queen this afternoon arrived at Jersey Airport...Buckingham Palace
15th July, 2024
The King and Queen this afternoon arrived at Jersey Airport...
MindGames and Brain Boost puzzles to print and solve at your leisure
Doctors ‘baffled — and concerned’ about long-term risks of massive increase
The number of females in Scotland being prescribed testosterone has soared over the past decade thanks to a sharp rise in girls taking the male sex hormone. Experts are concerned by the increase, which includes a surge in young females seeking to change gender. The number of testosterone-related...The number of females in Scotland being prescribed testosterone has soared over the past decade thanks to a sharp rise in girls taking the male sex hormone. Experts are concerned by the increase, which includes a surge in young females seeking to change gender. The number of testosterone-related...The number of females in Scotland being prescribed testosterone has soared over the past decade thanks to a sharp rise in girls...
The SNP’s financial crisis has deepened after it was revealed that the party received no money from private donors during the crucial closing stages of the general election campaign. According to figures reported to the Electoral Commission for the final week of campaigning and polling day itself, £1.9 million was given by donors to...The SNP’s financial crisis has deepened after it was revealed that the party received no money from private donors during the crucial closing stages of the general election campaign. According to figures reported to the Electoral Commission for the final week of campaigning and polling day itself, £1.9 million was given by donors to...The SNP’s financial crisis has deepened after it was revealed that the party received no money from private donors during the...
One of Scotland’s top snowsports centres has been saved from closure thanks to a public crowdfunding campaign and other help. The Lecht in Aberdeenshire warned in April that a lack of natural snow had been a hallmark of a “dire season” which had put its future in doubt. It said it did not want “to be forced to shut...One of Scotland’s top snowsports centres has been saved from closure thanks to a public...One of Scotland’s top snowsports centres has been saved from closure thanks to a public...
A lost painting by a great Scottish artist of the Beatles in the hippy, trippy days of the late 1960s has gone on show in Glasgow. John Byrne’s portrait of the Fab Four, complete with a supporting cast of wide-eyed animals, was commissioned in...A lost painting by a great Scottish artist of the Beatles in the hippy, trippy days of the late...A lost painting by a great Scottish artist of the Beatles in the hippy, trippy days of the late...
Edinburgh Festival
Rangers were still unable to tell supporters when they will be back at Ibrox as the club’s rental deal at Hampden was...Rangers were still unable to tell supporters when they will be back at Ibrox as the club’s rental...Rangers were still unable to tell supporters when they will be back at Ibrox as the club’s rental...
scottish business digest
Hello and welcome to our daily digest of business, financial and economic news from around Scotland. 1. More than 850...Hello and welcome to our daily digest of business, financial and economic news from around Scotland.Hello and welcome to our daily digest of business, financial and economic news from around Scotland.
Comment
Shooting has amplified what was already likely
William Hague
Contrary to breathless claims that the assassination attempt on Trump changes everything, it has reinforced prevailing trends
Melanie phillips
Here’s a better way to cut prisoner numbers
hugo rifkind
Most migrant families turn out just like mine
giles coren | notebook
Pro dancers are right to treat dreary celebs so strictly
Jawad Iqbal
Afghanistan aid is no use without feet on the ground
Susie Goldsbrough | Notebook
We make it hard for public figures to have a graceful exit
It was a big weekend for ageing men who don’t know when to quit. Perhaps that’s harsh. Putting American politics delicately aside (ah, if only), the silvering gents I’m talking about are extraordinary athletes whose longevity is as much a...It was a big weekend for ageing men who don’t know when to quit. Perhaps that’s harsh. Putting...It was a big weekend for ageing men who don’t know when to quit. Perhaps that’s harsh. Putting...
Leading Articles
Climate of Fear
The attempted shooting of Donald Trump has highlighted the menace of political violence in America. But British politicians, too, are facing threats to their lives
Putin’s Apologist
Hungary’s maverick leader promises to make Europe great again, but splits it instead
Reign of Spain
Intelligence and careful nurturing are keys to Spanish sporting success
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Labour right to tackle bloated House of Lords
Sir, Libby Purves is right to say that “a cull of octogenarians is a blunt instrument” for reducing the size of the House of Lords (comment, Jul 12). Paradoxically, it would deter party leaders from appointing people in their thirties who...Sir, Libby Purves is right to say that “a cull of octogenarians is a blunt instrument”...Sir, Libby Purves is right to say that “a cull of octogenarians is a blunt instrument”...
Daily Universal Register
Briefing
UK: The King and Queen visit Guernsey.
Italy: Two-day G7 trade ministers’ meeting begins. Jonathan Reynolds, the UK business and trade secretary, attends.
World: The International Monetary Fund’s World Economic Outlook biannual report update is released.
On this day
In 1945 the first atomic bomb was exploded at Los Alamos, New Mexico. The codename for the plutonium implosion device test was Trinity. Manhattan Project officials passed off the test as an ammunition dump explosion, and no attempt was made to evacuate civilians, some only 12 miles away. In 1990 the US Congress approved $50,000 in a one-time compensation to “downwinders” of the blast. A bottle of sunscreen had been passed around project scientists; in 1955 the racing driver Stirling Moss won the British Grand Prix, at Aintree, near Liverpool, the first time that a British driver had won the race (obituary, April 12, 2020); in 1965 the Mont Blanc road tunnel opened, connecting France and Italy; in 1979 Saddam Hussein became president of Iraq. He was toppled by the 2003 US-led invasion, and sentenced to death by hanging in 2006; in 1999 John F Kennedy Jr, his wife Carolyn and her sister Lauren Bessette died when the aircraft he was piloting plunged into the Atlantic Ocean near Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.
Nature notes
Brown china-mark moths are emerging and can be seen flying around ponds, lakes, wetlands and canals, where they provide a key part of the diet of water-loving Daubenton’s bats as well as many other insectivorous species. The reason these small, variably patterned moths are most commonly found close to water is that, unusually, the larvae of all the china-mark family are aquatic. They feed on water plants such as duckweed and — regrettably, given our fast-falling insect numbers — are seen by some ornamental pond-keepers as a pest that should be eradicated. This is due to their habit of creating an ingenious floating case to live within using a small, folded section of water-lily leaf, rather like a burrito. Melissa Harrison
Melissa Harrison
Birthdays today
Douglas Murray, political commentator, The War on the West: How to Prevail in the Age of Unreason (2022), 45; Gareth Bale, footballer, the Wales national team (2006-22), 35; Sir Vernon Bogdanor, emeritus professor of government, University of Oxford, 81; Don Cameron, balloonist, the first to cross the Alps and the Sahara by hot-air balloon, 85; Lorraine Chase, actress, Emmerdale (2002-13), 73; Stewart Copeland, drummer, the Police (1977-86, 2007-08), and composer, 72; Margaret Court, tennis player, former world No 1 and three-time Wimbledon singles winner (1963, 1965, 1970), 82; Erin Doherty, actress, Chloe (2022), 32; Sophia Dunkley, cricketer, Surrey and England, 26; Michael Flatley, dancer, Riverdance, 66; Lady Anne Glenconner, a maid of honour at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, 92; Prof Anthony Julius, solicitor, deputy chairman, law firm Mishcon de Reya, 68; Tony Kushner, playwright, Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes (1993; Pulitzer prizewinner), 68; Joanna MacGregor, concert pianist, 65; Sir James MacMillan, composer, St Luke Passion (2013), 65; William Pye, water sculptor, Alchemilla, All England Lawn Tennis Club, Wimbledon (2016), 86; Jenni Russell, journalist, Times columnist, editor, The World Tonight, BBC Radio 4 (1997-2001), 64; Prof Frances Spalding, art historian and critic, 74; Johnny Vaughan, broadcaster and journalist, 58; Baroness (Diana) Warwick of Undercliffe, chief executive, Universities UK (1995-2009), 79; The Rt Rev Andrew Watson, bishop of Guildford, 63; Lord (George) Young of Cookham, Conservative MP for North West Hampshire (1997-2015), transport secretary (1995-97), 83; Pinchas Zukerman, violinist and conductor, principal guest conductor, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, 76.