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Where does Brexit leave Britain?
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Use Brexit to steal UK trade, says Trump aide
Donald Trump’s trade chief has urged Britain’s rivals to exploit the “God-given opportunity” of Brexit to steal business from the UK. Wilbur Ross, the billionaire incoming commerce secretary, has the task of striking a free trade deal with Britain. His comments will increase fears that the US...Donald Trump’s trade chief has urged Britain’s rivals to exploit the “God-given opportunity” of Brexit to steal business from the UK. Wilbur Ross, the billionaire incoming commerce secretary, has the task of striking a free trade deal with Britain. His comments will increase fears that the US...Donald Trump’s trade chief has urged Britain’s rivals to exploit the “God-given opportunity” of Brexit to steal business from...
Read the full storyCouncils use spying powers to check rubbish and noisy dogs
Councils have been given permission to spy on the public for a total of more than 55,000 days during the past five years to investigate offences as minor as dog barking and feeding pigeons. Almost 2,800 surveillance operations have been carried out by local authorities since 2011, which included the use of hidden microphones, covert cameras...Councils have been given permission to spy on the public for a total of more than 55,000 days during the past five years to investigate offences as minor as dog barking and feeding pigeons. Almost 2,800 surveillance operations have been carried out by local authorities since 2011, which included the use of hidden microphones, covert cameras...Councils have been given permission to spy on the public for a total of more than 55,000 days during the past five years to...
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VIDEO
Young royals cheer up crowd as Queen bears her cold in comfort
Concerns for the Queen’s health grew yesterday after she missed church at Sandringham on Christmas Day for the first time. A smiling Duke of Edinburgh, who had also been suffering from a heavy cold, had recovered sufficiently to walk with the royal family to and from the service. In her televised message, the Queen...Concerns for the Queen’s health grew yesterday after she missed church at Sandringham on...Concerns for the Queen’s health grew yesterday after she missed church at Sandringham on...
Read the full storySinger never lost faith . . . and gave Christmas a theme tune
For the past 32 years, Wham’s Last Christmas has been, without fail, the soundtrack to the festive season, the marker that the time to party had arrived. Yesterday Christmas Day became the final day for the band’s multi- million-selling lead singer, George Michael, and 2016 claimed another of the world’s most cherished artists. From his early days in Wham!, to duets...For the past 32 years, Wham’s Last Christmas has been, without fail, the soundtrack to the...For the past 32 years, Wham’s Last Christmas has been, without fail, the soundtrack to the...
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VIDEO
From sexy pop to wistful balladry: the top ten
new1. Faith (Faith, 1987) It’s the perfect song: pure pop imagined as rock’n’roll. There’s really very little to...1. Faith (Faith, 1987) It’s the perfect song: pure pop imagined as rock’n’roll. There’s really very little to it, just a shuffling, percussive guitar strum and a staccato, mostly whispered vocal delivery, but that was enough to move Michael on from Wham! and turn him into the biggest star in the world. And who...1. Faith (Faith, 1987) It’s the perfect song: pure pop imagined as rock’n’roll. There’s really very little to it, just...
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Unusually warm Christmas about to be blown away
Parts of Britain enjoyed one of the warmest Christmas Days on record — but strong winds, blizzards and snow could...Parts of Britain enjoyed one of the warmest Christmas Days on record — but strong winds...Parts of Britain enjoyed one of the warmest Christmas Days on record — but strong winds...
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Stars turn out for ‘princess’
Harrison Ford led an outpouring of best wishes for Carrie Fisher as the Star Wars actress spent Christmas in...Harrison Ford led an outpouring of best wishes for Carrie Fisher as the Star Wars actress spent...Harrison Ford led an outpouring of best wishes for Carrie Fisher as the Star Wars actress spent...
Read the full storyFrom the Bronx to the Barbican, life story of Warhol protégé comes full circle
His work sells for millions to celebrities in thrall to an artist whose importance was not fully realised in his short life. Now, three decades after Britain granted Jean-Michel Basquiat his first public show, his oeuvre is being gathered for a London exhibition of works valued in hundreds of millions, an event that perhaps only this country could now afford to mount.His work sells for millions to celebrities in thrall to an artist whose importance was not fully...His work sells for millions to celebrities in thrall to an artist whose importance was not fully...
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Shop ‘rug’ hailed as lost Caesar tapestry
It was one of the greatest treasures owned by Henry VIII, a set of ten large tapestries depicting scenes from the...It was one of the greatest treasures owned by Henry VIII, a set of ten large tapestries depicting scenes from the life of Julius Caesar, commissioned by the King at the height of his power. In 1649, just over a century after the Tudor monarch’s death, the set was valued at £5,022, a vast sum that made it one of the...It was one of the greatest treasures owned by Henry VIII, a set of ten large tapestries depicting scenes from the life of...
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First night review
Forget the Midwives, the Doctor was the real star
Britain losing its chips as billions of potatoes go to waste
Britons are throwing away more than two billion potatoes every year, making them the UK’s most commonly wasted...Britons are throwing away more than two billion potatoes every year, making them the UK’s most...Britons are throwing away more than two billion potatoes every year, making them the UK’s most...
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Second-hand phones can be hacked for personal details
Anyone planning to sell their old phone on eBay after receiving a new handset for Christmas may want to think again.Anyone planning to sell their old phone on eBay after receiving a new handset for Christmas may...Anyone planning to sell their old phone on eBay after receiving a new handset for Christmas may...
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Christmas Science Experiments
To keep off all the trimmings, hit the gym . . . hard
Two men die in Christmas Eve killings
A teenager was stabbed to death and another man killed in separate incidents on Christmas Eve. Police said they were...A teenager was stabbed to death and another man killed in separate incidents on Christmas Eve.A teenager was stabbed to death and another man killed in separate incidents on Christmas Eve.
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The Times Diary
Small comfort, no joy
We asked Diary readers to rewrite their favourite Christmas songs to reflect the news in 2016. Tidings of comfort and...We asked Diary readers to rewrite their favourite Christmas songs to reflect the news in 2016....We asked Diary readers to rewrite their favourite Christmas songs to reflect the news in 2016....
Read the full storyChristmas Appeal
Gifts of hope for starving children of Yemen
Mohamed Youssef faced an impossible choice: pay to get his baby, Wadad, to hospital to treat her dysentery, or buy milk formula to stop her starving to death. He could not afford both so decided to put everything he had into getting the emaciated...Mohamed Youssef faced an impossible choice: pay to get his baby, Wadad, to hospital to treat her...Mohamed Youssef faced an impossible choice: pay to get his baby, Wadad, to hospital to treat her...
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Netanyahu snubs May in furious backlash over UN vote
updatedThe Israeli prime minister has cancelled a meeting with Theresa May in protest at Britain’s support for a UN security council resolution that condemned illegal settlements in the Palestinian territories. “It is a disappointment that the Israeli government has announced that Prime [Binyamin]...The Israeli prime minister has cancelled a meeting with Theresa May in protest at Britain’s support for a UN security council resolution that condemned illegal settlements in the Palestinian territories. “It is a disappointment that the Israeli government has announced that Prime [Binyamin]...The Israeli prime minister has cancelled a meeting with Theresa May in protest at Britain’s support for a UN security council...
Read the full storyWe must expel 500,000 illegal migrants, says Grillo
Beppe Grillo, founder of the populist Five Star Movement, has demanded the immediate expulsion of half a million “irregular” migrants in Italy after the Berlin lorry attack, signalling a sharp shift to the right for the anti-establishment party. “Who has asylum stays in Italy, while all the irregulars must be repatriated now, starting from...Beppe Grillo, founder of the populist Five Star Movement, has demanded the immediate expulsion of half a million “irregular” migrants in Italy after the Berlin lorry attack, signalling a sharp shift to the right for the anti-establishment party. “Who has asylum stays in Italy, while all the irregulars must be repatriated now, starting from...Beppe Grillo, founder of the populist Five Star Movement, has demanded the immediate expulsion of half a million “irregular”...
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Grace Mugabe pays military debt to China with 35 elephant calves
Grace Mugabe has sent a menagerie of safari animals to a Chinese wildlife park to pay for military uniforms for the Democratic Republic of Congo. The 51-year-old wife of the Zimbabwean leader is believed to have sent 35 elephant calves, eight lions, a dozen hyenas and a giraffe to settle a debt for boots and...Grace Mugabe has sent a menagerie of safari animals to a Chinese wildlife park to pay for...Grace Mugabe has sent a menagerie of safari animals to a Chinese wildlife park to pay for...
Read the full storyFrom our correspondent
All quiet in Bhutan? That’s what they want you to think
Bhutan is the country with no news, or so everyone here likes to tell you. It is more famous as a Buddhist time warp: its 2,000 gompas and 5,000 monks who minister to a population of 750,000; its tales of lama founding fathers who subdued demons...Bhutan is the country with no news, or so everyone here likes to tell you. It is more famous as a...Bhutan is the country with no news, or so everyone here likes to tell you. It is more famous as a...
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My time as a white nationalist (on Twitter)
It has been a year of surprises: elections, referendums, the BBC’s loss of The Great British Bake Off. Mine was...It has been a year of surprises: elections, referendums, the BBC’s loss of The Great British Bake...It has been a year of surprises: elections, referendums, the BBC’s loss of The Great British Bake...
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Earthquake capital shaken into Christmas
The first Christmas Day earthquake hit Seddon at 7.30am. Three more would hit before the day’s end. The town of 500...The first Christmas Day earthquake hit Seddon at 7.30am. Three more would hit before the day’s end.The first Christmas Day earthquake hit Seddon at 7.30am. Three more would hit before the day’s end.
Read the full storyFrench threat to energy supply
Two European Union-backed projects to export French electricity to Britain via subsea power cables have been thrown into doubt after officials in France raised concerns about the impact of Brexit on their profitability. The projects to build 1,000 megawatt and 1,400 megawatt interconnectors running beneath the English Channel between Normandy to Hampshire and Devon are...Two European Union-backed projects to export French electricity to Britain via subsea power...Two European Union-backed projects to export French electricity to Britain via subsea power...
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Developing nations set to take Britain’s place among economic elite
Britain’s place among the world’s largest economies will have slipped significantly within two decades as developing...Britain’s place among the world’s largest economies will have slipped significantly within two decades as developing nations jump ahead, long-term forecasts have suggested. Booming populations, huge levels of state investment, growing consumption and increased trade in India, Brazil and South Korea mean that all...Britain’s place among the world’s largest economies will have slipped significantly within two decades as developing nations...
Read the full storyCalm after storms as fines take lighter toll on the City
Fines imposed on the City have fallen to their lowest level since the eve of the financial crisis as banks avoided blockbuster penalties this year. The Financial Conduct Authority levied £22.2 million in 2016, down considerably...Fines imposed on the City have fallen to their lowest level since the eve of the financial crisis as banks avoided blockbuster penalties this year. The Financial Conduct Authority levied £22.2 million in 2016, down considerably...Fines imposed on the City have fallen to their lowest level since the eve of the financial crisis as banks avoided...
Read the full storyGoldman’s off, but he hasn’t been sacked
The company secretary to Arcadia Group and a close adviser of Sir Philip Green has resigned after more than two decades working at the group behind the Topshop brand. Adam Goldman is leaving to work in his own personal business.The company secretary to Arcadia Group and a close adviser of Sir Philip Green has resigned after more than two decades working at the group behind the Topshop brand. Adam Goldman is leaving to work in his own personal business.The company secretary to Arcadia Group and a close adviser of Sir Philip Green has resigned after more than two...
Read the full storyquiz of the year
Bowie, Marmite and BHS: test your memories of 2016
Man of the year (not always for the best of reasons) 1) What is the name of Sir Philip Green’s yacht? (An easy one to begin.) 2) What is the name of his children’s yacht? 3) What spurious name was invented for Sir Philip by the tabloid press? 4) Which tired old cliché was dragged out to describe him by the Labour MPs Iain Wright and Frank Field? 5) Name two other...Man of the year (not always for the best of reasons) 1) What is the name of Sir Philip Green’s...Man of the year (not always for the best of reasons) 1) What is the name of Sir Philip Green’s...
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quiz of the year
Answers
So did you recognise the FTSE first-timers, or know the real height of Trump’s tower? Find out below Man of the year...So did you recognise the FTSE first-timers, or know the real height of Trump’s tower? Find out below Man of the year 1) Lionheart. 2) Lionchase. 3) Sir Shifty. 4) “The unacceptable face of capitalism.” 5) Sir Tiny Rowland and Bob Diamond. 6) “Little more than a kangaroo court.” Who said what? 7) Lord Wolfson...So did you recognise the FTSE first-timers, or know the real height of Trump’s tower? Find out below Man of the year 1) Lionheart...
Read the full storyBoxing Day football
Read reports from all today’s Premier League matches here at 6pm
Premier League
Tottenham could make raid for Palace’s Zaha
Sam Allardyce is facing an early test as Crystal Palace manager with Tottenham Hotspur considering a fresh bid for Wilfried Zaha, the club’s in-form winger. Allardyce, who admitted that he would always be scarred by being forced out as England manager after one game in charge, has said that it is crucial that Palace hold on to their key players in January and do not...Sam Allardyce is facing an early test as Crystal Palace manager with Tottenham Hotspur...Sam Allardyce is facing an early test as Crystal Palace manager with Tottenham Hotspur...
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Aviva Premiership
Battle of bottom two can ignite Bristol’s bid for Premiership safety
Take your pick of the big games in the Aviva Premiership over the festive period, but there is no doubt which has the...Take your pick of the big games in the Aviva Premiership over the festive period, but there is no doubt which has the most riding on it. When Bristol, the league’s bottom side, welcome Worcester Warriors to Ashton Gate this afternoon, they will be trying to drag the team above them into a tussle to stay in the top...Take your pick of the big games in the Aviva Premiership over the festive period, but there is no doubt which has the most...
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premier league
Allardyce’s task: Fix defence and keep stars
premier league
Lucky Chelsea lack depth, insists Klopp
premier league
Mourinho: Moyes had great United players
premier league
Dropped Stones awaits recall from Guardiola
Stuart Barnes
Robshaw has had a brilliant year but may yet be dropped
Chris Robshaw is coming to the end of his finest calendar year. In adversity he has displayed determination and a desire to keep his head. It could have dropped after the fraught final months of 2015. His sporting world collapsed, his dreams died...Chris Robshaw is coming to the end of his finest calendar year. In adversity he has displayed...Chris Robshaw is coming to the end of his finest calendar year. In adversity he has displayed...
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rugby union
Ashton’s back – and Haskell will be in weeks
Premier LEAGUE
It’s time to stand up, says Wenger
Premier League
Steve Walsh: ‘Koeman’s asked me for some secrets’
Steve Walsh always expected to be Everton’s go-to man in January although, as it transpires, they will be leaning on him a week earlier than expected. The fixture list has thrown up a Boxing Day visit to Leicester City, where Walsh played his part...Steve Walsh always expected to be Everton’s go-to man in January although, as it transpires, they...Steve Walsh always expected to be Everton’s go-to man in January although, as it transpires, they...
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Sport photography
Marc Aspland: My unseen sports photos of the year
The photographs I have selected for the gallery below have been picked because of the stories behind the pictures. Editorial space and our tight deadlines often mean that the photographer’s favourite image not necessarily the picture that goes on...The photographs I have selected for the gallery below have been picked because of the stories...The photographs I have selected for the gallery below have been picked because of the stories...
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Championship fixtures
Results, scorers and upcoming games for the season
OBITUARY
George Michael
Hugely successful singer-songwriter whose demons almost eclipsed his musical talents
George Michael’s turbulent career embraced pop exuberance as a teenage pin-up in Wham! and a major reinvention as a serious solo artist. He made some memorable music, sold an estimated 100 million records and was one of the biggest stars of the past four decades. In later years, however, he became disenchanted with his celebrity. A high-profile and disastrous lawsuit...George Michael’s turbulent career embraced pop exuberance as a teenage pin-up in Wham! and a...George Michael’s turbulent career embraced pop exuberance as a teenage pin-up in Wham! and a...
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obituary
Rick Parfitt
If there was ever a template for the archetypal rock star, it was Rick Parfitt. On stage with Status Quo, the band...If there was ever a template for the archetypal rock star, it was Rick Parfitt. On stage with Status Quo, the band with whom he played guitar for almost half a century, he looked the part with a mane of shaggy blond hair and ever- present denims. Off stage he lived life to the hilt, too, in a blur of drugs, booze...If there was ever a template for the archetypal rock star, it was Rick Parfitt. On stage with Status Quo, the band with whom he...
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obituary
Canon Ian Tomlinson
WEATHER EYE
Meat consumption and the global climate
december 26, 1916
The third wartime Christmas
The Boxing Day bumper quiz
From the rise of Donald Trump to the rejuvenation of Ed Balls, Olav Bjortomt tests your memory of an incredible year
TV REVIEW
Alan Bennett’s Diaries; Grantchester
VIEWING GUIDE
What’s on tonight and when
DINNER TONIGHT
Lindsey Bareham’s turkey tonnato
MindGames
The Times Daily Quiz
The Times Film Show
Passengers and Why Him?
Watch our critics discuss the big new releases. This week — Passengers and Why Him? See the Times+ website for details of our year-round offer of 2-for-1 Odeon cinema ticketsWatch our critics discuss the big new releases. This week — Passengers and Why Him? See the...Watch our critics discuss the big new releases. This week — Passengers and Why Him? See the...
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Five-a-day rule for talking to your child
Parents should have at least five conversations every day with their children to help them to avoid mental health problems, according to experts. In an adaptation of the five-a-day fruit and vegetables mantra directed at physical illness, psychiatrists say mental health problems are going...Parents should have at least five conversations every day with their children to help them to avoid mental health problems, according to experts. In an adaptation of the five-a-day fruit and vegetables mantra directed at physical illness, psychiatrists say mental health problems are going...Parents should have at least five conversations every day with their children to help them to avoid mental health problems...
Read the full storyGardens are going to seed under charity, says expert
Some of the nation’s most treasured and historically important gardens are deteriorating under the stewardship of National Trust for Scotland, a leading horticulturist has claimed. Kenneth Cox, author of Scotland for Gardeners and an authority on rhododendrons, said that he had never seen the future of the gardens in more jeopardy or the...Some of the nation’s most treasured and historically important gardens are deteriorating under the stewardship of National Trust for Scotland, a leading horticulturist has claimed. Kenneth Cox, author of Scotland for Gardeners and an authority on rhododendrons, said that he had never seen the future of the gardens in more jeopardy or the...Some of the nation’s most treasured and historically important gardens are deteriorating under the stewardship of National...
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Entrepreneur turns his skills to saving children with no future
Iain MacRitchie is not a fan of buzzwords. The businessman uses terms like “challenges” and “disengages” with a grimace as he describes the work of his most recent project, MCR Pathways, a charitable initiative helping disadvantaged youngsters in Glasgow to achieve better in school and later life. But as the...Iain MacRitchie is not a fan of buzzwords. The businessman uses terms like “challenges” and...Iain MacRitchie is not a fan of buzzwords. The businessman uses terms like “challenges” and...
Read the full storyScotland braces for Boxing Day storm as Conor blows in
Christmas Day turned out to be the calm before the storm, with yesterday’s “exceptionally mild” weather offering a strong contrast to what is in store when Storm Conor sweeps in today. Yesterday the mercury rose to 15.1C in Dyce, Aberdeenshire...Christmas Day turned out to be the calm before the storm, with yesterday’s “exceptionally mild”...Christmas Day turned out to be the calm before the storm, with yesterday’s “exceptionally mild”...
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Harris slowing drug approval, makers say
A US pharmaceutical company has hit back at Simon Harris and warned that the coalition of health ministers he is forming to secure a better price on a new cystic fibrosis treatment will delay the drug being made available to Irish patients. Mr Harris announced a joint strategy with his counterparts in Europe, Australia and Canada last week to share information on their...A US pharmaceutical company has hit back at Simon Harris and warned that the coalition of health...A US pharmaceutical company has hit back at Simon Harris and warned that the coalition of health...
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Lawyer cashed in on underestimated Trump
An American lawyer who won €220,000 in Dublin by betting on Donald Trump’s election win has said he was “startled” by...An American lawyer who won €220,000 in Dublin by betting on Donald Trump’s election win has said he was “startled” by how good the odds were. Robert Barnes, a tax attorney based in Tennessee and California, won a combined total of €470,000 by betting on Mr Trump in London and Dublin. Mr Barnes had to fly to Ireland...An American lawyer who won €220,000 in Dublin by betting on Donald Trump’s election win has said he was “startled” by how good...
Read the full storyComment
Year of bombshells kept everyone guessing
This year was the Year of the Bombshell. Throughout a tumultuous twelve months people woke up to, or were halted in their tracks by, news which ranged from merely stunning to totally gobsmacking. The year’s two most spectacular...This year was the Year of the Bombshell. Throughout a tumultuous twelve months people woke up to, or were halted in their tracks by, news which ranged from merely stunning to totally gobsmacking. The year’s two most spectacular...This year was the Year of the Bombshell. Throughout a tumultuous twelve months people woke up to, or were halted in...
Read the full storyBusiness comment
Brexit could cut trade with UK by a fifth
Many critics of the UK’s decision to leave the European Union say the only reason people are not feeling any pain is because Brexit has not really started yet. Pending the invocation of Article 50, and with the UK economy...Many critics of the UK’s decision to leave the European Union say the only reason people are not feeling any pain is because Brexit has not really started yet. Pending the invocation of Article 50, and with the UK economy...Many critics of the UK’s decision to leave the European Union say the only reason people are not feeling any pain is...
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Business comment
We need immediate action to survive Britain’s departure
Rugby union
Leinster’s depth will be truly tested in Thomond tonight
Stuart Lancaster, the Leinster senior coach, dismissed any suggestion today’s game would be “diluted” because of the combined pressure of the province’s player welfare programme and the visit of Ulster to the RDS in four days’ time. But only the scoreline at full-time at Thomond Park today will tell us whether the Englishman’s prediction was on the button, with Leinster...Stuart Lancaster, the Leinster senior coach, dismissed any suggestion today’s game would be...Stuart Lancaster, the Leinster senior coach, dismissed any suggestion today’s game would be...
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Rugby union
Munster have most to prove in local battle
The last line of the Munster team selection, on the club’s website, says it all. “Please note this game is sold out.”...The last line of the Munster team selection, on the club’s website, says it all. “Please note this game is sold out.” They have had the “house full” signs almost as part of the fixtures and fittings since the tragic passing of Axel Foley in October. Four games at the Limerick HQ since then and bar the Guinness PRO12...The last line of the Munster team selection, on the club’s website, says it all. “Please note this game is sold out.” They have...
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Comment
Wild swimming is a rare splash of freedom
Edward Lucas
Living in a rule-obsessed society, there is nothing more bracing than stripping off and diving in with the wildfowl
Clive Aslet
Good news for our green and pleasant land
Libby Purves
This was a first lady to make the world proud
Melanie Reid
Cards are bittersweet once kids fly the nest
Tim Montgomerie
We need Merkel to help make a success of Brexit
Leading Articles
Solace for the Solitary
In a world of ever faster communication, loneliness persists and is a threat to health and wellbeing. The Royal Voluntary Service valiantly combats this social scourge
Business Unusual
Donald Trump has shown the defence industry he won’t be taken for a ride
Spirit of Enterprise
New techniques for producing whisky are in no sense against the grain
The Times big quiz of the year
Test yourself to see if 2016 has left you any the wiser
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
If the NHS is so good, why hasn’t anyone copied it?
Sir, Mark Littlewood is to be congratulated for introducing a degree of reality into the debate about the NHS (“If the NHS is the envy of the world, why don’t any European countries copy it?”, Business, Dec 20). Is it really beyond our politicians...Sir, Mark Littlewood is to be congratulated for introducing a degree of reality into the debate...Sir, Mark Littlewood is to be congratulated for introducing a degree of reality into the debate...
Read the full storyDaily Universal Register
Briefing
UK: Boxing Day fox hunts will be held across UK, with about 250 hunts expected across the country; the William Hill King George VI Steeple Chase takes place at Kempton Park, traditionally held on Boxing Day, and the first day of the two-day William Hill Winter Festival; Premier League football fixtures: Watford v Crystal Palace, Arsenal v West Bromwich, Burnley v Middlesbrough, Chelsea v Bournemouth, Leicester v Everton, Manchester United v Sunderland, Swansea v West Ham, Hull v Manchester City.
US: Shinzo Abe, the Japanese prime minister, visits Hawaii, with the agenda including tomorrow holding a summit meeting with President Obama, the US president, with both also visiting Pearl Harbor “to offer their prayers for the repose of the souls of those who perished there”.
Australia: The start of the 72nd Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, also known as the Bluewater Classic — the world’s biggest annual yacht race.
On this day
In 1862 the largest mass-hanging in US history took place in Mankato, Minnesota, killing 38 Native Americans.
In 1898 Marie and Pierre Curie announced their discovery of radium.
In 1941 Franklin D Roosevelt, the US president, signed a bill establishing the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day.
In 1963 the Beatles released I Want to Hold Your Hand and I Saw Her Standing There in the US, marking the beginning of Beatlemania on an international level.
In 1991 the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union met and formally dissolved the Soviet Union.
In 2004 thousands of people died in a tsunami in southern Asia.
Nature notes
Mistletoe has not finished its story now that Christmas Day is over. We are able to hang it up with its pearl-like white berries at Christmas time because its fruit ripens so unusually late in the year. The large clumps of this prosperous parasitical plant grow in the tops of the tall lombardy poplars, in lime trees and in apple trees in orchards — although these are far fewer than they used to be. The berries will go on feeding birds — mistle thrushes, naturally, and blackbirds — for some while yet. The mistle thrushes will often fight off other birds that want to get at the fruit. The berries are sticky, and when the birds wipe their beaks on a branch they deposit seeds on it. Thus new clumps of mistletoe form. Before the end of February, the first spring flowers will come out among the neat pairs of leaves. They are very small, greenish-white blossoms, with four petals. They are disregarded, and are not used as decoration.
Derwent May
Birthdays today
Tomma Abts, artist, Turner prize (2006), 50; Simon Beaufoy, screenwriter, Slumdog Millionaire (2008), 50; Carlo Benetton, co-founder of Benetton Group, 73; Dame Carol Black, principal, Newnham College, Cambridge, 77; Prof DH Barlow, obstetrician and gynaecologist, 66; Yohan Blake, Jamaican sprinter, two-time Olympic gold medallist (2012, 2016), 27; Prof Joy Carter, vice-chancellor, University of Winchester, 61; Harry Christophers, conductor, 63; Mark Cueto, rugby union player, England (2004-12), 37; Jenny Edwards, chief executive, Mental Health Foundation, 62; Andrew Graham-Dixon, art historian, 56; John Horton Conway, mathematician, 79; Nicky Dulieu, chairwoman, Notcutts garden centre group, 53; Emma Forrest, writer, Your Voice In My Head (2011), 40; Toomas Ilves, president of Estonia (2006-Oct 2016), 63; Rohan Kanhai, cricketer, West Indies (1957-74), 81; Kirill Karabits, chief conductor, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, 40; Heather Knight, captain of the England women’s cricket team, 26; Prof Stephen Lee, chief executive, the think tank CentreForum (2012-15), 59; Jared Leto, actor, Dallas Buyers Club (2013), and musician, 45; Shane Meadows, film-maker, This Is England (2006), 44; Adrian Newey, chief technical officer, Red Bull Racing Formula One team, 58; Edward C Prescott, economist, 2004 Nobel prize laureate, 76; José Ramos-Horta, president of East Timor (2007-12), Nobel peace prize winner (1996), 67; Phil Spector, record producer and convicted murderer, 77; Edward Timpson, Conservative MP for Crewe and Nantwich, minister of state for vulnerable children and families, 43; Sir Alan Wilkie, High Court judge, 69.