In the News

Sunak in talks on bailout for pubs and restaurants

Bookings collapse as Omicron cases climb

Rishi Sunak will hold talks with business leaders on Friday about a new support package for the hospitality sector after the chief medical officer urged people to scale down their Christmas plans. The chancellor has cut short a trip to California for discussions on how to bolster the hospitality... Rishi Sunak will hold talks with business leaders on Friday about a new support package for the hospitality sector after the chief medical officer urged people to scale down their Christmas plans. The chancellor has cut short a trip to California for discussions on how to bolster the hospitality... Rishi Sunak will hold talks with business leaders on Friday about a new support package for the hospitality sector after the...

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CORONAVIRUS

Hospitals cancel operations as staff self-isolate

NHS hospitals have begun cancelling operations and redeploying people as senior health officials warn of growing staff shortages linked to coronavirus. The number of NHS employees in London not at work because they had the virus or needed to self-isolate rose 40 per cent in a week. NHS leaders said they were concerned staff shortages could... NHS hospitals have begun cancelling operations and redeploying people as senior health officials warn of growing staff shortages linked to coronavirus. The number of NHS employees in London not at work because they had the virus or needed to self-isolate rose 40 per cent in a week. NHS leaders said they were concerned staff shortages could... NHS hospitals have begun cancelling operations and redeploying people as senior health officials warn of growing staff...

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Four children dead in London house fire

Four children who are believed to be related have died in a house fire in south London. Police have started an investigation after eight fire engines and 60 firefighters were called to the fire at a mid-terrace house in Sutton at around 6.55pm yesterday. The first crews on the scene reported an intense blaze had... Four children who are believed to be related have died in a house fire in south London. Police... Four children who are believed to be related have died in a house fire in south London. Police...

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coronavirus

Poll reveals public wants to party on despite rapid spread

The public plan to put Christmas before Omicron as polling suggests that they do not want to scale back their social... The public plan to put Christmas before Omicron as polling suggests that they do not want to... The public plan to put Christmas before Omicron as polling suggests that they do not want to...

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CORONAVIRUS

Police question aides seen at Tory HQ lockdown party

The Metropolitan Police has said that two people who attended a lockdown-breaking drinks party at Conservative... The Metropolitan Police has said that two people who attended a lockdown-breaking drinks party at... The Metropolitan Police has said that two people who attended a lockdown-breaking drinks party at...

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Horror of North Korean executions laid bare

North Korean executioners torment condemned prisoners, mutilate them after death and force people to look at their corpses, says an investigation into capital punishment during Kim Jong-un's decade in power. The report by a Seoul human rights organisation says that of the public executions it has... North Korean executioners torment condemned prisoners, mutilate them after death and force people to look at their corpses, says an investigation into capital punishment during Kim Jong-un's decade in power. The report by a Seoul human rights organisation says that of the public executions it has... North Korean executioners torment condemned prisoners, mutilate them after death and force people to look at their corpses...

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World's tyrants in record crackdown on free press

There are more journalists in prison today than at any time since 1996 as media crackdowns across the world increase. Statistics from Reporters Without Borders show that there are 488 media professionals in prison, an increase of 20 per cent in the past year. The figure is the highest since records began as authoritarian regimes in Hong... There are more journalists in prison today than at any time since 1996 as media crackdowns across the world increase. Statistics from Reporters Without Borders show that there are 488 media professionals in prison, an increase of 20 per cent in the past year. The figure is the highest since records began as authoritarian regimes in Hong... There are more journalists in prison today than at any time since 1996 as media crackdowns across the world increase.

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Biden's $1.75trn Build Back Better bill delayed to next year

President Biden's hopes of ending a troubled first year in office on a high are fading, with his landmark bill to bolster social care and fight climate change set to be pushed back into next year as the Democratic senator Joe Manchin continues to block the ambitious $1.75 trillion spending plan. The White House had... President Biden's hopes of ending a troubled first year in office on a high are fading, with his... President Biden's hopes of ending a troubled first year in office on a high are fading, with his...

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Sponsored

Bank's rate rise cheers the market

FTSE, sterling and bond yields boosted by move

Sterling, government bond yields and British bank shares rose yesterday after the Bank of England increased interest rates for the first time in more than three years. The 0.15 percentage point rise in the base rate to 0.25 per cent came as a surprise to investors, who had placed their bets on the Bank holding rates in light of concerns that the Omicron variant of... Sterling, government bond yields and British bank shares rose yesterday after the Bank of England... Sterling, government bond yields and British bank shares rose yesterday after the Bank of England...

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comment

Bank's credibility was at stake, it had to act

It was a nasty dilemma. Doing nothing risked leaving the Bank of England looking incredibly insensitive to the... It was a nasty dilemma. Doing nothing risked leaving the Bank of England looking incredibly insensitive to the horrifying numbers on inflation. Doing something risked looking incredibly insensitive to the horrifying numbers on the speed of the spread of Omicron and how it might weaken the economy. In the end the... It was a nasty dilemma. Doing nothing risked leaving the Bank of England looking incredibly insensitive to the horrifying...

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Premier League | Henry Winter

Alexander-Arnold saves his best until last to secure landmark win

Liverpool 3 Newcastle United 1

The thought of football closing down was made even more demoralising by the sights and sounds of games such as this. It was far from a classic, certainly nothing like the 4-3 collisions of yesteryear, but there was the defiance of the Newcastle United faithful, another reminder of Mo Salah's brilliance and a spectacular strike from Trent Alexander-Arnold that almost... The thought of football closing down was made even more demoralising by the sights and sounds of... The thought of football closing down was made even more demoralising by the sights and sounds of...

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PREMIER LEAGUE

Branthwaite's late intervention silences Chelsea

Anyone connected to Chelsea will find it tricky to explain exactly what happened at Stamford Bridge last night, but... Anyone connected to Chelsea will find it tricky to explain exactly what happened at Stamford Bridge last night, but the impact is simple enough. Thomas Tuchel's side dropped two points they can barely afford to squander in what is supposed to be a three-pronged title race. There was nothing much wrong with the west... Anyone connected to Chelsea will find it tricky to explain exactly what happened at Stamford Bridge last night, but the impact...

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podcasts

Fat Leonard — a seasonal slice of . . . scandal at sea

Fat Leonard
★★★★☆ The Presidents & Prime Ministers
★★★★☆ Merry Christmas, dear readers, and welcome to the final... Fat Leonard
★★★★☆ The Presidents & Prime Ministers
★★★★☆ Merry Christmas, dear readers, and... Fat Leonard
★★★★☆ The Presidents & Prime Ministers
★★★★☆ Merry Christmas, dear readers, and...

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Caitlin Moran's Celebrity Watch

Boris, Carrie or Shaun Bailey — who's having the worst Christmas?

We begin the week with a picture that will provide feelings of damp depression and mortality for anyone born before... We begin the week with a picture that will provide feelings of damp depression and mortality for... We begin the week with a picture that will provide feelings of damp depression and mortality for...

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OBITUARY

Sir Martin Wood

Physicist founder of Oxford Instruments, a trailblazing university tech start-up that enabled the first MRI whole body scanner

When the young physicist Martin Wood had what was then a revolutionary idea of creating a business out of his research in magnets at Oxford University, the head of physics, Nicholas Kurti, manhandled him. "He grabbed the epaulet of my jacket, pulled me up close to him and said in his deep, strong, guttural Hungarian accent, 'Vot can I do to help you?' " Wood recalled. When the young physicist Martin Wood had what was then a revolutionary idea of creating a... When the young physicist Martin Wood had what was then a revolutionary idea of creating a...

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OBITUARY

Iris Dawnay

Princess Margaret was in love with Peter Townsend, a Royal Air Force officer, equerry to her father, George VI, and a... Princess Margaret was in love with Peter Townsend, a Royal Air Force officer, equerry to her father, George VI, and a divorcee; a few years later Iris Peake, Margaret's lady-in-waiting, also fell in love with a divorcee. One was forced to end the relationship with the man she loved; the other left royal service and... Princess Margaret was in love with Peter Townsend, a Royal Air Force officer, equerry to her father, George VI, and a divorcee...

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

Births, marriages and deaths

WHEN Jesus saw that Mary and the people with her were crying, he was terribly upset. John 11.33 (CEV)

Bible verses...

WHEN Jesus saw that Mary and the people with her were crying, he was terribly upset. John 11.33... WHEN Jesus saw that Mary and the people with her were crying, he was terribly upset. John 11.33...

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COURT CIRCULAR

December 16, 2021

Clarence House
16th December, 2021
The Prince of Wales, Admiral of the Fleet, Royal Navy, this morning attended... Clarence House
16th December, 2021
The Prince of Wales, Admiral of the Fleet, Royal Navy... Clarence House
16th December, 2021
The Prince of Wales, Admiral of the Fleet, Royal Navy...

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Word Watch

Can you spot the real definition among the fakes?

Word Watch

MOVE

The architectural A-list

How a refugee from Nazi Germany known as the 'Prussian pedant' became a byword for country house prestige

Asymptomatic infection warning in 2016

Nicola Sturgeon's government was warned that asymptomatic coronavirus carriers could infect others four years before thousands of untested hospital patients were transferred into the hands of unprepared care homes. The first minister said her biggest regret of the pandemic was delaying routine... Nicola Sturgeon's government was warned that asymptomatic coronavirus carriers could infect others four years before thousands of untested hospital patients were transferred into the hands of unprepared care homes. The first minister said her biggest regret of the pandemic was delaying routine... Nicola Sturgeon's government was warned that asymptomatic coronavirus carriers could infect others four years before thousands...

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Shipyard's turnaround expert departs before ferries are built

The highly paid turnaround expert hired to improve the fortunes of the Ferguson shipyard will leave his post before two long-delayed ferries are completed. Tim Hair is departing the state-owned yard in February having racked up fees of more than £1.3 million since joining in August 2019. He is being replaced by David Tydeman, 66, who was... The highly paid turnaround expert hired to improve the fortunes of the Ferguson shipyard will leave his post before two long-delayed ferries are completed. Tim Hair is departing the state-owned yard in February having racked up fees of more than £1.3 million since joining in August 2019. He is being replaced by David Tydeman, 66, who was... The highly paid turnaround expert hired to improve the fortunes of the Ferguson shipyard will leave his post before two...

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Edinburgh leapfrogs Cambridge to become top city for property investing

Edinburgh is the best city in the UK for residential property investors, according to a report. Quality of life, excellent education, house price rises, culture, employment, economic growth and an expanding population have made the Scottish capital an attractive destination. Colliers, a property agency, ranked the... Edinburgh is the best city in the UK for residential property investors, according to a report. Edinburgh is the best city in the UK for residential property investors, according to a report.

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Omicron rate doubles in two days

Booster jabs ramped up as Nphet expected to recommend further restrictions

The prevalence of the Omicron variant has doubled in the space of only two days to account for roughly 27 per cent of all new Covid-19 infections, the health minister has said. Omicron infections have jumped from just 1 per cent of cases last week to 5 per cent at the weekend. Stephen Donnelly said the strain had surged to 14 per cent of cases on Tuesday and to 27 per... The prevalence of the Omicron variant has doubled in the space of only two days to account for... The prevalence of the Omicron variant has doubled in the space of only two days to account for...

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