Letters
Lockdown saved lives Sir: Rishi Sunak presents an alarming picture of what happened during lockdown (‘The lockdown files’, 27 August)…
Portrait of the week
Home Liz Truss, the contender for the Conservative party leadership who is expected to become prime minister next Tuesday, resisted…
Barometer
Of mice and Moon What did Nasa achieve last time it visited the Moon? Apollo 17, in December 1972, involved…
Solution To 2568: Next Door…
The unclued lights were characters in Neighbours, paired at 12/19, 14/20, 16/19 and 32/20. First prize Peter Taylor-Mansfield, Worcester Runners-up…
Gorbachev’s legacy
In her memoirs, Raisa Gorbacheva recalls the moment when her husband turned from bureaucrat into reformer. ‘I’m in my seventh…
Holiday from reality
In just over a week, Britain will have a new prime minister. No one can say that the 160,000 or…
Barometer
Finnish lines Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said she had taken a test for illegal drugs after being filmed at…
Letters
Overhaul the GMC Sir: Max Pemberton’s cogent criticism of the GMC (‘Unfit for purpose’, 20 August). is one of the…
Portrait of the week
Home Inflation would reach 18.6 per cent by January and the energy price cap £5,816 in April, according to a…
Solution to 2567: Stop!
The unclued lights (including the pairs at 2/14 and 12/36) are names of organ stops which Brewer calls ‘music in…
Portrait of the week
Home The annual rate of inflation rose to 10.1 per cent, its highest since 1982. Average wages rose by 4.7…
Letters
No competition Sir: Ross Clark’s compelling critique of the water companies comes to the wrong conclusion (‘Water isn’t working’, 13…
Solution to 2566: Somewhere XII
30 July is Independence Day in Vanuatu in MELANESIA (23D). Its capital city is PORT VILA (39/16), one of its…
Barometer
Testing, testing When were A levels first sat? They can be traced back to the Oxford Local, an external examination…
The new benefits trap
It has become received wisdom that Brexit has condemned Britain to chronic labour shortages. Many of the migrant workers who…
Grade expectations
When A-level results are published next week, we will find out if the government has made any progress in stemming…
Letters
The race isn’t run Sir: Bravo Fiona Unwin (‘Rooting for Rishi’, 6 August) for the best piece I have read…
Solution to 2565: 3 X 2
The unclued lights are words (or one phrase) which contain three pairs (3 x 2, in the title) of double…
Portrait of the week
Home Energy bills will be £4,266 for a typical household by January, according to the consultancy Cornwall Insight, which had…
Barometer
Tracing paper FBI agents raided Donald Trump’s estate in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, in search of papers he is accused of removing…
Letters
Injured party Sir: Prue Leith’s short interlude as a Conservative party member and subsequent resignation underlines a feature of the…
Can Truss be trusted?
Liz Truss has taken the lead in the Tory leadership race with an agenda that seems radical and ambitious, whereas…
Solution to 2564: Sea monster
The unclued lights 11 SOLITARY, 8 POOR, 38 NASTY, 36 BRUTISH and 35 SHORT are descriptions of 1 THE LIFE…
Barometer
An idea past its sell-by date Waitrose has announced the removal of ‘best before’ dates from many food products. –…
Portrait of the week
Home BP reported quarterly profits of £6.9 billion, its biggest for 14 years, after oil and gas prices rose steeply.…
