Barometer
On this day Would 19 July make a suitable ‘freedom day’ (assuming Covid restrictions are lifted even then)? There is…
Letters
Trust us Sir: I refute Charles Moore’s assertions (‘Broken Trust’, 5 June) that the National Trust frowns on local expertise,…
to 2507: Knightly?
The unclued lights are characters and places associated with King Arthur. First prize Belinda Bridgen, London NW8 Runners-up John Samson,…
Portrait of the Week
Home The government pondered delaying the end of coronavirus restrictions on 21 June. But Chris Hopson, the chief executive of…
Meat of the matter
Britain has already seen two ‘Brexit days’ — when it formally left the EU on 31 January 2020 and the…
Barometer
Rare Lili Other than the new royal baby, is there anyone in the world formally called Lilibet? — There are…
Letters
Uncivil service Sir: The elephant in the room in the handling of the pandemic (‘A tragedy of errors’, 29 May)…
Open road
It seems all but impossible to convince government scientists of the wisdom of proceeding with the final lifting of Covid…
Portrait of the Week
Home Freelance scientists urged the government not to end coronavirus regulations on 21 June, for fear of a third wave.…
Barometer
Game, set, chat Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka withdrew from the French Open after being fined $15,000 for failing to…
to 2506: Summer’s voice
The unclued lights are ferns: RUSTY-BACK (26/5A), WALL RUE (48/7A), MAIDENHAIR (1D/11), OSMUNDA (18), BIRD’S-NEST (20/45) and POLYPODY (24). PTERIDOMANIA…
A tragedy of errors
It is hard to deny the importance of the issues raised this week by Dominic Cummings. His decision to identify…
Barometer
Marrying in office It was announced Boris Johnson will marry his fiancée, Carrie Symonds, next year. This will be only…
Portrait of the Week
Home The BBC was engulfed in doubts after a report by Lord Dyson blamed Martin Bashir for deceiving the late…
Letters
Taking care Sir: I agree completely with Leo McKinstry that care for parents should be paid out of their estate…
to 2505: Endgame
The unclued lights are the final headwords for B, D, E, F, S, T, U, W, as listed in Chambers.…
Cummings, Covid and groupthink – a cautionary tale
It is hard to deny the importance of the issues raised this week by Dominic Cummings. His decision to identify…
Solution to 2504: Collectors’ Items
Unclued lights are nuts, as suggested in the perimetrical rhyme. First prize Adrian George, Barton under Needwood, Staffs Runners-up Willie…
Barometer
Call to arms Is hugging important to health? A study by Carnegie Mellon University and published in the journal Psychological…
Letters
The Union in peril Sir: Fraser Nelson (‘The great pretender’, 15 May) writes that it has never been easier to…
Variants and variables
The scare over the Indian variant of coronavirus this week is a taste of what to expect over the next…
Portrait of the week
Home The government made noises about having to delay the lifting of coronavirus restrictions on 21 June in some parts…
Letters
China has peaked Sir: Niall Ferguson makes some good points about the nature of Xi Jinping’s imperial aspirations but misses…
Portrait of the week
Home A new complexion of British politics was revealed by the capture of Hartlepool by Jill Mortimer for the Conservatives…
Welcome signs
While the EU’s former chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier has no formal role in devising the bloc’s immigration policy, his…
