Is Brexit really to blame for the shortage of lorry drivers?
Birth of the Paralympics While Athens can claim to be the home city of the Olympic Games, the Paralympics can…
2518: Make a run for it? - solution
As suggested by 11A, other unclued lights were all anagrams of ducks: 12A drake; 16A teal; 28A redhead; 31A smew; …
Letters: the problem with Net Zero
Zero balance Sir: James Kirkup (‘In defence of net zero’, 14 August) highlights the falling cost of solar and wind…
It’s time to end furlough – and let the British economy recover
At the start of this year, Britain looked as if it would be the first major country to vaccinate its…
2517: Final line-up - solution
The unclued lights are the eleven England footballers who LINED UP at the kick-off of the Euro FINAL on 11…
Portrait of the week: the Taliban take Afghanistan
Home Parliament was recalled after the rapid fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban. Dominic Raab, the Foreign Secretary, returned from…
Where did the Taliban come from?
Student takeover Where did the Taliban come from? — The word ‘Taliban’ means simply ‘students’ in Pashtun. They were originally…
How many alpacas are there in Britain?
Woolly thinking There were protests in Whitehall to save Geronimo, an alpaca due to be put down after testing positive…
Letters: Why aren’t Italians fighting for their liberty?
Wage concern Sir: Martin Vander Weyer’s call for higher wages to end the shortage of British HGV drivers (‘Your country…
Portrait of the week: Cameron’s cash, A-grades abound and Tower Bridge won’t budge
Home With less frightening domestic data on the coronavirus pandemic to ponder, subjects such as the rivalry between Boris Johnson,…
2516: Such childish vocabulary - solution
The unclued lights are the nouns from the opening sentence of The Tailor of Gloucester by Beatrix Potter. TAFFETA was…
Working from home is a decision for businesses, not government
After seizing so much power during the pandemic, Boris Johnson’s government is having trouble working out where its remit now…
Portrait of the week: Vouchers for vaccines, cases rise in China and a Christmas baby for Boris and Carrie
Home After the number of people ‘pinged’ (alerted by an NHS Covid-19 app) neared 700,000, the app was adjusted so…
Which industries have the most workers still furloughed?
Happy valet Police Scotland dropped what they said was a randomly generated codeword — ‘Bunter’ — for the security operation…
2515: Paragon - solution
The name was Margaret, whose various versions are suggested by THE SPECTATOR (1: Mag), BARN OWL (10/36: Madge), LEAD HAMMER…
Why is the mild West afraid to promote its democratic values?
An athlete seeking sanctuary in a foreign embassy after a state–sponsored attempt to spirit her home from the Olympics; a…
Letters: The problem with the ‘alpha migrants’
Here illegally Sir: Unfortunately, Charlotte Eagar misses the point (‘The alpha migrants’, 31 July). The Channel migrants may be ‘bright…
Letters: In defence of organic food
A note about manure Sir: I am afraid Matt Ridley shows a lack of understanding about agriculture in general and…
2514: Welcome Back - Solution
Unclued lights were stories in The Return of Sherlock Holmes. (The Adventures of the: EMPTY (41) HOUSE (2), DANCING MEN…
Portrait of the week: Channel crossings, chain-gangs for criminals and Tesco Bank shuts up shop
Home The daily number of coronavirus cases detected by tests fell from 54,674 on 17 July to 23,511 by 27…
Why a return to a free and open world is vital
There is something bizarre about a sporting event designed to bring people and nations together but from which spectators have…
Is rain getting heavier?
Reinventing the wheels Skateboarding made its debut at the Olympics. Who invented the skateboard? — There are many reports of…
Portrait of the week: Covid in cabinet, pingdemic pandemonium and Ben & Jerry’s boycott
Home On the eve of the day that most coronavirus restrictions were to be lifted, the Prime Minister and Chancellor…
Letters: The clock is ticking in Afghanistan
Out of Afghanistan Sir: Boyd Tonkin’s review of Anna Aslanyan’s Dancing on Ropes highlights the post-war abandonment of local Afghan…
What’s changed since the last Tokyo Olympics?
Waiting Games What did Japan, and the world, look like the last time Tokyo held the Olympics in 1964? —…
