MORE NEWS

'We are fighting the Taleban for democracy'

Islamabad is the West’s ally and its equal, says Yousuf Raza Gilani, the Prime Minister, in an exclusive interview

80 NHS chiefs paid more than Prime Minister

From banks to the quangocracy, public sector executives’ salaries are soaring, says pressure group

Iraq shootings Briton 'had postwar stress'

Danny Fitzsimons was hired by security firms despite 'worrying' psychiatric reports dating back to 2004, The Times has learnt

Business news  

Royal Mail to sell its 20% stake in Camelot

Mail distributor bows to pressure from shareholders and agrees to sell stake in a move that will earn it at least £60 million

Building industry unites to fight tax crackdown

Barratt and Persimmon, two of the country’s biggest housebuilders, have backed the campaign being led by industry bodies

• They may not like it, but will they lump it?

• OFT in new fight as builders challenge fines

Comcast and GE form a new media powerhouse

In agreeing to buy 51% of NBC Universal from GE, Comcast is forging one of the world’s biggest media organisations

Sport News  

Strauss says England would welcome Flintoff

Captain dismisses suggestion by Graeme Smith that his life is made easier by the absence of ‘big names’ from his side

• Recipes that Cook might want to follow

• Rain threatens Strauss's victory hopes

Salita douses Khan camp fire with trainer doubts

Bolton boxer responds by saying he believes he has benefited from presence of lethal-punching Pacquiao in the set-up

Walcott adds injury to insult for Wenger

Bad week gets worse for Arsenal manager as England winger misses Premier League match at Stoke with a hamstring injury

Comment  

A degree of passion is what’s needed most

The Black & Decker Workmate, the folding bicycle – we must allow the talent of our ‘hands-on’ enthusiasts to flourish

• The Duke of Edinburgh

Barack Obama’s plan is seriously flawed. We need more

The US President has given us a strong military plan, but where was the political strategy — and the famous confidence?

• Paddy Ashdown

Big bank bonuses make failure more likely

Are bankers uniquely talented? No. If RBS got rid of the million-pound traders it could actually be more profitable

• Anatole Kaletsky

Life and Style  

Celebrity Watch: Easy Tiger!

See who’s under par and who scored a hole in one in this week’s tournament of fickle fame

Meeting my cleaner was a bit like falling in love

The poet Kate Clanchy tells Janice Turner why she chose to write a book about the life of Antigona, her cleaning lady

How to uncook an egg

From turkey in the dishwasher to sand in sauces, the father of molecular gastronomy is challenging culinary tradition

Arts & Entertainment  

Three stars for Me and Orson Welles

Teen-movie star Zac Efron fails to impress in a movie about instinctive geniuses and exceptionally talented performers

Andy Serkis brings Ian Dury back to life

Thanks to a career-defining role as Ian Dury, Serkis will soon be seen as one of the greatest actors of his generation

The verdict on Chris Brown's comeback album

Brown sounds like a man whose enforced spells of community service have involved negligible amounts of soul-searching