68 m. ago The kindness of strangers: a man I’d just met helped me land the job that changed my life

Because he’d gone to the trouble of setting it up, I went to the interview – even though I didn’t have a visaRead more in the kindness of strangers seriesIn the late 1980s, I was setting off on a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. They were interested in doing a master’s degree in New York, so we’d booked a two-week stay in the Big Apple on the way to London.We arrived at the postgrad residence, a big 10-storey building on the Upper West Side called International House which had been set up by Rockefeller to house postgraduate students. We dropped our bags and went straight to the canteen, where we grabbed food, took a seat and started talking to other diners. Continue reading...

Politics

17 h. ago Freewheeling England shake off the shackles to trump Fiji at their own game | Andy Bull

Steve Borthwick’s men were invited to a dance and had all the moves, reacting to a classic try with one of their ownSomething is happening in south-west London. The statistics will give you a hint of it – England have won nine Tests in a row and haven’t lost at home all year – but the sight of the way they played here in the second half against Fiji says more about what’s going on than the numbers do.England, whisper it, turned in a brilliantly entertaining 40 minutes of freewheeling rugby against a Fiji team who are a hell of a lot better than their ninth-placed standing in the world rankings suggests. The Fijians invited England to a dance, and, glory be, Steve Borthwick’s team were delighted to take them up on it. You can only wonder what Borthwick made of it from his spot up in the coaches’ row. Continue reading...

Politics

19 h. ago Henry Arundell scorches away to help England finish off battling Fiji

England 38-18 FijiVisitors narrowly denied half-time leadAnother win for England, their ninth in succession, but the word comfortable is definitely not applicable. Only in the final quarter did the home side pull away on the scoreboard and, for lengthy periods, they were made to work extremely hard for their second victory in as many weeks. They will definitely need to find another gear to see off next Saturday’s opponents New Zealand.Equally there is no doubting the fact England are finishing games more strongly and have some rare talent lurking in reserve. This time it was their birthday boy, Henry Arundell, who shone brightest off the bench, scoring one scorching try and looking dangerous every time he touched the ball on his first appearance for England for two years. Continue reading...

Events

21 h. ago Damian McKenzie edges All Blacks home after scare to crush Scotland comeback

Scotland 17-25 New ZealandAll Blacks squander 17-point lead before late tryA 33rd attempt, a 31st defeat and crucially still no win for Scotland against the All Blacks. And so the search will go on. Let us not resort to that familiar lament, if Scotland could not win it here, will they ever? It is true, they had as gilt-edged a chance as they may ever have, New Zealand forced to play a total of half an hour a man down, having been shown three yellow cards. It is true, Scotland showed remarkable spirit to recover from 17-0 down at the break to level on the hour. But the All Blacks remain deadly, deadlier than Scotland.This Scotland team is deadly too, but it is a question of deadliness when it matters. That is where they continue to come up short. New Zealand wrote the manual – and did that a long time ago. Continue reading...

Politics

24 h. ago Scotland v New Zealand: Autumn Nations Series rugby union – live

Updates from the 3.10pm GMT start at MurrayfieldSign up for The Breakdown newsletter | Email LeeIs there much optimism out there Scotland fans, or are New Zealand the one side you can never be too hopeful in the face of? And what about you Kiwis, are you less worried that some quarters suggest you should be?Send answers to these questions and any others you fancy to to me on the email. Continue reading...

Politics

32 h. ago This is the new London hotel everyone’s talking about – it’s an interiors lover’s dream

Looking for a stylish stay for your next trip to London? This newly opened hotel is perfect, as we discovered on an overnight getaway to the capital

Politics

33 h. ago Country diary: Lambing in autumn? That’s a local specialty here | Sara Hudston

Bridport, Dorset: The appropriately named Dorset Horns are perfectly content to have lambs in September, thanks to an obscure genetic quirkChubby lambs gambolling over green grass – surely that’s a scene which belongs to spring? But here they are, leaping and bouncing on a sunny hilltop in November.Autumn lambs have been a familiar part of country life in these parts for hundreds of years. As far back as the 17th century, sheep from west Dorset and south Somerset were renowned for their ability to lamb out of season, due to a genetic quirk which somehow arose in the region. With careful planning, healthy ewes could have three pregnancies in 24 months. Continue reading...

Politics

50 h. ago All The Best Places To Eat, Drink And Stay In London For Autumn 2025

All The Best Places To Eat, Drink And Stay In London For Autumn 2025  Forbes

Politics

65 h. ago Grand Theft Auto VI release date set back again as Rockstar Games issues statement

Rockstar Games has announced the release date for Grand Theft Auto VI has been set back once more. It was supposed to come out in autumn 2025, which was then pushed back to May 26, 2026. Now gamers will have to wait even longer

Economics

69 h. ago 8 Of The Hottest New London Restaurants To Try This Autumn 2025

8 Of The Hottest New London Restaurants To Try This Autumn 2025  Forbes

Politics

3 d. ago London Hotel Launches A Special TV Channel To Help Dogs Stay Calm During Fireworks

London Hotel Launches A Special TV Channel To Help Dogs Stay Calm During Fireworks  NDTV

Events

4 d. ago Sali Hughes on beauty: the best new products to keep your skin glowing this autumn and beyond

The latest cleansers, toners and moisturisers have already impressed me with their innovationsTrue innovation in skincare is rarer than one would hope, but in developing Klira’s new The Dayscript (£82), consultant dermatologist Emma Craythorne has done us all a favour. Here is a barrier-protecting peptide moisturiser, makeup primer, antioxidant and SPF50 all in one cream. Uniquely, it needs only one application to maintain eight hours of UV protection thanks to new encapsulated filters. I must forewarn you that the resulting texture is at first unfamiliar and, frankly, a bit weird in terms of fingertip feel. But it took me only two tries to get over it. Klira’s exhaustive skin questionnaire determines your Dayscript base, so you’re assured of getting one that is correct for you. And while the cost is hefty, the cream wipes out the need for so much else that it may prove cheaper than your usual routine.Keats is a new British brand founded by a former product formulator at Beauty Pie ...

Politics

4 d. ago A luxurious stay at London’s Chancery Rosewood hotel, where details count

A luxurious stay at London’s Chancery Rosewood hotel, where details count  South China Morning Post

Politics

5 d. ago Autumn internationals 2025: Results, fixtures and schedule in full

England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France and Italy will face South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and more in the autumn Tests

Politics

6 d. ago Top City Economist: My ten point guide to what the Budget will deliver

Chancellor Rachel Reeves could lost her job if Labour lose more ground in the polls

Economics

6 d. ago Sadiq Khan calls on Reeves to bring ‘authentic’ Labour budget that boosts green investment

London mayor says government should stay true to its beliefs and face down those who claim net zero adds to cost of livingKeir Starmer’s government has shown a lack confidence that it has the answers to the country’s problems, the mayor of London has said, as he called on the chancellor to back green investment in this month’s budget.Speaking on the eve of a summit of world mayors in Rio de Janeiro, Sadiq Khan said the Treasury should be more supportive of the energy secretary, Ed Miliband, in his pursuit of the government’s target of an 81% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2035. Continue reading...

Economics

7 d. ago Pollock proves the key before England cavalry seal victory over Australia

England 25-7 AustraliaEarl, Mitchell and Cowan-Dickie also cross for hostsThere will be higher octane games than this one in the coming weeks but for England the primary objective has been safely ticked off. An eighth successive Test victory is in the bag and Steve Borthwick’s team have also gone one better than the corresponding fixture last year when the Wallabies took the spoils in the dying moments.While this encounter was not nearly as thrilling, the final scoreline – shining brightly on the big screen in the gathering evening gloom – was what really counted for Borthwick and his players. Defeat to a weakened Wallaby side would have prompted some uncomfortable questions and cast a nagging shadow over the remainder of their November schedule. Continue reading...

Politics

7 d. ago England v Australia: Autumn Nations Series rugby union – live

Updates from the 3.10pm GMT kick-off at TwickenhamSign up for The Breakdown newsletter | Email SarahRugby World Cup winner Lewis Moody is delivering the match ball, an emotional moment for the England icon after recently being diagnosed with motor neurone disease.The players will be out on the pitch soon and the anthems will follows shortly after. Are you ready for what is set to be a thriller? Strap in. It’s coming. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago Sam Kerr strikes late to ensure Chelsea beat London City to stay top of WSL

Sam Kerr strikes late to ensure Chelsea beat London City to stay top of WSL  The Guardian

Events

8 d. ago Hot summer and damp autumn cause UK boom in destructive honey fungus

Huge increase in tree-killing disease is result of climate crisis, experts sayA golden mushroom that grows in clusters and can attack and kill trees has increased by 200% in the UK in a year because of the hot summer and damp autumn.Recorded sightings of honey fungus are up by almost 200% compared with the same period last year, according to iNaturalist. Continue reading...

Politics