2 h. ago The Lost Tapes, Beethoven sonatas 18,27, 28 & 31 album review – Richter always found something fresh to say

Sviatoslav Richter(Deutsche Grammophon)Sviatoslav Richter’s already huge catalogue is enriched by these rediscovered recordings of recitals of Beethoven’s piano sonatas from 1965Though he claimed to dislike performing in a studio, Sviatoslav Richter became perhaps the most intensively recorded pianist of the 20th century. But while his studio work was extensive, it was the huge volume of recordings made officially and unofficially at his recitals across more than 40 years that really bulked out his discography, with multiple versions available of many of the core works in his repertory. For those reasons the rediscovery of “Lost Tapes” might not initially seem so remarkable. The performances, of four Beethoven piano sonatas, Opp 31 no 3, 90, 101 and 110, are taken from recitals that Richter gave in 1965. Op 110 comes from a performance at the piano festival he had founded the previous year at La Grange de Meslay near Tours, the others are taken from a concert in Lucerne three months...

Politics

3 h. ago Haim: I Quit review – the messiest breakup album of recent times, in every sense

(Polydor)The three LA sisters dwell on the bitter end of a relationship in tracks that range from replayable valley-girl rap to plodding country-popHaim’s 2013 breakthrough single The Wire was a swaggering, high-spirited breakup anthem. The slick, twanging pop-rock was correctly identified at the time by Portishead’s Geoff Barrow as echoing the oeuvre of Shania Twain (though this wasn’t the sick burn he thought it was), over which the LA trio copped to commitment phobia, communication issues and having their heads turned, before skipping into the California sunset with their hearts intact. Well, to commandeer the title of Haim’s debut album: those days are very much gone.I Quit, the sisters’ fourth album, still has plenty of breakup songs, but these are no cheerful odes to dumping dudes in your 20s. Instead, the record fixates on the bitter end of a deeply flawed long-term relationship; at least some of these songs are informed by the love lost between lead vocalist Danielle Haim an...

Politics

10 h. ago Britain morphing into ‘National Health State’, says think tank

The NHS has received an extra £29 billion per year for day-to-day spending and more cash for capital investment.

Events

17 h. ago Children’s character Zog is celebrated on Royal Mint 50p coins

The 50p joins the Mint’s childhood characters collection, which also includes The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo’s Child.

Politics

26 h. ago Over a quarter of workers in Britain engage in hybrid working, ONS finds

Such working out of reach for people in lower-skilled and lower-paid jobs, Office for National Statistics survey showsBusiness live – latest updatesHybrid working has become the “new normal” for more than a quarter of working adults in Great Britain, official figures show, but it remains out of reach for those in lower-skilled and lower-paid jobs.The proportion of people carrying out hybrid work – where they split their time between the office and another location, such as home – has risen gradually since March 2022, becoming the shift pattern for 28% of workers by the first three months of this year, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Continue reading...

Politics

26 h. ago Hybrid working the ‘new normal’ for 28% of GB workforce, says ONS

Such working out of reach for people in lower-skilled and lower-paid jobs, Office for National Statistics survey showsBusiness live – latest updatesHybrid working has become the “new normal” for more than a quarter of working adults in Great Britain, official figures show, but it remains out of reach for those in lower-skilled and lower-paid jobs.The proportion of people carrying out hybrid work – where they split their time between the office and another location, such as home – has risen gradually since March 2022, becoming the shift pattern for 28% of workers by the first three months of this year, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Continue reading...

Politics

34 h. ago Hide the pain: how a war reporter keeps going when their own family are victims

At least 225 Palestinian journalists have been killed in Gaza since 2023. One was the son of Wael al-Dahdouh, who also lost his wife, two other children and a grandchild. Here, he talks about regaining his sense of purpose amid the desolationPurpose was never something Wael al-Dahdouh struggled with. Even when struck by personal tragedies, the Palestinian journalist would take his place in front of Al Jazeera’s cameras to report the news from Gaza.He returned to work almost immediately after his wife, two of his children and his toddler grandson were killed by an Israeli airstrike in October 2023. He showed the same determination seven weeks later when he was himself injured, and his friend and colleague Samer Abu Daqqa killed, as they reported on the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike on a school. Continue reading...

Events

34 h. ago ‘It was as if I had been poisoned when I left Gaza’: journalist Wael al

At least 225 Palestinian journalists have been killed in Gaza since 2023. One was the son of the Al Jazeera reporter, who also lost his wife, two other children and a grandchild. Here, he talks about regaining his sense of purposePurpose was never something Wael al-Dahdouh struggled with. Even when struck by personal tragedies, the Palestinian journalist would take his place in front of Al Jazeera’s cameras to report the news from Gaza.He returned to work almost immediately after his wife, two of his children and his toddler grandson were killed by an Israeli airstrike in October 2023. He showed the same determination seven weeks later when he was himself injured, and his friend and colleague Samer Abu Daqqa killed, as they reported on the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike on a school. Continue reading...

Politics

50 h. ago Motorcyclist's fury at 'shameless' reaction from mother of yob who was filmed joyriding his stolen bike as he hits out at 'atrocious' police response

Kenan Davies (inset), 22, put out an appeal on social media to find the people who stole his Keeway motorcycle and took it for a joyride around the pleasure gardens in Bournemouth, Dorset.

Events

53 h. ago Martin Lewis says thousands could be owed council tax rebate stretching back decades

The money-saving expert says hundreds of thousands of people are potentially owed money

Politics

65 h. ago David Lammy says Britain's niche car makers are a 'global success story'

Report says luxury and niche car makers in the UK were responsible for 4% of total production last year yet accounted for 12% of the value because of their high price tags

Politics

3 d. ago US expresses concern over plan for Chinese embassy in London

White House deems Royal Mint site a security risk owing to its proximity to critical communications infrastructure

Politics

4 d. ago ‘I owed £300,000 in debts that weren't mine after my identity was stolen age 6’

A quarter of children will have their identities stolen before the turn 18, according to new research

Economics

6 d. ago How to talk to someone who is grieving: a mother who lost her son explains

Katja Faber’s son Alex Morgan was killed a decade ago — a story we delve into in the Standard’s new chart-topping podcast, Killer Privilege . She shares her story of heartbreak, acceptance, and how she has learnt to mourn

Politics

6 d. ago Nail art company named Small Business of the Year as inspirational small organisations honoured

A Welsh nail art business has been named ‘Small Business of the Year’ by Small Business Britain at this year’s Small Awards, with ten other stand-out, inspirational small businesses from across the country also celebrated.

Politics

6 d. ago Builder.ai owes money to corporate spies and defamation lawyers

Microsoft-backed UK tech unicorn hired reputational management specialists after FT reported on founder’s legal issues

Politics

8 d. ago The Royal Mint owes me money! Mother's fury after Britain's oldest business lost 18 of her son's valuable coins and stalled on paying her after she trusted them to auction the collection

When Harriet Scott's son was left an estimated £18k worth of gold coins by his late grandfather, the mother made the understandable choice of handing them over to Britain's oldest company.

Economics

9 d. ago CHRISTOPHER STEVENS reviews Dover 24/7: Britain's Busiest Port

A single consignment of fruit from Ecuador can consist of three million bananas packed onto nearly 700 pallets.

Politics

1 week ago Martin Lewis says 'check now' as millions of UK shoppers owed up to £70

The money saving expert has announced that people could be owed £70 by Mastercard - even if you've never had a card by them - after the firm breached competition law

Economics

1 week ago Royal Mint brings in easy way to authenticate gold bars after ‘unprecedented demand’

The Britannia bullion bar range features advanced security technology already available on the Royal Mint’s coins.

Politics