The UK is discussing abandoning plans to send troops to monitor a potential ceasefire in Ukraine because the risks of such a move are considered "too high". Source: European Pravda with reference to The TimesDetails: The Times reported that the UK was discussing abandoning its initial proposal to deploy thousands of troops to key cities in Ukraine to monitor a potential ceasefire. Advertisement:Instead London, along with Paris, will focus on air and sea defence and arming the Ukrainian forces. A senior source told The Times: "The risks are too high, and the forces inadequate for such a task. Advertisement:Meanwhile, the UK Ministry of Defence denied plans for sending peacekeeping forces to Ukraine in a comment to The Times, calling them "speculation".
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The boss of the biscuits factory where McVitie's chocolate digestives have been made for the last 100 years reckons people have always eaten them incorrectly. Anthony Coulson, general manager at the company's chocolate refinery and bakery in Stockport, said the teatime staple was originally meant to be eaten with the chocolate-covered side facing down. "It's the world's most incredible debate, whether you have the chocolate on the top or the chocolate on the bottom," mused Mr Coulson, who admitted he was a chocolate-on-top man. The factory opened in 1917, with the chocolate digestive launched eight years later.
Ukraine 'too risky' and 'Will only work for 40k'Several front pages reflect the situation in Ukraine and the attempts to reach a peace deal with Russia. The Financial Times has a photograph of a ballistic missile exploding in Kyiv during an attack on Thursday which killed at least 12 people. Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, the prime minister says negotiations to end the fighting are at an "intense stage". According to the Times, any agreement will not involve thousands of British troops in Ukraine because the risks have been described by one source as "too high". The paper says it has found new evidence linking someone it describes as a "ruthless Serbian assassin" to the case.
On March 15, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer presented plans to send 10,000 peacekeeping troops to Ukraine at a high-level virtual summit in London. Operation Interflex, the U.K.’s domestic training mission for Ukrainian troops, is expected to wind down by the end of the year, with operations relocating to a base near Lviv. Ukraine remains under pressure to respond to a broader U.S. peace plan first presented in Paris on April 17. Despite the revised strategy, the U.K. insists it remains committed to Ukraine’s defense, according to the Times. In the meantime, we’re continuing to support efforts for peace, while stepping up the military support for Ukraine as Putin’s illegal invasion continues."
IndiGo routes flights between Delhi and Tashkent/Almaty will take 80-90 minutes longer. Its Sharjah-Amritsar had to change course on Thursday to avoid Pakistan airspace. When Pakistan closed its airspace in 2019, some North American airlines had suspended Delhi flights. SpiceJet said its flights to UAE from "north India will operate via alternate routes (&) carry additional fuel for longer flying time. "Closure of Pak airspace means flights between north India and the west will go close to Mumbai and Ahmedabad; then turn right over the Arabian Sea to head to Muscat and then fly to their destination.
BlackRock BLK has been acquiring billions of pounds of UK assets it considers "undervalued," The Times newspaper reported on Thursday, quoting the U.S. asset manager's CEO Larry Fink. In an interview with the British newspaper, Fink said that BlackRock has been broadly increasing its investments in UK assets "across the board." "I have more confidence in the UK economy today than I did a year ago," the chief executive and chairman of the world's largest asset management firm said. He noted that many UK stocks, particularly in the banking sector, were undervalued due to excessive discounts. "We added to our positions across the board with the idea that we believe the market was discounting too much negativity," Fink told The Times.
Russian missiles overwhelmed the British military in an simulated air attack, it has emerged, prompting calls for homeland defence to be beefed up. In 2022, the RAF simulated the first day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine as if the air attack were playing out against the UK. Some of the missiles are understood to have got through the defences. Air Commodore Blythe Crawford, who until last week was head of the RAF Air and Space Warfare Centre, said the military had assumed before the exercise that the UK was safe. • Ukraine-Russia war latest: Trump tells Putin to ‘stop!’ after airstrikesHe told the Royal United Services Institute: “We have stood for years at the western edge of Europe feeling as though the rest
Interim manager Simon Rusk says he is "incredibly honoured" to lead Southampton after an "arduous" journey into management. Rusk, 43, has previously managed Stockport County and has also taken charge of England's Under-19s, as well has having taken interim charge of Saints for a spell in 2024. We all remember our story, the times of adversity - everyone has that, not just football people, everyone has that. "For sure, I've had my moments of reflection - not many, I've got to say, I've been quite busy. "But there's a job to be done and as much as I'm not here just enjoying the ride.
It is easy to list a rare coin on eBay, but it is also important to make sure you are listing it for the right price. If you think you have a super rare coin on your hands, or you aren't sure, your best bet is getting in touch with an auction house. You can also keep reading to see if you recognise any of the rare error coins we mention below. A viral coin expert, who goes by @CoinCollectingWizard, on TikTok, has speculated: "If you find this rare coin you are looking at £1,000 plus." Check your changeOwning a rare coin could mean you are sitting on a goldmine - you just need to know how to recognise one.
Britain is likely to abandon plans to send thousands of troops to protect Ukraine because the risks are deemed “too high”, it can be revealed. In an apparent softening of plans, Britain and Europe would no longer have a ground force guarding key cities, ports and nuclear power plants to secure the peace. It is hoped that this change in military support for Ukraine could see Moscow move its red lines to achieve a peace deal. Instead, the focus for a security commitment to Ukraine would be on the reconstitution and rearmament of Kyiv’s army, with protection from the air and sea. British and French military trainers would be sent to western Ukraine.
Now, scientists say regular intimacy could help stave off depression, especially between the ages of 20 and 30. 1 Having sex just once a week could help stave off depression - especially under the age of 30 Credit: GettyA study from Shantou University Medical College showed that having sex just once a week could boost mental health. Participants' mental health was assessed through a survey commonly used to diagnose depression, called the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support. But they noted that protection against depression seemed to peak at around 103 romps per year - this amounts to having sex about twice a week.
— airindia (@airindia)Live Events(You can now subscribe to our(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channelAfter Pakistan closed its airspace for India, Indian carriers such as IndiGo and Air India on Thursday announced that their flights operating on international routes will be taking an alternative extended route. "Due to the announced restriction of Pakistan airspace for all Indian airlines, it is expected that some Air India flights to or from North America, UK, Europe, and Middle East will take an alternative extended route. Air India regrets the inconvenience caused to our passengers due to this unforeseen airspace closure that is outside our control. We would like to reiterate that at Air India, the safety of our customers and crew remains top priority," said Air India in a post on X. "Due to the sudden announcement of air space closure by Pakistan, a few of our international flights are being impacted.
The US house foreign affairs committee on Wednesday took sharp exception to a New York Times headline describing the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack, where 28 tourists were killed, as the work of “militants.”The Committee’s Republican majority posted a sharply worded correction on social media platform X, accusing the outlet of downplaying the severity of the incident.In its post, the committee shared an edited version of the NYT headline, crossing out the word “militants” and replacing it with “terrorists.”The caption read, “Hey, @nytimes we fixed it for you. This was a TERRORIST ATTACK plain and simple. Whether it’s India or Israel, when it comes to TERRORISM the NYT is removed from reality.”The attack took place in the scenic Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam, a popular tourist destination in Jammu and Kashmir, when a group of armed assailants opened fire on a gathering of Hindu tourists.Also read: Hindu America Foundation slams Western media for 'whitewashing terror attack' on Hindus The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the massacre.Victims were reportedly identified and separated based on their religion before being executed — a chilling detail that has added to the outrage over the global media’s coverage.Critics argue that major international publications such as The New York Times, BBC, Washington Post, France 24, and Al Jazeera used terms like “gunmen” or “militants” rather than “terrorists,” thereby diminishing the ideological motive behind the killings.Many also pointed out the consistent use of the term “India-administered Kashmir” by these outlets, accusing them of pushing a narrative that aligns with Pakistan’s position on the region’s status.The editorial language used in the coverage has come under severe scrutiny, with allegations that it sanitises the attack’s religious targeting and undermines Indian sovereignty . Critics have labelled this as part of a broader pattern by sections of the Western media to underreport or euphemise Islamist violence.
Representative ImageLONDON: The UK government announced on Thursday it was lifting sanctions that were imposed on Syria's interior and defence ministries during the rule of the now-deposed Bashar al-Assad. "The following entries have been removed from the Consolidated List and are no longer subject to an asset freeze: ministry of interior and ministry of defence," the office of Financial Sanctions Implementation said in a notice.Sanctions against various media groups and intelligence agencies were also lifted, although Syria's new rulers dissolved the Assad-era spy bodies in January.Those targeted by the sanctions were "involved in repressing the civilian population in Syria" or had been "involved in supporting or benefitting from the Syrian regime", said the notice.The new Syrian government is aiming to persuade Western capitals that the jihadist origins of the rebels who toppled Assad in December, after 14 years in charge, are confined to the past, and that crippling international sanctions should be lifted.