Britain’s long-term borrowing costs fell sharply from a 27-year high after President Trump paused his aggressive tariff policy in the face of global market turmoil. The yield on the 30-year UK government bond dropped 18 basis points to 5.404 per cent after two days of huge rises that pushed the yield up to its highest level since 1998. The rate on the benchmark ten-year UK government bond dropped by five basis points to 4.744 per cent. The pound strengthened by 0.48 per cent against the dollar to $1.28 and dropped by 0.22 per cent against the euro to €1.16. The downward move in UK bond

Now with a moviecentric Universal Studios Great Britain set to be built on an abandoned brickworks just outside of the town, Bedford finally has the chance to become the main character. AdvertisementUniversal Studios Orlando GETTY IMAGESBut Bedford has been overlooked for too long. The opening of Universal Studios Great Britain could be the big break the town deserves. In the town centre, boutiques in the Arcade sell everything from records to upcycled furniture alongside Pop Studio4, a space where local artists work, exhibit and sell (thebedfordarcade.co.uk). The Embankment, running east along the River Great Ouse from the town centre to Russell Park in the Castle Quarter, is a masterpiece of Victorian design.

Unfortunately, space currently resembles America's "Wild West" era, according to Turner, where the "first person to get there sets the rules". 5Orbital weaponryThere are all kinds of orbital weaponry currently being developed, from chemical lasers and particle beams to top-secret military space planes. Moscow is also reportedly developing a nuclear space weapon that could create a massive energy burst and destroy multiple satellites in one wave. Speaking at the 40th Space Foundation Space Symposium in Colorado on Tuesday, Whiting claimed that China had "accelerated their terrestrial and on-orbit space weapons, expanded their space-enabled kill chains and are moving at breathtaking speed". Andrew Turner CBEAnd because of the newfound accessibility of space, warfare is expected to elevate into orbit.

Five times John Lydon proved his hypocrisyFor as long as he continues to remain in the public eye as a culturally relevant figure, you can always count on John Lydon to make a quotable remark, whether for better or worse. His remarks may have lacked the intellectual nuance of some of his other punk peers, but he was often happy stating things that others were terrified to be so blunt about. However, this Rotten persona that he created for himself would eventually prove to be exactly this: a carefully crafted character who thrived on aggravating everyone around him by rallying against popular opinion. Here are five of the best (or worst) examples of Lydon being a duplicitous fraud. Five times John Lydon proved his hypocrisy:

Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson all picked Rory McIlroy to get his green jacket this week. "I think it's about time that Rory won and I sat down with him last week," Nicklaus said. "I said ‘I know you prepared for Augusta, tell me how you're going to play the golf course.' "We went through it shot for shot, we got done with the round, I didn't open my mouth and I said ‘I wouldn't change a thing'. That's exactly the way I would try to play the golf course.

The latest NHS pay offer in Scotland “sends a really powerful message” to other UK countries about what can be achieved through direct pay negotiations, Unison Scotland’s co-lead for health has said. He said: “We welcome the fact that Scottish Government have tabled an offer so soon into the financial pay year. Scotland is the first UK country to table a pay offer for 2025-26. In contrast, England, Wales and Northern Ireland are all facing delays waiting for recommendations of the NHS Pay Review Body (PRB) before an offer can be made. Mr McLaughlin said the deal in Scotland “sends a really powerful message” to the other UK countries about the benefits of direct negotiations.

THE SUNManchester United have been put on alert with Everton expecting to lose Jarrad Branthwaite this summer. Image: Manchester United have been put on alert with Everton expecting to lose Jarrad Branthwaite this summerEthan Nwaneri has been lined up for a huge pay rise after Arsenal opened talks over a new contract for the teen sensation. A Manchester United fan who is charged with assaulting Manchester City ace Jack Grealish at the end of Sunday's Manchester derby has been banned from Old Trafford. DAILY MAILThomas Tuchel has taken to personally letting English players know when he is attending their Premier League game in person out of courtesy. SCOTTISH SUNGreg Taylor's future remains up in the air, with his Celtic contract set to expire in the summer.

Moussa Abu Marzouk, a senior Hamas official, urged the British government to revoke its designation of the group as a terrorist organisation.In a detailed witness statement, submitted to a British court this week, Marzouk argued that the offensive was aimed towards military targets and that majority of civilians were targeted by non Hamas members.Marzouk described Hamas as “a Palestinian Islamic liberation and resistance movement whose goal is to liberate Palestine and confront the Zionist project,” Times of Israel reported, quoting Drop Site News outlet. He also insisted that the group's actions do not pose any threat to the United Kingdom.The group is represented by a legal team from Riverway Law, pro bono, due to the legal restrictions on financial transactions. He also reaffirmed Hamas’s uncompromising position on the conflict, “Hamas rejects any alternative to the full and complete liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea,” a position that implies the dissolution of Israel.Taking hostages, which is considered a crime against humanity, remains a key point of discussion as Hamas and other militant groups are still believed to be holding 59 hostages taken during the October 7 attack.According to Hamas’s health ministry in Gaza, over 50,000 people have been killed or are missing since the conflict began, though the figure remained unverified and did not distinguish between fighters and civilians. Israel says it has killed around 20,000 combatants in Gaza and an additional 1,600 Hamas fighters during the October 7 incursion.Israel maintained that it seeks to minimise civilian casualties and accuses Hamas of deliberately operating within civilian areas such as hospitals, schools, and residential buildings to shield itself from attacks.Responding to the legal challenge, shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel told the Guardian, “Hamas is an evil Iranian-backed terrorist organization, which kidnaps, tortures and murders people, including British nationals.”The UK designated Hamas as an “Islamist terrorist group” in November 2021. Its military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, had been banned since 2001, but the designation was expanded to include its political wing.

The head of Britain’s armed forces has visited China to hold talks on security in an “unstable world” in the first trip by a chief of defence staff in a decade. Admiral Sir Tony Radakin discussed “strengthening military co-operation”, Beijing said. He gave an unprecedented speech to future Chinese military commanders at the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) National Defence University in Beijing on Wednesday. Radakin also held talks with General Liu Zhenli, a member of China’s Central Military Commission (CMC) and chief of staff of the CMC joint staff department, Beijing confirmed, amid an escalating trade war between the US and China. According to China’s defence ministry, “the two sides

Maenclochog (pronounced ‘mine-cloch-og’) is a small village located in the northern part of the county that is certainly worth a detour. As reported by WalesOnline, the village was recently named one of the best places to live in the UK by The Times and taking in its impressive landscape, it’s no surprise as to why. But the drive is not too long, if you are travelling from Cardiff you can reach the village within two hours. For instance, researchers have found what are believed to be the remains of a 13th-century castle in the village. Additionally, a tunnel just outside the village has become notorious for its strategic used during the Second World War.

What is the ChatGPT Barbiecore trend? Here's how to turn yourself into a doll using AIBarbiecore is back: How to turn yourself into a doll using ChatGPT

Write to letters@thetimes.co.ukSir, President Trump is wrong. The reason US jobs have gone overseas is nothing to do with wicked foreigners taking advantage of “good old Uncle Sam” (“Trump ramps up trade war with Beijing”, “Our goals aren’t bananas, explains US trade chief”, news, Apr 9; letters, Apr 7, 8 & 9). Many have been exported by US companies that realised people in southeast Asia and rural China were willing to work for less than those in the US. Even if American businesses are willing to incur the costs of setting up factories at home, US wages would still be higher than in Asia. And even if the president can force down wages so home products cost less

“Saturday Night Live” is coming to Britain. A British version of NBC’s late-night comedy sketch show is set to premiere next year on Sky, the broadcaster announced on Thursday. The new edition of the program will have Lorne Michaels, the show’s creator, as executive producer and will feature “a star-studded lineup of hosts.”The familiar catchphrase used to kick off the weekly show will be slightly modified: “Live from London, it’s Saturday night!”Sky said the show would follow a similar format to the American version, which just celebrated its 50th anniversary. It will star a yet-to-be-announced cast of British comedians who will perform sketches, alongside rotating hosts and featured musical acts. “For over 50 years, Saturday Night Live has held a unique position in TV and in our collective culture,” Cécile Frot-Coutaz, the chief executive of Sky Studios, said in the announcement.

An estimated 7.40 million treatments were waiting to be carried out at the end of February, relating to 6.24 million patients. This is down from 7.43 million treatments and 6.25 million patients at the end of January. The list hit a record high in September 2023, with 7.77 million treatments and 6.50 million patients. The Government and NHS England had set a target of March 2026 for this figure to reach 80%. The Government and NHS England have set a new target for this figure to average 30 minutes across 2025/26.

Anushka Asthana. Picture: ITNITV News deputy political editor Anushka Asthana is moving to ITN stablemate Channel 4 News as US editor. Asthana, who has held the ITV News role since July 2021 and co-hosted ITV’s Peston with political editor Robert Peston, will make the move this summer. At Channel 4 News, Asthana will succeed Siobhan Kennedy who has been US correspondent for six years and is now rejoining the programme’s team in London. Her commitment to bringing new audiences to trusted, public service news reflects the spirit of Channel 4 News, and I know she’ll take us forward in engaging global audiences in our operations from the US.