Ceasefire Agreement ReachedIn a significant development, Russia and Ukraine have agreed to halt military operations in the Black Sea, aiming to ensure safe navigation and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes. ConclusionWhile the Black Sea ceasefire represents a step toward de-escalation, its success hinges on the fulfillment of conditions and the genuine commitment of both Russia and Ukraine. Russia and Ukraine agree to ‘eliminate the use of force’ in Black Sea. Black Sea ceasefire agreed but Russia’s price is lifting of some sanctions. Russia, Ukraine agree to sea, energy truce; Washington seeks easing of sanctions.

The 2025 Major League Baseball season is upon us as the marathon to make the World Series starts. Why are MLB season openers at odd times? Not a single one of the MLB season-opening games is set to start either on the hour, half past, quarter past or quarter to the hour. After claiming victory in the 2024 World Series, the Dodgers have been invited to the White House by Donald Trump. "To my understanding, every World Series champion gets that honour, so it’s a great honour for all of us.”

Write to letters@thetimes.co.ukSir, The crude banding of children according to family income and the means testing for eligibility for free school meals is scandalous (“Free school meals for all younger pupils face the chop”, Mar 24; letter, Mar 25). It pays no heed to the huge number of families in the middle category whose incomes sit fractionally above the poverty line and way below the ability to pay for a school lunch. Parents of these families, by and large modestly paid and hard-working, will now be compelled to suffer an additional strain on their weekly bills by having to pay for a school lunch, often their children’s only hot meal of the day, or provide a packed lunch, inevitably resorting to

It’s important to note that these waiting times are estimates and predicting exact waiting times can be difficult as they can fluctuate due to a range of factors, including: the number of people needing services from CFHD; the number of available staff and growing demand for services.

Live Events(You can now subscribe to our(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channelEssar Energy Transition's EET Fuels - the trading name of Essar Oil (UK) Ltd - has signed agreements to supply jet fuel to two additional major UK airports , the firm said Wednesday. Essar Energy Transition (EET) is the entity leading Essar group's USD 3.6 billion low carbon projects in the UK and India. The group operates Stanlow oil refinery in the UK. "This expansion is in line with EET Fuels' strategy to integrate across the value chain by placing refined jet molecules produced at its Stanlow refinery directly into the demand centres where these are consumed. It also aligns with EET's broader ambitions to lead the UK's energy transition," the statement said.Essar Energy Transition is investing USD 2.4 billion in the Stanlow site, with plans to become the leading low carbon process refinery, and to develop the site into an energy transition hub, including industrial carbon capture, low carbon hydrogen production and Europe's first hydrogen-fuelled combined heat and power plant.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to make further cuts to welfare benefits and government departments in her Spring Statement on Wednesday. The government announced big welfare spending reductions last week but the chancellor is set to expand the cuts after being told reforms to the system would save less than planned. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has assessed that changes to benefits will save £3.4bn in 2029/30 rather than the £5bn claimed by ministers. The chancellor faces pressure over the performance of the economy, with growth remaining sluggish. But Reeves will argue the UK has to "move quickly in a changing world" and will confirm a £2.2bn increase in defence spending.

Former Manchester United star Paul Parker has launched a scathing attack on winger Alejandro Garnacho. Manchester United have confirmed matches will be placed into four categories next season as part of a change fans groups have slammed as 'dynamic pricing'. Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs has personally lost £100,000 after a trendy restaurant he backed went bust. Manchester United turned down the chance to move into a new 80,000-seater stadium for free, according to an MP. DAILY MIRRORAlejandro Garnacho and Manuel Ugarte face a ludicrous travel schedule this summer with Manchester United organising money-spinning friendlies after the Premier League season.

A diary belonging to acclaimed Scottish artist Duncan Grant has sold for 17 times its auction estimate. It sold for £13,750 against an estimate of £500-800, auctioneers at Gorringe’s said on Tuesday. The diary was discovered by Poppy Woodeson, daughter of art historian and biographer John Woodeson, who interviewed Grant during the course of his literary career. It contains Grant’s notes and updates on ongoing artworks, such as his 1912 painting titled Dancers, and features a pencil sketch of a standing nude figure. A photograph of the novelist EM Forster, which was taken by Ms Bell at Charleston farmhouse in Sussex in 1923, is also contained within the diary.

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As the Times reported:Rachel Reeves will announce further welfare cuts after the budget watchdog told ministers their benefits reforms will save £1.6 billion less than planned. Cruelty from KendallAs the Canary previously reported, Kendall announced that the rate of DWP Universal Credit standard allowance for new and existing claims would increase by a whole seven pounds in 2026. What are the new DWP cuts? There will also be a small reduction in the basic rate of universal credit in 2029, after Kendall increased it by £7 a week. Moreover, there was already weeks of cruel and distressing uncertainty surrounding the DWP cuts.

"My humble suggestion to my UK airlines friend, please give us just one flight," she said. "The CM said many UK-based companies were already operating in Bengal.The CM, during the session, said many UK-based companies were now operating in the state. Heald said Bengal was increasingly becoming a core "to-do business" for UK companies, which already employed 30,000 people in the state. "Thanks to digitisation and simplification of bureaucracy and reforms, Bengal is now a top destination for UK companies," he said.Business leaders from Bengal who accompanied Banerjee to London spoke about their experience of doing business in the state. Luxmi Group managing director Rudra Chatterjee suggested UK businesses join hands with Bengal industry.

The spring statement occupies an unusual position in the UK’s economic policy landscape. When I think of spring statements I think of Philip Hammond, now Lord Hammond, chancellor under Theresa May from 2016 to 2019. His spring statement of 2018 was the purest form of the genre. “I won’t be producing a Red Book [the budget document] today, Mr Speaker,” he announced, instead providing an update on “the economic and fiscal position”. A year later, however, Hammond’s spring statement was

Britain’s National Crime Agency has warned of an “unprecedented risk” to young people from online groups that encourage teenagers to share sadistic and misogynistic material and to coerce others into sexual abuse, self-harm or violence. The agency, which is responsible for combating serious and organized crime in Britain, said Tuesday in an annual assessment of crime trends that reports of incidents related to the threat from online groups increased sixfold between 2022 and 2024 in Britain and warned of significant numbers of victims being groomed or blackmailed. “Young people are being drawn into these sadistic and violent online gangs, where they are collaborating at scale to inflict, or incite others to commit, serious harm,” said Graeme Biggar, director general of the agency, in a statement. Image Graeme Biggar, director general of Britain’s National Crime Agency. Credit... Liam McBurney/PA Images, via Getty ImagesHe added, “These groups are not lurking on the dark web, they exist in the same online world and platforms young people use on a daily basis,” and noted that young girls were being “groomed into hurting themselves and in some cases, even encouraged to attempt suicide.”

So, no shock to see the National Grid boss, John Pettigrew, turn up the heat on his opposite number at Heathrow, Thomas Woldbye, over who was most at fault for the near 24-hour closure of Britain’s premier airport. Sure, an “unprecedented” blaze had taken out the North Hyde substation. But, as Pettigrew told the Financial Times, that was just one of a trio serving the airport. “Each substation individually can provide enough power to Heathrow.”For Woldbye, that is not a helpful intervention. He was already on the back foot after the Sunday Times disclosed that he’d retired to bed on Thursday night, leaving it

The hit Netflix drama 'Adolescence' has made history by becoming the first streaming show to take the top spot in the UK's weekly TV ratings, according to Variety.According to official data from the Broadcasters Audience Research Board (BARB), the show outperformed popular traditional TV programs 'The Apprentice' and 'Death in Paradise', reported Variety.The first episode of Adolescence drew 6.45 million viewers in its debut week, breaking the previous UK streaming record of 6.3 million set by Netflix's Fool Me Once in January 2024.Adolescence is a British crime drama miniseries created by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham and directed by Philip Barantini The four-episode series follows the arrest of a 13-year-old schoolboy, Jamie Miller, played by Owen Cooper , who is accused of murdering a female classmate. What also makes the series a masterclass is that each episode is filmed in a single, continuous take.Graham, who is co-creator of the show, also plays Eddie Miller, the father of the accused Jamie Miller.The series premiered on Netflix on March 13 and has received widespread critical acclaim for its writing, direction, and performances.Earlier, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer also praised the series and said he watched it with his own teenage children. He also backed the idea of the crime drama being shown in the UK Parliament and in government schools.