Tributes paid to former Workington mayor Richard Jones
Richard Jones, a popular teacher and public servant in Workington, died on April 4 at the age of 86. Richard served on Allerdale Borough Council and Workington Town Council for a number of years and was Mayor of Workington in 2003. November 2003: Mayor of Workington Richard Jones at the opening ceremony of Safeway Workington, re-opening after a fire (Image: Newsquest)In a statement, Workington Town Council said: “The flag at the town hall is being flown at half-mast as a sign of respect for Richard. In previous years Richard had been part of Playgoers and WADAMS and was in a lot of productions throughout that time. Richard’s funeral will take place on April 22 at 12.30pm in St Michael's Church, Workington, followed by the crematorium in Distington.
Source:The Times
April 10, 2025 01:56 UTC
Trump’s visa policies have foreign musicians on edge. How will they affect Coachella and touring?
Other challenges for acts touring the States include inflation and — for now — a strong U.S. dollar. Hollywood, Atlanta and Nashville are pockets of incredible exposure.”The booking executive agreed that “uncertainty hasn’t changed the ways we think about clients. “When we do North American routing for international acts, that often includes border crossings at Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal,” the booking executive said. Covey said he didn’t expect other countries to retaliate against American artists touring abroad. The U.S. is still the epicenter of the music industry.”The booking executive did have one grim piece of advice, though.
Source:The Times
April 10, 2025 01:14 UTC
Letter in the Times: Annual Migration Plan
Adopting an annual Migration Plan, in which decisions are based on evidence about the costs and benefits of different types of migration routes, would allow the government to weigh up the trade-offs inherent in migration policy (“Reforms to tighten immigration delayed”, news, 7 Apr). It would be able to set out what changes would mean for the economy, the labour market and public services, rather than making incoherent, knee-jerk changes or announcements in response to labour or net migration statistics. But when, year after year, ministers are forced to disown the migration system that they oversee, it is little wonder the public is losing confidence. Adopting an annual plan would allow the home secretary and her cabinet colleagues to take back control. Sir Simon Clarke (Director, Onward)Robert Colville (Director, Centre for Policy Studies)Sunder Katwala (Director, British Future)Harry Quilter-Pinner (Executive Director, IPPR)Dr Hannah White (Director and CEO, Institute for Government)
Source:The Times
April 09, 2025 23:34 UTC
Britain Lost Out on Euro Disney. Now It’s Getting a Universal Theme Park.
Universal Studios will build its first European theme park in Bedfordshire, England, studio officials said Wednesday, previewing a sprawling resort that could combine iconic American brands like “Jurassic Park” with classic British characters like Paddington Bear, Dr. Who and Harry Potter. Set to open in 2031, British officials said the yet-to-be-named theme park would be Britain’s largest single tourist attraction. Executives at Comcast, Universal’s parent company, said the 476-acre complex would include themed lands, rides, a 500-room hotel, shops and dining. Keir Starmer, the British prime minister, hailed the announcement as a boost for his country’s sluggish economy and an example of his government’s attempt to cut through the red tape that has long made it costly and difficult to complete complex projects in Britain. “Today we closed the deal on a multibillion-pound investment that will see Bedford home to one of the biggest entertainment parks in Europe,” Mr. Starmer said in a statement, adding that the project would create around 28,000 jobs.
Source:The Times
April 09, 2025 20:36 UTC
Masters Day 1 UK tee times: When Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and more start
Masters Day 1 UK tee times: When Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and more startRory McIlroy is chasing a fifth career major - and a first Masters title - at Augusta this week but has the likes of world No.1 Scottie Scheffler standing in his wayRory McIlroy is looking to follow his Players Championship win with a Masters victor (Image: Getty Images )The 2025 Masters is almost upon us, and golf's biggest names know what time they will be teeing off at Augusta National. World No.1 Scottie Scheffler goes into the tournament as defending champion, but he will face healthy competition. The first British representative to step up the tee will be Danny Willett, who won the Masters back in 2016. 2023 champion Jon Rahm will play with Tommy Fleetwood in the opening two runs (Image: Kyodo )The round one tee times are as follows (* represents an amateur). All times are in British Summer Time, with the first pair to tee off at 7.40am local time.
Source:The Times
April 09, 2025 18:45 UTC
Indian banks win UK bankruptcy appeal in Vijay Mallya case
A consortium of Indian banks, led by State Bank of India, on Wednesday won their court appeal in London to uphold a bankruptcy order against Vijay Mallya in a long-standing legal battle seeking repayment of a judgment debt owed by his now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines . "The banks' pleaded position on security was one which they were entitled to adopt," Justice Mann ruled. "The bottom line in relation to this is that the bankruptcy order stands," he concludes.Law firm TLT LLP, representing the banks, noted that the ruling confirmed the banks did not hold security over Mallya's assets and that the bankruptcy petition was correct. Mallya had opposed this amendment, arguing it was contrary to Indian law and public policy. However, in April 2021, the ICC ruled that the amendment was not contrary to Indian law or public policy.
Source:The Times
April 09, 2025 17:05 UTC
Paddington Returns to His Bench. Order Is Restored.
On a bench in Newbury, England, the country’s most beloved bear sits once more, wearing his familiar red bucket hat and blue coat. Around his neck, a label reads, “Please look after this bear.”Local officials unveiled a repaired statue of Paddington Bear on Wednesday, adding another element of joy to the already perfect — and oh-so-rare — springtime conditions in England. The return of the famous bear drew adults and children alike.
Source:The Times
April 09, 2025 16:38 UTC
Stocks surge as Trump announces 90-day tariff pause — as it happened
AdvertisementWatch: President Trump pauses tariffsStocks surge as Trump announces a 90-day pauseTrump turns his attention to showersPresident Trump is back in the Oval Office where he is signing several executive orders. Trump: ‘You have to be flexible’When asked again about the tariffs pause, President Trump said “you have to be flexible”. Trump announces 90-day pause on tariffsPresident Trump has authorised a 90-day pause on the reciprocal tariffs announced last week. “We will do what the law requires,” he said when asked whether he would seek approval from Congress on any tariff deal. This will increase to $150 after June 1, according to an amendment to President Trump’s executive order published today.
Source:The Times
April 09, 2025 16:04 UTC
UK economy at risk of shock, warns Bank of England
Hedge funds are facing “significant” margin calls from their prime brokers amid volatile markets following President Trump’s imposition of tariffs, the Bank of England has said. While hedge funds had been able to meet these margin calls, their use of leverage could “amplify shocks and cause a jump in illiquidity” if not properly managed, the bank’s financial policy committee said. The probability of adverse events, and the potential severity of their impact, has risen,” it added. Hedge funds have gradually been playing a more important role in the trading of government debt and the use of leverage in UK government bond markets has been increasing, with much of the borrowing concentrated in a small number of funds. • Trump tariffs latest news
Source:The Times
April 09, 2025 15:22 UTC
Inside Wall St’s crazy ride as short-sellers bet big against Trump
Asked if he would be shorting the market as the world awaited President Trump’s announcement of sweeping tariffs, David Elias said no. “When I’m on a jet plane, I’m always rooting for the pilot,” he said. “The spaghetti hit the fan,” he said at the close of trading on Tuesday. “I’ve been through the ’73-’74 stock market crash, the ’87 crash … this has got to be one of the worst.” he said. “Because you’re talking trillions of dollars now, you’re
Source:The Times
April 09, 2025 14:56 UTC
Government accused of watering down grooming gang inquiries plans
The government has announced that it will adopt a “flexible approach” to its plans for five local grooming gang inquiries, prompting accusations from Conservatives that Labour is watering down its response to child sexual exploitation. The Home Office minister Jess Phillips confirmed in the Commons that the government would allow local councils to choose how to use a £5 million national fund. The fund was announced in January by Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, with the aim of supporting up to five initial local inquiries based on the judge-led one into grooming gangs in Telford. In an announcement on Tuesday just 45 minutes before parliament broke for recess, Philips said that “following feedback”, the government would adopt a “flexible approach” to its plans for local
Source:The Times
April 09, 2025 14:05 UTC
easyJet pilot reveals the worst turbulence routes from UK
And now, one easyJet pilot has shared what he believes to be the worst route for this from the UK. Speaking to eSIM travel company Airalo, Captain Chris shared his insights into what passengers should know about air travel and handling turbulence. Captain Chris said: "When it comes to the worst areas for turbulence,"Innsbruck, Austria, located in a valley, is notorious for severe turbulence. Recommended reading:TurbulencePilots are well-trained to handle turbulence and know that modern aircraft are designed to withstand. They understand that turbulence is a normal part of flying and poses minimal risk to the aircraft.
Source:The Times
April 09, 2025 13:56 UTC
Why Hearst UK’s CEO still believes in the power of print
Why Hearst UK’s CEO still believes in the power of printAs the publishing sector navigates digital disruptions and the rise of gen AI, Katie Vanneck-Smith remains a staunch advocate for print media. In her role as CEO of Hearst UK, she is championing the value of physical magazines while steering its iconic brands through the complexities of the digital age. by Éilis Cronin
Source:The Times
April 09, 2025 12:17 UTC
'He revelled in his hard man reputation': What led to a teen killing elderly dog walker Bhim Kohli
The brutal killing of an elderly man, carried out by a racially abusive 14-year-old boy with a thirst for social media notoriety. This is the assessment of Leicestershire Police Det Ch Insp Mark Sinski, who led the investigation into a teenager's fatal attack on 80-year-old Bhim Kohli, who was walking his dog Rocky at a park in Leicestershire in September 2024. On Tuesday, the young killer, now 15 - who cannot be named due to his age - was found guilty of manslaughter, while a younger female friend who cheered him on and filmed parts of the attack on her phone was convicted of the same offence. Det Ch Insp Sinski said the killing of Mr Kohli ranked as one of the most shocking cases of his career.
Source:The Times
April 09, 2025 09:55 UTC
NHS pay: Scottish nurses receive 8% two-year offer
Nurses and other NHS staff in Scotland have been offered an 8% pay rise as part of a new two-year pay deal proposal from the country’s government. The offer, worth more than £700m over the two-year period, is the result of talks between health trade unions, employers and the Scottish Government. Scottish unions will now consider the pay offer and decide whether to accept or reject it. “This is a strong two-year pay offer” Neil GrayShe said the governments in England, Wales and Northern Ireland should follow suit and ditch the NHS Pay Review Body process. Scottish health secretary Neil Gray said: “This is a strong two-year pay offer that has been agreed following constructive engagement with trade union representatives.
Source:The Times
April 09, 2025 08:14 UTC