My attempt to win the first flatpack world championship
“You’re doing it wrong. I’m competing in the first Flatpack World Championships and am in the process of — badly — building an Ikea “Billy” bookcase. Next to me, screwdrivers in hand, three other competitors are battling for a place in the final. Behind us Kevin McCloud, he of Grand Designs fame, is talking the assembled crowd through what’s going on. “Anna is having a nightmare,” he says with that delight afforded to so many people who have just gone £200,000 over budget on their conversion of a grade II listed water tower.
Source:The Times
May 02, 2025 17:33 UTC
Garcia vs Romero LIVE: Results as ‘King Ryan’ loses after Devin Haney and Teofimo Lopez win
✕ Close Ryan Garcia reflects on Devin Haney performanceRyan Garcia suffered a nightmare loss to Rolly Romero on Friday, potentially leaving his planned rematch with Devin Haney in tatters. Garcia was dropped by Romero in round two and ultimately beaten on points, moments after Haney won a decision against Jose Ramirez in the very same ring in New York City. That bout took place at super-lightweight, while the 26-year-olds made their welterweight debuts on Friday (2 May), with mixed results. Haney won a wide decision against fellow former world champion Ramirez (119-109, 119-109, 118-110), yet he looked almost as gun-shy as the 32-year-old. All the action took place in Times Square, the heart of New York City, where Teofimo Lopez outpointed Arnold Barboza Jr earlier in the night.
Source:The Times
May 02, 2025 17:17 UTC
What would a net-zero UK look like in 2050?
It is December 31, 2049, a crisp, windless night. In Westminster, crowds watch the hands of Big Ben approach midnight. In Loch Ness, a pumped storage scheme built precisely for when conditions are crisp and windless, provides the electricity to light its face. In the well-insulated homes of those watching on TV, it also powers heat pumps that keep less adventurous revellers warm. After the purchase of a carbon credit, a carbon sequestration fan is already locking up one fireworks display’s worth of sin.
Source:The Times
May 02, 2025 16:36 UTC
British Indian minister Lisa Nandy clinches India-UK cultural pact in Delhi
"Growing up as a mixed-race child with proud Indian heritage, I saw first-hand how the UK's culture - from food, fashion and film to music, sport and literature - is enriched by the unique contribution of the Indian diaspora," Nandy said. "My ambition is for our cooperation to lead a cinematic revolution that has impacts far beyond the screen. Both the UK and India boast rich cinematic traditions and share a deep mutual interest in each other's storytelling cultures," said Nandy. "Films from India regularly account for around 30 per cent of non-English language releases in the United Kingdom, and there is a new wave of Indian independent cinema telling fresh stories to the world, but made with the United Kingdom... I see enormous potential for greater collaboration between our two countries," she said.
Source:The Times
May 02, 2025 15:08 UTC
England CNO: student nurses ‘integral’ to NHS reforms
Student nurses will be key to delivering the reforms needed for the NHS, the chief nursing officer (CNO) for England has said. Duncan Burton, speaking at the Student Nursing Times Awards in London today, also thanked nurse educators for their “invaluable” role in supporting the next generation of the workforce. Mr Burton, addressing the students in the room, said the next generation of nurses had an “integral role” in the delivery of this vision. "Your role in supporting students to become expert graduate nurses, midwives and nursing associates is invaluable," he said. “When I was student nurse, I came out as gay and found it a particularly tough time.
Source:The Times
May 02, 2025 15:02 UTC
Retro Ford Fiesta from the 80s set to sell for 4 TIMES its original value – despite top speed of just 99mph
The vehicle will go under the hammer in just daysFORD OLD TIMES SAKE Retro Ford Fiesta from the 80s set to sell for 4 TIMES its original value – despite top speed of just 99mphAN EYE-CATCHING 80s Ford Fiesta is set to get flogged for four times its original value. The rare model can clock top speeds of 99mph and can go from zero to 60mph in just shy of 12 seconds. Ford started producing the vehicle to rest the demand for a sporty Fiesta - and it paid off. The Fiesta Supersport was a limited edition model using the 1300 Sport as a base coupled with extras from the Series-X accessories catalogue. "We are pleased to present this stunning Ford Fiesta Supersport finished in Sunburst Red which was first registered on 31st August 1981," the listing states.
Source:The Times
May 02, 2025 14:59 UTC
Times Square fight: Date, time, undercard and where to watch as New York prepares for blockbuster triple-header
An action-packed night of boxing is in store in New York this weekend as the city prepares for a highly-anticipated triple-header of an event. So, when is Garcia vs Romero taking place, what TV channel is the event being shown on and who else will feature at the event? New York is set for a blockbuster triple-header of boxing this weekendRyan Garcia will return after a year-long ban to fight Rolly RomeroThe event was organised by The Ring Magazine and looks set to be an action-packed eveningWhen is the Times Square fight? However, Garcia vs Romero is expected to be the headline bout of the three. Broadcaster DAZN has exclusive pay-per-view streaming rights for the Times Square triple-header.
Source:The Times
May 02, 2025 14:49 UTC
Times letters: Solar panels proposal for all new homes
Write to letters@thetimes.co.ukSir, Government thinking on solar panels is flawed (“Solar panels on all new homes in net-zero push”, May 1). The most recent official data shows there were about 25.5 million dwellings in England in 2024 (source: gov.uk). Requiring new homes to be built with solar panels seems to be no more than a token gesture, akin to locking the stable door after the horse has bolted. A change in planning law to allow, by default, solar panel retrofitting, would have a much more significant impact. Making the cost of this deductible against future inheritance tax would encourage homeowners to install panels, and there would be no need to convert precious and attractive agricultural land into unwanted ugly solar panel farms.
Source:The Times
May 02, 2025 14:38 UTC
Russell Brand to Appear in Court on Rape and Sexual Assault Charges
The comedian and actor Russell Brand was scheduled on Friday to appear before a London court on multiple charges of sexual assault, including two counts of rape. His appearance at Westminster Magistrates Court will be the first, largely procedural, step in what are likely to be lengthy criminal proceedings. Brand with one count of rape, one of oral rape, two counts of sexual assault and another of indecent assault. Prosecutors said in a news release last month that the charges related to “reported nonrecent offenses between 1999 and 2005, involving four women.”Mr. Brand said that he had “never engaged in nonconsensual activity” and that he looked forward to defending himself in court.
Source:The Times
May 02, 2025 14:03 UTC
Prince Harry loses appeal over UK security, court says no unfair treatment
Prince Harry lost his appeal on Friday challenging the UK government’s decision to strip him of his publicly funded security after he stepped away from royal family duties and moved to the US.The Court of Appeal ruled unanimously that a committee hadn't treated Harry unfairly when it decided to review his protection on a case-by-case basis each time he visits the UK.The ruling is likely to leave the Duke of Sussex with a large bill to pay the UK. government’s legal fees — in addition to his own lawyers’ costs.It wasn’t immediately clear if he would try to appeal to the UK supreme court, news agency AP reported.The ruling upheld a High Court judge’s decision last year that found that a “bespoke” plan for the Duke of Sussex’s security wasn’t unlawful, irrational or unjustified.Harry made a rare appearance for the two-day hearing last month as his lawyer argued that his life was in danger and the Royal and VIP Executive Committee had singled him out for inferior treatment.“There is a person sitting behind me who is being told he is getting a special bespoke process when he knows and has experienced a process that is manifestly inferior in every respect,” attorney Shaheed Fatima said. “His presence here and throughout this appeal is a potent illustration - were one needed - of how much this appeal means to him and his family.”A lawyer for the government said that Harry’s argument repeated his misconceived approach that failed in the lower court.“It involves a continued failure to see the wood for the trees, advancing propositions available only by reading small parts of the evidence, and now the judgment, out of context and ignoring the totality of the picture,” attorney James Eadie said.Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, had stepped back from their official roles in the family in 2020, because they didn’t feel they were “being protected by the institution,” his lawyer said.After doing so, a Home Office committee ruled there was “no basis for publicly funded security support for the duke and duchess within Great Britain.”Harry claimed that he and his family are endangered when visiting his homeland because of hostility aimed at him and Meghan on social media and through relentless hounding by news media.Since he lost his government-sponsored protection, Harry faced at least two serious security threats, his lawyer said in court papers. Al-Qaida had published a document that said Harry’s assassination would please Muslims, and he and his wife were involved in a dangerous pursuit by paparazzi in New York.Harry, 40, the younger son of King Charles III, has bucked royal family convention by taking the government and tabloid press to court, where he has a mixed record.He lost a related court case in which he sought permission to privately pay for a police detail when in the U.K. A judge denied that offer after a government lawyer argued officers shouldn’t be used as “private bodyguards for the wealthy.”But he won a significant victory at trial in 2023 against the publisher of the Daily Mirror when a judge found that phone hacking at the tabloid was “widespread and habitual.” He claimed a “monumental” victory in January when Rupert Murdoch’s U.K. tabloids made an unprecedented apology for intruding in his life for years, and agreed to pay substantial damages to settle his privacy invasion lawsuit.He has a similar case pending against the publisher of the Daily Mail.
Source:The Times
May 02, 2025 13:48 UTC
Interest rates are set to fall at their fastest since the financial crisis of 2008, experts say
Interest rates are set to decrease at their fastest rate since the 2008 financial crisis, economists have predicted. The decreases could result in rates falling by as much as one per cent over the next half a year. During the financial crisis, rates fell from 4.5 per cent in October 2008 to 0.5 per cent in March 2009. Barclays has reportedly said it anticipated rates to fall to 3.5 per cent by September. The bank, as well as HSBC and NatWest, have all cut mortgage rates this week by up to 0.25 percentage points.
Source:The Times
May 02, 2025 13:12 UTC
Watch: Why this UK man broke down after visiting his childhood home in India
Watch the video here:Some videos don’t need dramatic music or fancy editing to move people– just honesty. That’s exactly what happened when Ralph Leng , a man from the UK, shared a deeply personal moment on Instagram. After 16 years away, he returned to the home in India where he spent his childhood. His calm but touching reaction has now connected with people all over.In the video, Ralph is seen standing outside a house that clearly means a lot to him. Since then, he’s shared more updates from his trip– walking through familiar streets, joining local celebrations, and dancing in places he once knew.
Source:The Times
May 02, 2025 12:59 UTC
Early May Bank Holiday 2025 opening times LIVE: Tesco, Next, Asda, Aldi & other shops reveal opening hours
TROLLEY GOOD Early May Bank Holiday 2025 opening times LIVE: Tesco, Next, Asda, Aldi & other shops reveal opening hoursSHOPS across the country have started to reveal their opening hours ahead of the May Day Bank Holiday on Monday. Shoppers will need to check ahead before popping to the shops this bank holiday weekend. Some stores, including Asda will shut down to give their staff a break, while others will operate on reduced hours. While there's no mail on the Bank Holiday, Amazon packages might still be delivered. You can follow our live blog, below, for all all the latest updates ...
Source:The Times
May 02, 2025 12:53 UTC
UK weather: hottest May 1 on record with temperature of 28C
The UK has had the hottest May 1 on record after temperatures climbed to 28C in Kew Gardens. Temperatures peaked at 29.3C at Kew Gardens in west London on Thursday, making it the hottest day of the year so far, according to the Met Office. Temperatures are expected to dip over the weekend, with much of the UK feeling noticeably cooler than in recent days. Petersfield Open Air Pool, Hampshire CHRIS GORMAN BIG LADDERWisteria Walk at RHS Wisley in Woking, Surrey ANDREW MATTHEWS/PACooling down in Greenwich Park, southeast London GEORGE CRACKNELL WRIGHTLast month was the sunniest April in the UK since records began in 1910. The month had 47 per cent more hours of
Source:The Times
May 02, 2025 11:02 UTC
Local election 2025 results in maps and charts
The Reform party has taken control of many county councils and has made sweeping gains across England, adding to overnight wins in the Runcorn & Helsby by-election and the Greater Lincolnshire mayoralty. Votes are still being counted in the race for 1,600 council seats throughout England in what is a very good set of results for the party — and bad news for Labour and the Conservatives. Reform has made huge gains across the country, while the Liberal Democrats have also performed well. Reform has taken control of seven county councils and the Liberal Democrats have been the only other party to win a council so far. Nine councils have been declared as having no overall control.
Source:The Times
May 02, 2025 09:28 UTC