Sudan violence 'may amount to crimes against humanity': UK
AP file photoLONDON: Violence in Sudan 's Darfur region shows "the hallmarks of ethnic cleansing and may amount to crimes against humanity ," UK foreign minister David Lammy said.Lammy called on the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces ( RSF ) to "de-escalate urgently" and said in a statement issued late Thursday that Britain would continue to "use all tools available to us to hold those responsible for atrocities to account".Paramilitary shelling of the besieged city of El-Fasher, the state capital of North Darfur , has killed more than 30 civilians and wounded dozens more, activists said on Monday.El-Fasher is the last major city in the vast Darfur region that still remains in army control.Lammy said that reports of the violence in and around El-Fasher were "appalling". "Last week, the UK gathered the international community in London to call for an end to the suffering of the Sudanese people. "Yet some of the violence in Darfur has shown the hallmarks of ethnic cleansing and may amount to crimes against humanity," he said.He called on the RSF to "halt its siege of El-Fasher", adding that "the warring parties have a responsibility to end this suffering. "Lammy also urged the Sudanese Armed Forces to allow safe passage for civilians to reach safety.International aid agencies have long warned that a full-scale RSF assault on El-Fasher could lead to devastating urban warfare and a new wave of mass displacement.UNICEF has described the situation as "hell on earth" for at least 825,000 children trapped in and around El-Fasher.
Source:The Times
April 25, 2025 13:32 UTC
Website complaint, no fishing and arms deal link and more …
POLICE chief Chris Sewell said they have received a complaint about a website which has ‘named and shamed’ birdwatchers accessing supposedly private land. The hosting company of the website, as well as the council’s outdoor access and antisocial behaviour teams, have also been alerted. Carmichael challenged the minister following a report in The Times newspaper that the UK government had made major concessions on EU access to UK fishing waters. LERWICK Port Authority’s cruise and marketing manager has joined the leadership team of Cruise Scotland. The Lerwick Port Authority joined Cruise Scotland in attending Seatrade Cruise Global – the annual international cruise industry event – earlier this month in Miami, Florida.
Source:The Times
April 25, 2025 12:15 UTC
Why UK govt sun-dimming project is getting flak
If successful, the project could provide a temporary solution to cool the planet, buying time to address the underlying causes of climate change. The aim is to temporarily cool the planet, slowing the effects of climate change while the world works on reducing carbon emissions. Techniques like solar radiation management may alter weather patterns, disrupt rainfall, and impact food production, especially in vulnerable regions. Critics also warn that focusing on such technological fixes could reduce the urgency to cut greenhouse gas emissions, the root cause of climate change. This data will help inform whether solar geoengineering could be a viable emergency solution in the future.
Source:The Times
April 25, 2025 12:02 UTC
UK, Italy's Eni unveil deal on carbon capture project
UK, Italy's Eni unveil deal on carbon capture project222LONDON: The UK government and Italian energy company Eni Thursday announced a deal to create a major carbon capture and storage network to store millions of tonnes of CObeneath the Irish Sea.Prime Minister Keir Starmer set out the deal at an energy summit in London. "Earlier today, we finalised a deal with Eni, it will see them award £2 billion ($2.6 billion) in supply chain contracts for the high net carbon capture and storage project, creating 2,000 jobs across north Wales and the North West,"Eni said it had reached "financial" closure with the UK government's department of energy security and net zero for the Liverpool Bay carbon capture and storage project.The agreement would allow the project "to move into the construction phase, unlocking key investments in supply chain contracts," it added.The Labour government said in October it plans to invest nearly £22 billion over 25 years to develop carbon capture and storage in two former industrial regions of northern Britain, to help the nation reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.The government did not specify the exact amount that will be allocated to the Eni project.The country was launching a "whole new clean energy industry for our country, carbon capture and storage" to "revitalise our industrial communities", energy secretary Ed Miliband said.CCS is a technology that seeks to eliminate emissions created by burning fuels for energy and from industrial processes.The carbon is captured from emissions from industrial sites such as power plants, cement plants and blast furnaces and stored permanently in various underground environments.Eni plans to store 4.5 million tonnes of COper year, a quantity that could rise to 10 million after 2030, equivalent to the emissions of four million cars.Although complex and costly, the CCS solution is supported by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), particularly as a way of reducing the footprint of industries that are difficult to decarbonise, such as cement and steel, in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit global warming.Environmental non-governmental organisations, however, have criticised the UK's huge investment in the sector, calling for a focus on renewable energies.Parliament's Public Accounts Committee in February also raised concerns, describing the "government's backing of unproven, first-of-a-kind technology" to reach net zero as "high-risk".According to the International Energy Agency, the world's total COcapture capacity currently stands at only 50.5 million tonnes per year. This represents 0.1 percent of the world's annual total emissions.
Source:The Times
April 25, 2025 09:33 UTC
The Times: UK may abandon plans to send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine
The United Kingdom may abandon plans to send thousands of troops to defend Ukraine, as such action is considered too risky, The Times reported. The United Kingdom may abandon plans to send thousands of troops to defend Ukraine, as such action is considered too risky, The Times reported. Instead, British and French military instructors will be sent to western Ukraine. Arms supplies from the United Kingdom and European countries will continue to be delivered to Ukraine to ensure that it maintains a strong position in case Russia violates the terms of a possible peace agreement. A diplomatic source told The Times: "We will change our position, but we also want Moscow to cross its red lines."
Source:The Times
April 25, 2025 08:53 UTC
U.K. likely to abandon plans to deploy thousands of ground troops to Ukraine — The Times — Meduza
The U.K. is likely to drop its plans to deploy thousands of troops to help defend Ukraine, The Times reported Thursday, citing diplomatic sources. “The risks are too high and the forces inadequate for such a task,” one source told the paper. Instead, the revised strategy would focus on air and naval defense, as well as strengthening Ukraine’s military by sending French and British instructors to the country’s western regions. According to The Times, this approach would allow the U.K. to maintain a military presence in Ukraine without positioning troops near the front line or assigning them to guard key sites.
Source:The Times
April 25, 2025 08:10 UTC
Book review: The Empress and the Bishop: The triumphs and tragedy of John Chrysostom by Patrick Whitworth
READERS familiar with the Book of Common Prayer will know the Prayer of St Chrysostom, which concludes the prayers after the third collect at morning and evening prayer. Archbishop Cranmer took it from the Orthodox Divine Liturgy ascribed to St John Chrysostom, whose works were popular with 16th-century reformers. Popular in the city, John soon lost the support of the Empress Eudoxia and the court by criticising aspects of her behaviour and preaching against the weaknesses of women. Whitworth’s book has the enthusiastic commendation of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, distant successor of John Chrysostom as Bishop of Constantinople, and the assurance of his blessing on its readers. The Empress and the Bishop: The triumphs and tragedy of John ChrysostomPatrick WhitworthSacristy Press £25 hbk, £16.99 pbk(978-1-78959-385-3 hbk)(978-1-78959-370-9 pbk)Church Times Bookshop £22.50, £15.29
Source:The Times
April 25, 2025 08:00 UTC
The Times: UK may refuse to send troops to Ukraine due to risks
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".
Source:The Times
April 25, 2025 07:12 UTC
A&E wait times halved for hospital's vulnerable older patients
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Source:The Times
April 25, 2025 05:23 UTC
'People have been eating chocolate digestives wrong for 100 years'
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.
Source:The Times
April 25, 2025 03:47 UTC
Newspaper headlines: Ukraine risks 'too high' and jobless 'won't work for under 40k'
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.
Source:The Times
April 25, 2025 01:17 UTC
UK may abandon plans to deploy large troop force to Ukraine, the Times reports
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."
Source:The Times
April 25, 2025 00:18 UTC
Pakistan closes airspace for Indian carriers
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.
Source:The Times
April 24, 2025 22:35 UTC
BlackRock CEO boosts holding in 'undervalued' UK assets, The Times reports
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.
Source:The Times
April 24, 2025 20:31 UTC
Russian missiles overwhelm Britain in simulated attack
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
Source:The Times
April 24, 2025 18:42 UTC