Easter Bank Holiday 2025 opening times LIVE: Asda, Aldi, Lidl and Tesco shopping hours revealed ahead of Good Friday
AISLE BE THERE Easter Bank Holiday 2025 opening times LIVE: Asda, Aldi, Lidl and Tesco shopping hours revealed ahead of Good FridaySHOPS across the country have revealed their opening hours as the countdown to Good Friday begins. Asda, Aldi, Tesco and many other stores will shut on Easter Sunday, with only a few select stores remaining open. Some opening hours might vary on Good Friday and over the weekend while select stores remain completely closed. While there's no mail on Bank Holidays, Amazon packages might still be delivered. You can follow our live blog, below, for all all the latest updates ...
Source:The Times
April 17, 2025 08:18 UTC
Publication of Circular
The Board announces that the Company has today published a circular to provide the Company's shareholders (the "JGGI Shareholders") with further details of the Scheme and to convene a general meeting of the Company (the "General Meeting") to seek approval from JGGI Shareholders for the implementation of the Scheme (the "Circular"). The Scheme Shares will be allotted to the Liquidators who will renounce such Scheme Shares in favour of Eligible HINT Shareholders and sell any Scheme Shares issued in respect of Excluded HINT Shareholders in the market for the benefit of such Excluded HINT Shareholders. The Scheme Shares that are issued to HINT Shareholders will be issued on a Formula Asset Value ("FAV") for FAV basis. • Contribution to costs: HINT Shareholders and JGGI Shareholders will be insulated from a significant proportion of the costs of the Proposals as a result of the Manager's Contribution (as described further below). The JGGI Debt Holder Costs do not form part of the JGGI Implementation Costs and will be borne by the JGGI Shareholders and reflected in the JGGI FAV.
Source:The Times
April 17, 2025 06:02 UTC
Members of Board of Deputies of British Jews condemn Israel's Gaza offensive
Signatories of the open letter criticising Israel's offensive in Gaza warned "Israel's soul is being ripped out and we, members of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, fear for the future of the Israel we love and have such close ties to". Israel blocked the entry of food, medicine and other supplies on 2 March and two weeks later resumed the war. Israel says it aims to pressure Hamas to release hostages and has vowed to maintain the blockade. Among the signatories was vice-chair of the international division of the Board of Deputies, Harriet Goldenberg. At least 51,025 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
Source:The Times
April 17, 2025 05:36 UTC
100 years ago: Folly in the Near East
OUR particularly well-informed Jerusalem correspondent reports in another column that the one result of Lord Balfour’s visit to Palestine has been immensely to stimulate the Arabs’ bitter resentment of the British mandate. If Lord Balfour’s mission to Jerusalem was a blunder, what can be said of the political folly that allowed the visit to Damascus? Trouble, as the Times special correspondent reported, was anticipated. The French have shown little enthusiasm for that co-operation in the Near East which General Weygand declared was an “imperious necessity”, and their zeal is not likely to be stimulated by the Damascus incident. The Church Times digital archive is available free to subscribers.
Source:The Times
April 17, 2025 00:27 UTC
Trans women not legally ‘women’ under Equality Act, rules UK Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom in a landmark judgement ruled on Wednesday that the term “woman” in the Equality Act 2010 refers strictly to biological females , and not transgender women. The unanimous verdict by five judges is expected to have widespread implications for single-sex services such as domestic violence shelters, hospital wards, and sports facilities.“The unanimous decision of this court is that the terms ‘woman’ and ‘sex’ in the Equality Act 2010 refer to biological women and biological sex,” said Deputy President of the Supreme Court, Justice Patrick Hodge. “We counsel against reading this judgment as a triumph of one or more groups in our society at the expense of another. It is not.”The ruling marks a significant setback for transgender rights campaigners and has reignited public debate over the legal interpretation of sex and gender. The UK government, meanwhile, welcomed the judgment, saying it “brings clarity and confidence” to service providers.Although centred on the legal recognition of women, the court’s interpretation of “sex” as “biological sex” also applies to transgender men—those who were born female but have transitioned—under the same legal framework.
Source:The Times
April 17, 2025 00:12 UTC
U.K.’s top court says definition of a woman is based on biological sex and excludes trans people
Equality Act means trans women can be excluded from some groups and single-sex spaces such as changing rooms, homeless shelters, swimming areas and medical or counseling services provided only to women. The court said the ruling did not remove rights for trans people still protected from discrimination under U.K. law. But it said certain protections should apply only to biological females and not transgender women. Transgender women with gender recognition certificates were to be included in meeting the quota. Advertisement“A blanket policy of barring trans women from single-sex services is not a proportionate means to achieve a legitimate aim,” the human rights group said.
Source:The Times
April 16, 2025 23:11 UTC
Times letters: Trump’s tariff pause and his policy on China
Write to letters@thetimes.co.ukSir, Donald Trump has paused his “reciprocal” tariffs and claims that more than 70 countries want to negotiate their abolition. The pause inadvertently takes the US back towards the cardinal rule of the world trading system: non-discrimination among sources of imports (the “most favoured nation” clause). It gives hope that the global trading system might survive to 2029, but that now depends on others. Their negotiations should: pause retaliation (except China), although keep it ready; commit and then ensure that negotiated outcomes will be non-discriminatory, or at least satisfy World Trade Organisation rules for free trade agreements; ensure that outcomes where WTO rules are absent are not explicitly at the expense of other partners; reject any US request to penalise trade with
Source:The Times
April 16, 2025 23:04 UTC
Why Tornado tests on Powys railway won't be revealed
More tests of the LNER Peppercorn Class A1 60163 Tornado are reportedly planned along the Shrewsbury to Newtown line, but the exact date and time will not be made public. The rail company said it will be abiding by “common practice” to give limited information on future test runs due to “safety and security concerns”. A Network Rail spokesperson said: “It’s common practice not to announce train tests because of safety and security concerns. The Tornado was photographed at Welshpool station after stopping there for an hour having arrived there at 2am. So while the train is returning to the line for further tests, exactly when will be unclear to the public as Network Rail said that publicly announced testst have to be “carefully planned events”.
Source:The Times
April 16, 2025 21:30 UTC
HGTV star slams New York Times in furious response to 'slanted' article
HGTV star Egypt Sherrod had a bone to pick with the New York Times after an article was published about their show which she slammed as 'slanted' and 'hypercritical.' In a statement obtained by DailyMail.com over Sherrod's grievances, a spokesperson for The New York Times said: 'Our piece on D.I.Y. 'So there's this article in the New York Times because Mike and I were invited to be in the New York Times by our network to promote this season of our show. 'Oh and no New York Times reporters here for an hour to tell us we're just doing this for TV,' she said. So for a publication like The New York Times to use my image to headline an article filled with distortions and mediocrity?
Source:The Times
April 16, 2025 21:21 UTC
'Woman' means female from birth: UK Supreme Court rules in landmark equal rights case
Figuring out ‘women’Britain’s Supreme Court on Wednesday issued a major judgement that can reshape sex based rights across the UK, ruling that the term “woman” in the Equality Act 2010 refers specifically to a person’s biological sex at birth.In the unanimous decision, five senior judges declared that under the act, both “woman” and “sex” refer to biological females , siding with the Scottish gender-critical group For Women Scotland (FWS), which appealed the case.The ruling came as a blow to those believing legal gender recognition should guarantee full inclusion under the law’s protections for women. However, the court made clear that those identifying as transgenders are still protected against discrimination under other provisions of the act.Aidan O’Neill KC, who represented FWS in the appeal urged the court to take in consideration "the facts of biological reality rather than the fantasies of legal fiction. "LGBTQ+ activists have long argued that if the court ruled in favour of the gender critic campaigners, trans women will no longer be able to access benefits to many facilities including women’ shelters.The decision followed years of legal tussle between the Scottish Government and FWS, the group believing that only those born as women should be legally protected as “women.”The debate was aimed to interpret the implication of the Equality Act 2010, which protected characteristics including sex, gender and described woman as a “female of any age,” AFP reported.Scottish government believed that anyone who has transitioned to a female and has acquired a Gender Recognition Certificate, can be defined as a women under the Equality Act. On the other hand, FWS stood their ground believing that biological sex at birth is unchangeable and holds more importance than their gender identification. Hence arguing that trans women should not posses same legal protections as women who were born female.The group approached the Supreme Court in November, launching a challenge against 2018 Scottish legislation, which was meant to hire more women in public sectors, however, it also included trans women who had a GRC.GRC or Gender Recognition Certificate was introduced under the 2004 Gender Recognisation Act, allowing people to change their gender, identifying as a man or a woman.
Source:The Times
April 16, 2025 20:18 UTC
J.K. Rowling backs UK Supreme Court verdict on women’s rights — All about the landmark court ruling and how people are reacting
J.K. Rowling praised a UK Supreme Court ruling defining "woman" as biological sex under the Equality Act, a decision celebrated by women's rights advocates like For Women Scotland. The ruling, which stemmed from a challenge to Scotland's gender quota policy, has ignited intense debate. Trans rights campaigners expressed concern, while others hailed it as a victory for protecting female-only spaces.
Source:The Times
April 16, 2025 20:07 UTC
London Marathon announces new 2026 Good For Age times
The qualification period and application process for both Championship and Good For Age places will be aligned for next year’s editionThe TCS London Marathon has announced new Good For Age times ahead of next year’s edition. Compared to 2025, the 2026 London Marathon Good For Age qualification marks are three minutes faster in each age bracket for men and two minutes faster in each age bracket for women. The total number of Good For Age places for the 2026 London Marathon will be capped at 6000 places – 3000 men and 3000 women. You can only be eligible for a Good For Age place if you are a UK resident and your category is based on the age you were when you ran the time, not on the day of the 2026 London Marathon itself. Qualifying times must have been run at an in-person event that has a certified marathon course or at the virtual 2025 London Marathon.
Source:The Times
April 16, 2025 19:27 UTC
UK Supreme Court ruling: What does defining 'woman' by biological sex mean for transgender rights and single-sex spaces in the UK?
Does this mean trans rights have been rolled back? They believe this ruling protects the rights of women and girls in the UK. Service providers weren’t sure if excluding a trans woman with a GRC could be considered discrimination. The court has now clarified that biological women can be legally prioritized in these spaces—even if it means excluding a trans woman with a certificate.However, this doesn’t mean a free-for-all. For some, it's a long-overdue affirmation of sex-based rights.
Source:The Times
April 16, 2025 19:13 UTC
The Times Crime and Justice Commission publish final report
The year-long project has taken evidence from over 500 witnesses and published a ten point plan to modernise our country’s criminal justice system. Read the full Report hereRead the full Press Release hereThe Times Crime and Justice Commission has published its final report, and concluded “The status quo is really not an option. It has commissioned economic analysis, opinion polls and focus group research and has deliberately taken a broad approach rather than focusing on one part of the criminal justice system. This report contains clear, deliverable, evidence-based policies that would make the criminal justice system both more effective and more efficient. I urge the Government to support its recommendations and to bring about the reform that the country needs.”Rachel Sylvester, Chair of The Times Crime and Justice Commission, said;“The burning platform of the current crisis has created a once-in-a-generation opportunity to bring about change.
Source:The Times
April 16, 2025 16:03 UTC
Meet the Brits who have made the Forbes' 30 Under 30 Europe list: From making it big on screen to the pitch
Forbes has once again released its coveted 30 Under 30 Europe list - and it comes as little surprise that a host of famous Brits have made the cut. All the while her career was going from strength to strength and has included 2010 British film, Never Let Me Go, Disney's Maleficent and Julian Fellowes' ITV period drama Belgravia, in which she played Lady Maria Grey. The 28-year-old took on the lead role as young intern Samuel who begins an affair with CEO Romy - played by Kidman. But a crash at a Triathlon World Cup event in 2017 threatened to snatch his star status before he ever had a chance to truly claim it. And despite her rocketing prospects, the young star often takes time out to give advice to other young actors.
Source:The Times
April 16, 2025 15:14 UTC