Write to letters@thetimes.co.ukSir, The number of sites remaining undeveloped after the grant of planning permission is indeed a concern (letters, Mar 12). Many appear to be owned by speculators with no intention, or ability, to build. Merely owning a site with a valuable permission usually guarantees profitability as it benefits from the general increase in land values owing to scarcity and the prospect of relaxed planning controls, driven by the desperate need for more housing, built to ever-higher densities. There is also the chance of obtaining permission for something incrementally “bigger and better” in the future with new applications. A step in the right direction to halt this impasse would be for limits on expiry dates to be tighter and an end

| Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty ImagesHer government was also more than happy to look into civil servants dubbed “subversives” and block their promotion. National Archives papers released years later show that 1,420 civil servants in Whitehall were monitored by spy agency MI5 and told to be kept away from computers and revenue collection rules amid fears about communist influence. Labour Prime Minister Blair spoke of “the scars on my back” from trying to reform and modernize the public sector. Gordon BrownBlair’s successor was a creature of the Treasury, serving as chancellor for a decade (and axing civil service jobs while he was at it) before taking the top post he coveted. Just months before the 2010 election, Brown — still dealing with the fallout of the global financial crisis and aiming to look tough on spending — slapped a pay freeze on the public sector, in a move described as “simply untenable” by the senior civil service union.

PRIVATE PALACE George, Charlotte & Louis ‘won’t appear in public more than 4 times this year’, claims expert – after selfie went viralEVERY time Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis step out in public, they always steal the show. Sadly for royal fans, an expert has claimed that we may only see Prince William and Princess Kate’s children four times this year. The royal biographer then predicted we could see the kids at Princess Kate’s Together at Christmas carol concert in December. This included Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince George, 11, being seen at the Taylor Swift Eras Tour concert in London. Princess Charlotte also attended Wimbledon alongside mum Princess Kate, and Prince George has accompanied Prince William to football games.

Edward Despard, who served in the British army, eventually becoming an administrator in the Caribbean before being ousted for his egalitarian distribution of landOn this week in 1798, Irish-born army officer Edward Marcus Despard was arrested at his home in Soho on suspicion of conspiracy of treason. The London Times reported that the arrest took place while Despard was in bed with a “black woman”. But how was it that an officer from a distinguished military family who had served with distinction in the British Army came to be publicly executed as a revolutionary? READ MOREBorn in 1751 in Coolrain in Queen’s County (as Co Laois was named at the time), Despard was educated at the Quaker school in Ballitore, Co Kildare, before joining the British army. The Despards never returned to the Caribbean; the Baysmen had successfully lobbied the British government to protect their interests.

Read our privacy policyDonald Trump’s administration has taken a Ukrainian proposal for a 30-day truce with Russia to Vladimir Putin for consideration. Ukraine hopes this will show that it has always been Russia that is the one in the way of peace. But even if Mr Putin agrees to a temporary truce, which is a big if, Ukraine and Europe are clear that Russia has a long history of breaking ceasefire agreements. Mr Putin, they say, cannot be trusted, even if Mr Trump believes the Russian leader will respect his requests. Nonetheless, by September of that year, Ukraine, Russia and the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR) convened for the first of what would be many peace talks.

The president was wined and dined by the Queen in 2019 with a procession of the guards and a royal banquet. And while it is precedent for second term presidents to just have tea with the monarch, as Barack Obama and George W Bush did, Mr Trump will get the bells and whistles all over again.

Best places for Holi celebrations in the USANew York : Events like “Rang Barse Holi” at Governor’s Island and “Festival of Colors” in Times Square attract thousands. Los Angeles : The city’s Holi festival, held at venues like Whittier Narrows Park, features live DJ sets and cultural performances. : The city’s Holi festival, held at venues like Whittier Narrows Park, features live DJ sets and cultural performances. Best places for Holi celebrations in the UKLondon : Holi parties in Wembley Park and Trafalgar Square feature live performances and food stalls serving Indian delicacies. USA : John F. Kennedy International Airport (New York), Los Angeles International Airport, O'Hare International Airport (Chicago): John F. Kennedy International Airport (New York), Los Angeles International Airport, O'Hare International Airport (Chicago) UK: Heathrow Airport (London), Birmingham Airport, Manchester AirportWhy is Holi a global festival now?

🔹 Our 100 Best Places to Stay in the UK for 2025 is here! The 2 North Wales hotels named among UK's best places to stayPlas Dinas Country HousePlas Dinas was one of two hotels in North Wales to feature on The Times' list of the best places to stay in the UK. We are so incredibly proud to announce that we have made The Times Top 100 Places to Stay in the UK for 2025. It's this "enchanting" feel that sees Penmaenuchaf land on The Times' list of best places to stay in the UK for 2025. It’s like going for a country house hotel weekend in Cotswolds but with so much to do on your doorstep.

✕ Close Zelensky warns partners not to let Putin 'deceive' them on ceasefireFor free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policyUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of “seeking to prolong the war” as it fails to commit to the 30-day ceasefire proposal agreed between the US and Ukraine. “Regrettably, for more than a day already, the world has yet to hear a meaningful response from Russia to the proposals made,” Mr Zelensky wrote on X. “This once again demonstrates that Russia seeks to prolong the war and postpone peace for as long as possible. Moscow yesterday reviewed details of the White House’s proposal, which was agreed during US-Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia and led to a restoration of US military aid and intelligence sharing to Ukraine.

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From Scottish castles and revamped Welsh inns to coastal bolt holes in North Yorkshire, The Times has released its annual list of the 100 Best Places to Stay in the UK. Best places to stay in the UK (from Wales)The Welsh establishments among the best places to stay in the UK, according to The Times, are:Harbourmaster (Ceredigion) - Wales Hotel of the YearThe Angel Hotel (Monmouthshire) - Best Foodie Hotel in the UKPenally Abbey (Pembrokeshire)Plas Dinas Country House (Gwynedd)Penmaenuchaf (Gwynedd)Inn at the Sticks (Carmarthenshire)You can see the full list of the best places to stay in the UK for 2025 by visiting The Times website. The Angel Hotel named UK's best foodie hotelThe Angel Hotel, located in the centre of Abergavenny, was named the UK's best foodie hotel by The Times, while also featuring among the top 100 places to stay. The Angel Hotel has also been well received by guests, boasting a 4.5 (out of 5) rating on Tripadvisor from 1,520 reviews. For more details or to book a stay (or a meal) visit the Angel Hotel website (a link to which can be found above).

PM Modi with Mauritian PM Ramgoolam & President Gokhool after receiving the highest civilian honour of Mauritius‘Mother of democracy’ India to gift Mauritius new Parliament building: PMIndia addresses ‘double taxation’ concernsALSO READ:Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Holi Day wishes, messages and quotes ! Ramgoolam thanked Modi for his personal support and engagement with global representatives on this issue, according to a joint statement that described the two countries as natural partners.“We fully respect the sovereignty of Mauritius with regard to Chagos. We will extend our cooperation through forums such as the Colombo Security Conclave, Indian Ocean Rim Association, and Indian Ocean Conference,” Modi said in his media statement after the meeting.India also announced a rupee-denominated line of credit amounting to Rs 487 crore for undertaking the replacement of water pipelines in Mauritius. “India shall also assist in setting up of the police academy and National Maritime Information Sharing Centre in Mauritius. Foreign secretary Vikram Misri said Mauritius had sought some clarification and those had been addressed by India at a very high level.

England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are all teeming with a wide variety of really special hotels, and the Sunday Times’ new list of the 100 best hotels in the country right now proves it. So, for 2025, the Sunday Times’ hotel of the year is The Cavendish Hotel in Derbyshire. For the rest of the UK, The Torridon in the Highlands was crowned the best Scottish hotel, Harbourmaster in Ceredigion was named Wales’ best and The Cuan in County Down earned top spot for Northern Ireland. As well as winners for each region, there were also categories for things like the best beach hotel, family-friendly hotel, pub stay, foodie hotel, affordable hotel and one to watchThe Bull in Oxfordshire earned the award for the UK’s best romantic hotel. Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out UK newsletter for the latest UK news and the best stuff happening across the country.

The captain of a container ship that struck an oil tanker transporting fuel for the U.S. military on Monday was a Russian citizen, the company that owns that ship said on Wednesday. The man was arrested in northern England on Tuesday on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter. One crew member is missing and presumed dead after the crash, which forced both crews to abandon ship. Russians make up about 10 percent of international seafarers, according to the International Chamber of Shipping. Ernst Russ, the company that owns the container ship, named the Solong, said in a statement that the vessel’s captain was a Russian citizen, while the rest of the crew members were Russian and Filipino.

A young female online influencer in Japan was stabbed to death while livestreaming on a Tokyo street by a man whom the police identified as a follower with a grudge. The influencer, Airi Sato, 22, was heard by passers-by screaming “help!” and her livestream went dark, with the sounds of emergency-vehicle sirens audible to those watching. They said Mr. Takano, who was arrested at the scene, had admitted to the attack, though he said he didn’t mean to kill her. According to the police, Mr. Takano used a survival knife to stab Ms. Sato in the head, neck and torso while she stood looking into her cellphone camera on a busy street. Ms. Sato, a livestreamer who had more than 2,600 followers, was filming herself as she made a circuit of major train stations.