Broken promises, fragile futures: How the UK’s Skilled Worker Visa is failing migrants
A moment for moral reckoningMarketed as a golden gateway to opportunity, the UK’s Skilled Worker visa route was designed to attract global talent to bridge labour shortages in critical sectors. At its core, the Skilled Worker visa ties employees to a single employer, a framework that breeds dependency and weakens the bargaining power of migrants. The promise of a better life is too often exchanged for exhaustion, low pay, and poor housing.Instead of integration and growth, many skilled workers face isolation and stagnation. For many, debt incurred to secure the job adds to the emotional and financial toll.The current Skilled Worker visa framework is in urgent need of recalibration. Here’s what a more humane, functional system should prioritise:The UK’s need for foreign workers is undeniable.
Source:The Times
July 09, 2025 18:56 UTC
Somerset ice cream shop named among best in the UK
In a new list published by The Times on June 30, Brickell’s Scoop Hut, Bath was named one of the best ice cream shops in the UK. A spokesperson for The Times said: “If you love ice cream, you’ll surely have bought a tub of Somerset’s famous all-natural ice cream from Brickell’s. The base of their ice cream consists of milk from their family farm Westcombe Dairy, fresh double cream from Gloustershire, free range egg yolk from Clarence Court and British beet sugar. Next to their production site, in Westcombe, Somerset, the Brickell’s team have also been restoring their 1-acre Georgian kitchen garden and have put down over 50 new mint plants for new seasonal flavours. A spokesperson for The Times said: “Everyone knows the best way to finish a day by the seaside, or an afternoon picnic is with an ice cream.
Source:The Times
July 09, 2025 18:23 UTC
What crisis? Lionesses’ destiny back in their own hands after demolition
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Source:The Times
July 09, 2025 18:08 UTC
The Wild Russian Plot to Burn a London Restaurant and Kidnap Its Owner
When Hide opened in London’s exclusive Mayfair district in 2018, the restaurant made headlines for its twisting bespoke timber staircase, its lavish wine menu and its rapidly won Michelin star. Last year, it drew attention for another reason. A group of small-time criminals in Britain were directed by Russian operatives to kidnap Hide’s Russian owner, Yevgeny Chichvarkin — a vocal critic of President Vladimir V. Putin — and to burn the restaurant and a linked wine shop to the ground. The men were arrested before they carried out those orders, but not before they had completed a separate mission: setting fire to a Ukrainian-owned warehouse in East London in March 2024. Thousands of messages discovered by the police after the group’s arrest, and made public during a monthlong trial at the Old Bailey courthouse in London, provide extraordinary insight into the workings of Russian operatives paying criminal gangs to conduct espionage and sabotage operations in Europe.
Source:The Times
July 09, 2025 17:51 UTC
Protests in Glasgow as News UK cuts retail margins
Independent retailers protesting outside News UK’s Glasgow office over retail margin cutsIndependent news retailers gathered this morning (Wednesday, July 9) outside News UK’s Glasgow office to protest about the newspaper publisher’s plan to raise the cover prices on The Times and Sun but cut the retail percentage margin. From Monday, July 14, the price of UK weekday editions of the Times will increase to £3.20. However, the new retail margin paid for each copy sold will not take effect until January 2026 and, even then, will drop 1 per cent. The protest, organised by the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed), stems from the Fed’s belief that the cuts could lead to more stores delisting its products and cutting off customers from newspapers. Independent retailers are operating under intense financial pressures.
Source:The Times
July 09, 2025 17:02 UTC
I’ve visited Florida 50 times – here’s how I get a US family holiday for LESS than an all-inclusive in Europe
As return visitors to Florida, we save thousands on our family trip every year with these clever holiday hacks. People don’t believe our last trip to Florida cost me £268 per person for return flights and car rental for seven days. Melbourne airport is on the Atlantic coast of Florida, just below Daytona Beach and Cocoa Beach, where you can find the NASA Space Facility and Kennedy Space Center. The rest of the week was spent exploring the coast, playing on the beach and watching surfers ride the waves at Cocoa Beach. Plus, our Florida trip felt like a little adventure.
Source:The Times
July 09, 2025 14:36 UTC
Wimbledon 2025 LIVE: Dates, full schedule, start times, TV channel and how to follow
The highlight of a tennis fan’s summer is here, with the 138th edition of Wimbledon now into the second week. Carlos Alcaraz successfully defended his title at SW19 last year after beating rival Novak Djokovic in straight sets on Centre Court. In the women’s singles, No.31 seed Barbora Krejcíkova beat Jasmine Paolini to surprisingly win her first title at Wimbledon last year. Wimbledon 2025: Dates and start timesWimbledon began on Monday, June 30. 4 Alcaraz is now aiming for a third-straight Wimbledon title Credit: AFPWimbledon 2025: How to followThe entirety of Wimbledon is being broadcast free-to-air on the BBC.
Source:The Times
July 09, 2025 14:33 UTC
Somerset ice cream shop named one of the best in the UK by The Times
Somerset ice cream shop named one of the best in the UK by The TimesTHE Times have released a new list of the 41 best ice cream places in the UK with a “famous” Somerset ice cream parlour being named in the top twenty. In a new list published by The Times on June 30, Brickell’s Scoop Hut, Bath was named one of the best ice cream shops in the UK. A spokesperson for The Times said: “If you love ice cream, you’ll surely have bought a tub of Somerset’s famous all-natural ice cream from Brickell’s. The base of their ice cream consists of milk from their family farm Westcombe Dairy, fresh double cream from Gloustershire, free range egg yolk from Clarence Court and British beet sugar. A spokesperson for The Times said: “Everyone knows the best way to finish a day by the seaside, or an afternoon picnic is with an ice cream.
Source:The Times
July 09, 2025 14:31 UTC
Times letters: Folly of a wealth tax to plug the black hole
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Source:The Times
July 09, 2025 12:31 UTC
Keir Starmer won’t rule out ‘stealth tax’ extension
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Source:The Times
July 09, 2025 12:10 UTC
V&A’s next star: fashion rebel behind shock pink and the shoe hat
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Source:The Times
July 09, 2025 11:06 UTC
‘Unfathomable loss’ as flash floods sweep through Christian summer camp in Texas
THE Episcopal diocese of West Texas has set up an emergency fund to support flood-relief efforts in Kerr County, where 27 children and counsellors at a long-established Christian summer camp on the banks of the Guadeloupe River are confirmed to have died in flash floods on Sunday. Around 750 girls were evacuated from Camp Mystic as the floods hit with a force that saw the river rise 22 feet in 45 minutes. “As a parent and long-time camp counsellor, I grieve especially with the parents and camp communities now facing unfathomable loss,” the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, the Most Revd Sean Rowe, told the Episcopal News Service (ENS). The executive director of Episcopal Camps and Conference Centres, Jess Elfring-Roberts, told ENS: “We are profoundly aware that in our community, camp is family. The death toll on Wednesday was estimated to have risen to more than 110, with 173 still missing.
Source:The Times
July 09, 2025 10:42 UTC
'It flipped my whole world upside down' - Co Down mum's sarcoma battle
'It flipped my whole world upside down' - Co Down mum's sarcoma battleHer son said: "Mum is my role model in life. NI beauty queen on ten years of raising awareness of endometriosis READ MORE:Kirstie was diagnosed with Sarcoma in January 2023 and is sharing her story "to help raise awareness of this rare and often overlooked cancer" to mark Sarcoma Awareness Month. But the lump began to grow.”In October 2023, following an appointment at the Ulster Hospital, Kirstie received the life-changing news that she had Sarcoma cancer. “It was a massive shock, it flipped my whole world upside down,” she said. She said: “Sarcoma Awareness Month is a chance to raise the profile of this rare cancer and drive home the need for early detection.
Source:The Times
July 09, 2025 03:10 UTC
Portstewart Strand can't be accessed by car after sand storm
Portstewart Strand can't be accessed by car after sand stormNational Trust says "hard-working rangers" tackling sand build-upPortstewart Strand sand build up (Image: National Trust )The National Trust is warning people not to drive on to a popular beach after strong winds blew large amounts of sand across the entrance. In its post, the charity said: “Strong winds over the past few days have caused a build-up of soft sand at the entrance to Portstewart Strand. The movement of sand on a beach is a natural process and crucial in building and maintaining sand dunes however it can also be disruptive for vehicle users. “As a result, we advise against accessing the beach via car or other vehicles at this time, while our hard-working rangers address the issue. We apologise for any inconvenience caused, appreciate your patience, and look forward to welcoming you when it is safe to do so.”Article continues belowFor all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.
Source:The Times
July 09, 2025 03:01 UTC
First neighbourhood health services to be rolled out from September
Read our Privacy noticeThe first neighbourhood health services will be rolled out in England’s most deprived areas from September, the Government has said. The initiative is part of the Government’s 10-year health plan, which was unveiled by Sir Keir Starmer last week. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “Our 10-year health plan committed to building a neighbourhood health service, and we’re hitting the ground running on delivering it. “Today, we are issuing an open invitation to local authorities and health services to become pioneer neighbourhood health services and lead the charge of healthcare reform. The Government is also working on places to create neighbourhood health centres across the country.
Source:The Times
July 08, 2025 23:10 UTC