Second resignation in a month at Jersey Opera House
'Difficult terrain'
The newly appointed interim chair of the Jersey Opera House Cyril Whelan paid tribute to the "extraordinary work" of Mr Chalk .He said he had "lead the enterprise through this difficult terrain to date".He added: "The board of the operating company is reshaped to reflect the shift in focus from restoration to activation and growth."
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The Independent
6 hours ago
- The Independent
India to resume issuing tourist visas to Chinese citizens
India will resume granting tourist visas to Chinese nationals from Thursday in a new step to normalise Delhi's ties with Beijing, officials announced on Wednesday. The diplomatic restoration of tourist visas comes after a gap of five years due to degradation of ties between India and China following a 2020 military clash between their troops along the disputed Himalayan border. The embassy of India in China issued a statement on Wednesday and said that Chinese citizens can apply for a tourist visa to India after completing an online application, scheduling an appointment and personally submitting their passport and other important documents needed to obtain a visa. These documents can be submitted to the Indian visa application centres in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou in south China's Guangdong province. 'Please be informed that all passport withdrawal requests for applications submitted in the India Visa Application Centre in Beijing must be accompanied by a passport withdrawal letter,' the embassy statement said. The statement was also shared on the embassy's social media platform Weibo. Indian Armed Forces and People's Liberation Army soldiers clashed in the Himalayan region's Galwan Valley in June 2020. At least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers were killed in the neighbours' first deadly military confrontation since 1975. Both armies came to blows and engaged in a physical clash over China's two tents and observation towers that India said were built on its side of the de-facto border, and which its troops set on fire after they were discovered by a patrol. About 900 soldiers of both sides were involved in the hand-to-hand combat that followed, when they beat each other with rocks and wooden sticks embedded with nails. The skirmish caused Indo-China ties to plummet to their lowest in decades as New Delhi and Beijing took steps to pause their bilateral engagements and trade. New Delhi heightened scrutiny of investments from China, banned popular Chinese mobile apps, and cut direct passenger air routes to China. According to India's defence minister Rajnath Singh, the military stand-off showed China's disregard for a two-way pact between both the countries. China suspended visas to Indian citizens and other foreigners around the same time due to the Covid-19 pandemic but lifted those restrictions in 2022, when it resumed issuing visas for students and business travellers. Tourist visas for Indian nationals remained restricted until March this year, when both countries agreed to resume direct air service. However, both Asian giants have taken steps to improve their relations in the past one year, with India and China holding several high-level talks between the top leaders – Chinese president Xi Jinping and prime minister Narendra Modi. The two met in Russia in October. In July this year, India's foreign minister told his Chinese counterpart that both countries must resolve border friction, pull back troops and avoid "restrictive trade measures" to normalise their relationship. Beijing has acknowledged Delhi's latest positive move, said Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun. "China is ready to maintain communication and consultation with India and constantly improve the level of personal exchanges between the two countries," he said.
Sky News
15-07-2025
- Sky News
Trump to 'refine trade deal' with UK during Scotland trip
Donald Trump has said he will "refine the trade deal" with the UK during his private trip to Scotland later this month. The US president told reporters outside the White House on Tuesday that he will meet with Sir Keir Starmer "probably in Aberdeen". Mr Trump is expected to travel to Scotland in the coming weeks to visit his golf courses ahead of an official state visit in September. "We're going to be meeting with the British prime minister, very respectful, and we are going to have a meeting with him, probably in Aberdeen, and we're going to do a lot of different things. "We're going to also refine the trade deal that we've made. "So we'll be meeting mostly [...] at probably one of my properties, or maybe not, depending on what happens, but we'll be in Aberdeen, in Scotland, meeting with the prime minister." The UK and US signed a trade deal earlier this year that reduced car and aerospace tariffs, but questions have remained about a promise from Washington to slash steel tariffs. In May, the White House said it would exempt the UK from plans for a 25% tariff on global steel imports but that is yet to be ratified and the levy has since been doubled on all other countries. Mr Trump had insisted that unless Britain could finalise the details of a metals trade deal with the US by 9 July, when wider "Liberation Day" tariff pauses were expected to expire, he would slap the UK with a 50% rate as well. 2:49 However that pause was extended until 1 August, with the US president saying nations would instead get letters informing them of his plans. As Sky News' economics and data editor Ed Conway has reported, the metals deal has floundered on two key issues, including that while the government has taken control of British Steel, the company itself still legally has Chinese owners. Downing Street is still hoping it can secure 0% tariffs on steel. 👉 Follow Trump100 on your podcast app 👈 On Tuesday, a Downing Street spokesperson played down the significance of the meeting in Scotland, stressing it was a private trip so it "will not be a formal bilateral". Since taking office in January, Mr Trump has imposed tariffs on countries across the world in a bid to boost domestic production and address trade deficits. As well as sector specific tariffs, there is a baseline tariff of 10% for most other imports, though some countries face higher rates. The UK was the first to hash out a deal on exemptions after a successful charm offensive by Sir Keir. Mr Trump has praised the PM, telling the BBC earlier on Tuesday: "I really like the prime minister a lot, even though he's a liberal." There are also plans for Scottish First Minister John Swinney to meet Mr Trump during his trip. It will be followed by the official state visit between 17-19 September, when Mr Trump will be hosted by the King and Queen at Windsor Castle and accompanied by his wife Melania.
The National
27-06-2025
- The National
Wealth does not 'trickle down' – we need a wellbeing economy
As things stand, the UK economy has been following a 'neo-liberal' approach for many years – with privatisations, deregulation, globalisation, and prioritising government spending to stimulate the private sector at the expense of public services. READ MORE: Spell out the facts to voters about the value of North Sea oil and gas When Western governments bailed out the banks following the 2007 crash, the rich didn't take the hit. Shareholders were saved – and the ordinary people of the country got stagnant wages, austerity, in-work poverty, and a state pension that falls far below the 'wellbeing pension' sum of £241.50/week – the figure calculated by the Wellbeing Pension Campaign as the amount required to cover pensioners' basic costs of living. A wellbeing economy is one that recognises that, contrary to promises, wealth doesn't trickle down – it is created when society offers access to opportunity and wellbeing for everyone. A society that doesn't only measure its 'wealth' in economic growth as measured by GDP, but which gives equal weight to measures for quality of life, equality, fairness, happiness and health. It isn't only pensioners who should be able to heat their homes comfortably – everyone should be able to do that, without having to do without other measures that contribute to our quality of life. The choice for Scotland is between 'more of the same', or working with other wellbeing economy governments in reshaping our economy to deliver a just transition to a net zero, nature-positive economy based on the principles of resilience, equality and prosperity for all. Comments following the presentation included: 'I was well impressed with what was said and the delivery'; 'This is the way forward for our country'; and 'We certainly left feeling far more optimistic about Scotland's future than we had been'. Ian Waugh Dumfries & Galloway Indy Hub THE public and political silence about the Liberation journey to the Decolonisation Committee of the United Nations has been quite deafening but the Yes movement's references to it are becoming more frequent. What is going on behind the scenes? I would like to know what the Scottish legal establishment made of Professor Robert Black's speech titled 'For England. Nothing Changed'. But one thing is certain – the political leadership of all Scottish independence parties need to keep up to speed or they will be in danger of being bypassed by political events. READ MORE: No changes to council tax 'in this decade', says Scottish Government In Scotland we have been at the mercy of the most accomplished propaganda machine in the world. On the issue of the Treaty and Acts of Union in 1707 and 1708,we have all been forced into one narrow road which takes us to the endpoint of belief in a Union of equal partnership while being forced into many positions and actions which we do not support, but accept in the belief of Westminster authority and the 'United Kingdom'. Sara Salyers and her Liberation team have changed all that. Craig Murray, as Liberation's acting Scottish ambassador, has assured us of a warm welcome at the UN and has received declarations of interest by several major bodies such as the African Union. If it is found at the UN Decolonisation Committee that in fact there is no such thing as the UK then that will pose problems for the membership of the Security Council, for example. We must have a developed strategy for what our next Scottish step will be to confirm our sovereignty and recover our Scottish parliamentary authority. The actions of the last two Westminster governments have found little support among the Scottish population. It is clear from the letters pages of our Scottish newspapers that there is serious dissatisfaction with the current situation. Maggie Chetty Glasgow I HAVE been a friend and supporter of Craig Murray since his return to Scotland after being sacked by a Labour foreign secretary for exposing torture in Uzbekistan when ambassador there. Since then Craig has devoted himself to the cause of Scottish independence as well as being a fine journalist and has proved fearless, whether in front of Scottish judges or Israeli drones! Despite this, a secret Alba committee has refused him the right to be considered as a candidate for Alba for next year's Scottish Parliament elections. I believe this is a mistaken decision and should be reversed. READ MORE: Craig Murray: Alba blocked my Scottish Parliament 2026 bid The reason for excluding Craig is that he stood for the Workers Party in last year's General Election. Yet Craig did so with Alex Salmond's approval. I know because I talked to Alex and he told me that Craig had his full support and would be a very important voice for Scotland in Westminster. I was approved as an Alba candidate last year but in solidarity with Craig decided not to put myself forward as a candidate this year. I am calling for Alba's conference in October to reverse this decision and allow Craig to be an Alba candidate next year. Hugh Kerr Edinburgh
