Students could face subject “cold spots” if universities are not allowed to work together more to deliver courses, according to a new report.
The review by Universities UK, which represents 141 institutions, found universities were reluctant to collaborate because of concerns around breaking business laws designed to promote healthy competition between them.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it wanted to support collaboration where possible in a “very challenging” financial situation for the sector.
A government review of how higher education will be funded in the long term is under way in England, and is expected to be published later this year.
The Universities UK report said greater collaboration between universities could be a solution for institutions who are struggling to cut costs and become more efficient.
Some universities are already delivering courses this way, to the benefit of students.
Mature student Joe Vincent, 33, lives at home in Devon with his partner and baby while studying in Plymouth for a masters degree in pharmacy from the University of Bath, over 130 miles away.
“It’s everything for me”, he says, adding that being able to study and qualify locally “is the difference between me having this career, and not having this career”.
In 2018, he trained as a pharmacy technician at a nearby college, because there was no local university course available to become a pharmacist.
This close collaboration between universities is also intended to meet a shortage of community pharmacists in the South West.
Sir Nigel Carrington, who led the review for Universities UK, said more clarity was needed to prevent universities having to make decisions about which courses to close, or merge, in isolation from one another.
He told the BBC there was a risk of “cold spots emerging in which there will be no opportunity for prospective students to study the subjects they want to study in their home cities or their home regions”.
He said neighbouring universities should be allowed to look at which subjects they recruit the fewest students for and agree that only one of them should teach that course, “divvying up other courses between them” and working out where delivering a subject would be most cost effective.
After the University of Cardiff announced job losses earlier this year, vice-chancellor Prof Wendy Larner told The Times newspaper she was “deeply frustrated” by legal advice not to consult other universities on the impact of course closures, adding the system was “set up to enhance competition, not collaboration”.
The CMA enforces the existing law, which applies across different sectors to protect consumers, in this case students.
In a blog post published on Friday, it said it recognised the financial problems facing universities and that it wanted to support collaboration where possible.
The CMA said ideas such as sharing back-office functions, or discussing possible mergers with other universities, were unlikely to raise competition law concerns.
Juliette Enser, executive director of competition enforcement at the CMA, said: “We know universities are interested in collaborating on courses they offer and we are working to understand how this fits with overall plans for higher education reform.”
It would be for the government to change the law, or how universities are regulated, to allow up-front conversations to be had about whether some subjects need a different kind of collaboration in different regions.
University budgets have been strained by a 16% drop in international students – who pay higher fees than domestic students – after changes to visa rules came into force last January.
University income in the form of fees has also failed to keep up with inflation, rising for the first time in eight years this autumn from £9,250 to £9,535.
The higher education regulator in England, the Office for Students, has said four in 10 universities are heading for a financial deficit by this summer, despite thousands of job losses already having been announced.
Course cutbacks or closure announcements have also followed one after the other this year, from the University of East Anglia to Sheffield, Durham, Bournemouth and many more.
It has become a patchwork of individual institutional decisions, largely driven by market forces, including how many students want to sign up for individual subjects.
The government said it had been clear that universities needed to increase opportunities for students and contribute more to growth in the economy.
In response to the review, Jacqui Smith, the Skills Minister, said: “I am pleased to see the sector taking steps to grip this issue as we restore our universities as engines of opportunity, aspiration and growth.”
A review of the longer term future of higher education in England is expected to be published before the summer.
When Domingo Hindoyan, the Venezuelan chief conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, made his debut with L.A. Opera last November with “Roméo et Juliette,” Times classical music critic Mark Swed called it “a coup for the company.” Swed also wondered if it was a “signal that he is a candidate to succeed Music Director James Conlon, who steps down in 2026?”
It turns out Swed was right.
On Friday, L.A. Opera announced that Hindoyan has been named the company’s Richard Seaver Music Director. He will succeed Conlon, the longtime music director who joined the company in 2006 and announced last year that he will step down at the end of the 2026 season. Conlon will take on the newly created role of conductor laureate.
In a statement, Hindoyan said he was deeply honored to become only the third music director in the company’s nearly 40-year history. “From the first rehearsal, I felt a strong connection to the extraordinary musicians, staff, and spirit of this company,” he said. “It is a privilege to follow Maestro James Conlon, whose legacy has shaped L.A. Opera into what it is today — a dynamic and ambitious institution.”
After considering “dozens” of candidates from around the world, L.A. Opera President and CEO Christopher Koelsch said he was “struck by the fluidity of his technique and the clarity and command of his musical ideas” after seeing Hindoyan at the Berlin State Opera in 2016. “His deeply collaborative nature and generous spirit in rehearsal make him a favorite among singers, who are inspired by the space he creates for musical risk-taking and expressive freedom.” Koelsch also praised Hindoyan’s “deep rapport with musicians and audiences alike.”
Hindoyan, 45, is originally from Caracas, Venezuela, and began his career as a violinist. Like departing Los Angeles Philharmonic Music Director Gustavo Dudamel, he attended Venezuela’s renowned public music education program known as El Sistema.
In addition to his role as chief conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, a role he has held since 2021, Hindoyan has served as principal guest conductor for the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra; he has conducted opera productions at New York City’s Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Berlin State Opera, Vienna State Opera, Paris Opera, Royal Swedish Opera, Dresden Semperoper, Madrid’s Teatro Real and Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu.
In a statement, Conlon said he was happy to pass the baton to someone who shares his passion for opera.
“Domingo is an artist of exceptional depth and imagination, and I know the company will welcome him warmly,” Conlon said.
Hindoyan’s five-year contract will begin July 1, 2026, and continue through the 2031 season. According to a Facebook post from Hindoyan, the new role in L.A. will run concurrently with his position with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.
Hindoyan, son of Venezuelan violinist Domingo Garcia, a former president of the Orquesta Sinfónica Venezuela, is married to the soprano Sonya Yoncheva, who’s singing at the Metropolitan Opera in Tchaikovsky’s “The Queen of Spades.” (Performances are scheduled on Wednesday and Saturday.) The couple has two children and lives in Switzerland.
In late April, the album “Tchaikovsky: Souvenir de Florence & Symphony No. 6 ‘Pathetique,’” from Hindoyan and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, was released.
These are the key events on day 1,194 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Here’s where things stand on Monday, June 2:
Fighting
Ukraine said it destroyed Russian bombers worth $7bn at air bases as far away as Siberia in an attack that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Kyiv’s “longest-range operation”.
Al Jazeera’s Dorsa Jabbari, reporting from Moscow, said the “simultaneous large-scale attack” was “launched from inside Russia” and targeted “Russian planes that have been carrying out attacks on Ukraine”.
An official at Ukraine’s SBU intelligence service told the Reuters news agency the operation involved hiding explosive-laden drones inside the roofs of wooden sheds and loading them onto trucks that were driven to the perimeter of the air bases. At least 41 Russian warplanes were hit, they said.
Russia’s Tass news agency said there were no military or civilian casualties and that “some of the participants” had been detained.
The operation came as Ukraine’s air force said Russia had launched 472 drones at the country overnight, in the highest nightly total of the war. Moscow also launched seven missiles.
This included a missile attack on a Ukrainian military training ground that killed 12 soldiers and wounded more than 60 on Sunday morning, according to Ukraine’s Land Forces.
The assault led Ukrainian ground forces commander Mykhailo Drapaty to announce his resignation, saying he felt a “personal sense of responsibility” for the soldiers’ deaths.
Meanwhile, in Russia, at least seven people were killed and 69 injured when a bridge in the Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, collapsed onto a passing passenger train. Moscow Railway, in a post on Telegram, said the bridge had collapsed “as a result of an illegal interference in the operation of transport”.
A second bridge collapse caused a freight train to derail in Russia’s Kursk region, which also borders Ukraine, injuring a train driver, according to the acting governor of the area.
A Ukrainian drone attack on Kursk also sparked fires after debris from destroyed drones fell on private homes, the acting governor said.
Vladimir Medinsky, a former cultural minister who will lead Russia’s delegation in Istanbul, said Moscow has received Ukraine’s “version of the memorandum on a peaceful settlement,” the TASS news agency reported.
However Zelenskyy said that Russia is yet to share its own memorandum. “We don’t have it, the Turkish side doesn’t have it, and the American side doesn’t have the Russian document either,” the Ukrainian president said in a post on X.
TASS also reported that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his US counterpart Marco Rubio spoke by telephone about “several initiatives aimed at a political solution to the Ukraine crisis”, including Monday’s talks.
An exit poll in Poland’s presidential run-off shows the two candidates are very close and that the race is still too close to call, in an election where aid to Kyiv, Ukraine’s potential membership of NATO, and Ukrainian refugees were key issues.
Punjab won the toss and elected to bowl before the rain arrived, although no overs were lost.
When play eventually started, Australia all-rounder Marcus Stoinis removed India opener Rohit Sharma for just eight, before Varma and Bairstow combined for 51 runs.
Another strong partnership worth 72 between Varma and Suryakumar put Mumbai in a decent position before both fell in the space of three deliveries.
However, Naman Dhir’s 37 off 18 balls boosted the five-time champions to a challenging total.
In reply, Australia wicketkeeper Josh Inglis sparked Punjab with 38 off 21, including 20 off one over from India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah.
But Mumbai hit back as captain Hardik Pandya removed Inglis and were marginal favourites when Nehal Wadhera fell for 48, with Kings needing 48 off 26 balls.
However, Shreyas kept his side in contention and, requiring 23 runs off the last two overs, he flicked the switch to smash four sixes in the 19th over in a clinical finish.
Officials investigate a deadly airplane crash after a single-engine aircraft slammed into an interstate median wall on the heavily traveled I-285 interstate highway, stopping traffic in all directions in Doraville, Georgia, in 2015. According to authorities, four people aboard the Piper PA-32 aircraft died in an ensuing fire but passing motorists escaped injury. The same model plane crashed Sunday into Long Island Sound. File photo by David Tulis/UPI | License Photo
June 1 (UPI) — Crews rescued two people aboard a small plane that crashed into Long Island Sound Sunday near a Connecticut airport, according to the FAA and U.S. Coast Guard.
The Piper PA-32 plane went down about 10:30 a.m. south of the Tweed New Haven Airport in New Haven, a statement from the FAA said.
“The two persons onboard the aircraft were rescued and in stable condition,” the Coast Guard said in a statement, according to ABC News.
The Coast Guard dispatched a 45-foot New Haven-based rescue boat to the scene after the Sector Long Island Sound Command Center received notification of the incident from the air traffic control tower that the plane had gone down near the Thimble Islands close to Branford, Ct.
The rescued passengers were taken to the Stony Creek Pier in Branford, the Coast Guard said.
From allegations of infidelity to swinging scandals, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives offers a look into a version of Mormon life far removed from traditional public perception.
Set in suburban Utah, the TV series follows a group of Mormon women – most of whom rose to fame on TikTok and became MomTok influencers – as they manage scandals, confront marital breakdowns and clash over everything from business ventures to party invitations.
But beneath the sensational plotlines is a more complex story about the evolving dynamics within a tight-knit community.
The group of Mormon mothers have been making content online for the past five years but say the concept of reality TV still feels very new to them.
“I’ve heard that eventually people learn how to play the reality TV game but that’s not us yet, we’re still trying to figure it out,” Jessi Ngatikaura tells the BBC. “So you’re getting to see the real us.”
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What started off as a hobby has now become a job and the women speak openly on the show about the amount of money they make from reality TV and brand deals.
“It is totally our job now but we chose this and we could all walk away any time if we didn’t want to be part of it,” Jessi says.
Whitney Leavitt explains that “naturally dynamics will change when there’s more money and family involved and definitely some people get competitive” but reassures me the group are still friends off camera.
Across the two seasons of the show, Jessi and Whitney have had challenging storylines play out – Whitney is presented as the villain in season one and at the end of season two it is alleged Jessi has had an affair.
The pair speak candidly about the impact having your life watched and commented on by millions of people worldwide has had on them.
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“It’s been hard coming to terms with the fact we have no control over the narrative and you don’t ever really get over it,” Whitney explains. “But you have to accept that and let it go.”
As the show follows the lives of nine friends, it’s easy to see how some of them may create more drama for themselves in order to guarantee some screen time but Jessi insists that’s not the case and no one “plays up but naturally emotions are heightened”.
“We’re actually recording four or five days a week so we don’t know what will make the final edit.”
Jessi says her explosive Halloween party was not manufactured by producers and there is just “naturally so much drama that we don’t need to create more just for the show”.
‘Lots of resentment’
Given the intensity of drama and filming demands, the presence of strong aftercare is essential and both women praise the production for its duty of care standards.
“There are always therapists on hand and at first I was like why are Taylor and Jen having therapy all the time and now I’m having five or six hours of it a week,” Jessi confesses. “I’ve found it’s useful even if you’re not going through a hard time.”
Whitney also accessed some aftercare in season one after being presented as the villain of the show.
“It totally sucked being the villain and I was angry, had a lot of resentment and was really sad. There were so many overwhelming emotions for me but I was proud that instead of running away I stayed and had those hard conversations I didn’t want to have,” Whitney says.
Whitney was one of the members of the MomTok group that Taylor Frankie Paul publicly revealed was involved in “soft swinging”, something she denies and caused a rift to form in their friendship.
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There was some backlash to the reality TV show from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
The open discussions around sex, marital affairs and alcohol on the show has caused some backlash from the Mormon church.
“When the first trailer came out there was some backlash from the church because they were scared but actually we’re showing you how we live the Mormon life and we all live it differently,” Whitney says.
Jessi adds the docudrama shows how “we are all normal and everyday girls, not people wearing bonnets and churning butter like you might think”.
The women say that not only has the church come to accept the show, they are also helping young women think about their faith differently.
“We’ve definitely influenced people to question their faith, dive deeper into it or be more honest about it and I’ve had messages from some people saying that they’re joining the church because of me,” Jessi says.
While their religion plays an important part of their life, they’re keen to tell me that they are not the face of Mormonism.
“There are Mormons who still get upset about it but we’re just showing our version of it and I think that’s empowering as hopefully people can relate to our stories and struggles.”
A market town in Worcestershire has been crowned as one of the top three happiest places to live thanks to its scenic beauty, accessibility and community charm
This town sits on the banks of the River Avon and is only a bus ride from Sratford-upon-Avon(Image: PA)
The happiest places to live in Britain have been ranked and a little-known gem has cracked the top three. The medieval market town beat out beloved cities like Lewes, Perth and Aberystwyth with its charming atmosphere and architectural feats.
Evesham is the second happiest place to live in Britain, according to the Guardian. The town in Worcestershire comes in just behind Berwick-upon-Tweed which snagged the first place spot and before Caernarfon in Wales in the third spot.
Evesham is known as the “asparagus capital of the UK” – an odd moniker to be sure, but one it holds proudly as the host of the annual British Asparagus festival. In fact for centuries, the Vale of Evesham has been considered the fruit and vegetable basket of England.
Gus – the Asparagus Man made his debut at the opening event of the 2008 British Asparagus Festival in the Vale of Evesham.(Image: Handout)
Visitors will have plenty of opportunity to sample the highest quality produce and can stop by a pick-your-own-fruit and vegetable field. One of the best-known farms in the area is Oaklands Fruit Farm.
The farm was established over a decade ago and specialised in the production of high-quality strawberries. The production season starts in April and runs through to October so you’ll have ample time to try its daily-picked produce.
Sitting on the banks of the River Avon, Evesham is also renowned for its impressive landscape. According to Country Living the town is “full of charm and beautiful scenery” which explains why it’s such a great place to live.
Evesham is also home to the award-winning Abbey Park – the site where Evesham Abbey once stood as the third largest Abbey in England. From here, visitors will be within walking distance to the joint Almonry Museum and Tourist Information Centre.
Abbey Park is an great place to spend a casual day out, strolling the greens and stop by the Almonry(Image: Andrew Cowell / SWNS)
The information centre is housed within a 14th century building and details the rich history of the town. The building was once home to the Almoner (chaplain or church officer), who was one of the monks of the Benedictine Abbey.
Today, the Almonry is a great place for families and friends to sit in the beautiful garden or take in one of the exciting children’s workshops or exhibitions that are hosted year-round. These family-friendly fixtures are a key factor that makes the area so distinctly enjoyable for residents.
If that’s not enough to convince you, Evesham is only a bus ride away from Stratford-upon-Avon. The town’s close proximity to Stratford means locals – and visitors – can enjoy many of the Shakespearean attractions and events that take place each year.
Lisa Hogan has been in a relationship with Jeremy Clarkson for eight years – and has figured out how to use their show, Clarkson’s Farm, to stop him interrupting her
Lisa Hogan has revealed how she stops Jeremy Clarkson interrupting her(Image: Getty Images)
Jeremy Clarkson’s partner Lisa Hogan has been opening up about the subtle techniques she uses to ensure he doesn’t interrupt her on camera. Former Top Gear host Jeremy, 65, has been in a relationship with 50-year-old actress Lisa since 2017.
The couple have given fans an insight into their relationship thanks to the camera crews that follow Jeremy while making his hit Amazon Prime documentary series, Clarkson’s Farm. The series follows the motorhead after he bought a farm in the Cotswolds and documents the trials and challenges he faces while trying to turn a profit from the investment.
While Jeremy is often shown to be learning as he goes, Lisa can be seen as something of a rock for him, appearing in episodes where she gives sage advice or support as crops fail and local politicians make life on the farm difficult.
As fans will know, Jeremy is reasonably opinionated, and he is not one to be known for holding back. However, it seems Lisa has devised a smart way of ensuring she can voice her own thoughts on the show without fear of being interrupted.
Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, she explained: “I’ve worked out that when he’s wearing a mic, he can’t interrupt me. So that’s when I go for it.”
Jeremy and Lisa star on Amazon Prime’s Clarkson’s Farm which documents their life in the countryside(Image: Prime Video)
She explained she has discovered a way to avoid arguing with him, adding: “I’m more conniving than that. Why argue with someone like Jeremy? He’s so eloquent. I have to be a bit more… nimble. I like the long-term diplomatic approach.”
Lisa also gave insight into her partner’s personality when the cameras are not rolling. She said: “He’s always incredibly inquisitive.
“His mind is always on the move. He’ll come in fizzing with energy about the smallest thing. I like that.
“I used to let my son stay up to watch Top Gear, but I never really watched it myself. I knew him more from his writing. I always loved his columns. I thought he was bright – and probably amusing. And I think he thought I’d be amusing.”
Lisa has long supported her man and frequently praises him during interviews. In 2023, she gushed to Lad Bible about her partner and the impact he has had on the farming community: “He’s really loved, but I’m really proud of him for doing this.
“And creating such a movement within agriculture, where people like I would have gone by and I wouldn’t have known what a tramline is. And now I do. You just look at the country in a different way, I think.”
Jeremy has become an unexpected hero of the farming world after inviting cameras to document his attempts to turn his land into a viable business. He has battled adverse weather conditions that have ruined crops, and battled local council rules to open his farm shop.
He has also been praised by farming communities for highlighting the industry’s difficulties and giving fans an insight into the highs and lows of life in the country.
ERIN, Wis. — Maja Stark of Sweden continued the steady play she demonstrated all week to win the U.S. Women’s Open on Sunday at Erin Hills for her first major championship.
Stark shot an even-par 72 to finish at seven-under 281, two strokes ahead of top-ranked Nelly Korda and Japan’s Rio Takeda.
Stark earned $2.4 million in the biggest event of the women’s golf season. The 25-year-old Stark became the sixth Swede to win a women’s major, and the first since Anna Nordqvist in the 2021 Women’s British Open. The former Oklahoma State player is the first Swede to win a U.S. Women’s Open since Annika Sorenstam in 2006.
Stark won her second LPGA Tour title. She also won the 2022 ISPS Handa World Invitational in Northern Ireland, an event co-sanctioned by Ladies European Tour.
Korda closed with a 71, and Takeda had a 72.
Hye-Jin Choi (68), Ruoning Yin (70) and Mao Saigo (73) tied for fourth at four under. Hailee Cooper (70) and Hinako Shibuno (74) were three under.
Stark took a one-stroke lead into the final round and said Saturday she wanted to make sure she played freely, noting that “no one has ever played well when they’ve been playing scared, and I think that’s been my habit before, to just kind of try to hang on to it.”
It was her consistency that ultimately made the difference as Stark stayed ahead throughout the day and held off challengers.
This still was as close as Korda has come to winning a U.S. Women’s Open. Her best previous finish was a tie for eighth in 2022 at Pine Needles.
Korda made birdied Nos. 7 and 8, but missed a nine-foot birdie putt on No. 9 that would have tied her for the lead. Korda’s birdie attempt on No. 9 came minutes after Stark’s bogey-free streak ended at 21 on No. 7.
Stark then extended her lead to three by making a 14-foot birdie putt on No. 11 immediately after Korda missed a par putt of just under five feet at No. 13.
Korda, Shibuno and Takeda got within two strokes of Stark with birdies on the par-five 14th, though Korda missed a 14-foot eagle putt and Shibuno missed an eagle attempt from 9½ feet.
Stark then made a birdie of her own on No. 14 to regain her three-stroke advantage at nine under. She bogeyed the last two holes.
Her playing partner, Julia Lopez Ramirez, fell out of contention early on her way to 79 that left her tied for 19th.
Police in Boulder, Colo., are investigating a ‘targeted terror attack’ near a suburban shopping mall where demonstrators were holding a peaceful pro-Israeli march in support of hostages held in Gaza. Photo courtesy of CBS Denver
June 1 (UPI) — Several people were injured in a mall shooting that police are calling a “target terror attack” in Boulder, Colo. Sunday, FBI Director Kash Patel said. A suspect is in custody.
“Our agents and local law enforcement are on the scene already, and we will share updates as more information becomes available, Patel said, according his post on X.
The incident occurred just before 1:30p.m. MDT at Pearl St. Mall where a group was gathered in a peaceful pro-Israel demonstration, known as the Boulder Run for their Lives event.
The Anti Defamation League said it was aware of the attack.
“ADL is monitoring the situation in Colorado as we approach the holiday of Shavuot,” it said in a statement on Facebook.
Police responded to reports of a man wielding a weapon and that people were being set on fire, a statement on social media from the Boulder Police Department said. It said there were multiple burn victims on the scene.
Witnesses told local media that the suspect attacked victims with Molotov cocktails.
Police established an evacuation zone and directed people to avoid the area. Emergency medical crews transported several victims to local hospitals, some of whom sustained life-threatening injuries, police said.
Colo. Gov. Jared Polis called the incident a “heinous act of terror.”
“Hate-filled acts of any kind are unacceptable,” he wrote on X. “While details emerge, the state works with local and federal law enforcement to support this investigation.”
Please check back for updates as this is a developing story.
AN iconic Grand Designs house dubbed “perfect” by fans has hit the market for £1.5million after 20 years of “painstaking” renovation.
Green Dragon Barn, in South Hams, Devon, was forged from three connected barns by couple Sue Charman and Martin Whitlock.
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Kevin McCloud originally visited the home in 2001Credit: Channel 4
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The Grand Designs home was dubbed “perfect”by fansCredit: Stags
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After two decades the renovation is completeCredit: Stags
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The property is listed on the market for £1.5millionCredit: Stags
The pair took on the mammoth renovation task in 2001, when the property also featured on Kevin McCloud’s show.
After 20 years the eco-project has been completed, but is now listed for sale.
The decision came after Sue sadly died in 2023, and Martin chose to embark on a new chapter elsewhere.
When Grand Designs host Kevin re-visited the five-bedroom home, after last seeing it in 2001, he said: “This is a home lovingly, painstakingly, time-consumingly transformed.
“Resplendent with 20 years of devoted care.”
Martin explained: “The revisit in 2021 was a delight – we were completely ready and the house was looking at its best.
“A complete absence of drama! Of course things were very different back in 2000. We were racing against the clock and the weather, and the programme makers made the most of that.”
The homeowner told how they chose the house in 2000 because they wanted to near the sea, and Totnes.
“The barn was a complete wreck – actually three barns built together over three centuries, and a bigger project than we were planning, but it allowed us to really go to town and create some stunning rooms,” he added.
The couple enlisted the help of architect Adrian Slocombe, of Earthway Design, to navigate how to build on the sloping landscape.
Despite dedicating two decades to the renovation, Martin said the couple relished in the adventure.
“Although it took 20 years, it wasn’t 20 years of work on the house,” he said.
“We moved into two rooms in 2001 and gradually expanded out from there as we found time to do the work in our busy lives.
“So every so often there would be new rooms or features to enjoy. A real adventure.”
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Natural light floods into the spacious kitchenCredit: Stags
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A vaulted room under the thatch roofCredit: Stags
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A full height entrance atriumCredit: Stags
The property boasts a large kitchen area which connects to an incredible 30-foot reception – kitted out with an oak floor and wood burning stove.
Potential buyers will also be able to enjoy an atrium and grand hall with dramatic pillar features.
As well as a utility room, there’s a stone larder and box room for more storage.
Upstairs, there’s four spacious bedrooms, two of which offer en-suit shower rooms, as well as a shared family bathroom.
And, one of Martin’s favourite areas is a huge vaulted room that lies beneath the thatch roof.
While creating the stunning renovation, the couple wanted to focus on keeping the project environmentally friendly.
Martin said: “Sue was passionate about environmental issues and we were determined to make the house as natural and sustainable as possible.
“It was a matter of principle but also very much in the spirit of the building.
“So the house is eco-conscious in its use of traditional, natural materials such as lime, stone, cob, slate and thatch, but is also highly insulated, has modern double glazing, a reed bed, a heat recovery system and a wood pellet boiler.”
Outside, the property boasts a private driveway which leads to a large parking and turning area in front of the house and garage.
Green Dragon Barn is now listed for sale by Stags at a guide price of £1,500,000.
Grand Designs’ most ‘bizarre’ house ever leaves fans raging
GRAND Designs’ most ‘bizarre’ house ever has left fans raging – as a pensioner builds a £600k replica of her own house.
In the latest episode of the property show 82-year-old Kathryn decided to build a 21st-century mirror image of her Edwardian home with a budget of £607,000 but she soon run into trouble.
The episode centred around Kathryn, who decided to move out of her home in North London following the death of her late husband.
Speaking to host Kevin McCloud, she said that she could no longer look after her home and that she couldn’t cope due to the stairs.
With the help of her son Gordon, Kathryn explained that she wanted to build a mirror image of her house right next door.
Fans of the show couldn’t understand the widow’s decision and slammed her decision as ridiculous.
“That was one ridiculous, overpriced, unnecessary, rip off builds I’ve seen in the history of this show.
“There’s skullduggery at play here, isn’t there Gordon?!” said one viewer.
Another added: “Omg 900k, would love to know the value now?
“Surely they could have updated the original, made the side a plot of land to sell to help with the costs #GrandDesigns.”
A third stated: “Nah that exterior is awful good lord. 900k??? Could have just fired a stair lift in her old place.”
While another fan added: “Oh dear, overpriced disaster imo. Should have just moved. All that money and already owned the land!”
During the show it was revealed that Kathryn had gone over budget by 100k due to a series of misfortunes out of her control.
Presenter Kevin described it as “dire” financially but worse was still to come.
As she was given a £19,000 bill for road cables to connect the house to electricity, and a dumbfounded Kevin was astonished.
The vast increase in costs caused fans to comment further as they couldn’t believe how much she had spent.
“Has she not heard of a stannah stair lift, what a waste of money” exclaimed a viewer.
“900k! And couldn’t even put a stairlift in! What a waste, should have saved the stress and bought a adapted bungalow.
“And it looks like a 1950s community centre” slated another.
One fan went as far as saying: “£900k for a three bed semi? Someone’s taking the p**s.”
The listing reads: “Green Dragon Barn enjoys a peaceful setting near the popular village of Blackawton, which offers a strong community spirit, a highly regarded primary school, a parish church, and a traditional village pub.
“The vibrant market town of Kingsbridge lies approximately 7 miles to the west and provides a wide range of shops, amenities, and a well-respected secondary school, serving nearby coastal villages such as Salcombe and Thurlestone.
“Totnes, around 7 miles to the north, offers an eclectic mix of independent shops, cafes, and galleries, along with a mainline railway station providing direct services to London in around three hours.
“To the south, the historic town of Dartmouth sits at the mouth of the beautiful River Dart and is renowned for its maritime heritage, excellent sailing facilities, and the prestigious Britannia Royal Naval College, also approximately 7 miles away.”
However, Martin said he “wouldn’t blame” new owners if they want to change the style to suit their personal preferences.
He also highlighted the potential their 1.3 acre garden and orchard have to offer.
Looking forward, Martin said: “I can’t imagine living in any house that I didn’t want to make changes to, so I’m open to a new project if I can find one.
“But whatever happens it will be a lot smaller – something on the scale of Green Dragon Barn is really a once-in-a-lifetime project.”
Elinor and Born Barikor, from Richmond in south west London, have created the “healthy house” for their three children.
The couple’s two sons, Avery and Pascal, both have potentially life-threatening dairy, wheat, egg, gluten, soya, oat, pulses, fruit, nut, dust, pollen and animal fur allergies.
Elinor and Born bought their property in 2018 with the hopes of forging a “safe haven” for the boys.
Decision paves way for the country’s largest Muslim party to participate in the next general election, expected by June next year.
Bangladesh has restored the registration of the country’s largest Muslim party, more than a decade after it was banned by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government.
Sunday’s Supreme Court decision means the Jamaat-e-Islami party can now be formally listed with the Election Commission, paving the way for its participation in the next general election, which the interim government has promised to hold by June next year.
Jamaat-e-Islami lawyer Shishir Monir said the ruling would allow a “democratic, inclusive and multiparty system” in the Muslim-majority country of 170 million people.
“We hope that Bangladeshis, regardless of their ethnicity or religious identity, will vote for Jamaat and that the parliament will be vibrant with constructive debates,” Monir told journalists.
The party had appealed for a review of a 2013 high court order cancelling its registration after Hasina’s government was ousted in August by a student-led nationwide uprising.
Hasina, 77, fled to India and is now being tried in absentia over her crackdown last year, described by prosecutors as a “systematic attack” on protesters, which according to the United Nations, killed up to 1,400 people.
Key leader freed
The Supreme Court decision on Jamaat-e-Islami came after it overturned a conviction against ATM Azharul Islam, one of the party’s key leaders, on Tuesday.
Islam was sentenced to death in 2014 for rape, murder and genocide during Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence from Pakistan. Jamaat-e-Islami supported Pakistan during the war, a role that still sparks anger among many Bangladeshis today.
“We, as individuals or as a party, are not beyond making mistakes,” Jamaat-e-Islami leader Shafiqur Rahman said after Islam’s conviction was overturned without specifying what he was referring to.
“We seek your pardon if we have done anything wrong,” he said.
The party’s members were rivals of Hasina’s father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman of the Awami League, who would become Bangladesh’s founding president.
Hasina banned Jamaat-e-Islami during her tenure and cracked down on its leaders.
In May, Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, banned the Awami League, pending the outcome of legal proceedings over its crackdown on last year’s mass protests.
Insiders said Posh was away for work and Geri declined the invitation to the event.
We told last week how the Girls’ ex-manager is in talks for them to reunite as avatars, following in the steps of Abba.
An insider spilled: “Mel’s throwing a huge party in Leeds for her 50th. It’s also her fiance’s birthday today so it’s a joint celebration and will be a real family affair.
“But Geri and Posh can’t make it. Posh had a work commitment she couldn’t get out of.
“It’s a bit awkward given the reunion excitement.”
The Sun has contacted their reps for comment.
The snub comes just days after we revealed plans for the group to reunite as Avatars, following in the footsteps of pop legends Abba.
Police say man arrested following calls to police about someone ‘setting people on fire’.
Police said a male suspect has been taken into custody after an attack that injured multiple people in Boulder, Colorado, in what the FBI director described as a “targeted terror attack”.
While stressing that the information was “very preliminary,” Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn said on Sunday that the man was apprehended following calls to the police dispatch of someone with a weapon who was “setting people on fire”.
Redfearn said he was not in a position to identify the suspect yet, noting that he had been taken to the hospital. He said there were multiple injuries among the victims, ranging “from very serious to more minor”.
The Boulder attack occurred in the vicinity of a walk to remember the Israeli captives who remain in Gaza.
FBI Director Kash Patel, in a statement, described the incident as a “targeted terror attack” and said agents were on the scene.
Redfearn, however, said it was too early to speculate about a motive.
“We are not calling it a terror attack at this moment,” he said.
“This was a beautiful Sunday afternoon in downtown Boulder on Pearl Street and this act was unacceptable … I ask that you join me in thinking about the victims, the families of those victims, and everyone involved in this tragedy.”
THE BRITISH cities with the worst availability and speed of electric vehicle charging have been revealed in new research.
More and more people are making the switch to EVs each passing year, but access to charging infrastructure continues to be a key concern for motorists.
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Cost, speed and access to EV chargers can vary vastly from region to regionCredit: Getty
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Electric car plugged in outside house on street with a sunsetCredit: Getty
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Researchers looked at the number of charging points per 10,000 people within a five mile radius of city centresCredit: Getty
Researchers looked at the number of charging points per 10,000 people within a five mile radius of city centres.
They also noted the average cost and time it takes to charge half an EV battery.
The data examines 53 major cities across the UK, excluding London.
Liverpool was found to be the city with the lowest number of chargers, with just two chargers per 100,000 people within a five mile radius of the city centre.
Newcastle barely did better at 2.4 chargers per 100,000, while Bradford and Leeds followed up with 2.6 each.
10 cities with the fewest EV chargers
The following 10 cities have the fewest number of EV chargers per 100,000 people within a five mile radius of the city centre according to Available Car:
Liverpool – 2.0
Newcastle-upon-Tyne – 2.4
Bradford – 2.6
Leeds – 2.6
Sheffield – 3.0
Bristol – 3.4
Birmingham – 3.5
Southend-on-sea – 3.8
Durham – 4.0
Canterbury – 4.5
Smaller cities boasted far better numbers in the EV charging accessibility ranking.
Ripon was the city with the highest number of chargers per 100,000 at 63.1 – far ahead of second placed Salisbury at 43.7.
But simply finding a charger isn’t the only issue EV owners face.
Available Car’s data also highlighted a major regional disparity in the time it takes to charge half a battery.
Leicester is the city found to have the slowest EV charging times – taking an average of 8.25 hours to get to half charge.
Available Car’s report reads: “The city’s slower charging infrastructure highlights the need for investment in faster chargers to support the growing demand for electric vehicles.
“Without quicker charging options, Leicester may face challenges in encouraging more drivers to switch to electric.”
But Leicester EV drivers have some solace – as the survey also found it to cheapest city to charge your car, where a half full battery would cost an average of £12.60.
10 cities with the slowest EV charging time
The following cities have the slowest average time to charge an EV according to Available Car:
Leicester – 8.25 hours
Brighton & Hove – 6.24 hours
Portsmouth – 5.67 hours
Coventry – 5.45 hours
Oxford – 4.65 hours
York – 4.58 hours
Bath – 4.54 hours
Leeds – 4.51 hours
Manchester – 4.46 hours
Norwich – 4.28 hours
Brighton & Hove and Portsmouth followed Leicester as the next slowest for charging, 6.24 and 5.67 hours respectively.
Wakefield recorded the speediest charge of the cities surveyed, taking an average of just 0.8 hours.
The researchers used a Tesla Model Y as the benchmark vehicle when gathering the data.
Their report adds: “Making the switch to an electric vehicle (EV) should be an exciting step towards greener, more sustainable driving.
“However, one of the biggest barriers preventing drivers from switching from petrol or diesel to electric vehicles is having to rely on their local charging infrastructure, particularly the time it takes to charge and the cost involved.
“Unlike petrol and diesel drivers, EV owners must navigate the UK’s charging network, where charging speeds and costs vary significantly based on location and charger type.”
In the aftermath of Democrats’ widespread electoral failures last year, party activists in California who gathered for their annual convention this weekend struggled with balancing how to stick to their values while also reconnecting with voters who were traditionally part of their base — notably working-class Americans.
California’s progressive policies and its Democratic leaders were routinely battered by Republicans during the 2024 election, with then-vice president and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris taking the brunt of it. Harris ultimately lost the election to Trump, partly because of shrinking support among traditional Democratic constituencies, including minorities and working-class voters.
“We got to be honest in what happened, because losing elections has consequences,” said Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, during a rousing speech Saturday afternoon. “We’re in this mess because some of it’s our own doing. … None of us can afford to shy away from having hard conversations about what it’s going to take to win elections.”
Walz, a potential 2028 presidential candidate, said Democrats don’t need to retreat from their ideals, such as protecting the most vulnerable in society, including transgender children. But they need to show voters that they are capable of bold policy that will improve voters’ lives rather than delivering incremental progress, he said.
“The Democratic Party, the party of the working class, lost a big chunk of the working class,” he said. “That last election was a primal scream on so many fronts: do something, do something, stand up and make a difference.”
California is home to the most Democrats in the nation as well as a large number of the party’s most deep-pocketed donors, making the state a popular spot for presidential hopefuls from across the country.
In addition to Walz, another potential 2028 White House candidate who addressed the 4,000 delegates and guests at the Anaheim Convention Center was New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker. Booker argued that Democrats must remember the courage of their ancestors who fought for civil and voting rights and created the social safety net for the most vulnerable Americans as they try to fight Trumpism.
“Real change does not come from Washington. It comes from communities. It comes from the streets,” he said in a Saturday morning speech. “The power of the people is greater than the people in power.”
Harris, who is weighing a 2026 gubernatorial run and is also viewed as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, addressed the convention by video. Gov. Gavin Newsom, also viewed as a possible White House contender, did not appear at the convention.
Delegate Jane Baulch-Enloe, a middle school teacher from Pleasant Hill in the Bay Area, said she wasn’t sure that California’s particular brand of liberalism will sell on the national stage.
“I don’t know if a California Democrat can win a presidential election,” she said as she and her daughter sorted through swag and campaign fliers in the convention cafe. “California is thought of as the crazy people. … I don’t mean that in a bad way — though I know some people do — but we do things differently here.”
She said she learned from President Obama’s memoir, “Audacity of Hope,” that most, if not all, Americans “want the same things,” but talk about them differently and have different approaches for getting there. California Democrats, Baulch-Enloe said, “need to get people on our side and help them understand that we aren’t just wacko liberals, and teach people that it’s okay to want things” like healthcare for all and high union wages.
But the 2028 presidential race was not the focus of this year’s California Democratic Party convention. Delegates were more concerned about last year’s presidential and congressional losses — though California was a rare bright spot for the party, flipping three districts held by the GOP — and preparing for next year’s midterm elections. Delegates hope Democrats will take control of Congress to stop Trump from enacting his agenda.
Aref Aziz, a leader of the party’s Asian American Pacific Islander caucus, said the party needed to sharpen its messaging on economic issues if they want to have a chance of victory in coming elections.
“When it comes to the affordability issue, when it comes to economics, those are the things that across the broad spectrum of our coalition, all those things matter to everybody,” Aziz said. “And what really is, what really is important is for us to focus on that economic message and how we’re going to improve the quality of life for everyone in these midterm elections and future presidential elections.”
He noted he was in France on his honeymoon recently, and was strolling through a grocery store and buying half a dozen eggs for 1.50 euros (the equivalent of $1.70) when the news broke that California’s economy had grown to the fourth largest in the world.
“When you look at a lot of our economies, California and New York, by all accounts, GDP, the numbers that you look at, they’re doing great,” he said. “But when it comes to the cost that consumers are paying in these places, they’re so high and so far above other countries that we end up diminishing whatever value there is in our GDP, because everything’s so expensive.”
Some Democrats questioned the impact of the weaponization of California’s liberal policies, including defending transgender rights, on voters in battleground states in 2024.
But delegates and party leaders largely argued that the state needs to continue to be on the vanguard of such matters.
“People like to point a finger somewhere, and I think California is an easy target, but I disagree,” said delegate Melissa Taylor, president of our local Foothill Community Democrats. “Because I think that California is standing up for values that the Democratic Party believes in, like we believe in labor, we believe in healthcare, we believe in women’s rights, we believe in rights for LGBTQ people.”
Jodi Hicks, the president of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, said issues such as reproductive healthcare access also have an economic impact.
“We have to walk and chew gum at the same time,” she said, adding that the party’s 2024 losses were likely prompted by multiple factors, including Harris’ being the Democratic nominee for a little over three months after then-President Biden decided not to seek reelection.
“We’re going to be analyzing 2024 for a very long time,” Hicks said. “It was such unique circumstances.”
Times staff writer Laura J. Nelson contributed to this report.
In 23-year-old Draper, British tennis fans believe they may just have found their next serial Grand Slam contender.
British former world number four Tim Henman told BBC Sport recently that Draper’s best attributes – his left-handed serve and crunching forehand – could “work on any surface”.
Prior to this year, though, Draper had never won a match at the clay-court major with most of his success coming on hard courts or grass.
However, he has made huge strides on the surface this season and reached his first clay final in Madrid in April.
Managing to avoid the injuries that have plagued him in the past has enabled Draper to reach a significantly higher level of fitness, which has been key to his improvement on the slower surface.
Now just the world number 62 stands between him and another Grand Slam quarter-final.
And while Draper has enjoyed the best year of his career, Bublik fell from a high of 17th in the rankings in 2024 to as low as 82nd in March.
That prompted a radical change of approach that led to the Kazakh taking a trip to Las Vegas that month to blow off some steam.
“My fall was not linked with lack of attitude and lack of practising,” he said.
“It was the exact opposite. I just burned out because I was waiting for the results to come.
“I was like, if I practise more, if I hit better forehands, it will come. It didn’t, and then I got to the point of ‘OK, why am I sacrificing so much? For what?'”
Asked if the trip to Nevada was a training trip, Bublik added: “No, Vegas, Vegas, like a hangover thing Vegas.
“It was a good three days. I had just let it all out. I said, I’m useless now, I can’t win a match, so let it be, let’s see how it goes.”
It worked as Bublik won his next event, the Challenger tournament in Phoenix, Arizona, having arrived from Vegas three hours before his first match. He also triumphed on clay in Turin last month.
The 27-year-old is slowly climbing the rankings again – but Draper will be keen to ensure a first Grand Slam quarter-final appearance has to wait.
A handout photo made available by the Ukrainian Security Service channel on Telegram in June shows the head of the Security Service Vasyl Malyuk, studying a photo of a map of Russia’s strategic aviation location at an undisclosed location in Ukraine. Photo by the Ukrainian Security Service/EPA-EFE
June 1 (UPI) — Ukrainian intelligence officials claimed Sunday to have attacked at least 40 bombers deep inside Russia, which would be the most aggressive such attack on Russian territory since Moscow-led troops invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Ukraine targeted “41 strategic Russian aircraft” in an offensive code-named “Spiderweb,” NBC News reported, citing a source within the Security Service of Ukraine.
The attack happened at the Belaya air base in Russia’s Irkutsk region in Siberia, almost 3,000 miles from Ukraine, according to video posted by the Kyiv Independent.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday on X that he is “doing everything to protect our independence, our state, our people,” and said he was receiving regular updates from his security forces.
Andriy Yermak, head of the office of the President of Ukraine, posted an emoji on the spiderweb.
“At the right moment, the roofs of the cabins were opened remotely, and the drones flew to hit Russian bombers,” the Independent reported of the “Spiderweb” operation, which sources told the paper was a year-and-a-half in the making.
Ukraine announced in March that it had developed a new, more cost-effective drone with a range of nearly 2,000 miles, but did not say when they would go into operation or if these drones were used in the Sunday attack.
At least seven people died and more were injured when a passenger train derailed following a bridge collapse and explosion in Russia’s Bryansk region near Ukraine, Duetsche Welle reported. A second bridge was said to have collapsed in the Kursk region.
The Russian defense ministry said Ukraine lost 510 troops and five armored personnel carriers, although it offered no evidence in a post on Telegram.
Ukraine has not commented on the collapsed bridges or ensuing explosion and deaths.
World number one Scottie Scheffler continued his stunning form with a four-shot victory at the Memorial Tournament in Columbus, Ohio.
The American shot a two-under-par 70 to beat compatriot Ben Griffin, whose challenge faded on the back nine.
After bogeys on the 12th and 13th, Griffin eagled the 15th and birdied the 16th to move to within a stroke of Scheffler.
But he double-bogeyed the 17th to ease the pressure on his rival, who went on seal his third win from his previous four tournaments.
The victory follows his triumph in the PGA Championship in May, Scheffler’s third major win.
He dropped just one shot in his final round when he bogeyed the 10th hole, but made birdies on the seventh, 11th and 15th.
Scheffler’s victory makes him just the second player to win the Memorial in consecutive years, following Tiger Woods’ victories in 1999, 2000 and 2001.
