ABOARD THE CRESCENT (AP) — There’s something melodic about watching the sun rise over a rural stillness broken only by the rhythms of steel wheels on tracks. Or so we tell ourselves.
In this case, being aboard a train at all owed more to politics than poetry.
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This image made from an Associated Press video shows the Virginia countryside, as seen from an Amtrak train, Friday, March 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Bill Barrow)
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This image made from an Associated Press video shows the Virginia countryside, as seen from an Amtrak train, Friday, March 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Bill Barrow)
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Congress and Donald Trump were mired in their latest budget stalemate, one rooted in the Republican president’s immigration crackdown and the tactics of federal forces he has sent to U.S. cities. But this impasse has upended a foundational constant of American life today: easy air travel.
In Atlanta, my hometown airport, cheerfully marketed as the world’s busiest, had descended into organized chaos. Unpaid federal employees called out from work, leaving a diminished security staff to screen travelers frustrated by hourslong waits in line. I wanted to get to Washington for the NCAA basketball tournament. So I eliminated the risk of a missed flight and booked the train overnight and into game day across a 650-mile route.
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In this fraught moment in U.S. politics, I slowed down and thought about things we take for granted. Who ever ponders the conveniences of that 20th-century innovation, the airplane, that makes 21st-century hustle possible? We book and board. An unconscious, first-world flex of modernity. It’s even rarer to grapple with the inconvenience.
My decision had taken me further back, to the 19th century and another defining innovation: the long-distance train.
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The Amtrak station in Danville, VA, is seen Friday, March 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Bill Barrow)
The Amtrak station in Danville, VA, is seen Friday, March 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Bill Barrow)
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A 14½-hour weekend train ride is time aplenty to appreciate how completely politics, economics, social strife and fights over identity and belonging have always affected the order of our lives, including how, when and where we move around in these United States. But Amtrak’s Crescent also allowed me to see the expanse of our collective experience.
I traversed the urban, suburban and rural breadth of East Coast America. I learned how other travelers came aboard. And in that, I found the portrait of people, past and present, who refuse to be as paralyzed as some of their elected leaders.
Convenience on the railways
There is little glamour late night in a crowded Amtrak station. Children are up past bedtime and tended by frazzled parents. Older adults struggle with luggage and stairs.
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Airports are not red-carpet affairs either, of course. But there is a certain cache to Delta’s Atlanta-Washington flights. They typically take about two hours gate to gate. They often are slotted at a midpoint gate of the concourse nearest the main terminal. That is almost certainly a nod to members of Congress who use it — but who have lost some airline perks during this extended patrial shutdown.
In normal circumstances I can get from my front porch to Capitol Hill or downtown in as little as 4½ hours. Security lines these days could at least double my overall air travel time.
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Union Station is seen Friday, March 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Bill Barrow)
Union Station is seen Friday, March 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Bill Barrow)
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The train is still longer, and time is money, we are taught. But certainty has value, too, even if it means at 11:29 p.m. departure. And at the Amtrak station, there were no standstill lines, no Transportation Security Administration agents, no ICE agents as stand-ins.
Passengers who arrived mere minutes before departure made it on board and found seats quickly — assigned in boarding order, not predetermined zones that yield jammed aisles. There’s no in-seat service or satellite TV. But even coach seats, the lowest Amtrak tier, are as spacious as airline first-class – and there is Wi-Fi, so it’s not the 19th century or even 20th century after all.
On board, I heard one crew member joke, “I’m no TSA agent.”
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The pathways of history
As a boy in rural Alabama, I counted train cars and wondered where they were headed. I’ve since read diary entries and letters from my grandmother and her sisters recounting World War II-era weekend trips to Atlanta.
The South’s largest city has a historical hook, too. Originally named “Terminus,” Atlanta developed in the antebellum era as a critical intersection of north-south and east-west rail routes. That is what drew Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman for one of the Civil War’s seminal campaigns that helped defeat the Confederacy.
A century after the Civil War, Delta chose Atlanta for its headquarters rather than Birmingham, Alabama, which was the larger city as of the 1960 census. The company’s decision was tied up in tax breaks for the airline, named for its crop duster origins in the Mississippi Delta region. According to some interpretations, Delta’s decision was made easier because of the more overt racism of Alabama’s and Birmingham’s leaders as they defended Jim Crow — a code that, among other acts, allowed states to segregate the passenger trains that predated Amtrak.
On this night, I heard many languages and accents, notable given the role that immigrant labor played in building the U.S. rail system and especially striking now with immigration — legal and illegal — at the forefront in Washington, my destination. I saw faces that reflected U.S. pluralism, a different mix from what my grandmother and aunts would have seen a lifetime ago.
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Union Station is seen Friday, March 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Bill Barrow)
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Union Station is seen Friday, March 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Bill Barrow)
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The array of voices celebrated the freedom and ease of rail travel. So did Agatha Grimes and her friends after they boarded in Greensboro, North Carolina, as part of a long weekend trip to celebrate her 62nd birthday.
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“I got stuck in the Atlanta airport last week,” Grimes said, as her group laughed together in the dining car. “It’s just nuts.”
Beretta Nunnally, a self-described “train veteran” who organized their trip, said, “There’s no worry about parking. No checking bags. You come to the station, you get where you going, and you come home.”
An era for planes, trains and automobiles
Still, that is not as easy in the United States as it once was.
Just as politics, economics and subsidies helped grow U.S. railroads, those factors diminished the network as auto manufacturers, oil companies, roadbuilders and, finally, airline manufacturers and airlines commanded favor from politicians and attention from consumers.
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Riding hours across rural areas, I noticed the junkyards where kudzu and chain-link fencing framed rows of rusted automobiles. I saw the farmland and equipment that helps feed cities and the rest of the nation. I awoke to see the night lights of office towers in Charlotte, North Carolina, and its NFL stadium. I saw vibrant county seats — and I thought of countless other towns like them that are not thriving as they sit disconnected from passenger rail and far from the Eisenhower-era interstate system that we crossed multiple times on our way.
In each setting, voters — conservatives, liberals, the extremes and betweens — have chosen their representatives, senators and a president who now set the nation’s course.
When I arrived in Washington, I paused to enjoy Union Station’s grand hall and its Beaux Arts appeal, and I lamented how much splendor has been lost because so many striking U.S. terminals have been razed. I stepped outside and looked up at the Capitol dome.
While I had slept, the Senate managed a bipartisan deal to fund all of the Department of Homeland Security except immigration enforcement. As I continued northward, House Republican leaders rejected it. The stalemate continued.
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I was a weary traveler but renewed citizen. I had a game to get to. And the train rolled on.
The influencer was tasked with making traybakes, tart tatin and childhood toys in biscuits
Molly-Mae Hague has taken to her Instagram to share her experience of competing in the Great British Bakeoff as she declares it an ‘insane’ experience’.
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The influencer has starred in the latest episode Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer (SUTC), in which she was declared star baker.
The 26-year old appeared on the Channel 4 programme on Sunday night where she faced dancer JoJo Siwa, writer Richard Herring and comedian Babatunde Aleshe in a bid to impress the judges, TV cook Paul Hollywood and pastry chef Cherish Finden.
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The four stars were tasked with making traybakes, tarte tatin and childhood toys in biscuits. For the latter, the influencer whipped up an edible version of Ellie Belly, her beloved stuffed elephant teddy which she famously took into the Love Island villa.
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After being declared the winner of the episode and receiving her star baker apron, Hague took to Instagram and said: “Still trying to process that this even happened.
“Taking part in Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer was honestly one of the most insane experiences of my life.
“Just so grateful to have been part of something so special for such an incredible cause. I’ll truly never get over it.”
The emotional caption came under a slideshow of photos from the show, including Hague posing with her fellow contestants as well as presenter Alison Hammond.
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The comment section included messages of support from her friend and fellow Love Island star Maura Higgins as well as from her partner, boxer Tommy Fury who commented “Proud”.
Hague starred on the reality dating show in 2019 and met Higgins as well as Fury.
The couple had their first child together, a daughter called Bambi, in January 2023 with Hague announcing in February that the two are expecting a second child.
It comes months after she confirmed the two were back in a relationship together following a split in 2024 while they were engaged.
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Stand Up To Cancer is a joint national fundraising campaign from Cancer Research UK and Channel 4. Other stars competing in the national baking show include Radio DJ Scott Mills, One Day actress Ambika Mod and comedian Joe Wilkinson.
The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer will return on Channel 4 on Sunday April 5.
But Labour MP Stella Creasy, chairwoman of the Labour Movement for Europe, said there should be less concern on the number of people involved in the scheme: “This is a deal that will bring back freedoms young Brits from all backgrounds lost with Brexit, as well as boosting growth.”
For successful couples, separation is rarely just about who keeps the house. It often involves businesses, shareholdings, professional practices, pensions, property portfolios and inherited wealth. In many cases, it is the careful unwinding of a commercial partnership as much as a personal one.
And like any business matter, it requires strategy.
One of the most common misconceptions I encounter is the belief that, “my business is separate.” In reality, if a company was built, expanded or sustained during a marriage, it will almost certainly form part of the overall financial landscape. That does not mean it will be divided in half or forced into sale — but it does mean it must be properly valued and understood. Share structures, director loans, retained profits and future income streams all require careful analysis.
The same applies to pensions. For many professional couples, pensions are among the most valuable assets in the marriage, sometimes exceeding the equity in the family home. Yet they are frequently overlooked in early discussions because they feel distant or intangible. Proper actuarial input can significantly alter the picture of fairness.
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Inherited wealth presents its own challenges. Yorkshire families often hold assets across generations — land, farms, investment properties, or long-established family homes. While inheritance can sometimes be treated differently from assets built up during the marriage, it is not automatically protected. The court’s guiding principle remains fairness, particularly where needs must be met.
Farming cases illustrate this more starkly than almost any other. A working farm is rarely just a business; it is a home, a livelihood and often a legacy stretching back decades, sometimes centuries. Ownership structures can be layered — land held by parents, farming partnerships, limited companies, diversification ventures, and tenancy arrangements intertwined.
In these situations, the question is not simply “Who gets what?” but “How does the farm survive?” A forced sale can affect not just a couple, but an entire family ecosystem. I have seen how poor early advice can place the viability of a family enterprise at real risk. Equally, I have seen how careful negotiation, realistic valuation and a calm, strategic approach can protect both fairness and continuity.
Over three decades, I have learned that the greatest risk in financially complex divorces is not conflict — it is assumption. Assumptions about what is untouchable. Assumptions about what the court will or will not do. Assumptions that informal agreements will somehow hold. When substantial assets are involved, clarity at the outset is invaluable.
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Encouragingly, the way these cases are resolved continues to evolve. Increasingly, successful couples wish to avoid the spectacle, delay, and cost of contested court proceedings. They value privacy, control, and dignity.
Mediation and arbitration provide structured, confidential routes to a fair resolution. These are not soft options; they require transparency and realism from both parties. But when managed properly, they preserve not only wealth, but working relationships — particularly where children, shared business interests or extended family ties remain.
After 30 years in practice, I remain convinced that divorce at this level is not about winning or losing. It is about managing risk, preserving stability, and protecting the next chapter of life.
Divorce may be deeply personal. But where significant assets are involved, it is also undeniably a business matter. And like any important business decision, it deserves experienced guidance, measured judgment, and calm leadership.
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If you are facing separation and significant assets are involved — whether a business, professional practice, farm, or long-held family wealth — taking early, experienced advice can make a profound difference. A considered conversation at the outset often prevents costly missteps later.
For those who value clarity, discretion and strategic thinking, the right guidance at the right time is an investment in stability. James Thornton Family Law offers clear, fixed-fee consultations designed to provide strategic direction from the outset, allowing clients to move forward with confidence and control.
Callum Paul Senior, 31, of Bramham Avenue, Chapelfields, pleaded guilty to failure to provide a breath sample while suspected of drink driving.
He was given a 12-month community order with 200 hours’ hours and was banned from driving for three years. He was ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £114 statutory surcharge.
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Rui Maea-Nunes, 50, of Brook Street, Selby, pleaded guilty to cocaine driving in Brotherton, cocaine driving in Selby and failure to provide a sample of blood when suspected of being in charge of a vehicle after drinking or taking drugs.
She was banned from driving for three years, given a 12-month community order with 100 hours’ unpaid work and ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £114 statutory surcharge.
Two were sentenced at Harrogate Magistrates Court.
John Atkinson, 34, of Market Court, Pickering, was convicted of driving a vehicle with a tyre with insufficient tread.
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He was banned from driving for six months, fined £184 and ordered to pay £90 prosecution costs and a £74 statutory surcharge.
Sally Steadman, 49, of St Nicholas Street, Norton, was convicted of speeding on the A64 at Whitwell Hill.
She was banned from driving for six months, fined £256 and ordered to pay £120 prosecution costs and a £102 statutory surcharge.
Five major DWP benefit changes coming in April 2026 | Cambridgeshire Live
Need to know
The DWP is making five key changes to benefits from April 2026, including rate increases for Universal Credit, PIP and State Pension, as well as Easter payment date changes
People under the age of 22 could be barred from claiming the health element of Universal Credit in the proposed change(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Everything you need to know about DWP changes from April 2026:
From April onwards, millions of people nationwide will see an increase in their bank balances. This is due to the DWP raising benefit rates. Payments set to rise include PIP, Universal Credit, Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance and State Pension.
A major alteration to Universal Credit has been implemented by the Government, effective from April 6 this year. Historic legislation to abolish the two-child benefit limit has now become law. This change eliminates the existing restriction in Universal Credit that limited support to a family’s first two children. The DWP states that families already claiming the benefit will see the update applied automatically with no action required.
Modifications to the health-related component of Universal Credit are scheduled to come into effect from April 6, changing how some claimants qualify for additional payments associated with illness or disability. The DWP stated that the reforms will address “perverse incentives” by introducing a lower Universal Credit health element rate of £217.26 per month for new claimants, compared to the higher rate of £429.80 for existing claimants. This extra support is known as the Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity (LCWRA) element.
Benefit claimants are being urged to check when they will receive their April payments. This is because some benefits will be impacted by the two bank holidays over Easter. If you are due to receive a payment on Friday April 3 (Good Friday) or Monday April 6 (Easter Monday), you should instead receive it on Thursday, April 2. This will be for most benefits, including Universal Credit, State Pension, Pension Credit, Child Benefit, Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and others, reports Chronicle Live.
Those making a claim for Personal Independence Payments are being warned about a rule change coming in April. Under the new rules, there will be three years between reviews, once the benefit has been granted. The DWP says the aim of the move is to free up healthcare professionals who can conduct additional face-to-face assessments and complete more Working Capability Assessments (WCA). The current interval between PIP reviews can be as short as nine months. But this interval will be lengthened for most claimants 25 and over, to a minimum of three years for new applications, increasing to five years at review should they continue to qualify.
Sir Keir Starmer is set to meet business leaders in Downing Street on Monday as the government seeks to tackle the impacts of the conflict in the Middle East on British households.
The prime minister will hear directly from businesses to assess the damage to the UK’s economy as he convenes senior figures from the energy, shipping and financial services industries.
Downing Street said the prime minister will discuss how the government and the private sector could work together to mitigate the fallout from the war.
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Sir Keir Starmer will hear directly from business leaders as war in the Middle East threatens economic instability (PA Wire)
The meeting will also hear an update on the situation in the region from Major General Richard Cantrill, the UK’s maritime operations commander.
Petrol prices have already risen sharply, while disruption to the global oil supply has seen some developing countries impose restrictions on fuel usage and sparked concern shortages could spread to the UK.
Ministers have sought to downplay the possibility of fuel shortages, with education secretary Bridget Phillipson saying on Sunday that drivers should fill up their cars as normal.
However, pressure has been growing for the government to reverse a rise in fuel duty in September, with Ms Phillipson telling broadcasters ministers will “take a view closer to the time”.
Petrol prices have already risen sharply (PA)
She told Sky News: “The chancellor is absolutely committed to making sure that right throughout this conflict that we see, we have right at the forefront of our minds the impact that this is having on the British people.
“She will continue to keep under review the measures that are needed.”
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Monday is also expected to see chancellor Rachel Reeves urge her G7 counterparts to accelerate the transition from fossil fuels in a virtual meeting with finance and energy ministers and central bank governors.
Amid the ongoing war in Iran, she will argue this is the only way to get off the “rollercoaster” of international oil and gas markets and cut bills for good.
She is also expected to caution against resorting to protectionism as a response to disrupted supply chains and stress the importance of the G7 working together to maintain pressure on Russia, which is set to benefit from the higher oil price.
Monday is also expected to see chancellor Rachel Reeves urge her G7 counterparts to accelerate the transition from fossil fuels (PA)
Earlier in March, Donald Trump raised concerns after he eased US sanctions on Russian oil in a bid to reduce pressure on global markets.
In contrast, the Conservative Party leader has pushed for Britain to capitalise on its own oil and gas reserves in an effort to shield UK households from the threat of rising energy costs.
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Kemi Badenoch will launch her “Get Britain Drilling” campaign on Monday, as she calls for Britain to maximise the use of its resources by drilling in the North Sea.
The Conservatives have also called for a cut in VAT on domestic energy bills and the scrapping of green taxes on power generation, saying these measures will cut bills by £200.
The government has rolled out its own parking platform
Councils will be pushed to sign up to a “one-stop-shop” parking app designed to stop the “faff” of paying to park, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has said.
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All councils in England will be told to use the National Parking Platform (NPP), which has handled more than 10 million transactions since it was launched in May last year, in a renewed push first reported in The i Paper.
The non-profit, Government-developed platform allows drivers to pay for parking in all participating council car parks using their preferred app, aiming to stop the need for multiple apps, PA reported.
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Fifteen local authorities currently use the platform, now run by the British Parking Association, and the Government hopes to double that number by issuing statutory guidance advising councils to sign up.
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A spokeswoman for the Department for Transport (DfT) told the Press Association the NPP is in talks with several councils as part of efforts to encourage a greater uptake.
The Government has also asked councils to consider what other functions the platform could have, such as its potential to be used to pay for tolls and electric vehicle (EV) charging.
The push forms part of the Government’s Better Connected transport plan, which is expected to be published on Thursday and aims to improve travel across England by connecting roads, buses, trains and trams.
Ms Alexander said: “Parking shouldn’t be a faff. The fact that this platform has already handled more than 10 million transactions shows just how much people value a simpler, more straightforward way to pay.
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“Now we want this platform to work harder for drivers in England. The way we drive is changing and so should the technology, which is why our Better Connected strategy will encourage more local councils to adopt the parking platform and then look to expand it beyond, to things like electric vehicle charging and paying tolls.”
In a statement, the DfT said confusion around how to pay for parking is one of the reasons drivers are hit with fines “they didn’t see coming”.
In a poll of 1,709 UK drivers published in October last year, the RAC found 73% of those who had used a mobile app to pay for parking in the previous 12 months had suffered problems.
More than one in 10 people (13%) said they could not work out how to use the parking app they had installed, a figure that doubled to 26% for those aged 75 and above.
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More than a third (36%) of respondents said they had at least three parking apps installed on their phone and 15% had four or more.
RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis said: “Paying to park a car should be one of the simplest tasks any driver does, but with a plethora of different mobile parking payment apps now in existence, things have got a little more complicated.
“The roll-out of the National Parking Platform has the potential to change that, giving drivers the chance to use a single app of their choice. We now need as many operators as possible to join the scheme to make parking easier for everyone.”
The Creative Technology Discovery Cluster (C3) will help organisations of all sizes – and from all sectors – use cutting-edge creative technology to support business innovation and solve real-world problems.
The cluster’s first event, took place recently at the Guildhall, York, will showcase how innovative technologies from the creative industries can drive growth and competitive advantage across industry.
Technologies such as virtual reality, immersive environments and motion capture have been significantly shaped and advanced by the creative and performance industries, where they have enabled new forms of storytelling, production and audience engagement.
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Building on this foundation, these technologies are now transforming a wide range of sectors including healthcare, manufacturing, engineering, heritage, tourism and digital services.
As part of the event, academics from CoSTAR LiveLAB, a state-of-the-art research and development facility at Production Park in Wakefield, gave an overview of the work being done there, while Phil Adlam, Chief Technology Officer at Production Park, delivered the keynote address on how technology is set to develop over the next 20 years.
Delegates enjoyed specialist support to help their organisation explore, adopt, and implement digital tools. Following a series of “lightning talks” and live demonstrations, there were practical exercises and networking.
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David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said: “York and North Yorkshire has the ambition and the talent to compete globally, but with the right support and funding we know our businesses can do even more.
“This is a prime example of how we bridge the gap between world-class research at the University of York and our local businesses.
“We’re helping businesses unlock the power of interactive technologies to solve real-world problems and it’s great to see such a strong surge in interest for the event, – it’s a testament to the ambition of our business community.”
Damian Murphy, Director of the XR Stories project at the University of York, said: “We know that firms who are better connected to the creative industries are more likely to introduce new-to-market products. Technologies developed and used within the creative sector can similarly generate spillover benefits for organisations in other sectors.
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“We’re here today to demonstrate that potential through the XR Stories Lab where we provide creative technology support and expertise to businesses, cultural organisations and freelancers working to develop new immersive and extended reality experiences for their clients and customers.”
PC Shezad, PC Owen, PC Richardson and PCSO Wales carried out the stop, during which both occupants of the vehicle were searched under Section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act.
During the search, officers recovered and seized a quantity of drugs along with weapons.
The driver of the vehicle tested positive for cannabis at the roadside and was also found to be driving without insurance.
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The vehicle was subsequently seized under Section 165 of the Road Traffic Act.
The driver was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class B drugs, possession of an offensive weapon, drug driving, and driving without insurance.
The passenger was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class B drugs and possession of an offensive weapon.
Greater Manchester Police said they “remain committed to tackling serious criminality and keeping communities safe.”
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Anyone with information about crime in their area is encouraged to report it.
Tottenham are searching for their third manager of the season after parting ways with Igor Tudor.
Spurs announced on Sunday that Tudor had left by mutual contest and the club plan to appoint a new head coach in the coming days, so someone is in place for when the players return from international duty next week.
That would give the new manager around 10 days to prepare for their next game away at Sunderland on April 12.
Spurs are deep in relegation trouble after their gamble on Tudor backfired and has resulted in just one point out of a possible 15 in the Premier League.
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Last weekend’s miserable 3-0 home defeat against Nottingham Forest, in what was billed as a relegation six-pointer, leaves Spurs just one point above the bottom three with seven games to play.
Sean Dyche
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De Zerbi and Mauricio Pochettino are the most established names mentioned, but neither is expected to be interested or available before the end of the season.
One former Tottenham man who has confirmed his eagerness for the role is Harry Redknapp, but having been out of work for nine years, it would be a bold move to hand him the reins.
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Robbie Keane is also in the running. The former Spurs striker is currently manager of Hungarian club Ferencvaros.
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