Latest news with #AndySmith
BBC News
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Kendal Calling 2025 line-up, how to get there and gate times
Tens of thousands of music lovers will be taking to the fields later as one of the biggest UK festivals begins. About 40,000 people are expected to attend Kendal Calling, at Lowther Deer Park near Penrith, in Cumbria, where Kaiser Chiefs and DJ Fatboy Slim will headline. From just 900 attendees in its first year, the four-day festival is celebrating its 20th year. Founder Andy Smith previously described its growth as "quite extraordinary".Here is everything you need to know ahead of Kendal Calling, which runs until Sunday. What time does it start and are tickets available? All tickets for the festival have sold organisers are encouraging those who have missed out to join their waiting list on their partner site, Tixel, for safe, last-minute, fan-to-fan added that no tickets will be available to buy at the gates. Gates for the campsite open at 09:00 BST and will remain open until 21:00 for those with Thursday entry tickets alongside their full weekend Friday, gates are open from 08:00 to 21:00, and between 10:00 and 21:00 on Saturday and Sunday. The campsite will close at 14:00 on arena opens from 16:00 on Thursday with music beginning at 17:00 and 10:00 on Friday, Saturday and said those aged 11 to 15, with weekend tickets, must be accompanied by a ticket-holding parent or guardian over the age of 21 - and must camp in the same area as their families. Teen ticket holders - aged 11-15 - are not allowed in the arena unaccompanied after 22:00. Adult ticket holders aged 16-17 must have ID to allow them to enter the festival without an adult. Who's in the line-up? More than 100 artists will take to the nine stages across the site, including the return of Kaiser Chiefs, who will kick things off on the main stage on Thursday. The Courteeners will headline on Friday, while Fat Boy Slim takes over on Saturday and The Prodigy on Sunday. Pop singer Daniel Bedingfield, who had a string of hits in the early 2000s, will headline the festival's Parkland's stage, with Scouting For Girls and Maximo Park also featuring. Sophie Ellis-Bextor, The Wombats and comedian Jason Manford are also set to make an appearance. Full details of the festival's stages are available via Kendal Calling's website. Stage times are not released ahead of the festival but acts are split across nine stages, which include:Main StageParklandsCalling OutWoodlandsChai WallahThe SoapboxTim Burgess' Tim Peaks DinerDesert Island DiscoThe Town Hall How can I get there? The festival at Lowther Deer Park is 25 minutes north from the market town in are encouraging the use of public transport as part of their sustainability goals at the festival. A number of coaches are in operation on Thursday and Friday, returning on Monday, with tickets still available via their website, travelling from: Barrow-in-Furness, Birmingham, Blackpool, Bolton, Bradford, Carlisle, Dumfries, Glasgow, Kendal, Leeds, Liverpool, London Victoria, Manchester, Newcastle, Preston, Sheffield, Stockport, Sunderland, Warrington, Whitehaven, Wigan and nearest train station to the festival site is Penrith, which is a 15-minute taxi journey. Organisers are also running a shuttle bus service from the train station. There are also shuttle buses that run from Penrith station to the site, which run on Thursday, Friday and Monday. The times are:Thursday 10:00 – 18:45Friday 08:30 – 19:15Monday 06:00– 13:15Further details can be found on the festival's website.A designated pick-up and drop-off point is also located at the festival's Green Gate, which has road signage. Car travel and road closures Organisers are warning that traffic can be busier when travelling on a Friday and are encouraging drivers to either arrive on Thursday or make their journeys in plenty of time. Those travelling north are being advised to leave the M6 at junction 39 and head through to Shap on the A6, and then follow signage. Those travelling south should leave the M6 at junction 40 and head through to Penrith via the A66, and follow the festival signage. Car parking tickets can be booked in advance or be paid on the day at an extra cost, organisers say, and are urging festival-goers not to park next to their tent but in designated car parking areas. Roadworks taking place on the A66 from Kemplay Bank Roundabout in Penrith, which include 40mph speed restriction, may cause congestion, organisers have warned. They said to allow extra time for travelling, stating on their Facebook page: "If arriving on Friday, we'd recommend avoiding arriving between the hours of 12:00 BST to18:00 to avoid the bulk of traffic in the local area owing to the Center Parcs changeover day, end of week work traffic and of course, the influx of festival-goers."Cumbria Police said it was expecting travel disruption with busier than normal roads in the Eden area. Security and safety In the run up to the festival, police said it had been been working closely with organisers and local authorities to ensure all attending had a safe and enjoyable will be in place around the site and will be assisting event security staff where there are any incidents of crime and Supt Matt Kennerley, of the Cumbria force, is encouraging festival-goers not take valuable items, to remain vigilant and report anything suspicious to security or police. He said: "The event organisers have a range of security measures in place to assist with this including searches on entry and the use of drugs-scanning dogs."Surrender bins will also be in place at entry points. These bins are an opportunity to surrender any prohibited items."I urge anyone considering bringing drugs or weapons to the festival to consider their actions and the consequences this could have not only for yourself, but for others around you."Anyone found in possession of drugs or weapons will be dealt with appropriately."Finally, I'd like to welcome all those travelling into the county for the festival - please look out for one another and have a great time." Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
ABC News
21-07-2025
- ABC News
'Horrendous' staff shortage led to West Kimberley prison riot, union says
The West Australian Prison Officers' Union has blamed government inaction on staffing and overcrowding for a riot at a prison in the state's far north over the weekend. The union says three officers were injured when a group of medium-security inmates breached their accommodation units at West Kimberley Regional Prison (WKRP), near Derby, 2,300km north of Perth, about 10.20pm on Saturday. The Department of Justice said the incident was confined to the prison grounds and resolved in the early hours of Sunday morning due to "a rapid inter-agency response" from prison staff and local police, with no injuries to staff or inmates. However, union secretary Andy Smith said he was aware three officers were injured prior to and during the incident, and that 45 beds had been damaged. "While I don't have details on those, to dismiss them and say there weren't injuries is an absolute insult to the officers," Mr Smith said. Mr Smith said ongoing staffing concerns across the state's prison system had resulted in the incident. "This is a culmination of years of the department running all of our prisons across the state horrendously short of staff," he said. "We're hundreds of officers short. "It's an absolute nightmare what is happening in our system. It's taken us five years to get them to see it, and now it's too late to fix it." However, a spokesperson for the department rejected the union's claims. "There were no injuries to any person arising from the disturbance," they said. "The department is still investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident and at this time there is no indication it related to staffing or muster numbers. "A shade sail was set alight, but it smouldered out. There were no beds destroyed, some of the accommodation units are offline so repairs can be safely undertaken." The incident follows a foiled attempt by inmates to riot and escape from Greenough Regional Prison, in WA's Midwest, which the union said was triggered by similar staffing and overcrowding problems. Mr Smith said overcrowding in prisons across the state, including WKRP, had led to an increase in inmates lashing out at officers. "Prisoners are crammed into cells that were not designed to take so many prisoners, and therefore they stay angry all the time, and the only people they take it out on are our prison officers," he said. Earlier this month, data revealed there were 254 prisoners in WKRP, while the capacity for standard accommodation was 223 and eight for special purpose accommodation. Meanwhile, data showed that between April 1 and June 30, the average out-of-cell hours at the prison were 7.31 hours a day, while the state average was 9.22 hours. A Department of Justice spokesperson said Special Operations Group officers were deployed to WKRP to "support the site during the recovery phase and assist with prisoner relocations". "A damage assessment is being conducted and security footage reviewed to determine any criminal charges," the department said in a statement. Corrective Services Minister Paul Papalia declined to respond to the union's criticisms, but took aim at inmates involved in the disturbance. "Prisoners at West Kimberley are accommodated in a purpose-designed, open-plan, on-country facility," he said "Those involved in this disturbance should be condemned for squandering that privilege. "I commend prison staff and police who acted swiftly to resolve this incident safely." Shadow Corrective Services Minister Adam Hort said the incident was a sign the state's prison system was buckling under increasing pressure. "West Kimberley was supposed to give (local) prisoners a chance at rehabilitation on country. "Now it's overcrowded, crumbling, and on the verge of collapse."
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
As warehouse market staggers, Brookfield makes a bold $428 million move
Brookfield bought a $428 million portfolio of warehouses in Nashville, Atlanta, Dallas, and Houston. The property giant believes the portfolio's older properties will appeal to cost-conscious tenants. Tariffs threaten to raise costs for businesses that store goods and materials in warehouses. Brookfield, one of the country's largest property investors, is banking on a strategy that might have looked out of place in recent years —buying older and cheaper warehouses. The Toronto-based firm purchased a $428 million portfolio of 53 warehouses located in and around Houston, Dallas, Nashville, and Atlanta—one of the largest property deals of its kind this year. The deal was completed in early July, according to a spokeswoman for the company. The acquisition comes as the once red-hot warehouse sector cools following a boom in construction. Trade tariffs, meanwhile, are threatening to diminish demand for the goods and materials that warehouses are leased to store and distribute. Andy Smith, the head of logistics investments at Brookfield in North America, said the purchase focused on properties that are more affordable to rent than the wave of newly built warehouses that have hit the market in recent years. He said the older buildings will appeal to tenants looking to spend less as tariffs push up the cost of goods and materials, potentially diminishing consumer spending. "It's put a pause on people taking new space for growth prospects," Smith said of the tariff threats. "You're not going to pay up for something that you don't need when what you have perfectly gets the job done," Smith said, explaining that some tenants have grown more conservative in the current business environment and less eager to upgrade to more expensive, brand-new warehouse spaces. The portfolio is 96% occupied, and Smith said Brookfield will seek to increase its average rents from "the mid-single digits" to the "high-single digits" as leases expire and tenants either renew or are replaced by new occupants. Demand for warehouses has skyrocketed over the last decade as a surge in online shopping led to a mass transfer of goods from stores to storage. A record share of consumer spending, totaling 24.1%, was done online in the first quarter of 2025, according to CBRE, a commercial real estate services firm. A record 1.45 billion square feet of newly built warehouses were completed from 2022 to 2024, according to JLL, another real estate services firm — leading to an oversupply that pushed the average national vacancy rate up to 7.3% in the first quarter, its highest level in more than a decade. In April, just as President Trump began to levy foreign goods, sales of warehouse properties plunged by 34% to $4.5 billion during the month, according to MSCI, a real estate data services provider. In May, warehouse deals fell by 26% to $5.2 billion year over year, MSCI reported. Rob Kossar, the head of JLL's industrial leasing and advisory business in the northeast, said that large corporate warehouse tenants "joined the sidelines" after April's tariff actions, putting warehouse leasing decisions on hold. More recently, he's seen signs of a rebound, he said. Kossar said that six warehouse leases had been signed in the past month in New Jersey, totaling about 2.2 million square feet. "The demand has had a significant uptick over the last month, and we hope that that continues," Kossar said. Read the original article on Business Insider Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Insider
14-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
As warehouse market staggers, Brookfield makes a bold $428 million move
Brookfield, one of the country's largest property investors, is banking on a strategy that might have looked out of place in recent years —buying older and cheaper warehouses. The Toronto-based firm purchased a $428 million portfolio of 53 warehouses located in and around Houston, Dallas, Nashville, and Atlanta—one of the largest property deals of its kind this year. The deal was completed in early July, according to a spokeswoman for the company. The acquisition comes as the once red-hot warehouse sector cools following a boom in construction. Trade tariffs, meanwhile, are threatening to diminish demand for the goods and materials that warehouses are leased to store and distribute. Andy Smith, the head of logistics investments at Brookfield in North America, said the purchase focused on properties that are more affordable to rent than the wave of newly built warehouses that have hit the market in recent years. He said the older buildings will appeal to tenants looking to spend less as tariffs push up the cost of goods and materials, potentially diminishing consumer spending. "It's put a pause on people taking new space for growth prospects," Smith said of the tariff threats. "You're not going to pay up for something that you don't need when what you have perfectly gets the job done," Smith said, explaining that some tenants have grown more conservative in the current business environment and less eager to upgrade to more expensive, brand-new warehouse spaces. The portfolio is 96% occupied, and Smith said Brookfield will seek to increase its average rents from "the mid-single digits" to the "high-single digits" as leases expire and tenants either renew or are replaced by new occupants. Demand for warehouses has skyrocketed over the last decade as a surge in online shopping led to a mass transfer of goods from stores to storage. A record share of consumer spending, totaling 24.1%, was done online in the first quarter of 2025, according to CBRE, a commercial real estate services firm. A record 1.45 billion square feet of newly built warehouses were completed from 2022 to 2024, according to JLL, another real estate services firm — leading to an oversupply that pushed the average national vacancy rate up to 7.3% in the first quarter, its highest level in more than a decade. In April, just as President Trump began to levy foreign goods, sales of warehouse properties plunged by 34% to $4.5 billion during the month, according to MSCI, a real estate data services provider. In May, warehouse deals fell by 26% to $5.2 billion year over year, MSCI reported. Rob Kossar, the head of JLL's industrial leasing and advisory business in the northeast, said that large corporate warehouse tenants "joined the sidelines" after April's tariff actions, putting warehouse leasing decisions on hold. More recently, he's seen signs of a rebound, he said. Kossar said that six warehouse leases had been signed in the past month in New Jersey, totaling about 2.2 million square feet. "The demand has had a significant uptick over the last month, and we hope that that continues," Kossar said.
Newsweek
04-07-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
America Has A New Type Of Millionaire
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. A growing number of Americans are joining the ranks of the country's millionaire class, seen by some as evidence that the American Dream is alive and kicking, but dismissed by others as the result of inflation and broader economic trends outside of their control. According to a new report from UBS, an additional 379,000 Americans became millionaires in 2024, equivalent to over 1,000 per day. As a result, the United States now hosts a greater number than any other country on Earth – just shy of 24 million – and more than China, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Japan and Australia combined. However, "not all USD millionaires are alike," the investment bank said in its report. While the traditional perception of a millionaire may conjure images of lavish lifestyles and sprawling estates, UBS noted that most of these individuals could be classed under the umbrella of "everyday millionaires" – a heterogeneous group consisting of those with assets valued at between one and five million dollars. Globally, the number of these "EMILLIs" has quadrupled since 2000 to around 52 million, who together now account for roughly $107 trillion of the world's wealth. "The American Dream today looks a little different than it used to," said Andy Smith, executive director of financial planning at investment advisory Edelman Financial Engines. "It's less about flashy success and more about setting goals, saving consistently, and making smart financial choices over time," he told Newsweek. "For many, reaching millionaire status is simply the result of years of careful planning and sticking to a plan, even when headlines make it tempting to do otherwise." Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty/Canva According to UBS, the biggest catalyst in the growth of this group has been rising real estate values. In the U.S., according to government figures, median home prices have risen by over 150 percent since the start of this century, with some projections pointing to a further increase of nearly 40 percent by the end of the decade. David Laibson, a Harvard economist and scholar of wealth accumulation, noted the influence of real estate prices, but also the outsized impact of the stock market on Americans' net worths, given these are often tied to market-linked pension funds and retirement savings accounts. "When the stock market rises sharply, many U.S. households become millionaires because of appreciation in their retirement portfolios, including both 401(k) and IRA balances," he told Newsweek. However, this link pulls both ways, and Laibson said a sudden downturn would see many lose their millionaire status. Against the notion that the rise of everyday millionaires signals the resilience of the American Dream, economist Damon Jones similarly told Newsweek that much of this trend stems from asset appreciation and currency inflation, rather than any real increase in how broadly attainable millionaire status has become for those without existing wealth of some sort. "This doesn't sound like we are looking at rags to riches," he said, noting that the UBS report also mentions that the U.S. has undergone one of the greatest increases in wealth inequality of any country this century. In its report, UBS also pointed to another factor that impacts America's millionaires both every day and the ultrawealthy: Exchange rates. "If one year the USD is particularly strong, this will push up the apparent growth in wealth of the US vis-à-vis the rest of the world, even if there is no underlying growth to speak of," it said, "while the opposite will occur in years when the USD weakens." Over the past few years, the U.S. dollar has maintained remarkable value thanks to its status as the world's primary reserve and transaction currency, the global popularity of dollar-denominated assets like U.S. treasuries, and the country's overall economic might. In recent years, the U.S. Dollar Index – which measures its value relative to a basket of major foreign currencies – has remained almost without fail above 100, indicating sustained strength versus its peers. However, since the re-inauguration of Donald Trump, the index has fallen by around 10 percent – the weakest first six months for a president since its introduction in the 1970s – attributed to a mix of America's growing debt crisis and the impacts of his administration's trade agenda on the country's economic outlook. Laibson also pointed to the impact of inflation and currency devaluation on the number of millionaires, telling Newsweek that the term now "punches far above its weight." "Being a millionaire in 2025 is not comparable to being a millionaire 50 years ago," he said. "A household that has a million dollars in 2025 has the same buying power of a household that had $165,000 in 1975." While America's everyday millionaires have grown in number, this is largely thanks to forces beyond the EMILLIs' direct control, and a change of fortunes for the U.S. economy could halt or even reverse these gains. But for those still hoping to break into this bracket, Andy Smith of Edelman said the key is long-term discipline and commitment to one's own financial plans, regardless of headlines and periodic economic volatilities. "Even with market ups and downs, people who stuck with their financial plan and didn't panic during tough times have seen their wealth grow over the years," he told Newsweek. "It's a reminder that saving as much as you can for as long as you can is vital, and it's also a reminder that staying committed to long-term goals really can pay off."
