Latest news with #JimGrant
Telegraph
4 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
‘This is our duty': D-Day veterans gather to mark landings 81 years on
D-Day veterans have gathered on a Normandy beach to remember the landings 81 years on. The veterans, aged between 99 and 101, travelled to France for the annual ceremony of remembrance for the men who landed on the beaches of Normandy on June 6 1944, to liberate France from Nazi occupation during the Second World War. The five men – Ken Hay, Richard Aldred, Henry Rice, Jim Grant and John Dennett – gathered ahead of the ceremony for a photograph on Sword Beach, one of the five main landing areas along the Normandy coast. The veterans, sitting in wheelchairs while adorned with medals of service, are some of the few D-Day veterans who are still alive today. Mr Hay, 99, was a private in the 4th Battalion with the Dorset Regiment, and was captured by Nazi troops shortly after the D-Day landings. Held as a prisoner of war, he was taken to Poland and forced to work in coal mines before he was liberated by US troops in 1945. On the eve of the ceremony, Mr Hay told The Telegraph: 'Even though the 80th anniversary has passed, we veterans still feel it is our duty to come back here and remember all our friends who never came home. 'We get applauded, even though they are the ones who gave all. 'Sharing my stories with children in the UK and France is something I am very passionate about. We are the age of their great grandparents – we experienced it, understand it and know that it should never happen again.' Francis 'Jim' Grant, 100, served as a Royal Marine and manned a gun on a Landing Craft Flak on D-Day, spending many hours providing covering fire for troops landing on the Normandy beaches. He said: 'I don't think we were really prepared for what happened. We were firing over the tops of their heads.' John Dennett, 100, was a Royal Navy anti-aircraft gunner on one of the thousands of ships taking troops onto the Normandy beaches. The veteran, from Wallasey, Merseyside, made sure the Allied soldiers did not get shot from overhead during the combined naval, air and land assault on Nazi-occupied France. On the 80th anniversary of the famous landings last year, Mr Dennett recalled the 'unbelievable' sight of the ships sailing to Normandy. He said he remembered the sight of the 7,000 ships and thinking 'nothing can happen to us'. 'When they'd gone and opened their fire and they did realise there was trouble, and your feelings were 'well this one is a bit different than the last one',' he added. Mr Rice, 99, from Cranleigh, Surrey, was a signalman who arrived off Juno Beach five days after D-Day. While Mr Aldred, 100, was a Cromwell tank driver attached to the 7th Armoured Division in the Army. Their photographs came before Lord Dannatt, former head of the Army, spoke at the remembrance service at the British Normandy Memorial above Gold Beach. He said the legacy of the soldiers killed on the battlefields of Normandy paved the way for the Europe in which we live today, before warning that the shadow of the Ukrainian war looms over the continent. The former chief of the general staff added: 'The price of returning peace and freedom to Europe was very high but the legacy of the fallen and the courage, determination and commitment of all those who fought in the Normandy Campaign has given us the Europe in which we live today, albeit in the shadow of the war in Ukraine.' Lord Dannatt, who chairs the Normandy Memorial Trust and is patron of the Spirit of Normandy Trust, gave the welcoming speech at the annual ceremony of remembrance, which is led jointly by the two trusts. The Rev Simon d'Albertanson, a Royal Navy chaplain and the chaplain for the Spirit of Normandy Trust, led a memorial service at the British Normandy Memorial in Ver-sur-Mer, describing D-Day as a 'seminal moment in history'. He reminded veterans, officials and members of the public that the legacy of D-Day was vitally important given the conflict and 'troubled times that we live in'. Mr d'Albertanson said: 'This was a seminal moment in history, and we forget it at our peril. 'There's a legacy that builds from the different conflicts, and we live in very troubled times right now, and we need men and women who are fighting for peace. 'As a Christian, one of the lines in the Bible is 'Blessed are the peacemakers'. 'We're called to make peace and sometimes that means we have to bring violence, but that's the last resort. We want to be peacemakers.' Two of the chaplain's own relatives fought during the Second World War. His grandfather, Fred Hawker, joined the Royal Marines in 1942 and served on several ships, including HMS Ark Royal, while his great-uncle, who was a Royal Navy sailor, lost his life during the Battle of the Denmark Strait. Mr d'Albertanson said: 'It's an absolute honour and a privilege to be a part of this. This is all about the veterans and honouring the fallen, those who gave their lives, for our freedom. 'Being here brings it to life. 'It makes you realise what you're involved in, the men and women of the armed forces today – and as chaplains we go with them.' John Healey, the Defence Secretary, also attended events commemorating D-Day, alongside politicians from the United States and France. He said: 'We forever owe an enormous debt to the British and Allied forces who landed in Normandy 81 years ago today, determined to defeat Nazi tyranny and restore peace to western Europe. 'As we reset the nation's contract with our armed forces, we will continue to remember all those who served to defend our values.' The Normandy landings took place on June 6 1944, when nearly 160,000 Allied forces opened a second front by invading Nazi-occupied France. Of those, 73,000 were from the United States and 83,000 from Britain and Canada. Forces from several other countries were also involved, including French troops fighting with General Charles de Gaulle. The Allies faced around 50,000 German forces and a total of 4,414 Allied troops were killed on D-Day itself.
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
‘Pink micromoon' hovers over San Diego
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — On Saturday, San Diegans — at least those in areas with minimal cloud cover — were treated to a celestial spectacle as April's full 'pink moon' rose over the horizon. It was also considered a 'micromoon'—a phenomenon where the moon appears slightly smaller and dimmer due to its position at the farthest point from Earth in its orbit. The 'pink moon' reached its peak illumination at 5:22 p.m. locally, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac. Despite its name, the 'pink moon' doesn't necessarily give off a pink hue; instead, the name originates from the blooming of pink phlox flowers during this time of year. It's also considered a 'micromoon' because this year's 'pink moon' was approximately 252,225 miles away from Earth, as explained by The Old Farmer's Almanac. This distance is about 6% greater than the average full moon, making it appear slightly smaller and dimmer in the night sky. WNDR Museum to host night of art, music and mental health advocacy For observers in San Diego, the moon rose in the east-southeastern sky shortly before 7:30 p.m., offering a view of this unique lunar event. The photo below, captured by Jim Grant, was taken from San Diego's Linda Vista area on Saturday. The 'pink moon' holds cultural significance as well, according to Almanac. In Christianity, it's known as the 'Paschal Full Moon,' as it's the first ecclesiastical full moon of spring (after the equinox). Almanac explains that the moon also determines the date of Easter this year. Looking ahead, the next full moon will occur on May 12, traditionally known as the Flower Moon, marking the peak of spring's floral bloom. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Bloomberg
03-04-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Tariffs, Bonds, and Dollars with James Grant: Macro Matters
The risk to bondholders is that the 2% inflation target becomes unbearable for the Fed, says Jim Grant – founder of Grant's Interest Rate Observer. Grant is joined by Bloomberg Intelligence's Chief US rates strategist Ira Jersey and senior US and Canada rates strategy associate, Will Hoffman to discuss the outlook for US financial markets following a sweeping US tariff announcement. The trio discuss the rise of economic uncertainty and the extent to which recession risk may be priced in markets. They also unpack the role of US exceptionalism and persistent goods disinflation in the context of long term market trends and how it may shift in a world shifting away from free-trade.
BBC News
11-03-2025
- BBC News
Swindon town centre antisocial behaviour orders sought
A public consultation has been launched into the possibility of introducing a new Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in a town Borough Council is proposing the scheme, with an emphasis on preventing anti-social behaviours such as street drinking, public urination and the unsafe use of bikes and new powers, if approved, would allow police officers and some council officers to ban individuals from the town breaking the ban would be subject to a £100 fixed penalty notice. Councillor Jim Grant said the proposal was part of the council's plans to improve the visitor experience to the centre, with the majority of the town's antisocial behaviour taking place there. 'Street drinking issue' "People are scared to go into the town centre – and we've got plans to regenerate the town, but they are not going to come if they've got street drinkers and people riding bikes around – that's why we need these orders in place," he asked why a previous similar scheme had been allowed to lapse, he said that the previous scheme wasn't "very effective"."The police and council at the time couldn't make up their minds about how to enforce it, but we are now both 100% behind it and if the consultation doesn't raise any particular issues, we will be bringing this in," he about how the scheme would work, he said that shop owners and members of the public would still need to contact the police if incidents occurred, but that there would be PCSOs and street wardens patrolling as well. Wiltshire Police Inspector David Tippetts said the scheme would hopefully lead to a change in people's behaviour."Its an opportunity to educate people as well because some people might not understand that their behaviour is affecting other members of the public," he consultation runs until Monday 17 March, with a separately-proposed PSPO consultation to ban unauthorised car meets in the town running until until Tuesday 25 March.
BBC News
05-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Ukranian refugees in Swindon can apply for 18 month visa extension
Around 300 Ukrainian refugees who sought safety when war broke out in their homeland will soon be able to have their UK visas Tuesday, residents who fled the conflict will be able to apply to the Ukrainian Permission Extension (UPE) visa scheme following a government Borough Council said it would contact known residents who may be eligible for the scheme to support them in extending their visa extensions will grant Ukrainians a further 18 months in the UK, but they must apply within the 28-day window of their current visa expiring. Continued support A total of 172 Ukrainians living in independent accommodation in Swindon will be contacted about extending their stay, as well as a further 112 people still in accommodation with hosts under the Homes for Ukraine the war broke out, the council's Warm Welcome team has provided wrap-around support to all Ukrainian arrivals by allocating a case worker, who provides one-to-one support to help with their those households where residents are still in accommodation with hosts, 'Thank You' payments will also continue when visas are extended. However, these payments will drop from £500 to £350 for all hosts in April 2025. Councillor Jim Grant, the council's cabinet member for communities and partnerships, said: "Initially set up in 2021 to support the arrival of refugees and asylum seekers from Afghanistan, the Warm Welcome team continues to provide a comprehensive support service. "The team works with partners across the statutory and voluntary sectors to assist individuals and families arriving in Swindon to navigate through services and systems, offering information, advice and emotional support. "Throughout the visa extension process for Ukrainian residents, they are available to support residents through the process and find options which best suit their needs."I'd like to say a big thank you to everyone involved in this important work, including families hosting people who fled war, as they have shown how Swindonians have huge hearts in welcoming people from all over the world."
