Business
Universal UK theme park could rival Disneyland Paris in size
Danny FullbrookBedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire
Universal Destinations & Experiences/ComcastUniversal Studios’ UK theme park was given the green light this week, a decision creating buzz for families up and down the country who might one day want to go.
After months of discussions, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Steve Reed gave planning permission for the park to be constructed in Kempston Hardwick, close to Bedford.
This isn’t just another attraction – it’s an attempt by the US entertainment giant to build one of the biggest theme parks in the world.
Universal mentioned in planning documents that a country like the UK should have at least two global theme parks, and this project was described as a “generational opportunity”.
But can Universal pull off something of quite this scale, going up against the likes of Disneyland Paris? As BBC News heard from locals, it might be a tall order – and not everyone is happy.
Bloomberg via Getty ImagesLiving on the doorstep of a theme park
“They haven’t bought enough land; what they should be buying is 2,000 acres somewhere and put their theme park in the middle,” says Claudia Pixley, 46, who lives in a bungalow on the road where the theme park entrance will be built.
“But as it happens, some of these roads around here are tiny village roads.
“Anything goes wrong on the M1 or the A421, this whole area is at a standstill… and then you want to put Universal Studios in the middle of that.”
She describes the project as “absolute madness” and says representatives of Universal have approached her about buying her home, where she’s lived for the last decade, but she wants to stay put in her “little slice of Eden”.
Nicola Haseler/BBCShe may well be one of few people in the area unhappy about the new park. According to Universal, in the Bedford area 92% of those who responded to its survey of 6,000 people were supportive of the development.
But it raises an interesting point about what might and might not be achievable in the grand vision for Universal UK to rival some of the biggest and best current theme parks.
Slated to open by 2031, the park is expected to draw 8.5 million annual visitors and could feature the tallest rides seen in Europe. The total size of the resort would be 268 hectares (662 acres), with the theme park 96.7 hectares (238 acres).
By comparison, Disneyland Paris is by several estimates just under 52 hectares (130 acres), though some of Disney’s other parks worldwide are far larger.
NurPhoto via Getty ImagesUniversal said its UK visitor numbers were expected to rise to 12 million by 2051, which could make it the most-visited park in Europe by today’s standards. According to Forbes, Disneyland Paris held that title last year with 10.2 million visitors.
However, even at opening, 8.5 million is more than three times the attendance of the UK’s biggest parks today:
- Legoland Windsor Resort, Berkshire: 61 hectares (150 acres), 2.42 million annual visitors (2023)
- Alton Towers, Staffordshire: 222 hectares (550 acres), 2.35 million annual visitors (2023)
- Thorpe Park, Surrey: 200 hectares (490 acres), 1.62 million annual visitors (2023)
- Chessington World of Adventures Resort: 52 hectares (128 acres), 1.5 million annual visitors (2022)
Can Universal UK shake things up?
For content creator Theme Park Kate, who specialises in theme parks and attractions on TikTok, Universal’s future attraction could be “a huge game changer within Europe” and the ambition with its size and rides is realistic.
“It will potentially be a theme park that can compete with the popularity of Disneyland Paris, which has dominated the European theme park market for many years now,” she tells BBC News.
The theme park fan speculated that the park would benefit from using intellectual property (IP) that has not been used at other locations around the world.
Theme Park KateShe adds: “Harry Potter has been done now at various Universal parks, but a new IP like the rumoured James Bond or Lord of the Rings will be unique to the park and bring in a large amount of fans that will want to see these brand new experiences for themselves for the very first time.”
Last year, a source told the BBC that the new park could include James Bond, The Lord of the Rings, Paddington and Jurassic World-themed rides – although a Universal spokesperson said it was too early to confirm this.
Theme Park Kate is hopeful this could have a ripple effect of boosting the country’s existing parks and forcing them to “step up their game” to match Universal.
YouTuber Jack Silkstone, who visits theme parks around the world, agrees with the sentiment. He lives “next door” to Thorpe Park – and his message to any unhappy Bedford residents like Claudia is that living on the doorstep of a theme park is “honestly a dream”.
Jack Silkstone“Everyone has some form of connection to the park – whether they work there themselves, they know someone that works there, they love to visit, or they aspire to work at the park when they’re older,” he says.
“It creates a real sense of community that then spills out into the wider surrounding towns.”
Jack sees the projected scale of the Universal UK park as a huge oportunity for the UK’s economy, and seems confident that the company can pull off its aims for scale.
“We’re very lucky, we’ve got some amazing, classic theme parks already in this country. But Universal are global leaders in the theme park industry; they do it different.”
‘Winners and losers’
Universal said it expected to directly create 8,050 jobs when it opens, with many staff coming from the surrounding areas.
Wixams, a town which will border the new theme park, will also get an upgraded four-platform railway station as part of the proposals.
Despite the concern expressed by some like Claudia that the area may not be able to cope with an influx of visitors, Bedford borough councillor Marc Frost says councillors have been assured that traffic surveys are complete and road infrastructure will be in place.
Universal’s engagement with local officials suggested they “genuinely want to work and get on with their neighbours”, he adds.
Another consideration for those in the local area is property prices – and some could fare better than others here, too.
Nick Kier, a partner at Lane & Holmes estate agents, says he already knows of some people who have already bought property close to the Universal site, which they plan to rent out to visitors in the future.
He explains “there are definite winners and losers in this scenario” and “you cannot expect, with that amount of investment coming in… that the prices won’t go up”.
“The people who are living here for a completely other reason will find it more expensive… That’s the losing side.”
At the same time, he acknowledges that local hotels for miles would be likely to benefit.
What’s clear is that the Universal park could dwarf much of its competition if all goes to plan, and while the impacts can be a double-edged sword, many are keen to see what its opening brings.
New Delhi: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has kept the repo rate unchanged at 5.25 PERCENT in its February 2026 monetary policy review, maintaining a neutral policy stance as inflation pressures remain under control and economic growth stays stable.
The decision was announced by RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra after the three-day meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), which began on February 4 and concluded on February 6.
Focus on Inflation and Growth
The MPC chose to pause after a series of rate cuts over the past year, preferring to evaluate how earlier policy changes are affecting borrowing costs, liquidity, and overall economic activity.
Inflation has remained within the RBI’s comfort range, giving policymakers room to maintain the current rate while monitoring global economic conditions and domestic demand.
The RBI’s monetary policy framework aims to keep inflation close to 4 PERCENT with a tolerance band of 2–6 PERCENT, which continues to guide interest-rate decisions.
Impact on Loans, EMIs, and Markets
Since the repo rate directly influences borrowing costs for banks, the decision to keep rates unchanged means loan EMIs are unlikely to change immediately. However, banks and financial markets will continue to watch RBI signals on liquidity and future rate moves.
The central bank has already reduced rates by about 125 basis points since early 2025, which helped support economic growth while inflation eased.
What Happens Next
Economists believe the RBI may now focus more on policy transmission and liquidity management rather than further rate cuts in the near term.
Governor Malhotra is expected to outline the RBI’s outlook on inflation, growth, and financial stability in the coming quarters during the post-policy press conference.
Business
$2 trillion wiped off crypto markets! Bitcoin halves since October; investor company shares sink to multiyear lows – The Times of India
Cryptogiant Bitcoin has suffered sharp losses since the beginning of 2026, tumbling over 20%. The digital currency has given up almost half of its value since October’s record peak of over $124,000, sliding to $67,000, now worth less than it was at the start of President Donald Trump’s second term. Bitcoin is often pitched as “digital gold” as its returns are just like gold, offering no dividends or profits and price driven by what investors are willing to pay. The world’s largest cryptocurrency was last trading 1.64% higher at $64,153.24 after a volatile session that saw prices swing between gains and losses, having earlier touched a low of $60,008.52. The global crypto market has lost $2 trillion in value since peaking at $4.379 trillion in early October, with $800 billion wiped out in the last month alone, Reuters reported. Bitcoin has declined 28% so far this year, while ether has lost nearly 38% over the same period.As the asset slid, shares of companies holding bitcoin and other digital assets also came under heavy pressure amid ongoing turbulence in the cryptocurrency market, fuelling concerns about stress across the sector. Publicly listed firms that piled into crypto last year, encouraged by US President Donald Trump’s supportive stance, are now grappling with intensifying market challenges.The decline comes as uncertainty over Federal Reserve rate cuts and concerns over AI company valuations weigh on risk assets, pushing bitcoin to its lowest level since November 2024.Strategy shares plunge to multi-year lowsMicroStrategy’s bitcoin-focused arm, Strategy, has seen shares tumble from $457 in July to $111.27 on Thursday, marking their lowest level since August 2024. The stock was last down more than 11%, according to Reuters.In December, Strategy cut its 2025 earnings forecast, citing weak bitcoin performance, and announced plans to create a reserve to support dividend payments. The company now expects full-year earnings between a $6.3 billion profit and a $5.5 billion loss, down from its earlier forecast of $24 billion.Other notable bitcoin buyers have also been hit. UK-based Smarter Web Company (SWC.L) fell nearly 18%, Nakamoto Inc (NAKA.O) lost almost 9%, and Japan’s Metaplanet (3350.T) dropped over 7%.Bitcoin wipes out gains since Trump’s electionBitcoin itself is down nearly 28% since the start of the year, with recent selling accelerating after Trump nominated Kevin Warsh as the next Federal Reserve chair. Analysts cited by Reuters say that Warsh’s appointment could lead to a smaller Fed balance sheet, a negative for speculative assets like crypto.Bitcoin has erased all gains made since Trump’s election, when he pledged to overhaul policies toward digital assets. The cryptocurrency last traded at $67,651.“As Bitcoin continues its slide below the psychological barrier of $70,000, it’s clear the crypto market is now in full capitulation mode,” said Nic Puckrin, investment analyst and co-founder of Coin Bureau. “If previous cycles are anything to go by, this is no longer a short-term correction, but rather a transition… and these typically take months, not weeks,” Reuters cited the expert.Broader digital asset holdings also hitCompanies holding other tokens have been affected as well. Alt5 Sigma, which stocks the Trump family’s WLFI token, fell 8.4%. SharpLink Gaming, holding ether, dropped 8%, while Forward Industries, which holds solana, fell nearly 6%.Bitcoin fell to a low of $63,295.74 on Thursday, its weakest since October 2024, before rebounding slightly to $63,525, marking its largest one-day drop since November 2022. Approximately $1 billion in bitcoin positions were liquidated over 24 hours, according to CoinGlass data.Fed concerns and investor outflowsTrump’s Fed pick, Kevin Warsh, has added to market fears. Analysts say investors worry that a smaller balance sheet will remove liquidity support for speculative assets.“The market fears a hawk with him,” Manuel Villegas Franceschi from Julius Baer told Reuters. “A smaller balance sheet is not going to provide any tailwinds for crypto.”Deutsche Bank analysts highlighted massive outflows from institutional ETFs as a key driver of the decline. US spot bitcoin ETFs saw over $3 billion withdrawn in January, following $2 billion and $7 billion outflows in December and November, respectively. “This steady selling in our view signals that traditional investors are losing interest, and overall pessimism about crypto is growing,” they said.Tech sector weakness piles pressure on crypto segmentThe slide in cryptocurrencies has been compounded by a broader downturn in tech stocks, particularly software companies linked to AI. Bitcoin and other tokens have historically tracked risk appetite in technology markets, and the current weakness has intensified losses.“Concerns are being raised around the crypto miners and whether we could be looking at forced liquidations if prices continue to fall, which could lead to a vicious cycle,” said Jefferies strategist Mohit Kumar, as cited by Reuters. The analyst further added that crypto “should never be more than a very small portion of a portfolio, but its heavy retail ownership adds to overall market risk.”
Business
RBI MPC Meeting 2026 Live Updates: Gov Sanjay Malhotra To Announce Decision On Repo Rate Today
RBI MPC Meeting February 2026 Live Updates: All eyes are on the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor, Sanjay Malhotra, today as he is going to announce the decision of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) February policy meeting, which started on February 04. The outcome, due shortly, will set the tone for interest rates, liquidity conditions, and market sentiment at a time when growth is steady but inflation risks haven’t fully disappeared.
The six-member MPC, headed by RBI Governor, has deliberated on domestic inflation trends, global uncertainty, crude oil prices, and the evolving growth outlook.
The decision will be announced by RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra amid a supportive domestic backdrop of a growth-oriented Union Budget, easing inflation pressures and a major easing of external uncertainty following the long-awaited India-US trade deal.
RBI Governor will begin his speech at 10:00 AM. The Central bank had cut the repo rate by 25 bps to 5.25 per cent from 5.50 per cent with a ‘neutral stance’ in its December monetary policy.
This time, expectations are mixed. While retail inflation has shown signs of cooling, it remains close to the RBI’s comfort zone. At the same time, global central banks are turning more cautious on rate cuts, which could influence RBI’s tone and forward guidance.
Markets will closely track not just the rate decision but also the RBI’s commentary on inflation risks, growth projections, liquidity management, and its stance going forward.
Stay tuned with us to watch the live coverage of RBI MPC February Meeting 2026
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