The UK government has committed £20 million ($25.8 million) to support commercial drone services and the development of "flying taxis." An additional £5 million will support businesses in developing profitable ventures using these technologies. Transport officials say the funding will enhance emergency services, with drones assisting firefighters and paramedics.While the UK has seen drone trials, including postal deliveries in the Scottish isles and medical transport in London, commercial adoption has been slow. Amazon selected Darlington for its first UK drone delivery service, but a launch date remains uncertain.Critics warn of potential job losses and privacy risks associated with aerial surveillance. Aviation Minister Mike Kane reiterated the goal of making the UK a global leader in aviation technology.Despite concerns, the UK continues integrating automation into its transport ecosystem, with self-driving delivery robots already operating in Milton Keynes.

Photo: XWhat wasBetty Webb's job at Bletchley Park? "Betty inspired women in the Army for decades and we will continue to take pride in her service during WWII and beyond, and as a champion of female veterans," read a WRAC statement, marking her passing.Webb kept her work a secret until 1975, after which she began to give talks to schools and other organizations. She also wrote a book about her experiences, helping to keep alive the legacy of Bletchley Park – which was the subject of the 2014 movie"Betty was not only a member of the incredible team at Bletchley Park during World War II, but she also dedicated much of her life to raising the profile of Bletchley Park in more recent years," Bletchley Park said in a statement. "Her tireless efforts in bringing the history of Bletchley Park to a wider audience, through sharing the stories of those who worked here, helped ensure that the vital role of Bletchley Park during World War II, and its impact on the conflict, was recognized. "Hailing from the village of Wythall, just south of Birmingham in the English Midlands, Webb initially worked at Bletchley Park as a secretary, which she said was "pretty boring but had to be done.

Representational AI imageUS Hit By Another Loss; Fourth American Soldier Killed Near Russian Ally Nation Border | WatchEuropeans Need Permit To Enter Uk, Trumps Reciprocal Tariffs Begin April 2UK has introduced a new online entry requirements for European visitors from Wednesday, implementing a digital Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) permit as part of enhanced security measures.European travellers must obtain an ETA permit, initially priced at £10 (12 euros), with costs increasing to £16 from April 9. Douglas highlighted that approved travellers would benefit from faster border crossing through eGates. The ETA remains valid for two years, permitting stays up to six months.Applications opened to Europeans in March, covering approximately 30 countries, excluding Ireland. Applicants must submit passport photos and facial images through a smartphone app or government website, typically taking 10 minutes to complete.Whilst most applications receive swift responses, authorities advise allowing three working days. By January, it included about 50 additional countries including Argentina, South Korea and New Zealand.

There isn’t a formal definition of the policy known as “austerity”. The word was employed by George Orwell in the 1930s, but it first became a common political term during the life of the 1945 Labour government. It was used to describe the decision of the Labour chancellor Stafford Cripps to maintain wartime rationing. Cripps explained that he needed to hold down consumption, but he didn’t use the word austerity himself. Now, I think it is the right word to describe the policy that Rachel Reeves outlined in her spring statement last week.

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Thousands gathered daily, even before the area was christened Black Lives Matter Plaza, with many establishing a constant presence as support tents and infrastructure materialized. Later that year, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser ordered the creation of Black Lives Matter Plaza, with official street signs and “Black Lives Matter” painted in giant yellow letters on a multiblock stretch of 16th Street. The move was symbolic, but the impact concrete: BLM Plaza became a magnet point for years of political activism. And the street signs reading Black Lives Matter Plaza have come down.

Write to letters@thetimes.co.ukSir, In making the difficult choices involved in responding to President Trump’s plethora of tariffs the government should be guided primarily by our free-trade principles (“What pain could America inflict and how can the UK respond?”, Apr 1). That means in the first instance deepening relations with other trade partners across Europe and beyond to seek to offset some of the economic damage. With regard to the US we should set out a clear public position of doing a deal only if it is demonstrably in the national economic interest and does not interfere with our sovereignty. Trade deals, particularly with larger players, involve difficult concessions, something ministers have rarely wished to acknowledge. Maybe it is worth sacrificing the digital

AHMEDABAD: Gujarat HC has upheld the acquittal of six individuals in the killing of three British nationals of Indian origin near Prantij in Sabarkantha district during the 2002 riots . A special SIT court in Himmatnagar had exonerated the accused citing lack of evidence on Feb 27, 2015.HC comprising justices A Y Kogje and S J Dave stated it found no reason to interfere with the order passed by Sabarkantha principal district and sessions court. A local driver, Yusuf Piraghar, was also allegedly burned alive by a mob during the post-Godhra violence. Another visitor from the UK, Imran Dawood, sustained injuries, but managed to escape and later filed a complaint. The trial court rejected Imran's testimony and acquitted all the accused.Imran challenged the acquittal before HC, which noted in its verdict that the investigation was based on an anonymous fax message sent to British High Commission, and not on "evidence of any independent eyewitness".

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Levies continued to be at the forefront of investors’ minds before President Trump’s “liberation day” announcement tomorrow, in which tariffs are expected to be imposed on some of the US’s closest allies. Will Trump’s tariffs help the US? Read in full: Will Trump’s tariffs help the US? “American workers and businesses will be put first under President Trump,” she said. Myron Jobson, senior personal finance analyst for Interactive Investor, said: “President Donald Trump’s tariffs war could have far-reaching consequences for Britons, even if the UK manages to escape direct levies.

Farming and food sector leaders said they were “very concerned” about the concessions ministers could make while trying to secure an exemption from Donald Trump’s tariffs. This would give US producers – who have lower standards and a competitive advantage – greater access to the UK market, putting struggling British farmers under further pressure. Mr Bradshaw said: “I think we’re very very concerned.”Mr Bradshaw said the sector has an “absolute expectation that (ministers) cannot sacrifice agriculture at this moment in time to the benefit of other sectors”. “The cost of that is simply unthinkable with the finances of the country as they are today,” Mr Bradshaw said. “The regime that we put in place in the UK, what we call our SPS regime, which is our food standards regime, that’s the red line for us,” he said.

Cheer Force Knights Maryport Lady Royals are gearing up for an exciting journey as they prepare to compete in the All Star World Championships in Florida and the Youth Summit in Tampa. The team are looking forward to showcasing their hard work and dedication on an international stage. The team are excited to once again get back to Florida (Image: Supplied) Lady Royals have gone undefeated to date at UK Competitions, a testament to their relentless dedication and teamwork. With their sights set on success, the Cheer Force Knights Maryport Lady Royals are ready to make their mark and represent their community with pride". The Cheer Force Knights returned home last April as Allstar World Championship in Florida this week after being crowned 2024 World Champions.

"There are safer parts of Cumbria, identified using the same Crime Risk measurement, starting with Cockermouth, which ranks as the safest area in Cumbria, followed up by Dalton Town with Newton in second place, and Windermere in third place. "This is an extremely short time period for crime trend analysis, and caution should be exercised when interpreting this figure. While potentially a good indicator of the overall risk trend, analysis should include further checks as above. "Drug offences have a crime rate of 3.79 reports per 1,000 people in Cumbria, which is 1.79 times the national average. "This figure is calculated from 1,895 crime reports logged by Cumbria Police during the 12-month period ending September 2024.

ANTHONY JOSHUA has been told a fight with Jake Paul would be FIVE TIMES bigger than against Tyson Fury. Bidarian told SunSport: "Ultimately Jake versus Joshua is three, four or five times bigger than Joshua versus Fury, easily. Eddie Hearn lifts lid on Anthony Joshua vs Jake Paul latest"We're not financially dependent on Jake having a fight against Anthony Joshua for 2025 for our business to flourish. "Mike Tyson, much more devastating knockout artist than Anthony Joshua in his career, but the Mike Tyson that Jake fought wasn't that same Mike Tyson, obviously. "And that will possess its own challenges for Jake Paul, but Jake doesn't say something if he doesn't feel confident about it.

A Jewish mother and her partner were arrested and held for 11 hours after raising concerns about their daughter’s Hertfordshire primary school, prompting a formal police review. The arrest followed a long-running dispute with Cowley Hill Primary School. The couple had questioned the school’s leadership and the recruitment of a new headteacher and were later banned from the premises after sharing critical comments in a parents’ WhatsApp group. “We made a few inquiries, we had a bit of banter on a WhatsApp group and then we were arrested. “There has clearly been a fundamental breakdown in relationships between a school and parents that shouldn’t have become a police matter,” he said.

Some 185.8 hours of sunshine were measured across England, 59% more than the long-term average, according to provisional figures from the Met Office. Last month was also very dry, with the UK seeing just 43% of its average rainfall for March. (PA Graphics)Wales experienced its fourth driest March on record, England its sixth and Northern Ireland its ninth, based on Met Office data for rainfall beginning in 1836. By contrast, Scotland saw nearly two-thirds (64%) of its average rainfall for the month. The long periods of high pressure meant temperatures were able to build during the day, before falling overnight as heat escaped under clear skies, the Met Office added.