John “Paddy” Hemingway, Last Surviving Pilot of the Battle of Britain, Dies at 105
“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few,” Churchill proclaimed. When John A. Hemingway died in Dublin on Monday at 105 — the Royal Air Force announced his death — he was the last known survivor of the “few,” nearly 3,000 pilots and crew who saved Britain in the early stages of World War II. Mr. Hemingway, who was known as Paddy, piloted Hurricane fighters in the battle, which took place in the skies above Britain between July 10 and Oct. 31, 1940. Hitler had planned a September 1940 invasion of the British Isles, known as Operation Sea Lion. However, the Blitz, Germany’s bombing of London and other British cities, extended into the spring of 1941.
Source:The Times
March 18, 2025 20:00 UTC
New India Cooperative Bank: Depositors to RBI to Revive co-op bank
Thane: An organisation representing depositors of New India Cooperative Bank, hit by alleged embezzlement of Rs 122 crore, have submitted a petition to RBI, seeking immediate measures to revive the bank and end their financial hardships. The New India Cooperative Bank Depositors' Foundation said it suspects that "deeper financial irregularities like undisclosed non-performing assets or additional frauds could be contributing to the crisis". Its president, T N Raghunatha, said many depositors have been unable to meet medical and educational expenses owing to RBI 's restrictions. The petition argued that a Rs 122-crore fraud should not have been severe enough to destabilise a bank with a deposit base of Rs 2,436 crore as of March 2024. pti
Source:The Times
March 18, 2025 19:18 UTC
UK reportedly hopes US drones, satellites will help monitor Ukraine ceasefire
This audio is created with AI assistanceThe U.K. hopes that the U.S. will provide drones and satellite surveillance to monitor the border zone between Ukraine and Russia if a ceasefire agreement is reached, the Times reported on March 18, citing unnamed British diplomats. The U.S. military has 247 military satellites and thousands of commercial satellites, providing an "unrivaled picture" of eastern Ukraine that European forces would struggle to replicate, the Times wrote. Satellites with high-resolution imaging and thermal sensors could track troop movements, detect artillery fire, and monitor border areas for ceasefire violations. According to the Times, U.S. drones and satellites could enforce a possible buffer zone on either side of the front line to prevent hostilities from resuming. The discussions follow U.S.-led negotiations in Saudi Arabia, where Washington proposed a 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.
Source:The Times
March 18, 2025 18:54 UTC
Chief digital nurse says ‘future is bright’ despite NHS England news
England’s leading digital nurse has said she remains optimistic about the future of technological transformation in the health service, despite the recent news that NHS England will be dissolved. Helen Balsdon, chief nursing information officer (CNIO) for the country, told Nursing Times that nurses would be key to harnessing technology to improve the health service after upcoming restructure. “It’s not just NHS England; [integrated care boards], providers – we’re all having to work in a different operating model, with some fiscal challenges. Ms Grafton, while chairing the panel, said she was “disappointed” at the way the news about NHS England was announced, and that “a lot" of people in the profession were “anxious” about what the future held. She reiterated that, in her view, “the future is bright”, although there would be “difficult decisions” in the future.
Source:The Times
March 18, 2025 18:06 UTC
Charlotte Tilbury tops Sunday Times UK beauty rich list
Charlotte Tilbury tops Sunday Times UK beauty rich list ByNigel TAYLOR PublishedMarch 18, 2025You’ll no doubt be aware of the annual Sunday Times Rich List, but such is its powerful and ever-growing success, there’s now a specific Beauty Rich List too. , with her now- -owned brand worth over £1 billion and her estimated personal wealth standing at £350 million. The list comprises 19 women and 14 men with 14 of them aged in their twenties or thirties. AdsIn second placed are Mark and Mo Constantine, having accumulated £249 million via their high street mass retail brand Lush. Susie Ma, the Tropic Skincare brand founder, at £73 million, and GelBottle brand founder Daisy Kalnina, at £70 million, round out the top 10.
Source:The Times
March 18, 2025 16:48 UTC
NHS Scotland drops diktat to ‘validate bearded men who claim to be women’
An order compelling NHS Scotland staff to use the ‘preferred pronouns’ of male colleagues who identify as women has been dropped. Internal training material provided by NHS Education for Scotland (NES) said that staff had a legal duty “to use the correct name and pronouns” for fellow workers who claim to be women, even if they are “still producing facial hair”. But after NES was approached about the material, The Times reports, it removed the statement. He added: “It is absolutely nonsensical to demand that staff and patients ignore biological reality and participate in an enforced illusion. In May 2024, Sandie Peggie brought an action before an employment tribunal against NHS Fife and Dr Upton for sexual harassment and for discrimination over her recognition of biological reality.
Source:The Times
March 18, 2025 16:34 UTC
33 of the UK’s best hotels for under £150 a night
These are the UK’s best hotels under £150 for 2025 … with a handy map to help you plot your next trip. Details B&B doubles from £150; mains from £23 (thebullcharlbury.com)Read the hotel review in full and book a stay4. Details B&B doubles from £110; small plates from £7 (houseofgodshotel.com)Read the hotel review in full and book a stayAdvertisement7. Details B&B doubles from £129; mains from £18 (merryharriers.com)Read the hotel review in full and book a stay• 18 of the best hotels in BrightonAdvertisement19. Details B&B doubles from £150; mains from £16 (thesunfelmersham.com)Read the hotel review in full and book a stay29.
Source:The Times
March 18, 2025 15:04 UTC
Market Watch: US military drone giant eyeing new factory in UK
Anduril Industries, one of America's largest defence start-ups with a $1billion factory in Ohio, is looking to open a UK factory to serve as its European base. The firm, which builds drones and autonomous systems and weapons for the military and government agencies, has been highly successful in the field of AI tech. The Times reports the Ministry of Defence has already shown an interest, with the government signing a £30million contract with Anduril's UK arm to supply Ukraine with drones. The high-tech drones can remain airborne for extended periods and then fly directly into their targets and explode. A spokesman for Anduril UK, The Times reports, said: “Due to ongoing commercial sensitivities it would not be appropriate to comment on this at this time.
Source:The Times
March 18, 2025 14:57 UTC
Ten-year budgets can boost national R&D aims – and reduce precarity
It’s the year 2036, the end of the first cycle of 10-year R&D budgets in the UK. It is already clear that 10-year budgets – Labour’s flagship election pledge on science – will not be adopted across the whole public R&D portfolio. ADVERTISEMENTThe identity of those areas is just one of many unanswered questions about Labour’s science funding policy. The national quantum programme is an exemplar. It has trained almost 500 PhD students, generated 49 start-ups and led to the establishment of the National Quantum Computing Centre near Oxford.
Source:The Times
March 18, 2025 13:06 UTC
LA Times hit with $24M lawsuit for allegedly failing to pay rent, leaving printing plant covered in ‘toxic ink stains’
The facility was covered in “toxic ink stains,” “holes in the walls” and other damages like “active leaks,” according to the lawsuit filed in LA Supreme Court in late January. 5 The LA Times left the Olympic printing plant in “gross disrepair” andcovered in “toxic ink stains”, the lawsuit said. Obtained by NY Post5 Alameda is currently restoring the plant but is looking for at roughly$24 million. Soon-Shiong bought the newspaper in 2018, and since then, the newspaper “fell into decline,” the lawsuit said. 5 Under Soon-Shiong, the newspaper is shifting away from liberal politics and taking a more neutral editorial stance.
Source:The Times
March 18, 2025 11:48 UTC
Times letters: ‘Overdiagnosis’ of mental health conditions
Write to letters@thetimes.co.ukSir, One reason why there is likely to be an overdiagnosis of common mental health conditions is that tests used for assessing patients with such problems were designed for a bygone, information-sparse age (“Labour war of words on disability benefits”, Mar 17). GPs and others often use standardised tools such as the nine-question PHQ-9 scoring sheet to assess whether patients are likely to be depressed, and the seven-question GAD-7 scoring sheet to assess whether patients may be suffering from anxiety. Although these (and other) screening sheets were tested to show they could be used to detect patients requiring further mental health assessment, they were not designed for establishing the diagnosis or determining the length of treatment of conditions. Despite this,
Source:The Times
March 18, 2025 09:18 UTC
Six incredible Welsh hotels named among the UK's best places to stay by The Times
Compiled by experienced reviewers who stay at hundreds of properties across the country, the list examines excellence in design, facilities and value for money. Harbourmaster in Ceredigion was awarded the prestigious title of Wales hotel of the year. Harbourmaster in Wales has been named one of the best places to stay in the UK by the Times. And with free cake to boot.”The Angel Hotel in Monmouthshire also made the list, taking home the title of best foodie hotel. The Times complimented the family-run boutique hotel, which is a restored 18th-century coaching inn, for its carefully thought out interior design.
Source:The Times
March 18, 2025 06:04 UTC
Months after the Vivienne died, their cause of death sparks calls for ketamine awareness
The family of inaugural “Drag Race UK” winner the Vivienne has revealed the cause of the performer’s death in January. The Vivienne, born James Lee Williams, died of cardiac arrest caused by taking ketamine, the BBC reported Monday. Ketamine can be addictive, experts say, and can be dangerous with long-term use or for people with some health conditions. During their “Drag Race UK” tenure in 2019, the Vivienne was a consistent competitor known for their cheeky humor. They hope to raising “vital awareness” and spread “information on how to help” people struggling with ketamine use.
Source:The Times
March 18, 2025 01:23 UTC
Emma Rice Chats About Adapting North By Northwest For The Stage
artsEmma Rice Chats About Adapting North By Northwest For The StageEmma Rice Photo: Wise ChildrenEwan Wardrop with Patricia Kujawska Photo: Steve TannerEwan Wardrop in rehearsal Photo: Steve Tanner North by Northwest is a Wise Children, York Theatre Royal, HOME Manchester and Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse co-production. It is on at York Theatre Royal from 18 March until 5th April Click here for informationEmma Rice is no stranger to turning a movie into a stage production. “I was offered the chance to work on it and jumped at the chance,” she recalls.“It’s such an honour to work on a Hitchcock movie. What a buzz!”The many challenges ofare plain for all to see – how do you have a bi-plane dive bomb the hero? But this is theatre so will feel very different, and I hope in a good way.
Source:The Times
March 18, 2025 01:14 UTC
CHRISTOPHER STEVENS reviews Tempting Fortune on Ch4: This obnoxious woman's shameless self-indulgence is a sign of the times
Tempting Fortune (Ch4 )Rating:Fashion blogger Imani is determined to become the most loathed woman in Britain. Imani, 32, is one of a dozen contestants trekking through the Malaysian rainforest on the reality show Tempting Fortune, presented by Paddy McGuinness. The rules are simple: everyone who survives 18 gruelling days wins an equal share of the whopping £300,000 prize pot. On the first night, she blew £1,200 on a night in a four-poster with a mosquito net, while the rest of the players toughed it out on bare planks. That means every contestant has lost nearly 200 quid so that Imani can have what Imani wants.
Source:The Times
March 18, 2025 00:10 UTC