Whisper it, but the UK economy may be starting to turn a corner
You may have noticed that last weekend the paywall on our website was temporarily opened, allowing people to read what they liked, either from the latest edition or our extensive archive. Out of curiosity, I looked at my back catalogue, and it struck me how gloomy the columns were, particularly in recent months. Perhaps the gloom was justified. The economy has been flatlining and the chancellor has struggled to put a foot right. Many people remain downbeat, but maybe there can be too much of
Source:The Times
March 23, 2025 22:45 UTC
UK’s first permanent facial recognition cameras installed in London
Facial recognition cameras that scan for wanted criminals are being installed permanently on UK high streets for the first time. The Metropolitan Police will permanently put up live facial recognition (LFR) cameras in Croydon, south London, as part of a pilot project that may see the scheme extended across the capital. The cameras, set to go live in June or July, will monitor the faces of people on the high street and match their image to a database of alleged criminals, including rapists, burglars and robbers. It marks the progression of a successful programme the force has been running for the past two years, which involved deploying vans equipped with LFR cameras and resulted in hundreds of arrests. Vans with facial recognition technology have been deployed over the past two years as part of a pilot scheme TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JACK HILLHowever, privacy campaigners described the move as
Source:The Times
March 23, 2025 21:37 UTC
Following the footsteps of Jane Austen in Bath, hotbed of 1800s gossip and novel plots
“But no offer came,” says Roche, of Strictly Jane Austen Tours, as we navigate the cobbled streets of Bath. The annual Jane Austen Festival is set to hold an elevated edition in September, alongside extended events like two Jane Austen balls in summer and one at Christmas (sign me up for the Sanditon-inspired seaside ball, please). It’s easy to see why two million people descend upon Bath every year, Jane Austen’s milestone birthday or not. Afternoon tea at the Jane Austen CentreDuring her time in Bath, Austen skilfully avoided marriage (she was engaged for one whole evening, before she broke it off the next day). You don’t always need a lot of imagination to envisage the Bath of Jane Austen’s day, but sometimes it helps.
Source:The Times
March 23, 2025 20:33 UTC
CM lands in London, holds prep meetings
On Tuesday, the CM will be at an investment meeting with British business leaders. She had a stopover in Dubai, from where she boarded the A380 Airbus for London. The CM landed in London at 7am on Sunday (12.30pm IST). She did not have any scheduled engagements on Sunday.At Dubai airport, the CM was among the excited audience watching two women from Gujarat dancing. As she entered the business lounge, she noticed two women practising for mehndi celebrations they were going to attend in Europe.
Source:The Times
March 23, 2025 20:10 UTC
Ahead of key speech, UK Chancellor says 10K civil service jobs to be cut
"I'm confident we can reduce civil servant numbers by 10,000," she told Sky News in a Sunday interview. "During Covid there were big increases in the number of people working in the civil service; that was the right thing to do to respond to those challenges, but it's not right that we just keep those numbers there forever. "When asked for examples where technology could be used to help reduce the size of the civil service that had numbered over 540,000 last year, Reeves listed briefing roles and said the UK's tax collecting office was already using AI to reduce fraud. The headroom that allows the chancellor to meet her own fiscal rules has been wiped out since her October 30 budget, due to weak growth and high borrowing costs. She is likely to cut plans for government spending and welfare so as to rebuild the headroom, having promised to avoid further tax rises.
Source:The Times
March 23, 2025 20:01 UTC
2 colleges to send students to UK for internships next year
Chennai: Ethiraj College for Women in Chennai and PSGR Krishnammal College for Women in Coimbatore both arts and science colleges in Tamil Nadu plan to send some of their students to universities in the UK for summer internships next year.Students pursuing biological sciences, computer science programmes, business studies, and humanities can do the internship. We are planning to do an internship abroad programme with a minimum of 20 students in the first batch," said S Uma Gowrie, principal of Ethiraj College for Women. "We wanted to have a research collaboration with the University of Nottingham for life science courses," said P B Harathi, principal of the college. Students pursuing BBA courses, BSc computer science with AI and data science, and BCom will also be considered for the internship. De Montfort University will be suitable for these students to do internships as it specialises in fashion designing," she said.
Source:The Times
March 23, 2025 19:16 UTC
The North East venues whose opening times change as summer inches closer
With the clocks due to go forward on March 30, many outdoor sites and venues will change their opening times to adjust to the extended daylight and school holidays that are on their way. Still, we gather some of the most popular venues from across the region and round up their upcoming summer opening times, allowing you to make the most of your next visit. The Summer opening times are in operation from April:Monday - 10:00 - 17:00Tuesday - 10:00 - 17:00Wednesday - 10:00 - 17:00Thursday - 10:00 - 17:00Friday - 10:00 - 17:00Saturday - 10:00 - 17:00Sunday - 10:00 - 17:00Lindisfarne PrioryBuilt over 1,400 years ago, Lindisfarne Priory is nestled amongst the coastal beauty of Holy Island. Not only does The Alnwick Gardens have its own opening times, but it also has its own prices depending on the time of year. The Summer opening times are in operation from April:Monday - 10:00 - 17:00Tuesday - 10:00 - 17:00Wednesday - 10:00 - 17:00Thursday - 10:00 - 17:00Friday - 10:00 - 17:00Saturday - 10:00 - 17:00Sunday - 10:00 - 17:00
Source:The Times
March 23, 2025 18:00 UTC
Keir Starmer Talks Trump, Russia-Ukraine War and the Fragile Europe-US Alliance
It was just a drill, conducted last Monday for a visiting V.I.P., Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “You’re looking for the ideal conditions?” Mr. Starmer asked softly, as the captain explained how the Vanguard must be maneuvered to the right depth to launch its Trident missiles. Mr. Starmer leaned forward in the captain’s chair, the blue glow from a bank of screens reflected in his eyeglasses. Later, after he had climbed a 32-foot ladder to the submarine’s deck, Mr. Starmer reflected on its nearly seven-month-long mission. At a time when Europe’s capacity to defend itself has come under criticism, not least from President Trump, Mr. Starmer said these mighty boats were an ironclad symbol of Britain’s commitment to NATO.
Source:The Times
March 23, 2025 17:45 UTC
Bulls Head Craswall appears in The Times best places to stay
The Bull's Head in Craswall recently featured in The Time's 100 Best Places to Stay in the UK list, welcoming writer Pamela Goodman to experience the stay. Ms Goodman spoke of the "true immersion" in nature the accommodation gives, with windows framed by fruit trees, and "rugged hills beyond". "Food is what makes this place tick, and menus are intrinsically linked to local produce, particularly the meat," she said. "The team here is young, super-friendly and deeply engaged in the concept of regenerative farming practices and a celebration of Black Mountain food and culture." The pub was reopened by owner Jake Townley in 2021, after having been closed for six years.
Source:The Times
March 23, 2025 17:44 UTC
How to survive the British school gates, by an American mother
Back in the States, school drop-off and pick-up is generally done in your car, drive-through style. But I’m on my second child now, and I think I’ve finally cracked the west London code. In fact, the daily microdramas, status jockeying and parental scheming inspired my debut novel, All the Other Mothers Hate Me. Here’s everything you need to know to survive the gates. I’m sorry to tell you there will be a class WhatsApp group, and you’ll be expected to join.
Source:The Times
March 23, 2025 15:02 UTC
Britain government orders probe over Heathrow power failure chaos
Tens of thousands of travellers affectedBroader concerns over Britain's infrastructure'A clear planning failure'British government launched an urgent investigation into the country’s energy resilience after an electrical substation fire forced Heathrow Airport to shut down for nearly a day. The scale of the disruption has prompted frustrated passengers, airlines, and politicians to demand answers.“This is a huge embarrassment for Heathrow airport. There is an element where you have to make sure you're available for just in case.' You have to plan for things going wrong,” he said.As one of the world’s busiest airports, Heathrow handled 83.9 million passengers last year. Its CEO, Thomas Woldbye, defended the airport’s response, insisting that staff had done a “fantastic job” under the circumstances.“The airport didn’t shut for days.
Source:The Times
March 23, 2025 12:18 UTC
Closing time change at Christchurch Park, Ipswich, was error
That is the message from Lucy Trenchard, portfolio holder for parks and climate change at Ipswich Borough Council. She was speaking after a dog owner voiced their concern that Christchurch Park had recently started closing at 5.30pm. He also asked if the council had plans to change the park's hours in the future. "Those savings hours were then miscommunicated and published without the authority being sought. Under the current opening hours, the park is meant to close between 6pm to 7.30pm between March and June, and then at 8.30pm from June to September.
Source:The Times
March 23, 2025 12:03 UTC
Why the Spring Equinox is my favourite day of the year
No, my favourite day is the Spring Equinox which fell on Thursday this week. ‘Equinox’ comes from the Latin ‘equi’ (equal) and ‘nox’ (night). This year the actual moment of ‘equinox’ in the UK was at 9.01am on March 20. Of course in the Southern Hemisphere, the opposite is happening, and they are welcoming Autumn as their daylight hours reduce in length. So depending on which one you prefer, the equal 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night time fall on different dates.
Source:The Times
March 23, 2025 12:01 UTC
Life in post-war Lancashire mills captured in archive footage
Scenes of Lancashire from a BFI film about the cotton industry after WW2. (Image: BFI) Titled ‘Lancashire’s time for adventure,’ the video explains how the cotton industry was trying to bounce back after the war. Lancashire mill workers from an archive 'cinemagazine' film in the BFI archives. The narrator describes Lancashire and its people: “Here, in the cotton region, are 70 towns within 30 miles of Manchester. At the same time, a large number of cotton industry workers had become munitions operators during the war and never returned to the mills.
Source:The Times
March 23, 2025 11:58 UTC
U.K. Launches Investigation into Heathrow Airport Blackout
The British government has ordered an urgent investigation into how a fire at an electricity substation left Heathrow Airport in London in darkness on Friday, crippling one of the world’s busiest airports. “We are determined to properly understand what happened and what lessons need to be learned,” Britain’s energy secretary, Ed Miliband, said in a statement late on Saturday. Friday’s closure disrupted more than 1,000 flights, leaving planes and aviation crews out of position and stranding passengers — some of whom may not reach their destinations for a few more days. The fire, which the authorities believe was likely accidental, raised questions about the resilience of Britain’s key infrastructure and whether the country has invested enough to maintain it. But some experts said the blackout was probably unavoidable given the scale of the blaze at the substation.
Source:The Times
March 23, 2025 10:22 UTC