Skype was a relic of happier times
Sometimes epics end with a whimper not a bang. This is the case for Skype, whose demise Microsoft has announced – for those paying only the closest attention – in a preview of the latest Skype for Windows update. ‘Starting in May, Skype will no longer be available. Skype, launched in 2003, defined an era of new internet possibilities, with the explosion of social media a couple years later through Facebook, and the slow migration of internet usage from desktop screens to phones. Skype days were happier days, despite much worse internet connectionsThe symbols and sounds of Skype became iconic: the word ‘Skype’ itself became the standard word to signify all video calls, even on a different platform.
Source:The Times
March 16, 2025 22:15 UTC
Revellers in Boston mark St Patrick’s Day with annual parade
Parade floats and marchers wound through the neighbourhood of South Boston, a centre of Irish-American heritage in a city where more than one in every five people is of Irish descent. The parade, which dates to the turn of the 20th century, marks both St Patrick’s Day and Evacuation Day, which commemorates the day in 1776 when British troops left Boston after a protracted siege during the Revolutionary War. Participants dressed as Minutemen march during the St Patrick’s Day parade (Robert F Bukaty/AP)The South Boston Allied War Veterans Council organises the parade and this year’s chief marshal was retired Navy Lt Cmdr Alanna Devlin Ball, who represented the US at the 2023 Invictus Games in Germany where she took home gold in powerlifting. Organisers for one of the groups, Boston Pride, heralded the move as a point of progress at the time. Chicago held its St Patrick’s Day parade on Saturday.
Source:The Times
March 16, 2025 21:43 UTC
Joyous scenes as ecstatic Newcastle fans celebrate historic Carabao Cup win at Times Square fan zone
Newcastle United finally ended their major trophy drought with a 2-1 win over Premier League leaders Liverpool, with fans in the Times Square fan zone ecstatic and in disbelief. Fans at the Times Square fan zone were in dreamland as Newcastle were on course to win their first major trophy since 1969. Jubilant and emotional scenes greeted the full-time whistle, with many fans seeing Newcastle lift a major trophy for the first time in the lives. A sing-along to Queen's We Are The Champions also played out in the fan zone, as supporters began to take in what had just happened. Our photographer Simon Greener was in the middle of the action at Times Square.
Source:The Times
March 16, 2025 20:09 UTC
Racist University of Kentucky girl who called black staffer N-word 200 times makes shocking plea to judge
The racist University of Kentucky student who called a black employee the N-word at least 200 times was denied early release and probation by a judge. During the 10-minute tirade, Rosing swung punches at Spring, told her to 'do her chores', and repeatedly called her an 'ugly n***** b****' while some students tried to intervene and others recorded the distasteful moment. Following the incident, Spring made an impassioned speech at an anti-racism march at the University of Kentucky. Sophia Rosing (pictured), 23, was caught unleashing a vicious tirade on camera in 2022 toward a black staffer, Kylah Spring. Spring has since revealed that she told Rosing at a sentencing hearing 'that she didn't break my spirit.
Source:The Times
March 16, 2025 20:00 UTC
Labour grandee breaks cover as first to endorse quitting the ECHR
A senior Labour grandee has become the first on the left to suggest Britain should begin questioning its relationship with the European Court of Human Rights. Tony Blair’s Home Secretary Jack Straw has made a surprising intervention to urge Sir Keir Starmer to start distancing the UK from the foreign court, after years of criticism from the right. He wrote: “It is the success of the HRA that provides the Prime Minister with a way through the dilemma… about the difficulties to effective immigration control that the ECHR presents. These have been thrown up not by the convention itself but by expansive, and sometimes inconsistent or incoherent, interpretations of its articles by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. However, a number of recent cases involving asylum seekers have shone a brighter light on the inability of Britain to deport foreign criminals thanks to the ECHR.
Source:The Times
March 16, 2025 19:45 UTC
Vatican releases first photograph of pope for more than a month
The photograph is taken from behind, and shows Pope Francis wearing a purple Lenten liturgical vestment sitting in a wheelchair in front of an altar. The Vatican said he was participating in the celebration of the Mass with other priests. It is the first photograph of the pope since he was taken to hospital on February 14 with a severe case of bronchitis, which developed into double pneumonia. It is also the first time the Vatican mentions that the pope has participated in celebrating a Mass during the last month. His condition has been gradually improving over the last week, leading the Vatican to suspend morning updates and to issue less frequent medical bulletins.
Source:The Times
March 16, 2025 19:24 UTC
The Times: British Prime Minister announces plan for number of peacekeepers in Ukraine
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer outlined plans for a Western peacekeeping contingent for Ukraine at an online meeting of the "coalition of the willing" on March 15. In return, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his country was ready to deploy troops to Ukraine and support the peace agreement with “ boots on the ground and planes in the sky”. Irish Prime Minister Michaël Martin said his country was also ready to send peacekeepers to Ukraine for post-war security. Denmark is also ready for this, as is Australia, as noted by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever believes it is logical for Brussels to send troops to Ukraine.
Source:The Times
March 16, 2025 19:24 UTC
2025 Selection Sunday: Date, schedule, TV times
The deepest game-winning buzzer beaters in March Madness historyThe deepest game-winning buzzer beaters in March Madness historySelection Sunday for 2025 March Madness is, Sunday, March 16. The 68-team brackets for the men's and women's NCAA DI basketball tournaments were revealed during selection shows. The men's tournament bracket was revealed at 6 p.m. The women's bracket was announced at 8 p.m. Here's the schedule for the 2025 men's tournament:Selection Sunday: 6 p.m.
Source:The Times
March 16, 2025 18:43 UTC
Tornadoes and winds kill at least 37 people in US
Dust storms spurred by the system’s early high winds claimed almost a dozen lives on Friday. Eight people died in a Kansas highway pile-up involving at least 50 vehicles, according to the state highway patrol. Authorities said three people also were killed in car crashes during a dust storm in Amarillo, in the Texas Panhandle. To the north, the National Weather Service issued blizzard warnings for parts of far western Minnesota and far eastern South Dakota starting early on Saturday. Significant tornadoes continued late on Saturday with the region at highest risk stretching from eastern Louisiana and Mississippi through Alabama, western Georgia and the Florida panhandle, the Storm Prediction Centre said.
Source:The Times
March 16, 2025 17:23 UTC
Ukraine, The Times: 'Willing' Meeting Discusses Plans for Peace Force with Over 10 Soldiers
According to the British newspaper "The Times" in the virtual meeting of the so-called coalition of the "willing" the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has reportedly discussed plans for a Western peacekeeping force of more than 10 troops to be sent to Ukraine following a potential truce. The Sunday edition of the paper explains that “two minesweepers, transferred from the Royal Navy to the Ukrainian fleet last year, are also taking part in training exercises, ready to be deployed to the Black Sea in the event of a ceasefire”. The ships “were unable to enter during the war because the Bosphorus Strait was closed”. Senior government sources, The Times continues, have said that Prime Minister Starmer has received “far more” support than the three countries that originally offered to provide ground troops, although it is likely that the bulk of the force will come from the UK and France. Read also other news on Nova NewsClick here and receive updates on WhatsAppFollow us on the social channels of Nova News on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Telegram
Source:The Times
March 16, 2025 16:15 UTC
MAGA fans outraged as Dodgers told to shun Donald Trump's White House invitation after Word Series win
As the reigning World Series Champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers are expected to receive an invitation from President Donald Trump. The Dodgers sealed World Series glory last Fall when they routed the New York Yankees in a dominant 5-1 series win. Ordinarily, this would earn them the customary White House visit afforded to US sports teams to honor their victories. However, the Los Angeles Times has suggested that Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and co. should shun the traditional trip to the White House. The Times recalled that Betts skipped the customary visit in 2019 following his World Series win with the Boston Red Sox.
Source:The Times
March 16, 2025 14:36 UTC
UK tells allies it may send 10,000 troops to Ukraine, The Times says
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer presented plans for a Western peacekeeping force of over 10,000 soldiers for Ukraine during a meeting of the leaders of the coalition of the willing on 15 March. Source: The Times, citing sources in the UK government, as reported by European PravdaDetails: Sources cited by The Times indicated that the total size of the peacekeeping force for Ukraine will "definitely exceed the 10,000 troops" that London is prepared to contribute. Overall, around 35 countries agreed to supply weapons, logistical, and intelligence support for the potential peacekeeping mission during Saturday’s meeting, The Times reports. Military officials are set to meet in the UK on Thursday to consider ways to reinforce the future peace agreement. However, Starmer added that any post-ceasefire plans for Ukraine would need to involve cooperation with the United States.
Source:The Times
March 16, 2025 14:08 UTC
We live in terrifying & uncertain times – this is why King Charles and Prince William are more important than ever
When King Charles met Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, fresh from his bruising humiliation in the Oval Office, it mattered. In the great tide of history, did it matter a damn that King Charles and President Zelensky took tea together in Sandringham’s Saloon room? The King meets Zelensky and the prince meets the troops because, whatever Trump may believe, some things matter more than the next deal. And when the King honours President Trump on a second state visit to this country, America and the world will be reminded of the values we still share. 8 Donald Trump taking ownership of his new Tesla Credit: SplashBut sales of Tesla are down around the world.
Source:The Times
March 16, 2025 13:41 UTC
The Rosebery pub in Norwich to hold beer festival in June
Located on Rosebery Road in the NR3 area, the car park of the Rosebery will be transformed into a mini festival site for the event, aptly named Casks in the Car Park. Owners Jessie and Tim Dodd (Image: The Rosebery) The Rosebery is run by husband-and-wife team Jessie and Tim Dodd, who are also behind The Marlborough Arms and The Dog House. The festival will celebrate local and national ales (Image: The Rosebery) “We’ve wanted to do something like this for years,” said Jessie. The Rosebery Pub (Image: The Rosebery) DJs will provide a chilled vibe throughout the afternoons and evenings, with local band Dirty Havana closing the festival on Sunday with an acoustic set. The festival also coincides with the broader Norwich Ale Festival, making it a perfect weekend for beer lovers.
Source:The Times
March 16, 2025 13:16 UTC
Trump Orders U.S. Strikes Against Houthi Militant Sites in Yemen
The United States carried out large-scale military strikes on Saturday against dozens of targets in Yemen controlled by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia, President Trump announced. It was the opening salvo in what senior American officials said was a new offensive against the militants and a strong message to Iran, as Mr. Trump seeks a nuclear deal with its government. Air and naval strikes ordered by Mr. Trump hit radars, air defenses, and missile and drone systems in an effort to open international shipping lanes in the Red Sea that the Houthis have disrupted for months with their own attacks. The Biden administration conducted several strikes against the Houthis but largely failed to restore stability to the region. Mr. Trump wants to broker a deal with Iran to prevent it from acquiring a nuclear weapon, but has left open the possibility of military action if the Iranians rebuff negotiations.
Source:The Times
March 16, 2025 12:55 UTC