UK helicopter crash: 3 die as chopper spirals into field during a flight lesson; cause under probe
3 die as chopper spirals into field during a flight lesson in UK; cause under probe (Pic credit: X/@standardnews)Isle of Wight County PressThree people were killed and one seriously injured after a helicopter crashed during a flight lesson on the Isle of Wight, off England’s south coast, on Monday morning, authorities said.The Robinson R44 II aircraft, operated by Northumbria Helicopters, had taken off from Sandown Airport around 9 am local time with a pilot and three passengers on board. It went down just before 9.30 am in a field near a road in the Shanklin area, reported AP.The survivor was airlifted to University Hospital Southampton’s trauma centre in serious condition, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary confirmed.Eyewitness Leigh Goldsmith told thehe saw the helicopter spiral into a hedge while driving nearby.In a statement, Shanklin Town Council said it was “shocked to hear about the incident involving a pleasure flight helicopter crash landing on the outskirts of the town”, reported BBC.The council also noted that the crash came during a busy bank holiday weekend, when several events were underway on the island — including the Isle of Wight Scooter Rally at Sandown Airport, which drew thousands of vintage scooter owners.The UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch has deployed inspectors to the crash site to gather evidence and determine the cause of the incident.
Source:The Times
August 26, 2025 01:10 UTC
Newspaper headlines: 'In harm's way' and Farage's 'mass deportations' plan
Image caption, The Guardian follows with Israel facing "global condemnation" for the hospital bombing. The paper says the first strike hit the top floor and the building was struck again as rescuers and journalists arrived on the scene to help the wounded. Front and centre is a picture of Mariam Abu Dagga, standing in front of the ruins of destroyed buildings in Gaza, with the paper featuring words from her will to her son: "I want you to pray for me and don't weep over me, so that I may remain happy." Israel has called the incident a "tragic mishap".
Source:The Times
August 26, 2025 00:03 UTC
Times letters: Labour under pressure over asylum claims
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Source:The Times
August 25, 2025 23:12 UTC
Nigel Farage vows to scrap UK human rights law to tackle small boats crisis
“The time has come to put this country first. This is all a question of priorities. Is Keir Starmer on the side of the British people, national security and protecting women and girls – or is he on the side of outdated international treaties and human rights lawyers?”
Source:The Times
August 25, 2025 21:41 UTC
Kneecap Cancels U.S. Tour, Calling U.K. Terrorism Charge a ‘Witch Hunt’
The Northern Irish rap group Kneecap, which frequently makes anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian comments onstage, canceled its 15-concert tour of the United States on Monday amid a legal dispute in Britain. Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, a member of the group who goes by the stage name Mo Chara, was charged with a terrorism offense in May. He is accused of displaying a flag in support of the Hezbollah militant group at a concert in November. Hezbollah is considered a terrorist organization in Britain, where it is illegal to display the symbols of such groups. A chief magistrate said he would make a decision on Sept. 26 about whether Ó hAnnaidh would stand trial.
Source:The Times
August 25, 2025 18:52 UTC
Vibrant New York Times Campaign Reframes Time to Stop Viewers in Their Tracks
“She has a really great energy to her work,” say Toby and Laurie. Beneath the film’s energy and scale are strategic insights into how Times readers engage with media today, and what they’re seeking from it. “Our campaign takes inspiration from our most engaged readers and subscribers about how The Times plays a tangible role in their lives,” says Chanelle. “The Times has an amazing team and we have put together a really exciting team for this. We’ve worked together for a long time, and we’ve established a really clear brand voice together.
Source:The Times
August 25, 2025 18:30 UTC
Protections needed to stop people believing chatbots are friends – expert
Alexander Laffer, a lecturer in media and communications at the University of Winchester, said there needs to be responsible development of AI as systems have been created to respond to the capacity of humans for empathy. He warned that chatbots should be designed to “augment” social interactions but not replace them following cases where people have become too “fond or reliant” on their AI companions, leaving them open to manipulation. He explained that chatbots have been designed to encourage connections and respond to the moods of users. “Children, people with mental health conditions and even someone whose just had a bad day are vulnerable. Mr Laffer, working with Project AEGIS (Automating Empathy–Globalising International Standards), has also produced a new video to highlight the issue and the group’s work with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) to draft a set of global ethical standards for AI.
Source:The Times
August 25, 2025 16:40 UTC
Britain’s summer angst over migration heaps pressure on Keir Starmer’s Labour government
The rising concern coincides with record numbers of asylum seekers arriving illegally in Britain on small boats this summer. Capitalising on the timing of Britain’s summer spike in migration angst, Mr Farage is expected to launch a major new asylum policy in London on Tuesday. Reform will announce plans to detain tens of thousands of asylum seekers in old army camps and deport any who arrive in Britain illegally on small boats. That heaps pressure on Labour to also address the ECHR, whether by abrogation, suspension or by changing how the convention is applied in Britain. Over the weekend, however, she also announced her intention to tighten the appeals system for asylum seekers.
Source:The Times
August 25, 2025 16:37 UTC
Senior UK defense figures toured Jerusalem as guests of Israeli firm bidding for military contract
LONDON: A senior UK defense chief accepted a trip to Jerusalem partly paid for and run by an arms company while it was bidding for a British Army contract for a program he oversaw, The Times reported on Monday. It has a Britain-based arm, Elbit UK, with several factories across the country. Cooper was, and remains, in charge of the British Army Collective Training Transformation Programme, designed to modernize the military’s training procedures. “The visit was a success — we won’t get another opportunity like this but neither will any other consortium,” The Times reported the employee as saying. A decision is expected soon, with Elbit UK bidding as part of a consortium that includes its Israeli parent company, The Times reported.
Source:The Times
August 25, 2025 15:50 UTC
UK migrant arrivals on small boats reach new record
The record was reached on Sunday after 212 migrants arrived in four different boats that day, the data showed. Starmer's Labour government has pledged to phase out hotel use by 2029 and to overhaul the asylum system. Official data last week showed asylum claims were at a record high, with more migrants being housed in hotels compared with a year ago. Nigel Farage, leader of the right-wing Reform UK party that has topped recent surveys of voting intentions, outlined plans for "mass deportations" of migrants arriving by small boats. These would include taking Britain out of the European Convention on Human Rights, barring asylum claims, and building detention centres for 24,000 people.
Source:The Times
August 25, 2025 13:29 UTC
U.K. antimigrant protests continue after asylum reforms set out
Antimigrant protests persisted across Britain on Sunday outside hotels housing asylum seekers, a day after police were forced to separate demonstrators and counterprotesters in multiple cities as tensions flared over immigration policies. With immigration polling as the public's top concern, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour government has been under pressure to deliver on its pledge to end hotel use, which is costing billions of pounds a year. Britain has seen regular protests in recent weeks outside hotels housing asylum seekers, spurred in part by concerns about public safety after a migrant who was accommodated in a hotel east of London was charged with sexual assault.
Source:The Times
August 25, 2025 13:19 UTC
Caldbeck candle maker to appear at Cumbria Life Home Fair
“Very much what I bring to the candles is my interior design work, which is about connecting to nature,” she said. “I moved to Cumbria the week before lockdown so I missed the previous Cumbria Life home fairs and I can remember finding them online and thinking, ‘I wish they would start up again,’ so I jumped at the chance of being involved this year,” she said. “I work by myself and I find it really uplifting meeting customers and those who meet me at the event. Get yours now using the QR code or visit www.localiqevents.co.uk/events/cumbria-life-home-gift-fairCumbria Life subscribers get free tickets to the Home & Gift Fair in the September issue. Visit cumbrialife.co.uk(Image: Cumbria Life)
Source:The Times
August 25, 2025 12:45 UTC
It’s not just flights and upgrades — here’s what else your Avios can buy you
Would they like to splurge some of their Avios loyalty points on a weekend’s wine-tasting in Spain? On the face of it, this Wine Flyer Avios Experience is the very definition of a jolly for the 70-ish customers of the Wine Flyer, which is owned by IAG, the parent company of British Airways, Iberia and Avios. Advertisement• What are Avios points and how can I collect them? Reward flights, which are paid for not in cash, but instead in loyalty points, are still clearly an important driver. Sarah Turner was a guest of Avios (avios.com) and the Wine Flyer (thewineflyer.co.uk)Have you spent your Avios on anything other than flights?
Source:The Times
August 25, 2025 04:02 UTC
Times letters: Asylum policy and Nigel Farage’s deportation pledge
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Source:The Times
August 25, 2025 02:04 UTC
Seven in ten say Keir Starmer is handling migration badly
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Source:The Times
August 24, 2025 23:40 UTC