London, June 2, 2008: The Times has today announced a series of editorial and design changes to the weekday paper. Following the recent £650 million investment in full-colour presses by The Times' parent company News Corporation, the newspaper is now able to take full advantage of colour on every page, as well as later deadlines.

One of the most significant changes is the new position of leading articles, which will now be found on page 2.  John Walter, the newspaper's founder effectively introduced leaders in 1785 when he wrote an address "To the Public" and, ever since, the paper has sought to present a clear, considered view on the issues of the day.

The daily magazine section, times2, has been modernised and expanded to give readers more on Life, Style and the Arts, as well more room for games and puzzles. The section now also includes a new page of news and features for children called Young Times, as well as outstanding columnists such as Caitlin Moran, Giles Smith and Sathnam Sanghera, and daily sections on health, families, fashion, relationships and food.

With full-colour printing, The Times has introduced a colour navigation scheme to make it quicker for readers to find their way around the paper. The Opinion pages have been expanded and greater prominence has been give to the Letters page.  Another new feature is the arrival of  "The Daily Universal Register" a page of modern miscellany that will give readers a range ideas of things to do, places to go, and events to see. 

Commenting on the changes, James Harding, the Editor of The Times, said: "The history of The Times is one of constant self-improvement. For 222 years, it has been at the forefront of innovation. The Times invented the leading article, it was the first newspaper to employ a foreign correspondent and rightly, or wrongly, it brought Su Doku mania to Britain. Our readers tell us how much they value the opinion of The Times, our impartial, authoritative and expert reporting, as well as the intelligence and humour of other Times readers in evidence daily on the Letters page. Now with full colour, the paper has further visual impact and new features which we hope will quickly become old favourites.  We are as excited about our future as we are proud of our past. "