20 April 2023 /Policy/ — The Security Minister stressed the importance of businesses and individuals taking steps to protect themselves from cyber threats. He said that businesses should invest in cyber security measures, such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems. He also said that individuals should be careful about what information they share online and should use strong passwords. Continue reading
April 21, 2023 /Politics/ – Dominic Raab, the UK’s Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary, resigned on 21 April 2023 in the wake of a report that found he had bullied civil servants. The report, which was commissioned by the government, found that Raab had created a “toxic” and “intimidating” work environment.
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By Adam Smith | Tech correspondent
April 20, 2023 /Thomson Reuters Foundation/ — U.S. data analytics firm Palantir is bidding to provide Britain’s National Health Service with software across the system – a move which has raised concerns from data specialists and advocates.
Palantir, founded by U.S. billionaire Peter Thiel, was the NHS data analytics provider during the pandemic and is currently bidding for a £480 million contract for a “federated data platform”.
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SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Square today launched Tap to Pay on Android for sellers across the U.S., Australia, Ireland, France, Spain, and the United Kingdom. The new technology empowers sellers to securely accept contactless payments with a compatible Android device, and at no additional cost.
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April 19, 2023 /Economy/ — The cost of living crisis is a global issue, and it is having a significant impact on people in the UK. Energy bills, food prices, and fuel costs are all rising, and this is putting a strain on household budgets. There are concerns that the cost of living crisis could lead to social unrest, and there is no clear timeline for when this could happen.
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Breathable Cities is on a mission to seek out UK startups improving air quality in cities and urban neighbourhoods. This brand new accelerator programme is designed to help early stage businesses implement their clean air solutions with greater speed and increased success. Continue reading
Angus Nurse, Nottingham Trent University
Louise Casey’s review of the standards of behaviour and internal culture at the Metropolitan police makes for uncomfortable reading. It was commissioned following the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by Wayne Couzens, who was a serving Met officer at the time.
Casey highlights the prevalence of sexism and homophobia. Crucially, in considering police culture she draws different conclusions on the existence of institutional racism than the position taken in 2021 by Boris Johnson’s government on race.
Sercan Ozcan, University of Portsmouth; Joe Sekhon, University of Portsmouth, and Oleksandra Ozcan, University of Portsmouth
The AI chatbot ChatGPT produces content that can appear to have been created by a human. There are many proposed uses for the technology, but its impressive capabilities raise important questions about ownership of the content.
UK legislation has a definition for computer-generated works. Under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 they are “generated by computer in circumstances such that there is no human author of the work”. The law suggests content generated by an artificial intelligence (AI) can be protected by copyright. However, the original sources of answers generated by AI chatbots can be difficult to trace – and they might include copyrighted works.
April 17, 2023 /Technology/ —The UK Government’s Data Protection and Digital Information Bill (DPID Bill) is a piece of legislation that aims to reform the UK’s data protection framework. The Bill is currently being debated in Parliament, and it is expected to be passed into law in 2023.
The DPID Bill has the potential to have a significant impact on the UK economy. On the one hand, the Bill could lead to increased compliance costs for businesses. This is because the Bill introduces a number of new requirements for businesses that process personal data, such as the need to conduct data protection impact assessments and to appoint a data protection officer.
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April 17, 2023 /World/ — Violence erupted in Sudan on April 11, 2023, when the country’s military, known as the Transitional Military Council (TMC), dissolved the Sovereign Council, the joint civilian-military body that had been governing the country since the overthrow of Omar al-Bashir in 2019. The TMC also detained several civilian leaders, including Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok.
The violence has been met with widespread international condemnation, and the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union have all imposed sanctions on the TMC. The African Union has also suspended Sudan from its activities.
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