Palantir: privacy fears over handing NHS data to US defence provider show how lack of trust is holding back much-needed reform: Shutterstock/Marian Weyo Controversial US tech company Palantir has been awarded a £330 million contract to create a new system for sharing data – including patients’ medical details – within the NHS in England. The …
UK’s new back to work plan will make life even harder for disabled people: The UK chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, has unveiled new rules for welfare benefit claimants. Under the government’s back to work plan, £2.5 billion of funding is to be allocated to employment support schemes with the aim of getting over 1 million people …
What the UK government’s back to work plan covers – and why it is unlikely to boost people’s job prospects: Ahead of the UK government’s latest economic statement, the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, and the secretary of state for work and pensions, Mel Stride, unveiled a new employment support package dubbed the back to work plan. …
Rishi Sunak’s decision to bring back David Cameron has distracted us all for now, but the long-term strategy is flawed: Number 10/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND Former prime minister David Cameron’s return as foreign secretary in Rishi Sunak’s government was surprising, to say the least. Only four former prime ministers have gone on to serve again in …
Internet of Things: tech firms have become our digital landlords – but people are starting to fight back: Hodoimg From smart toasters to fitness collars for dogs, we live in a world where everything around us is gradually being connected to the internet and fitted with sensors so that we can interact with them online. …
The power of pink: how Barbie’s popularity is pushing back against Kremlin control of information: Underground screenings of the summer’s Hollywood blockbuster Barbie are now being shown around Russia, despite the film being frowned on by government officials. The fantasy comedy film, starring Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie, is being shown at some Russian cinemas …
Can Biden bounce back as the US presidential race turns nastier?: Antagonism between the two expected candidates for US president in 2024 is ramping up as the political battleground turns increasingly nasty. US president Joe Biden suggested that Donald Trump and his allies pose a threat to democracy, “our institutions, to our constitution itself”, in …
Professionals in Sweden are pushing back hard against a rightwing plan to make them snitch on undocumented migrants: Workers in the welfare sector are currently giving Sweden’s government a significant headache in a dispute about upholding professional ethics. They are opposing a planned law that would require them to “snitch” on undocumented migrants. And since …
‘Digital necromancy’: why bringing people back from the dead with AI is just an extension of our grieving practices: Generative AI – which encompasses large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT but also image and video generators like DALL·E 2 – supercharges what has come to be known as “digital necromancy”, the conjuring of the dead …
How to get help or your money back after travel disruptions – experts explain: PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock The summer of 2023 started well for airlines, after a tumultuous few years following COVID lockdowns in most countries. Passenger numbers were up 30% in the northern hemisphere in June 2023, versus the previous year. But air …
Europe’s wild bird species are on the brink – but there are ways to bring them back: A flock of puffins on a cliff in Northumberland, England. Riska Parakeet/Shutterstock Almost two out of every five species of wild bird are of conservation concern across Europe, according to an updated and comprehensive assessment of their population …
70 years ago, an Anglo-US coup condemned Iran to decades of oppression – but now the people are fighting back: The 1953 coup d’etat in Iran ushered in a period of exploitation and oppression that has continued – despite a subsequent revolution that led to huge changes – for 70 years. Each year on August …
Teen mums in South Africa: largest ever study explores what it takes to go back to school: GettyImages Imagine the weight of responsibility for caring for a child when you are not yet fully grown yourself, and the fear of being shamed by parents, fellow learners, and even strangers within the community? Vast numbers of …
I’ve spent 50 years studying one seabird colony fight its way back from near extinction – now it faces new threats: A guillemot nesting on a cliff ledge on Skomer Island, south Wales. Andrew Astbury/Shutterstock Over the past few decades, Skomer Island off the south coast of Wales has witnessed a remarkable resurgence in its …
Women’s World Cup: five issues holding back the female game: The 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup is probably the most highly-anticipated women’s football tournament ever. Part of this hype and enthusiasm might suggest that women’s football has finally “made it” and that catching up with the men’s game is just a matter of time. But …
eNaira: Nigeria’s digital currency has had a slow start – what’s holding it back: Adoption of eNaira has been slow. Shutterstock Nigeria was the first country in Africa to roll out a central bank digital currency. The eNaira was launched in October 2021. The main reasons were to promote financial inclusion, increase cross-border transactions, facilitate …
Somaliland: Berbera city’s growth is being held back by a power supply monopoly: Berbera port consumes a lot of energy while most city dwellers lack affordable electricity. ED RAM/AFP via Getty Images Somaliland’s main port, at the city of Berbera, accounted for two-thirds of the country’s revenues in 2020. Over the years, these revenues have …
Rising sexual violence in Sudan conflict reflects entrenched patriarchy — but women and girls are fighting back: Watching and hearing the horrifying reports of violence and savagery in Sudan, those of us working to end violence against women and girls immediately become concerned about how it will inevitably spill over into sexual violence. As recently …