The BBC’s appointment of Chair Richard Sharp “should not stand” and the process was “fatally flawed,” according to former Director General John Birt, who threw his weight behind the corporation over the Gary Lineker scandal.
11.03.2023 - 22:57 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk
An emergency communication tool dubbed the 'armageddon alert' system will reportedly be rolled out in the next few weeks. Millions of people will hear a loud alarm from their mobile phones as the system is tested, the Mirror reports.
The system is designed to warn people if there is a 'danger to life' nearby. It’s understood the imminent national testing will focus on flooding and extreme weather-related events.
The Government’s National Resilience Framework, published in December, said the system would be launched nationwide in 'early 2023' but so far only local testing has been completed.
READ MORE: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks out on Gary Lineker row as BBC shows thrown into disarray
Tests were carried out in Reading in 2021. One local wrote on BerkshireLive’s Facebook Page of the loud alert: “I nearly wet myself!” Another commenter said it 'scared the life out of me'.
Labour accused the Government of failing to roll out the system in a timely manner. Fleur Anderson, Labour’s Shadow Paymaster General, said: "While Britain faces increasing global threats, not least from Putin’s Russia, this saga has dragged on far too long and left our country lagging far behind on keeping the public safe.
"While the Tories have been caught asleep at the wheel, Labour has a plan for a more resilient Britain to ensure government is alert to the threats our country faces."
A Government spokesperson said: "Emergency Alerts will be a vital tool in helping us better respond to emergencies, both nationally and locally. We have worked closely with the emergency services to develop this and carried out extensive trials ahead of its national rollout. We expect to update shortly."
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The BBC’s appointment of Chair Richard Sharp “should not stand” and the process was “fatally flawed,” according to former Director General John Birt, who threw his weight behind the corporation over the Gary Lineker scandal.
Millions of mobile and broadband customers will face extremely high price hikes from next week.
Chris Pine shows off his chest in a silk shirt while on his way to film an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Monday (March 27) in Los Angeles.
the scene-stealer in from her last press tour: her grandmother. Sitting with Fallon for “The Tonight Show” Monday, Pugh shared that her family, including her so-called “Granzo Pat,” were in New York with her.
She is determined to shine a light on the nation's amazing unsung heroes who give their time and talents to help others, and this week, the Queen Consort showed her appreciation when she met volunteer groups in Telford, Shropshire. Crowds lined up to greet Camilla, who made her first visit to the county since her husband King Charles III became head of state.
The family of a teacher who took her own life have claimed that her death was a 'direct result of pressure' she was under due to an Ofsted inspection at her school.
Charna Flam The so-called “crackberry” is back. IFC Films has released the first official trailer for the upcoming comedy-drama film, “BlackBerry,” which provides a peek into exactly how the handheld device revolutionized the cell phone industry. Director Matt Johnson, along with co-screenwriter Matthew Miller, adapted Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff’s book “Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry” for the big screen. Johnsonplays BlackBerry co-founder Douglas Fregin in the film, alongside Glenn Howerton as chair and co-CEO Jim Balsillie, Jay Baruchel as co-founder Mike Lazaridis and Cary Elwes as Palm CEO Carl Yankowski. The cast also includes Saul Rubinek, Michael Ironside, Rich Sommer, Michelle Giroux, Mark Critch and SungWon Cho.
A good day for business. Ryan Reynolds revealed that T-Mobile will acquire his phone company, Mint Mobile, for $1.35 billion.
Ryan Reynolds just struck a billion-dollar deal, which is serious business for an ordinary business person. But Reynolds is no ordinary business person.
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Actor and entrepreneur Ryan Reynolds and other owners of Mint Mobile have sold the direct-to-consumer prepaid wireless brand to T-Mobile in a deal worth $1.35 billion.
Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Mint Mobile, the prepaid wireless brand in which Ryan Reynolds holds a minority ownership stake, has been acquired by T-Mobile in a deal worth up to $1.35 billion. Under the pact, expected to close later this year, T-Mobile will acquire Ka’ena Corp. and its subsidiaries and brands: Mint Mobile, international wireless service Ultra Mobile and wholesaler Plum. T-Mobile said it will be able “to leverage Mint’s industry-leading digital [direct-to-consumer] marketing expertise as part of its broader portfolio to reach new customer segments and geographies.” Following the deal’s close, Mint Mobile founders David Glickman and Rizwan Kassim will remain at T-Mobile to manage the brands, which will “generally” operate as a separate business unit. Reynolds will continue in his creative role as a spokesman for Mint, in which the actor-entrepreneur owns a roughly 25% stake.
UPDATE: BBC employees will stage their biggest strike in 13 years on Wednesday after eleventh-hour talks with management failed. The walkout will force coverage of the UK government’s Budget off air and heap more embarrassment on Director-General Tim Davie, who has apologized for scheduling chaos over the Gary Lineker saga.
“Ambiguity” around social media guidelines was to blame for the BBC Gary Lineker scandal, according to Ofcom boss Melanie Dawes, who was challenged on the “creeping politicization” of UK TV news during a committee hearing this morning.
England footballing legend John Barnes says the conversation around the Home Office's controversial illegal migrant policy is being "side-tracked" by the Gary Lineker and BBC row. Speaking on ITV's Good Morning Britain, the former Liverpool player said headlines over the weekend could result in the message that Lineker was trying to get across, and the reason he spoke out in the first place, being 'lost'.
I have friends who’ve played table-top, role playing, and fantasy game Dungeons and Dragons (DnD), but I haven’t played ever. My friends tell me I’m missing out by not playing, but none of them will explain and teach me how to play, but what I’ve learned is that players can create their own characters and adventures. Whether Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves keeps true to the spirit of the game, I can’t say. However, as a film, John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein’s execution pays off in a major way. Written by Daley, Goldstein, and Michael Gilio, the movie has an all-star cast including Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Hugh Grant, Regé-Jean Page, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, and Daisy Head.
Match of the Day presenter Ian Wright has said he will not appear on tomorrow’s edition of the BBC’s Premier League highlights show in “solidarity” with lead presenter Gary Lineker who was asked to step back from coverage after breaking the broadcaster’s impartiality rules on Twitter.