UK

British Watchdog is Investigating the AI Market

4May

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

British Watchdog is Investigating the AI Market

The British competition watchdog CMA has launched a broad investigation into the development of the artificial intelligence (AI) market. The regulator wants to know what impact this fast-growing technology will have on competition in the technology sector and whether more rules are needed to protect consumers. Artificial intelligence develops computer systems that come close to human intelligence. For example, chatbots such as ChatGPT can write texts that appear to have been written by a human. The increasing possibilities offered by AI systems have prompted major technology companies such as Microsoft and Alphabet, the owner of Google, to accelerate investments in the sector. “The potential benefits of this transformative technology must be easily accessible to UK businesses...

Record Number of UK Businesses Started by Women by 2022

22Feb

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

Business, News, UK

Record Number of UK Businesses Started by Women by 2022

A record number of UK businesses were started by women last year. Research by the Scottish bank and insurance company NatWest Group shows that 151,600 companies were added last year with an all-female board. This is one in five newly established companies in the UK. The number of UK businesses founded by women in a year has more than doubled since 2018. That year, over 56,000 businesses were started by women. By 2021, some 145,000 new businesses in the UK will be founded by women. The largest increase was seen among girls and women aged 16 to 25. NatWest CEO Alison Rose told the Financial Times that female entrepreneurs want to capitalize on the tough economic times and go their own way.

British Government Blocks Scottish Transgender Law, Prime Minister Sturgeon Furious

17Jan

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

News, Scotland, UK

British Government Blocks Scottish Transgender Law, Prime Minister Sturgeon Furious

The British government will block a Scottish law that makes it easier to change sex before the law. She fears it will conflict with a law that applies to the whole United Kingdom. It is the first time the British government has vetoed a Scottish law. In Scotland, the reaction is furious. Last month, the Scottish Parliament passed the Gender Recognition Bill, making it easier for people to change their official gender. The bill received a great majority of 86 to 39 in the Scottish Parliament. Only the Conservatives voted against it. The law removes the need for a medical diagnosis of "gender dysphoria" (put: deep dissatisfaction with your biological sex). The minimum age will also be lowered from 18 to 16 years. According to the Scottish government, the current system is to...

Strike Paralyses British Emergency Services

11Jan

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

News, UK

Strike Paralyses British Emergency Services

A national strike paralysed emergency services in large parts of Britain on Wednesday. Some 25,000 emergency doctors, paramedics and emergency centre staff have been laid off in England and Wales. GPs and pharmacists will be working on Wednesday. The strikers demand higher wages and better working conditions. In addition, they want a surcharge that compensates for inflation. On an annual basis, it is currently around 10 percent. Earlier, the conservative government of Rishi Sunak offered emergency workers 4.75 percent more wages. However, it refuses to increase that offer because it lacks resources. Health Minister Steve Barclay admitted to the public broadcaster BBC that the underfunded health service NHS is under great pressure. He referred to long waiting times when trans...

British PM Rishi Sunak Wants to Make Maths Compulsory for Students up to the Age of 18

4Jan

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

News, UK

British PM Rishi Sunak Wants to Make Maths Compulsory for Students up to the Age of 18

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wants all pupils in England to receive mathematics up to the age of eighteen. The British broadcaster BBC writes in his first speech of the new year. According to Sunak, "We need to rethink our attitude towards numeracy." "In a world where data is ubiquitous, and statistics are the basis of many jobs, our children's jobs will require more analytical skills than ever before," said the prime minister. "To send our children into the world without these skills is to abandon our children." About half of the pupils between the ages of sixteen and eighteen still take mathematics in one form or another. In the United Kingdom, taking mathematics until the age of eighteen is currently not compulsory. It is unclear how Sunak intends to teach these skills ...

Car Hits Group of People in England: Two Dead, Two Injured

21Nov

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

News, UK

Car Hits Group of People in England: Two Dead, Two Injured

In the English municipality of Oldbury, near the city of Birmingham, a car drove into a bunch of people on Sunday evening. A nineteen-year-old man and a sixteen-year-old girl were killed, the police announced on Monday. A man and a woman, both aged between 20 and 30, were critically injured. Police have arrested a 54-year-old man. The police are calling on eyewitnesses not to share pictures and videos of the incident on social networking sites. It is requested that these images be made available to the researchers.

Heathrow Airport Apologizes for Poor Service

11Jul

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

News, UK

Heathrow Airport Apologizes for Poor Service

London's major Heathrow airport has apologized for its poor passenger service. Like other European airports, including Schiphol, Heathrow has suffered from long lines of travellers waiting for hours and luggage being left behind at the airport due to heavy crowds and staff shortages. To ease the crowds, Heathrow has reduced the number of flights. In June, the largest airport in the United Kingdom handled almost 6 million travellers, according to transport figures published Monday. The large influx has repeatedly caused problems. Heathrow, the home of British Airways, says the service provided to travellers has been "unacceptable" on several occasions. The airport company states that it is very challenging to quickly add capacity by taking on additional staff. Heathrow expects se...

EasyJet Reduces Capacity for This Summer Due to Staff Shortage

20Jun

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

Business, News, UK

EasyJet Reduces Capacity for This Summer Due to Staff Shortage

British low-cost airline easyJet is slashing its flight capacity this summer due to an acute shortage of staff. With the intervention, the company wants to avoid chaos, as has already been the case at various airports in recent weeks. At the same time, the group emphasizes that bookings remain “strong”, with those for the fourth quarter at a similar level to the same quarter of the pre-corona year 2019. The staff shortage at EasyJet has already caused many flights to be cancelled in recent months. Other airlines are also moaning about the shortage. For example, there have been discussions between Brussels Airlines and the trade unions for some time and it has been decided to strike the Belgian pilots of Ryanair on 24, 25 and 26 June. Today there is also a strike at Brussels Airp...

Harry and Meghan Still Get Security at the Queen’s Jubilee

1Jun

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

News, UK

Harry and Meghan Still Get Security at the Queen’s Jubilee

Prince Harry, his wife Meghan Markle and their children will still receive protection when they land in the UK today for Queen Elizabeth's jubilee. However, until now there has been a lot of uncertainty about whether or not they would be protected. Harry arrives in the UK today with his wife Meghan and their offspring. according to the Daily Mail, they would be staying at Frogmore cottage in Windsor for the festivities. It is only the second time the couple has returned after giving up their royal role in 2020. According to the British tabloid, there has been contacting between Harry's security team and that of the Queen for weeks. There would now be an arrangement that Harry and his family will still be protected by the security of the Royal Family. However, this does not appl...

British Prime Minister Johnson Wants to Continue Extracting Oil and Gas in the North Sea

27May

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

Business, News, UK

British Prime Minister Johnson Wants to Continue Extracting Oil and Gas in the North Sea

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants to continue extracting oil and gas in the North Sea to tackle the rising cost of living in the United Kingdom. Johnson also calls on energy companies to continue investing in fossil fuels. “I don't think we can turn our backs on fossil fuels completely,” Johnson said in an interview with Bloomberg TV. “The UK has a thriving industry in the North East of Scotland. That is very important and we have to keep it up.” In his drive to lower the cost of energy by increasing supply, Johnson also emphasized the importance of further investment in green technology and renewable energy sources. “To tackle inflation in the medium term, you have to solve supply-side problems,” he said. “So we need the energy companies to invest a little more in fossi...