The Guardian – Laws to stop fake news are ‘not fit for purpose’ says Khan
The Guardian states laws designed to counter misinformation are “not fit for purpose” and must be revisited after the spread of online falsehoods contributed to this month’s far-right riots, London mayor Sadiq Khan has told the paper.
The front page has a report on the Sellafield apology after a string of cybersecurity failings.
A large image of Team GB’s Ellie Aldridge who won her first-ever Olympic kitesurfing gold medal makes the splash.
Online Safety Act not fit for purpose after far-right riots, says Sadiq Khan
Laws designed to counter misinformation are “not fit for purpose” and must be revisited after the spread of online falsehoods contributed to this month’s far-right riots, the mayor of London has said.
Sadiq Khan, one of the UK’s most senior Muslim politicians, said ministers should act “very, very quickly” to review the Online Safety Act after the violent unrest in England and Belfast over the past week. There have been calls to hasten the act’s implementation.
His comments came after the owner of X, Elon Musk, escalated his attacks on the Labour government, sharing a fake Telegraph article on his social media platform claiming Keir Starmer was considering sending far-right rioters to “emergency detainment camps” in the Falklands. The article was first posted by Ashlea Simon, a co-leader of the far-right group Britain First.
Sellafield apologises after guilty plea over string of cybersecurity failings
Sellafield has apologised after pleading guilty to criminal charges relating to a string of cybersecurity failings at Britain’s most hazardous nuclear site, which it admitted could have threatened national security.
Among the failings at the vast nuclear waste dump in Cumbria was the discovery that 75% of its computer servers were vulnerable to cyber-attacks, Westminster magistrates court in London heard.
Information that could threaten national security was left exposed for four years, the nuclear watchdog revealed, and Sellafield said it had been performing critical IT health checks that were not, in fact, being carried out.
Late last year, the Guardian’s Nuclear Leaks investigation revealed a string of IT failings at the state-owned company dating back several years, as well as radioactive contamination and toxic workplace culture.
Team GB’s Ellie Aldridge wins first ever Olympic kitesurfing gold medal
Britain’s Ellie Aldridge became the first Olympic gold medallist in kitesurfing with a brilliant performance in Marseille.
The discipline, which involves competitors flying above the water at up to 40 knots powered by huge kites, is making its Games debut and the 27-year-old Aldridge, from Dorset, powered her way to gold by winning two races in the final series on Thursday.
The success salvages what had been a hugely disappointing regatta for Britain in one of its traditionally strongest medal sports, with Emma Wilson’s bronze in windsurfing the only previous medal.
Today’s news summary – Paper Talk
If you are someone who reads every perspective of a story, here is a news summary of all of today’s front pages from today’s newspapers; summarised in a 2-minute read
Editorial 09 August 2024.
Friday’s front pages have a few different stories as their leads. One of the most popular is the continued coverage of the recent riots and unrest across parts of England and Northern Ireland after the Southport mass stabbings. There are hopes the unrest has ended but police are still preparing for this weekend.
Elsewhere, a 19-year-old has been arrested for an alleged terrorist plot at a Taylor Swift concert. In response to the news, three Taylor Swift concerts in Austria have been cancelled. The suspect has admitted plans of a machete and explosives attack as well as plans to drive his car into the crowds.