"OMG, what the actual f***?"

ALISTER: Deploying facial recognition tech at Notting Hill Carnival is policing overkill. It’s turned a cultural celebration into a Big Brother event. Minority groups feel targeted with reports that the tech misidentifies Black and Asian faces far more frequently.

MERIDYTH: I get your point, but the Carnival is fraught with crime. Last year, there were 2 murders, 8 stabbings, and over 300 more offences! The cameras will be placed outside the event to catch people with a history of violence or those missing. Safety should come first.

ALISTER: Safety? Academic reviews found little transparency or accountability when using the tech, saying it doesn’t meet ethical and legal standards. Combining a high error rate with built-in bias is not security. It’s algorithmic stop-and-search by another name.

MERIDYTH: But with historic funding gaps, police across the country are short-staffed. The Met alone faces a £1.2bn shortfall, which means fewer boots on the ground. Facial recognition is a force multiplier, scanning crowds quickly and helping stem rising crime. We need every tool possible.

ALISTER: It’s not an effective tool when it’s introducing more harm. Last year, a Black anti-knife crime activist was wrongly flagged, detained, and questioned using the face recognition tool. Until the tech is less error-prone and properly scrutinised, it simply worsens trust.

MERIDYTH: But live face recognition is working and it’s cost-effective too. But I agree. Transparency and oversight do matter. The Met claims new algorithms have improved, but yes, external audits and frequent reviews of the tech must be mandatory. 

🏠️ Going, going… still going? Home owners are feeling the pinch. The average asking price has faced its steepest drop in a single month - 1.2% decline. 😲 Rightmove suspects it’s the end of Stamp Duty discounts and the influx of new homes being built. Ummm… hello? And the economy perhaps?

🩺 Left behind. Cuts to the NHS made by the previous gov’t has left the medical staff feeling financially unloved. Resident doctors in England are officially on strike until Wednesday. But a YouGov poll shows 52% of people oppose the strike, as doctors had accepted a 22% increase but decided to strike anyway. Should they be paid more?

👑 To be king. Cornwall passed a motion to ask the govt to recognise it as the UK’s fifth nation. There are still quite a few hurdles to cross for the underdog county with 0.8% of the UK population.

🤑 No ransom payments. The UK govt will no longer let ransomware pillage its coffers. Public sector and critical infrastructure orgs are no longer allowed to pay out the bribes. Ransomware has been a growing global threat and the UK is making it clear that the govt doesn’t negotiate with digital terrorists.

GOOD NEWS… potentially for Ghislaine Maxwell after Trump did not dispute the possibility of pardoning her, raising eyebrows about his involvement. BAD NEWS… for Trump as his feud with Rupert Murdoch ramps up with the Wall Street Journal, who continue to drop more insights into Trump’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.

🪖 What’s one more? As if the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine weren’t enough, another is brewing along the Thailand and Cambodia border with 30+ deaths reported. Relations started deteriorating in May when a Cambodian solider was killed. Fingers crossed for a quick ceasefire resolution!

⛔️ “Western moral decay.” China has shut down access to OnlyFans. They made it clear that this “Western swamp” has no place in Chinese society. Even attempting access to the site is criminal!

🔐 Foreign propaganda. It’s not just China fighting against outside influence. YouTube has wiped out almost 11,000 channels, which were flagged as propaganda outlets for nations like China and Russia, as well as influencing internal politics in others.

⚡️ German fusion. Scientists in Germany had a major breakthrough - sustaining a stable plasma reaction for 43 seconds, the longest duration ever! This is the magic breakeven point where it produces as much power as it consumes. Why does it matter? This tech could lead to almost unlimited energy with no downside!

👟 Who said 10k? Apparently, the guidance to walk 10,000 steps a day was completely arbitrary. So if that number was daunting for you, no worries. Studies show that getting to 7,000 steps has proven benefits. But if you’re already a 10k+ overachiever, it doesn’t mean you should walk less.

🚾 WASH YOUR HANDS. A hospital study using water usage sensors in bathrooms showed almost 50% of people in hospitals don’t wash their hands. Of all the places, surely this is where to do it?

💉 Injections and apples. Morrisons has upped their supermarket game in the UK, by offering weight loss injection subscriptions! Convenient or inappropriate, time will tell. Will you pickup an injection in the weekly shop?

🖥️ Limited information. Wikipedia may limit UK access to its site over concerns that the UK Online Safety Act could wrongly classify it as a major platform, imposing strict rules that threaten its open, anonymous editing model. It argues this risks damaging article quality and access, while the UK govt says the concerns are speculative and premature.

⚽️ Celebrity football. It seems buying a football club is the hot new accessory this season. Snoop Dogg is now a co-owner of Swansea football club. Snoop apparently loves that they’re an underdog, just like him. Will they change the smoking policy?

🤖 “Baby Grok”. You know what we need in this era of misinformation, rogue AI chatbots, and a mental health and educational crisis? An AI chatbot for children. Elon Musk has announced he wants to build a child-friendly version of his existing Grok AI. Cue the controversy.

By Meridyth

How often do you switch out your mattress? It’s supposed to be every 7-10 years.

15 years ago, I treated myself to the Heavenly Bed found in Westin Hotels. It was luxurious! But after the 10-yr mark, I started waking up a bit more achy than usual, which I chalked up to getting older.

But after waking up for the 1,000th time with a sore back, I decided to finally buy a new mattress from Simba. And OMG, I forgot what proper sleep felt like. Why did it take me so long?!?!

I’m not tossing and turning as much in my sleep. And my back? Let’s just say, downing ibuprofen in the mornings is now in the past.

Simba (also a B-Corp company) has a sale going on right now that ends today… and for an extra £60, they’ll remove and recycle your old mattress. So if your bed is more than a decade old, I would seriously think about replacing it. It doesn’t have to be Simba, but definitely give your back some love!

By Alister

Concert goers have been feasting in drama recently. There was the Coldplay concert and now, we have karaoke in the rain hosted by Justin Timberlake.

His latest gig in Romania left many fans extremely disappointed. Low energy, low effort, and no singing. One online commentator said “I wasn’t even there and I want a refund.”

@andreeamadalina.ene

Cum vi s-a părut @Justin Timberlake la @Electric Castle 🏰 ⚡️? #justintimberlake #electriccastle #romania #aiae #vara 🎥 @Diana ✨

We agree. We’d want our money back too! And sadly, this is just the latest of a myriad of problems plaguing his world tour. Feels like Timberlake might be dealing with some bigger issues???

Whew, you made it!

It’s officially the school holidays. Everyone is off work, holidays are more expensive, and kids are everywhere. At least one thing won’t change, more squabbles next week.

Alister & Meridyth