All posts tagged: lockdown

Radcliffe Primary School locked down after nearby ‘incident’ | UK | News

Radcliffe Primary School locked down after nearby ‘incident’ | UK | News

Published by Sam Flores

A primary school in a major UK city was placed into temporary lockdown with children kept indoors following a nearby “incident”. In a notice to parents and carers Radcliffe Primary School in Manchester said an incident had taken place outisde and staff were awaiting direction from the police before opening the school gates. The school reassured parents that pupils remained safe and were “enjoying poetry assembly” while the matter was being dealt with. Parents were informed about the events through the school’s communication system shortly after 3pm today, September 18. The school did not provide further details about the nature of the incident. The message said: “Due to an incident that has happened outside of school, we are waiting to take direction from the police before opening the school gates. “All the children are currently happy and settled, enjoying poetry assembly. Please try not to worry. “We will keep you updated with any information, as soon as we know anything.” A Radcliffe Primary School spokesperson confirmed they were placed into temporary lockdown following discussions with …

I was abused as a child – and thought I had healed. Then I began drinking in lockdown | Rape and sexual assault

I was abused as a child – and thought I had healed. Then I began drinking in lockdown | Rape and sexual assault

Published by Sam Flores

Not so long ago, Frank Spinelli seemed to have sorted out his life. He was happily married, working as a doctor and had a sideline writing medical thrillers. He thought he had dealt with the sexual abuse he had suffered as a child – not only had he helped bring the man who groomed and abused him to justice, but also he had written a memoir about it. “I felt that I had closure,” he says. “I had the good fortune of working with some amazing therapists and I believed I had done the work and moved past it and I was a healed person.” Little did he know that his recovery was fragile. The Covid pandemic took away his routine and structure: “All the external pillars that were tightly holding me together – the engagements at the office, the work trips.” Two years earlier, he and his husband had moved from Manhattan to a leafy suburb, from where he is speaking to me over a video call today. He was dealing with uncertainty and felt isolated. …

Virginia State University shooting: ‘Multiple victims’ in hospital as campus on lockdown | World | News

Virginia State University shooting: ‘Multiple victims’ in hospital as campus on lockdown | World | News

Published by Sam Flores

A university campus in the United States was plunged into a lockdown after “shots were fired”. The shooting was reported in the area of the Quad Annexes at Virginia State University on Saturday, officials said. The Virginia State University Police Department (VSU Police) said on X that a shooting had occurred in the area and it involved “multiple victims”. Their first message on the social media platform read: “Shots fired on campus near the Quads. Avoid the area. Campus is on lockdown. Updates to follow.” A second update, issued some four hours later, shortly before 11am BST, read: “A shooting occurred in the area of the Quad Annexes involving multiple victims, who were transported to area hospitals. “Police are on scene and request that you avoid the area. Campus remains on lockdown. Updates to follow.” In a statement issued amid the emergency, Virginia State University (VSU) said the shooting had happened in the area of Boisseau Street and Third Avenue and it reportedly involved “multiple suspects”. The victims of the shooting were not immediately believed …

Airspace Lockdown Looms: US Warns Americans Get Out Of Mideast As Iran Targets Kuwait Again

Airspace Lockdown Looms: US Warns Americans Get Out Of Mideast As Iran Targets Kuwait Again

Published by Jenni Sidey

There were no Friday night into Saturday morning US attacks on Iran, after President Trump warned he has given an order to hit Iran ‘hard’ – though didn’t disclose a timeline. Friday reports in The Wall Street Journal, CNN, and Axios strongly suggested that large US strikes would commence at some point this weekend, as the region remains on edge. The only new and recent attacks have been more apparent Iranian drone strikes on Kuwait. Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry on Saturday has confirmed Iran’s “continued aggression” against it after a drone attack earlier targeted “vital installations”. Kuwait City file image The ministry called out the attacks as a “flagrant violation” of Kuwait’s sovereignty which reveal a “determination to persist in a hostile approach.” It said the country reserves the right to “take all necessary measures” to protect its security and resources. According to some details in The Wall Street Journal: Iran fired a drone barrage into Kuwait on Saturday, hitting a U.S. ally following President Trump’s vow to intensify military strikes in a rapidly expanding Middle East war. Kuwait …

South African woman creates acclaimed wine from vineyard planted in her parents’ garden during lockdown

South African woman creates acclaimed wine from vineyard planted in her parents’ garden during lockdown

Published by Daniella Wilson

On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Like millions confined to their homes during the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown, Natasha Jacka found herself restless. Yet, amidst the global standstill, an extraordinary opportunity began to take root in her mind: a vineyard. With her agricultural college studies suspended, Jacka, then 27, seized the chance to fast-track her dream of becoming a winemaker. She transformed her family’s garden in Cape Town, South Africa, into a burgeoning vineyard, bringing her ambition literally within reach. The world of wine, however, moves at its own pace, and it would be four years before the first harvest and vintage. Jacka’s debut wines, crafted from grapes she personally planted, nurtured, and harvested in her parents’ sea-facing home – even stomping them herself – were met with resounding praise from critics. “It could have been so much work and if it doesn’t deliver, you know, then you just feel … I can’t imagine how I’d …

OpenAI unveils Lockdown Mode to protect sensitive data from prompt injection attacks

OpenAI unveils Lockdown Mode to protect sensitive data from prompt injection attacks

Published by skeptic

OpenAI announced a new feature that it says will provide additional protection from prompt injection attacks, where malicious chatbot instructions are hidden in webpages and other content sources. Among other things, Lockdown Mode will disable live web browsing (so you can only access cached content), the retrieval and display of images from the web (you can still generate images), deep research, and agent mode. The company says that even with Lockdown Mode turned on, ChatGPT could still be vulnerable to prompt injections — which could, for example, “appear in cached web content or in an uploaded file, and could still affect the behavior or accuracy of a response.” But the goal is to reduce the likelihood that sensitive data gets shared in the process. “Lockdown Mode is not intended for everyone,” OpenAI says. “It is designed for people and organizations that handle sensitive data and want stricter protection from data exfiltration risks related to prompt injection.” The company says it’s currently rolling Lockdown Mode out to self-serve ChatGPT Business accounts, as well as eligible personal …

UK Government Plots Digital ID Lockdown On Every Phone In Lockstep With Big Tech

UK Government Plots Digital ID Lockdown On Every Phone In Lockstep With Big Tech

Published by Jenni Sidey

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity, The Labour government in Britain is accelerating its assault on digital privacy under the well-worn banner of child protection. Fresh plans leaked to the press reveal ministers intend to compel Apple, Google and other tech firms to restrict smartphones so thoroughly that a digital ID will be needed to use them with unfettered access. The mechanism comes in the form of expanded age verification that effectively demands digital identification for device setup and use. What is sold as safeguarding the young is shaping up as a backdoor mandate for every adult in Britain to submit ID just to operate a phone or go online. This development lands alongside Google’s confirmation that it will soon bring digital IDs to Android devices in the UK via Google Wallet. Users will record a short video selfie and scan a government-issued ID to add a digital version of their passport or other documents. Google is bringing Digital IDs to the UK ‘soon’ to bolster age checks on Android phones https://t.co/H9wSASduQe – GB News …

Shots fired near White House sparks lockdown as Secret Service responds

Shots fired near White House sparks lockdown as Secret Service responds

Published by Daniella Wilson

A dramatic security incident unfolded near the White House on Saturday evening after a suspect allegedly opened fire near a security checkpoint before being shot by officers and taken to hospital. According to Reuters, the shooting occurred near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, close to the White House grounds, prompting a rapid response from Secret Service agents and federal law enforcement. A law enforcement official told the outlet that the suspect approached the checkpoint and began firing at officers stationed in the area. © AFP via Getty ImagesAn armed Secret Service agent is seen next to an ambulance near the White House The individual was later described as “down” and was transported to George Washington Hospital following the confrontation. Officials have not publicly confirmed the suspect’s condition or specified exactly how the individual was subdued. Authorities also identified the suspect as an “emotionally disturbed person” and revealed that a stay-away order had previously been issued against them. © AFP via Getty ImagesArmed police stand on a blocked street near a crime scene near the …