Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

UK develops virus contact-tracing app despite privacy fears

A smartphone app developed by Britain's National Health Service (NHS) could be rolled out within three weeks, its technology chief said on Tuesday, despite privacy concerns.

Matthew Gould, head of the state-run service's digital innovation arm NHSX, said the in-house app -- reportedly favoured over similar software developed by Google and Apple -- would be trialled in a small area to gauge its effectiveness.


The government last week said the app and a wider testing regime would help to prevent a second wave of infection when stringent restrictions are eventually lifted.

Officials are coming under pressure to ease a national lockdown, which was imposed on March 23 and is due for review on May 7.

Deaths and confirmed cases are on a downward trend but Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned on Monday that a full easing of the restrictions was not imminent.

Gould told a parliamentary committee on science and technology that NHSX was "on course to have the app ready for when it will be needed, for the moment when the country looks to have the tools to come out of lockdown safely".

The app uses Bluetooth technology to log the phones of other people that the user comes into proximity with.

The user can then choose to send data to the app if they begin to show symptoms or test positive for COVID-19. A notification will then be sent to other users who have been in close contact.

If enough people use the app, scientists say it could help to keep the virus reproduction rate low and bring the outbreak under control.

The BBC reported the NHS had decided to develop the software in-house rather than use a similar app in development by Apple and Google.

The NHSX version matches contacts centrally via a computer server rather than the tech giants' model, which instead matches through individual handsets.

Researchers said that made it easier to track the spread of the virus. Other countries in Europe have favoured Apple and Google's "decentralised" approach.

"Engineers have met several core challenges for the app to meet public health needs and support detection of contact events sufficiently well," NHSX told AFP.

The service added that the app runs in the background and would not drain battery life excessively -- one of the concerns of phone users.

British civil rights pressure group Liberty has voiced concern the app could become a surveillance tool and the public could be forced into sharing data about their movements.

It warned of "serious long-term threats to our rights and way of life".

But NHSX maintains the data will only be used for "NHS care, management, evaluation and research" and promised it would comply with data protection, privacy and security safeguards.

More For You

Ping Pong restaurant chain shuts all UK branches

The chain had also gained a following for its themed brunches

iStock

Ping Pong restaurant chain shuts all UK branches after 20 years

Key points

  • Chinese dim sum restaurant Ping Pong has closed all its UK locations
  • The chain made the announcement via social media
  • Founded in 2005, the brand thanked customers and staff for their support
  • Loyal diners shared memories and disappointment in the comments

All branches are permanently closed

Chinese restaurant chain Ping Pong has permanently closed all its branches in the UK, the company confirmed in a social media announcement.

Founded in 2005 by restaurateur Kurt Zdesar, the dim sum chain had become popular for its stylish interiors, creative menus, and Asian-inspired cocktails. The company did not provide prior notice of the closure but said the decision marked the end of an “unforgettable” 20-year journey.

Keep ReadingShow less
Human brain continues forming neurons

Neurogenesis, the process by which new neurons form in the brain

iStock

Human brain continues forming neurons well into old age, study finds

Key points

  • New neurons continue forming in the brain’s hippocampus into old age
  • Study confirms presence of neural progenitor cells in adults
  • DNA carbon dating and single-nucleus RNA sequencing were used
  • Research shows variation in neuron production between individuals
  • Findings could aid treatments for neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders

Human brain shows ongoing neuron formation into older age

A new study has confirmed that the human brain continues to produce new nerve cells well into late adulthood, challenging previous assumptions about age-related decline in neurogenesis. The findings, published in the journal Science, provide fresh insight into how adaptable the brain remains over a lifetime.

Neurogenesis, the process by which new neurons form in the brain, is known to occur in the hippocampus — a region involved in memory. While previous research has suggested that this process continues throughout life, there has been limited concrete evidence of the presence of neural progenitor cells in the adult brain.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kent County Show 2025

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, who grew up in Brenchley

Getty Images

Kent County Show opens with royal visit from Duchess of Edinburgh

Key points:

  • Day one of the Kent County Show begins at Detling Showground near Maidstone
  • The Duchess of Edinburgh visits the event for the first time in 16 years
  • Organisers expect up to 70,000 visitors over the weekend
  • Farming and rural life are at the centre of the three-day programme
  • Highlights include live camel racing, equine sports, livestock displays and more

Kent County Show opens with royal visit

The Kent County Show returned to Detling near Maidstone on Friday, marking the start of a major three-day celebration of farming, food, and rural living. The event opened with a special visit from the Duchess of Edinburgh, who is attending for the first time in 16 years.

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, who grew up in Brenchley near Tunbridge Wells and serves as patron of the Association of Show and Agricultural Organisations (ASAO), met with farmers, equine exhibitors, and local businesses on her tour of the showground.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sri Aurobindo

Heehs’s biography is grounded in extensive archival research across France, England, India and Israel

AMG

Sri Aurobindo and the rise of the Asian century

Dinesh Sharma

My friend and colleague, the American historian Peter Heehs, who has lived in Pondicherry, India, for decades, recently published a compelling new biography, The Mother: A Life of Sri Aurobindo’s Collaborator (2025). Heehs previously authored The Lives of Sri Aurobindo (2008), which remains one of the most balanced and scholarly accounts of Aurobindo’s life.

According to Heehs, most previous biographies of the Mother were written for devotees and relied on secondary sources, often presenting her as a divine incarnation without critical engagement. “Such biographies are fine for those who see the Mother as a divine being,” Heehs said, “but they can be off-putting for readers who simply want to understand her life – as an artist, writer, spiritual teacher, and founder of the Ashram and Auroville.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Black women cancer risk

Serious public health challenges in the decades ahead

iStock

Study warns of rising uterine cancer rates, with Black women hardest hit

Key points

  • Uterine cancer cases and deaths are projected to rise significantly in the US by 2050.
  • Black women are expected to experience the highest increase in incidence-based mortality.
  • A new model predicts incidence rising to 86.9 cases per 100,000 for Black women and 74.2 for White women.
  • Researchers stress the urgent need for improved prevention and early detection strategies.

Sharp increase in uterine cancer predicted over next three decades

Uterine cancer, currently the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in the United States, is projected to see a substantial rise in both cases and deaths by 2050, particularly among Black women. A new study led by researchers at Columbia University warns of worsening racial disparities in outcomes if preventative measures are not introduced.

This year alone, around 69,120 new cases of uterine cancer and nearly 14,000 deaths are expected in the United States. However, projections by the Columbia University research team, published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, indicate a significant increase in both incidence and mortality over the next 30 years.

Keep ReadingShow less