Latest news with #GCHQ
The Independent
20 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Former Whitehall chief Simon Case takes seat on red benches in House of Lords
Former top civil servant Simon Case has taken his seat in the House of Lords. The 46-year-old, who served four prime ministers, joins the independent crossbenches in the unelected chamber, which scrutinises legislation and acts as a check on the Government. Lord Case wore the traditional scarlet robes for the short introduction ceremony in the chamber, where he swore allegiance to the King. He was supported by former Whitehall chief Lord Butler of Brockwell and Lord Chartres, a retired bishop of London. Lord Case became cabinet secretary and head of the Civil Service aged just 41 in September 2020, having previously served as private secretary to the Duke of Cambridge. He had also worked for the GCHQ intelligence agency. He stepped down from the top Whitehall job at the end of 2024 on health grounds after a turbulent four years in the role, which included the Covid-19 pandemic, Tory infighting, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the death of Queen Elizabeth II. His tenure was not without controversy, as he was forced to recuse himself from leading an investigation into the 'Partygate' scandal following allegations his office had held a Christmas event during lockdown. Lord Case was not one of those fined over the episode. Appointed by Boris Johnson, he held the post under the subsequent administrations of Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer. He was succeeded by Sir Chris Wormald.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Whitehall chief Simon Case takes seat on red benches in House of Lords
Former top civil servant Simon Case has taken his seat in the House of Lords. The 46-year-old, who served four prime ministers, joins the independent crossbenches in the unelected chamber, which scrutinises legislation and acts as a check on the Government. Lord Case wore the traditional scarlet robes for the short introduction ceremony in the chamber, where he swore allegiance to the King. He was supported by former Whitehall chief Lord Butler of Brockwell and Lord Chartres, a retired bishop of London. Lord Case became cabinet secretary and head of the Civil Service aged just 41 in September 2020, having previously served as private secretary to the Duke of Cambridge. He had also worked for the GCHQ intelligence agency. He stepped down from the top Whitehall job at the end of 2024 on health grounds after a turbulent four years in the role, which included the Covid-19 pandemic, Tory infighting, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the death of Queen Elizabeth II. His tenure was not without controversy, as he was forced to recuse himself from leading an investigation into the 'Partygate' scandal following allegations his office had held a Christmas event during lockdown. Lord Case was not one of those fined over the episode. Appointed by Boris Johnson, he held the post under the subsequent administrations of Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer. He was succeeded by Sir Chris Wormald.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Security committee launches inquiry into Afghan data leak
Parliament's intelligence watchdog has announced it will launch an inquiry into a major data breach which compromised the identities of thousands of Afghans and British military officials. The data leak prompted a super-injunction which meant the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC), which routinely reviews sensitive material, was not briefed until last Lord Beamish said all intelligence documents related to the case should be provided "immediately" for peer had previously voiced concern over "serious constitutional issues" raised by the handling of the breach, which went undiscovered for more than a year before the gagging order was requested. The ISC oversees the work of MI5, MI6 and the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ).In a statement on Monday, Lord Beamish said the cross-party group would "conduct an inquiry into the intelligence community's role and activity in connection with the loss of data" after considering defence assessments related to the ISC has argued that - under the Justice and Security Act 2013 - classification of material is not grounds on which information can be withheld from the committee, given its purpose is to scrutinise the work of the UK intelligence leak was made in February 2022 by someone working at UK Special Forces headquarters in London, who inadvertently emailed a spreadsheet containing more than 30,000 resettlement applications to an individual outside of government, thinking that he was sending data on just 150 data breach was only identified in August 2023, when a man in Afghanistan made a Facebook post identifying nine individuals and indicated he could release the rest, in a sequence of events that government sources said was "essentially blackmail". The Ministry of Defence applied for a gagging order in September 2023, due to the risk of reprisals from the Taliban against nearly 19,000 Afghans who were revealed to have worked with British forces in High Court put a highly-restrictive super-injunction in place, meaning even the existence of the gagging order could not be reported until a judge lifted the order last discovery of the data breach forced the government to covertly set up the Afghanistan Response Route (ARR) to bring some 7,000 of those affected to the UK at a projected final cost of about £850m.A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the government would "robustly defend" any legal action or bid for compensation, adding these were "hypothetical claims".It has also been reported that the MoD will not proactively offer compensation to those affected. Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to read top political analysis, gain insight from across the UK and stay up to speed with the big moments. It'll be delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Irish Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Only geniuses can find the goat's owner in this tricky brainteaser
A deceptively difficult brainteaser is leaving people across Ireland utterly stumped - but once you've cracked it, it'll seem glaringly obvious. It's time to put your visual skills to the ultimate test and risk falling out with your entire family, by tackling this challenging goat-themed puzzle. You'll be up against the clock, so a calm disposition and rapid reaction times are also essential. Brainteasers like this one might seem like a mere bit of fun - or a handy distraction on your morning commute - but research has suggested they might actually help our central nervous system. This can result in a slew of cognitive benefits, including better attention span and concentration levels. So, let's dive straight in... Where is the goat's owner? In the image above, you can easily spot a goat munching on some foliage, perhaps living the high life in the Irish countryside. But, something seems to be missing... Where is his owner? Hidden within the black-and-white picture is actually a woman, and you've got just five seconds to locate her to prove you have the 'most attentive' eyes. Fail, and it's probably time you booked that appointment at Specsavers. As previously reported, we can't really drop any hints for this tricky brainteaser without simply handing you the answer. However, zooming in on the image might be useful. Throwing in the towel already, or reckon you've finally cracked it? Scroll down to the bottom of the article for the answer - but no cheating. If this optical illusion proved no challenge for someone with eagle-eyed vision like yourself, you might fancy taking on something a tad more demanding. This puzzling conundrum is devised by the UK's Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) and can only be solved by someone with spy-worthy analytical abilities. Seriously, you'll need to be a modern-day genius to crack this one. With your 007 thinking cap on, can you figure out which of the below words or sentences is the odd one out? If you think you've got it, you can check your answer here. Catwoman Deus Ex Machina Parishioner Pyromania Scuba Did you get the answer right? Let us know in the comments section below Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Only the sharpest minds can find 3 errors in tricky football brainteaser
Discover whether you really are a modern-day genius with this mind-boggling brainteaser that nobody has been able to crack in under 30 seconds. So, what are you waiting for? Put your intellect to the ultimate test with this deceptively difficult brainteaser that leaves most Brits feeling utterly defeated. Puzzles and riddles are a great way to pass the time when boredom hits, or when the little ones are begging for something entertaining. However, research has suggested regularly solving these kinds of mini-games could actually help improve your concentration levels and better your attention span by positively impacting the central nervous system. Created by Betboo, this football-themed brainteaser requires an eagle-eyed vision, a sharp mind, and rapid reaction skills. The record to beat is a blistering 30 seconds, so get your timer at the ready and let's dive straight in! To mark the UEFA Women's Euro 2025 tournament, the image above shows dozens of red and white footballs on a sports field - but there are three errors hiding in plain sight. You need to find them all in less than 30 seconds to prove you have one of the nation's sharpest minds. We're not giving away any clues on this one, but if you zoom into the image - you might be able to find the errors quicker. If you're still none the wiser, forget about the buzzing timer and just focus on finding all three mistakes. Still feeling stumped, or reckon you've finally solved it? Scroll down to the bottom of the article to reveal the answer. If that sporty brainteaser was no match for an intellect like yourself, fear not. Now, it's time to ramp things up a notch with this deadly difficult puzzle that can only be cracked by those smart enough to protect the world from evil by becoming a secret agent. Created by the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) back in 2020, this cryptic puzzle has no time limit due to its fiendish nature. All you need to find the hidden word amongst the following five, and you could become the next 007. Again, we're not giving away any clues for this one - but you can take all the time you like. However, if you put your James Bond thinking cap on, you should be able to solve this in under 30 seconds. Once you're done, you can check your answer here, but no cheating! Madison Saturn Do Nitrogen Exodus Up for yet another mental workout? Check out our full collection of tricky brainteasers, baffling riddles, and mind-boggling puzzles here - or, learn more about your hidden personality traits with these fascinating optical illusions.
