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Wales Online
5 hours ago
- Wales Online
Millions of phones to be set off by 10-second ‘emergency alert'
Millions of phones to be set off by 10-second 'emergency alert' - this is why 90% of mobile phones are expected to be triggered during the test Affected phones will vibrate, emit a siren-like beep for 10 seconds and read out the emergency alert (Image: GETTY ) The government's emergency alert siren is due to be tested again this year, triggering a 10-second siren that will be emitted from millions of phones. The system was first launched in 2023 to alert the public to emergencies affecting their areas. This should be the final test of 2025, according to the Independent. Mobile phone users affected by the test will receive an alert on their home screen. Their devices will also vibrate, read out the alert and sound off a series or siren beeps for up to 10 seconds, even if it's in silent mode. Even once the sound ends, users won't be able to use any other functions on their phone until they've acknowledged the message. Phones that are switched off or in flight mode won't be affected. You can also choose to opt out of the testing scheme. About 90% of mobile phones in any test area are expected to be affected via 4G and 5G networks. For people who don't have compatible devices, they can still be alerted to emergencies through other avenues. The date of the test hasn't been confirmed yet, but this is believed to be the final test of 2025. After which the system will be tested every two years. Article continues below The last time the emergency siren was triggered for a real situation was back in January when a number of counties received a red warning for extreme wind associated with Storm Éowyn. The alert warned it could present a 'danger to life'. The text read: 'A RED warning for wind has been issued. Extremely strong winds associated with Storm Éowyn are expected to cause significant disruption from 10am on Friday 24 January 2025. Strong winds can present a danger to life, causing flying debris, falling trees and large waves around coastal areas. Stay indoors if you can. It is unsafe to drive in these conditions. Avoid coastal areas. 'The storm may damage infrastructure causing power cuts and disruption to mobile phone coverage. Consider gathering torches, batteries, a mobile phone power pack and other essential items you already have at home. 'Stay up to date with the weather forecast and follow advice from emergency services, network operators and local authorities. Search online for and Met Office warnings and advice.' Emergency alerts can only be sent by the emergency services, government departments, agencies and public bodies that deal with emergencies. The message is usually sent in English but phone users in Wales might receive Welsh versions. The alerts are based on your current location, not where you live or work, and you don't need to turn on location services to receive it. The government urges everyone to 'stop what you're doing and follow the instructions' if they receive an alert. Article continues below However, if you're driving when the alert comes through, the guidance says: 'Do not read or respond to an emergency alert while driving or riding. 'Find somewhere safe and legal to stop before reading the message. If there's nowhere safe and legal to stop, and nobody else is in the vehicle to read the alert, you can listen to news on live radio to find out about the emergency.'
Daily Record
5 hours ago
- Climate
- Daily Record
Why 10-second sirens will sound on our phones this year
The UK government will test the emergency siren system for the last time in 2025 The government's emergency alert siren, designed to warn the public of severe emergencies such as flooding, fire and other extreme weather, is set for another test this year. The system, which was first launched in 2023, will trigger a 10-second siren emitted from millions of mobile phones, alerting the public to emergencies affecting their areas. According to the Independent, this should be the final test of 2025. Mobile phone users affected by the test will receive an alert on their home screen, with their devices also vibrating, reading out the alert and sounding off a series of siren beeps for up to 10 seconds, even if it's in silent mode. Users won't be able to use any other functions on their phone until they've acknowledged the message. Phones that are switched off or in flight mode won't be affected, and individuals can choose to opt out of the testing scheme. It's expected that about 90% of mobile phones in any test area will be affected via 4G and 5G networks. For those who don't have compatible devices, they can still be alerted to emergencies through other avenues. While the date of the test hasn't been confirmed yet, this is believed to be the final test of 2025. After which, the system will be tested every two years. In January, an urgent red warning siren blared across various counties due to the extreme winds brought by Storm Éowyn, alerting residents of a 'danger to life'. The text cautioned: "A RED warning for wind has been issued. Extremely strong winds associated with Storm Éowyn are expected to cause significant disruption from 10am on Friday 24 January 2025. "Strong winds can present a danger to life, causing flying debris, falling trees and large waves around coastal areas. Stay indoors if you can. It is unsafe to drive in these conditions. Avoid coastal areas. "The storm may damage infrastructure causing power cuts and disruption to mobile phone coverage. Consider gathering torches, batteries, a mobile phone power pack and other essential items you already have at home. "Stay up to date with the weather forecast and follow advice from emergency services, network operators and local authorities. Search online for and Met Office warnings and advice." These critical alerts are dispatched solely by emergency services, government entities, and organisations tasked with public safety during emergencies. Recipients generally receive these alerts in English, however, those in Wales may get Welsh versions of the message. The government has rolled out a new system sending emergency alerts based on your current location, with the stark advice to "stop what you're doing and follow the instructions" should you receive one. Yet, drivers have been warned: "Do not read or respond to an emergency alert while driving or riding." Instead, they are instructed to: "Find somewhere safe and legal to stop before reading the message. If there's nowhere safe and legal to stop, and nobody else is in the vehicle to read the alert, you can listen to news on live radio to find out about the emergency."
RTÉ News
8 hours ago
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Quiet man of Government emerges from the shadows
As the fledgling Iran and Israel ceasefire unexpectedly took root last Tuesday morning, a less dramatic act of consolidation was playing out in front of the cameras in Government Buildings. The coalition's leaders hurriedly arranged themselves on the podium in the press centre on Merrion Street to tell the world about a plan to breathe new life into Dublin's O'Connell Street. The event was late getting under way as the Taoiseach explained that the ferociously busy Cabinet meeting had worked through no less than 50 items. Was Micheál Martin suggesting that the "do-nothing Dáil" label which smudged the planned glossy opening act of this Government was now consigned to history? That was the clear inference and amid the spirit of fast-moving newness there emerged from the wings, the politician who effectively leads the Independent ministers in Government. Seán Canney stood with the Taoiseach and Tánaiste in a manner akin to Eamon Ryan's ever-present role in the last administration. The Galway-East TD's prominent public positioning last week was the result of mounting frustration among some Independent ministers and TDs. They felt that the presentation of the Government, particularly by the media, as primarily a two-party entity, was unfair and inaccurate. "There were conversations among a few ministers, and it was decided that we need people to know that there are three and maybe four parts to this Government," said one minister. Others point to what they perceive as an even deeper disregard for some Independent TDs who signed up to the Programme for Government. "They cut us out of the consultative process when making decisions and that led to Barry Heneghan and Gillian Toole voting against them, but it is now sorted, they know we're serious," said one Independent TD. The group has also had its own Deputy Government Press Secretary, Tom Blade, appointed this week. All the while there is an absolute rule across Government that these ministers and TDs must receive information simultaneously with those in Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. He is a great manager of people and is very structured in his approach, I think he could qualify for a UN role at this stage. If everyone understands their roles better now, there is nonetheless a complicated structure to the Independent's place in the Government. What is beyond dispute is that Mr Canney is the de facto leader of the Independent ministers. Privately he is acutely aware that it is a job which requires the most well-honed of diplomatic skills, given the differing aims of his colleagues and the absence of a political party machine. "He is a great manager of people and is very structured in his approach, I think he could qualify for a UN role at this stage" is how one Cabinet minister sums up the man who first entered politics in the 2004 local elections. Previously, in the 2016-2020 minority government, he exuded restraint when the rotation of the Office of Public Works ministry with Kevin 'Boxer' Moran stalled. Back then the man reared on a farm in Belclare, Tuam, Co Galway spoke about the value he placed on deals reached through a handshake, just like farmers did at fair days. It is a principle that served him well, and he was later appointed to another junior ministry by the then-taoiseach Leo Varadkar. Canney 'knows what he wants' These days Mr Canney attends the agenda-setting pre-Cabinet meeting with the Taoiseach and Tánaiste every Monday night. The 65-year-old, first elected to the Dáil in 2016, is described as approaching those meetings in a calm and good-humoured manner. He is said to "know what he wants" and is "effective". Some even play on his surname and believe he is by nature "quite canny". The former quantity-surveyor, who also lectured in that subject for almost a decade at GMIT, is said to have surprised some in Government with his focus on national issues. He has also impressed those in the Department of Transport where he has set a lofty ambition to reduce driving test waiting times to ten weeks by September. "He really grabbed that one by the scruff of the neck and he is receiving fortnightly reports to ensure that the RSA makes it happen," is the view of someone familiar with Mr Canney's work in the department. Notably, he is understood to have opposed the idea of appointing NAMA boss Brendan McDonagh as the housing czar, during what was a bruising Government controversy earlier this year. "He is very much big picture," said one senior figure in Government Buildings. On Tuesdays, Mr Canney along with Noel Grealish attend Cabinet meetings and also that day, Mr Canney chairs a meeting of the five Independent ministers. Perhaps illustrating his elevated status, he has what no other junior minister possesses, a big office in the main corridor of Government Buildings. "He tells us what's coming up and how things went at the Monday night meeting. It can be a bit challenging for the Independent ministers in government sometimes, but we like challenges," one minister said. Then there is the weekly meeting of the Independent ministers and TDs on Wednesday evenings, a gathering that is chaired by Michael Lowry. Some ministers say they do not always attend and prefer to do "their own thing". Most do participate however, even if there are mixed views on whether or not Mr Lowry is becoming a more peripheral figure. "The 'Lowry Lackeys' jibe hurt a lot, and it is better just to focus on your own work," one of those who worked closely with Mr Lowry in the Government formation talks said. Another Independent TD was more philosophical, saying "he still has access to Government and still gets things done. You can't dismiss a man with that experience". Indeed, it was Mr Lowry who chaired a meeting of Independent TDs and ministers when they met with Minister for Housing James Browne on Wednesday afternoon last. There, the minister explained in broad terms what will be unveiled in the coming weeks to make the building of homes more viable. He also rejected a push from Independent TDs to publish all the new measures in one big plan and insisted that it is more beneficial to keep making changes on an almost weekly basis. There are ongoing battles between Independents and the Department of Public Expenditure over the upcoming review of the National Development Plan (NDP). "It is proving very difficult, but senior ministers from all parties are experiencing the same thing," one Independent minister said. Officially though, there is a vow of silence around these discussions. Again, this week the Taoiseach insisted, in a reply to Labour's Alan Kelly, that "no agreements or lists" have been made with Independent TDs to include projects in their constituencies in the updated NDP. However, no one can deny that Independents now want a more high-profile role in Government, with Seán Canney chosen as the man to lead this charge.
Hindustan Times
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Anju Chander of AAP is Kharar MC president
Six weeks after 18 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillors, along with local MLAs Anmol Gagan Maan and Dr Charanjeet Singh, ousted Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Jaspreet Kaur Longia through a no-confidence motion, the Kharar municipal council on Friday unanimously elected Anju Chander, 54, of AAP as the new president. This will be Anju Chander's second term as she had previously served on the post from 2015 to 2020 when she was with the SAD. (HT File) This will be Chander's second term as she had previously served on the post from 2015 to 2020 when she was with the SAD. During Friday's polling, she secured 26 out of 27 votes in the House, including that of Kharar MLA Maan. Two councillors—Jaspreet Kaur Longia (SAD) and Neelam (Congress)—were conspicuous by their absence during the elections. An educationist by profession, Chander runs APJ School, a CBSE-affiliated intermediate school in Kharar. Expressing gratitude, she said, 'I sincerely thank all municipal councillors and the people of Kharar for supporting me. I am committed to accelerating the town's development and will work wholeheartedly for its betterment.' MLA Maan termed the unanimous decision a proud moment for the city. 'It is heartening that both the MLA and the MC president of Kharar are now from AAP. With united efforts, we will drive rapid development in the city,' she said. The 27-member council currently consists of 17 AAP councillors, four from SAD, three from Congress, and three Independents. How AAP gained majority in House The council elections, held on February 17, 2021, had resulted in a hung house, with the Congress securing 10 seats, SAD eight, AAP one, and Independents eight. SAD, with the support of Independent councillors, had managed to install Longia as president—until AAP's majority reshaped the power dynamics. The political realignment began on September 23, 2022, when eight Congress councillors, six Independents, and one SAD councillor joined AAP, giving the party a clear majority of 18 councillors. On May 5, 18 councillors submitted a written request to the executive officer (EO) to convene a special meeting and introduce a no-confidence motion against then-president Longia. The motion was passed during the May 16 meeting, ending her term. The Kharar municipal council also has representation from two MLAs—Anmol Gagan Maan (Kharar) and Dr Charanjeet Singh (Chamkaur Sahib).
CNN
14 hours ago
- Politics
- CNN
Eric Adams denies rumored deal with Trump over dropped ‘bogus charges'
CNN's Jake Tapper speaks with New York Mayor Eric Adams (D) about his 2025 re-election bid as an Independent and whether he made a deal with Donald Trump.
