Hit-and-Run to Home Invasion - Crime Stories that shocked south Essex this week
From a school hit-and-run to a police raid that seized £150,000, it has been another busy week for crime news in South Essex
The Essex areas with some of the UK's most expensive petrol
Drivers are facing the pinch at the petrol pump
Hit-and-Run to Home Invasion - Crime Stories that shocked south Essex this week
From a school hit-and-run to a police raid that seized £150,000, it has been another busy week for crime news in South Essex
Nicolas Cage, 62, looks unrecognizable with full gray hair and beard as he makes rare red carpet appearance with much-younger wife
Nicolas Cage looked unrecognizable as he said goodbye to his darker locks with much-younger wife Riko Shibata at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art Opening Night in L.A. on Saturday.
Former high street chicken shop fined £40k for 'illegal workers'
It was listed in the Government's latest quarterly report
JAN MOIR: Celebrities? There are more stars in my local Waitrose than on the latest series of Strictly Come Dancing!
Now in its 24th series, this former jewel in the BBC's crown returned on Saturday night, a tarnished tiara in comparison to the sparkle of its former greatness.
Lady Gaga's most startling transformation yet... from wild, drug-taking pop star to trad-wife and doting mum
Dressed down in pyjama bottoms and an oversized cardigan, she could have been all-too easily mistaken for any sleep-deprived new mother enjoying a leisurely stroll in the Californian sunshine.
Much-loved village pub reopening under new ownership
A popular village pub is set to reopen its doors once again in the coming weeks under new leadership, following a period of closures and changes in ownership.
Essex council leader pledges action on domestic abuse amid patrol trial
Essex County Council leader Peter Harris has pledged to tackle domestic abuse amid the launch of a security patrol scheme to tackle antisocial behaviour.
Essex council leader pledges action on domestic abuse amid patrol trial
Essex County Council leader Peter Harris has pledged to tackle domestic abuse amid the launch of a security patrol scheme to tackle antisocial behaviour.
Amazon fuelling rise of illegal e-bikes by selling Chinese kits that turn regular bicycles into souped-up speed machines
The online retailer is offering upgrades that allow riders to travel at almost three times the legal speed limit for an e-bike, a Daily Mail investigation has found.
Ed Sheeran concert chaos as pro-Palestine protesters swarm outside venue ahead of embattled star's first show since Macklemore tour fallout
The 35-year-old music act's concert at Lincoln Financial Field is his first gig since Macklemore was axed from the remainder of his LOOP Tour on Monday.
Customer-Losing Flock Now Offers Buyouts to Avoid Laying Off Employees
Mashable writes:
Flock Safety offered employees voluntary buyouts on Friday, WIRED reported... Without the buyouts, those familiar with the situation suspect the company would have to lay off some of its 1,500 employees.
WIRED writes that people familiar with the program "say they believe that a significant number of the startup's roughly 1,500 employees may try to depart."
Flock is making the severance offers as it continues to lose customers... The company has had many of its contracts either not extended or dropped this year, which could leave it short of revenue goals, according to two of the people. A wave of vandalism targeting its cameras has unexpectedly increased expenses. Without buyouts, Flock almost certainly would have to lay off some staff, one of the people believes... People familiar with Flock's severance plan tell WIRED that some employees may take the offer amid speculation that the company, which has raised about $1.2 billion in venture capital, might resort to selling off parts or all of its business to stay afloat... One advocacy group identified 93 city and county governments that cut ties with Flock in August alone. Overall in 2026, roughly three times as many local governments have dropped Flock compared to the previous five years.
Flock has recently been building products that extend the company beyond its core license plate reader offering. WIRED reported last month that the company has developed AI-powered investigative software to identify drivers, find potential associates based on patterns of movement, and search across police records and other data. A separate WIRED analysis of Flock's software found tools designed to continuously search camera feeds for people matching written descriptions. WIRED's analysis of Flock's code also found potential integrations with drones and other surveillance systems.
Flock's financial scrambles might explain an incident in Syracuse, New York. The nonprofit news site
Central Current discovered the city's contract said its license plate data wouldn't be shared outside the police department, reports Mashable:
But the department had granted access to other agencies, which police said was an accident. Over roughly a year, searches by officers around the country reached Syracuse's data nearly 4.4 million times. And that wasn't the only surprise in the paperwork. Central Current also found that Flock could keep using Syracuse data after the contract ended. When the city approved cameras from Axon to replace Flock's, Flock said Syracuse couldn't simply end its agreement early. It warned that the city might have to pay for both systems; so even as officials moved to replace the cameras, they faced questions about what Flock could do with the data and what the city might still owe.
Meanwhile, the Texas Department of Transportation "has stopped issuing permits allowing Flock cameras and other automated license plate readers to be installed along state roads..." reports the Texas Tribune. "There were an estimated 13,000 Flock cameras across Texas in August, but hundreds of the devices have been shut down after [governor] Abbott's funding freeze."
And in August Florida's Republican Governor "ordered his state's transportation department to remove the cameras from state roads, saying he didn't want 'a surveillance state.'"
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Strictly's Dani Dyer reunites with Nikita Kuzmin as she makes her comeback after ankle injury while House Of The Dragon star Bethany Antonia is in all-female pairing with Nancy Xu
15 new celebrities descended on the Strictly Come Dancing dancefloor on Saturday night as the 24th series kicked off in spectacular style.
Pakistani carer on student visa raped bedbound elderly woman - then claimed she assaulted him
Fazli Qadeer, 25, from Peshawar, was handed a prison sentence for the attack on the 'extremely vulnerable' victim.
REV GILES FRASER: Church's 'Hamas tribute' is yet another howler from our posturing progressives
Last week Leeds Minster ran a pro-Palestinian project featuring a tapestry depicting the victims of the Gaza war - including, it transpires, dozens of Hamas terrorists.
Sophie started going bald at 16 - it took 12 years before she discovered the 60-second fix that made her feel like herself again
Sophie Law was at the salon when her hairdresser broke some unexpected news: she had a patch of hair missing. At just 16 years old, she was horrified.
ALEXANDRA SHULMAN'S NOTEBOOK: My mother's spirit speaks, to say 'hands off my jewels'!
Ever since my mother's death in February, I've been getting clear messages from her that she does not want me to wear her jewellery.
Running slowly for just ten minutes can help you think faster and feel happier, study finds
While previous research has shown cognitive benefits from moderate-intensity exercise, a study suggests that similar gains can be made even at a pace just above walking speed.
Madeleine McCann prime suspect Christian Brueckner admits he was just 150 yards from her family's holiday apartment on night she vanished
Christian Brueckner, 49, also said he was stopped in his van three times by police later that evening while making a 'quick getaway', but was waved through without being searched.