The Know Daily - Thursday 23rd March 2023

_{Read in 5m 50s ∙ Listening to Lewis Capaldi}

A new TV and film studio set up by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight in Birmingham is expected to create around 760 jobs. Work has already begun on Digbeth Loc Studios, which has been confirmed as the location for an upcoming Peaky Blinders movie, as well as the new home of the BBC One’s MasterChef. The new studio is “going to change the nature of the opportunities for people in this city,” said Knight, adding that some future employees will be able to “walk to work”.

🗳️ Westminster latest

Yesterday was a busy day in politics: former PM Boris Johnson was questioned by a committee over Partygate, the government won a Brexit deal vote, and PM Rishi Sunak published long-awaited details about his taxes. Here’s what you need to know:

What did we learn about Partygate?
Boris Johnson was grilled by a cross-party committee of MPs on whether he intentionally misled parliament over lockdown-era gatherings at No. 10. During the hearing - which was broadcast live on TV and lasted nearly four hours - Johnson repeatedly claimed that Covid rule-breaking Downing Street parties had been “necessary” for work purposes. He insisted that he “did not lie” to the House of Commons.

The former PM said it was “complete nonsense” to suggest he did not seek advice on gatherings occurring in Downing Street at the time. But Harriet Harman, chair of the committee, expressed dismay at the “flimsy nature” of the assurances he’d received. The committee is expected to report back after Easter.

What happened with the Brexit deal vote?
MPs were asked to vote on the Windsor Framework, a revised deal on post-Brexit trade in Northern Ireland which was reached with the EU last month. PM Sunak won a vote on his new plan, despite 22 of his own MPs - including Johnson and Liz Truss - voting against it.

What did we learn about Sunak’s taxes?
The PM published a long-awaited summary of his UK and US taxes from 2019-2021, fulfilling a pledge he made when campaigning for the Tory leadership last year. Sunak earned a total of £4.766m across three years and paid £1.053m in tax - an overall effective tax rate of 22%, according to Sky News.

But The Guardian said Sunak’s tax return left “some major questions unresolved” - such as whether or not the PM holds an interest in the Covid 19 vaccine-maker Moderna.

📱Phone a friend

The government is launching a new public warning system that will send siren-like alerts to mobile phones, as tech companies also look to incorporate more safety features into devices.

Tell me about the new system.
The government and emergency services may soon be able to send messages directly to people’s mobile phones when there is an immediate risk to life, with a nationwide trial planned for 23 April. The alerts will initially focus on the most severe weather-related incidents, and are expected to reach nearly 90% of mobiles via 4G and 5G networks.

When a compatible phone receives an alert, it will vibrate and play a loud siren-like sound for up to 10 seconds. A notification will also flash up on the home screen, likely with links to a government advice website.

What has the reaction been?
When the system was tested in East Suffolk and Reading in May last year, 88% of participants said they’d want to receive such alerts in future. Those who aren’t so keen will be able to opt out of the alert system via their phone settings.

The US, Canada, the Netherlands and Japan all use similar systems, which have been widely credited with saving lives.

What are tech companies doing?
In September 2022, Apple launched a feature called Crash Detection which enables a user’s phone to automatically call emergency services if it detects a severe crash. Although the company has stressed that its technology cannot detect all crashes, the feature has been widely praised - however it’s currently only available on the very latest Apple devices.

For those on Android, Google’s Pixel Personal Safety app makes it easier to call emergency services in a crisis and also has a car crash detection feature.

Are there any other safety apps I should know about?
In 2019, Derbyshire Police urged residents to download the personal safety app Hollie Guard.

Users can shake their phone if they feel in danger and the app will notify a chosen group of contacts, plus trigger several other safety features. Hollie Guard is free to download and compatible with most smartphones.

Are there any other phone safety features or apps which you think we should be aware of? We’d love to hear about them - reply to this email to let us know.

💰 Celeb crypto fines: Eight celebrities, including Lindsay Lohan, Akon and Jake Paul, have been forced to pay tens of thousands of dollars for allegedly using their social platforms to promote crypto investments without disclosing they were being paid to do so.

🤳 TikTok hearing: Shou Zi Chew, TikTok’s chief executive, is set to be grilled by US lawmakers today. He’ll likely be questioned about the app’s relationship with China and the data it collects from its users.

📈 Interest rates: The Bank of England is set to raise interest rates for the 11th time in 18 months after data published on Wednesday showed that inflation took a surprise leap to 10.4% in February.

🚇 Overground naming: Transport for London (TfL) is reportedly planning to spend £4m on naming all the London Overground lines. The proposal is part of a £13m TfL spending initiative funded via City Hall.

🐢 Tortoise tales: A 90-year-old tortoise named Mr. Pickles has welcomed three hatchlings at Houston Zoo in Texas. The rare tortoise is native to Madagascar and the oldest animal in the zoo. His only other offspring was hatched in 1997.

Trivia answer: A) 28% of the 911 adults surveyed by Pasta Evangelists said that bolognese was their favourite pasta dish, closely followed by lasagne.

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