THE SQUARE Today 🌐 15 April 2024

Home Office staff under investigations

According to the data obtained through a freedom of information request, a significant number of Home Office employees are currently under criminal investigation for various offenses, including immigration crime, fraud, and drug-related offenses. The Home Office’s anti-corruption criminal investigation unit (ACCIU) has revealed that there are 16 allegations awaiting charging advice or trial, with an additional 18 cases currently under investigation. Over the past three years, two criminal convictions of Home Office staff have resulted from ACCIU investigations.

Separate data disclosed by the Home Office also shows that between 2019-20 and 2023-24, 60 staff members were dismissed for offenses such as bullying, harassment, discrimination, abuse of position, theft, corruption, fraud, or forgery. An additional 63 employees received written warnings for disciplinary offenses during the same period.

Use of AI to destroy Gaza

The unprecedented toll on civilians, housing, and services in Gaza is the consequence of the alleged use of artificial intelligence on targets by the Israeli military. Independent human rights experts have deemed the systematic and widespread destruction as a crime against humanity, with estimates indicating that 60 to 70% of all homes in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged. The damage to the Strip is estimated at $18.5 billion, equivalent to 97% of the total economy of Gaza and the West Bank.

Global coral bleaching

Recent reports from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have confirmed the alarming escalation of the fourth global mass coral bleaching event due to record ocean heat. Coral bleaching occurs when coral faces excessive stress from high water temperatures, leading to its deterioration and eventual death. The widespread bleaching has been observed across all major oceans, including the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Ocean.