LONDON: Millions of mobile phones across the UK blared a siren sound at the same time on Sunday as part of government efforts to better prepare for national emergencies.
The nationwide drill caused England’s third ODI cricket match against South Africa to be paused while kick-off for a rugby league match was pushed back to avoid disruption.
At 3:00 p.m. (1400 GMT), phones and tablets emitted the noise and vibrated for about 10 seconds, while users also received a message saying it was just a test.
It was only the second test of the country’s national emergency alert system following the first in 2023.
The government had in recent weeks embarked on a publicity drive to minimize any shock caused, including through announcements at rail stations and signs on motorways.
It has used the system to issue real warnings to local areas five times in the past two years.
In January, some 4.5 million people in Scotland and Northern Ireland received an alert during Storm Eowyn after a red weather warning was issued, meaning there was a risk to life.
A 500-kilogramme (1,100-pound) unexploded Second World War bomb found in a back garden in southwest England triggered a warning to some 50,000 phones in February last year.
The system is designed for use during the most likely emergencies to affect Britain where there is the possibility of a loss of life.
Warnings would also be transmitted on television, radio and where appropriate by knocking on doors.
Similar alerts are issued in the United States and Japan.
Only devices connected to 4G or 5G networks received Sunday’s alert.
It came as officials seek to strengthen the country’s resilience amid more frequent extreme weather events and concerns around Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The government published a “Resilience Action Plan” in July which also cited the upheaval of the coronavirus pandemic, US President Donald Trump’s tariffs and cyberattacks.
UK mobile phones blare in national emergency test
https://arab.news/w8a6e
UK mobile phones blare in national emergency test
- It was only the second test of the UK’s national emergency alert system following the first in 2023
- In the past two years, the government has used the system five times to issue real warnings to local areas
Trump ‘very disappointed’ with UK’s Starmer for blocking use of air bases, Telegraph says
- UK PM then said bases could be used in “defensive” operations
- Trump says it took “too long” for Starmer to change his mind
LONDON: Donald Trump said he was “very disappointed” with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for not allowing the US to use the Diego Garcia air base to carry out strikes on Iran, the Daily Telegraph quoted the US president as saying in an interview.
Britain had reportedly initially denied the US permission to conduct air strikes from its bases, but on Sunday evening Starmer said he was accepting a request for their use in any “defensive” strikes the US wanted to make against Iranian targets.
In an interview published on Monday Trump told the British newspaper that it took “too long” for Starmer to change his mind.
“That’s probably never happened between our countries before,” he told the Telegraph, adding: “It sounds like he was worried about the legality.”
Trump said Starmer should have approved from the get-go the American use of Diego Garcia — a strategically important US-UK air base in the Indian Ocean — saying Iran was responsible for killing “a lot of people from your country.”
Britain was not involved in the joint US-Israel air strikes on Iran that killed the country’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Saturday.
Since attacks on Iran started on Saturday, Iran has been targeting Gulf countries with missiles, and on Sunday an Iranian-made drone hit Britain’s RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus, causing limited damage and no casualties.
Trump said it was “useful” that the US would now be able to launch operations from Diego Garcia, as he also criticized a deal Starmer has made over the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, where Diego Garcia is based.
