5 Things You Need To Know (29/03/17)

Welcome to our “Things You Need To Know” daily update. Every day we’ll be here for you, summarising the key talking points in as quick of a time as possible.

1. Article 50 Begins Brexit

The big story of the day, one which you can’t have missed, is Theresa May triggering Article 50.

The Prime Minister’s letter arrived at the EU just after noon, notifying European Council President Donald Tusk of the UK’s intention to leave. Thus begins the two year negotiation period, which aims to culminate in the full Brexit on March 29 2019.

2. Security Reviews At Westminster

John Bercow has told MPs that there will be two reviews into security at Westminster. The Speaker Of The House Of Commons said one review will be an independent analysis of the perimeter around Parliament, while the second review will be an external analysis of how Parliament responds to major incidents.

This follows on from the terrorist attack one week ago. “As would be normal after such events, we are seeking to make sure that any lessons are learned, through two reviews,” Bercow said.

3. Vauxhall To End England Sponsorship

Car maker Vauxhall is to end its sponsorship of England’s national football team.

A company statement said “Vauxhall Motors today announced that it will be stepping down from its role as lead sponsor of the England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland football teams beyond the World Cup in 2018.

4. Wake Up Call To Messaging Apps

The acting Metropolitan Police Commissioner has said last week’s terrorist incident is a “wake up call’ for services like WhatsApp.

Craig Mackey told London Assembly members “This is a wake-up call for the industry to understand what it means to put your own house in order. If you talk about working ethically, it has to mean something.”

This follows on from comments by Home Secretary Amber Rudd, in which she raised issues with WhatsApp encryption potentially aiding terrorists. It emerged last week that the Westminster terrorist was using WhatsApp just minutes before last week’s attack.

5. Samsung Reveals The S8

The Samsung S8 was finally revealed today in New York. The much anticipated phone features a larger screen, made possible by doing away with the home button.

The phone also sees the debut of Bixby, Samsung’s equivalent of Siri.

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