Each week, Ben Hopkinson looks back at a serious, crazy, and happy news story from the past week.
Serious News
The Metropolitan Police will have to reduce its workforce, even though it has received an increase in funding.
The government have announced that the force will pocket £118million next year, on top of already announced funding, with a further £10million pledged by the Mayor of London.
A spokesperson for the Met Police says: “While this new funding decreases our original funding gap from £450million, it leaves us with a £260million shortfall and we will have to make substantial tough choices, reducing our size and services. This will be hard for our dedicated officers and staff but equally will have implications for policing London”.
The Met’s Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, has warned that 2,300 officers and 400 staff may have to be let go to help reduce its workforce bill by £185miilion. Further cuts to the anti-robbery flying squad, the Royal Parks Police and the mounted branches may happen; with a further reduction of cold case investigations being looked into.
Crazy News
A robot which was originally built for war took to the DJ decks at a San Francisco nightclub for a 30-minute set.
Designed by Foundation Robotics Labs, a humanoid robot named Phantom played at an AI trade expo and networking event named ‘Tech Giga Party’.
Apparently, the set was applaudable but fist bumps from the machine were off-beat.
Similar robots are used across the US Department of Defence, albeit in non-combat roles like maintenance tasks and refueling aircrafts that are in remote areas.
The reason why a robot built for war was instead playing music was a way for the company to show that it can also be used for fun too.
Happy News
An upcoming ballroom dancer was injured aged seven at his home in Ukraine, and the story has now been turned into an award-winning London film.
Romchyk is the true story of Roman Oleksiv who was badly burned in July 2022 from a Russian missile strike which also killed his mother.
Being filmed by students at Goldsmiths University of London, it was also shot on site at the university.
Speaking of coming to the idea about making the film, Kostiantyn Bidnenko says that he saw the news article and wants the young dancer to “become a symbol of all children who suffer because of war”.
The film was shown to the Pope during the Vatican's International Summit on Children's Rights in early February.
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