Ring has sparked privacy fears with its new Super Bowl advertisement, which features an AI-powered dog detector.

Ring Doorbells are home security systems that act a bit like a digital peephole – allowing you to snoop on who’s standing outside your door.

Now, Ring is hoping you not only use it to check if the delivery driver stole your parcel or not, but to see if there’s a missing canine outside your door.

The ad, ‘Search Party from Ring | Be A Hero In Your Neighborhood’, opens with a young girl receiving a puppy named Milo.

But Milo became one of the 10 million pets that go missing annually in the US, Ring founder Jamie Siminoff says.

While the girl is out nailing ‘Missing Dog’ posters to telephone poles, her parents post a photo of Milo to the Ring Neighbors App.

Siminoff explains: ”One post of a dog’s photo in the Ring app starts outdoor cameras looking for a match.

‘Search Party from Ring uses AI to help families find lost dogs.’

The ad shows dozens of people in the local area have video doorbells, each on the lookout for missing canines.

When a missing dog report is posted, nearby outdoor cameras begin scanning for matches, Ring says on its help webpage.

If one finds a similar dog, the owner can review the footage alongside the missing dog’s photo. Ring and non-Ring camera owners can take part.

Users can alert the pet owners if they decide a filmed dog is theirs. Ring says there’s no obligation to do so for privacy purposes.

The Super Bowl ad, which aired yesterday, ended with Milo running into the arms of his family.

Viewers, however, weren’t sure how to feel about this.

Online streamer and political commentator Hasan Piker said on X: ‘How much longer till the always on remote ai capabilities of your Ring camera isn’t “optional”.’

Another user added: ‘Ring offering to turn your neighbourhood into an AI-fuelled surveillance state under the guise of “helping you find your lost dog” is CRAZY.’

On YouTube, a user commented: ‘This is like the commercial they show at the beginning of a dystopian sci-fi film to quickly show people how bad things have gotten.’

Ring said that since the launch of the tool in November in the US, Search Party for Dogs has helped reunite one dog a day with its owners.

Users were emailed about the upcoming feature, which said the function is enabled by default, saying: ‘You can always turn off Search Party.’

The company has insisted the function does not scan human faces.

Mimi Swain, Ring’s chief commercial officer, told Forbes ahead of the ad airing that Ring not covering the technical specs was a deliberate choice.

Swain said: ‘The goal wasn’t to overwhelm viewers with product details. It was to show Ring’s bigger purpose.’

Amazon, which owns Ring, said in a blog post: ‘Search Party’s expansion reflects a meaningful step forward in Ring’s mission to make neighbourhoods safer – including for all our four-legged family members.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

MORE: Amazon Fire TV device to stop working within weeks as support officially ends

MORE: I sat in a near-empty cinema for Melania – here’s what I thought

MORE: Cat reunited with her family after being ‘snatched’ by Amazon delivery driver

Sitting in the stands, Kim Kardashian and Lewis Hamilton made their first major public appearance together, after weeks of speculation about their romance. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion and the reality TV star were spotted chatting and smiling together during the game, and were caught on video by NBC News.

The qualifying age for free bus passes in England rises from 66 to 67 from April 2026, in line with state pension age increases

The Department for Transport has confirmed that from April, residents in England will need to wait an additional year before receiving their free bus pass. A significant campaign calling for the same concessionary travel entitlements as those in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland – where free bus travel is available from age 60.

In England, free travel is only offered from age 66, in line with the state pension age. This applies unless local authorities, including those in London and Merseyside, choose to fund the provision themselves.

From next year, the qualifying age for a free pass in England will rise by a further 12 months. This change coincides with the planned increase in the State Pension age from 66 to 67, set to be fully implemented across the UK by 2028 for both men and women.

The adjustment to the official retirement age has been scheduled since 2014, with a subsequent increase from 67 to 68 expected between 2044 and 2046. The Pensions Act 2014 brought forward the rise in the State Pension age from 66 to 67 by eight years.

The UK Government also altered the phasing of the State Pension age increase, meaning that rather than reaching State Pension age on a specific date, people born between March 6, 1961, and April 5, 1977, will be entitled to claim the State Pension upon turning 67.

The same will apply to their concessionary bus passes. The Department for Transport (DfT) has confirmed that concessionary bus passes will also be affected.

A spokesperson stated: “We fully recognise bus passes are vital to many older people, providing access to essential services and keeping people connected through free local travel. We’re already in the process of making ambitious reforms to improve bus services for all passengers and supporting local areas to improve reliability and affordability.”

The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme offers free off-peak bus travel to those with qualifying disabilities and individuals who have reached state pension age (as per the Pension Act 2014). It operates between 9.30am and 11.00pm on weekdays and throughout the day on weekends and Bank Holidays, reports the Mirror.

State Pension age is set to rise from 66 to 67 between 2026 and 2028, as outlined in the State Pension Act 2014. The DfT added: “Local authorities in England have the power to offer concessions in addition to their statutory obligations, for example, by lowering the age of eligibility. These are additional local concessions provided and funded by local authorities from local resources, depending on the needs and priorities of each area.”

Individuals become eligible for free bus travel in England when they reach state pension age, currently 66 but due to increase from next year. In January, a discussion on concessionary travel occurred following a petition that garnered over 100,000 signatures.

Labour’s Tony Vaughan stated: “There are many areas of our country where there is free bus travel for the over-60s: London, Liverpool, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. In our country, there is a growing misperception that if someone is over 60, they are somehow financially blessed, with a house on which the mortgage has been paid off, and they have plenty of assets and capital washing around. Many people think that the over-60s do not need free bus travel. I challenge that narrative.

“A new report from Standard Life identifies a substantial rise in financial insecurity among people in their early 60s, after the increases in the state pension age since 2010, and highlights that there are a quarter of a million more people aged 60 to 64 in relative income poverty than there were in 2010.

“There is already free bus travel for the over-60s in several parts of the UK, so this policy can work. The 60+ London Oyster photocard, operated and funded by TfL, is available to London residents over 60. There are 383,000 active users of that photocard, which I know makes a positive difference to the lives of the 24% of Londoners in that age group who live in poverty.”

Independent MP Iqbal Mohamed stated: “The fact that more than 100,000 people signed it shows how strongly the public feel about the issue and how far it reaches into people’s everyday lives. People’s access to free travel should not depend on where they live or how stretched their council’s budget happens to be. National problems require national solutions.”

Labour’s Mohammad Yasin remarked: “Free bus travel for over-60s would not only provide much-needed financial relief, but help to reduce social isolation, support access to healthcare and enable continued engagement in work, volunteering and community life.”

In his response, Mr Lightwood explained: “For many people in their early 60s, buses are a lifeline to work, caring, volunteering and staying active in their communities. However, eligibility for an older person’s bus pass in England is set in legislation at the state pension age, which is currently 66. That link reflects changes in longevity and helps to ensure that the scheme remains equitable and affordable over time. Any change to national eligibility would therefore need to be considered carefully.

“The concessionary travel scheme is a significant national entitlement. Local authority spending on concessionary travel, supported by the Government, is around £795 million a year. Changing the national statutory eligibility would carry substantial additional recurring costs.

“At the end of last year, we confirmed long-term investment of more than £3 billion over the next three years to support local leaders and bus operators across the country, in order to improve local bus services for millions of passengers over the remainder of this spending period.”

The historic store on Deansgate closed in April 2023 to widespread disappointment and has been empty ever since.

Nearly three years later, on Friday, February 6, a passerby reported that he had seen what appeared to be squatters occupying the building.

He said: “I was walking towards the Market Place from the Three Crowns and I heard a bang at the old M&S building.

“I thought, ‘what the hell was that?’ I looked in the alleyway, and I saw what looked like two people, a male and a female, leaving the building, and it looked like they were closing the door behind them.”

The former Marks and Spencer building is currently empty (Image: Newsquest)

The man said that he then reported the alleged squatters to Bolton Council, which owns the building, at the One Stop Shop at the town hall later that same afternoon.

The Bolton News went to visit the site and observed a woman appearing to let herself back into the empty building through the doors on the Deansgate side.

Bolton Council bought the building for £15M back in 2019 as part of its wider £1billion town centre masterplan.

The building is found on Deansgate in the town centre (Image: Newsquest)

In 2023, Marks and Spencer said changing shopping habits had been behind its decision to close the Bolton branch, but the move prompted widespread concerns about the town’s high street.

The future of the building and its role in the wider regeneration of the town has been a much-debated topic since then.

But in November last year, Marks and Spencer said the Bolton North East area was one of 500 target locations around the country where it was looking at opening new food stores.

The company has also maintained a branch at Middlebrook Retail Park, which it is looking to expand into a flagship outlet.

A Bolton Council spokesperson said: “Security staff have done a check of the building and found no evidence that anyone has accessed internally.

“However, we are aware that on occasion, there have been individuals residing behind the hoarding.

“Our next step will be to arrange a joint site visit with the Homeless Welfare Team and Greater Manchester Police so that we can engage with the individuals, offer appropriate support, and safely move them from the area.

“Once this has been completed, the site can be secured.”

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police confirmed that this was a civil matter and in the hands of the council.

A critically acclaimed period drama film from one of America’s greatest directors is now available on Netflix

Netflix is presently showing one of the most highly praised films from the past decade, created by one of Hollywood’s leading directors.

Drawing from an extraordinary true account of determination against racial prejudice in 1970s America, BlacKkKlansman is broadly regarded as amongst director Spike Lee’s finest works.

John David Washington portrays real-life police officer Ron Stallworth, who became the first Black officer recruited by the Colorado Springs Police Department.

Following persistent harassment from his racist workmates, Stallworth rises to detective and joins forces with his Jewish colleague Flip Zimmerman (portrayed by Adam Driver ) to penetrate a local branch of the Ku Klux Klan. Whilst Stallworth impersonates a white member over the telephone, Zimmerman participates in gatherings personally to dismantle the extremist organisation from the inside.

BlacKkKlansman initially premiered in 2018 and garnered widespread critical acclaim and significant awards recognition, including nods for Best Picture and Best Director at the Academy Awards, whilst securing victory for Best Adapted Screenplay, reports the Express.

Audiences have remained captivated by this revealing historical drama throughout the years since, owing to its blend of outstanding acting, witty dialogue and nail-biting suspense.

One Letterboxd critic commented upon release: “The film of the year. A powerful, horrifying & scathingly funny masterpiece.”

A different viewer enthused: “Absolutely haunting, Spike Lee does not hold back and nor should he.”

Another viewer penned in a five-star review: “Overall, BlacKkKlansman is an entertaining, hilarious, powerful and just all around an amazing film that tackles its messages extremely well.

Get Netflix free with Sky for Bridgerton Season 4

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

from £15

Sky

Advertisement

Get the deal here

‘Dearest gentle reader’, as the fourth season of Bridgerton follows second son Benedict love story, there’s a way to watch this fairytale-like season for less.

Sky is giving away a free Netflix subscription with its new Sky Stream TV bundles, including the £15 Essential TV plan. This lets customers watch live and on-demand TV content without a satellite dish or aerial and includes the new season of Bridgerton.

“The direction from Lee is incredible and as my first film I’ve watched [by] him he killed it and I’m excited to see the rest of his stuff. The performances are also excellent, especially from Driver & Washington and yeah I would highly recommend checking this one out!”

Praise poured in on IMDb, where one person awarded BlackKklansman 10/10, writing: “Thank you, Spike Lee. Your film should be required viewing for ages 0 to 100 and not just by Americans.

“Any American history teacher on the planet should urge his/her students to open their eyes, ears, minds and hearts and learn from your masterpiece.”

A different fan commented: “Perfect blend of humor and drama to tell this incredibly important story. Racism is so stupid. The last 5 minutes is a nice reminder of where we’re at as a nation unfortunately.”

**For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website**

One final reviewer noted: “Too often true stories drag out the story line with clutter of facts. Not so here. The pace kept us involved to the end.

“Lee and [producer Jordan] Peele provide a troubling reminder of the past and a cautionary tale of the present. Many in our theater laughed, cheered and left humbled and disturbed. Powerful movie.”

Whether you’re about to experience it for the first time or fancy a rewatch of one of the standout film releases from the last decade, ensure BlackKklansman is added to your Netflix watchlist post-haste.

BlackKklansman can be streamed on Netflix.

Doctors found the dormant chickenpox virus in Isla’s system, which is believed to be the underlying trigger of the stroke

Advertisement

A four-year-old girl was left unable to speak or stand after suffering a stroke at pre-school. Isla Parrott fell ill on January 22 and was swiftly taken to hospital where an Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan was performed.

Since then, she has been undergoing intensive treatment at Addenbrooke’s in Cambridge, and is on several medications to control inflammation and prevent infection. Doctors discovered a dormant chickenpox virus in Isla’s system, which they believe triggered the stroke.

This virus is known to be associated with paediatric vasculopathy, disorders that affect blood vessels, and strokes. The news has left Isla’s parents, Kitty-Mae King and Dan Parrot from Stowupland, Suffolk, along with other family members, in a state of shock.

Isla’s aunt, Maddie King, 28, expressed her disbelief: “My reaction was: ‘She’s four years old, what do you mean she had a stroke?’ None of us has really made sense of it. I’m still shocked and I feel absolutely awful about it all. It’s been by far the worst week of my life. Seeing a child who was once vibrant and constantly active, suddenly lose so much of herself, has been deeply heartbreaking.

“It’s been really distressing for her. We’re all so proud of her as she’s been so brave.”

The stroke affected the right side of Isla’s body, particularly affecting movement and strength in her right hand. She has begun to walk again, albeit unsteadily and with fatigue, and the treatment has induced nausea.

The family acknowledges that recovery is likely to be a lengthy process. Kitty-Mae, 30, and Dan, 28, have had to put their jobs on hold as they care for Isla and strive to maintain a sense of normality for her two sisters Ava, eight, and Raya, one.

Advertisement

Maddie expressed how overwhelmed they’ve been by the support received and mentioned that they have set up a GoFundMe to alleviate financial strain.

“Life can be really hard and unfair,” she admitted. “We didn’t expect to receive all these donations and it’s been lovely to see so many people support someone they don’t even know. Strokes in children are rare and support for families is extremely limited, so the costs can be scary and add up really quickly.”

Advertisement

Maddie also expressed gratitude to Osier Cafe in Stowmarket for their assistance, as they provided ample food for Isla and her family. Both Kitty-Mae and Dan aim to raise awareness that strokes can occur in children, regardless of age.

Symptoms to watch out for include sudden weakness on one side of the body, facial drooping, and speech difficulties among others.

You can contribute to Isla’s recovery here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/for-isla-the-road-ahead.

Her daughters, Amy, then 10, and Alice, then six, were devoted to him and were struggling to understand what was happening, especially when he became reluctant to see them.

“It was a really tough time,” recalled Anne. “We were all so upset, but it was worse when the girls couldn’t see him.”

What happened next compounded Anne’s high opinion – initially created 12 years before when her mother passed away in the Hospice – that here was a very special place, populated by “angels”.

The lady in charge of arts and crafts at the Wellbeing Hub managed to get the girls together with their grandfather, Anne, and husband Steve to create a special fingerprint picture.

“It was just lovely,” said Anne. “The girls were so close to their Grandad, and this made all the difference to both him and them.

“It’s very difficult when you are caught up in your own grief to help effectively in the grief of your children so I was really grateful for what they did.”

This was also just a part of the Hospice’s care for Anne and her family, both before her father passed away and afterwards.

“People just think the Hospice is somewhere people go to die, but it’s not like that,” insisted Anne. “There is also this wonderful care for the family, and it goes on afterwards when you also need them.”

Ever since then, Anne, Steve, and the girls have backed Hospice fundraising events whenever they can, including Hike the Pike, and are now getting behind Making Every Moment Count.

“We want to help the Hospice as much as we can because we really appreciate how they helped us,” added Anne.

“People don’t always know what an amazing place it is – but we do.”

Prosecutors in France have been unable to tell which of a pair of identical twins on trial for murder pulled the trigger in a fatal shooting, because DNA found on a gun is a match to them both.

Identified in reports as 33-year-old brothers Samuel and Jeremy Y, the pair are suspected of being involved in a double gang murder in September 2020 and several attempted murders the following month.

The pair are accused over the killing of a 17-year-old, named in reports as Tidiane B, and a 25-year-old, identified as Sofiane M.

But DNA on an assault rifle used in one of the later gun battles could only be from one twin, French newspaper Le Parisien said.

Forensic experts couldn’t say which of the brothers had been definitively implicated, a police officer told the court.

One investigator is quoted as telling the trial that “only their mother can tell them apart”.

They are among five defendants on trial at a court in Bobigny, a suburb to the northeast of Paris, until the end of February.

Police believe they have taken advantage of their resemblance to cover their tracks, the paper said.

It claimed the pair frequently exchanged clothes, phones and identification documents, quoting a senior police officer.

Identical twins happen when a single egg (zygote) is fertilised, the NHS says on its website.

The egg then divides in two, creating identical twins who share the same genes.

Identical twins are always the same sex.

Because the pair came from the same egg and sperm, they share exactly the same DNA, making forensic identification extremely difficult.

Read more on Sky News:
Starmer ‘battling for survival’
Trump’s view of Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl
Jimmy Lai sentenced

With genetic data unable to distinguish between them, investigators relied on phone records, surveillance footage, wiretaps and efforts to corroborate their whereabouts and movements, according to Le Parisien.

But the crucial question of who fired the recovered weapon remains an open one.

The true crime series has been dubbed one of the ‘best’ amongst ITV viewers

ITV viewers have branded the series the “best ever” and tonight’s episode will no doubt leave them in tears.

A grisly true crime series delving into brutal and distressing murders is available to watch tonight (February 9), with episodes still “haunting” viewers.

First airing back in 2021 on ITV, The Social Media Murders saw three standalone episodes, each featuring a shocking real life crime that involves young people.

With links back to social media, viewers are plunged into real life dangers young people are faced with when it comes to online use. A third series was released last year, with more heartbreaking stories, putting the victim at the centre of the narrative.

Tonight (February 9), ITV will air one of those episodes, which is a must watch for fans of true crime and documentaries. Social Media Murders: The Murder of Olly Stephens will be available to watch on ITV at 10.45pm.

The episode, which is the latest episode in the series first released in 2024, plunges viewers into the real life case of 13-year-old Olly Stephens who was fatally stabbed just metres from his own home.

The documentary instalment explores the harrowing online plan which had been carried out by two teenage boys, which left one family devastated.

The ITV synopsis reads: “The Murder of Olly Stephens – True crime documentary. When 13-year-old Olly Stephens was ambushed in a park by two teenage boys, the evidence points to the attack having been planned on social media.”

The heartbreaking episode hears first hand from Olly’s family and friends, who were seen in tears, as they share their devastating experience.

Over the last few years, many fans have taken to social media to share their thoughts on the true crime series, with some dubbing it the “best” documentary from ITV.

One person wrote on X: “Social media Murders is also v good , itvx.”

Another said: “I’ve watched the social media murders on ITV X some of them are horrific.”

A third penned: “Not sure if anyone’s seen the series Social media murders on itv x but it is so f**** up.”

A fourth added: “#SocialMediaMurders on @ITV WOW…… The murder of Ashley Wadsworth is such a sad story. The warning signs were there but sadly it was too late.”

Another said: “One of best shows on itv2!!” One viewer agreed: “So distressing indeed! #themurderofgracemillane #socialmediamurders is so so sad!! Poor girl! #ITV.”

Over on IMDb, one viewer said: “The documentary provides key insights into the darker aspects of social media and its influence on individuals and relationships.

“The documentary highlights how social media can amplify dangerous behaviors. In some cases, the pressure to conform to online trends, gain followers, or maintain a digital persona can push individuals to commit extreme acts. Whether its luring victims, escalating personal conficts, or acting harmful challenges, social media becomes an enable or even a catalyst forcriminal behavior.”

Over on TikTok, one viewer described the series as “haunting” as another said one specific episode was “messed up”.

All three seasons and all episodes are also available to stream online on ITVX for anyone wanting to watch the true crime series in one go.

Social Media Murders: The Murder of Olly Stephens airs tonight on ITV at 10.45pm. All episodes are also available to stream on ITVX.