Britain would be dangerously exposed to a devastating Russian cyber attack if digital TV signals are switched off and the UK is left reliant on the internet, national security experts have warned.
The National Preparedness Commission (NPC) said the Government could find itself unable to communicate emergency messages to millions of households if plans to turn off the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) network as soon as 2034 are pursued.
Arqiva, which transmits digital TV and radio signals from 1,450 UK mast sites, agreed that relying on the internet alone to ensure broadcast transmission and spread vital messages to reassure the population in the event of a crisis was a huge risk.
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Why organic free-range eggs are ‘worst for the environment’
Organic eggs are twice as bad for the climate as eggs produced by caged chickens, a new study indicates.
Caption: Asian woman holding a shopping basket, Grocery shopping in supermarket. Woman choosing fresh organic egg. Fruits and vegetables shopping. Healthy eating lifestyle. Pesticide Safe food and vegetable selection for life.
Photographer: nomadnes
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Moment RF
Copyright: POJCHEEWIN YAPRASERT
Organic or caged chicken egg model?
Tonnes of CO2 predicted
2.36m
Greenhouse emissions expected if all the UK’s egg production is switched to organic.
Free range eggs are laid by hens that are fed organic feed,
1.184m
The equivalent in tonnes of CO2 if all egg production was from caged chickens.
More organic chickens are required to produce the same number of free-range eggs.
Facts and figures
Organic egg production needs significantly more land.
Deaths in free range chickens were higher, the study published in Royal Society Open Science found.
The study used data from 2009-2010 from UK poultry farms, The Guardian reports.
Egg consumption across the world is growing.
LIFESTYLE
4 min read
Go deeper on this subject
To some people, an egg is an egg, but the variety in appearance, size and the colours of shells and yolks varies a great deal.
LIFESTYLE
6 min read
LIFESTYLE
4 min read
Ariana Grande sues hackers who ‘leaked music online’
Ariana Grande is suing hackers who she alleges stole her unreleased music as well as private photos and video.
Caption: US singer actress Ariana Grande attends the 31st Annual Critics Choice Awards at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, on January 4, 2026. (Photo by Chris DELMAS / AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: CHRIS DELMAS
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Source: AFP
Copyright: AFP or licensors
Hacked off: what we know
The singer alleges two unidentified hackers stole material from her collaborators’ computers, court papers filed in LA show.
Caption: LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 09: Singer Ariana Grande performs at the IPOP! Concert Series an Evening with Make-A-Wish Foundation and Starlight Children’s Foundation at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza on January 9, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Angela Weiss/Getty Images)
Photographer: Angela Weiss
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Source: Getty Images North America
Copyright: 2010 Angela Weiss
Caption: BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 11: (FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Ariana Grande attends the 83rd Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton on January 11, 2026 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images)
Photographer: Monica Schipper
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Source: Getty Images North America
Copyright: 2026 Getty Images
It led to 45 songs being leaked in 2023 alone, Grande claims. Since her music debut in 2011, hundreds of similar leaks have taken place, the court documents say.
Lawsuit allegations
The lawsuit aims to reveal the hackers’ identities.
Grande alleges one hacker impersonated a photographer to gain access to material.
Studio footage and music videos were also allegedly stolen.
It’s claimed the material was sold on the dark web.
MUSIC
4 min read
What has she said previously?
In 2024, the pop star and actress. after her song Fantsize was leaked, said: “Before I left for Wicked – [there were] a few studio sessions that I did which are all over TikTok, thank you so much, I’ll see you in jail.
“Those were all written for a TV show.”
FILM
2 min read
MUSIC
4 min read
CULTure
Netflix neck-and-neck with BBC when British viewers switch on TV
Caption: (FILES) In this file photo illustration a computer screen and mobile phone display the Netflix logo on March 31, 2020 in Arlington, Virginia. – Bridgerton has become Netflix’s most popular new series, with more than 82 million households tuning in to watch the period drama, the streaming service has announced. (Photo by Olivier DOULIERY / AFP) (Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: OLIVIER DOULIERY
Provider: AFP via Getty Images
Source: AFP
TV viewers are now as likely to watch Netflix as the BBC, a survey for Ofcom suggests.
Netflix is the first choice for 26 per cent of viewers compared to 25 per cent who favour the BBC.
What the study tells us
Caption: FILE PHOTO: The YouTube logo is seen at the YouTube Space LA in Playa Del Rey, Los Angeles, California, United States October 21, 2015. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo
Photographer: Lucy Nicholson
Provider: REUTERS
Source: X90050
YouTube viewing surges
The amount of time people watch YouTube on TV sets has doubled since 2022 to an average 19 minutes a day.
Netflix standouts
Netflix hits Adolescence and K-Pop Demon Hunters were two of the top 10 most streamed shows in 2025.
Caption: Adolescence. Owen Cooper as Jamie Miller in Adolescence. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix ?? 2024
TV still
Netflix
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(Photo: Simon Ackerman/Getty Images)
Beeb’s biggest draws
The BBC showed the other eight, including The Night Manager and Run Away.
24 million watch England on BBC
Celebrity Traitors and its video podcast Traitors Uncloaked was the BBC’s biggest title last year, with the finale attracting an average audience of 14.9 million viewers across BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
England’s World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina attracted a peak audience of 24 million viewers across BBC platforms.
LIVE
1 min read
Big Read
3 min read
Battle of the broadcasters
Last year, 70 per cent of people in the UK watched content from traditional broadcasters – including live TV, recorded playback and on-demand services – for at least 15 minutes in an average week, down from 73 per cent in 2024 and 78 per cent in 2022.
Netflix and Disney subscribers could be asked to contribute to the BBC licence fee (Photo: Getty)
The BBC will start showing EastEnders again (Photo: BBC)
Two beaver kits born in Highlands after repopulation effort
At least two baby beavers have been born near Loch Ness in Scotland for the first time in more than 400 years.
Caption: EMBARGOED TO 0001 WEDNESDAY JULY 29
Handout photo dated 24/10/25 provided by Trees for Life of a beaver being released at Glen Affric in the Scottish Highlands. At least two baby beavers have been born in an area of the Highlands, marking the first time in four centuries where such births have been recorded in the region. Issue date: Tuesday July 28, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Paul Campbell/Trees for Life/PA Wire
Photographer: Paul Campbell
Provider: Paul Campbell/Trees for Life/PA Wire
Source: PA
Kits born to families released to wild
Two baby beavers, estimated to have been born in May or June, were recently spotted in Glen Affric. This follows the release of seven beavers in October last year and a further four in February.
Caption: Close up of two Eurasian beavers / European beavers (Castor fiber) fighting in pond. (Photo by: Arterra/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Photographer: Arterra
Provider: Universal Images Group via Getty
Source: Universal Images Group Editorial
Copyright: ? Arterra / Sven-Erik Arndt
Caption: EMBARGOED TO 0001 FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 12
File photo dated 05/03/25 of a beaver swimming following a licensed release at Purbeck Heaths National Nature Reserve. Communities are being invited to discuss the potential return of beavers to the Loch Ness area. The discussion is being run by Trees for Life in partnership with Beaver Trust during September and October. Issue date: Friday September 12, 2025. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire
Photographer: Andrew Matthews
Provider: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire
Source: PA
They are reportedly in good health and their birth signifies a success for the reintroduction project in the area. Beavers were first reintroduced in 2009 after being hunted to extinction in the 16th century.
A ‘wonderful milestone’
These young animals represent the first generation of beavers that will help shape Glen Affric’s future – creating wetlands that support countless other species, improve water quality and build resilience to climate change.
Tobias Leask, beaver management officer, Trees for Life
‘Sightings’ of the so-called monster began in Loch Ness in 1933 (Photo: Sean Gladwell/Getty)
world
Meet the UK university students preparing for war
While many UK university students are more used to dancing late into the night, some are getting up before dawn to train part-time with the British Army.
The goal for the military is to have a ready group of potential UK officers in case war breaks out.
Eager recruits
The University Officer Training Corps scheme, run at over 50 institutes, sees undergraduates undertake 38 annual days of Army training alongside their degree.
In return, they receive a nominal £1,600 a year, new skills and a potential career path – around 40 per cent of 1,400 recruits join the regular or reserve force afterwards.
NEWS
4 min read
Battle-ready
Officer cadets spend around one afternoon a week with the military, as well as five weekends and a two-week exercise each year. They learn everything from firing rifles to battlefield first aid and planning operations to surviving in the wild.
The exercise this year, in partnership with Dutch university officers, focused on clearing urban areas, navigating trenches and battlefield first aid.
Staying on
Esme Beckly, 21, an English literature student, said the course “made me realise that it is something that I want to do in the future”. She will join the Army as an officer when she graduates.
Monty Walker, 20, who grew up in a military family in Reading before studying accounting at York University, is weighing up his options. He said: “I finish this exercise on Sunday, and then on Monday I’m in London starting an internship. It’s a switch into a different life.”
Watch more from The i Paper
Would you spend your summer holidays on a military training exercise? Six years before the First World War, the British military launched a scheme to train university students as army officers. Dozens of universities are still involved with the University Officer Training Corps (UOTC) , which has 15 units across 27 training locations. The i Paper’s global affairs correspondent, Molly Blackall, joined one cohort for a recent training exercise in The Netherlands. #britisharmy #cadets #putten
♬ original sound – The i Paper – The i Paper
news
Why sitting under a tree during a heatwave may not be as safe as you think
Caption: A person sits in the shade in Castle Park, Bristol. The heatwave across the UK looks set to continue as 2026 became the first year to record temperatures of 35C on six separate days, and emergency services warn of “extreme” wildfire risks over the weekend. Picture date: Saturday July 11, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Ben Birchall/PA Wire
Photographer: Ben Birchall
Provider: Ben Birchall/PA Wire
Copyright: PA Wire
Visitors to parks during the current heatwave are reportedly being warned against sitting under trees, as branches could break as a result of the extreme temperatures.
Here is everything you need to know about the risk.
‘Don’t take shelter under old trees’
Normanby Hall Country Park in North Lincolnshire has warned visitors of the dangers of breakage during the heatwave, after several of their oldest trees lost large branches.
Branch falls have been reported across the UK, with MP for Putney Fleur Anderson saying a mature tree fell on her house in June’s heatwave.
Caption: A hot day to start the week in Cambridge where tempreatures reached 31 degrees and it looks set to remain hot for the reast of the week . July 6, 2026. Photo released 06/07/2026
Photographer: James Linsell Clark / SWNS
Provider: James Linsell Clark / SWNS
Source: James Linsell Clark / SWNS
NEWS
3 min read
Why is this happening?
Due to a lack of water, the trees are basically going into survival mode. [They are] trying to protect the main trunk and [their] system. Any branches that are untoward or have cracks in them, they’re just shedding them.”
Liam Dent, parks and gardens officer at Normanby hall
The nearby district of Rossendale offers a whole host of walks and stunning views
Photographer: Fiftythreenorth
Provider: Getty Images/iStockphoto
What about elsewhere?
Workers at London’s Hyde Park have been told to avoid placing deckchairs under trees, The Times reports.
Royal Parks said it was taking “active measures” to reduce the risk.
“We are fully aware of ‘summer branch drop’, when trees can shed branches due to stress from prolonged dry, hot weather,” a spokesperson said.
Exclusive
3 min read
Until now, resistance to switching off DTT (or Freeview) has centred on the cost of moving to online-only TV for lower-income groups. But the latest warnings suggest a premature switch-off should be considered a national security risk.
An independent body set up after Covid to help the UK improve its preparedness for major crises, the NPC’s When The Internet Stops report warns ministers that relying on the internet alone to deliver vital information was a “chronic risk”.
It identified Russia – responsible for cyber attacks costing £15bn across Europe, including the UK, over the past year – as the primary threat to subsea cables, which carry more than 99 per cent of the world’s internet traffic.
If a major cyber attack caused a “blackout”, broadband routers would fail immediately when electricity supplies are lost, while phone masts typically have back-up power lasting between 30 minutes and six hours, it said.
DTT’s “tall tower” masts are the only communications network capable of continuing to broadcast through a long power cut, the report said. The UK’s main TV transmitters can continue broadcasting for about seven days on diesel generators.
‘Significant impact in emergency’
“Many services now rely on the same underlying infrastructure: electricity networks, broadband and mobile connectivity, data centres, cloud providers and subsea cables. When one part of that system fails, the effects can cascade across multiple services.
“A resilient communications strategy should therefore maintain a terrestrial broadcast layer that remains available when internet-dependent systems are disrupted,” the report concluded.
Vladimir Putin could launch a cyber attack targeting the UK’s critical infrastructure (Photo: Mikhail Metzel/AFP)
The report said that in the year to May 2026, more than 200 cyber incidents impacting organisations within the UK’s Critical National Infrastructure and its supporting ecosystem were identified.
As well as combating cyber warfare, the UK Government’s risk planning already includes a scenario in which space weather leads to regional power disruptions, loss of global navigation systems such as GPS, and disruption to aviation, the commission said.
2034 switch-off or 2044
In one of the first decisions to be taken by Andy Burnham’s Government, the Department for Media, Culture and Sport (DCMS) is set to choose whether to green light an early 2034 date for switching off DTT (or Freeview), or accept a longer transition period over another decade.
The NPC said: “A decision to extend DTT until at least 2044 is the only reasonable choice considering the risk context and resilience value demonstrated throughout this report.”
The study also warns that the cost of an early switch-off would fall hardest on rural areas, the devolved nations and communities with the least connectivity and fewer fallback options.
Lord Harris of Haringey, the commission’s chairman, said: “The question for Government is much more than how people will watch television in future, but how the country will communicate when internet-based systems fail.”
An error message on the online recruitment section of the British Army website following a 2022 reported malicious cyber attack (Photo: Leon Neal/Getty)
Retaining DTT until at least 2044 “would preserve a vital, independent route for trusted public information when it is needed most.”
Nigel Huddlestone, the shadow culture secretary, said: “It is a fundamental security concern if we lose our emergency broadcasting capability in the event of a cyber attack or internet outage. We cannot risk being so vulnerable in uncertain times.”
In the event of an internet blackout, the UK terrestrial broadcast network could still reach approximately 98.5 per cent of households through Freeview, operating independently from subscription-reliant consumer broadband and mobile data networks, Arqiva said.
Russia Ukraine invasion warning
In a paper for the NPC published in June, Mark Steel, Arqiva’s head of operations, wrote: “Decisions to end the terrestrial TV network should not be taken in the absence of a clear assessment of the implications for national resilience, emergency communications, and public warning and informing.
“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has reinforced the central importance of communications infrastructure during crisis while also demonstrating its vulnerability to disruption, interference and attack.”
Labour MP Luke Akehurst, who also believes the switch-off should be delayed, said ministers must consider the national resilience issue before pressing ahead with the plan.
“Broadband can and does fail,” he said. “In a crisis, terrestrial TV still works and reaches almost every home.”
‘Strong case for digital switch-off’
A Government spokesperson said there was a “strong case for a long-term transition to Internet Protocol TV, but no decisions have been made.
“We understand the importance of information access in times of national emergency and this should be retained beyond a move to IPTV. Any future transition would only proceed once we are confident the right safeguards, infrastructure and support are in place.”
Concerns have been raised that switching off Freeview will force the elderly and those on fixed incomes to take out costly broadband contracts, raising the cost of watching TV.