Royal Mail is facing criticism as postal workers report significant delays in letter deliveries, with some letters sitting undelivered for weeks while the company prioritizes parcel deliveries, according to a BBC Business report. This comes as the International Space Station welcomed a full crew complement after a month, with the arrival of four new astronauts on Valentine's Day, as reported by Ars Technica. Elsewhere, a European citizens' initiative calling for the suspension of the European Union's partnership agreement with Israel has gained significant traction, and UN staffers have defended Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, against attacks from pro-Israeli figures, as detailed by Al Jazeera. Additionally, the security camera company Ring's "Search Party" feature has sparked controversy, as reported by The Verge.
More than a dozen Royal Mail postal staff from various delivery offices told the BBC that daily rounds are being missed, and parcels are being prioritized over letters due to being stretched beyond capacity. Postal workers indicated that some letters are sitting in postal depots for weeks. The Communication Workers Union, representing postal workers, described Royal Mail as "a company in crisis," according to the BBC. Hundreds of people have contacted BBC Your Voice to express frustration over delayed mail, citing issues such as missed hospital appointments.
The International Space Station now has a full crew of seven astronauts, with the arrival of the Crew 12 mission on February 14th, according to Ars Technica. The new crew members include Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway of NASA, Sophie Adenot of the European Space Agency, and Andrey Fedyaev of Roscosmos.
In Europe, a petition launched on January 13th, calling for the suspension of the European Union's partnership agreement with Israel, has already garnered over 457,000 signatures, according to Al Jazeera. The initiative must reach one million signatures from at least seven EU member states to be considered.
Also, current and former United Nations staffers have defended Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, after she faced attacks from a pro-Israeli NGO and several European government officials, as reported by Al Jazeera. Albanese, appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, has been subjected to repeated attacks from pro-Israeli figures.
Finally, The Verge reported that the security camera company Ring's "Search Party" feature, advertised during the Super Bowl, has sparked a surveillance backlash. The technology, designed to find lost dogs, has raised concerns about potential privacy invasions.
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