Data losses, medal wins

Last Modified: 22 Aug 2008
By: Newsroom blogger

In the morning meeting.

Top of the running order is a massive data loss by a government contractor. The Home Office is under the spotlight after details of 84,000 prisoners were lost on an unencrypted memory stick by PA Consulting.

Coming on the heels of other massive government data blunders, it's a great story - although as the news broke last night, its headline spot may be superseded by the day's events by 7pm tonight.

"After Customs and Revenue, it beggars belief that they can lose another set of data."

"Is there anyone in government that has responsibility for data security across departments? If not, shouldn't there be?"

"Maybe it doesn't matter - nothing ever came of these data losses."

"Well, not that we know about..."

Our team in Washington awaits the announcement of Barack Obama's running mate.

"The suggestion is that it'll be today, then he can parade him - or her - around tomorrow."

Senators Joe Biden and Evan Bayh are in the frame, as is Virginia governor Tim Kaine.

In Beijing, Team GB has bagged another gold, this time in canoeing. But controversy rages around Chinese gold medal-winning gymnast He Kexin, who is claimed to be 14 - two years short of the minimum age required to compete.

An official enquiry was triggered by a US computer expert, who claimed to have hacked into government documents that proved Kexin was underage. We await a statement from the International Gymnastics Federation today.

The online team is looking into the school backgrounds of Britain's medallists - the results, due to be published later today, make interesting reading.

Elsewhere on Channel 4, daytime darlings Richard and Judy host their last show before decamping to a digital channel.

We wait to hear whether our arts reporter will be able to talk to the teatime twosome, but there is an interesting story around the implications for the Richard and Judy book club.

Around 30 per cent of the country's top 100 bestseller list is made up of Richard and Judy recommendations - what, if anything, will the channel change mean for the book club brand?