Requiem mass for ‘original Essex cheeky chappy’ MP Sir David Amess before he is laid to rest
A requiem mass will be held at Westminster Cathedral later this morning in memory of Sir David Amess.
The mass will be presided over by Cardinal Vincent Nichols and a message from Pope Francis will be read out.
Sir David, a devout Catholic, will be buried in a private ceremony afterwards.
Pall bearers from Southend’s fire service carried Sir David’s coffin on Monday
It comes a day after the Southend West MP was mourned during a private service at St Mary’s Church in Prittlewell, Essex.
The father of five was stabbed to death while holding a constituency surgery at Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea on 15 October.
During 38 years as an MP, Sir David was known as someone who fought for his constituents and for Southend, which he campaigned to be designated as a city – a wish granted after his death.
At Monday’s service, Sir David’s friend and colleague Mark Francois described him as the “original Essex cheeky chappy”.
Mr Francois said in a eulogy: “Our electors employ us to represent them in a contract renewable every few years.
Sir David’s constituents applauded as the horse drawn hearse carrying his coffin went past
“We work for them and not the other way around, and no-one was ever more conscious of that than David Amess.
“Whatever one thinks of members of parliament, and opinions do vary, in my experience MPs of all parties do genuinely try and help other people.
“However, collectively in recent years we have perhaps not always helped ourselves, and I humbly suggest today that we need to learn from that.
“But, boy, did David Amess honour the contract with his employers – and in his own inimitable style.”
He added: “Whatever the weaknesses of parliament, David Amess was the living embodiment of all its strengths.”
Mourners lined the streets as Sir David’s coffin, draped in a Union Flag, was carried by pallbearers from Southend Fire Service.
The coffin was borne on a horse-drawn hearse for a procession through Southend, pausing in front of the civic centre, where hundreds of people gathered to pay their respects, many of them applauding.
Groups tackling AI-generated child sexual abuse material could be given more powers to protect children online under a proposed new law.
Organisations like the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), as well as AI developers themselves, will be able to test the ability of AI models to create such content without breaking the law.
That would mean they could tackle the problem at the source, rather than having to wait for illegal content to appear before they deal with it, according to Kerry Smith, chief executive of the IWF.
The IWF deals with child abuse images online, removing hundreds of thousands every year.
Ms Smith called the proposed law a “vital step to make sure AI products are safe before they are released”.
An IWF analyst at work. Pic: IWF
How would the law work?
The changes are due to be tabled today as an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill.
The government said designated bodies could include AI developers and child protection organisations, and it will bring in a group of experts to ensure testing is carried out “safely and securely”.
The new rules would also mean AI models can be checked to make sure they don’t produce extreme pornography or non-consensual intimate images.
“These new laws will ensure AI systems can be made safe at the source, preventing vulnerabilities that could put children at risk,” said Technology Secretary Liz Kendall.
“By empowering trusted organisations to scrutinise their AI models, we are ensuring child safety is designed into AI systems, not bolted on as an afterthought.”
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AI child abuse image-maker jailed
AI abuse material on the rise
The announcement came as new data was published by the IWF showing reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse material have more than doubled in the past year.
According to the data, the severity of material has intensified over that time.
The most serious category A content – images involving penetrative sexual activity, sexual activity with an animal, or sadism – has risen from 2,621 to 3,086 items, accounting for 56% of all illegal material, compared with 41% last year.
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The data showed girls have been most commonly targeted, accounting for 94% of illegal AI images in 2025.
The NSPCC called for the new laws to go further and make this kind of testing compulsory for AI companies.
“It’s encouraging to see new legislation that pushes the AI industry to take greater responsibility for scrutinising their models and preventing the creation of child sexual abuse material on their platforms,” said Rani Govender, policy manager for child safety online at the charity.
“But to make a real difference for children, this cannot be optional.
“Government must ensure that there is a mandatory duty for AI developers to use this provision so that safeguarding against child sexual abuse is an essential part of product design.”
Coinbase Business, a new business platform from major US crypto exchange Coinbase, has launched in Singapore, marking the company’s first international expansion.
After introducing Coinbase Business in June, Coinbase has rolled out the platform in Singapore as its first international market outside of the US, the company announced on Wednesday.
Targeting startups and small businesses, Coinbase Business provides an “all-in-one crypto operating platform” that allows users to send and receive payments in Coinbase-backed stablecoin USDC (USDC), manage crypto assets and automate financial workflows.
“By leveraging the speed and stability of digital dollars like USDC, we offer businesses a platform that enables seamless and secure trading, with instant settlement, minimal fees, and zero chargebacks,” the company said.
Strategic cooperation with Standard Chartered
Coinbase is rolling out the service in cooperation with Standard Chartered, its local banking partner, to enable Singapore dollar transfers for both retail and business clients.
With Standard Chartered’s support, Coinbase Business provides Singapore businesses with a suite of tools, including crypto trading, global payouts, payment links with a 1% transaction fee and asset management with rewards on USDC holdings.
Coinbase Business’s launch in Singapore builds on Coinbase’s long-standing collaboration with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the country’s financial regulator.
In October 2023, MAS granted Coinbase a Major Payment Institution (MPI) license, allowing the exchange to expand its digital payment token services to both individual and institutional clients in Singapore.
Related: Coinbase debuts token sale platform with Monad launch
Last month, Coinbase announced participation in the MAS BLOOM (Borderless, Liquid, Open, Online, Multi-currency) program, which aims to expand financial settlement capabilities by enabling the use of tokenized bank liabilities and regulated stablecoins.
“This collaboration with the MAS demonstrates how we are actively working to build the regulated, compliant infrastructure that underpins the next era of finance,” Coinbase noted.
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