How Trump’s unconvincing narrative on Iran lost him the US midterms
Donald Trump and the Republicans struggle to spin a historic defeat in the US midterms.
When a single vowel stands in the path to victory, the stakes could not be higher for these spelling bee champions
Primary school students bested 200,000 competitors across New South Wales to reach the Premier’s Spelling Bee finals in Sydney
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Competing in a spelling bee is not for the faint of heart. Sometimes, the difference between victory and loss is one incorrect vowel and you’re undone, months of training reduced to nought.
At a small theatre hall in Sydney’s west on Friday afternoon, 34 primary school students sit stony-faced on a brightly lit stage, knowing this pressure only too well.
Continue reading...US urges China to honour Busan trade deal commitments
Trump-Xi Busan deal aimed to ease tariffs and tech restrictions; progress hinges on China's fulfilment of commitments.
Ships loiter near subsea cables amid Iran’s warnings to Trump – Ars Technica
- Ships loiter near subsea cables amid Iran’s warnings to Trump Ars Technica
- Iran-linked ships hover over subsea cables after threats Financial Times
- Iran-linked ships go dark over Persian Gulf internet cables after threats - FT Iran International
- Hormuz’s Invisible Arteries: Where Is Pulse of Global Digital Economy? نورنیوز
- Windward tracked Iran-linked tankers near subsea cables — Ars Technica UA.NEWS
Seeds and preserved hair in tomb point to oldest signs of cannabis high 2,800 years ago, study suggests – PBS
- Seeds and preserved hair in tomb point to oldest signs of cannabis high 2,800 years ago, study suggests PBS
- Were These Ancient Siberian Nomads the First Stoners? The New York Times
- The curious case of ancient cannabis use The Washington Post
- Ancient humans were using cannabis far earlier in history than we thought Scientific American
- Earliest evidence of cannabis use found in ancient Siberian tomb CNN
Palestinian couples tie the knot in mass wedding in Gaza
The event brought 250 couples together to celebrate love and new beginnings despite Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.
Who is Stephen Miller, Trump’s new White House chief of staff?
Miller has been a close confidant of Trump since 2016 and an architect of the president's hardline immigration policies.
Three men charged in US with using AI to impersonate CEOs and steal millions
Men allegedly impersonated voices and images of executives to convince employees to send large payments
Three foreign nationals were arrested and charged with using AI to allegedly impersonate corporate CEOs and attorneys to steal over $100m, according to an indictment that was newly unsealed by the US Department of Justice.
According to a press release from the United States attorney’s office for the southern district of New York, three men – Jacob Soall, Sharon Hazan, and Guy Sheetrit – were arrested for using AI to alter and impersonate the voices and images of executives and attorneys at various companies in order to convince employees to send over large payments. Soall and Hazan were arrested in Spain over the summer, while Sheetrit was arrested in the United Kingdom in September. The alleged fraud took place between 2024 and 2026.
Continue reading...Several Democrats renew calls for datacenter pauses after blue wave
Tech industry fears delays to its multi-trillion dollar infrastructure buildout meant to power artificial intelligence
Several newly elected Democrats and Senator Bernie Sanders have renewed calls for datacenter moratoriums in the days after the US midterm elections. The sweeping Democratic victory, which was buoyed in part by backlash to the tech industry, has added momentum to efforts to slow down the multi-trillion-dollar buildout of the controversial facilities.
On the social media platform X, Sanders posted a call for an immediate national datacenter moratorium this week. “Americans don’t want Big Tech oligarchs wrecking the environment, gutting jobs and threatening humanity’s future,” Sanders said on Wednesday.
Continue reading...Eisenkot stands by mandatory service after Liberman opens door to ultra-Orthodox parties – The Times of Israel
- Eisenkot stands by mandatory service after Liberman opens door to ultra-Orthodox parties The Times of Israel
- Israel opposition touts progress ousting Netanyahu after U-turn on ultra-Orthodox Yahoo
- Israel's Eisenkot claims 'progress' in coalition talks as opposition eases on ultra-Orthodox draft France 24
- Avigdor Liberman must be flexible to form government without Benjamin Netanyahu The Jerusalem Post
- Lieberman signals flexibility on Haredi draft to form gov't without Netanyahu Haaretz
Cornell faculty declares ‘no confidence’ in school leaders in fallout from alleged gang-rape
Faculty senate passed resolution expressing deep discontent with school’s response to alleged fraternity rape
Cornell University’s faculty senate approved a resolution on Friday declaring “no confidence” in the school’s top leaders, a symbolic gesture reflecting deep discontent on campus in the wake of a former student’s lawsuit saying she was gang-raped at a fraternity party in 2024.
The resolution passed 75-50, with five faculty senators abstaining and five others not voting, according to an email sent to members of the faculty senate on Friday afternoon.
Continue reading...Protesters break into Microsoft data centre site in Amsterdam – Al Jazeera
- Protesters break into Microsoft data centre site in Amsterdam Al Jazeera
- Activists break into building site of Microsoft datacentre in Amsterdam The Guardian
- Protesters break into Microsoft data center site in Amsterdam as Europe’s backlash spreads AP News
- Activists breach Microsoft data centre construction site as protests spread in Europe Reuters
- Protesters Break Into Microsoft Data Center in Amsterdam Bloomberg.com
AI stocks climb after trillions wiped from market values
Investors had been selling off tech shares in part due to concerns the Democrat election victory would mean slower AI development.
Protesters break into Microsoft data centre site in Amsterdam
Data centres face protests across Europe due to the massive amounts of computing power and water they use.
‘Well, That Didn’t Last Very Long’: Fox Hosts Chuckle as Trump Cuts Press Gaggle Short Outside White House – Yahoo
Trump promotes Stephen Miller to Chief of Staff ‘to run things well’
President Donald Trump has promoted long-time aide Stephen Miller to Chief of Staff, replacing Susie Wiles.
Israel’s Arab-led parties in spotlight after inconclusive election – NPR
- Israel's Arab-led parties in spotlight after inconclusive election NPR
- 1,000 Diaspora Jews call for joint Jewish-Arab ‘coalition of change’ The Times of Israel
- Why Israel’s Arab Parties Are Taking a Chance on Gadi Eisenkot The National Interest
- Opinion | A Jewish-Arab government is the answer to Israel's most basic problems Haaretz
- My Word: Arab voting and the bigger picture - opinion The Jerusalem Post
Thomas Markle, Meghan’s father, arrested in Florida on charges related to child sexual abuse material
Father of the Duchess of Sussex was taken into custody near Tampa, US prosecutors said
Thomas Markle, the father of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, was arrested by US federal agents in Florida on Friday and charged in connection with possession of child sexual abuse material, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Markle, 82, was taken into custody at a senior care facility in Polk county early on Friday, and made a brief initial appearance in federal court in Tampa on Friday afternoon, the Associated Press reported.
In the US, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline on 800-422-4453 or visit their website for more resources and to report child abuse or DM for help. For adult survivors of child abuse, help is available at ascasupport.org. In the UK, the NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331. In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or Bravehearts on 1800 272 831, and adult survivors can contact Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. Other sources of help can be found at Child Helplines International
Continue reading...Meghan Markle’s father arrested in US over alleged child sex abuse photos
US authorities found sexually explicit photos that appeared to show Thomas Markle with prepubescent girls.
Migrants arrive in Spain’s Canary Islands after being rescued at sea
More than 3,200 migrants were rescued in the first six days of November in Canary Islands, Spain.