UK must not be beholden to foreign AI, says head of Alan Turing Institute

George Williamson says ‘national resilience’ is key focus of ATI amid US and China’s runaway leadership in field

The UK must not become dependent on foreign AI systems that can be switched off at short notice and must develop its own versions of the technology, according to the head of the Alan Turing Institute.

The country needs a stronger domestic position in AI in response to the US and China’s runaway leadership in the field, with “national resilience” a key focus for ATI said George Williamson.

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Suicide memorial in Chicago signals compassionate shift by Catholic church

First US memorial for suicide victims dedicated by Chicago archdiocese earlier this year at Queen of Heaven cemetery

The Chicago archdiocese has recognized the Rev Charles Rubey’s work supporting families whose loved ones died by suicide this year by dedicating in his honor a memorial to the lives lost to suicide and the victims’ surviving families.

In 1979 Rubey founded the Loving Outreach to Survivors of Suicide, a counseling and support program run by Catholic Charities of the archdiocese of Chicago.

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Recruitment boss accused of being behind ‘doxxing’ campaign against RNLI and anti-racism activists

Tom Watson, of Worcester, alleged to be behind Big Time Charlie X account that created so-called Traitorbase

The owner of a recruitment firm has been accused of being at the centre of a so-called “doxxing” campaign against the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), anti-racism activists and business executives who recruit black, Asian and minority ethnic workers.

Tom Watson, from Worcester, is alleged to be behind an X account calling itself “Big Time Charlie”, which was deactivated shortly after he was named by the campaign group Hope Not Hate.

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‘If voters aren’t better off by the next election, we’re screwed’: Labour insiders voice fears over budget

Some say party risks ‘looking twee’ by focusing on small fixes amid growing nervousness that budget lacks ambition

In the days since Labour’s annual conference, party insiders have been sharing a word cloud produced by the pollsters More in Common, which shows the phrases voters most associate with Andy Burnham.

Such polling is rarely flattering for politicians, and the prime minister’s version had its fair share of negatives. But one of the most prominent words in the cloud – and the one that has caught the imagination of Labour strategists – was “trying”.

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UK savings: 5% interest rate deals may not last, say experts

Competition is hotting up, with National Savings & Investments lifting rates to the highest in years

National Savings and Investments (NS&I) has increased the returns on some of its accounts, with many now paying more than 5% for the first time in nearly three years.

Competition in the savings market has been growing, leading to some of the highest interest rates for years.

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UK accused of giving people of Gaza false hope over new refugee safe route

Only ‘very small number’ of people already in Lebanon or Jordan will be referred, says organisation running scheme

The Home Office is facing claims it gave false hope to the people of Gaza after it emerged that a new safe route for Palestinian refugees will only be open to those who have already escaped to Lebanon or Jordan.

Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, announced the reopening of a resettlement scheme for refugees at Labour’s annual conference last month. A statement from her department said: “Around one in four referrals will be for Afghan women and girls and Palestinian refugees, fleeing war and persecution.”

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‘Like a drill going into my eye’: why the mystery over Havana syndrome refuses to die

Dozens of CIA officers have been afflicted by debilitating symptoms over the past decade. Are they the result of ‘mass hysteria’? Or are they from attacks with an energy weapon and, if so, who is responsible? And has there been a cover-up?

Shortly after 1am one night in April 2019, a CIA officer on a work trip to London was jolted awake in his hotel room by the most intense head pain he had ever experienced. His body was soaked with sweat and he felt like his eyes were spinning in their sockets. He manoeuvred his way out of bed, hoping to make it to the bathroom to vomit, but found his sense of balance had deserted him. Eventually, he fell back into a fitful, shallow sleep.

The next day, arriving at the work meeting he had travelled for, the officer found he could not remember the names of colleagues in the room, people he knew well. As the meeting got under way, he could barely follow the discussion. Initially, he chalked it up to a terrible – if rather odd – case of food poisoning. But over subsequent weeks, worrying symptoms persisted: brain fog, loss of balance and increasingly harsh tinnitus.

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Trump hits International Criminal Court with sanctions after Nobel goes to former judge – The Washington Post

  1. Trump hits International Criminal Court with sanctions after Nobel goes to former judge  The Washington Post
  2. Takaichi Says Japan ‘Deeply Concerned’ by US Sanctions on ICC  Bloomberg.com
  3. As Navi Pillay wins Nobel Peace Prize, US takes unprecedented action to cripple the court she served on  CNN
  4. US sanctions International Criminal Court in major escalation  Al Jazeera
  5. US sanctions ICC hours after former judge wins Nobel Peace Prize  Yahoo
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Three men found guilty in the 2024 killing of Australian and US surfers in Mexico – CNN

  1. Three men found guilty in the 2024 killing of Australian and US surfers in Mexico  CNN
  2. Three men found guilty of murdering two Australian surfer brothers and US friend  BBC
  3. Three men found guilty of murders of Australian surfer brothers and US friend in Mexico  The Guardian
  4. Judge convicts 3 Mexicans in killings of ex-Stevenson lacrosse player, 2 others  Baltimore Sun
  5. 3 men found guilty of killing American and Australian brothers on surfing trip in Mexico  CBS News
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Panama rocked by 2 powerful earthquakes and multiple aftershocks, prompting evacuations – AP News

  1. Panama rocked by 2 powerful earthquakes and multiple aftershocks, prompting evacuations  AP News
  2. Powerful earthquake shakes Panama, followed by large aftershocks  CNN
  3. Phoenix band stranded in Panama after 7.7 earthquake  AZ Family
  4. Panama struck by 2 powerful earthquakes, U.S. Geological Survey says  CBS News
  5. Strong Panama quake shakes nation, but avoids major destruction  Reuters
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Trump fumes over Nobel peace prize snub and criticizes Norway – The Guardian

  1. Trump fumes over Nobel peace prize snub and criticizes Norway  The Guardian
  2. 'Stain on the country': Trump criticises Norway over Nobel Peace Prize  BBC
  3. Trump veers into Nobel Prize grievances during upstate New York rally on day award is announced  AP News
  4. Prize announcement  NobelPrize.org
  5. Trump slams Nobel Peace Prize winner as "mystery person" in New York rally  Yahoo
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Key things to know about Hurricane Isaias as millions under evacuation orders

The hurricane is first in the Atlantic in what has turned into a very late season. Here’s what forecasters are saying about where Isaias will hit and how hard

Hurricane Isaias, which made landfall on the US Gulf coast Friday night, was forecast to bring a dangerous storm surge, significant rainfall, flooding and strong winds across the US Gulf coast this weekend. Millions of people across several states, including Florida, Georgia and Alabama, were under evacuation orders as officials prepared for the storm. All three states issued states of emergency.

The hurricane, the first in the Atlantic in what has turned into a very late 2026 season, made landfall as a category 2 storm, with sustained winds of 105 mph.

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Trump administration opposes all options for new UN chief — and wants new candidates – Politico

  1. Trump administration opposes all options for new UN chief — and wants new candidates  Politico
  2. Costa Rica's Grynspan ahead in race to be next UN chief, sources say  Reuters
  3. Big Shakeup in Latest Security Council Votes on UN SecGen Race  PassBlue
  4. The Race for UN Secretary-General Just Got More Complicated  Global Dispatches
  5. The World’s Most Impossible Job: Priorities for the Next Secretary-General  Perry World House
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Live Updates: Iran’s Houthi allies kill 3 in strike on Saudi airport as Trump rules out pre-midterms strikes – CBS News

  1. Live Updates: Iran's Houthi allies kill 3 in strike on Saudi airport as Trump rules out pre-midterms strikes  CBS News
  2. Attacks on airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia leave 3 dead as Iran-backed Houthis escalate conflict  Fox News
  3. Saudi flagship summits under pressure after deadly airport attacks  Financial Times
  4. Houthis Bombard Saudi Air Links in Effort to Cut Kingdom Off From Rest of World  WSJ
  5. Explosions heard in Saudi capital and Riyadh airport, and other Mideast developments  AP News
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Powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake strikes Panama and triggers panic in capital

The quake caused buildings and roads to collapse but the country appeared to escape widespread destruction or deaths

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck southern Panama on Friday, damaging buildings and sending thousands into the streets, but the country appeared to escape widespread destruction or deaths.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the ⁠earthquake hit at a depth of ⁠12.6km (7.8 miles), with an ​epicenter in a sparsely populated area about 200km (124 miles) from the capital, Panama City. It lasted about a minute.

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Attacker in FlyDubai Flight Meant to Crash Into Israeli Airport, Emiratis Say – The New York Times

  1. Attacker in FlyDubai Flight Meant to Crash Into Israeli Airport, Emiratis Say  The New York Times
  2. Flydubai attacker began a 'drift towards extremism and terrorism' in Australia, UAE says  BBC
  3. UAE says Omani flydubai co-pilot planned suicide attack on Tel Aviv flight  Reuters
  4. Alleged Flydubai hijacker said 9/11 attacks spurred him to become a pilot, early investigation finds  CNN
  5. FlyDubai co-pilot intended to crash plane into Tel Aviv airport, UAE prosecutor says  AP News
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