‘Law of the land:’ Biden signals Equal Rights Amendment should be ratified
The outgoing US president called on others to 'affirm' the amendment, which bars discrimination on the basis of sex.
EU asks X for internal documents about algorithms as it steps up investigation
Musk’s company has been accused of manipulating systems to give far-right posts and politicians greater visibility
The European Commission has asked X to hand over internal documents about its algorithms, as it steps up its investigation into whether Elon Musk’s social media platform has breached EU rules on content moderation.
The EU’s executive branch told the company it wanted to see internal documentation about its “recommender system”, which makes content suggestions to users, and any recent changes made to it, by 15 February.
Continue reading...Narrow escape for man who clung to German high-speed train for 20 miles
Man jumped on to bracket between carriages after doors closed and hung on as train sped along at 170mph
A man survived unscathed after clinging to the outside of a German high-speed train as it barrelled along at up to 170mph (280km/h), police said on Friday.
The 40-year-old Hungarian man was having a cigarette on a platform in Bavaria when the train doors shut, prompting him to jump on to the bracket between two carriages.
Continue reading...Gazans anxiously await ceasefire, fearing last-minute catastrophes
Civilians in Gaza nervously await a ceasefire after 15 relentless months of war.
Gazans anxiously await ceasefire, fearing last-minute catastrophes
Civilians in Gaza nervously await a ceasefire after 15 relentless months of war.
FTSE 100 hits record as interest rate hopes push down UK borrowing costs
Nearly every share on index rose after fall in value of pound helped multinationals listed in London
The UK’s blue-chip stock index has hit a record high, as hopes of interest rate cuts this year drove down government borrowing costs.
Almost every share on the FTSE 100 rose on Friday, the fall in the value of the pound bolstering multinationals listed in London and propelling the index above 8,500 points for the first time.
Continue reading...Robots, drones and uncrewed vessels ‘likely to be default’ in future Royal Navy
UK defence chiefs see no need to recruit extra sailors as maritime force will become hybrid with uncrewed systems
The Royal Navy of the future will be dominated by robots, drones and uncrewed vessels, leading chiefs to conclude there is no need to try to recruit extra sailors as part of the forthcoming defence review.
Adm Sir Ben Key, the first sea lord, believes the navy has to focus on recruitment and retention rather than seeking more personnel numbers because crew sizes are inevitably falling as military technology evolves.
Continue reading...UK mortgage rules could be eased to increase growth
FCA also aims to change law to try to prevent a repeat of mass compensation schemes for consumers such as PPI
Mortgage rules could be loosened by the City regulator as it comes under government pressure to increase economic growth and home ownership across the UK.
The move to “simplify responsible lending” for property purchases is part of a range of proposals put forward by the Financial Conduct Authority in an attempt to prove that the watchdog is not standing in the way of the Labour cabinet’s “growth mission”.
Continue reading...TikTokers say goodbye to their ‘Chinese spy’
Influencers have posted about leaving TikTok and moving to Rednote as the US is set to go ahead with a ban on Sunday.
Russia and Iran move to strengthen military ties – BBC.com
- Russia and Iran move to strengthen military ties BBC.com
- Russia and Iran presidents sign partnership treaty in Moscow Al Jazeera English
- Putin and Iran's president deepen defence ties with 20-year pact Reuters
- Ukraine war briefing: Russia and Iran deepen defence ties as Trump inauguration looms The Guardian
- Russia, Iran to seal partnership treaty days before Trump takes office Fox News
‘War will last as long as Russia does’: Ukrainian talk of victory fades as Trump returns
Those fighting for Ukraine and those who have lost loved ones hope to end the war with Russia on their own terms.
‘War will last as long as Russia does’: Ukrainian talk of victory fades as Trump returns
Those fighting for Ukraine and those who have lost loved ones hope to end the war with Russia on their own terms.
Police in London urge public to use different pins for gym and bank cards
Criminals stealing hundreds of pounds by snooping locker codes and using them to access accounts with same pin
Police have urged the public to use different pin codes at the gym after a prolific thief stole hundreds of pounds from a man he snooped on while entering a locker code that he also used for his bank card.
Last September Declan Murphy, 35, secretly watched the victim as he typed in a locker code at a luxury central London gym. After stealing the victim’s phone and bank card from the locker, Murphy then successfully guessed that the four-digit code on the card would be the same as the locker code.
Continue reading...Trump speaks with China’s Xi, says leaders will make world ‘more peaceful’
'It is my expectation that we will solve many problems together,' incoming US president says after call with Xi Jinping.
Russia and Iran move to strengthen military ties
The two countries sign a 20-year treaty covering areas ranging from defence and technology to energy and trade.
Russia and Iran move to strengthen military ties
The two countries sign a 20-year treaty covering areas ranging from defence and technology to energy and trade.
Brentford vs Liverpool preview: Kickoff time, team news, how to stream
Liverpool manager Arne Slot says before Brentford trip that Premier League leaders face sterner tests to come.
Curfew and deaths in South Sudan after revenge attacks on Sudanese
Horrific videos seeming to show Sudanese soldiers attacking South Sudan nationals spark retaliation attacks.
Pakistan ex-PM Imran Khan sentenced to 14 years in prison in corruption case
Former leader and wife found guilty of illegally obtaining lucrative plots of land in deal with property tycoon
Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for corruption, another setback for the beleaguered leader who has already spent over 18 months in jail and is facing more than 100 cases.
Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were found guilty of illegally obtaining lucrative plots of land, worth billions of rupees, through a corrupt deal with a Pakistani property tycoon. Khan was given a 14-year sentence while his wife was given seven years, and Khan was fined 1m Pakistan rupees (£2,900).
Continue reading...Macron urges Israel to accelerate troop withdrawal from southern Lebanon
Emmanuel Macron is the first foreign head of state to visit Beirut since Joseph Aoun was elected as Lebanon's president.