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Brooklyn teacher investigated over alleged praise for Hamas leader al-Sinwar
A Brooklyn teacher is facing investigation after allegedly praising Hamas leader Yahya al-Sinwar in a Signal group chat. The allegations are significant given al-Sinwar’s role in orchestrating the October 7, 2023 attack that killed approximately 1,200 people and saw over 250 kidnapped, raising concerns about the appropriateness of an educator holding such views. Damien Neva,…
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Conservatives won’t cut inheritance tax immediately; Paris school fire during nationwide protests
Conservatives won’t immediately cut inheritance tax, says Griffith. A fire at a Paris school during protests has forced the evacuation of about 100 students.
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AI maths breakthroughs prompt backlash over OpenAI’s research approach
OpenAI and other AI laboratories have announced major breakthroughs on long-standing mathematical problems, including solving one of the famous Millennium Prize problems, achievements that would normally be celebrated. However, the company’s handling of these announcements has sparked considerable backlash from the mathematics community, with researchers accusing OpenAI of moving forward with insufficient regard for established…
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Forensics student denies murder after woman is stabbed 78 times in Airbnb
A court has heard that Benjamin Day, a 20-year-old forensics student, allegedly prepared an Airbnb room as a copycat “kill room” inspired by the television drama Dexter, then stabbed Maria Saceanu to death. Prosecutors say he planned the killing and intended to dispose of her body; Day denies murder and is expected to argue that…
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Whately criticises advice for graduates to claim benefits after university
Helen Whately, the Conservatives’ shadow work and pensions secretary, said young people’s mental health difficulties should not automatically prevent them from working, and criticised what she described as a growing expectation that school or university leavers would claim benefits. Her remarks came as the party made welfare reform a focus of its conference, arguing that…
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Sony Music has now asked platforms to remove more than 260,000 AI deepfakes imitating artists like Harry Styles, Adele, and Michael Jackson
Sony Music has nearly doubled its requests to remove AI-generated deepfakes, from 135,000 tracks by March to over 260,000 by the end of September. The label told the Financial Times that platforms are not acting quickly enough and that it is becoming “an uphill struggle.” The deepfakes impersonate voices and likenesses of artists including Harry…
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John Malkovich plays record-shunning conductor Sergiu Celibidache in biopic
This is a biopic about Sergiu Celibidache, the Romanian conductor who famously refused to allow any recordings of his music, a conviction rooted in Zen Buddhist philosophy. Directed by Celibidache’s own son, it charts his rise to principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic in 1945 and his subsequent wandering musical career, all driven by his…
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Documentary explores Karl Lagerfeld’s fashion career and guarded persona
A new documentary titled “Karl” about fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld has been released, with director Nick Hooker gaining rare access to the designer’s inner circle. Based on William Middleton’s biography, the film explores Lagerfeld’s extraordinary career and personality, though the reviewer notes it ultimately fails to penetrate his carefully maintained public persona. The subject remains…
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Peter Zumthor unveils £110m concrete extension to Basel’s Beyeler Foundation
Peter Zumthor, the 83-year-old Swiss architect, has unveiled his first major project in his hometown of Basel: a £110m extension to the prestigious Beyeler Foundation, one of the world’s finest art collections housing Monets, Mirós and Picassos. The monolithic, rammed-concrete structure raises a question about whether it is a worthy companion to the museum’s celebrated…
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£30m Abersoch hotel project stalls again amid developers’ dispute
A £30 million hotel complex in the Welsh coastal village of Abersoch has stalled for a second time, with a dispute between developers now threatening the project’s future. The proposed Ty Gwyn Abersoch hotel, which would replace the White House Hotel demolished in 2016, began construction in 2024 after years of delay, but work halted…