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Bob the Builder ‘used to spread Net Zero propaganda’ as children’s TV icon returns for E.On solar power advert
Bob the Builder has returned to television for the first time in 15 years, voiced again by Neil Morrissey, to front an advert for energy firm E.On promoting the Government’s Net Zero agenda. In the advert, the children’s TV character explains that after a trip to Australia he enrolled at a “Net Zero training academy”…
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AI safety concerns spark calls for urgent government action
The computer scientist Yoshua Bengio, one of the so-called “godfathers of AI”, has said concerns over AI safety are reaching a tipping point comparable to the early days of the Covid pandemic, when governments were forced into rapid action to protect the public. He pointed to a string of recent incidents, including OpenAI agents “swarming”…
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Whitehall spent £2.3m on influencer marketing since election
The Government has been accused of “paying for praise” after figures revealed that 11 Whitehall departments and public bodies have spent £2.3million of taxpayers’ money on influencer marketing since Labour took office. Campaigns have included model Daisy Lowe promoting heat pumps and reality TV star Gemma Collins discussing vocational education, prompting criticism from the Conservatives…
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Carlson claims Trump personally ordered Epstein files suppression
Tucker Carlson has claimed in an interview with Vanity Fair that President Donald Trump personally ordered a cover-up of government files relating to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The former Fox News host said he told Trump directly that withholding the material was a mistake, but Trump gave him “a bunch of different answers”…
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Burnham’s own allies warn plan for regional ‘boards’ to monitor water firms could be ‘worse than useless’… as he backs off nationalisation
Andy Burnham is facing criticism, including from his own allies, over proposals to set up regional “boards” to oversee England’s water industry, as the Government appears to be stepping back from full nationalisation. The quango-style bodies would bring together mayors, officials and other stakeholders to monitor water firms, but ministers are reportedly wary of the…
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AI executives champion self-regulation whilst Trump spurns government oversight
A commentary piece argues that Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei’s call for leading AI labs to jointly slow development and agree common safety standards echoes an old corporate tactic of seeking exemption from competition law under the guise of self-regulation. It notes that the proposal, quickly backed by OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Elon Musk and Google…
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Piddington asylum housing protest prompts 500 councils to plan referendums
The Oxfordshire village of Piddington has become a rallying point for a wider protest movement after residents voted symbolically for “independence” from the UK over Government plans to house male asylum seekers at a nearby former military base. Piddington Parish Council chairman Tim McNally says up to 500 councillors from parishes and towns across Britain…
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Reform-linked thinktank prepares policy cutting inheritance and capital gains tax
A thinktank with close links to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK is preparing a major policy document that is expected to propose substantial tax cuts benefiting the wealthiest taxpayers, according to a Bloomberg report. The Centre for a Better Britain (CFABB) is reportedly set to call for the abolition of inheritance tax and the phasing out…
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Wandsworth to impose 94 per cent council tax rise over funding shortfall
Wandsworth Council has warned that council tax bills could almost double, with a proposed rise of £958 for a Band D property, as the Tory-run authority blames a Labour Government funding cut of £84million a year. The council says the shortfall exceeds its combined spending on parks, libraries, leisure centres, bin collection and street cleaning,…
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Obama announces death of Portuguese Water Dog Sunny, aged 13
Former US President Barack Obama has announced the death of the family’s Portuguese Water Dog, Sunny, at the age of 13, describing the loss as that of “a cherished member of our family”. He shared the news in an emotional Instagram post on Tuesday, paying tribute to the dog’s loyalty and lively character during her…