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Firefox 156 arrives with a forest of forks in its wake
Mozilla has released Firefox 156 as part of its new fortnightly release cycle, though the update brings only two minor features: an automatic launch option for Mac users and Wikipedia suggestions in French, German and Italian. As the company maintains this rapid release schedule, users frustrated by the pace of updates have increasingly turned to…
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Student, 13, stabs his teacher, 66, and attempts to ‘livestream knife attack’ at school in Rome
A 13-year-old student attacked his teacher at Giovanni Verga secondary school in Rome, stabbing 66-year-old Isabella Marsilio after pepper-spraying her. The student attempted to livestream the assault on Telegram whilst wearing a helmet with an attached mobile phone, though it remains unclear whether he succeeded. A classmate intervened and tackled the student, preventing further harm;…
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World model companies are keeping a lot of secrets
Leading world model companies, particularly Yann LeCun’s AMI Labs and Fei-Fei Li’s World Labs, are maintaining strict secrecy about their commercial plans and product timelines despite accumulating significant funding and industry attention. The author, who moderated a panel on the topic at the All In conference, found executives unwilling to disclose concrete details about applications…
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Flight chaos for hundreds of thousands was caused in ‘millisecond’ by software error
A previously unknown software defect in the UK’s air traffic control system corrupted flight data within milliseconds, triggering a six-hour outage and widespread cancellations and delays. The disruption affected hundreds of thousands of passengers, prompting ministers and airlines to question why the fault was not identified sooner and whether Nats is fit for purpose. The…
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Airports chaos caused by ‘software glitch’ officials find – as Government orders further probe but dodges sacking under-fire NATS boss
A preliminary investigation found that a software glitch in NATS’s air traffic control system caused widespread disruption on 8 September, grounding more than 2,000 flights and affecting hundreds of thousands of passengers. The malfunction occurred when an aircraft identification-code request was interrupted by a higher-priority task and failed to restart correctly, triggering restrictions on UK…
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NASA’s moon orbiter has spotted an impact crater that only happens once a century
NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has identified the largest impact crater formed in modern times across the entire solar system. A comet or asteroid, estimated to be three to six storeys tall, struck the lunar surface between April and May 2024, creating the crater that was later named McGetchin after scientist Tom McGetchin. The discovery is…
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Rocket Report: China wants a Raptor 3 engine; SpaceX set for big Starship test
The article’s main theme is the intensifying competition and uncertainty in the launch industry. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 fleet has become so heavily booked that customers are turning to alternatives such as Europe’s Avio, while United Launch Alliance faces declining fortunes because its business remains tied to expendable rockets rather than reusable, diversified systems. China’s commercial…
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Europa League roundup: Ferencvaros pile more misery on troubled Celtic
Celtic endured another European embarrassment, losing 3-1 at home to Hungarian side Ferencvaros in the Europa League on Wednesday evening. The defeat extends a troubling period for the Scottish champions, who crashed out of the Champions League qualifiers to Austrian side Lask despite holding a four-goal lead, then suffered a 3-0 League Cup loss to…
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Putin could be planning to bomb Britain and other countries supporting Ukraine, Donald Tusk warns
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has warned that Russia may be preparing missile strikes against countries supporting Ukraine, potentially including Britain. He said Western intelligence indicated Moscow could seek to intimidate Ukraine’s allies and test NATO’s willingness to respond, representing a serious escalation beyond previous drone incursions into NATO airspace. Tusk spoke after Poland closed…
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The Bank of England is shaking up its bond sales – why does it matter?
The Bank of England plans to change how it unwinds quantitative easing by selling government bonds directly to the Treasury rather than private investors. The proposal aims to reduce disruption in fragile bond markets and give the Treasury more flexibility over the timing and type of gilts issued, potentially lowering borrowing costs. The Bank’s gilt…