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Circuit Breaker Labs hopes to make AI safer for your kids (and you)
Circuit Breaker Labs is developing tools to test whether AI systems can recognise and respond safely to psychologically risky conversations. The startup was founded by siblings Shirali and Arul Nigam, who were motivated by cases in which families allege chatbot interactions contributed to young people’s deaths or delusions. Its simulated users represent different ages, backgrounds,…
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Brassed Off director says 1996 film’s political message still resonates today
Mark Herman says Brassed Off has endured because its comedy and political message reach beyond its story of a Yorkshire brass band, while reflecting the lasting effects of industrial decline. As the 1996 film marks its 30th anniversary, the director says it remains relevant to younger viewers and that films of its kind would be…
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Neighbours recount three-hour police search at slain executive’s widow’s home
New York Times games executive Jonathan McKinsey was shot dead in Dublin, California, on Saturday, days before a divorce hearing. His in-laws, Shili Chen and Shouyong Zhang, both 77, have been charged with murder; authorities have not publicly stated a motive. Neighbours say investigators questioned them about McKinsey’s widow, Candice Jang, and her care of…
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Thom Tillis publishes blunt private exchanges with Trump amid policy rifts
As Republican Senator Thom Tillis prepares to leave Capitol Hill, he has released explosive private text messages exchanged with President Trump, exposing the depth of their fractious relationship. The messages, to be featured in Tillis’ forthcoming book, show him confronting Trump directly over policy disagreements and refusing to tolerate what he called the president’s behaviour,…
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Florida homeowner will not face charges over fatal shooting of teenager seeking lost phone
Florida prosecutors will not charge a Tampa homeowner who fatally shot 15-year-old Heitor Amaral, citing the state’s Stand Your Ground self-defence law. The decision follows an encounter at the homeowner’s property after Amaral and two friends entered a gated community to look for a lost phone. The teens tracked the phone to the home, knocked…
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Braverman Identity Row, House Prices Ease, France’s Debt Crisis Deepens
Braverman sparks identity row as house prices ease and French debt crisis worsens. Separately, a British soldier dies in Ukraine while FDA approves a heart valve that expands as children grow.
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UK diesel hits a record £2 a litre, squeezing businesses and farmers
The average price of diesel at UK forecourts reached a record £2 a litre on 2 October, increasing costs for businesses and farms that rely on it. The rise matters because diesel powers transport, tools and machinery across sectors including independent trades, agriculture and haulage. Prices have climbed 40.5% since late February, when the US-Israel…
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Hawaiʻi’s 550-year-old Hōlei Sea Arch collapses into the Pacific
Hōlei Sea Arch, a well-known natural landmark in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, has collapsed into the Pacific after standing for roughly 550 years. Its loss marks a major change to the park’s rugged coastline, while the unstable cliffs at the former viewing site remain a safety concern. The National Park Service believes the 90-foot basalt…
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Kidnapper convicted of FIFTY crimes since arriving illegally aged 14 wins bid to stay in UK as judge rules he’d be ‘mistreated’ in Kosovo for being Roma
A man convicted of 50 criminal offences, including kidnapping, has successfully appealed against deportation from the UK. Avdi Alija, 39, who arrived illegally aged 14, was part of a gang that kidnapped a man at knifepoint in 2018 and held him captive with threats of violence. An immigration judge ruled he can remain in Britain,…
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Russell Findlay made the best of the dire hand he was dealt. But now there are breaks in the clouds – and he and the Scottish Conservatives have cause for optimism
Russell Findlay is heading into his Scottish Conservative conference speech with some reason for optimism, despite the party’s sharp fall in the Holyrood elections. The article argues that his 12 MSPs represent a better outcome than many expected, given the UK Conservatives’ unpopularity and Reform’s challenge, and that the party’s prospects may improve as its…