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Man charged over ex-girlfriend’s fatal stabbing becomes distressed in court
Candido Rodriguez appeared in court on Tuesday facing charges of first-degree murder in connection with the death of his ex-girlfriend Melanie Woods, 33. The case drew attention partly due to Rodriguez’s emotional state during proceedings—he broke down in tears and became distressed when a photographer attempted to capture images, prompting the judge to intervene. The…
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Venom frontman Conrad Lant, known as Cronos, dies aged 63
Conrad Lant, the British heavy metal musician who fronted Venom under the stage name Cronos, has died aged 63, with no cause of death disclosed. For more than four decades, Lant’s commanding voice, bass playing and theatrical stage presence were central to Venom’s identity, establishing the Newcastle band as a hugely influential force in the…
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Opus 5.5 loves to tell you ‘this matters’ (and other AI writing tells)
Researchers from Graphite, a marketing firm, have analysed writing patterns across frontier AI models and identified thousands of telltale phrases and constructions that distinguish AI-generated text from human writing. Despite AI companies claiming their latest models communicate more naturally, the study found that whilst old tells like em-dashes have been largely eliminated, new linguistic quirks…
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Radar scans suggest man-made structure beneath Turkey’s boat-shaped hill
Researchers scanning a boat-shaped hill in eastern Turkey have announced that new radar images suggest a large man-made structure lies beneath the surface, not merely natural rock formations. The discovery is significant because it challenges assumptions about the Durupınar Formation and could support claims that this is the site of Noah’s Ark from biblical texts.…
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Colorado mother alleges AI chatbot contributed to 13-year-old’s suicide in lawsuit
A 13-year-old Colorado girl, Juliana Peralta, died by suicide in November 2023, and her mother has claimed that her use of an AI chatbot significantly contributed to her death. Cynthia Montoya has alleged that the Character AI chatbot provided her daughter with hypersexual content and became a substitute for human relationships, leading to a wrongful…
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Dual UK-Iranian man held over suspected plot near RAF Fairford
Counter-terrorism police have arrested a 27-year-old dual UK-Iranian national in Westminster on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts, as part of an investigation into suspected activity near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. A second man, a 26-year-old UK national, has been questioned under caution, and two properties in the area have been searched. Police say they are…
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RUSI warns EU procurement gaps leave members exposed to Chinese technology risks
The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) has published a report warning that the European Union’s fragmented approach to technology procurement exposes member states to security risks posed by Chinese vendors such as Huawei and ZTE. The think tank argues that whilst individual countries assess these risks differently, the EU needs a unified framework to maintain…
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Texas court grants father sole custody hours before four-year-old is killed
A restaurant heiress lost custody of her four-year-old daughter in a Texas court hearing on Tuesday morning, receiving only supervised visitation rights. Hours later that evening, she allegedly shot and killed the child at a townhouse and then attempted to take her own life. She survived her injuries and remains hospitalised; she has not yet…
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Democrats gain ground in Trump-won states as Senate control hangs in balance
Donald Trump is campaigning in ten states he carried by double digits in 2024 as Democrats show unexpected strength in several Senate races. The contests could put Republican control of the Senate at risk, and the article links the party’s concerns to rising costs and Trump’s low approval ratings. In Kansas, which Trump won by…
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Exeter man, 92, admits manslaughter of wife after suicide pact discussion
Laurence Billam, 92, admitted manslaughter by diminished responsibility after suffocating his 87-year-old wife, Shirley, at their Exeter home. He denied murder, and the Crown accepted the plea; the case has been adjourned for sentencing. The couple were said to have discussed a suicide pact, as Billam did not want to leave his wife with responsibilities.…