I spent £1,000 A DAY taking my family to Disneyland Paris - here are the tricks I wish I'd known that can slash hundreds off your bill
Can you put a price on your children's happiness? At Disneyland Paris, it's £1,000 a day. That's what a four-day visit at the end of June cost our family of four.
Horror as dad sets himself on fire while cooking in front of his young daughter
An Aussie dad is in the ICU following a horror kitchen accident.
Six patient deaths linked to NHS using less qualified physician associates as substitute for doctors, government-ordered review reveals
Physician associates should be banned from seeing patients who have not been reviewed by a doctor to cut the risk of 'catastrophic' harm, a government-ordered review says.
'Timid' five-foot corn snake still on the loose in Braintree
A timid five-foot corn snake remains at large in Braintree months after his disappearance.
Council planning huge £85k revamp of Essex town
Proposals include upgraded shop fronts, grants for businesses, an art trail and a new children’s play area
Music Insiders Call for Warning Labels After AI-Generated Band Gets 1 Million Plays On Spotify
Bruce66423 shares a report from The Guardian: They went viral, amassing more than 1m streams on Spotify in a matter of weeks, but it later emerged that hot new band the Velvet Sundown were AI-generated -- right down to their music, promotional images and backstory. The episode has triggered a debate about authenticity, with music industry insiders saying streaming sites should be legally obliged to tag music created by AI-generated acts so consumers can make informed decisions about what they are listening to. [...]
Several figures told the Guardian that the present situation, where streaming sites, including Spotify, are under no legal obligation to identify AI-generated music, left consumers unaware of the origins of the songs they're listening to. Roberto Neri, the chief executive of the Ivors Academy, said: "AI-generated bands like Velvet Sundown that are reaching big audiences without involving human creators raise serious concerns around transparency, authorship and consent." Neri added that if "used ethically," AI has the potential to enhance songwriting, but said at present his organization was concerned with what he called "deeply troubling issues" with the use of AI in music.
Sophie Jones, the chief strategy officer at the music trade body the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), backed calls for clear labelling. "We believe that AI should be used to serve human creativity, not supplant it," said Jones. "That's why we're calling on the UK government to protect copyright and introduce new transparency obligations for AI companies so that music rights can be licensed and enforced, as well as calling for the clear labelling of content solely generated by AI."
Liz Pelly, the author of Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist, said independent artists could be exploited by people behind AI bands who might create tracks that are trained using their music. She referred to the 2023 case of a song that was uploaded to TikTok, Spotify and YouTube, which used AI-generated vocals claiming to be the Weeknd and Drake. Universal Music Group said the song was "infringing content created with generative AI" and it was removed shortly after it was uploaded.
Aurelien Herault, the chief innovation officer at the music streaming service Deezer, said the company uses detection software that identifies AI-generated tracks and tags them. He said: "For the moment, I think platforms need to be transparent and try to inform users. For a period of time, what I call the "naturalization of AI', we need to inform users when it's used or not." Herault did not rule out removing tagging in future if AI-generated music becomes more popular and musicians begin to use it like an "instrument." At present, Spotify does not label music as AI-generated and has previously been criticized for populating some playlists with music by "ghost artists" -- fake acts that create stock music. Bruce66423 comments: "Artists demand 'a warning' on such material. Why? If it is what the people want..."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Beyonce and Jay-Z to COMPETE against each other for an Emmy after Grammys controversy
Beyonce and husband Jay-Z are set to go head-to-head as they compete for an Emmy after receiving nominations in the same category.
Girl, nine, rushed to hospital 'with head injury' after being hit by bus
The nine-year-old was hit by a double decker in Birkenhead, Liverpool, on Tuesday afternoon with passersbys and neighbours dashing to help the child, it was reported.
Councils give travellers 24 hours notice to leave after illegal encampments set up in car park and playing fields
Around 60 vehicles pitched up in Nottingham last night while two groups of travellers have been setting up unauthorised encampments across several areas in Plymouth over the last few days.
Girl, 15, dies 'after being crushed by boulder while trying to get a selfie with friends' at an Italian beauty spot
The teenager had gone with two pals to Cesana Beach on the banks of the Piave River in Florence on Tuesday to enjoy the sun before tragedy struck.
Popular Brit tourist hotspot BANS walking barefoot, picnics and drinking booze on streets in brutal crackdown
Holidaymakers visiting Portofino, a small coastal town on the Italian Riviera in Liguria, are now facing fines for carrying out a variety of actions typically seen abroad.
Primark's £28 midi summer dress fans say is 'so soft and comfortable'
It can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion
Child, seven, seriously injured in crash involving tractor, police dog van and car
Police said a tractor emerging from a field struck a Ford Fiesta, which in turn collided with a police dog unit vehicle.
Fears mounting over free speech as Labour plans to define Islamophobia
The Tories have warned that introducing a Labour government-backed definition of Islamophobia will lead to a ;chilling effect' and clampdown on freedom of expression.
Isla Fisher shares a savage statement about marriage following divorce from Sacha Baron Cohen
Isla Fisher has taken a savage swipe at marriage, just weeks after finalising her divorce from ex-husband Sacha Baron Cohen.
ALEX BRUMMER: A reckless plan risks a return to boom and bust
HBOS collapsed after embarking on a mad dash to become Britain's largest consumer and mortgage bank. It had abandoned the prudence which should be at the core of safe lending.
Google’s Gemini refuses to play Chess against the mighty Atari 2600 after realizing it can't match ancient console
Warned that ChatGPT and Copilot had already lost, it stopped boasting and packed up its pawns
Google’s Gemini chatbot declined to play Chess against the Atari 2600, after learning the vintage gaming console had already vanquished other AIs.…
Mum catches out DNA lab worker who tried to help her child's father get out of £94k in maintenance payments
Lab worker Robert Patel provided a saliva sample, forged a doctor's signature and used an official stamp after being asked to skew the test results.
Thousands of Afghans Secretly Moved To Britain After Data Leak
The UK secretly relocated thousands of Afghans to the UK after their personal details were disclosed in one of the country's worst ever data breaches, putting them at risk of Taliban retaliation. The operation cost around $2.7 billion and remained under a court-imposed superinjunction until recently lifted. Reuters reports: The leak by the Ministry of Defence in early 2022, which led to data being published on Facebook the following year, and the secret relocation program, were subject to a so-called superinjunction preventing the media reporting what happened, which was lifted on Tuesday by a court. British defence minister John Healey apologised for the leak, which included details about members of parliament and senior military officers who supported applications to help Afghan soldiers who worked with the British military and their families relocate to the UK. "This serious data incident should never have happened," Healey told lawmakers in the House of Commons. It may have occurred three years ago under the previous government, but to all whose data was compromised I offer a sincere apology."
The incident ranks among the worst security breaches in modern British history because of the cost and risk posed to the lives of thousands of Afghans, some of whom fought alongside British forces until their chaotic withdrawal in 2021. Healey said about 4,500 Afghans and their family members have been relocated or were on their way to Britain under the previously secret scheme. But he added that no-one else from Afghanistan would be offered asylum because of the data leak, citing a government review which found little evidence of intent from the Taliban to seek retribution against former officials.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Nottingham Forest transfer news: What's happening with Morgan Gibbs-White, the Forest stars most at risk of being poached and the three wingers they are eyeing to replace Anthony Elanga
Nottingham Forest are furious with Tottenham Hotspur over their approach for Morgan Gibbs-White - but does that mean the deal is dead?