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A Scottish MP has been condemned for 'despicable' comments justifying Hamas holding innocent Israelis hostage as it's 'the only bargaining power' the terror group has left.

LIVE UPDATES: One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded struck off Russia's Far East Wednesday, sending tsunami waves into Hawaii and the U.S. West Coast.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: In a rare move, Google has confirmed it will sign the European Union's AI Code of Practice, a framework it initially opposed for being too harsh. However, Google isn't totally on board with Europe's efforts to rein in the AI explosion. The company's head of global affairs, Kent Walker, noted that the code could stifle innovation if it's not applied carefully, and that's something Google hopes to prevent. While Google was initially opposed to the Code of Practice, Walker says the input it has provided to the European Commission has been well-received, and the result is a legal framework it believes can provide Europe with access to "secure, first-rate AI tools." The company claims that the expansion of such tools on the continent could boost the economy by 8 percent (about 1.8 trillion euros) annually by 2034. These supposed economic gains are being dangled like bait to entice business interests in the EU to align with Google on the Code of Practice. While the company is signing the agreement, it appears interested in influencing the way it is implemented. Walker says Google remains concerned that tightening copyright guidelines and forced disclosure of possible trade secrets could slow innovation. Having a seat at the table could make it easier to bend the needle of regulation than if it followed some of its competitors in eschewing voluntary compliance. [...] The AI Code of Practice aims to provide AI firms with a bit more certainty in the face of a shifting landscape. It was developed with the input of more than 1,000 citizen groups, academics, and industry experts. The EU Commission says companies that adopt the voluntary code will enjoy a lower bureaucratic burden, easing compliance with the block's AI Act, which came into force last year. Under the terms of the code, Google will have to publish summaries of its model training data and disclose additional model features to regulators. The code also includes guidance on how firms should manage safety and security in compliance with the AI Act. Likewise, it includes paths to align a company's model development with EU copyright law as it pertains to AI, a sore spot for Google and others. Companies like Meta that don't sign the code will not escape regulation. All AI companies operating in Europe will have to abide by the AI Act, which includes the most detailed regulatory framework for generative AI systems in the world. The law bans high-risk uses of AI like intentional deception or manipulation of users, social scoring systems, and real-time biometric scanning in public spaces. Companies that violate the rules in the AI Act could be hit with fines as high as 35 million euros ($40.1 million) or up to 7 percent of the offender's global revenue.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

The US president also hints at an extra penalty for New Delhi over trade with Russia

world war fee  Just as signs pointed to a slight easing in global trade tensions, US President Donald Trump opened a new front in his trade offensive, this time with a 25 percent tariff on goods from India.…

The US President made the comments on Air Force One as he travelled back to Washington DC following his five-day visit to Scotland.

It looks great paired with some blue jeans!

The children tragically lost their lives after getting into trouble while swimming in the water off Llarga beach in Salou, Tarragona, on Tuesday night.

Newly released footage captured a figure moving in the woods of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, which featured a dome-shaped head and 'moved too smoothly to be human.'

As images of starving children in Gaza flood the news and the death toll climbs, Melania Trump has pushed President Trump to reject Israel's denial of a hunger crisis.

Newcastle were beaten 1-0 by a K-League XI at the Suwon World Cup Stadium in Seoul, as their summer of woe should little sign of easing.

Plastic surgeons revealed how celebrities are able to look decades younger seemingly overnight and with almost no recovery period.

Smartphone maker Nothing's $799 Phone 3 has been "mired in controversy among the same customers who rallied behind the company's past products" since its July launch, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday. Tech enthusiasts have "lambasted the company for the phone's peculiar industrial design and what they perceive to be an unreasonable price." The Android device lacks the most performant Qualcomm processor chip found in premium Android phones and the camera performance "falls short of other handsets in this price bracket," the publication wrote in a scathing review. The phone costs $200 more than its predecessor and matches pricing with Apple's iPhone 16, Samsung's Galaxy S25, and Google's Pixel 9. Critics across Reddit and social media have attacked Nothing for removing the signature Glyph Lights from previous models. Comments on Nothing's YouTube channel have been "bruising," focusing on the phone's oddly positioned camera array. "At its current price, the handset is too expensive for what it offers," the review concludes.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Drunk Jakob Walpole is filmed glassing a patron in a Warwickshire working men's club - less than an hour after mounting a fatal attack on his own grandfather.

The daughter of Katie Price and Peter Andre , 18, recently returned from a luxury trip to the North American country and documented the getaway on her social media.

The unnamed Russian woman, 25, was caught off guard when a 38-year-old assailant tried to snatch her 'expensive' phone from her hand while she was waiting for the bus.

Growing up with Hollywood royalty means Gwyneth was privy to a luxurious lifestyle most cannot fathom, including extravagant dinners, elite private schools and preference for first class.

If Western governments and their partners in the Arab world truly cared about feeding hungry Palestinians in Gaza, their response to the humanitarian crisis would look different than it does.

Asked if he'll ever retire, Harrison told Variety : 'No. That's one of the things I thought was attractive about the job of an actor, was that they need old people, too, to play old people's parts.'

The Duchess of Sussex's brand has announced its newest product... but it might not garner the same amount of enthusiasm as past drops since it's not very different from her last item.

You get a superintelligence and you get a superintelligence. Everybody gets a superintelligence

Meta is plowing tens of billions of dollars into GPU bit barns the size of Manhattan Island, and yet The Social Network has struggled to upstage rivals like OpenAI or Anthropic.…