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Constance Craig Smith discovers what life is like as a hedgelayer in the West Country in Paul Lamb's new book.

The former editor of Vanity Fair recalls the hedonism of the magazine's glory days in a deliciously gossipy memoir.

Claire Allfree reviews the best literary fiction out now.

Eithne Farry reviews the best Historical books out now.

Geoffrey Wansell reviews the best Crime novels out now.

Wendy Holden reviews the best Popular fiction out now.

While most people travel to Memphis, Tennessee, to visit Graceland or learn about the history of the blues, I went for a completely different reason.

U.S. robotics companies, including Tesla and Boston Dynamics, are urging lawmakers to establish a national robotics strategy to keep pace with China's aggressive investment in AI-driven robotics. The Associated Press reports: Jeff Cardenas, co-founder and CEO of humanoid startup Apptronik, of Austin, Texas, pointed out to lawmakers that it was American carmaker General Motors that deployed the first industrial robot at a New Jersey assembly plant in 1961. But the U.S. then ceded its early lead to Japan, which remains a powerhouse of industrial robotics, along with Europe. The next robotics race will be powered by artificial intelligence and will be "anybody's to win," Cardenas said in an interview after the closed-door meeting. "I think the U.S. has a great chance of winning. We're leading in AI, and I think we're building some of the best robots in the world. But we need a national strategy if we're going to continue to build and stay ahead." The Association for Advancing Automation said a national strategy would help U.S. companies scale production and drive the adoption of robots as the "physical manifestation" of AI. The group made it clear that China and several other countries already have a plan in place. Without that leadership, "the U.S. will not only lose the robotics race but also the AI race," the association said in a statement. The group also suggested tax incentives to help drive adoption, along with federally-funded training programs and funding for both academic research and commercial innovation. A new federal robotics office, the association argued, is necessary partly because of "the increasing global competition in the space" as well as the "growing sophistication" of the technology.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Sean 'Diddy' Combs is now facing another in a long list of lawsuits accusing him of sexual assault.

Brian Pitts, 30, and Katie Harlow, 27, ran an international criminal empire from a luxury villa in Thailand between 2018 and 2019.

The latest episode of the BBC show saw the eight remaining candidates face the legendary TV Shopping Channel tasks, which sees them attempt to flog a variety of products to viewers.

Hollywood's once happily married couple announced the end of their 27-year marriage in September 2023. Now DailyMail.com can reveal they are at an impasse with their divorce proceedings.

The King has been forced to cancel a string of engagements after being admitted to hospital today over his ongoing cancer treatment.

Rabia Khalid, 40, had been on the run for seven years with her kidnapped son, Aziz, before Colorado deputies arrested her and Elliot Bourgeios earlier this month. They remain in jail on $1million bond each

Ubisoft is launching a new subsidiary focused on Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six, backed by a 1.16 billion-euro investment from Tencent. "The as-yet-unnamed subsidiary will fold in the teams working on those three series, including Ubisoft studios in Montreal, Quebec, Sherbrooke, Saguenay, Barcelona and Sofia," reports Engadget. From the report: This new business will receive an investment of 1.16 billion-euro (roughly $1.25 billion) from its longstanding partner Tencent, granting the conglomerate a minority ownership stake. Following the transaction, Ubisoft will narrow focus to its other franchises, such as The Division and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon. [...] There is some extra good news in the announcement. The description of the new subsidiary does specify that "it will drive further increases in quality of narrative solo experiences." So while we can expect to also see multiplayer and free-to-play offerings from the Ubisoft umbrella, they aren't giving up on single-player games. "Today Ubisoft is opening a new chapter in its history," CEO and Co-Founder Yves Guillemot said. "As we accelerate the company's transformation, this is a foundational step in changing Ubisoft's operating model that will enable us to be both agile and ambitious."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

EXCLUSIVE BY IAN HERBERT: It's a Saturday night in the Staffordshire town of Cannock and at a boxing ring rigged up inside a local leisure centre, an asthmatic is taking a serious beating.

Rumeysa Ozturk, 30, who is from Turkey and currently studying at Tufts University in Massachusetts , was swarmed by a group of individuals near her off-campus home on Tuesday.

Jack Dolan,15, was left severely brain damaged after he threw himself off Stone Pier in Margate and landed headfirst on the water last summer, now his family may sue his carers.

Marcus Freiberger was last seen in a parking garage in downtown Phoenix, Arizona, on February 21 before going on a date, and after recently turning his life around.

The Childline founder and broadcaster, 84, was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in 2023, and at one point was told she had just weeks to live.