Popular Essex garden centre announces dates for 'bigger and brighter' Christmas display
It will be coming to the centre in the next two weeks
Starmer's top aide and a £50,000 secret: Morgan McSweeney 'hid' donation on very day he was told he had a legal duty to declare funding
Documents reveal Morgan McSweeney's Labour Together think-tank received the cash injection on the day the Electoral Commission confirmed he was required to report all donations over £7,500.
Elderly Britons 'bearing the brunt' of a struggling health and care system, report warns
While the number of older people continues to rise, Age UK said it is 'shameful' that pensioners are now spending a shorter amount of their retirement in good health.
Massive spending cuts needed if Britain is to meet NATO target of extra £36 billion every year on defence, IFS warns.
Britain must overhaul 'the state' to find the tens of billions of pounds to meet NATO spending targets, a watchdog has warned. The UK must raise defence spending from 2.3 per cent to 3.5 per cent of GDP.
The surprising reason why growing up with dogs (and not cats) can be good for your health
Researchers analysed dust samples from the homes of 1,050 tots aged three to four-months and tracked them until they were five years old.
Shoplifters Could Soon Be Chased Down By Drones
An anonymous reader quotes a report from MIT Technology Review: Flock Safety, whose drones were once reserved for police departments, is now offering them for private-sector security, the company announced today, with potential customers including including businesses intent on curbing shoplifting.Companies in the US can now place Flock's drone docking stations on their premises. If the company has a waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration to fly beyond visual line of sight (these are becoming easier to get), its security team can fly the drones within a certain radius, often a few miles.
"Instead of a 911 call [that triggers the drone], it's an alarm call," says Keith Kauffman, a former police chief who now directs Flock's drone program. "It's still the same type of response." Kauffman walked through how the drone program might work in the case of retail theft: If the security team at a store like Home Depot, for example, saw shoplifters leave the store, then the drone, equipped with cameras, could be activated from its docking station on the roof. "The drone follows the people. The people get in a car. You click a button," he says, "and you track the vehicle with the drone, and the drone just follows the car." The video feed of that drone might go to the company's security team, but it could also be automatically transmitted directly to police departments.
The defense tech startup Epirus has developed a cutting-edge, cost-efficient drone zapper that's sparking the interest of the US military. Now the company has to deliver. The company says it's in talks with large retailers but doesn't yet have any signed contracts. The only private-sector company Kauffman named as a customer is Morning Star, a California tomato processor that uses drones to secure its distribution facilities. Flock will also pitch the drones to hospital campuses, warehouse sites, and oil and gas facilities. It's worth noting that the FAA is currently drafting new rules for how it grants approval to pilots flying drones out of sight, and it's not clear if Flock's use case would be allowed under the currently proposed guidance.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Bombshell twist after fugitive dad spent four years on the run with his kids before being killed by police
New Zealand Police have made a shocking admission.
Rita Ora turns heads in a blue collared dress as she joins leggy Maya Hawke and Emma Chamberlain at the Prada show during Milan Fashion Week
The singer, 34, was joined by Maya Hawke and Emma Chamberlain to preview the designer brand's Spring/Summer 2026 collection.
Shocking moment ICE agent tells woman 'Adios' before slamming her to the ground after husband was detained at immigration court
The woman was pleading tearfully with the official who appeared to be out of uniform. Her husband had been detained just seconds before.
Next's 'lovely' jumper shoppers say looks more expensive than it is
It will help keep you warm all winter long
European Banks To Launch Euro Stablecoin In Bid To Counter US Dominance
Nine major European banks are creating a Netherlands-based company to launch a euro-backed stablecoin in 2026, aiming to counter U.S. dominance in the digital token market. Reuters reports: While global stablecoin issuance stands at nearly $300 billion, euro-denominated stablecoins totalled just $620 million, according to figures released last week by the Bank of Italy, with dollar-pegged tokens overwhelmingly dominant. "The initiative will provide a real European alternative to the U.S.-dominated stablecoin market, contributing to Europe's strategic autonomy in payments," the banks said. They launched the effort, which they said will create a token that can be used for quick, low-cost payments and settlements, even as the European Central Bank voices scepticism over stablecoins.
ECB President Christine Lagarde in June told European policymakers that privately issued stablecoins posed risks for monetary policy and financial stability. As a safer alternative, she has urged European lawmakers to introduce legislation backing the launch of a digital version of the EU's single currency. Some commercial banks, however, have pushed back against the introduction of a digital euro, fearing that it would empty their coffers as customers transfer cash out of banks and into the safety of an ECB-guaranteed wallet. In addition to ING and UniCredit, the other banks participating in the new company include Banca Sella, KBC, DekaBank, Danske Bank, SEB, Caixabank, and Raiffeisen Bank International. They said that others could join the initiative, and a CEO for the company would be appointed soon. According to a recent report by Deutsche Bank, emerging market economies are adopting dollar-based stablecoins to replace local deposits and cash. "This has created a global monetary dilemma: countries should adopt stablecoins or risk being left behind. Europe is under particular pressure."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Glen Powell details awkward run-in with 'toxic' canceled star as fans scramble to guess their identity
Glen Powell is lifting the lid on a bizarre Hollywood encounter with a celebrity who had recently been 'canceled' - and fans are frantically speculating about who it could be.
Google to merge Android and ChromeOS in 2026, because AI
You'll see the results next year, but it's not the end of Googly lappies
Video Google has confirmed it will merge its ChromeOS and Android operating systems, and that the mobile OS will emerge triumphant.…
British woman, 37, died from epilepsy after being treated by disgraced Brazilian therapist known as 'John of God' now serving 118 years in jail for sexually assaulting more than 600 victims
Magdalen Merivale's family raised thousands of pounds to send her to self-proclaimed 'psychic surgeon' João Teixeira de Faria - who is widely known as 'John of God'.
SIR JEREMY HUNT: Rachel Reeves doesn't have to raise taxes in the Budget - it's a political choice. Here's what she should do instead...
It is now just over eight weeks until the Budget. Already we are being 'softened up' for tax rises which the Government wants us to believe are inevitable.
Johnny Carson's Malibu home lists for $110m - and it has jaw-dropping hidden feature
A stunning home once owned by Johnny Carson, the King of Late Night Television, has hit the market for $110 million in Malibu, California.
Intel reportedly wants TSMC's help to end its reliance on ...TSMC
Chipzilla seeks investment from its top fab frenemy
Intel has reportedly sought an investment from rival chipmaker TSMC.…
Jimmy Kimmel, 57, trolled after revealing his elderly mother cared for him amid Charlie Kirk suspension
Kimmel, 57, was booted off the air last week over his comments about conservative political activist Charlie Kirk 's assassination at age 31.
Spotify Announces New AI Safeguards, Says It's Removed 75 Million 'Spammy' Tracks
Spotify says it has has removed over 75 million fraudulent tracks in the past year as it works to combat "AI slop," deepfake impersonations, and spam uploads. Variety reports: Its new protections include a policy to police unauthorized vocal impersonation ("deepfakes") and fraudulent music uploaded to artists' official profiles; an enhanced spam filter to prevent mass uploads, duplicates, SEO hacks, artificially short tracks designed to fraudulently boost streaming numbers and payments. The company also says it's collaborating with industry partners to devise an industry standard in a song's credits to "clearly indicate where and how AI played a role in the creation of a track."
"The pace of recent advances in generative AI technology has felt quick and at times unsettling, especially for creatives," the company writes in a just-published post on its official blog. "At its best, AI is unlocking incredible new ways for artists to create music and for listeners to discover it. At its worst, AI can be used by bad actors and content farms to confuse or deceive listeners, push 'slop' into the ecosystem, and interfere with authentic artists working to build their careers. The future of the music industry is being written, and we believe that aggressively protecting against the worst parts of Gen AI is essential to enabling its potential for artists and producers."
In a press briefing on Wednesday, Spotify VP and Global Head of Music Product Charlie Hellman said, "I want to be clear about one thing: We're not here to punish artists for using AI authentically and responsibly. We hope that they will enable them to be more creative than ever. But we are here to stop the bad actors who are gaming the system. And we can only benefit from all that good side if we aggressively protect against the bad side."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
The transformation of Joffrey after he shunned the spotlight when playing Game of Thrones' boy king made him a star
The Cork-born star originally retired from acting at the age of 21 after his character's death in Game of Thrones', shunning the spotlight, seemingly for good.