A social network owned by Meta Platforms, founded in 2004.
This week Jacob Coxon, a former Anthropic researcher, has publicly resigned and said engineers at Anthropic and OpenAI are racing to build self‑improving AI and prioritising speed over safety. His posts have reached tens of millions and have amplified warnings from OpenAI scientists and lawmakers calling for audits, mandated safety bars and slower development.
Glastonbury has confirmed that 2027 tickets will go on sale in October, with weekend passes priced at £408 including a £5 booking fee. Coach-ticket bundles go live on 1 October and general admission on 4 October. Organisers say Madonna will not headline, but three headliners are expected. Registration remains mandatory to curb touts.
This week has upended expectations for drugs that lower lipoprotein(a). Novartis has said its pelacarsen shot cut Lp(a) but has not reduced heart attacks, strokes or deaths. Other Lp(a) and inflammation candidates have also failed or been halted, while unrelated mid‑stage trials on aging clocks and COPD have reported positive signals.
A set of new sightings and a study highlight how migrant and rare species are arriving in the UK, while AI helps researchers parse long audio datasets from birds. The BBC reports on a Hampshire moth discovery, a St Abb’s Head migrant catch, and Bloomberg details crow vocalizations analyzed with AI.
Gavin Newsom has signed 13 laws aimed at protecting children online, including banning addictive features for those under 16 and requiring risk assessments for AI chatbots. The measures also expand penalties for harming minors and regulate AI-enabled toys, framing California as a leader in youth digital safety.
Wildfires across Kalimantan and Sumatra have intensified under El Niño-driven drought, pushing smoke into Malaysia and Brunei. Authorities deploy cloud-seeding, water-bombing aircraft, and ground crews as hotspots rise and air quality deteriorates, threatening health and livelihoods.
The flood triggered by a glacier collapse near Nepal’s Tibet border has left hundreds dead and thousands missing. Rescue operations center on hydroelectric tunnels at Trishuli 3A and 3B, where workers may be trapped and are being supplied with air, water and oxygen as teams dig through thick mud to reach them.
Altman argues AI should boost entrepreneurship, saying the era of idea-only startups is over and tools like GPT-6 Astra empower founders to launch and run small businesses. The public remains wary of AI, but data shows a startup boom and ongoing backlash over data-centers.
Uber has winded down its operations in Nigeria and Uganda after a thorough review, effective September 2, 2026. The move comes as part of a global restructuring that includes cutting about 3,300 jobs. The company remains committed to sub-Saharan Africa but is refocusing investments on growth, automation and markets with stronger opportunities.
A Bloomberg report details protests over uneven disaster relief and rising costs after floods. Families and workers are seeking faster aid while merchants report price hikes continuing into the week.
Rabies cases among bats and other wildlife have risen across multiple sites in California and the Pacific Northwest. Health officials warn residents to avoid handling wildlife, seek prompt treatment after exposure, and stay vigilant as outbreaks are monitored in Yosemite, Berkley, and Olympic National Park.
The Securities and Exchange Commission has filed a lawsuit to enforce an administrative subpoena against Institutional Shareholder Services as the Trump administration increases scrutiny of proxy advisers. The SEC says ISS has withheld some records related to its recommendations and voting activity; ISS argues First Amendment concerns. The action comes amid a broader push to tighten oversight of proxy advisers.
Politicians are facing a rising backlash against data centers as big tech commits billions to AI infrastructure. Polls show most Americans oppose building near them. Trump has aligned with data-center expansion, complicating Republican strategy ahead of the elections. Analysts warn the issue could influence voting patterns and policy choices.
Australia is introducing Digital Duty of Care legislation to let people over 16 opt out of algorithmic feeds, aiming to protect children from harmful online content and require platforms to be more transparent. Penalties for non-compliance can reach AU$109.2 million. The plan follows a world-first under-16s ban and echoes similar regulatory pushes in other countries.
Malone Lam has pleaded guilty to a federal racketeering conspiracy tied to a 2024 crypto heist that netted hundreds of millions. Prosecutors say he and 17 co-conspirators used social engineering to steal crypto, laundering it into cash and funding a lavish spending spree before his Miami arrest.
Meta has reached landmark settlements in the US over harms to young users and is now facing tighter design restrictions and age-verification requirements. The changes are aimed at limiting teen use and protecting privacy, with ongoing questions about how effectively the measures address deeper concerns about content and addiction.
Arm Holdings chief executive Rene Haas says AI could one day help cure cancer, but the path is constrained by chip shortages and a demand surge for AI data centres. Multiple outlets report Haas’s remarks, framing a broaderAI-driven push in healthcare and manufacturing, while flagging supply constraints and broader market excitement.
Hunter Biden’s $LAPTOP meme coin has collapsed after a volatile debut. Despite headlines and a planned burn, liquidity issues and a string of rapid price swings have left many investors facing sharp losses as the token trades well below its peak.
Meta has launched Muse, an AI agent that can act on a user’s behalf to send emails, book travel and manage tasks. It runs in a secure VM and integrates with apps, with optional encryption, privacy controls and potential subscriptions. Early internal feedback shows mixed performance and security concerns.
A US-based watchdog has identified 332 paid ads containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on Meta’s Facebook and Instagram over the past 10 months, with a large share in August. The findings implicate ads promoting AI-generated CSAM and nudify apps, drawing responses from Indian authorities and Meta. Meta says it does not tolerate child exploitation and highlights its detection efforts.
Derek Parker has survived after the small boat he was on with his brother and cousin capsized off St. Lawrence Island. His brother and cousin did not survive. Coast Guard and Northwest Explorer rescued Derek after more than 60 hours on the overturned hull; he is being treated for hypothermia as investigators review the capsize.
New Mexico has moved its Cambridge Analytica case to trial in Santa Fe, alleging Facebook failed to alert users after a quiz harvested data from about 87 million profiles and sold it for targeted political ads. The state seeks civil penalties and an injunction as the four-week proceedings begin, with a video deposition of Mark Zuckerberg planned.
Declassified documents from multiple agencies suggest prior warnings before a mass Ceuta crossing were not enough to predict the scale of the crisis. Spain’s leaders defend the handling, while critics accuse the government of yielding to Morocco.
Beijing has rejected US security allegations that Chinese AI firms extracted proprietary knowledge from American labs at an industrial scale. The accusation follows a U.S. joint advisory accusing Chinese firms of distillation from US models since late 2024.
The Department of Justice and Education Department have opened a joint investigation into the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, alleging that the admissions process discriminates on race and uses essay prompts to group applicants by identity. Berkeley says it complies with Prop. 209 and federal law, and will provide evidence of compliance. The probe follows a Supreme Court decision on race-conscious admissions and may impact future diversity policies in higher education.
Massachusetts has issued an executive order requiring data centers above 25 megawatts to source clean power, either on-site or via nearby generation, and to fund a ratepayer protection mechanism if clean power is not met. The move is part of a broader wave of state actions to curb data-center growth amid rising energy concerns.
Oil prices have risen above $108 a barrel as Middle East tensions escalate, with markets watching U.S. inflation data and the Federal Reserve meeting. Global stock indices are mixed, and Treasuries remain volatile as energy costs weigh on households and corporate margins.
Travel scams have grown more sophisticated, with impostor fraud and reservation hijacking increasingly common. FTC data show $3.5 billion in losses last year, and experts warn travelers to verify hotel and airline communications directly via official sites.
Rescuers continue the search as the M/V June Aster fire off Coron, Palawan, has left five confirmed dead and dozens still missing. Coast guard operations are ongoing, with bodies recovered from the ship’s economy quarters and the investigation into the cause underway.
The investigation led by the Southern District of Florida has expanded as prosecutors and Trump allies navigate setbacks. DiGenova has resigned from a key role, and questions rise about progress in the grand jury probe into former officials tied to Trump’s campaign and alleged misconduct.
Boston College and Rutgers pay tribute to Welles Crowther, the man known as The Man With The Red Bandana, who died saving others on 9/11. The event includes red bandannas, a whiteout crowd and acknowledgments of Crowther’s bravery.