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Georgia arrests three Chinese nationals for trying to illegally buy uranium

BBC News

Three Chinese nationals have been arrested in Georgia on suspicion of attempting to illegally purchase 2kg of uranium. Lasha Maghradze, deputy head of the nation's State Security Service (SSG), told a news briefing the group planned to pay $400,000 (£300,570) for the nuclear material in the capital, Tblisi, before transporting it to China via Russia. The alleged plot was unearthed by intelligence agents while one member of the group was attempting to buy the radioactive substance on the black market, he said. The three pleaded not guilty at a court in Tblisi and have been placed in custody to prevent them fleeing the country, according to public broadcaster Georgia Today. They face up to five years in prison under a provision of Georgia's criminal code banning the purchasing of nuclear material.


ChatGPT's new browser has potential, if you're willing to pay

BBC News

ChatGPT's new browser has potential, if you're willing to pay A few minutes into using ChatGPT Atlas, the new internet browser from OpenAI, I ran into quite a big road block. This isn't like Google Chrome, which is used by roughly 60% of people. It's all built around a chatbot you're meant to talk to to surf the web. Messages limit reached, read one note. No available models support the tools in use, said another.


'Heroes of Kharkiv': How 48 children were saved from kindergarten hit by Russian drone

BBC News

'Heroes of Kharkiv': How 48 children were saved from kindergarten hit by Russian drone Although moving forward, Oleksandr Volobuev's body is angled slightly away from the camera, as if bracing against the deadly air still swirling with falling debris and smoke. His face in careful concentration, the Major-General from Ukraine's Civil Protection Service clings tightly to a precious bundle, wrapped for protection in his coat - and out of which two small pink shoes protrude. It is a striking image of a dramatic rescue from a nursery school in the eastern city of Kharkiv, following a devastating, direct hit by a Russian drone. Unsurprisingly it has gone viral, capturing both the Ukrainian and the wider global public's imagination. With 48 children trapped in a shelter in the burning building, it was not the only act of bravery that day, not by a long way.


Trump's week in Asia: BBC correspondents on the wins and potential losses

BBC News

US President Donald Trump is arriving in Asia for a whirlwind week of diplomacy, which includes a much-anticipated meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. Top of the agenda between the two will be trade - an area where tensions between the world's two biggest economies have once again been ramping up. Trump lands in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, as a summit for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or Asean, begins on Sunday. He will then visit Japan and finally South Korea, where the White House says he will meet Xi. So what are the wins Trump and other leaders are hoping for, and what are the pitfalls?


Armed police in US handcuff teen after AI mistakes crisp packet for gun

BBC News

A US teenager was handcuffed by armed police after an artificial intelligence (AI) system mistakenly said he was carrying a gun - when really he was holding a packet of crisps. Police showed up, like eight cop cars, and then they all came out with guns pointed at me talking about getting on the ground, 16-year-old Baltimore pupil Taki Allen told local outlet WMAR-2 News . Baltimore County Police Department said their officers responded appropriately and proportionally based on the information provided at the time. It said the AI alert was sent to human reviewers who found no threat - but the principal missed this and contacted the school's safety team, who ultimately called the police. But the incident has prompted calls by some for the schools' procedures around the use of such technology to be reviewed.


Clippy is BACK! Microsoft's paperclip mascot delights users as it returns - 18 years after it was axed from Office

Daily Mail - Science & tech

European diplomats reveal the'tough guy' US negotiator leading the charge on Greenland: 'He hates us' A former Marine was unmasked as the'Zodiac killer' after a bombshell new investigation. I suffered a horrific side effect of a drug used by millions of Americans... and my face'melted off' The ICE backlash isn't the end of Kristi Noem It may have just saved her career FedEx driver accused of abducting and killing little girl while delivering her Christmas present says he shouldn't be executed because he has autism Senator accused of steamy affair with her bodyguard in bombshell lawsuit from his WIFE: 'Bring MDMA so I can guide you' Hunter Biden's stripper baby mama asks for him to be ARRESTED over claims he is still failing to pay her child support Family of Tyler Robinson's transgender lover speaks out for first time since Charlie Kirk assassination and reveals where he is now Dodgers agree with Kyle Tucker'on $240m deal' as champs beat out Mets, Blue Jays for top free agent World's sexiest hockey star and OnlyFans model Mikayla Demaiter spills out of little dress in latest post Nicole Richie addresses her daughter's new identity after unveiling transformation on her 18th birthday Trump gushes over'young beautiful' hockey players and teases rebranding of famed presidential wall Trump's AG secretary sparks mockery with tone-deaf $3 dinner advice as food costs soar Karoline Leavitt reveals the thinking behind Trump's call to cancel elections Microsoft's paperclip mascot delights users as it returns - 18 years after it was axed from Office It was the original virtual assistant, released years before Siri, Alexa, and Bixby. Now, almost two decades after it was axed, Microsoft's Clippy is officially back. The friendly anthropomorphic paper clip has been spotted as an Easter egg in Microsoft's latest announcement about a new AI companion called Mico. Mico - whose name is a nod to Microsoft Copilot - is a small blob with a friendly smiley face, and doesn't look much like its much-loved predecessor.


Ukraine urges EU to back loan using frozen Russian cash

BBC News

Ukraine's president has urged the European Union to back a plan to release billions of euros in frozen Russian cash to help fund the country's defence. As EU leaders met in Brussels, Volodymyr Zelensky said he hoped they would make a positive decision about using €140bn (£122bn) in Russian assets currently held in a Belgian clearing house. The controversial move would would be on top of sanctions the block has imposed on Russia - the latest on Thursday targeting the Kremlin's oil revenues. They followed US measures against Russia's oil industry earlier - the first time President Donald Trump has sanctioned Moscow as he grows frustrated over President Vladimir Putin's refusal to end the war. On Wednesday evening, the US president confirmed that a planned meeting with Putin in Budapest had been shelved indefinitely.


Blackouts hit Russia's Belgorod as Ukrainian drone attacks surge

BBC News

Blackouts hit Russia's Belgorod as Ukrainian drone attacks surge Residents of Russia's Belgorod region say blackouts, air-raid sirens and the sound of gunfire aimed at incoming Ukrainian drones are becoming increasingly common, as Kyiv retaliates against repeated bombardments of its cities with cross-border strikes of its own. It's so loud and so terrifying, says Nina, a Belgorod resident who asked us to change her name. I was coming back from the clinic when a siren went off. As usual, I received Telegram alerts about a drone attack. Then bursts of automatic gunfire broke out, I ran into a nearby courtyard and tried to hide under an arch, she recalls.


Temu agrees to remove rip-off greeting cards from its site more quickly

BBC News

Online shopping giant Temu has agreed to work with the greeting card industry to remove copied designs from its site more quickly. Designers told the BBC the process for getting the plagiarised listings removed has been like the fairground game'whack-a-mole' with copied products re-appearing within days. Temu said protecting intellectual property was a top priority and that it was encouraging sellers to join the trial of a new takedown process specifically for the greetings card industry. Amanda Mountain, the co-founder of York-based Lola Design, discovered the catalogue of designs she had built up over a decade had nearly all been copied. She found the images she had created had been lifted and were being advertised by other sellers on cards and other products like t-shirts.


US to announce 'substantial' Russia sanctions

BBC News

US to announce'substantial' Russia sanctions The US government will impose a substantial pickup in sanctions against Russia as the fighting in Ukraine continues, according to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Bessent's comments came just before Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte was due at the White House, in which he said he hopes to discuss how to deliver Trump's vision of peace in the conflict. Earlier in the day, Rutte said he believes that Trump is the only one who can get this done. At least seven people were killed, including two children, during intense Russian drone and missile strikes on Ukraine - just hours after Trump said plans for a meeting with Vladimir Putin in Budapest had been shelved. Bessent provided no further details on the incoming sanctions, but said they would be announced either after the close this afternoon or first thing tomorrow morning.