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Is Microsoft's first ever handheld Xbox console worth the wait?

BBC News

Is Microsoft's first ever handheld Xbox console worth the wait? For almost two decades, rumours have swirled about a handheld Xbox console to rival Nintendo and PlayStation. The ROG Xbox Ally has been released worldwide, putting an end to the speculation. It works natively with Xbox's Game Pass subscription service out of the box, meaning members will start off with hundreds of games in their library. But its big trick is that it's really a portable computer running Windows, meaning most digital PC games people already own will work too - so long as they don't need a keyboard and mouse to play.


Russia intensifies attacks on Ukraine's trains in 'battle for the railways'

BBC News

Russia intensifies attacks on Ukraine's trains in'battle for the railways' Propped up in her hospital bed, railway conductor Olha Zolotova speaks slowly and quietly as she talks about the day her train was hit by a Russian drone. When the Shahed [drone] hit I was covered in rubble. I was in the second car. People pulled me out, she says. There was fire everywhere, everything was burning, my hair caught fire a little.


Sorry Flat Earthers! Simple experiment involving a security camera and a garage proves our world is ROUND

Daily Mail - Science & tech

'Pathetic' JD Vance slammed for'cheap' reaction to racist texts as Young Republicans spark Trump world crisis Jason Kelce speaks out after brutal comments about Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show go viral The world's most powerful passport revealed - as UK and USA both drop to record lows Behind the scenes at Time as laughing staff picked Trump's'worst' photo: 'It's not Vogue' Meghan Markle compares herself to the Obamas as she tries to put a positive spin on her Netflix woes... and takes another apparent jab at Royal family Los Angeles sparks fury as it declares state of emergency to combat ICE crackdowns: 'A middle finger to the law' Every woman I date has the same repulsive bedroom kink... it feels so wrong, but I always say yes: DEAR JANE Ellen Greenberg's ex breaks his silence after court hearing rules her 20-stab-wound death was'suicide'... see inside his plush new life The truth about Dan and Phil's secret relationship - and exactly why they kept it hidden for so long: Insiders reveal to MOLLY CLAYTON the sad fears that plagued the couple and the'ring of trust' they relied on Unmasked after 80 years - the Nazi executioner in infamous WWII photo: Historian uses AI to uncover identity of killer in'The Last Jew of Vinnytsia' image ISIS fanatics'slit the throats of 19 people' and burn down their houses in horrific new Congo massacre Disturbing revelations about Mitt Romney's lovelorn sister-in-law after she was found dead at bottom of parking garage Britney Spears' son Jayden, 19, surfaces after dad Kevin Federline's disturbing knife claim Full horrors of torture suffered by Noa Argamani's commando boyfriend are revealed - including how 6ft 5in hostage was beaten and kept chained in 6ft cell for a year after he tried to escape from Hamas Michelle Obama's snide comment about Barack's parenting as divorce rumors continue to swirl Kim Kardashian says she wasn't'emotionally or financially safe' during'toxic' marriage to Kanye West as she claims rapper hasn't contacted their children for MONTHS and has destroyed her dating life Prince William makes VERY cheeky remark as he and Kate Middleton bake potato apple bread during Northern Ireland visit (and her attempt is flawless first time!) Aspiring California Governor Katie Porter admits she is a bully then shows ANOTHER flash of impatience at reporter's questions Flat Earthers have travelled to Antarctica and even attempted to fly to space in homemade rockets in their quest to prove the world is really a flat disc. But you don't need to go anywhere near as far to prove that they are wrong. As one citizen scientist recently showed, you can prove that the world is round without leaving the comfort of your own home. All you need is a security camera, a garage, and some time to pull off this elegant experiment yourself.


ChatGPT will soon allow erotica for verified adults, says OpenAI boss

BBC News

OpenAI plans to allow a wider range of content, including erotica, on its popular chatbot ChatGPT as part of its push to treat adult users like adults, says its boss Sam Altman. In a post on X on Tuesday, Mr Altman said upcoming versions of the popular chatbot would enable it to behave in a more human-like way - but only if you want it, not because we are usage maxxing. The move, reminiscent of Elon Musk's xAI recent introduction of two sexually explicit chatbots to Grok, could help OpenAI attract more paying subscribers. It is also likely to intensify pressure on lawmakers to introduce tighter restrictions on chatbot companions. OpenAI did not respond to the BBC's requests for comment following Mr Altman's post.


AI couldn't picture a woman like me - until now

BBC News

The former Australian Paralympic swimmer wanted to vamp up her headshot and uploaded a full-length photo of her and prompted it really specifically that she was missing her left arm from below the elbow. But ChatGPT couldn't create the image she was asking for and despite various prompts, the results were largely the same - a woman with two arms or one with a metal device to represent a prosthetic. She asked the AI why it was so hard to create the image and it said it was because it didn't have enough data to work with. That was an important realisation for me that of course AI is a reflection of the world we live in today and the level of inequality and discrimination that exists, she says. Smith recently tried to generate the image again on ChatGPT and was amazed to find it could now produce an accurate picture of a woman with one arm, just like her.


The Indian woman who stood up to moral policing - and won a pageant

BBC News

Muskan Sharma stood up to men who tried to bully her over her clothes - and went on to win hearts and a beauty pageant. The 23-year-old, who was crowned Miss Rishikesh 2025 last week in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, told the BBC that even though it was a small local pageant, it made me feel like Miss Universe. Sharma's win has made headlines in India as it came after a viral video that showed her spiritedly arguing with a man who barged into their rehearsals just a day before the 4 October contest. Sharma, who wanted to be a model and participate in a pageant since I was in school, said the intruders came in just as they broke for lunch. We were sitting around, chilling, having a laugh when they walked in, she said.


Migrants will need A-level standard English to work in UK

BBC News

Some migrants coming to the UK will need to speak English to an A-level standard under tougher new rules set to be introduced by the government. Applicants will be tested in person on their speaking, listening, reading and writing at Home Office-approved providers, with their results checked as part of the visa process. The changes, which come into force from 8 January 2026, form part of wider plans to cut levels of immigration to the UK outlined in a white paper in May. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: If you come to this country, you must learn our language and play your part. Those applying for skilled worker, scale-up and high potential individual (HPI) visas will be required to reach B2 level - a step up from the current B1 standard which is equivalent to GCSE.


UK will be second-fastest-growing G7 economy, IMF predicts

BBC News

The UK is forecast to be the second-fastest growing of the world's most advanced economies this year and next, according to new projections from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The rates of growth remain modest at 1.3% for both years, but that outperforms the other G7 economies apart from the US, in a torrid year of trade and geopolitical tensions. However, UK inflation is set to rise to the highest in the G7 in 2025 and 2026, the IMF predicts, driven by larger energy and utility bills. UK inflation is forecast to average 3.4% this year and 2.5% in 2026 but the IMF says this will be temporary, and fall to 2% by the end of next year. The G7 are seven advanced economies - the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan - but the group doesn't include fast-growing economies such as China and India.


Private numbers of Australia PM and Donald Trump Jr publicly listed on website

BBC News

The private phone numbers of several high-profile figures including Australia's Prime Minister and Donald Trump Jr have been published on a US website. Both of their personal contact details remain publicly listed on the site, which uses AI to scrape the internet for information and the BBC has chosen not to name. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's office is aware of the situation - which was first reported by independent Australian media outlet Ette Media - and local authorities are investigating. A spokesman for Australia's opposition leader Sussan Ley, whose private number was also published, said the matter was obviously concerning and they had requested the information be removed. The site claims to have contact details for hundreds of millions of professionals and is used by recruiters and sales representatives.


Learning to sign changed my life after a brain injury

BBC News

As Tina walks onto the stage in front of hundreds of people she is beaming. She's collecting her British Sign Language (BSL) certificate which is the culmination of a journey that began with tragedy. Learning BSL has helped me say words that I cannot speak, she says. In 2018, while returning from a holiday, Tina fell down a flight of stairs and was in a coma for six weeks. The accident caused a traumatic brain injury that dramatically changed her life, leaving her struggling to speak.