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Russian strikes on Ukraine kill three as Zelenskyy in US for UN summit

Al Jazeera

Is the war entering a new phase? Russian forces have launched widespread attacks targeting industrial sites and critical energy infrastructure across several regions of Ukraine, killing at least three people and knocking out power to nearly 100,000 residents, Ukrainian officials said. The strikes overnight hit industrial facilities simultaneously in the Dnipropetrovsk region, including Dnipro, Pavlohrad and Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, regional Governor Oleksandr Hanzha said on Telegram on Tuesday. Ukraine's air force said Moscow's overnight barrage involved 212 drones, four cruise missiles, and an unspecified number of Oniks antiship and ballistic missiles. The strikes also damaged energy infrastructure.


Lithuania plans hardened energy substation as grids increasingly targeted

The Japan Times

VILNIUS/WARSAW - Lithuania is planning defenses against military drones at a key future power grid substation linking the Baltic states with western Europe, in an area intelligence sources say Russia could target with a false-flag attack. The construction plans include fencing strong enough to resist an explosives-laden truck, sensors searching for possible tunnels dug by hostile actors, and concrete "sarcophagi" for transformers to withstand any drone attack, according to Litgrid CEO Andrius Semeskevicius. "Previously, when designing our grid, we planned for natural disasters. Now, we think about all possible hybrid and nonhybrid threats", he said in an interview. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.


Watch: Ukraine's race to counter a new type of Russian drone

BBC News

Watch: Ukraine's race to counter a new type of Russian drone To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Ukraine's race to counter a new type of Russian drone Close Russian attacks on Ukraine are becoming more devastating than before because of their new jet-powered drones, which are harder to shoot down. Russia launched nearly 3,000 of these new drones in August alone and while Kyiv has used missiles and fighter jets to fight against them, it is proving too expensive. Ukraine is now in a race to develop low-cost weapons that can counter them. The BBC's Abdujalil Abdurasulov spoke with Ukrainian air defence units about how they are fighting against this new threat.


20 countries propose global oversight body to manage AI dangers

Al Jazeera

Twenty countries and the European Union have issued a call for international cooperation to ensure AI remains under human control, including the potential creation of a global oversight body to set and enforce standards. The countries, including Germany, South Africa, Canada, Australia, the United Arab Emirates and Singapore, issued the joint statement on Monday as global leaders prepare to discuss the risks posed by rapidly advancing AI at the annual gathering of the United Nations General Assembly. "To realise AI's potential, industry, governments and society must act now," the statement says. "We must address these risks and strengthen oversight - without widening the gap between countries in access to the benefits of AI." The declaration urges countries to develop and coordinate "common standards", share reports of serious safety incidents, and explore the establishment of an international institution to "set standards, enable verification, and convene states when capability thresholds are crossed".


Canadian province sues OpenAI over Tumbler Ridge school shooting

BBC News

A Canadian province is suing OpenAI over its alleged failure to notify authorities about concerning user interactions on ChatGPT prior to the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting. The company has previously apologised for not flagging Jessie Van Rootselaar's account to law enforcement before the 18-year-old killed eight people, including six children, in February. British Columbia attorney general Niki Sharma said the lawsuit, filed to a US federal court on Monday, raised questions about the responsibilities of technology companies when they become aware of credible threats of serious violence. Families of those killed or injured in the shooting have filed separate lawsuits against OpenAI. Media reports revealed that Van Rootselaar's ChatGPT activity was flagged by OpenAI's safety team for references to gun violence months before the attack, but the company did not alert local authorities.


Lithuania ready to 'fight back' but has evacuation plans in face of Russia threats, PM tells BBC

BBC News

Lithuania ready to'fight back' but has evacuation plans in face of Russia threats, PM tells BBC To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Figure caption, 'We will fight back' if Russia attacks, Lithuanian PM says Lithuania's prime minister has told the BBC his country has made evacuation plans in the face of threats from Russia, but added they will not surrender if attacked. Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius told Newsnight that Lithuanians feel constantly threatened by Russia, in part because of drones entering the nation's airspace. He told Newsnight if his country was attacked, we will fight back... we will engage. But he said there were plans for a variety of scenarios and used an example of getting elderly citizens out of cities smoothly and avoiding traffic jams.


Schools not ready for AI and 'crying out' for government guidance, report warns

BBC News

Schools not ready for AI and'crying out' for government guidance, report warns Schools are crying out for guidance from government on how pupils and teachers can use AI safely and effectively, a new report has warned. Sir Anthony Seldon, former head teacher and author on AI in education, says the technology is being used more and more frequently, but that its introduction has been chaotic and anarchic. His report calls for the government to roll out a national framework for adopting AI in education in England, including training teachers on how to use it, which schools should use to develop their own AI strategies by September next year. The government says its changes to the curriculum in England will give children digital skills and help them spot disinformation. Sir Anthony's report, co-authored with venture capitalist Tim Bunting, says schools have not been prepared for AI's arrival. Sir Anthony co-founded the group AI in Education, which was set up in 2023 to help educational institutions navigate AI safely.


Halt super-intelligent AI with non-proliferation treaty, Ed Davey to say

The Guardian

Ed Davey on the beach at Brighton during the Lib Dems' party conference, where he is expected to lay out plans for a new international AI safety agency. Ed Davey on the beach at Brighton during the Lib Dems' party conference, where he is expected to lay out plans for a new international AI safety agency. At Lib Dems' conference in Brighton, leader will accuse Andy Burnham of relying on Donald Trump and'tech bros' to solve problem Ed Davey is to call for a global nuclear-style non-proliferation treaty to halt the development of super-intelligent AI when he makes his keynote speech at the Liberal Democrat conference, accusing Andy Burnham of relying on Donald Trump and "tech bros" to solve the problem. When he addresses the faithful on the final day of the gathering in Brighton, the party leader will call for a global pause on super-intelligent AI, comparing it to a nuclear arms race that could result in technology that could "destroy us all". Davey is expected to lay out plans in his speech on Tuesday for a new international AI safety agency - modelled on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and headquartered in the UK, after numerous warnings from AI researchers that artificial intelligence could wipe out humanity within the decade.


How thousands of migrants stranded in Ceuta are surviving

Al Jazeera

Authorities estimate that at least 10,000 people remain in the enclave of Ceuta after a record surge of 72,000 migrants crossed from Morocco to Ceuta over the course of two days in late July, overwhelming local resources and creating a humanitarian crisis. UN Chief Guterres calls for ban on'killer robots' 'Licence to kill:' French protests decry police use-of-force bill Airplane makes'miracle' landing as Typhoon Dujuan hits Japan


Protesters blockade Elbit Systems factory over Israel weapons supply

Al Jazeera

'This is an apartheid regime' Does Trump have real leverage over Netanyahu? Nine protesters blocked access to Elbit Systems' factory in Staffordshire by attaching themselves to five'lock-ons' to launch the direct-action group'Silence Elbit Drones'. Al Jazeera spoke with spokesperson Audrey Corno, who said the group aims to disrupt Elbit's operations over its supply of military equipment to Israel. UN Chief Guterres calls for ban on'killer robots' 'Licence to kill:' French protests decry police use-of-force bill Airplane makes'miracle' landing as Typhoon Dujuan hits Japan NFL's Azeez Al-Shaair honours another Palestinian girl killed by Israel