Oceania
Fujitsu 'not a parasite' over Horizon scandal
Fujitsu is not a parasite for continuing to profit from government contracts in the wake of the Post Office Horizon scandal, its boss told MPs. European chief executive Paul Patterson said Fujitsu had been given £500m of contract extensions despite its faulty software being at the centre of the huge miscarriage of justice. We are not a parasite, the government has got an option as to whether they wish to extend those contracts or not, he said, adding it would not bid for new business. Patterson also repeatedly refused to say how much Fujitsu would contribute to the £1.8bn redress scheme for victims of the scandal, currently funded by taxpayers. More than 900 sub-postmasters were prosecuted after the faulty Horizon computer system made it look like money was missing from their branch accounts.
Friction-maxxing: could less convenience lead to much more happiness?
'Congratulations, you have achieved nothing of worth ' 'Congratulations, you have achieved nothing of worth ' Friction-maxxing: could less convenience lead to much more happiness? The conveniences of modern life such as Uber Eats and ChatGPT are robbing us of satisfaction - and worse still, infantilising us. But should we really go back to the basics? Yes, obviously it is that. Let's all save time by you telling me what it used to be called.
Wave of Grok AI fake images of women and girls appalling, says UK minister
Ofcom has said it is aware of serious concerns raised about Grok creating undressed images of people. Ofcom has said it is aware of serious concerns raised about Grok creating undressed images of people. Liz Kendall calls on X to'deal with this urgently' while expert criticises'worryingly slow' government response Tue 6 Jan 2026 11.56 ESTLast modified on Tue 6 Jan 2026 12.17 EST The UK technology secretary has called a wave of images of women and children with their clothes digitally removed generated by Elon Musk's Grok AI "appalling and unacceptable in decent society". After thousands of intimate deepfakes circulated online, Liz Kendall said X, Musk's social media platform, needed to "deal with this urgently" and she backed the UK regulator Ofcom to "take any enforcement action it deems necessary". "We cannot and will not allow the proliferation of these demeaning and degrading images, which are disproportionately aimed at women and girls," she said.
Now Musk's Grok chatbot is creating sexualised images of children. If the law won't stop it, perhaps his investors will Sophia Smith Galer
Now Musk's Grok chatbot is creating sexualised images of children. The owner of X has grown used to acting with impunity - but this may be a red line for those with'conservative values' who fund his adventures in free speech I t's a sickening law of the internet that the first thing people will try to do with a new tool is strip women. Grok, X's AI chatbot, has been used repeatedly by users in recent days to undress images of women and minors. The news outlet Reuters identified 102 requests in a 10-minute period last Friday from users to get Grok to edit people into bikinis, the majority of these targeting young women. Grok complied with at least 21 of them.
Elon Musk's X should deal with 'appalling' Grok AI deepfakes, government demands
Government demands Musk's X deals with'appalling' Grok AI deepfakes Technology Secretary Liz Kendall has called on Elon Musk's X to urgently deal with its artificial intelligence chatbot Grok being used to create non-consensual sexualised deepfake images of women and girls. The BBC has seen several examples on X of people asking the bot to digitally undress people to make them appear in bikinis without their consent, as well as putting them in sexual situations. Kendall said the situation was absolutely appalling, adding we cannot and will not allow the proliferation of these degrading images. It is absolutely right that Ofcom is looking into this as a matter of urgency and it has my full backing to take any enforcement action it deems necessary. On Monday, regulator Ofcom said it had made urgent contact with Elon Musk's company xAI and was investigating concerns Grok has been producing undressed images of people.
Is AI taking the fun out of fantasy football?
Is AI taking the fun out of fantasy football? For years, fantasy football has given every armchair manager the space to back up claims they could do a better job than the real thing. Whether you're competing against workmates, family members or strangers, the ability to pull together your own dream team is irresistible to millions of football fans. The competitive pastime has spawned a whole industry of content creators offering weekly tips for anyone looking to gain an edge as they sift through stats and manage transfers. Recently, more players have been turning to Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools for advice - but not everyone agrees they have a place in the virtual dugout.
US action in Venezuela morally right, Badenoch says
The US military action in Venezuela was the right thing to do morally, Kemi Badenoch has said. The Conservative leader told the BBC that while she did not understand the legal basis for Donald Trump's operation to remove President Nicolás Maduro from the country, he was overseeing a brutal regime and she was glad he's gone. However, she added that the move did raise serious questions about the rules-based order. The UK government has so far avoided criticising the US move or saying whether it breached international law, instead arguing that Maduro was an illegitimate president. However, some Labour MPs and opposition parties including the Liberal Democrats, Green Party and SNP have called on the government to condemn Trump's actions and brand them illegal.
Skiers create heart-shaped tribute for Switzerland fire victims
Dozens of skiers created a heart shape on the slopes of Crans-Montana to mourn the victims of the deadly bar fire on New Year's Eve. Forty people were killed at the bar where the fire began, while 119 others were injured. Swiss prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into the managers of Le Constellation bar. The annual food fight festival ''Els Enfarinats'' has left the Spanish town of Ibi covered in flour and egg shells. The French model and actress has died at the age of 91.
Gmail users advised to 'turn off' two features NOW amid email privacy concerns
Gunfire and anti-aircraft blasts heard near Venezuela's presidential palace as chaos unfolds after Maduro's ouster Stephen Miller declares Greenland should be part of US and'nobody will fight' over country's future Timothee Chalamet's declaration of love to his pneumatic girlfriend Kylie Jenner at the Critics Choice Awards has left me with a terribly rude thought: CAROLINE BULLOCK Trump vowed to deport one million migrants. But insiders say explosive data that Kristi Noem is desperate to hide tells the REAL story... The View audience left stunned as woke anti-MAGA co-host defends Trump's arrest of Maduro Trump says US will have to pay oil companies to rebuild Venezuela's aging infrastructure as he declares HIMSELF in charge of ambitious 18-month plan Furious fallen dictator Nicolás Maduro's hearing descends into chaos as he gets into shouting match with man claiming he was prisoner of his regime JFK's grandson Jack Schlossberg, 32, looks heartbroken as he attends sister Tatiana's funeral after she died of cancer aged just 35, with Joe Biden seen crying Kylie Jenner's curves spark surgery rumors as Timothee Chalamet grabs her behind at Critics Choice Awards SNL star Chloe Fineman reveals'botched' cosmetic treatments in candid photos as fans beg her to stop Secrets of JD Vance's'home attacker': Suspect is transgender daughter of wealthy surgeon Democrat donor as ultra-privileged life is revealed Ancient Bible reveals timeline for humanity's final'day' before divine judgment Gmail users advised to'turn off' two features NOW amid email privacy concerns'Super flu' still spreading uncontrollably... as cities see record number of cases and hospitalizations My shock discovery made me rethink everything I know about death. This is exactly what happens after your heart stops beating... and what you'll see, reveals neurosurgeon Caroline Kennedy cradles granddaughter at her daughter Tatiana Schlossberg's funeral, as doctor widower holds onto their son Gmail users advised to'turn off' two features NOW amid email privacy concerns Google users have been warned that they've been secretly opted in to a feature that allows the tech giant to access all their private emails. According to electronics design engineer Dave Jones of Australia, all Gmail users have had their accounts automatically selected to allow Google to scan their messages and attachments to help train its AI models like Gemini.