Albania appoints AI bot'minister' to fight corruption in world first Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has put an artificial intelligence-generated "minister" in charge of tackling corruption in his new cabinet. Diella, which means "sun" in Albanian, was appointed on Thursday, with the leader introducing her as a "member of the cabinet who is not present physically" who will ensure that "public tenders will be 100 percent free of corruption". Corruption is a key factor in Albania's bid to join the bloc. Rama's Socialist Party, which recently secured a fourth term in office, has said it can deliver EU membership for Albania in five years, with negotiations concluding by 2027. Lawmakers will soon vote on Rama's new cabinet, but it was unclear whether he would ask for a vote on Diella's virtual post.

The white armoured police van speeds into the eastern Ukrainian town of Bilozerske, a steel cage mounted across its body to protect it from Russian drones. They'd already lost one van, a direct hit from a drone to the front of the vehicle; the cage, and powerful rooftop drone jamming equipment, offer extra protection. But still, it's dangerous being here: the police, known as the White Angels, want to spend as little time in Bilozerske as possible. The small, pretty mining town, just nine miles (14km) from the front line, is slowly being destroyed by Russia's summer offensive. The local hospital and banks have long since closed.

I Wasn't Sure I Wanted Anthropic to Pay Me for My Books--I Do Now Anthropic agreed to a $1.5 billion settlement for authors whose books were used to train its AI model. As an author who fits that description, I've come around to the idea. A billion dollars isn't what it used to be--but it still focuses the mind. At least it did for me when I heard that the AI company Anthropic agreed to an at least $1.5 billion settlement This came after a judge issued a summary judgement that it had pirated the books it used. The proposed agreement--which is still under scrutiny by the wary judge--would reportedly grant authors a minimum $3,000 per book.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox announced Thursday that a suspect in the murder of Charlie Kirk was in police custody. Cox said investigators reviewed video footage and identified Tyler Robinson, 22, arriving in a Dodge Challenger vehicle at approximately 08:29 local time on 10 September. When encountered in person by investigators on 12 September, he was observed in clothing consistent to that in previously released footage, including a plain maroon t-shirt, light-coloured shorts, a black hat with a white logo and light-coloured shoes. Can Trump send National Guard troops to Chicago? Trump has said we're going in, when asked about sending National Guard troops to Chicago, but does he have the power to do this?

The United Nations Security Council has condemned Israel's strikes on a residential compound in the Qatari capital Doha, which targeted senior members of Hamas. The statement - which did not directly name Israel - was backed by all 15 Security Council members, including the US, which traditionally blocks actions against its close ally. Council members underscored the importance of de-escalation and expressed their solidarity with Qatar, read the statement, drafted by the UK and France. Israel defended its decision to mount the attack. Qatar has played a key role in brokering diplomatic efforts to end the Israel-Gaza war, serving as a mediator of indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel.

How is Russia replenishing its military? What is a'coalition of the willing'? How China forgot promises and'debts' to Ukraine How are Europe, the US pulling apart on Ukraine? Russia and Belarus have begun large-scale military exercises, raising alarm across NATO's eastern flank just days after Warsaw accused Moscow of sending attack drones across Polish airspace, a major escalation that sent shivers through Europe. The Zapad 2025 manoeuvres, which run from Friday until Tuesday, are taking place as Russian forces continue their slow advance in Ukraine and intensify air attacks on Ukrainian cities.

How is Russia replenishing its military? What is a'coalition of the willing'? How China forgot promises and'debts' to Ukraine How are Europe, the US pulling apart on Ukraine? Anti-aircraft units downed seven Ukrainian drones headed for Moscow early on Friday, according to the Russian capital's mayor Sergei Sobyanin. Russian forces have taken control of the settlement of Sosnivka in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region, Russia's Defence Ministry said on Thursday.

The FBI has released new footage showing the suspect in the killing of US activist Charlie Kirk running across a roof - from where the fatal shot was fired - before dropping to the ground and crossing a road. As the authorities continue their search, BBC Verify's Nick Beake has been looking at the footage and what we know about his escape. Watch: Key moments from RFK Jr's heated Senate hearing The US health secretary faced questions on Covid deaths and vaccines a week after firing the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The group said they are making their own list of Jeffrey Epstein's associates and called for the release of all files related to the investigation. The molten magma streamed down one of the world's most active volcanoes and put on another fiery show on the Island of Hawaii.

'Looks like a toy, but it's real': BBC examines a downed Russian drone At least three Russian drones were shot down in Poland's airspace during attacks on Ukraine, the Polish prime minister said on Wednesday. The BBC's Sarah Rainsford has been looking at the exact type of Russian drone that flew into Poland, and is proving a massive challenge for Ukraine's territorial defence forces. The BBC's Sarah Rainsford says Sunday's attack caused a huge amount of damage. One of Kyiv's main government buildings was hit in overnight missile and drone strikes by Russia. 'The hit was very hard': Eyewitness in second carriage shares video of crash moment The incident in Lisbon's funicular has left 16 dead and multiple injured.

Utah authorities have released CCTV footage showing the Charlie Kirk shooting suspect fleeing the scene at Utah Valley University. The video shows a figure dressed in black running across a roof before dropping down to the ground and fleeing towards a wooded area. Authorities say the suspect was wearing Converse shoes, sunglasses and a distinctive black T-shirt with an American flag and an eagle. Watch: Key moments from RFK Jr's heated Senate hearing The US health secretary faced questions on Covid deaths and vaccines a week after firing the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The group said they are making their own list of Jeffrey Epstein's associates and called for the release of all files related to the investigation.