The US military action in Venezuela breaches international law and the UK should make clear it is unacceptable, the chair of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee has said. Dame Emily Thornberry is the most senior Labour MP so far to criticise Donald Trump's strikes on the country over the weekend, which saw President Nicolas Maduro and his wife captured. The UK government has so far refused to say whether the move was illegal, insisting it is for the Americans to lay out the legal basis for the action. But the US president's actions have been criticised by some Labour MPs, as well as the leaders of the Lib Dems, Greens and the SNP. Dame Emily told BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour the strikes were not a legal action and she cannot think of anything that could be a proper justification.

Welcome to World University and School Wiki which anyone can add to or edit. See, too, the British Film Institute. If you were Scotland and heading for independence with a vote in the British Isles in 2014 or beyond, which currency would you choose for Scotland's long term prosperity, - institutional-wise, especially (e.g. "Like many Scots, I can clearly distinguish between independence and nationalism, and I certainly wouldn't be voting for nationalism, certainly not for tartan-la-la. Really I'd want a yes vote, then a bloodless coup the next morning, before there were any flags or triumphalism."

The AI service will help Encompass customers to "quickly and accurately" find risk-relevant information on their own customers, organisations and investments. Sturgeon said: "Encompass is one of a number of international companies that has chosen to locate and steadily expand its operation, making Scotland an attractive place to grow its business. "From its Glasgow base, the company has access to markets, a supportive business environment and has been able to identify local talent from Scottish professionals in the engineering and software development sector. "Backed by almost £2 million of R&D investment from Scottish Enterprise, Encompass will be able to develop artificial intelligence software tools that will assist companies in the financial sector to reduce operational risks associated with meeting compliance and regulatory standards." Encompass's work in Glasgow has primarily been focused on its Know Your Customer product, where it uses data analytics to ensure clients do not unknowingly trade with organised crime or the proceeds of crime.

There is a "real risk" that the growth of automation and increased use of artificial intelligence will see communities across Scotland left behind, Nicola Sturgeon has warned. Speaking at the Wellbeing Economy Alliance conference, the first minister said the growth of new technology will bring new opportunities for Scotland, but that their introduction must be carefully managed to ensure that the benefits are shared. The Scottish Government has worked with the Scottish Trades Union Congress to examine the effects of new technologies on the economy and workforce, with a joint 2018 report finding "there is a plausible case that the technological change in the 21st century could pose new and serious challenges in sustaining a labour market that supports broadly based prosperity". Appearing in Edinburgh, Sturgeon said her government aimed to create an economy where "collective wellbeing" was as fundamental as GDP, but warned that the movement to a low-carbon economy and the growth of new technologies would also pose challenges for communities and workers. The SNP leader said: "As we moved to increased use of technology, such as artificial intelligence, there is again a big potential for real economic benefit, particularly for country like Scotland, and for a city like Edinburgh, where there is already a very strong, vibrant and growing tech sector. But there are also a range of ethical questions to confront. There is also a real risk that as we make that transition, individuals and communities are left behind, so we must work now to make sure that does not happen."

Younger people prefer assistance from female voices, neuroscience research has revealed. A major study of consumers' subconscious reactions to digitised voices has revealed there is a substantial bias towards female voices among people under the age of 35. The research, which used brain imaging technology to explore the neurological response to male and female voice assistants, discovered respondents of both genders within a younger age group found a female voice both more approachable and more compelling than its male equivalent. In contrast, while those over 35 also found the female voice more approachable, they found the male voice to be more compelling. Analysing the subconscious brain responses of 105 subjects aged between 18 and 65, the study discovered that subjects of all ages and genders found female voices more approachable, with the "approach" response 32 per cent higher for female voices.

Future warfare will likely be conducted by armies of robots and humans enhanced by gene editing and drugs, according to a new Ministry of Defence report. As the world becomes more volatile due to increased threats from terrorism and climate change, "new areas of conflict" will also open up, including space and cyberspace, it is thought. In an analysis developed with experts from around the world, the potential challenges facing the UK are laid out. The document, entitled The Future Starts Today, also warns of an increasing risk from nuclear and chemical weapons as technology rapidly advances. 'Killer robots' ban blocked by US and Russia at UN meeting'Killer robots' ban blocked by US and Russia at UN meeting "This report makes clear that we are living in a world that is becoming rapidly more dangerous, with intensifying challenges from state aggressors who flout the rules, terrorists who want to harm our way of life and the technological race with our adversaries," said defence secretary Gavin Williamson.

Ukip's only MP, Douglas Carswell, is the least friendly and trustworthy in the House of Commons, a social media survey has found. The newly appointed Shadow Health Secretary, Diane Abbott, was the most patronising, the same survey found. Artios, an artificial intelligence company, 'blind tested' 1,000 UK adults with social media content from an equal cross section of political parties. The highest rating for trustworthiness was only 14 per cent for a post by Prime Minister David Cameron. Lib Dem MP Greg Mudholland scored as the most friendly.