Unions who donate to Labour will meet John Healey on Thursday to press home their demands ahead of next month's Budget. Unite, the UK's second biggest union, has called for a reversal of the freezing of tax thresholds, that see the lowest paid drawn into paying tax. The union's leader, Sharon Graham, said she told Andy Burnham that the cut to the winter fuel allowance, carried out under former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, was a disgrace, adding: What to you need to do is winter fuel in reverse - something that says to everyday people I am on your side. The call is one of a number of policy proposals unions are taking to the chancellor, including increased taxes on tech companies. Unions say they believe Healey's first budget will define Andy Burnham's direction of travel as prime minister.

Microsoft says AI rival Anthropic could have'disastrous impact' on humanity Microsoft's head of AI has warned Anthropic's approach to training its AI model Claude could have a disastrous impact on the wellbeing of humanity. Mustafa Suleyman said his rival risked creating something impossible to control by treating it like a human - including by telling it it may be conscious and was deserving of independent agency. We must not sleepwalk our way into a decision we later come to bitterly regret, he wrote. The comments are the latest in a series of stark warnings from the AI industry on the possible dangers of the technology. The BBC has contacted Anthropic for comment. AIs are not conscious, he wrote.

Earl Spencer's unreleased book on Diana stolen in the Netherlands Copies of Earl Spencer's unreleased book on his sister Diana, Princess of Wales, have been stolen from a truck in the Netherlands. The BBC understands four copies of the Dutch language edition were taken from a truck while it was en route from the Dutch publisher's printers to their warehouse. Dutch police said they were aware of the incident and have been approached for comment. Swan Song: Diana, My Sister is due to be released in the UK and globally on Tuesday, and tells the story of Princess Diana's life from the Earl's perspective. A source said the truck driver was taking a mandatory break in a car park and was sleeping in his cab at the time the books were stolen.

A senior Army officer has been cleared of failing to properly deal with abuse allegations made by a teenage soldier who took her own life. Col Samantha Shepherd has been on trial at Military Court Centre at Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire, in connection with the handling of concerns raised by Gunner Jaysley Beck, from Cumbria. The 19-year-old took her own life at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire in 2021 after former Battery Sgt Michael Webber pinned her down and sexually assaulted her. A board - which consisted of an Air Commodore, a Royal Navy captain and an Army colonel - returned a not guilty verdict for Shepherd, on the directions of a judge. Assistant Judge Advocate General Edward Legard had told the board: The Crown has concluded that there is insufficient evidence upon which you can safely convict Colonel Shepherd of the charge she faces.

EU chief von der Leyen proposes'associate member' status for Canada Share EU chief von der Leyen proposes'associate member' status for Canada on social media European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has raised the prospect of Canada becoming the 27-nation European Union's first "associate member", a striking overture as both seek to pivot away from a hostile United States under President Donald Trump. Von der Leyen's statement on Wednesday came after Prime Minister Mark Carney said earlier this week that Canada was seeking a "unique alliance" with the EU, but not membership. "I would like to work with you on opening the door for Canada to be the first associate member of the EU," von der Leyen told Carney, who was attending her annual keynote speech. The first foreign head of government to attend the annual "State of the European Union" address, his visit comes in advance of an EU-Canada summit in Montreal next month. Carney will deliver his own address to the European Parliament on Thursday.

Operation Epic Fury targets Iran's nuclear weapon program, ballistic missile sites, and drone capabilities while sanctions choke oil exports and sever economic lifelines.

IDF disabled veterans wounded during Swords of Iron face decades of rehabilitation. Warriors of Israel offers prosthetics, PTSD support, scholarships, and Paralympic training.

Burnham rejects'tax and spend socialist' comments Andy Burnham has insisted he is prepared to take difficult decisions on the economy, after a former Bank of England chief economist said investors were worried about his willingness to cut spending. Speaking on Tuesday, Andy Haldane, who has advised Burnham on the economy, claimed financial markets had grown wary of his economic plans and now considered his premiership a traditional tax and spend socialist government. But the PM rejected this, adding that he would not take risks with the economy and had already made difficult choices since taking office. It comes as recent rises to the cost of UK borrowing worsened the political options facing the government ahead of next month's Budget. Haldane said the prime minister's was facing a straight choice between raising taxes and cutting spending at the yearly spending statement due on 28 October.

British-American author and cultural commentator Bonnie Greer has died at the age of 77 after a brief illness, her husband has said. In a statement delivered with profound sadness, Greer's widower David Hutchins described her as an acclaimed playwright, author, critic, cultural and political commentator whose intelligence, courage and distinctive voice made an enduring contribution to British cultural and public life. He added: To me, she was my partner, confidante and inspiration, and I feel profoundly privileged to have shared my life with her. Hutchins continued: Those closest to Bonnie will remember her warmth, humour, generosity and extraordinary ability to bring people together. Born in Chicago in 1948, Greer wrote plays from a young age and went on to study theatre in her home city and before attending the Actors Studio in New York with director Elia Kazan.

'We're trying to raise above partisanship.' In a rare moment, left-wing US senator Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump's former adviser Steve Bannon have united to warn against the dangers of AI at the Pro-Human Assembly in Washington. Moment Kash Patel's senate hearing takes bizarre turn