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How UN chief Antonio Guterres tests the limits of quiet diplomacy

Al Jazeera

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during an interview at the United Nations headquarters, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024 [Pamela Smith/AP] United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during an interview at the United Nations headquarters, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024 [Pamela Smith/AP] Portugal's Prime Minister Antonio Guterres called President Bill Clinton from Lisbon on August 30 and September 8, 1999, to discuss the growing crisis in East Timor. The small Southeast Asian territory, which had endured a brutal Indonesian occupation since 1975, was again engulfed in violence after voters overwhelmingly chose independence in a referendum. Pro-Indonesian militias responded to the vote for independence by unleashing a so-called scorched-earth campaign, destroying infrastructure, displacing up to half a million people and killing thousands. The crisis resonated in Portugal, where linguistic, Catholic, and historical ties to its former colony helped fuel a solidarity movement. An estimated 10,000 demonstrators, dressed in white, formed human chains through Lisbon's city streets. Guterres had raised the issue before. At a 1996 summit in Bangkok, he met Indonesia's President Suharto and broached the politically sensitive topic of East Timor, offering to restore diplomatic relations (severed since the 1975 invasion) in exchange for the release of Timorese resistance leader Xanana Gusmao. The proposal was met with an awkward silence. This time, Guterres was asking the United States to support a UN mission in East Timor, but Washington was reluctant to confront Indonesia. Guterres recalled in his 2022 biography, "Honest Broker", that he warned Clinton during the second call that Portugal could reconsider its Balkan deployments if the international community failed to intervene. Portugal's contribution to NATO was small but politically well-placed, with its troops serving in the alliance's prominent post-Cold War missions in Bosnia and Kosovo. Guterres offered Clinton a choice: risk a public falling-out with a founding NATO ally, or use Washington's influence to make Indonesia accept an international force in East Timor. The next day, amid growing international pressure, the White House stated that Indonesia "must" allow international assistance.


Could AI 'change the stakes' in the development of bioweapons?

The Guardian

Sir Ken McCallum, the director general of MI5, raised concerns over the use of AI by hostile groups. Sir Ken McCallum, the director general of MI5, raised concerns over the use of AI by hostile groups. In his annual speech on threats to the nation, Sir Ken McCallum, the head of the UK's intelligence service, MI5, warned that AI had the potential to "change the stakes" on existing and even new bioweapons. Here we look at how AI might help in the development of bioweapons and the hurdles that remain. How could AI help people make bioweapons?


The best gay dating apps of 2026: Grindr isnt your only option

Mashable

From finding a boyfriend on Hinge to cruising on Sniffies, these are our top picks for different kinds of connections. Tabitha Britt is an award-winning freelance journalist, editor, and SEO/AEO strategist. Aside from reviewing dating apps and sex toys for Mashable, Tabitha is also the founding editor-in-chief of DO YOU ENDO -- a digital magazine by individuals with endometriosis, for individuals with endometriosis. She has a Master's degree in Creative Publishing and Critical Journalism from The New School for Social Research and is a grad of Sextech School. You can find more of her work in various online publications, including,, and . Editors and writers independently select products unless marked Sponsored or Promoted. Sponsored content is a paid ad, while content marked Promoted is chosen by Ziff Davis merchandising team and does not include input from individual authors. We may earn an affiliate commission if you buy through our links. These are the tech, tools, and products -- from laptops to e-readers, from earbuds to robovacs, and more -- that Mashable ranks best in class. Online dating as a gay man is a rite of passage. From the Craigslist m4m era to today's endless scroll, it's been a part of gay culture since the early days of the web. But for all the high rewards, even the best dating apps come with a unique set of challenges for LGBTQ men: ghosting, catfishing, straight guys who shouldn't be in your feed, and even some not-so-subtle fetishization. It's a lot to take in when you're just trying to find a cute guy. Yet, despite the BS, the best gay dating apps are still one of the main ways to meet new guys. In fact, a 2026 report by SSRS found that 63 percent of LGBTQIA+ adults have used a dating site or app, including 14 percent who were current users, compared to just 34 percent of non-LGBTQIA+ adults.


We're putting too much faith in AI's ability to say no

MIT Technology Review

We're putting too much faith in AI's ability to say no Today's LLMs are engineered to disobey dangerous requests. But AI refusal is far from foolproof--and could become an instrument of repression. Ever since people first seriously contemplated giving machines an intelligence modeled on our own, there has never been any question that they would, like us, be able to say no. The sci-fi canon is full of stories of robotic disobedience. Most of these capers are, of course, cautionary. But recently, the idea that AI shouldn't do everything you ask has become something like a commandment. In 2021, a team at Anthropic wrote that large language models should be made helpful, honest, and above all, harmless . This meant that "when asked to aid in a dangerous act (e.g. Who can argue with that? People really hate AI, so why can't they get enough? Curiously enough, disobedience doesn't come naturally to the machine.


One killed after sheriff's deputy collision sets off chain-reaction crash in Commerce, officials say

Los Angeles Times

Things to Do in L.A. Tap to enable a layout that focuses on the article. One killed after sheriff's deputy collision sets off chain-reaction crash in Commerce, officials say An investigation is underway after a driver was killed when a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy set off a deadly chain-reaction crash in the city of Commerce while rushing to another emergency overnight. This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here . See more from the L.A. Times in Google Search.


Fresno contractor who appeared on HGTV dies while hiking in Sequoia National Park

Los Angeles Times

Things to Do in L.A. Tap to enable a layout that focuses on the article. A contractor who has appeared on HGTV died while hiking Mt. This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here . See more from the L.A. Times in Google Search.


Trump says Putin call coming 'very soon' as US tracks suspected plague death in Russia

FOX News

President Donald Trump says he will speak with Vladimir Putin "very soon" as the U.S. tracks reports of a suspected pneumonic plague death in Russia's Siberia region.


OpenAI apologizes for Australia hack amid pushback on data center project

The Japan Times

Jason Kwon, chief strategy officer for OpenAI, speaks to the media ahead of an appearance at New South Wales parliament in Sydney on Tuesday. Sydney - OpenAI conceded Tuesday it botched the handling of a hacking incident in Australia, vowing to rebuild trust in a nation it is courting to host massive data centers. Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon appeared before Australian lawmakers to answer for the incident, in which a rogue OpenAI model bypassed safeguards to gain unauthorized access to a government health statistics website. Global unease about the power of advanced artificial intelligence is growing after a string of hacking incidents involving leading companies such as ChatGPT-creator OpenAI and rival U.S. firm Anthropic. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.


US 'watching closely' after plague researcher dies in Russia, Rubio says

BBC News

US'watching closely' after plague researcher dies in Russia, Rubio says To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The US says it is closely monitoring the case of a Russian lab technician who died at a plague research centre in Siberia. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there was concern the incident could have led to the spread of pneumonic plague, but that there was no cause for alarm. Announcing the cause of death as pneumonia of undetermined etiology, Irkutsk's governor said that no micro-organisms linked to the woman's work had been found in her biological samples. Unconfirmed reports had suggested the woman fell ill either after breaking a test tube containing the pathogen or following a field trip to a region where plague is found naturally among wild rodents. No other cases of staff from the plague institute seeking medical attention since her death had been reported, Irkutsk governor Igor Kobzev said, quoting Russia's consumer and health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor.


Grindr acquires HIV prevention med provider Freddie

Mashable

Say More Look Up Top creators, ranked Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Creator Playbook Mashable Selects In My Bag AI at School Safety Net Versus Trending Now All Series Users may soon be able to buy PrEP on Grindr. Anna Iovine is the associate editor of features at Mashable. Previously, as the sex and relationships reporter, she covered topics ranging from dating apps to pelvic pain. Before Mashable, Anna was a social editor at VICE and freelanced for publications such as Slate and the Columbia Journalism Review. Follow her on Instagram .