conflict
Architect of UK's AI policy quits after Anthropic conflict of interest concerns
Matt Clifford said he was stepping down to ensure his Anthropic role'doesn't become a distraction' for the government's AI research unit. Matt Clifford said he was stepping down to ensure his Anthropic role'doesn't become a distraction' for the government's AI research unit. Architect of UK's AI policy quits after Anthropic conflict of interest concerns The chair of the UK government's "moonshot" science and technology research unit has been forced to stand down after taking a job with the San Francisco AI firm Anthropic, in a move senior MPs called a "clear conflict of interest". Matt Clifford announced last week that he was taking a full-time job working for the company behind the Claude chatbot, "leading its engagement" with governments outside the US - including the UK. But he retained his leadership at the UK's Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria), which funds frontier science and tech projects .
US envoys meet Putin: What's behind latest diplomacy on Russia-Ukraine war?
Is the war entering a new phase? US envoys meet Putin: What's behind latest diplomacy on Russia-Ukraine war? Share US envoys meet Putin: What's behind latest diplomacy on Russia-Ukraine war? on social media US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have held talks with President Vladmir Putin in Moscow, in what appears to be new efforts by the Trump administration to end the Russia-Ukraine war. US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the envoys were bringing "a proposal to end the war" - Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II - and a senior Russian official said it was an "important peacemaking visit". Both Moscow and Kyiv announced a three-day ceasefire to coincide with the latest trip.
Israel takes its war on Palestine into the AI age
The battle over Palestine has never been fought only on the ground. For decades, Israel and its powerful political, lobbying and public-relations networks have devoted enormous resources to shaping how the conflict is understood in Washington and across the Western world. But an investigation into an Israeli-funded influence operation suggests that this campaign has entered a new and potentially more consequential arena: the artificial intelligence systems increasingly used by millions of people to determine what is true. Recent investigations exposed the Hanover Institute for Public Policy as a purported American think tank that appeared to have no real offices, identifiable scholars or meaningful institutional presence. Instead, the institute appears to have been created as a sophisticated propaganda operation aimed at shaping search engine results and influencing the answers generated by AI chatbots.
Can Ukraine's drones shut Russian airspace? What that means for airlines
Is the war entering a new phase? Can Ukraine's drones shut Russian airspace? Share Can Ukraine's drones shut Russian airspace? Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that Russian airspace is effectively closed because of the volume of Ukrainian drones in the sky. On Tuesday, he said that Russia, which began the war with the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, is now "closing its own skies".
Who are the economic winners and losers of the US-Israel war on Iran?
Who are the economic winners and losers of the US-Israel war on Iran? Share Who are the economic winners and losers of the US-Israel war on Iran? on social media Six months since the United States and Israel launched their war on Iran, triggering turmoil in world energy markets, the fallout continues to reverberate through many areas of the global economy. While the war has strained many sectors of the economy, it has also been a boon for some industries. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, alongside Iranian strikes on energy infrastructure in Gulf countries, has sent the price of oil soaring since the start of the war. That has boosted the bottom lines of some of the world's biggest energy companies.
Houthis and government trade attacks as Yemen slides back to full-scale war
Government forces have carried out dozens of attacks on Houthi positions across Yemen in the past 24 hours, the latest sign that a return to full-scale war in Yemen may be approaching. In the past day, government forces have carried out 81 attacks on Houthi positions that led to the "neutralisation" of a number of Houthi fighters and field commanders, government spokesperson Majed Abdullah al-Nuzaili said Thursday. They "successfully" hit a target at Najran airport and an Aramco facility in the province, Saree said. There was no immediate confirmation of the attacks from Saudi Arabia. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which supports the Houthis, warned on Thursday that Saudi Arabia would be "unable to contain" the Houthis as the rebels ramp up attacks on the kingdom.
South Africa to Australia: Why coal profits are surging during Iran war
What is Iran's Pickaxe Mountain? Crude oil and natural gas supplies have been disrupted worldwide by the United States-Israel war on Iran, but one energy sector appears to be cashing in - coal. This week, South Africa's thermal coal producer Thungela Resources said it had doubled its half-year profits as the war has forced more countries to buy the fuel. Mining it causes water pollution, and burning it releases enormous amounts of carbon into the atmosphere, which contributes to global warming. In recent months, several countries, especially in Asia, have reversed or delayed promises to scale back on coal production.