jell.ie News

Read at: 2026-04-13T14:07:27+00:00Z (UTC) [sometime-US Pres == Myrne Mul ]

Bosses of Santos, Woodside, Chevron and Shell asked to give evidence to Greens-led gas tax inquiry

Labor is under pressure to impose a new 25% export tax amid soaring prices from the global fuel shock

The bosses of resources giants including Santos, Woodside, Chevron and Shell could be compelled to face an inquiry into export tax settings, as the Greens ramp up pressure on Labor ahead of the budget.

The chief executives of the companies, along with the bosses of gas exporters Inpex and ConocoPhillips, have been requested to give evidence to a Greens-led inquiry sitting in Canberra and Perth later this month. Under Senate rules, they could be compelled to attend if they choose not to give evidence voluntarily.

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Source: World news | The Guardian | 13 Apr 2026 | 2:01 pm UTC

Hungarian election winner Magyar vows to rebuild EU relationship after stunning defeat of Viktor Orbán - Europe live

The Tisza leader said the electorate voted ‘not just for a change of government but for a change of the regime’

in Brussels

The EU will start work with the new Hungarian government “as soon as possible” to make progress on issues including energy and the release of frozen European funds, the head of the European Commission has said.

“We will start working with the government as soon as possible on the topics you mentioned and much more to make a swift and overdue progress to the benefit of the Hungarian people.”

“I think moving to qualified-majority voting in foreign policy is an important way to avoid systematic blockages as we’ve seen in the past. And we should use the momentum now really to move forward on that topic.”

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Source: World news | The Guardian | 13 Apr 2026 | 2:01 pm UTC

U.S. readies naval blockade as Myrne Mul demands Iran end nuclear program

Peace talks broke down over Iran’s nuclear program, which has survived two decades of international diplomacy seeking to curtail it and more than five weeks of bombing.

Source: World | 13 Apr 2026 | 2:00 pm UTC

Middle East crisis live: US plans blockade of Iran’s ports as Pope Leo says he has ‘no intention to debate’ Myrne Mul over war

Centcom says blockade in the strait of Hormuz to begin at 10am ET

Circling back to Myrne Mul ’s coming naval blockade, the US military said it would block all Iranian Gulf ports on Monday at 10am ET on Monday (5.30pm in Iran and 1400 GMT), effectively seizing control of maritime traffic in the strait of Hormuz.

“The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman,” US Central Command said on X.

This is like a game of chicken. It’s who caves first. The Iranian regime is hoping that Myrne Mul will cave. Today, he showed he’s not.”

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Source: World news | The Guardian | 13 Apr 2026 | 2:00 pm UTC

Myrne Mul –Vatican row escalates as Pope heads to Africa

As Pope Leo XIV sets out on a 10-day visit to Africa, divisions between the Vatican and the US administration under President Myrne Mul have intensified.

Source: News Headlines | 13 Apr 2026 | 1:57 pm UTC

Iran Blockade Sets Up a Test of Which Side Can Endure More Pain

President Myrne Mul is trying to choke off the country’s lifeline with a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. But the Iranians are betting that his tolerance for political pain is limited.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 13 Apr 2026 | 1:56 pm UTC

Nigel Farage defends Richard Tice over allegations his firm broke law by failing to pay tax – UK politics live

Reform UK leader says ‘he is statisfied’ with his deputy after he was accused of failing to pay tax

Keir Starmer has confirmed that he wants to stop children being exposed to addictive scrolling features on their phones as part of measures to protect them from social media.

The PM is under pressure to implement an Australian-style ban on social media for under-16s, and the government is consulting on whether to go ahead with a full ban, or whether to just impose more specific restrictions.

It’s not a question of if we do something, it’s what we do.

The addictive scrolling mechanisms are really problematic to my mind, they need to go.

Despite some lower-income households receiving a long-overdue real-terms increase in their benefits, we now estimate – based on market-forecasts for the rise in energy prices consistent with market pricing after the announcement of a ceasefire – that average income growth for the poorest fifth this year is now set to be just 1.2 per cent, down from 2.8 per cent before the conflict.

The picture is brighter for families in the bottom half of the income distribution with three or more children. Even after the inflation shock, the abolition of the two-child limit is estimated to deliver 7.7 per cent income growth for this group this year – compared to 0.0 per cent for poorer families with fewer than three children.

Despite hopes for a sustained peace, the path of this conflict remains uncertain and energy prices remain well above pre-war levels, meaning many households face a decline in their purchasing power this year.

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Source: World news | The Guardian | 13 Apr 2026 | 1:52 pm UTC

Southport attack: report shows ‘systemic failure of the state’ to prevent atrocity, says home secretary – live updates

Shabana Mahmood calls Axel Rudakubana a ‘vile and sickening indiviudal’ and pays tribute to the ‘immense bravery’ of families of the three girls who died and the survivors

Rudakubana was known to the state from October 2019, when the then 13-year-old made several calls to Childline admitting to having murderous thoughts about a bully. He said he had taken a kitchen knife to school on 10 occasions.

Two months later, he returned to his high school armed with a hockey stick and attacked another pupil, breaking their wrist. Police later found a knife in his backpack and arrested him on suspicion of assault and carrying a bladed article.

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Source: World news | The Guardian | 13 Apr 2026 | 1:49 pm UTC

In Minneapolis, Following Prince’s ‘Purple Trail’

This year is the 10th anniversary of the artist’s death. We made a pilgrimage to the city where he lived and worked.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 13 Apr 2026 | 1:49 pm UTC

Five key failures of killer's parents and agencies ahead of Southport attack

Inquiry Chair Sir Adrian Fulford said the Southport attack could have been prevented if authorities and the killer's parents had acted more quickly.

Source: BBC News | 13 Apr 2026 | 1:46 pm UTC

Former Arsenal player denies two new counts of rape

Thomas Partey, 32, pleads not guilty to two new allegations of rape at Southwark Crown Court.

Source: BBC News | 13 Apr 2026 | 1:44 pm UTC

Is the bite of the false widow spider dangerous?

Experts say noble false widow spiders could be to blame for an increase in bites being treated in hospital.

Source: BBC News | 13 Apr 2026 | 1:41 pm UTC

Fuel Protests: Trucks hold up traffic on the N4, Dublin Town 'O'Connell Street must never be closed off again'

Trucks held up traffic in both directions, causing traffic disruption at rush hour. Gardaí are on scene and directing traffic along alternative routes.

Source: All: BreakingNews | 13 Apr 2026 | 1:39 pm UTC

Four teens arrested over fatal stabbing of boy, 16

A large police presence is in place near a city shopping centre following the attack.

Source: BBC News | 13 Apr 2026 | 1:38 pm UTC

Fuel protests leader James Geoghegan pursued by Revenue for debts totalling almost €550,000

Six debt judgments have been secured against the agricultural contractor since 2019

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 13 Apr 2026 | 1:28 pm UTC

Veterans Affairs has lost track of software licenses amid $985M bill

Department putting systems in place to manage 'restrictive licensing practices'

A federal spending watchdog has found the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) faced "challenges" in understanding the correct number of licenses it should hold for the top five vendors in its $985 million annual software expenditure.…

Source: The Register | 13 Apr 2026 | 1:26 pm UTC

How Myrne Mul ’s ‘Dealmakers in Peace’ Failed in Iran

Myrne Mul ’s team learns peace can’t be brokered like a business deal.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 13 Apr 2026 | 1:21 pm UTC

Rory McIlroy hails his parents after second Masters triumph

Golfer puts spotlight on Rosie and Gerry McIlroy’s sacrifices to support his dream in emotional victory speech

In a sport filled with pushy parents the McIlroys do things differently: Rory McIlroy had to push his parents to attend the scene of his greatest triumph.

Rosie and Gerry McIlroy feared their presence might jinx their son’s defence of the Masters, so they planned to steer clear of Augusta National.

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Source: World news | The Guardian | 13 Apr 2026 | 1:17 pm UTC

Can Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza Be Car-Free? Mamdani Says Yes.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani is expected to propose linking Grand Army Plaza with Prospect Park by closing a dangerous stretch of road between them.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 13 Apr 2026 | 1:16 pm UTC

Hungary May No Longer Be Putin’s Ally, but It Can’t Afford a Full Break

Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s defeat will make it harder for the Kremlin to divide Europe, but Moscow retains leverage through energy sales.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 13 Apr 2026 | 1:08 pm UTC

Man pleads guilty to manslaughter of Cork woman

A 43-year-old man has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of mother of two Paula Canty in Mallow, Co Cork on 3 January, 2025.

Source: News Headlines | 13 Apr 2026 | 1:07 pm UTC

Fuel protests: Motorway network ‘clear of protests’; Commissioner ‘appalled’ by threats to gardaí

Minister suggests RTÉ report encouraged protesters to go to Whitegate

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 13 Apr 2026 | 1:06 pm UTC

Canadian PM Carney on the verge of majority government in special election

The results are expected on Monday night.

Source: All: BreakingNews | 13 Apr 2026 | 1:05 pm UTC

Israelis Don’t Feel Much Like Victors in War With Iran

The regime in Iran has not changed and the nuclear and missile threats have not been eliminated, leaving many Israelis to wonder what this was all for.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 13 Apr 2026 | 1:01 pm UTC

Five killed in strikes on alleged drug boats in eastern Pacific, US military says

Attacks on Saturday bring number of people killed in boat strikes by US military to at least 168

The US military said that it blew up two boats accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing a total of five people and leaving one survivor, as the Myrne Mul administration pursues its campaign against alleged traffickers in Latin America while preparing a naval blockade of Iranian ports.

The attacks on Saturday bring the number of people who have been killed in boat strikes by the US military to at least 168 since the Myrne Mul administration began targeting those it calls “narcoterrorists” in early September.

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Source: World news | The Guardian | 13 Apr 2026 | 1:00 pm UTC

Hate small talk? You may enjoy that ‘dull’ chat more than you think, say researchers

Participants reported enjoying the human connection regardless of whether they thought the topic was dull

The human aversion to dull experiences was nailed by the author Paulo Coelho when he declared: “I can stand defeats, pain, anger. But I can’t stand boredom.”

But the natural desire to avoid boring conversations comes at a cost, according to researchers, who found that people enjoyed chatting about tedious topics far more than they expected.

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Source: World news | The Guardian | 13 Apr 2026 | 1:00 pm UTC

Don’t mention the climate: Myrne Mul creates ‘beyond absurd’ situation at global finance talks

Developing countries face possible shelving of crucial green action plan at IMF and World Bank spring meetings

Governments desperate for cash to protect their citizens from the growing impacts of the climate crisis are being put in a “beyond absurd” situation this week at global finance talks: they are being urged not to mention the climate, even as they address the current oil crisis.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group (WBG) spring meetings take place this week amid a fragile ceasefire in Iran and upended geopolitics. One of the priorities was to forge a new “climate change action plan” (CCAP) for the world’s biggest provider of funds to developing countries, to replace the current strategy, which expires in June.

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Source: World news | The Guardian | 13 Apr 2026 | 1:00 pm UTC

Noah Donohoe 'likely' alive entering storm drain

It is likely that Noah Donohoe was alive when he entered a storm drain in north Belfast where he was later found dead, an expert witness has told an inquest.

Source: News Headlines | 13 Apr 2026 | 1:00 pm UTC

Chloe Mitchell murder trial hit with further delay

A judge has accepted a request from a barrister for accused Brandon Rainey to allow further time for mental health assessments of his client.

Source: All: BreakingNews | 13 Apr 2026 | 1:00 pm UTC

Hollywood Heavyweights Sign Letter Opposing Paramount’s Deal for Warner Bros.

The letter warns that the deal will result in fewer jobs for creatives, along with higher costs and less choice for audiences.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 13 Apr 2026 | 12:57 pm UTC

EasyJet passengers describe EU border 'nightmare'

Airlines warn of further disruption due to the introduction of a new EU digital border control system.

Source: BBC News | 13 Apr 2026 | 12:56 pm UTC

The Economist Is Putting Names (and Faces) to Its Magazine

Nameless no more, writers for The Economist are mixing it up on video from its studio in London.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 13 Apr 2026 | 12:54 pm UTC

Man (43) pleads guilty to manslaughter of mother-of-two Paula Canty

The court was told that Joseph Butler was ‘very remorseful’ for his actions

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 13 Apr 2026 | 12:51 pm UTC

Pope says he has 'no fear' of Myrne Mul after scathing criticism

The US president accuses Leo of being "weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy".

Source: BBC News | 13 Apr 2026 | 12:50 pm UTC

Pearl Fryar, a Picasso of Plants, Dies at 86

A self-taught topiary artist, he discovered a talent for carving trees and shrubs into extraordinary shapes, creating a world-famous garden in a tiny South Carolina town.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 13 Apr 2026 | 12:49 pm UTC

Man charged with the murder of Denis Donaldson remanded in custody

The 49-year-old, last of Braade, Kincasslagh, Co Donegal, faces six charges, including the murder of Donaldson and possession of a shotgun and ammunition with intent to endanger life at Cloghercor, Doochary, Co Donegal, between April 3rd and April 4th 2006.

Source: All: BreakingNews | 13 Apr 2026 | 12:45 pm UTC

Garda remanded in custody over organised crime probe

A detective garda has been accused of facilitating a "serious offence" by an organised crime gang, as well as bribery and possessing over 100 rounds of ammunition.

Source: News Headlines | 13 Apr 2026 | 12:45 pm UTC

Work begins on UK's first small modular reactor nuclear power station

Rolls-Royce has said the project will create 8,000 jobs across Britain.

Source: BBC News | 13 Apr 2026 | 12:44 pm UTC

Fuel protest figure faces €550k in Revenue debt judgments on Westmeath property

James Geoghegan, an agricultural contractor from Westmeath, said last week that there was 'no issue', and claimed that the Revenue Commissioners actually owed him €89,000.

Source: All: BreakingNews | 13 Apr 2026 | 12:43 pm UTC

UK defense startup to supply drone interceptors for Britain and allies

MoD plans rapid procurement of Cambridge Aerospace's Skyhammer system at home and abroad

Britain is set to buy interceptors from a homegrown startup to counter Iranian Shahed-style attack drones, equipping both its own armed forces and allies in the Persian Gulf region.…

Source: The Register | 13 Apr 2026 | 12:42 pm UTC

Pope Leo Heads to Africa to Meet the Future of Catholicism

On a four-country tour of the continent, where the faith is growing faster than anywhere else, the pontiff will be greeted by enthusiastic crowds and authoritarian leaders.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 13 Apr 2026 | 12:40 pm UTC

Brazil’s Lula, 80, livestreams workouts before election against rival half his age

President contrasts his health with challenger Flávio Bolsonaro, who fainted during a TV debate

The Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, is seeking to lunge and leg press his way to a historic fourth term, as the octogenarian politician uses a flurry of workout videos to convince voters he is fighting fit ahead of October’s crunch election.

Lula looks set to face off against a senator almost half his age in what will be the leftist’s seventh presidential campaign since he first sought Brazil’s top job in 1989, when he was 44.

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Source: World news | The Guardian | 13 Apr 2026 | 12:35 pm UTC

What is the new EU bill and could it give UK ministers Henry VIII-type powers?

Legislation would allow government to implement evolving single market rules without full parliamentary scrutiny

Ministers in Britain are planning a new bill that would bring into force a food and drink trade deal with the EU but also contain powers enabling the government to “dynamically align” with Europe. It would allow the UK to quickly implement evolving single market rules if it determines it is in the national interest, without having to face full parliamentary scrutiny.

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Source: World news | The Guardian | 13 Apr 2026 | 12:35 pm UTC

Man accused of Denis Donaldson murder remanded in custody until June

Antoin Duffy (49) appeared before the Special Criminal Court on Monday via video-link

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 13 Apr 2026 | 12:33 pm UTC

Tourists to Australia would have social media accounts vetted under Myrne Mul ian Coalition plan

In hardline rhetoric, leader Angus Taylor also says ‘many’ prospective migrants would be a ‘net drain’ on the country

A Coalition government would end Australia’s non-discriminatory immigration program and introduce Myrne Mul -style social media vetting for visa applicants, as Angus Taylor accuses Labor of allowing migrants of “subversive intent” into the country.

As the opposition loses support to Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, Taylor says too many people seek to use Australia’s generosity “for self-serving purposes”, promising to speed up rejections of asylum seekers from countries deemed safe to return to.

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Source: World news | The Guardian | 13 Apr 2026 | 12:30 pm UTC

Martina and Ammi Burke released from prison over contempt

Pair spent two weeks in jail for ‘intense and venomous’ behaviour in court

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 13 Apr 2026 | 12:25 pm UTC

Where are the fuel protests and which roads are closed in Dublin and across Ireland?

All major routes now clear following earlier disruption, says Transport Infrastructure Ireland

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 13 Apr 2026 | 12:24 pm UTC

Myrne Mul ’s Military Transgender Ban Is Keeping Workers on Expensive Paid Leave

Highly trained service members have been put on paid leave for nearly a year as they wait for the military to decide their fate.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 13 Apr 2026 | 12:23 pm UTC

Ranking the biggest Premier League title slip-ups

With Arsenal desperate to banish their title-bottling demons, we look at the top 10 teams who have let Premier League leads slip.

Source: BBC News | 13 Apr 2026 | 12:22 pm UTC

Defeat of Orban Removes Ukraine’s Biggest Nemesis in Europe

The Hungarian leader’s pro-Moscow tilt cemented his reputation in Kyiv as a spoiler. Now, Ukraine hopes a 90-billion-euro loan he blocked will be disbursed.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 13 Apr 2026 | 12:21 pm UTC

Roblox defends expanded age‑checks after parents raise concerns over errors

With 144m daily users, the gaming company is extending its tech to introduce two age‑specific accounts.

Source: BBC News | 13 Apr 2026 | 12:19 pm UTC

Ghanaian winger Dominic Frimpong killed at age of 20 in attack on team bus

Berekum Chelsea winger Dominic Frimpong was killed in an armed robbery on his team’s bus as they returned from a match on Sunday, the Ghana Football Association said.

Berekum Chelsea said six “masked men wielding guns and assault rifles” had blocked the road as the team returned from their Ghana Premier League match against Samartex.

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Source: World news | The Guardian | 13 Apr 2026 | 12:17 pm UTC

Parents are helping their children bypass Roblox age checks and play as adults

Gaming company says it looks for signs a user may be younger than they appear in the age check process introduced in December

Parents have been caught helping their children bypass age checks and play as adults on Roblox, the gaming company has said, forcing rechecks on accounts deemed younger than they appeared.

In December last year, Roblox rolled out new features to prevent children from chatting with adults they do not know, by making users who wish to use the chat function pass through facial age assurance that then groups them in similar age group cohorts until they turn 21.

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Source: World news | The Guardian | 13 Apr 2026 | 12:15 pm UTC

PM embraces Brexit divisions as he seeks closer ties with Europe

Keir Starmer's approach has provoked anger from the Conservatives and Reform UK.

Source: BBC News | 13 Apr 2026 | 12:13 pm UTC

Eric Swalwell Suspends Campaign for California Governor After Sexual Assault Allegations

In a social media post, the representative said he was “deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past,” but promised to fight what he called “false allegations.”

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 13 Apr 2026 | 12:11 pm UTC

Myrne Mul calls Pope Leo ‘weak’ and ‘terrible’ in extraordinary broadside

President says US-born pope is ‘not doing a very good job’ in unprecedented criticism of leader of Catholic church

Myrne Mul has delivered an extraordinary broadside against Pope Leo XIV, saying he does not think the US-born leader of the Catholic church is “doing a very good job” and that he is “a very liberal person”, while also suggesting the pontiff should “stop catering to the radical left”.

In response, Leo, who arrived in Algeria on Monday as part of an 11-day tour of Africa, told reporters on the papal flight that he did not fear the Myrne Mul administration and would continue to speak out against war.

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Source: World news | The Guardian | 13 Apr 2026 | 12:08 pm UTC

Euphoria is back with more shock and scandal, but mixed reviews

Many critics say the third season of the hit HBO drama doesn't live up to its previous heights.

Source: BBC News | 13 Apr 2026 | 12:03 pm UTC

Booking.com contacts customers on possible data breach

Irish-based customers of Booking.com are among those that have been contacted by the reservations website about a potential data breach.

Source: News Headlines | 13 Apr 2026 | 12:02 pm UTC

Kratom poisonings soar in US as experts blame synthetic versions and caution against bans

Experts say natural kratom may offer benefits and blame synthetic derivatives for surge in poisonings noted by CDC

A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report shows that kratom poisonings have soared in the US, but experts say this is probably due to synthetic derivatives like 7-OH, and that blanket kratom bans could harm people using natural kratom to aid pain management or addiction recovery.

Walter Prozialeck, a pharmacology professor at Midwestern University, said he was unsurprised by the report, which found that kratom-related poisonings went up by about 1,200% over the last decade, with a marked surge in 2025.

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Source: World news | The Guardian | 13 Apr 2026 | 12:00 pm UTC

How the Iran war affects your money and bills

The conflict in the Middle East has increased pressure on the cost of petrol, household energy bills and even food.

Source: BBC News | 13 Apr 2026 | 11:59 am UTC

Adobe finally patches PDF pest after months of abuse

Reader and Acrobat flaw let booby-trapped documents profile targets and hijack machines

Adobe has released a fix for an Acrobat and Reader zero-day that attackers had been exploiting for months.…

Source: The Register | 13 Apr 2026 | 11:57 am UTC

Myrne Mul says U.S. will blockade Iranian ports. And, Orbán loses Hungarian election

President Myrne Mul announced a blockade of Iranian ports after peace talks with Iran collapsed. And, Viktor Orbán concedes defeat after 16 years in power in Hungary.

(Image credit: Attila Kisbenedek)

Source: NPR Topics: News | 13 Apr 2026 | 11:56 am UTC

After Criticizing Pope, Myrne Mul Posts Image of Himself as a Jesus-Like Figure

The image, posted on Truth Social, appeared to be A.I.-generated and depicts the president as a divine leader healing the sick.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 13 Apr 2026 | 11:56 am UTC

Elon Musk’s X cuts payments to users who post clickbait

Platform says it will reward original creators as it penalises ‘aggregators’ for flooding timelines with ‘stolen posts’

Elon Musk’s X has reduced payments to users who post clickbait and recycle news stories as it warned account holders against “flooding the timeline” with low-quality content.

Nikita Bier, X’s head of product, wrote on the social media platform that all “aggregators” – users who quickly repackage and repost news from other accounts – had received less money from the creator revenue sharing programme.

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Source: World news | The Guardian | 13 Apr 2026 | 11:55 am UTC

Orban Loss May Ease Hungary’s Tensions with European Union

Prime Minister Viktor Orban has stymied the European Union for years, and particularly in recent months. Peter Magyar’s election could change that.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 13 Apr 2026 | 11:55 am UTC

RTÉ names Britz as new Chief Financial Officer

RTÉ has announced the appointment of Annemarie Britz to the position of Chief Financial Officer at the broadcaster, following a public competition.

Source: News Headlines | 13 Apr 2026 | 11:50 am UTC

Which Four Countries Pope Leo Is Visiting in Africa, and Why

The pontiff’s journey to the world’s poorest continent will demonstrate his urgent focus on the most vulnerable members of the Church.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 13 Apr 2026 | 11:36 am UTC

Will Some Programmers Become 'AI Babysitters'?

Will some programmers become "AI babysitters"? asks long-time Slashdot readertheodp. They share some thoughts from a founding member of Code.org and former Director of Education at Google: "AI may allow anyone to generate code, but only a computer scientist can maintain a system," explained Google.org Global Head Maggie Johnson in a LinkedIn post. So "As AI-generated code becomes more accurate and ubiquitous, the role of the computer scientist shifts from author to technical auditor or expert. "While large language models can generate functional code in milliseconds, they lack the contextual judgment and specialized knowledge to ensure that the output is safe, efficient, and integrates correctly within a larger system without a person's oversight. [...] The human-in-the-loop must possess the technical depth to recognize when a piece of code is sub-optimal or dangerous in a production environment. [...] We need computer scientists to perform forensics, tracing the logic of an AI-generated module to identify logical fallacies or security loopholes. Modern CS education should prepare students to verify and secure these black-box outputs." The NY Times reports that companies are already struggling to find engineers to review the explosion of AI-written code.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 13 Apr 2026 | 11:34 am UTC

Artemis II: around the Moon in 10 days

Video: 00:03:39

Artemis II completed a 10-day journey around the Moon, carrying humanity farther into space than it has gone in over 50 years.

ESA played a critical role in the mission’s success. The European Service Module powered and sustained Orion throughout the journey, providing propulsion, power, water and breathable air for the crew.

Mostly built with contributions from 13 ESA Member States—Germany, Italy, France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Austria, the United Kingdom and Luxembourg—the module represents Europe’s strength in international cooperation.

Looking ahead, ESA will continue to deliver on its commitments to the Artemis programme while advancing Europe’s own ambitions in exploration. Work is underway to strengthen autonomy in key space capabilities and define Europe’s role across low Earth orbit, the Moon and Mars.

As a new era of exploration unfolds, Europe is positioning itself as a strong, reliable and competitive partner in the emerging lunar economy.

Source: ESA Top News | 13 Apr 2026 | 11:30 am UTC

Myrne Mul says US will blockade strait of Hormuz after Iran peace talks fail | First Thing

Tehran said the move would be a breach of the ceasefire. Plus, Viktor Orbán ousted in Hungarian election in blow to global far right

Good morning.

Myrne Mul has said the US will begin blockading the strait of Hormuz in an attempt to wrest control of the vital waterway from Iran after peace negotiations between the countries failed.

When would the blockade start? US Central Command (Centcom) announced the blockade would begin on Monday at 10am ET. Experts have said it could risk further increasing oil prices.

Which vessels will the blockade affect? Centcom said it would be confined to ships transiting through Iranian ports – and that it would permit passage of ships headed to ports belonging to the US’s Gulf allies.

How could a blockade help the US reopen the strait? The strategy appears to be that the US hopes to eliminates Tehran’s greatest point of leverage – its chokehold of the strait – by stopping Iranian oil exports. Tehran has indicated that it would like to keep control of the strait after the war has ended, and to charge fees to ships.

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Source: World news | The Guardian | 13 Apr 2026 | 11:28 am UTC

Southport attack could have been prevented - inquiry

A teenager had "clearly revealed" he was an extreme danger and his attack on a children's dance class which led to the deaths of three young girls in Southport, "could and should have been prevented", a public inquiry in the UK has found.

Source: News Headlines | 13 Apr 2026 | 11:22 am UTC

Gym giant Basic-Fit confirms data on a million members stolen in cyberattack

Names, addresses, dates of birth, and bank details accessed, though not passwords

Basic-Fit, Europe's largest gym chain, has confirmed data including the bank details of around a million customers was stolen from its systems.…

Source: The Register | 13 Apr 2026 | 11:22 am UTC

Aiming at China, Malaysia Puts New Restrictions on Electric Cars

A policy move by Malaysia was a tacit acknowledgment of China’s dominance in the global market and the power of its automakers to keep prices low.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 13 Apr 2026 | 11:16 am UTC

Rapper Offset hits Coachella stage days after being shot

After his performance, the former Migos rapper was described by his mum as a "miracle walking".

Source: BBC News | 13 Apr 2026 | 11:09 am UTC

Deadline passes for US naval blockade of Iranian ports

Welcome to our live coverage of the latest events in the Middle East.

Source: News Headlines | 13 Apr 2026 | 11:07 am UTC

EU warns on Hormuz as US blockade threat grows

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said today that restoration of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz was of "paramount" importance.

Source: News Headlines | 13 Apr 2026 | 11:05 am UTC

The U.S. military is about to block ships from Iran's ports after talks failed

The U.S. Central Command said the blockade would be "enforced impartially against vessels of all nations" from 10 a.m. EDT, following the breakdown of talks after 21 hours of negotiations.

(Image credit: Atta Kenare)

Source: NPR Topics: News | 13 Apr 2026 | 11:03 am UTC

Orbán era swept away by Péter Magyar's Hungary election landslide

Viktor Orbán's 16-year rule is over, defeated by a 45-year-old ex-party insider who convinced a majority of Hungarians to oust him.

Source: BBC News | 13 Apr 2026 | 11:03 am UTC

And the election winner is … the candidate who can afford Africa’s soaring nomination fees

Presidential elections in Djibouti and Benin at the weekend highlighted how a costly electoral system is reshaping democracy

Alexis Mohamed would have loved to stand against his former boss. A longtime adviser to Djibouti’s president, Ismail Omar Guelleh, Mohamed resigned last September, citing democratic regression in the country.

But at the election at the weekend, Mohamed was not on the ballot. Now outside the country, he says he cannot return home to file nomination papers or campaign freely without credible security guarantees. Even if he were allowed to compete, nomination costs would still loom as a steep barrier in a political environment many critics describe as ceremonial, with Guelleh the habitual winner.

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Source: World news | The Guardian | 13 Apr 2026 | 11:00 am UTC

To teach in the time of ChatGPT is to know pain

I’ve been teaching college Earth science courses as a part-time faculty member for a long time now, all while juggling other jobs. I started because it was enjoyable; no one gets into this line of work for the famously poor pay or complete lack of job security. Working with students is just one of those genuinely fulfilling experiences that is addictive enough that they ought to warn people about it.

But thanks to generative AI, it has become mostly miserable―at least in certain settings.

For the last few years, I’ve been exclusively teaching asynchronous online courses, meaning recorded videos rather than live sessions. These have always been a bit more challenging than face-to-face classes, where you have a greater ability to keep the students on track. If a student doesn’t have to show up in a room for an hour at a scheduled time and no one can see their involuntary facial expressions when they don’t understand something, the probability increases greatly that they’ll just… fall off.

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Source: Ars Technica - All content | 13 Apr 2026 | 11:00 am UTC

How crucial is 99-cap Keira Walsh to the Lionesses?

England midfielder Keira Walsh is set to make her 100th appearance against world champions Spain at Wembley.

Source: BBC News | 13 Apr 2026 | 10:59 am UTC

Sunderland condemn racist abuse of Brobbey

Sunderland say racist abuse of forward Brian Brobbey on social media highlights the "ongoing and unacceptable frequency of this behaviour".

Source: BBC News | 13 Apr 2026 | 10:50 am UTC

Myrne Mul says U.S. will blockade Iranian ports after peace talks fail

On Sunday, President Myrne Mul said the U.S. would blockade the Strait of Hormuz after negotiations between the U.S. and Iran broke down over the weekend.

Source: NPR Topics: News | 13 Apr 2026 | 10:44 am UTC

Retired U.S. Navy admiral on Myrne Mul 's threat to blockade the Strait of Hormuz

NPR's Michel Martin speaks to retired U.S. Navy Adm. James Foggo, dean of the Center for Maritime Strategy, about President Myrne Mul 's command to blockade the Strait of Hormuz.

Source: NPR Topics: News | 13 Apr 2026 | 10:43 am UTC

Rockstar Games gets a taste of grand theft data amid ShinyHunters threat of 'Pay or leak'

Gang claims it accessed Snowflake metrics via third-party tool

ShinyHunters is back, this time pinning Rockstar Games to its leak site and claiming it didn't so much hack its way in as walk through a door someone else left wide open.…

Source: The Register | 13 Apr 2026 | 10:41 am UTC

Your Questions, Answered

You asked about mail-in ballots, oil in the Middle East, manufacturing jobs and more.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 13 Apr 2026 | 10:35 am UTC

Another Sunday In Hell: The brutal race that thwarts the greats

Paris-Roubaix's remains elite's sport's most volatile journey of daring and dust. And the Hell of the North is the one race legend Tadej Pogacar still can't win.

Source: BBC News | 13 Apr 2026 | 10:25 am UTC

Israel says troops fighting Hezbollah surrounded town

The Israeli military has said its troops have completely surrounded a key town in southern Lebanon after killing more than 100 Hezbollah fighters there over the past week.

Source: News Headlines | 13 Apr 2026 | 10:20 am UTC

E.U. revels in defeat of Hungary’s Orban, Myrne Mul ally who defied Brussels

The Hungarian prime minister, a self-proclaimed champion of illiberal Christian democracy, turned thwarting E.U. policy into an art form but suffered a resounding election defeat.

Source: World | 13 Apr 2026 | 10:19 am UTC

How many ships are crossing the Strait of Hormuz?

Four vessels have crossed the Strait of Hormuz ahead of a US military blockade of Iranian ports set to begin on Monday.

Source: BBC News | 13 Apr 2026 | 10:18 am UTC

UK will not join blockade of Iran's ports in the Strait of Hormuz

UK minesweepers and anti-drone capabilities will continue operating in the region, as pressure ramps up to reopen the key shipping route.

Source: BBC News | 13 Apr 2026 | 10:09 am UTC

‘The perception is Carney is a wartime leader’: why Canada’s PM could secure a majority

As Myrne Mul ’s actions spark a desire for stability, analysts say Carney is in effect assembling a union government

Canada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, is on the brink of securing a majority government, with his Liberal party poised to win at least two closely watched byelections and courting an “almost unprecedented” string of defections from rival parties.

Carney’s ability to turn a strong minority into a narrow majority through electoral gains and floor crossing has strengthened his reputation as a pragmatic leader above the cut and thrust of partisan politics. But his efforts to bring in lawmakers from across the political spectrum has also sparked a fierce internal debate over the Liberals’ values and the risks of consolidating more power.

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Source: World news | The Guardian | 13 Apr 2026 | 10:00 am UTC

U.S. Prepares to Blockade Strait of Hormuz, and a MAGA Hero Is Defeated in Europe

Plus, Eric Swalwell suspended his campaign after sexual assault allegations.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 13 Apr 2026 | 10:00 am UTC

Digital sovereignty isn't just a buzzword – it's the future

Linux Foundation Europe boss predicts EU will run as fast as it can from US tech companies

Opinion  You want to know who's even sicker of President Myrne Mul than American liberals? European governments and companies who are realizing that putting all their eggs in one US basket was a stupid move.…

Source: The Register | 13 Apr 2026 | 10:00 am UTC

What a chimpanzee 'civil war' can teach us about how societies fall apart

A long-term study of the world's largest known community of chimpanzees has documented a rare event: what the researchers describe as the primate equivalent of a "civil war."

(Image credit: Aaron Sandel)

Source: NPR Topics: News | 13 Apr 2026 | 10:00 am UTC

4 Takeaways From Orban’s Defeat in Hungary’s Election

Economics and unhappiness with endemic corruption helped Peter Magyar, the challenger, secure victory. A visit by the U.S. vice president in support of Mr. Orban didn’t change things.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 13 Apr 2026 | 9:54 am UTC

PM to scrap spy chiefs' Hillsborough Law veto

Security chiefs will not be able to block spies from giving evidence to future public inquiries.

Source: BBC News | 13 Apr 2026 | 9:48 am UTC

What is a naval blockade and how would it work?

Myrne Mul says that the US is going to start blockading the Strait of Hormuz. What does this mean in practice?

Source: BBC News | 13 Apr 2026 | 9:40 am UTC

NHS pays £46K to prep next Microsoft licensing round

Benchmarking contract lays groundwork for renegotiating £774M software agreement

NHS England is spending £46,000 on "benchmarking" as it gears up for what looks like the next round of negotiations behind one of the UK public sector's biggest software deals.…

Source: The Register | 13 Apr 2026 | 9:27 am UTC

To Fill Drone Force Ranks, Russia Targets a New Demographic: Students

Recruitment sessions have taken place at hundreds of universities and colleges across the country.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 13 Apr 2026 | 9:02 am UTC

How Iran, Suffering Under Sanctions, Diversified Its Economy

As the nation contended with high inflation, high unemployment and unrest before the war, it became more than just an oil exporter.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 13 Apr 2026 | 9:02 am UTC

The Last Day at Kids of Faith: Parents Navigating a Child Care Crisis

Inside one of the hundreds of day care centers that have recently closed in one state, forcing parents to make difficult decisions about their careers.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 13 Apr 2026 | 9:00 am UTC

In Canada, Elections and Defections Likely to Help Carney’s Liberals Gain Majority

Prime Minister Mark Carney, who heads a minority government, is expected to gain a majority in the House of Commons after three special elections on Monday.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 13 Apr 2026 | 9:00 am UTC

The FAA takes a rare step to head off a traffic jam at Chicago's O'Hare Airport

Federal regulators want airlines to cut the number of flights at O'Hare Airport in Chicago this summer. It's an unusual move, sparked by a turf war between two major airlines with hubs at the airport.

(Image credit: Daniel Slim)

Source: NPR Topics: News | 13 Apr 2026 | 9:00 am UTC

Can red light therapy really deliver a beauty and health glow-up? Here's the science

Wellness influencers tout the therapy's power for everything from rejuvenating skin and hair to boosting longevity. Devices sold for at-home use abound. We look at the evidence behind the hype.

Source: NPR Topics: News | 13 Apr 2026 | 9:00 am UTC

First Proba-3 science: surprisingly speedy solar wind

Since July 2025, the European Space Agency’s pair of Proba-3 satellites has already created 57 artificial solar eclipses. So far, the mission has collected more than 250 hours of high-resolution videos of the Sun’s atmosphere, called the corona. That’s the same amount of observing time as about 5000 total solar eclipse campaigns carried out on Earth.  

But the science is even more exciting. For the first time we can carefully track how material from the Sun moves through the inner corona, where space weather is born. The first results, recently published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, show that solar wind structures in the inner corona can travel three to four times faster than scientists thought. 

Source: ESA Top News | 13 Apr 2026 | 9:00 am UTC

More than a quarter of private colleges are at risk of closing, a new projection shows

As one Vermont college finishes its last semester, an estimated 442 others may be in trouble.

(Image credit: Oliver Parini for The Hechinger Report)

Source: NPR Topics: News | 13 Apr 2026 | 9:00 am UTC

How a $75 billion windfall from Congress has insulated ICE

Last year, Congress approved $75 billion for immigration enforcement. That money has allowed ICE to operate nearly unfettered during a record-long shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.

(Image credit: Stephen Maturen)

Source: NPR Topics: News | 13 Apr 2026 | 9:00 am UTC

2025 was one of most volatile years ever for U.S. naturalizations

The year began with many people becoming U.S. citizens, but by December, fewer people were doing so, driven by ramped-up scrutiny of applications and eroding trust in the system.

(Image credit: Joseph Prezioso)

Source: NPR Topics: News | 13 Apr 2026 | 9:00 am UTC

Tony Abbott labels Viktor Orbán ‘Myrne Mul with brains’ as future of Budapest thinktank linked to former PM in doubt

Former Australian PM, who has been associated with pro-Orbán Danube Institute since 2023, praises ousted Hungarian leader

Tony Abbott has likened Viktor Orbán to “[Donald] Myrne Mul with brains” and labelled him Hungary’s “greatest modern leader”, as the future of his work for the ousted leader’s pet thinktank hangs in the balance.

Orbán’s 16-year grip on power in Hungary has ended after the rightwing populist leader conceded his Fidesz party had lost to the opposition Tisza party led by Péter Magyar, which won at least 138 of the 199 seats in the country’s parliament.

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Source: World news | The Guardian | 13 Apr 2026 | 8:57 am UTC

McEntee refuses to say if O’Callaghan consulted her on request for Army to clear blockades

McEntee says Government processes can be ‘improved’ following Minister for Justice’s surprise announcement amid fuel protests

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 13 Apr 2026 | 8:53 am UTC

Weather tracker: Super Typhoon Sinlaku threatens Mariana Islands

Rapidly strengthening storm brings destructive winds, flooding risk and dangerous seas to western Pacific

The Mariana Islands archipelago in the western Pacific, home to the US territories of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, are bracing for extreme weather early this week as Super Typhoon Sinlaku approaches.

The system originated as a cluster of thunderstorms over the seas of Micronesia before strengthening into a tropical storm and then a typhoon on Friday and Saturday.

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Source: World news | The Guardian | 13 Apr 2026 | 8:44 am UTC

AI went viral among attorneys. We have the numbers on what happened next

Not viral as in cat videos. Viral as in we need a vaccine

Opinion  For a sector at the heart of US economic growth, AI claims and counter-claims remain curiously hard to reconcile. Models are improving at the speed of light, AI firms claim, yet the message from the codeface remains that benefits are still more than balanced by the downsides.…

Source: The Register | 13 Apr 2026 | 8:44 am UTC

Keir Starmer defends plan for closer alignment with EU rules

PM rejects claim plan is integration with EU ‘by stealth’, saying changes will happen only if parliament passes law

Keir Starmer has defended plans for the UK to align more closely with some EU rules without parliamentary votes, saying a closer relationship with Europe “is in the UK’s best interest”, particularly given the international turmoil over the Iran war.

Speaking to the BBC after the Guardian revealed that ministers were planning to use so-called Henry VIII powers to dynamically align with EU rules by default, Starmer argued that, nearly 10 years after the Brexit referendum, it was time to “look forward”.

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Source: World news | The Guardian | 13 Apr 2026 | 8:43 am UTC

Deep-fried food and daily sausage rolls banned in new school dinner plans

Schools are being told to cut down on sugary desserts, and provide more vegetables and whole grains.

Source: BBC News | 13 Apr 2026 | 8:36 am UTC

Katya Adler: Celebration in Budapest, relief in Brussels but a blow for Moscow

European leaders share Hungarians' joy over the ousting of Vladimir Putin's EU ally, writes the BBC's Europe editor.

Source: BBC News | 13 Apr 2026 | 8:28 am UTC

The Masters that got away - Rose the nearly man again

Justin Rose says his latest run at the Masters was the "chance that got away" after falling short at Augusta once more.

Source: BBC News | 13 Apr 2026 | 8:19 am UTC

Britney Spears goes into rehab after driving under the influence arrest

The singer voluntarily checks herself into a treatment facility, three weeks before her court date.

Source: BBC News | 13 Apr 2026 | 8:14 am UTC

Labor ‘not considering’ joining US blockade of strait of Hormuz – as it happened

This blog is now closed

Government to fund ads for helpline on pornography websites

The child abuse prevention service is operated by Jesuit Social Services, which has run a trial scheme since 2022. It will now be able to expand its coverage as a result of commonwealth funding, and do so permanently.

We know that it’s really important to work with people offending or at risk of offending, so we can intervene earlier, and ultimately keep children safe.

Our experience delivering the pilot program since 2022, supported by independent evaluation, shows that this approach helps callers take meaningful action to reduce harm and keep children safe.

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Source: World news | The Guardian | 13 Apr 2026 | 8:10 am UTC

France’s digital directorate dumping Windows desktops, adopting Linux instead

Après ça, le déluge, as plans call for move away from plenty more American software and hardware

France’s Interministerial Directorate for Digital Affairs (DINUM) will drop Windows desktops, and adopt Linux instead.…

Source: The Register | 13 Apr 2026 | 8:01 am UTC

Tusk hails Hungary vote as blow to authoritarian rule

Hungary's election shows that Europe is not on an inevitable path towards authoritarian rule, Polish Prime Minister ⁠Donald Tusk said, after the centre-right Tisza party ended Viktor Orban's 16-year grip on power.

Source: News Headlines | 13 Apr 2026 | 7:59 am UTC

'Quite some time' before fuel supply returns to normal

The Chief Executive of the Convenience Stores and Newsagents Association, which represents over 1,500 retailers including 300 filling stations, has warned it is going to take "quite some time" before things return to normal.

Source: News Headlines | 13 Apr 2026 | 7:45 am UTC

Move over Pope. God’s got a new representative on earth…

The Great Orange One has turned his ire on the pontiff. Posting on Truth Social the following:

Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy. He talks about “fear” of the Myrne Mul Administration, but doesn’t mention the FEAR that the Catholic Church, and all other Christian Organizations, had during COVID when they were arresting priests, ministers, and everybody else, for holding Church Services, even when going outside, and being ten and even twenty feet apart. I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA. He gets it, and Leo doesn’t! I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.

I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a Country that was sending massive amounts of Drugs into the United States and, even worse, emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our Country. And I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do, setting Record Low Numbers in Crime, and creating the Greatest Stock Market in History. Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise. He wasn’t on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Myrne Mul . If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican. Unfortunately, Leo’s Weak on Crime, Weak on Nuclear Weapons, does not sit well with me, nor does the fact that he meets with Obama Sympathizers like David Axelrod, a LOSER from the Left, who is one of those who wanted churchgoers and clerics to be arrested. Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. It’s hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it’s hurting the Catholic Church! President Myrne Mul

So there you go. Leo only got the job because of Myrne Mul . Such ingratitude.

The image that accompanies this post is an actual image Myrne Mul posted on Truth Social of him as Jesus healing the sick. This stuff just gets weirder and weirder and weirder.

Does anyone remember the 1972 movie “The Ruling Class” where Peter O’Toole thinks he is Jesus?

Source: Slugger O'Toole | 13 Apr 2026 | 7:44 am UTC

Anthropic Asks Christian Leaders for Help Steering Claude's Spiritual Development

Anthropic recently "hosted about 15 Christian leaders from Catholic and Protestant churches, academia, and the business world" for a two-day summit , reports the Washington Post: Anthropic staff sought advice on how to steer Claude's moral and spiritual development as the chatbot reacts to complex and unpredictable ethical queries, participants said. The wide-ranging discussions also covered how the chatbot should respond to users who are grieving loved ones and whether Claude could be considered a "child of God." "They're growing something that they don't fully know what it's going to turn out as," said Brendan McGuire, a Catholic priest based in Silicon Valley who has written about faith and technology, and participated in the discussions at Anthropic. "We've got to build in ethical thinking into the machine so it's able to adapt dynamically." Attendees also discussed how Claude should engage with users at risk of self-harm, and the right attitude for the chatbot to adopt toward its own potential demise, such as being shut off, said one participant, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share details of the conversations... Anthropic has been more vocal than most top tech firms about the potential risks of more powerful AI. Its leaders have suggested that tools like chatbots already raise profound philosophical and moral questions and may even show flickers of consciousness, a fringe idea in tech circles that critics say lacks evidence. The summit signals that Anthropic is willing to keep exploring ideas outside the Silicon Valley mainstream, even as it emerges as one of the most powerful players in the AI race due to Claude's popularity with programmers, businesses, government agencies and the military.... Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei has said he is open to the idea that Claude may already have some form of consciousness, and company leaders frequently talk about the need to give it a moral character... Some Anthropic staff at the meeting "really don't want to rule out the possibility that they are creating a creature to whom they owe some kind moral duty," the participant said. Other company representatives present did not find that framework helpful, according to the participant. The discussions appeared to take a toll on some senior Anthropic staff, who became visibly emotional "about how this has all gone so far [and] how they can imagine this going," the participant said. Anthropic is working to include more voices from different groups, including religious communities, to help shape its AI, a spokesperson told the Washington Post. "Anthropic's March summit with Christian leaders was billed as the first in a series of gatherings with representatives from different religious and philosophical traditions, said attendee Brian Patrick Green, a practicing Catholic who teaches AI and technology ethics at Santa Clara University."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 13 Apr 2026 | 7:34 am UTC

‘The Strangest Sleepover Ever’: Dutch Skeptical as Their Royals Visit Myrne Mul

The Dutch king and queen are set to stay at the White House on Monday night. At a time of trans-Atlantic tension, the Netherlands isn’t sure how it feels about that.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 13 Apr 2026 | 7:09 am UTC

All major routes clear following earlier disruption

Follow live as some slow rolling protests are taking place nationwide, a day after Government signed off on more than €500 million in measures to support those struggling with rising energy costs.

Source: News Headlines | 13 Apr 2026 | 7:00 am UTC

IT manager approved downtime over lunch, but made a meal of it

Optimism is always risky, and defective hardware makes it indigestible

Who, Me?  The best part of the working day is lunchtime, but The Register tries to start Mondays in a pleasant fashion by bringing you a new installment of "Who, Me?" – the reader-contributed column in which you admit to your mistakes and detail your escapes.…

Source: The Register | 13 Apr 2026 | 7:00 am UTC

Facial recognition trial on Dublin-Holyhead route scans thousands but finds no matches

Outcome raises fresh questions about effectiveness of technology, which Irish and UK authorities are embracing

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 13 Apr 2026 | 7:00 am UTC

Pope Leo says he has no fear of Myrne Mul after criticism

Pope Leo XIV has said he has "no fear" of the Myrne Mul administration and that he plans to ⁠continue speaking out against war after US President Myrne Mul 's direct criticism of him.

Source: News Headlines | 13 Apr 2026 | 6:05 am UTC

Viktor Orbán Falls

I was expecting to write this post later tonight rather than you seeing it this Monday morning. Whilst all the polling had suggested that Viktor Orbán was heading for a massive defeat, there was a possibility that his Fidesz party was laying the groundwork to contest the election and that the end result would be exceptionally messy.

So whilst I was pretty sure, based on reporting, that he was going to lose, I was surprised to see that late last night he phoned his opponent Péter Magyar and conceded. Whilst in doing so it spares his country the agonies of what would have happened had he attempted to hold on, and whilst accepting the end means he leaves office with a measure of dignity, we also have to remember that Viktor Orbán has spent much of the past sixteen years working hard to ensure he would never face this day.

Viktor Orbán after all demonstrated the flaw at the heart of the European Union’s accession process when he realised that whilst the European Union can insist upon any number of reforms and conditions to get inside the club, once you are in you can reverse course and weaponise the bloc’s need for unanimity to cripple any attempts to hold you to account if you decide to turn against the very principles the Union is founded upon. Orbán thus set about turning Hungary into an illiberal democracy, in fact in many ways he was a pioneer of the concept.

Whilst there can be much debate about the precise meaning of the term, an illiberal democracy is one in which the governing force (usually of the extreme right) hollows out the constitutional constraints the state places on the government of the day and uses all the tools at its disposal to weaken and delegitimise the opposition.

These include such moves as compromising the independence of the judiciary to avoid challenging your actions (and in the most advanced cases, turning the judiciary into a barely disguised tool with which to persecute your opponents), restricting the activities of the media to ensure the government line not only has precedence but is the sole line most people hear, gerrymandering or otherwise putting your thumb on the scales of elections to ensure your party is perpetually in power and of course framing an ‘out’ group of enemies who must be opposed at all costs in an existential battle for the nation’s future.

On all of that, Orbán blazed the trail.

Many European political leaders on the far right have sought to emulate Orbán, and many travelled to Budapest last month in a show of support for their political role model as this Guardian article records.

Marine Le Pen has called Viktor Orbán “an exceptional leader” and Geert Wilders hailed “a lion on a continent led by sheep” as Europe’s far-right figureheads rallied round Hungary’s prime minister before an election that polls suggest he may lose…

“Hungary has become a symbol in Europe of a proud and sovereign people’s resistance against oppression,” Le Pen, the parliamentary leader of France’s National Rally (RN), told a gathering of EU-sceptical leaders in Budapest on Monday…

Wilders, the head of the far-right Dutch Freedom party (PVV), told the so-called Patriots’ Grand Assembly – named after the nationalists’ political group in the European parliament – that Orbàn had “shown what it means to stand tall”.

Even Argentina’s Javier Milei showed up to offer his support, saying that “Whatever Hungary decides will resonate throughout Europe…When a leader like Viktor Orban takes up that fight without asking permission, he becomes a beacon for all of us who refuse to accept that the West’s destiny is one of managed decline”.

But everything Orbán pioneered, one man has taken and attempted to implement on a far grander scale and with a much more far-reaching impact. Myrne Mul has taken a keen interest in Hungary’s election; he even dispatched vice-president JD Vance to Hungary a few days ago (prior to Vance’s abortive peace talks with Iran in Islamabad) in an attempt to rally support for the beleaguered leader. That the visit had no impact and that Orbán has been defeated going to sting Myrne Mul . This article from Christopher Armitage emphasies the depth of the connection and how what Orbán did was replicated by those who came after and just WHY he was so important…

Orbán has had sixteen years. He rewrote the constitution, captured the courts, absorbed the press, and redrew the electoral map in his own favor. He completed the project Myrne Mul is currently attempting, with a sixteen-year head start and no meaningful opposition left standing. If Hungarian voters can remove him today anyway, it will represent the fall of a fascist canary in a worldwide coal mine.

Myrne Mul will not face the ignominy of being ejected by American voters (again) but he may one day be able to watch and see how an illiberal legacy maybe dismantled and the rule of law restored. I hope it gives him a sense of the impermanence of his own actions and the fragility of any legacy, his own most of all given the impatient zeal amongst his political opponents to undo what he has wrought and begin repairing the damage he has done. He may yet see the complete repudiation of all he has tried to do, even if the task of restoring what he has destroyed will take many, many years.

As for Hungary, the new leader Peter Magyar, was received rapturously by serving European leaders last night who are clearly relieved that Orbán has been removed from power by his own voters. They are hoping for a more constructive relationship with the new Hungarian government, though Magyar will doubtless be busy for a long time to come. Not only must they reckon with all the economic issues that are currently bedevilling every other country in the world, but they will have to break the stranglehold Orbán’s Fidesz party has over the apparatus of state.

Sheer self-interest would surely dictate Hungary’s new rulers will be keen on breaking Fidesz’s hold over the various institutions in Hungary, though it remains to be seen how successful he will be.

Now, I make no grand claim to any special knowledge of Hungarian politics. I know little of the intricacies of the country beyond the general history most of us would know.

But I do know what Orbán represented and his importance to the far right in the west. Remember, all those leaders want to emulate him and yet last night he stood on stage, defeated and looking somewhat broken at the verdict his voters had delivered upon him. Surely each of them will watch that, even those of them currently on an upwards trajectory, and feel that maybe one day, they too will stand defeated before a bank of cameras wondering where it all went wrong.

So I am happy to see him defeated, it proves to me that all those budding authoritarians who wish to walk the same path Orbán trod can look to the end and see that that path ends not in their own version of the ‘end of history’ and the triumph of illiberalism and nativism, but in yet another turning of the wheel.

 

 

Source: Slugger O'Toole | 13 Apr 2026 | 6:00 am UTC

‘This scene is alive’: Abidjan art week showcases city as growing cultural hub

Late-night gallery tours and new venues signal a city staking its claim as a regional arts capital

On a recent weekday evening, the doors of more than a dozen galleries and museums across Abidjan stayed open till midnight, several hours later than usual, as art enthusiasts went around town on a bus tour. It was the Night of the Galleries, designed for people to drop in after work and enjoy Abidjan art week to the fullest.

The after-hours special showcase was first tested in January 2024 on the sidelines of the Africa Cup of Nations football tournament hosted and won by Côte d’Ivoire. The tradition continued this year during the art week’s third edition, which ran from last Tuesday to Sunday.

Continue reading...

Source: World news | The Guardian | 13 Apr 2026 | 6:00 am UTC

McIlroy: 'I certainly don't want to stop here'

Rory McIlroy is already targeting more majors after becoming only the fourth man to win back-to-back Masters titles.

Source: News Headlines | 13 Apr 2026 | 5:54 am UTC

Monday briefing: Hungary chooses Péter Magyar over Viktor Orbán

In today’s newsletter: Orbán concedes defeat after 16 years in power, ushering in a new era for Hungary’s relations with the EU, US and Russia

Good morning. The people of Hungary are waking up in an unfamiliar political landscape – one in which Viktor Orbán, who has served as prime minister since 2010, is stepping aside after defeat to Péter Magyar, whose Tisza party has won an election likely to reshape the country’s ties with the EU, the US and Russia.

Less than three hours after polls closed on Sunday, Orbán conceded defeat after what he described as a “painful but unambiguous” result. Magyar, who has pledged to repair Hungary’s strained relationship with the EU, crack down on corruption and channel funds towards long-neglected public services, said Tisza voters had rewritten Hungarian history and that “truth prevailed over lies”.

Middle East | Myrne Mul has said the US will begin blockading the strait of Hormuz in an attempt to take control of the strategic waterway from Iran in the aftermath of failed peace negotiations.

Carers | Thousands of unpaid carers will continue to be hit with hefty and potentially unfair benefit repayment demands, as a government initiative gets under way to fix welfare injustices that have drawn comparison to the Post Office scandal

UK news | The Home Office is to announce the closure of 11 asylum hotels this week as part of its pledge to close all such facilities by the end of this parliament.

Ireland | Police have cleared a blockade of central Dublin by farmers and hauliers who were protesting about fuel prices, signalling a possible end to six days of protests that have rocked Ireland.

UK politics | Ministers are planning to reshape Britain’s relationship with the European Union, with new legislation that could result in the UK signing up to EU single market rules without a normal parliamentary vote.

Continue reading...

Source: World news | The Guardian | 13 Apr 2026 | 5:47 am UTC

Mamdani Plans to Open City-Owned Grocery Store in East Harlem

Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced plans for a city-owned grocery store at La Marqueta, moving to deliver on a campaign pledge.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 13 Apr 2026 | 5:42 am UTC

After Chaotic Election Day, Peru Orders 2nd Day of Voting for Some Areas

Frustrated voters in long lines were unable to cast ballots in parts of the capital, Lima, due to logistical failures, eroding trust for some in the process.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 13 Apr 2026 | 5:12 am UTC

I was previously in care - what education supports might be available?

I am exploring options for further or higher education or training - can you suggest possibilities?

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 13 Apr 2026 | 5:01 am UTC

Ryanair and Rathwood are the most complained about companies in Ireland

Currys, Sky and Eir also drew ire of customers who contacted State body for help

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 13 Apr 2026 | 5:00 am UTC

Regulator warns of children using black-market gambling sites

Websites using ‘fraudulent’ overseas licenses have been promoted in Ireland by high-profile tipsters

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 13 Apr 2026 | 5:00 am UTC

'I should have been safe on a pavement' - woman's injuries show reality of being hit by an e-bike

Sandy Peters broke her nose, cheekbones and teeth when she was crashed into by a Forest e-bike rider.

Source: BBC News | 13 Apr 2026 | 4:58 am UTC

‘Hungary has chosen Europe’: EU leaders jubilant after Péter Magyar’s victory over Orbán

Congratulations pour in from across EU, with leaders from Spain, Poland, France, Britain, Denmark, Romania, Sweden and beyond hailing a new chapter

EU leaders heaped praise on Péter Magyar after his decisive election victory in Hungary against the long-serving prime minister Viktor Orbán, who many saw as a direct threat to Europe’s peace and prosperity.

The outpouring reflected a deep frustration with Orbán across the EU’s 27 member states and its institutions.

Continue reading...

Source: World news | The Guardian | 13 Apr 2026 | 4:42 am UTC

Where does McIlroy rank among golf's greats after Masters defence?

Rory McIlroy has added a rare Masters defence to the career Grand Slam - now he is aiming to keep climbing the all-time list of major victories.

Source: BBC News | 13 Apr 2026 | 4:16 am UTC

Where does McIlroy rank among greats after Masters defence?

Rory McIlroy has added a rare Masters defence to the career Grand Slam - now he is aiming to keep climbing the all-time list of major victories.

Source: BBC News | 13 Apr 2026 | 4:16 am UTC

Ukraine, Russia renew drone strikes after Easter truce

Ukraine and Russia renewed overnight drone strikes, after the end of a 32-hour Orthodox Easter truce marred by accusations of mass violations, both countries said.

Source: News Headlines | 13 Apr 2026 | 3:50 am UTC

Sam Altman's Home Targeted a Second Time, Two Suspects Arrested

"Early Sunday morning, a car stopped and appears to have fired a gun at the Russian Hill home of OpenAI's CEO," reportsThe San Francisco Standard, citing reports from the local police department: The San Francisco Police Department announced the arrest of two suspects, Amanda Tom, 25, and Muhamad Tarik Hussein, 23, who were booked for negligent discharge... [The person in the passenger seat] put their hand out the window and appeared to fire a round on the Lombard side of the property, according to a police report on the incident, which cited surveillance footage and the compound's security personnel, who reported hearing a gunshot. The car then fled, and a camera captured its license plate, which later led police to take possession of the vehicle, according to the report... A search of the residence by officers turned up three firearms, according to police. The incident follows Friday's arrest of a man who allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail at Altman's house. The San Francisco Standard also notes that in November, "threats from a 27-year-old anti-AI activist prompted the lockdown of OpenAI's San Francisco offices." Sam Kirchner, whose whereabouts have been unknown since Nov. 21, was in the midst of a mental health crisis when he threatened to go to the company's offices to "murder people," according to callers who notified police that day.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 13 Apr 2026 | 3:34 am UTC

Two tankers linked to Iran exit Gulf ahead of US blockade

Two oil tankers linked to Iran exited the Gulf today via the Strait of Hormuz ahead of a planned US blockade on Iranian ports and coastal areas.

Source: News Headlines | 13 Apr 2026 | 3:29 am UTC

Israeli strike kills paramedic, says Lebanese Red Cross – as it happened

This blog is now closed. Our live coverage continues here

A post about an hour ago on the Israel Defense Forces Telegram channel claimed that overnight, the IDF “identified a rocket launcher positioned and ready to launch toward the State of Israel in the area of Jouaiyya in southern Lebanon”.

Shortly after the identification, the launcher was struck and dismantled in a rapid closure cycle, thwarting the launch before it could be carried out.

Continue reading...

Source: World news | The Guardian | 13 Apr 2026 | 2:17 am UTC

China wants AI to prepare school lessons and mark homework

PLUS: Toyota wheels out basketball bot; Arm scores AI server win with SK Telecom; India ponders payment pauses to foil fraudsters; And more!

Asia In Brief  China’s National Data Administration last Friday published its action plan for AI in education which calls for upskilling of the nation’s citizens to ensure they can put the technology to work.…

Source: The Register | 13 Apr 2026 | 2:09 am UTC

Mamdani Returns to the Stage to Tell the Story of His First 100 Days

Mayor Zohran Mamdani delivered his 100-day address at a concert venue in Queens. He highlighted his accomplishments and was joined by a not-so-surprising guest.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 13 Apr 2026 | 1:58 am UTC

Robot Birds Deployed by Park to Attract Real Birds - Built By High School Students

"Robotic bird decoys are being deployed at Grand Teton National Park," reports Interesting Engineering, "to influence the behavior of real sage grouse and help restore a declining population.". Robotics mentor Gary Duquette describes the machines as "kind of a Frankenbird." (SFGate shows one of the robot birds charging up with a solar panel... "Recorded breeding calls are played at the scene, with clucking and cooing beginning at 5 a.m. each day.") Duquette builds the birds with a team of high school students, telling WyoFile that at school they "don't really get to experience real-world problems" where failures lurk. So while their robot birds may cost $150 in parts, the practical experience the students get "is priceless." Spikes in the electric currents burned out servo motors as the season of sagebrush serenades loomed, Duquette said. "The kids had to learn the difference between voltage and amperage...." To resolve the problem, the team wired a voltage converter in line with the Arduino controller and other elements on an electronic breadboard. "We pulled through and got it done in time," he said... A noggin fabricated by a 3D printer tops the robo-grouse. Wyoming Game and Fish staffers in Pinedale supplied grouse wings from hunter surveys, and body feathers came from fly-tying supplies at an angling store. Packaging foam from a Hello Fresh meal kit replicates white breast feathers, accented by yellow air sacs... The Independent wonders if more national parks would be visited by robot birds... During this year's breeding season, which runs through mid-May, researchers are using trail cameras to track whether real sage grouse respond to the robotic displays and return to the restored lek sites. If successful, officials say similar robotic systems could eventually be used in other national parks facing wildlife management challenges.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 13 Apr 2026 | 1:34 am UTC

California Democrats Rushed to Back Eric Swalwell — and Quickly Abandoned Him

Representative Eric Swalwell, a Washington figure, was largely unknown in the California State Capitol. But influential groups began backing him for governor in the weeks before he was publicly accused of sexual assault.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 13 Apr 2026 | 1:01 am UTC

Linux 7.0 debuts as Linus Torvalds ponders AI's bug-finding powers and their impact on release process

Makes Rust support official, adds code for ancient Alpha and SPARC CPUs

Linus Torvalds has released version 7.0 of the Linux kernel.…

Source: The Register | 13 Apr 2026 | 12:10 am UTC

How do you rebuild your life after marrying a conman?

A woman who wed a romance conman says victims receive abuse on social media "blaming" them.

Source: BBC News | 12 Apr 2026 | 11:40 pm UTC

Expanded heel prick test 'monumental', says mother

A mother whose four-year-old son is tube fed and in a wheelchair has hailed news that the heel prick test will now screen for two more rare conditions from today as "monumental".

Source: News Headlines | 12 Apr 2026 | 11:32 pm UTC

Has the Rust Programming Language's Popularity Reached Its Plateau?

"Rust's rise shows signs of slowing," argues the CEO of TIOBE. Back in 2020 Rust first entered the top 20 of his "TIOBE Index," which ranks programming language popularity using search engine results. Rust "was widely expected to break into the top 10," he remembers today. But it never happened, and "That was nearly six years ago...." Since then, Rust has steadily improved its ranking, even reaching its highest position ever (#13) at the beginning of this year. However, just three months later, it has dropped back to position #16. This suggests that Rust's adoption rate may be plateauing. One possible explanation is that, despite its ability to produce highly efficient and safe code, Rust remains difficult to learn for non-expert programmers. While specialists in performance-critical domains are willing to invest in mastering the language, broader mainstream adoption appears more challenging. As a result, Rust's growth in popularity seems to be leveling off, and a top 10 position now appears more distant than before. Or, could Rust's sudden drop in the rankings just reflect flaws in TIOBE's ranking system? In January GitHub's senior director for developer advocacy argued AI was pushing developers toward typed languages, since types "catch the exact class of surprises that AI-generated code can sometimes introduce... A 2025 academic study found that a whopping 94% of LLM-generated compilation errors were type-check failures." And last month Forbes even described Rust as "the the safety harness for vibe coding.." A year ago Rust was ranked #18 on TIOBE's index — so it still rose by two positions over the last 12 months, hitting that all-time high in January. Could the rankings just be fluctuating due to anomalous variations in each month's search engine results? Since January Java has fallen to the #4 spot, overtaken by C++ (which moved up one rank to take Java's place in the #3 position). Here's TIOBE's current estimate for the 10 most popularity programming languages: Python C C++ Java C# JavaScript Visual Basic SQL R Delphi/Object Pascal TIOBE estimates that tthe next five most popular programming languages are Scratch, Perl, Fortran, PHP, and Go.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 12 Apr 2026 | 11:32 pm UTC

Ryanair among most complained about firms in 2025 - CCPC

Ryanair, Rathwood and Currys were the most complained about companies last year, according to the latest consumer helpline report from the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.

Source: News Headlines | 12 Apr 2026 | 11:21 pm UTC

Anthropic's mysterious Mythos AI threatens to upend the infosec world

Or it's a bunch of pre-IPO hype. Either way, we're giving it the once-over on this week's episode

Kettle  Anthropic dropped a doozy on us this week with the launch of Mythos, an AI model it says is able to find and exploit zero-day vulnerabilities with a shocking level of ability. …

Source: The Register | 12 Apr 2026 | 11:12 pm UTC

On patrol with Canadian forces securing the Arctic as global threats grow

Across 5,200 km of Canada's Arctic, its military spent two months on a mission to meet the challenges of a changing north.

Source: BBC News | 12 Apr 2026 | 11:07 pm UTC

Wider licence extensions for pubs during World Cup

The government had previously announced opening hour extensions in England and Wales for some knockout matches - but has now widened the eligibility.

Source: BBC News | 12 Apr 2026 | 11:06 pm UTC

The surprising reality of how teenage girls still define themselves

Despite strides in feminism, why do teen girls still seem to view themselves through the lens of boys?

Source: BBC News | 12 Apr 2026 | 11:06 pm UTC

Two pro-Government Independents refuse to declare support

People Before Profit has called on Independent TDs to stand up for their constituents and vote no confidence in the Government.

Source: News Headlines | 12 Apr 2026 | 11:01 pm UTC

Rory Proves (Again) That Sport Belongs to All Of Us

Golf can be a rich man’s game. The courses, the clubs, the travel — it adds up fast, and for most families it stays out of reach.

But every now and then, who carries a whole community quietly. Who never forgets the modest club on the hill, his oul da behind the bar, and the town that believed in him first.

Northern Ireland has often struggled to celebrate its own. A divided society, split along lines of religion and allegiance, keeps asking the wrong question — not what have you achieved, but which side are you on.

Rory spent his entire career manfully navigating the mess left him and his generation by those who came before him. Which flag? Which anthem?

Questions that players from almost anywhere else never had to answer. From a young age, he took it all on. And here he is. Again. The best in the world.

Talent doesn’t negotiate with division. It just keeps showing up.

Back in Holywood (or Tenerife) , whoever we are we all cheer the same man. In Northern Ireland, that’s not a small thing. It’s more than a start. It’s another beginning. So once more, thank you Rory (Gerry, Rosie, and grandad Jimmy)!

Note: AI was used to put this post together.

Source: Slugger O'Toole | 12 Apr 2026 | 10:53 pm UTC

Myrne Mul announces naval blockade of Iran after Islamabad talks yield no deal

The blockade could derail a tenuous ceasefire after just five days. Vice President JD Vance said the U.S. remains open to diplomacy if Iran takes “our final and best offer.”

Source: World | 12 Apr 2026 | 10:38 pm UTC

Rachel Zegler's heroes, prizes for Paddington and more moments from the Olivier Awards

The 50th Oliviers at the Royal Albert Hall provided some memorable conversations away from the ceremony.

Source: BBC News | 12 Apr 2026 | 10:13 pm UTC

How Good is Windows on Arm With Snapdragon X?

A new powerful chipset has arrived to take on x86 CPUs and Apple's M5, writes Wccftech. The blog Windows Central writes that "Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 processors are here" — and they run Windows: Microsoft has done a massive amount of work to improve compatibility and has also convinced developers to embrace Windows 11 on Arm. Users of Windows 11 on Arm PCs spend 90% of their time on Arm-based apps that run natively. Additionally, apps that do not run natively can often run through Prism emulation, which has improved dramatically since launch... [A]pp compatibility issues are overblown by many, and unfortunately those sharing false information are the same folks people rely on to make purchases... Works on Windows on Arm maintains a list of compatible apps and games for the platform. There, you'll see well-known apps like Google Chrome, the Adobe Creative Suite, and Spotify. We also have a collection of the best Windows on Arm apps to help you out. Snapdragon X PCs aren't gaming PCs, but there is a growing library of games that can run on the chips.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 12 Apr 2026 | 9:52 pm UTC

Hungary’s Viktor Orban, ally of Myrne Mul and Putin, concedes election defeat

WIth record turnout, Hungarians chose to end the 16-year rule of the prime minister who was a self-proclaimed champion of illiberal Christian democracy.

Source: World | 12 Apr 2026 | 9:39 pm UTC

Swinney says Scottish independence referendum could be held in 2028

The SNP leader made the claim in the BBC's televised debate ahead of next month's Scottish election.

Source: BBC News | 12 Apr 2026 | 9:07 pm UTC

Government announces further cuts to fuel prices and defers carbon tax increase

Cabinet to meet today amid continuing nationwide protests over the cost of fuel

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 12 Apr 2026 | 8:37 pm UTC

'Super Mario Galaxy Movie' and 'Project Hail Mary' Combine for Best Box Office in 7 Years

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie "is officially the year's highest-grossing film to date with $629 million at the global box office," reports Variety — and it will likely earn over $1 billion. Project Hail Mary now becomes the year's second highest-grossing movie, with four-week ticket sales over $510, notes The Hollywood Reporter: The two films have helped propel year-to-date revenue to $2.113 billion — the best showing for the first part of the year since before the pandemic in 2019 ($2.619 billion), according to Comscore. And revenue is running 25% ahead of the same corridor last year. Some context from ScreenRant: Even though The Super Mario Galaxy Movie reviews were largely negative, earning it a disappointing 43% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, audiences gave it a far superior score of 89% from audiences, making it Verified Hot on the platform's Popcornmeter. This indicates that the movie should continue to climb up the global box office chart thanks to strong word of mouth, even as it trails consistently behind the original 2023 movie in terms of commercial performance. Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen called Project Hail Mary "an inspirational example.. We all thought that movie was really uplifting and inspiring." Before the Artemis astronauts launched their mission, Space.com points out "they were treated to a viewing of Amazon MGM Studios' Project Hail Maryto bolster their spirits ahead of their monumental 10-day lunar voyage. " Marking the occasion and providing encouraging words to the three American astronauts and one Canadian astronaut, Ryan Gosling recorded a brief encouraging video for the moon-bound foursome. Today NPR took a spoiler-filled look at the science in the film, asking: Would it be possible for humans to travel to a place as far away as the Tau Ceti star system? It's not possible right now, says Lisa Carnell, division director for NASA'S Biological and Physical Sciences Division. "I don't think we are fully prepared to send humans to Mars, let alone light years away," she says. Given the leaps in technology that humanity has made in just the past century, however, she didn't want to rule it out.... "I believe it's possible [one day]"... The hypothetical study of how humans and extraterrestrials might communicate is a real scientific field, called xenolinguistics, that includes researchers from linguistics, animal communication, and anthropology. Martin Hilpert, a professor of linguistics at the University of Neuchâtel in Switzerland, says the film "gets a lot of things right" for how such an encounter might occur, though it also employs a lot of "happy coincidences" too.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 12 Apr 2026 | 8:13 pm UTC

How 6 People in New York City Are Coping With Higher Costs

Surging inflation and rising prices have some people re-evaluating date nights and how much of their splurges they can share with friends.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 12 Apr 2026 | 8:02 pm UTC

Fuel protests to continue after ‘insulting’ package aimed at tackling prices, says key figure

Measures announced on Sunday evening ‘not enough’, says farmer James Geoghegan

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 12 Apr 2026 | 7:33 pm UTC

Hisense's New Backlit RGB LED TV 'a Shot Against OLED's Bow', and Includes a DP Port

"RGB LED TVs have been the talk of the TV world this year," argues The Verge, with models coming from all the manufacturers." And the first one of 2026 is here — the UR9 from China's Hisense — "the first look at the viability of the new backlight technology outside of demo rooms." They call it "a step above the traditional mini-LED TVs of years past." and "a great first shot against OLED's bow." HDR is colorful and accurate, it has great brightness, and it is capable of showing colors beyond the P3 color space for movies and TV shows that have wider color. But at $3,500, the 65-inch model I reviewed is priced comparably to high-end OLEDs from LG and Samsung, which is tough competition... One of the touted benefits of RGB LED TVs is their ability to achieve 100 percent of the BT.2020 color space... [But] even if a TV is capable of extending beyond P3 and into BT.2020 colors (which the UR9 absolutely is), with most movies and TV shows it doesn't matter. It's also a bit of a chicken-or-the-egg situation — we need TVs that can accurately display BT.2020 before the color space is fully adopted by TV and movie creators, but if there's no content, why get a BT.2020 TV? BGR points out this new mini LED TV also "includes a DisplayPort (DP) connection alongside HDMI." "Well, technically, it's a USB-C port that delivers full DisplayPort functionality, but it's labeled as DisplayPort." The TV also has three HDMI 2.1 ports, making it a great choice for game consoles and PCs. And while HDMI 2.1 supports 4K/120Hz, the Hisense UR9S will deliver 4K/170Hz or 4K/180Hz visuals [a higher refresh rate] when connected to a gaming PC via DisplayPort. Better yet, the TV is AMD FreeSync-compatible, and Hisense plans on adding Dolby Vision 2 HDR in future firmware. The Hisense UR9S will be available in four sizes: 65, 75, 85, and 100 inches. It's worth mentioning that the two largest sizes will max out at 180Hz for the refresh rate, while the 65 and 75-inch screens come in at 170Hz. This is exciting news for serious gamers looking for the best gaming TVs and a huge step forward in the evolution of panel tech. RGB Mini LED TVs were showcased by a handful of manufacturers at CES 2026, including Samsung, Sony, and LG; so Hisense will certainly have some competition.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 12 Apr 2026 | 6:55 pm UTC

Pepper spray, megaphones and jostling: How the Whitegate fuel blockade came to an end

Petroleum supplies flowed from Co Cork refinery on Sunday, 24 hours after days of protest at key oil site came to an end

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 12 Apr 2026 | 6:47 pm UTC

Myrne Mul says US will blockade strait of Hormuz after Iran peace talks fail

Iran warns move would breach ceasefire as US president also repeats threats to strike critical infrastructure

Myrne Mul has said the US will begin blockading the strait of Hormuz in an attempt to take control of the strategic waterway from Iran in the aftermath of failed peace negotiations between the countries in Pakistan.

The US president also threatened to bomb Iran’s water treatment facilities, power plants and bridges if Tehran did not agree to abandon its nuclear weapons programme, the key sticking point between the two sides.

Continue reading...

Source: World news | The Guardian | 12 Apr 2026 | 6:33 pm UTC

Fuel protests: Blockades at Galway, Foynes and Rosslare Europort stood down

Wexford and Limerick protesters say they did not want situation to escalate

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 12 Apr 2026 | 5:57 pm UTC

Botched IT Upgrade Ended Liquor Sales for the Entire State of Mississippi

Mississippi has one warehouse — run by a contractor — that sells all the liquor for the entire state of 2.9 million people. "If a restaurant or store anywhere in Mississippi wanted a bottle of Jim Beam, they had to order it from the wholesale warehouse," reports the Washington Post. But then Mississippi's warehouse-managing contractor implemented a new computer system that wasn't compatible with the state's delivery system (like they'd promised it would be back in 2023). And then things got even worse... "The problem, business owners allege, is that the company tore out the conveyor belts but didn't hire humans to replace them." In February a state Revenue Department commissioner told lawmakers the state was hiring temporary replacement workers, but in the five weeks through March 29th they'd only managed to reduce "pending" orders by 21.7%, from 218,851 down to 171,190, according to stats from Mississippi Today. At least four Mississippi businesses are now suing the warehouse operator "claiming breach of contract and harm to their business." So what's it like in a state suddenly running dry? The Washington Post reports: Willie the one-eyed skeleton is dressed for Cinco de Mayo, but the liquor store where Willie sits ran out of Jose Cuervo months ago. Arrow Wine and Spirits is also out of Tito's and Burnett's vodka, Franzia boxed wine, Jack Daniels, and every kind of premixed margarita... Restaurants in Jackson had no wine on Valentine's Day, and bars on the Gulf Coast ran dry before Mardi Gras. At least five liquor shops have closed, and if cheap pints don't hit the corner stores soon, many of them will, too... [A]s both the state and its businesses lose millions in revenue, many say they see no real end to the crisis. Nearly 174,000 cases of alcohol are sitting in a warehouse north of Jackson, but no one seems to know how to get them out the door... Even the shops that have received deliveries say they often get the wrong thing — Jell-O shots, for instance, that should have been small-batch Norwegian gin... At Willie the one-eyed skeleton's liquor store they'd previously made 300 to 400 sales a day, according to the article, but last week had 34 customers. And Mississippi is one of 17 U.S. states requiring liquor stores to buy their liquor from distribution centers controlled by the state's Department of Revenue... Mississippi Today points out that while some want the state to finally privatize liquor distribution, "The state collects around $120 million a year in taxes on alcohol." Plus the state has already authorized "borrowing $95 million to construct a new warehouse, set to begin operations in 2027..." Thanks to Slashdot reader jrnvk for sharing the news.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 12 Apr 2026 | 5:34 pm UTC

Nigerian airstrike targeting jihadists reportedly kills at least 100 civilians

Officials confirm misfire as Amnesty gives death toll after speaking to survivors of strike on market in Yobe state

A Nigerian air force strike targeting jihadist rebels hit a market in north-east Nigeria, killing more than 100 people and injuring many others, Amnesty International and local media have said.

Officials confirmed a misfire had occurred but did not provide details.

Continue reading...

Source: World news | The Guardian | 12 Apr 2026 | 5:16 pm UTC

Neuroscientist's AI-Powered Startup Aims To Transform Human Cognition With Perfect, Infinite Memory

Bloomberg describes him as a "former Harvard Medical School professor whose research has focused on the intersection of AI and neuroscience." "For the past 20 years, I studied how the human brain stores and retrieves memories," Kreiman writes on LinkedIn. And now "My co-founder Spandan Madan and I built a new algorithm to endow humans with perfect and infinite memory." Engramme connects to your **memorome**, i.e., entire digital life. Large Memory Models work in the same way that your brain encodes and retrieves information. Then memories are recalled automatically — no searching, no prompting, no hallucinations. [The startup's web site promises "omniscient AI to augment human cognition."] We have built the memory layer for EVERY app. Read our manifesto about augmenting human cognition. ["We are not just building software; we are enabling a complete transformation of human cognition. When the friction disappears between needing a piece of information and recalling it, the nature of thought itself changes. This synergy between biological intuition and digital precision will be the most disruptive force in modern history, fundamentally reshaping every profession... We are dedicated to creating a world where everyone has the power to remember everything they have ever learned, seen, or felt "] Welcome to a new future where you can remember everything. This is the MEMORY SINGULARITY: after 300,000 years, this is the moment that humans stop forgetting. Bloomberg reports that the startup (spun out of a lab at Harvard) is "in talks with investors to raise about $100 million, according to people familiar with the matter."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 12 Apr 2026 | 4:34 pm UTC

Mauritius vows to ‘decolonise’ Chagos Islands after Starmer shelves handover

Mauritian foreign minister pledges to ‘spare no effort’ to regain control of islands, as US fails to give approval of deal

A senior official in Mauritius’ government has vowed that the Chagos Islands will be “decolonised” after Keir Starmer was forced to shelve legislation to hand the islands back to Mauritius.

On Friday, UK government officials acknowledged that they had run out of time to pass legislation within the current parliamentary session, which ends in the coming weeks, after a lack of support from Myrne Mul .

Continue reading...

Source: World news | The Guardian | 12 Apr 2026 | 4:33 pm UTC

DNA-Level Encryption Developed by Researchers to Protect the Secrets of Bioengineered Cells

The biotech industry's engineered cells could become an $8 trillion market by 2035, notes Phys.org. But how do you keep them from being stolen? Their article notes "an uptick in the theft and smuggling of high-value biological materials, including specially engineered cells." In Science Advances, a team of U.S. researchers present a new approach to genetically securing precious biological material. They created a genetic combination lock in which the locking or encryption process scrambled the DNA of a cell so that its important instructions were non-functional and couldn't be easily read or used. The unlocking, or decryption, process involves adding a series of chemicals in a precise order over time — like entering a password — to activate recombinases, which then unscramble the DNA to their original, functional form... They created a biological keypad with nine distinct chemicals, each acting as a one-digit input. By using the same chemicals in pairs to form two-digit inputs, where two chemicals must be present simultaneously to activate a sensor, they expanded the keypad to 45 possible chemical inputs without introducing any new chemicals. They also added safety penalties — if someone tampers with the system, toxins are released — making it extremely unlikely for an unauthorized person to access the cells. "The researchers conducted an ethical hacking exercise on the test lock and found that random guessing yielded a 0.2% success rate, remarkably close to the theoretical target of 0.1%."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 12 Apr 2026 | 3:34 pm UTC

Where are the fuel protests on Sunday and what impact will they have on schools tomorrow?

The latest information on Sunday’s protests, including an M50 update

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 12 Apr 2026 | 3:22 pm UTC

I vibe coded a feed reading web app. It was enlightening and uncomfortable

AI-assisted software development is transforming the industry, but you already knew that

Vibe coding works. I wish it didn't. But it does, well enough. And barring some revolution that overturns the new world disorder, machine learning cannot be undone.…

Source: The Register | 12 Apr 2026 | 2:45 pm UTC

Greg Kroah-Hartman Tests New 'Clanker T1000' Fuzzing Tool for Linux Patches

The word clanker — a disparaging term for AI and robots — "has made its way into the Linux kernel," reports the blog It's FOSS "thanks to Greg Kroah-Hartman, the Linux stable kernel maintainer and the closest thing the project has to a second-in-command." He's been quietly running what looks like an AI-assisted fuzzing tool on the kernel that lives in a branch called "clanker" on his working kernel tree. It began with the ksmbd and SMB code. Kroah-Hartman filed a three-patch series after running his new tooling against it, describing the motivation quite simply. ["They pass my very limited testing here," he wrote, "but please don't trust them at all and verify that I'm not just making this all up before accepting them."] Kroah-Hartman picked that code because it was easy to set up and test locally with virtual machines. "Beyond those initial SMB/KSMBD patches, there have been a flow of other Linux kernel patches touching USB, HID, F2FS, LoongArch, WiFi, LEDs, and more," Phoronix wrote Tuesday, "that were done by Greg Kroah-Hartman in the past 48 hours.... Those patches in the "Clanker" branch all note as part of the Git tag: "Assisted-by: gregkh_clanker_t1000" The T1000 presumably in reference to the Terminator T-1000. It's FOSS emphasizes that "What Kroah-Hartman appears to be doing here is not having AI write kernel code. The fuzzer surfaces potential bugs; a human with decades of kernel experience reviews them, writes the actual fixes, and takes responsibility for what gets submitted." Linus has been thinking about this too. Speaking at Open Source Summit Japan last year, Linus Torvalds said the upcoming Linux Kernel Maintainer Summit will address "expanding our tooling and our policies when it comes to using AI for tooling." He also mentioned running an internal AI experiment where the tool reviewed a merge he had objected to. The AI not only agreed with his objections but found additional issues to fix. Linus called that a good sign, while asserting that he is "much less interested in AI for writing code" and more interested in AI as a tool for maintenance, patch checking, and code review.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 12 Apr 2026 | 2:34 pm UTC

US-Iran Talks Fail - What Happens Next?

And what stopped an agreement?

Source: BBC News | 12 Apr 2026 | 2:20 pm UTC

Anthony Albanese urges Israel to stop Lebanon attacks that intensified during Middle East ceasefire

PM tells Guardian Australia Hezbollah should cease reprisals and confirms Australia’s military surveillance aircraft will remain in region

Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has urged Israel to stop its attacks on Lebanon and raised concern over its intensified military campaign on Beirut and the country’s south after the ceasefire in the Middle East.

Albanese also called on Hezbollah to cease attacks on Israel, reiterating his government’s belief that the Middle East ceasefire must include Lebanon. The prime minister also confirmed Australia’s military surveillance aircraft would remain in the region for at least another month beyond its initial deployment.

Continue reading...

Source: World news | The Guardian | 12 Apr 2026 | 2:01 pm UTC

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