Month: October 2026

Wikipedia often gets taken for granted – but its history is fascinating, and its future is fragile

Wikipedia’s 68m articles have been consulted trillions of times. Not bad for a website that has barely changed since it was founded 20 years ago A few years ago, I was struck by the tension between how Wikipedia was used, and how it was talked about. Everyone was on it all the time, and yet …

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‘You can’t make this stuff up’: why we remain fascinated by Elizabeth Holmes

The entrepreneur turned fraudster is the subject of an Oscar-tipped new documentary that takes an unusual look at her strange legacy David Agus’s first encounter with Elizabeth Holmes at a health conference came as a shock. The Holmes he met in the green room was personable and pleasant. The Holmes he interviewed on stage was …

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The best toys and gifts for eight-year-olds, tested by eight-year-olds

From science kits to karaoke machines, shower sets to brain-boosting games, here are the presents our mini testers loved the most • The best gifts for seven-year-olds Eight is such a wonderful age. Kids are old enough to have their own interests and hobbies, but still young enough to get swept up in play and …

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World Bank says ‘small AI’ could transform developing countries

Bank’s chief knowledge officer says the tech could speed up economic development from centuries to decades The World Bank is urging developing countries to kickstart the creation of “small AI” models, which can run on a mobile phone with low connectivity, to reap the full benefits of artificial intelligence. While Silicon Valley big tech firms …

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‘I felt disgusted’: MEP speaks out over nude deepfakes and urges EU action

Lena Schilling of Austrian Greens says images are ‘digital violence against women’ and a threat to democracy An Austrian MEP has spoken out about her experience of being “stripped naked” online without her consent and has urged the EU to take action, as a report found that one in six female MEPs had been targeted …

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Why Britain should reject the lure of cheap – and scary – Chinese AI

In the west the technology comes with at least some effort to provide security and a benign intent – not so from China There is much to fear from artificial intelligence developed in China and handed to businesses and governments in the west almost free of charge. Every month Chinese AI developers such as DeepSeek …

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The power of AI is worrying senior Labour figures – as is the fear of ‘falling behind the public’

Westminster appears to be waking up to warnings over AI safety, with concerns over its use by extremist groups and bad actors “I have this sense that, within a few months, AI is going to be all anyone is talking about,” said one cabinet minister, with an ominous stare. It was Labour conference, with everyone …

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Ministers must be honest about Russian threat to UK, says former Foreign Office head

Peter Ricketts calls for more resilience in protecting banking, energy and water systems from cyber-assaults Ministers need to be honest with the British public about the immediate threat posed by Russia, which could soon lead to lives being lost, a former national security adviser has said. Peter Ricketts, who advised David Cameron when he was …

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Fake Linda and me: the Agatha Christie-worthy mystery of the fraudster who stole my byline

How a string of bizarre events led writer Linda Geddes to don her sleuthing cap and dig into a world of shadowy impersonators It started with an entirely ordinary interaction on LinkedIn. Someone had tagged me in a post, saying how much they’d enjoyed contributing to a New York Post article I’d written about “chronoworking”. …

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Palantir patient data tech rejected by many NHS trusts in England

Exclusive: health bodies across country say controversial US firm’s data platform no better than systems already in use NHS organisations that care for millions of people in England are rejecting Palantir’s patient data technology, according to freedom of information responses that reveal health bosses believe they can find better or equal alternatives in many cases. …

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