As AI companies search for more training data to improve their models, one company is offering old, printed books as an ideal source because they are guaranteed to be free of the very AI slop AI companies are producing. “The world’s best AI training data is sitting on a shelf,” ...
Month: July 2026
Ann Widdecombe was hit on head 21 times with hammer, prosecutors sayAnn Widdecombe was hit on head 21 times with hammer, prosecutors say
Joshua Kerry, 28, attacked Widdecombe while she was eating lunch at her home in Devon before stealing her wallet, prosecutors say. ...
London-based civil servants offered move to No 10 North in ManchesterLondon-based civil servants offered move to No 10 North in Manchester
London-based civil servants willing to move north have been told they will be offered relocation packages, the BBC understands. ...
Row escalates in Ukraine over army chief’s futureRow escalates in Ukraine over army chief’s future
Protesters are demanding Oleksandr Syrskyi be removed and former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov reinstated by Friday. ...
Bahrain considers nuclear power optionBahrain considers nuclear power option
Bahrain is studying whether to build a small modular nuclear power plant, the Middle East Economic Digest reported, with the state-owned Bapco Energies leading the effort through its venture capital arm. If it goes ahead, it would be the first nuclear plant in the kingdom, which holds the Gulf’s smallest ...
Renewed US-Iran strikes stoke global inflation fearsRenewed US-Iran strikes stoke global inflation fears
Surging tensions across the Middle East strangled shipping traffic, driving energy prices higher and raising the specter of accelerating inflation worldwide. A 10th day of aerial attacks between the US and Iran meant just 53 ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz in the week to July 20, a 66% drop ...
Geopolitics shape Dems’ energy platformGeopolitics shape Dems’ energy platform
Tim’s view The two biggest themes in global geopolitics — the rollout of AI and the fallout from the Iran war — look set to benefit Democrats, and potentially reshape the US political landscape in a matter of months. Between the steady march of average US gasoline prices back above ...
Saudi men are drowning in debtSaudi men are drowning in debt
Wael’s view In 2025, Saudi courts received 1.6 million requests to collect on more than 165 billion riyals ($44 billion) in unpaid financial obligations. Justice Minister Walid Al-Samaani said the figure was evidence of a modern, responsive judicial process, but read differently, it is the mark of a society creaking ...
AI is driving geopolitical instability, officials warnAI is driving geopolitical instability, officials warn
AI is fast becoming a driver of geopolitical instability and competition, analysts, executives, and officials worldwide warned. The recent announcement of a relatively powerful, open-source Chinese AI model has crystallized US worries over Beijing’s growing capabilities: The bosses of Anthropic and OpenAI have asked Washington to better restrict the use ...
Chris Mason: Starmer ally takes swipe at Burnham’s first big policyChris Mason: Starmer ally takes swipe at Burnham’s first big policy
Sir Keir Starmer’s former right hand man Darren Jones says Andy Burnham’s VAT cut is unfunded. ...