News 13/10/26

OpenAI and Anthropic have promised to deactivate their artificial intelligence models if British intelligence agencies present evidence that they are unsafe.

Representatives told MPs they would respond immediately to warnings from MI5, MI6, GCHQ, or the AI Security Institute, stating they would halt deployment or training if authorities flagged severe risks.

The Vatican says surgery to remove a small lung growth on Pope Leo the Fourteenth went successfully.

The seventy-one-year-old pontiff was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital for the procedure, following the early detection of the nodule during a recent routine check-up.

Former gang boss Duane Davis has been sentenced to forty years in prison for orchestrating the murder of rap superstar Tupac Shakur.

A jury found him guilty of murder with a deadly weapon for the nineteen ninety-six Las Vegas drive-by shooting, though Davis has confirmed plans to appeal the verdict.

An independent report warns that English football is dangerously exposed, with 94% of clubs operating at a loss and over 60% technically insolvent.

The football regulator highlighted rising debt and owner over-reliance, creating severe financial cliff-edges across the leagues.

A British Airways flight bound for Portugal has been forced to turn back and land at Gatwick Airport following a minor technical issue.

Flight BA2660, which was heading to Faro in the Algarve, diverted while flying over north-western France. Flight data provider AirNav Radar reported that a passenger window had cracked during the journey. A British Airways spokesperson confirmed the aircraft landed safely in London, adding that arrangements were being made for passengers to resume their travel.

Retail chain Poundland has confirmed it is currently in rescue talks with potential buyers in a bid to secure its future.

Executives are understood to be working alongside an Irish property development group on a proposed management buyout. However, the shopworkers’ union Usdaw has warned that the retailer risks falling into administration if negotiations collapse, cautioning that a failure to reach an agreement would prove disastrous for thousands of staff members whose jobs are at risk.

MI5 head Sir Ken McCallum has warned that artificial intelligence is supercharging security threats to the UK, including the potential development of new bioweapons by terrorists and hostile states.

In his annual threat speech on Tuesday, the director general revealed the launch of a new assessment centre to examine AI risks, highlighting concerns surrounding superintelligence capable of outthinking humanity.

Police have identified the man killed in a tiger attack at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday afternoon as William Chapman.

South Yorkshire Police confirmed the thirty-one-year-old was visiting the Doncaster attraction alone when he entered the enclosure and was pronounced dead at the scene. Eyewitnesses reported seeing him pacing nearby with headphones before the incident, as investigations and park closures continue.

Irish police have launched a murder investigation following an arson attack and fatal house fire in Waterford City that left two adults and two children dead.

Emergency services arrived at the Birchwood estate property shortly after five o’clock on Tuesday morning to find the blaze well developed. Two additional children remain hospitalised in critical condition.

Thirteen jurors have been sworn in for a trial following selection and a review of availability, consisting of twelve primary jurors and one alternate.

Swearing an oath to faithfully try the defendant, the jury was instructed by the judge not to discuss the case online, on social media, or with outsiders outside the courtroom.

Heating oil customers facing soaring energy bills have been promised stricter regulation by the government.

Ministers say they will tighten rules, boost competition, and establish clearer compensation routes when things go wrong, alongside reviewing minimum order thresholds. Despite heating oil prices nearly doubling over the past year and campaigner calls for price cap protections, ministers have not proposed a cap or specified when new rules will take effect.

NHS maternity staff exposed to excessive levels of nitrous oxide have received landmark legal payouts totalling £735,000.

Basildon Hospital in Essex settled claims with one hundred and twenty-one staff, including eighty-five midwives, who suffered health issues after safety limits were breached. Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust apologised to staff in what the Royal College of Midwives described as its largest group action.

The International Monetary Fund has reported that the UK economy is set to grow faster than previously expected this year, with gross domestic product now forecast to expand by 1.3%.

However, the global financial body cautioned that economic growth will slow slightly to 1.2% per cent next year, while British households face a sharper, more persistent rise in inflation than originally anticipated.

One person has died and several others have been injured following an incident involving a rollercoaster at the Six Flags Over Georgia theme park near Atlanta.

Local police and park officials responded immediately to the scene on Monday afternoon, though authorities have not yet confirmed the exact cause of the death or injuries. Park management confirmed they are fully cooperating with ongoing police investigations.

Around 650 offenders in England and Wales are being released early today in the second phase of a government plan to ease severe prison overcrowding.

Under the scheme, inmates serving sentences of up to two and a half years are leaving jail after completing a third of their time behind bars instead of half. The scheme comes as probation officers prepare to vote on potential strike action over pay and workload.