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Last updated 26 Apr, 07:24 PM
BBC News
Watch: How gunfire sparked chaos at Trump press dinner - President Trump and Vice-President Vance were rushed off the stage, after gunshots were heard at the event at the Washington Hilton hotel.
Suspected gunman identified as 31-year-old Californian - The man arrested at the event attended by President Trump has been named in US media as Cole Tomas Allen from California.
King's US visit will go ahead as planned, Buckingham Palace says - The decision was made "after discussions on both sides of the Atlantic through the day", the Palace says.
Mali defence minister killed in rebel attacks, reports say - A wave of coordinated attacks by jihadist militants and separatists has spread through the country.
Sabastian Sawe breaks two-hour barrier to make history at London Marathon - Sabastian Sawe makes history at the London Marathon as the first person to run a sub-two-hour marathon in a competitive race.
The Register
Tokenmaxxing isn't an AI strategy - Before checking AI's price tag, see whether it fits What does AI cost? It's a simple question and an important one – the answer will determine the fate of companies and shape society. But it's also a question that can't be answered in a meaningful way without additional context.…
Go straight to sell! Windows second-chance setup hawks Microsoft services at IT's expense - The OS trying to upsell you subscriptions is more than just an annoyance opinion You’ve had your laptop for months, and you’ve always made sure it installed Microsoft updates. Then one day you boot up, and Windows 11 greets you with a confusing message: “You’re almost done setting up your PC.”…
Hot take: AI's not going to kill open source code security - Cal.com considers AGPL a license to drill, but not everyone feels that way Opinion Cal.com has closed its commercial codebase, abandoning years of AGPL-3.0 licensing in a move that has alarmed the developer community that helped build it and sent ripples through the broader open source world.…
Ex-AWS legend explains what enterprises need to make AI actually work - AI transformation is about people and organization, not technology Enterprise AI projects go off the rails when companies focus on the technology instead of the people.…
Crime crew impersonates help desk, abuses Microsoft Teams to steal your data - Coming in cold with custom Snow malware A previously unknown threat group using tried-and-tested social engineering tactics - Microsoft Teams chat invitations and helpdesk staff impersonation - is also using custom malware in its data-stealing attacks, according to Google's Threat Intelligence Group.…
New Scientist - Home
We need more radioactive drugs. Can we make them from nuclear waste? - The rise of a new generation of radiotherapies means we will soon need much greater quantities of radioactive atoms. That's why companies are scrambling to refine them from all manner of radioactive waste
Why the right kind of stress is crucial for your health and happiness - Stress is linked to many of our biggest killers, but a growing body of research suggests that certain types can sharpen the mind and strengthen the body. Here’s how to find your perfect dose
This mesmerising Cornish time-travel film is not to be missed - A seaside town is devastated when a small fishing boat, the Rose of Nevada, disappears at sea. Thirty years later, the boat reappears in the harbour and sets off a moving story, says Bethan Ackerley
Gravity's strength measured more reliably than ever before - Measuring the strength of gravity is extraordinarily difficult, and different experiments have always disagreed – but a new test is paving the way to finally understanding nature’s most enigmatic force
Symptoms of early dementia reversed by bespoke treatment plans - People with cognitive decline or early-stage dementia saw their symptoms improve when given bespoke treatment plans that targeted their personal nutritional deficiencies, ongoing infections and environmental exposures
Hacker News
GoDaddy Gave a Domain to a Stranger Without Any Documentation - Comments
Dillo Browser Release 3.3.0 - Comments
Asahi Linux Progress Linux 7.0 - Comments
Clay PCB Tutorial - Comments
Why SWE-bench Verified no longer measures frontier coding capabilities - Comments
Slashdot
Linux Version of Framework's Laptop 13 Pro is Outselling Its Windows Variant - Framework began shipping its new Laptop 13 Pro this week. And the Ubuntu variant is outselling the Windows variant, reports PC World: [I]t's selling quickly by Framework's internal metrics, with six batches of the Intel version of the laptop already sold out. [A later Framework social media post added "Spoke too soon, we're onto Batch 8."] "Also nice validation of our approach, the Ubuntu configurations are outselling the Windows ones!" That's not really surprising, for a few reasons. One, if you're buying a Framework laptop, you have a good reason to order it without an OS, even if you want Windows 11. It's easy to get it free or cheap elsewhere. (Framework says it's not counting the "None (bring your own)" option in these Ubuntu numbers.) Two, there are precious few places to order a new laptop with any kind of Linux pre-loaded — you've got Framework, a few smaller vendors like System76 and Slimbook, and a few models from Dell. Lenovo sold Ubuntu-loaded laptops at one point, but I can't find any on the site right now... Perhaps it doesn't hurt that Microsoft and Windows are currently on a bit of an apology tour. After a couple of years of pushing hard on "AI" features that no one wants — not even the people who do want "AI" want the Copilot flavor — Microsoft is pulling back its integration into everything and now promising features that Windows has been missing ever since Windows 10. Framework also reports that: More than one third of purchasers say they're replacing a MacBook Pro, "and almost all of them are switching to Linux (based on our optional post-purchase survey)." "Also in interesting sales data, the Gray/Black keyboard is vastly outselling the traditional Black one!" Read more of this story at Slashdot.
New Problem for NASA's 'Lunar Gateway': Corrosion in Two Modules Caused by Supplier - In March, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced that the moon-orbiting "Lunar Gateway" space station was being "paused" to focus instead of missions to the moon's surface. And Ars Technica agrees that the project was essentially "spending billions of dollars to make it more difficult to reach the lunar surface and faced the prospect of watching Chinese astronauts wander around on the Moon from orbit instead of being there themselves." "But this week, we learned another reason that Gateway is going away, and it's pretty shocking." During testimony before the US House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Isaacman faced questions about NASA's budget... He then publicly confirmed rumors (reported last month by Ars) that there is corrosion in both the HALO [Habitation and Logistics Outpost] and I-HAB modules of the Gateway. "The only two habitable volumes that were delivered — both were corroded," Isaacman said. "And that's unfortunate because it would have delayed, probably beyond 2030, the application of Gateway...." In a statement, Northrop confirmed the issue as well. "Using NASA-approved processes, Northrop Grumman is completing repairs to HALO after a manufacturing irregularity," a company spokesperson told Ars. "We expect to complete repairs by the end of the third quarter. HALO can still be repurposed for any mission, and it's the most mature technology to support a deep space or lunar habitat." By referring to a "manufacturing irregularity," Northrop answered the central mystery here: how corrosion could appear in both modules. This is because a French-Italian space and defense company, Thales Alenia Space, built the primary structure of HALO for Northrop Grumman. The module was delivered from Italy to the United States about a year ago Thales is a powerhouse of the European space industry. It built several pressurized modules of the International Space Station, and it's working with Axiom Space to build its commercial space station. The company also had a big piece of the Lunar Gateway in addition to HALO, developing the I-HAB module and a future communications and refueling module known as ESPRIT... After the issue was discovered, the European Space Agency established a "tiger team" to investigate. "Based on the investigation and available data, the corrosion issue was understood to be technically manageable and did not constitute a showstopper for I-HAB, which was, in any case, in better conditions than HALO from [a] corrosion point of view," the spokesperson said... After publication of this story on Friday, Axiom Space confirmed that it has also experienced corrosion issues. In a statement, the company said: "Axiom Space has experienced a similar phenomenon with the first module; we are leveraging the expertise of NASA and Thales Alenia Space to address the issue. Module 1 is on track to launch in 2028." Read more of this story at Slashdot.
How Teachers Fight Students' Shortening Attention Spans Shorter Activities, Hands-On Projects, and Meditation - The Washington Post reports that some teachers are now implementing "brain breaks" in their classrooms to cope with shorter attention spans, "including limiting screen time; cutting the time students spend on one activity; adding more engaging, hands-on projects; and practicing meditation." Some teachers say the efforts are helping, at least a little... To engage students, teachers say they often feel the need to deliver teaching not only in shorter bursts, but also in more entertaining ways. "The new word is 'edutainment,'" said Curtis Finch, superintendent of Deer Valley Unified School District in Arizona. "How can you make your lesson applicable, interactive? Teachers are going to have to be more engaging for students...." In a kindergarten classroom at McKinley STEAM [a K-8 public school], students start the day with a meditation. The classroom of two dozen children is perhaps its quietest during this short activity every morning. Imagine you're in the Arctic, a voice from a meditation video tells them, with snowflakes melting on your skin. Silently, the children lay down on the carpet and close their eyes for a moment. After the meditation, the students gather in a circle and do a few deep breathing exercises before taking turns proclaiming what they are capable of each day. "I can be a good student," one little boy said before the child next to him replied: "I can listen to the teacher." The goal is that these mantras will stay with the children hours later, when they have to sit through the more tedious lessons of the day. An instructional coach at McKinley STEAM says the strategies are working students aren't reaching for their phones during class and sometimes actually get drawn into lessons. The article also explains why some teachers find this necessary: In recent years, educators say, it has grown more challenging to get students to pay attention. Eighty-eight percent of respondents in an international survey from 2025 of more than 3,000 teachers believed their students' attention spans were getting shorter. In a study published last year about kindergarten through second-grade classrooms in the United States, 75 percent of teachers said attention spans had dropped since the coronavirus pandemic, when the use of laptops and other technology for schooling spread rapidly. A growing body of research says that excessive screen time and short-form content such as TikTok videos are part of the problem. At least 36 states, including Ohio, have laws requiring schools to have some form of a cellphone ban. There is debate over whether screen time reduces people's ability to focus or their desire to — many developmental experts lean toward the latter, suggesting that it is possible to help students regain longer attention spans. Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Fans Angry Over Pokemon Go Champion's Disqualification For Allegedly Shaking the Table - It's "the curious case of... the Pokémon Go pro who celebrated too hard," reports the gaming news site Aftermath. It all started on the first weekend in April... Firestar73, a competitive Pokémon Go player who placed seventh at last year's world championships, managed to narrowly cinch a game-five finals win at the 2026 Pokémon Orlando Regional Championships after battling his way out of the dreaded losers' bracket. As stress and adrenaline gave way to relief, Firestar73 stood up from his chair, threw off his headphones, raised his arms in a sort of victorious flexing motion, and then fist pumped for good measure. Immediately afterward, he politely shook his opponent's hand... [T]he tournament's staff went on to deem Firestar73's conduct "unsportsmanlike" and stripped him of his win. "After weeks of fans flooding The Pokémon Company's social channels to demand a repeal of the ruling, the company has finally issued a statement," reports Kotaku. "Spoilers: It will not be reverting its decision." Their official statement? "[D]uring game one of the bracket reset series, a player was issued a Warning for the action of hitting and shaking the table during gameplay. Actions such as these can have a negative impact on the experience of participants and disturb the match in progress. Then, during game five, this same player's behavior continued to be disruptive, including shaking the table to the point that there was a disruption to the broadcast experience. These repeated infractions resulted in a penalty that was escalated to Game Loss. " Meanwhile, Aftermath now reports, Firestar73 "has disputed Play! Pokémon's account of events entirely "The 'incident' you are now, for the first time, claiming was the basis of the decision did not affect the gameplay at all, yet decided the whole tournament," he wrote on Twitter. "Section 2.1 requires a 'clear explanation of any infraction and its penalty,' and I was never given this as the basis at all." NiteTimeClasher, who won the tournament by disqualification, doesn't seem pleased either. "Was not my decision," he appears to have written in a Pokémon Discord. "Firestar is the Orlando regional champion. Hope you all understand." Others have attempted to divine what the company meant by a "disruption to the broadcast experience," and what they've found doesn't look all that severe. Not long after Play! Pokémon handed down its edict, one judge who was not involved in this particular match, Professor Rex, publicly voiced his outrage. "As a judge I'm not supposed to discuss ruling[s] publicly," he wrote. "However, I also believe that as a judge my job is to give players a fair space to compete. If a player in a high stakes battle can lose out on thousands of dollars for shaking the table, what kind of space have we built? If the table can't handle the intensity of the competition, that's not the players' fault. I've judged multiple Go regionals, [and] I just can't support how this was handled." After posting internal correspondence meant for judges and asking "some questions they didn't like" in the Discord for those who judge and otherwise help out at Pokémon events, Rex was banned from the Discord. That's when, to the extent they had not already, things spun out of control. Rex went on to share judges' personal information in a perhaps-misguided attempt at forcing transparency, which caused other judges — some of whom mostly agreed with him — to call him out and take issue with his conduct. As of now, almost no one is happy. Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Privacy Advocate Accuses US Government of Investing in AI-Powered Mass Surveillance - The Conversation published this warning from privacy/tech law/electronic surveillance attorney Anne Toomey McKenna (also an affiliated faculty member at Penn State's Institute for Computational and Data Sciences). The U.S. government "is able to purchase Americans' sensitive data because the information it buys is not subject to the same restrictions as information it collects directly. The federal government is also ramping up its abilities to directly collect data through partnerships with private tech companies. These surveillance tech partnerships are becoming entrenched, domestically and abroad, as advances in AI take surveillance to unprecedented levels... " Congressional funding is supercharging huge government investments in surveillance tech and data analytics driven by AI, which automates analysis of very large amounts of data. The massive 2025 tax-and-spending law netted the Department of Homeland Security an unprecedented US$165 billion in yearly funding. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, part of DHS, got about $86 billion. Disclosure of documents allegedly hacked from Homeland Security reveal a massive surveillance web that has all Americans in its scope. DHS is expanding its AI surveillance capabilities with a surge in contracts to private companies. It is reportedly funding companies that provide more AI-automated surveillance in airports; adapters to convert agents' phones into biometric scanners; and an AI platform that acquires all 911 call center data to build geospatial heat maps to predict incident trends. Predicting incident trends can be a form of predictive policing, which uses data to anticipate where, when and how crime may occur... Meanwhile, the Trump administration's national policy framework for artificial intelligence, released on March 20, 2026, urges Congress to use grants and tax incentives to fund "wider deployment of AI tools across American industry" and to allow industry and academia to use federal datasets to train AI. Using federal datasets this way raises privacy law concerns because they contain a lifetime of sensitive details about you, including biographical, employment and tax information.... The author argues that it's now critical for Americans to know "why the laws you might think are protecting your data do not apply or are ignored." On March 18, 2026, FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed to Congress that the FBI is buying Americans' data from data brokers, including location histories, to track American citizens.... But in buying your data in bulk on the commercial market, the government is circumventing the Constitution, Supreme Court decisions and federal laws designed to protect your privacy from unwarranted government overreach... Supreme Court cases require police to get a warrant to search a phone or use cellular or GPS location information to track someone. The Electronic Communications Privacy Act's Wiretap Act prohibits unauthorized interception of wire, oral and electronic communications. Despite some efforts, Congress has failed to enact legislation to protect data privacy, the use of sensitive data by AI systems or to restore the intent of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act. Courts have allowed the broad electronic privacy protections in the federal Wiretap Act to be eviscerated by companies claiming consent. In my opinion, the way to begin to address these problems is to restore the Wiretap Act and related laws to their intended purposes of protecting Americans' privacy in communications, and for Congress to follow through on its promises and efforts by passing legislation that secures Americans' data privacy and protects them from AI harms. Thanks to long-time Slashdot reader sinij for sharing the article. Read more of this story at Slashdot.