Fastly

A review led by Alan Milburn recommends that young people whose complex disabilities mean they have little prospect of paid employment should get fast-track access to disability benefits. The proposal, reported by The Guardian, is drawing attention to how the benefits system assesses severely disabled claimants, with debate expected over cost, fairness and the pace of reform.

The Trump administration is advancing its critical minerals agenda into a region known as America's 'forgotten wildlife corridor', according to reporting by Inside Climate News. The push for domestic mining of minerals deemed essential to national security and clean energy technologies is raising concerns that expanded extraction could fragment habitat and disrupt wildlife movement in an ecologically significant stretch of the country.

A federal appeals court for the Sixth Circuit has ruled that Ohio can move ahead with regulating Kalshi's sports event contracts, a decision with implications for the fast-growing market in prediction and event-based trading. The ruling signals that state gambling regulators may have authority over such contracts, a outcome being watched closely by both prediction market platforms and state regulators nationwide.

A new report examines how the gluten-free food industry is being shaped by two forces at once: rising consumer demand for gluten-free products and evolving regulatory standards governing labeling and health claims. Analysts say manufacturers will need to balance product innovation with stricter compliance requirements as the market matures and regulators tighten definitions of what can legitimately be called gluten-free.

A United States ally is developing plans to deploy robotic soldiers capable of taking on dangerous frontline tasks, according to a report by Interesting Engineering. The move signals growing interest in replacing human troops in high-risk combat roles with autonomous machines. Details about the country, timeline and technology involved remain limited, but the report adds to a broader global debate over the use of robots and autonomous systems in warfare.

President Donald Trump says the United States will not put the brakes on artificial intelligence development, speaking after a visit by Chinese leader Xi Jinping. His stance comes despite growing calls for international safeguards on AI, and signals that Washington intends to prioritise competitiveness over coordinated global restrictions on the fast-moving technology.

Bill Gates said reaching international agreement on artificial intelligence regulations will be more difficult than the nuclear arms negotiations of the Cold War era. His comments highlight the challenge of getting countries with competing interests to align on rules for a fast-moving technology. The remarks have drawn attention as governments worldwide debate how to oversee AI development.

The New York Times reports that governments are struggling to keep pace with the rapid development of artificial intelligence, with regulators and lawmakers increasingly unable to match the speed of technological change. The piece highlights a growing gap between private-sector A.I. innovation and the public sector's capacity to understand, oversee and regulate it, raising concerns about accountability, safety and democratic oversight.

A study published in Nature presents a rational framework for choosing between SpCas9 and variant-derived adenine base editors when editing the human genome. The work helps researchers match editor choice to specific target sites, improving precision and efficiency of base-editing experiments and supporting safer therapeutic applications.

In 2021, NOAA deployed an underwater robotic laboratory beneath Lake Erie's toxic algae blooms, delivering water-safety readings in under two hours. The system allows researchers to monitor harmful algal blooms in near real time, helping officials assess risks to drinking water and recreation far faster than traditional boat-based sampling allows.

The women's DFB-Pokal is in full swing in Germany, with several second-round fixtures making headlines. Schalke started fast against Essen, Blau-Gelb Marburg hosted Leipzig in what was called their match of a lifetime, and Werder Bremen reached the round of sixteen thanks to Ulbrich. 1. FC Köln won in Berlin, while Turbine Potsdam and Hertha BSC's women were knocked out.

Texas has built an AI chatbot designed to help people navigate the state's regulations, according to Forbes. The tool is intended to make it easier for businesses and residents to find and understand the rules that apply to them. The move puts Texas among a growing number of governments experimenting with artificial intelligence to improve access to public information and streamline bureaucratic queries.

Some members of Gen Z are teaching themselves touch typing, a skill many skipped as smartphones replaced keyboards in their upbringing. The motivation is twofold: typing fluently lets them write and refine AI prompts more efficiently, and it gives them an advantage in office jobs where fast, accurate keyboard skills still matter. The trend highlights a skills gap created by a mobile-first generation entering keyboard-centric workplaces.

Developers have put forward plans for a major new settlement on land south of Cambridge, including 4,000 homes, schools, shops and a riverside country park. The proposal would mark one of the larger housing schemes in the area, adding significant capacity amid ongoing pressure to build homes around the fast-growing city.

New York State laws extend legal protections to whistleblowers who raise concerns about artificial intelligence, according to local reporting. The protections mean workers who flag risks or wrongdoing involving AI systems can seek safeguards against retaliation. The reporting highlights how state legislation is being applied to the fast-growing AI sector, where employees at tech companies have increasingly spoken out about safety and ethical concerns.