Why did an AI Chatbot try to convince me Charlie Kirk was alive? October 2, 2025 On the day of Charlie Kirk’s funeral, the AI model Claude went full Colonel Kurtz on me, accusing me of spreading fake news and having a full-blown mental health crisis. In a piece of writing I had referenced the recent assassination of Charlie Kirk and asked Claude to check my grammar. It replied saying: “The Charlie Kirk reference needs clarification [...]
Rubber ducks are everywhere – it’s the UK’s strangest new trend October 2, 2025 Have you been handed a rubber duck by a stranger? Adam Bloodworth explores the latest way people are forging new IRL connections in this piece from City AM The Magazine‘s Autumn edition “We were at a festival when two girls I’d never met tapped me on the shoulder and handed me something,” says Aggie Morris, [...]
There is a way back for the Conservatives October 2, 2025 The Tories have been quiet of late, pushed to the margins of the post-summer political debate and either mocked or ignored by the other parties whose conferences have sucked up the airtime in recent weeks. But this weekend they gather in Manchester and while the event won’t command the nation’s undivided attention it is a [...]
The scandal of the defence start-ups getting debanked October 2, 2025 No one should be debanked – made effectively bankrupt – because of their political views, but when it’s done to start-ups vital to defence, it endangers us all, says James Graham Few knew what debanking was in the summer of 2023 when news emerged that Nigel Farage’s account had been shut down. His bank initially [...]
Labour is in denial about the economy October 2, 2025 The recent Labour conference as an exercise in denial, revealing a party plagued by internal divisions and lacking a coherent economic plan, says Helen Thomas As the Labour conference drew to a close, one word dominated the mood: denial. Denial of the scale of Britain’s economic challenges. Denial of the fault lines within the party [...]
Stop lecturing consumers on climate change, make them afraid October 2, 2025 No one understands the 2°C climate change target, it’s time to reframe the debate around the real, tangible impact of climate change – like floods and wildfires, says Lewis Liu I was recently at a dinner for venture capital investors in New York when someone asked me, “As a trained physicist, what’s more investable: fusion [...]
What’s On in London in October 2025 October 1, 2025 As the leaves turn a golden hue, London in October is a city of stunning autumnal beauty and vibrant events. Explore the fiery foliage in the royal parks, get into the spooky spirit with a ghost tour or a Halloween party at a museum, attend a FREE Battle of Ideas event or discover the world-class [...]
The Weir star Owen McDonnell on starring with Brendan Gleeson October 1, 2025 “This is Ian McKellen’s toilet,” says Owen McDonnell enthusiastically. “Go in and have a look.” Sure enough, there’s a sign on the door of what looks like a broom cupboard that says “Ian McKellen’s WC”. Inside, the walls are plastered floor-to-ceiling with pictures of great thespians – Mark Rylance, Dame Maggie Smith, Dame Judi Dench [...]
Surrey close £60m Oval Invincibles deal with Reliance after eight months October 1, 2025 Surrey have finally exchanged contracts with Reliance Industries over the shareholders’ agreement governing their new partnership in the Oval-based Hundred team after almost eight months of negotiations. The Mumbai Indians owners agreed to pay £60m for 49 per cent of the franchise in February, but talks over the finer details of the deal have been [...]
What should Labour supporters make of a conference dominated by Reform? October 1, 2025 Keir Starmer wants to frame the choice facing Britain as one between decency and division, but will a restless electorate anxious to see results let him? Asks Douglas Beattie There are three types of party conference – the dreary, the victorious and the tense. The first of these often emerges after a long period in [...]