Fri 21 August 2026: Israel has created a fictitious think tank that appears designed to influence artificial intelligence chatbots, according to a Monday report by online outlet Responsible Statecraft. The fictitious “Hanover Institute for Public Policy” presents itself as a US-style research organization producing reports on Israel and Palestine, but the institute is not an […]
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Fri 21 August 2026: The UN humanitarian office reported that aid workers experienced a record level of violent attacks last year, driven in part by the growing use of armed drones. Figures from the Aid Worker Security Database, which tracks major incidents involving humanitarian staff, show that 907 aid workers were killed, injured or kidnapped […]
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Fri 21 August 2026: Copper reached a new record, rising as high as $6.73 per pound on Monday due to strong artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure investments, growing renewable energy demand and cost pressures further exacerbated by Middle East tensions. Copper prices have continued to trend upward since last year, and the base metal has gained […]
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Fri 21 August 2026: Federal debt increased by roughly $11.6 trillion across President Trump’s two terms and by about $8.5 trillion during Joe Biden’s presidency. According to Treasury Department data, the U.S. national debt has now exceeded $40 trillion for the first time, more than doubling in under a decade. Total public debt outstanding reached […]
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Fri 21 August 2026: Moderna and Merck announced that their personalized mRNA cancer vaccine Intismeran cut the risk of melanoma recurrence and metastasis in a late-stage trial. The breakthrough in this emerging area of cancer therapy drove Moderna’s shares up by as much as 160 percent. Interim results of the study released on Wednesday found […]
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Thu 20 August 2026: Portugal has banned face coverings in public spaces after President Antonio Jose Seguro signed a law originally proposed by the right-wing Chega party. Seguro approved the measure Tuesday, saying it addressed an issue of “great social and cultural sensitivity,” according to a note by the Belem Palace, the presidential seat in […]
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Thu 20 August 2026: The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. The big idea Social media can be mentally draining. And when mentally drained, you are more likely to be influenced by a high number of likes on posts – even to the point of clicking on ads for products you don’t need […]
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Wed 19 August 2026: US ride-hailing company Uber and Chinese autonomous-driving firm Pony.ai announced an expanded partnership Friday to deploy more than 2,000 robotaxis across Europe. The partnership will expand from an existing commercial service in Zagreb, Croatia, to four additional European cities, according to a joint statement. The companies did not identify the cities or provide a detailed rollout […]
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Tue 18 August 2026: From asking our smart speakers for the weather to receiving personalised advice from smartwatches, devices powered by artificial intelligence (AI) are increasingly streamlining our routines and decision making. The technology is seeping into our lives in subtle ways. Manufacturers gather vast amounts of user data to ensure these smart devices are […]
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Mon 17 August 2026: From Victory to Victory” produced by Afghan outlet Misaq, which chronicles the Islamic Emirate’s history from its 1996 founding through the 2001 US invasion, two decades of conflict, the 2021 return to power, and five years of governance, security, and reconstruction efforts. The film presents the Taliban perspective on key events, […]
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