Gotta catch an MP! Players ‘debate’ UK politicians in Pokémon-style game

Creator of Politidex hopes free online app will help humanise politics and act as a way of ‘flipping the narrative’

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Adults underestimate risk of abuse posed to women by ex-partners, UK data shows

Figures shows 42% of callers to Refuge identify former partner as abuser, but only 12% of adults recognise this possibility The risk posed to women by ex-partners in cases of abuse is underestimated by large swathes of the British public, according to the charity Refuge. Data from the charity’s helpline found that 42% of people who call Refuge for help identify a former partner as their abuser, a statistic which underlines how common it is for an ex to be a cause of harm after a relationship has ended. Continue reading...

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‘Seriously wrong’: flood-hit Lincolnshire residents at odds with Reform MP over climate

Constituents’ frustration with Richard Tice reflects growing problem for party and its leaders’ climate-sceptic stance

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Victims urge tougher action on deepfake abuse as new law comes into force

Campaigners welcome criminalisation of non-consensual AI-generated explicit images but say law does not go far enough Victims of deepfake image abuse have called for stronger protection against AI-generated explicit images, as the law criminalising the creation of non-consensual intimate images comes into effect. Campaigners from Stop Image-Based Abuse delivered a petition to Downing Street with more than 73,000 signatures, urging the government to introduce civil routes to justice such as takedown orders for abusive imagery on platforms and devices. Continue reading...

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Millions creating deepfake nudes on Telegram as AI tools drive global wave of digital abuse

Analysis finds at least 150 channels on messaging app that are distributing AI-generated images and video Millions of people around the world are creating and sharing deepfake nudes on the secure messaging app Telegram, a Guardian analysis has shown, as the spread of advanced AI tools industrialises the online abuse of women. The Guardian has identified at least 150 Telegram channels – large encrypted group chats popular for their secure communication – that appear to have users in many countries, from the UK to Brazil, China to Nigeria, Russia to India. Some of them offer “nudified” photos or videos for a fee: users can upload a photo of any woman, and AI will produce a video of that woman performing sexual acts. Many more offer a feed of images – of celebrities, social media influencers and ordinary women – made nude or made to perform sexual acts by AI. Followers are also using the channels to share tips on available deepfake tools. Continue reading...

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‘Not surprised at all’: Fareham voters size up Suella Braverman’s Reform switch

Some in Hampshire constituency happy to vote for former Tory MP again but others find defection ‘quite alarming’

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Man accused of rape denies anger over call from Barron Trump, court hears

Court told US president’s son contacted the woman shortly before alleged assault in London A man accused of raping a woman in London denied he was angry when she received a call from Donald Trump’s son, a court has heard. Barron Trump, the youngest son of the US president, was on a video call with the woman, who cannot be named, in January last year when he allegedly witnessed her allegedly being assaulted by a man in London and alerted police. Continue reading...

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More than 100,000 people urge MPs to ban social media for under-16s in UK

Letters sent using campaign group’s template as Keir Starmer indicates Australia-style move being considered MPs’ inboxes have been flooded with letters calling for an Australia-style social media ban for under-16s, as the prime minister indicated such a move was being considered. More than 100,000 people have contacted their local MP since the grassroots organisation Smartphone Free Childhood launched an email campaign on Tuesday evening with a template calling for “reasonable, age-appropriate boundaries”. Continue reading...

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Use of AI to harm women has only just begun, experts warn

While Grok has introduced belated safeguards to prevent sexualised AI imagery, other tools have far fewer limits “Since discovering Grok AI, regular porn doesn’t do it for me anymore, it just sounds absurd now,” one enthusiast for the Elon Musk-owned AI chatbot wrote on Reddit. Another agreed: “If I want a really specific person, yes.” If those who have been horrified by the distribution of sexualised imagery on Grok hoped that last week’s belated safeguards could put the genie back in the bottle, there are many such posts on Reddit and elsewhere that tell a different story. Continue reading...

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Take your partner for Mr Beveridge’s Maggot! The boom in regency balls

Fans of Jane Austen and Bridgerton delight in recreating historical dances – but how do they learn the right moves?

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‘I became obsessed’: New Labour psychodrama grips TikTok teenagers

Nostalgic social media videos detailing Blair-Brown rivalry elicit cult following among young political fans

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Cat soap operas and babies trapped in space: the ‘AI slop’ taking over YouTube

Nearly one in 10 of the fastest growing channels globally consist of mass-produced, surreal AI-generated videos

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‘I became obsessed’: New Labour psychodrama grips TikTok teenagers

Nostalgic social media videos detailing Blair-Brown rivalry elicit cult following among young political fans

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World’s ugliest lawn winner says she leaves watering to Mother Nature

New Zealand garden takes first prize in global competition designed to promote water conservation

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