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Rankings based on community life survey put two Devon districts in top five and Stoke and Ipswich near bottom

The Isles of Scilly have been named as the friendliest place in England as part of a major study into social division across Britain.

All 296 local authority areas have been ranked in a new index using government data from the community life survey, measuring how often people chat to neighbours, feelings of loneliness and belonging, local pride, and levels of participation in civic life.

Using ‘equestrian embodiment’, photographer Ayana V Jackson celebrates great horsewomen who galloped through prejudice
• The best of Arles 2026 – in pictures

Forget the vampire tales – the Eastern Carpathians deliver dramatic peaks, roaming bears and deep solitude

As the sun disappears behind the high tree line, our campfire spits and crackles. Four plump trout are sizzling on a flame-heated slab of rock, a cooking technique used by people in the Gurghiu mountains, part of Transylvania’s Eastern Carpathians, for centuries. Apart from gentle birdsong, it’s the only sound up here, 1,550 metres above sea level and far from any town or village.

“This area is very wild,” says Samir Teslovan, who drove us up through the densely forested peaks from his guesthouse in Toplița. “When I come here to the mountains, I charge my battery, charge my soul. I feel free, like the wind.”

A vivid and hopeful study of how culture endures in the midst of extreme violence

Towards the end of her subtly piercing book about art in wartime, Charlotte Higgins recounts an autumn visit to Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second city, in the north-east of the country, a short drive from the Russian border. In a tranquil park, she sees a man standing in a stream, making stones balance on top of each other in a teetering tower – “a metaphor of life in that city,” she writes, “that would have seemed too obvious for a novel”.

Still, as a good novelist would, Higgins doesn’t seem to beg telling details from a place so much as have them leap to her open eye and ear. The cartoons a boy is watching that fall silent in a power cut, allowing the distant boom of explosions on the frontline to be heard. A cityscape tattooed on a young poet’s arm that cuts off suddenly where skin from his leg was grafted after he was torn up by shrapnel. Cataracts of larkspur, as Higgins describes them, in a field in the frontline Donbas region, “pouring down the hill, pooling at the bottom into a great lake of blooms … Larkspur thrives on ground where there has been recent disturbance.”

Labor’s legislation to restrict gambling ads is set to pass this week, with the Greens calling the agreement ‘cowardly’

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Two Coalition MPs have crossed the floor after a deal between the major parties to pass Labor’s new restrictions on betting advertising and inducements, with crossbenchers and the Greens expressing anger and dismay at the contentious bill’s final form.

Anthony Albanese and the communications minister, Anika Wells, secured the support of the opposition to pass the bill, with amendments including tweaks to ad timing rules and some restrictions on inducements.

Чем больше участники рынка стремятся выбрать для своей продукции или услуг обозначение, вызывающее у потребителя определенную ассоциацию непосредственно с предлагаемым товаром или услугой, тем чаще им приходится сталкиваться с отказом в регистрации обозначений по так называемым абсолютным основаниям, когда обозначение не способно выполнять свою главную функцию — индивидуализацию товаров или услуг юридических лиц или индивидуальных предпринимателей. Вместе с патентным поверенным Анной Чернецовой разбираемся, что говорят закон и практика.

The family of a Palestinian-American man remain holed up in his West Bank home for more than a week, after Israeli settlers laid siege to the house and the Israeli army then turned it into a closed military area.

Exclusive: Prison officers’ union strongly opposes HMP Millsike offering flexible work escorting prisoners amid staff shortages

Andy Burnham is under pressure to intervene in a privately run prison that is seeking to recruit custody officers on zero-hours contracts for the first time across England and Wales’ prison estate.

Managers at HMP Millsike, a category C prison for 1,500 prisoners near York operated by the outsourcing company Mitie, have signed off online adverts for £25-an-hour prisoner escort roles “on a flexible, task-based basis”.

Rankings based on community life survey put two Devon districts in top five and Stoke and Ipswich near bottom

The Isles of Scilly have been named as the friendliest place in England as part of a major study into social division across Britain.

All 296 local authority areas have been ranked in a new index using government data from the community life survey, measuring how often people chat to neighbours, feelings of loneliness and belonging, local pride, and levels of participation in civic life.

Эра сайдкаров заканчивается. Ambient-режим в Istio достиг GA ещё в конце 2024-го, а к 2026 году для новых кластеров это уже режим по умолчанию. На каждой второй конференции звучит «сайдкары — это дорого, ambient — это будущее», и складывается соблазнительно простое правило: новый кластер → берём ambient, и не думаем.

Это правило работает ровно до того момента, пока вы не выкатываете в ambient канарейку и не обнаруживаете, что весь трафик идёт мимо неё. Или пока ваша свежая AuthorizationPolicy молча не блокирует легитимные запросы. Или пока вам не понадобится зрелый мультикластер.

Выбор между sidecar и ambient — это не тумблер «старое/новое». Это инженерное решение со своими компромиссами, и неверный выбор всплывает уже посреди внедрения, неприятными сюрпризами. В этой статье разберём, чем режимы реально отличаются под капотом, в чём главная ловушка ambient, что с ресурсами, апгрейдами и мультикластером, и как выбирать осознанно.

Версии на момент написания: Istio 1.30.x, Kubernetes 1.32–1.36. Темы вроде статуса мультикластера быстро меняются — сверяйтесь со своей версией.

Lee Jae Myung reiterates desire for full command back in Seoul’s hands after Donald Trump cuts joint exercises, citing warm ties with Kim Jong-un

• ‘Inane, haphazard decision’ by Trump to gut South Korea alliance

South Korea’s president ⁠has renewed his push to regain independent control of the military from the US in the event of war and urged faster progress in acquiring nuclear-powered submarines after Donald Trump’s order to cut joint drills.

On Sunday night, Trump instructed the Pentagon to “substantially reduce” this week’s joint military exercises with South Korea, saying the nuclear-armed North “has been unthreatening and respectful” and that the US president had a “very good relationship with Kim Jong-un”.

A prosecutor said that while few have been willing to speak about the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur, Duane "Keffe D" Davis is the "one person who has a hard time being silent."

(Image credit: Steve Marcus)

По данным McKinsey, к концу 2025 года 71% компаний пробовали интегрировать искусственный интеллект как минимум в один из бизнес-процессов. Звучит мощно, но по отчётам MIT из всех пилотов в реальный продакшн переезжают около 5%.

Разрыв между демо и реальностью заключается в том, что продакшн-готовое решение должно отвечать на сложные вопросы: 

- как из множества разносторонних источников выбрать ту информацию, которая приведёт к успешному выполнению процесса?

- как обогатить языковую модель инструментами, при помощи которых она может довести процесс до конца?

- как оценить качество траектории, по которой движется модель, пока решает задачу?

Мы нашли ответы на эти вопросы с помощью системы, которая постепенно превращает внутренние знания и процессы Авито в корпоративных агентов. Расскажу про неё подробнее.

Привет! Меня зовут Никита, я старший DS-инженер в Авито. В этой статье расскажу, как мы строили «Виталика» — нашу корпоративную экосистему ИИ-агентов. Отвечу на три главных вопроса: как процесс становится агентом, как сделать систему production-ready и куда развивать её дальше.

Статья будет полезна ML-инженерам, AI-архитекторам и техническим лидам, которые строят агентные системы на базе LLM в корпоративной среде.

Further 104 allegations not investigated due to ‘insufficient information or the wishes of the impacted person’, according to annual report

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More than 100 workers at BHP lost their jobs, or resigned, during the last financial year after sexually harassing colleagues, which included numerous instances of indecent touching, stalking and grooming.

The harassment cases, disclosed in the mining giant’s annual report on Tuesday, come during a period of heightened scrutiny of remote work sites, where female workers across the industry have raised allegations of systemic sexual harassment, violence and retaliation.

Psychiatrists in Channel 4 documentary argue it is more a ‘social construct’ than a medical condition

People are increasingly seeking to an obtain an ADHD diagnosis without pursuing treatment, according to experts who have called for more research to understand why.

Some people now regard ADHD as “an identity, rather than a disorder”, with the result that many obtain assessments from poor quality private providers, which lead them to “believe they have a condition needing treatment”, said the psychiatrist Dr Marios Adamou, the founder of the UK Adult ADHD Network.

Lee Jae Myung reiterates desire for full command back in Seoul’s hands after Donald Trump cuts joint exercises, citing warm ties with Kim Jong-un

• ‘Inane, haphazard decision’ by Trump to gut South Korea alliance

South Korea’s president ⁠has renewed his push to regain independent control of the military from the US in the event of war and urged faster progress in acquiring nuclear-powered submarines after Donald Trump’s order to cut joint drills.

On Sunday night, Trump instructed the Pentagon to “substantially reduce” this week’s joint military exercises with South Korea, saying the nuclear-armed North “has been unthreatening and respectful” and that the US president had a “very good relationship with Kim Jong-un”.

The Palestinian American whose home in the occupied West Bank has been besieged by Israeli settlers traveled to his property on Monday to join other family members who have been defending it.

(Image credit: Majdi Mohammed)

In today’s newsletter: The women most at risk of violence are often the least likely to be heard – the murder of two sex workers shows why that must change

Good morning. Last week, Simon Levy, a registered sex offender, was sentenced to a rare whole life tariff for the murders of Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo and Sheryl Wilkins. Both women, as well as others targeted by Levy, were vulnerable and involved in sex work.

This was no coincidence: in the sentencing remarks, it was noted that Levy – who had a history of sexual offending dating back to 2018 – selected women who sold sex as his victims because he believed he could get away with it.

UK politics | Reform UK’s deputy leader Richard Tice dismissed efforts to tackle climate breakdown, urging British people to “enjoy” the summer heatwaves.

US news | Donald Trump issued a threat to bomb Oman if the country ‘gets in the way’ of ending the US-Israel war on Iran.

World news | The Ebola outbreak in DR Congo is now the deadliest in the country’s history, with at least 2,325 dead from the virus, according to official data.

Jason Arday | Tens of thousands of people gathered in Trafalgar Square in London to remember and pay tribute to Jason Arday, the former Cambridge professor who died on Friday.

Housing | Half of homes in Great Britain are taking longer to sell than last year as volatile conditions in the mortgage market amid the Iran war prompt buyers to “wait and see” if they can get a better deal, according to a report.

10 новых российских продуктов для создания презентации, создния продуктов без программирования, развития карьеры с помощью ИИ, очеловечивания нейротекстов, управления общими финансами и многого другого. Битва за «Продукт недели» началась!

Product Radar — здесь каждую неделю публикуются лучшие онлайн-сервисы и железки от русскоязычных команд.

The diplomatic spat continues to simmer as Moscow summons Tokyo’s ambassador after the Russian president’s trip to the disputed islands last week

The diplomatic spat between Japan and Russia following Vladimir Putin’s visit to an archipelago of disputed islands north of Hokkaido continues to escalate, after Moscow summoned the Japanese ambassador on Tuesday.

On Thursday Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s prime minister, called Putin’s actions “absolutely unacceptable” and Russia’s ambassador in Tokyo was immediately called in for a dressing down. Russia countered that it was Japan making unfounded claims on its territory.

Former broadcaster has pleaded not guilty to 22 indecent assault and sexual touching charges in relation to six men

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Alan Jones allegedly groomed a junior staffer at 2GB for a decade, resulting in the young man sending multiple explicit texts to the broadcaster, a Sydney court has heard.

As a young man, Complainant C was a driver for the 2GB star broadcaster when Jones allegedly touched his penis and kissed him, C has told Downing Centre local court.

Coding agent может написать технически правильный код и всё равно сделать неправильное изменение. Причина не обязательно в модели или промпте. Репозиторий может содержать несколько правдоподобных источников, неявный ownership, устаревшие артефакты или доказательство, которое относится не к той ревизии. Для человека часть этих противоречий компенсируется контекстом команды. У агента этого контекста может не быть.

Разбираю, почему репозиторий становится частью среды исполнения, где заканчиваются возможности AGENTS.md и файлов инструкций и как из этой проблемы появился open-source framework AIRepo.

• Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns beat American pair 6-2, 1-6, 10-8

• Serena and Venus enjoy ‘fun’ on-court reunion despite defeat

Just one game into the family reunion of the decade, Venus Williams launched herself inside the baseline in her single-minded pursuit of a puffball second serve. For a brief moment, grandstand stadium at the Cincinnati Open had been transported back 15 years. Williams pounded her forehand return directly at the right hip of her opponent Marta Kostyuk, instantly eliciting gasps from the audience as she snatched the point. Back when the Williams sisters spent their spare time racking up grand slam titles for fun, this is how they dealt with most adversaries.

In the end, Venus and Serena’s first doubles match in four years, and just their second in the past decade, ended in a rollercoaster 6-2, 1-6, 10-8 defeat to Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns, another wildcard pair and two formidable singles players. For once, the result did not seem to matter.

The PM’s net zero pragmatism may please some voters, but as parts of the country go up in flames, it’s an increasingly hard sell

When the siren sounded on Friday night, my first thought was fire.

Weeks of unrelenting sun in the normally soggy Peak District, where I was visiting my mum, have bleached green valleys a dangerously dry, crispy blond. One of her neighbours had earlier pointed out an ominous cloud of smoke on the horizon, coming from one of the wildfires raging all summer on the moor. When that harsh, discordant shriek blared from every mobile phone in the house, I was half-braced for an evacuation order, not what turned out to be a faintly melodramatic warning to the nation to lay off the barbecues. A false alarm, of sorts, but one that felt uneasily like a wake-up call.

Two Café Cecilia stalwarts that are just the thing for the summer heat

Five years after Café Cecilia opened, a handful of dishes have become permanent fixtures, returning to the menu time and again – and this confit trout salad is definitely one of them. During the recent heatwaves, we’ve naturally shifted towards dishes that are best served at room temperature or slightly warm, and both of these recipes reflect that approach. They’re designed to serve two, but can just as easily be scaled up for a larger group. And almost everything can be prepared in advance, making them ideal for entertaining at home.

Rick Baker helped define Hollywood’s creature features with his wild makeup effects skills. From Locarno, he talks Gremlins, his love of simians– and why AI will never replace expert design

When Rick Baker was 22 years old and laying the first bricks of what would become one of the great Hollywood careers, he travelled to Hatra in Iraq with director William Friedkin to assist with Max von Sydow’s makeup on The Exorcist. “Oh, he was definitely a lunatic,” Baker recalls of Friedkin, his signature goatee and ponytail still intact, if a little more salt than pepper these days. “But he made a great movie.” Friedkin had been travelling with a fake passport, and the production was plagued by extreme heat and dust storms – but the show went on. “I did von Sydow’s hands,” Baker says. “I pretty much just held a glue bottle.”

We are speaking in Locarno, Switzerland, during the film festival, where Baker has accepted a lifetime achievement award and introduced screenings of An American Werewolf in London and The Nutty Professor – the first and fourth of his seven Oscar wins. When he completed his last big production, Maleficent, in 2014, it ended a more than 40-year career in which he made some huge contributions to popular culture. The monsters in Michael Jackson’s Thriller video? They were Baker’s handiwork. The Mos Eisley cantina band in Star Wars? That was him, too. In 1999, he leaked a story to the press to stop the studio from simply painting Jim Carrey green instead of using his designs for How the Grinch Stole Christmas; he won the argument and a sixth Oscar followed.

Nearly a decade after fighting ended in northern Iraq, the climate crisis has brought extreme heat and a water shortage, making life almost impossible

The first thing that strikes visitors arriving in Faka, a small village in al-Ayadiya district, northern Iraq, is the silence. No children play in the streets. No shops are open. Roofless houses stretch across the hillside, their walls pockmarked by shellfire, while weeds and wild grasses grow through collapsed living rooms.

A decade after Islamic State (IS) swept across the region, war remains visible everywhere. But according to the people who returned, another enemy has quietly taken its place.

Rajab Mohammed says the problem in his village of Faka is no longer Islamic State but water and jobs

Интеллектуальный контур контроля человеческого фактора на цифровом двойнике буровой: от xAPI-лога до пункта ФНП

Обобщение цикла исследований на экспериментальном стенде — цифровом двойнике установки Уралмаш БУ 5000/320ЭУК-Я

Psychiatrists in Channel 4 documentary argue it is more a ‘social construct’ than a medical condition

People are increasingly seeking to an obtain an ADHD diagnosis without pursuing treatment, according to experts who have called for more research to understand why.

Some people now regard ADHD as “an identity, rather than a disorder”, with the result that many obtain assessments from poor quality private providers, which lead them to “believe they have a condition needing treatment”, said the psychiatrist Dr Marios Adamou, the founder of the UK Adult ADHD Network.

Many buyers wait in hope of better deal, although there are hotspots in Scotland and northern England

Half of homes in Great Britain are taking longer to sell than last year as volatile conditions in the mortgage market amid the Iran war prompt buyers to “wait and see” if they can get a better deal, according to a report.

As the Middle East conflict continues to unfold, the property platform Zoopla said homes in 180 out of 363 local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales were taking longer to sell compared with a year ago.