There are just three models of Apple Watch — and $500 separates the most affordable from the premium model, with the flagship landing somewhere in between. Before the launch of the overhauled Apple Watch SE 3 in late 2025, it was pretty easy to direct most people to the Apple Watch Series 11. But with its new display and faster charging, the budget model makes a lot more sense now. There's also a case for recommending the refreshed Apple Watch Ultra 3 to diehard adventurers and outdoor enthusiasts. Here, we spell out just what differentiates the models as well as what you get when you buy any Apple Watch. Using insights gleaned from Engadget's own reviews, this guide will help you pick the best Apple Watch for you.
Best Apple Watch in 2026
What to look for in an Apple Watch
Like all Apple products, Apple Watches will only work with other devices from the brand's ecosystem. You won't be able to pair any Apple Watch to your Android phone. Note that you can pair other wearables (like a Garmin tracker or a Fitbit band) with your iPhone. There are some more features that are specific to Apple Watches and that set each of the three models apart from one another.
Chips and sensorsAll three models in the current lineup have the same S10 SiP (system in a package) chip with a four-core Neural Engine. The chip allows for on-device processing of Siri requests as well as dictation, translation, automatic workout detection and the double tap and wrist flick gestures that let you control your watch hands-free.
You get an optical heart rate sensor, temperature sensor, compass, altimeter, accelerometer, gyroscope and light sensor in every Apple Watch model, but the Series 11 and Ultra 3 have a more advanced heart monitor that in part enables the new hypertension detection feature. The two higher-end watches also have sensors that can generate an ECG and detect blood oxygen, water temperature and water depth. They also include an Ultra Wideband chip that works in conjunction with the latest AirTags to precisely find Apple's trackers.
Fall and crash detection come standard no matter which Apple wearable you pick and all support near field communication (NFC) for Apple Pay. If you opt for the cellular versions of the Series 11 or SE 3, your watch will have access to 5G networks. Cell connectivity comes standard on the Ultra 3 and the watch now also has satellite-enabled SOS, messaging and Find My abilities.
Every Apple Watch model now has an always-on display. The wide-angle OLED display on the Apple Watch 11 and Ultra 3 lets you see the always-on display from more angles. The SE can reach a maximum brightness of 1,000 nits, the Series 11 can get as bright as 2,000 and the Ultra 3 hits 3,000 nits. Both higher-end screens can dim to a single nit, making them less distracting in the dark. And the Ultra model has the added night mode feature on certain watch faces that turns the dial red to preserve your night vision.
As for case sizes, the SE 3 is available in 40 or 44mm. The Series 11 has a choice of a 42 or 46mm case. The Ultra 3 comes in just one size measuring 49mm. The SE 3 has an aluminum case in two colors (Starlight or Midnight). The Series 11 lets you pick from aluminum (in Rose Gold, Silver, Space Gray or Jet Black) or titanium (in Natural, Gold or Slate). And the Ultra 3 only comes in titanium (either Natural or Black).
Battery lifeThe Apple Watch Ultra 3 sports the biggest battery and can last for a claimed 42 hours on a charge. The Apple Watch 11 is rated to go for 24 hours and the SE 3 gets an estimated 18 hours before it needs a visit to the charger. Low power mode will get you many more hours, going for as long as 72 hours for the Ultra 3, 38 hours on the Series 11 and 32 hours on the SE 3. All three are now capable of fast charging and Apple states an 80 percent charge in 45 minutes for the SE 3 and Ultra 3 and 80 percent in 30 minutes for the Series 11.
All three Apple Watches have similar fitness tracking chops. The Activity app uses three "rings" to keep tabs on how much you're moving in a day: The Move ring tracks your active calories; the Exercise ring monitors the minutes you've spent walking, running, doing yoga and so on; and the Stand ring tells you how many hours in a day you've stood up and moved around for at least one minute.
Different internal sensors detect those activities, for example the accelerometer senses when you're moving versus sitting still, and the optical heart rate sensor judges how hard you're working out and how many calories you've burned. You can set your goals for each ring and you'll earn badges and animations when you hit them.
The Workout Buddy will work with all three watches, but you'll need to have an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone nearby as well as Bluetooth headphones to use it. All three can access offline maps, which could prove useful when hiking far from cellular coverage. But if going off-grid is something you plan to do often, you may appreciate the satellite connectivity of the Apple Watch Ultra 3.
SiriYou can get the weather, start a workout, identify a song and dictate a text just by asking Siri. All Apple Watch models support the Raise to Speak feature that bypasses the need to say "Hey Siri" and will instead listen for your request when you lift your wrist near your mouth.
Every Apple Watch model utilizes onboard processing of Siri requests now, too. That means executing simple requests like starting workouts and timers are quicker, as they won't need to access external networks. However, requests like sending texts or getting weather forecasts still need to communicate with Wi-Fi or cellular, so you'll need to have your phone nearby if you have a GPS-only model.
Apple declared the Series 9 with the aluminum case its first carbon neutral product. But has since dropped those claims, possibly due to legal challenges in a German court. Instead, Apple states that all three watches have been designed to "reduce environmental impact" and the company still maintains its commitment to becoming carbon neutral by 2030.
PricePerhaps the most surprising thing about the three new wearables was the lack of price increase from previous models. The Apple Watch SE still starts at $249, the Series 11 goes for $399 and up, and the Ultra 3 begins at $799. That puts a $550 difference between entry prices for the cheapest and most expensive Apple Watches.
For $250 you can get the 40mm Apple Watch SE 3 with GPS-only connectivity; adding cellular connectivity ups the price by $50. The Apple Watch Series 11 starts at $399 for the 42mm, non-cellular model in aluminum and goes as high as $749 for the 46mm titanium case (which comes with cellular). The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is $799 for a titanium 49mm case with both GPS and cellular, but the price goes up with different bands. You may also need a few Apple Watch accessories, if so, you can factor that into your purchasing decision.
Engadget has been reviewing Apple Watches since the first one came out in 2015. Since then, we've tested every subsequent model Apple has released, including the Ultra and SE models, spending at least a few days or even a couple weeks with one strapped to our wrists. During that time, we run, hit the gym, go on hikes and wear it while sleeping, all the while gauging how it tracks various metrics, integrates with the iPhone and performs every other trick Apple claims its smartwatches can do.
Since we also review smartwatches from other companies, such as Samsung's Galaxy Watches and Google Pixels, our editors can compare Apple Watches not just to previous generations, but also to other wearables on the market. Our buying guides and recommendations rely on first-hand testing by Engadget staff.
Apple Watch comparison chartProduct
Apple Watch Series 11
Apple Watch Ultra 3
Apple Watch SE 3
Release date
September 2025
September 2025
September 2025
Case sizes
42mm or 46mm
49mm
40mm or 44mm
Case material
Aluminum or titanium
Titanium
Aluminum
Display
LTPO3 OLED Always-On
LTPO3 OLED Always-On
LTPO OLED Always-on
Max brightness
2,000 nits
3,000 nits
1,000 nits
Chip
S10 SiP
S10 SiP
S10 SiP
Max battery life
24 h./38 h. low power
42 h./72 h. low power
18 h./32 h. low power
Water resistance
50 m.
100 m.
50 m.
Featured sensors
Electrical heart, optical heart (3rd gen), blood oxygen, temperature, compass, altimeter, accelerometer, gyroscope, light, depth gauge, water temp
Electrical heart, optical heart (3rd gen), blood oxygen, temperature, compass, altimeter, accelerometer, gyroscope, light, depth gauge, water temp
Optical heart (2nd gen), temperature, compass, altimeter, accelerometer, gyroscope, light
Apple Watch FAQs What are the best Apple Watch apps for fitness tracking?All three watches use the same Fitness and Workout apps to track your progress, and they all have sensors to track speed, cadence, distance and heart rate. But the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and the Apple Watch Series 11 have more sensors than the Apple Watch SE 3.
Additional tech includes an electrical heart rate sensor and a depth gauge. The two pricier watches also have a blood oxygen app and an ECG app, all of which may give you a better picture of your overall health. All three models are compatible with the AI-powered Workout Buddy from watchOS 26 (the feature also requires an AI-compatible iPhone).
Are any of the Apple Watch series waterproof?All three models are water resistant. But they can all handle immersion in water, including a swim. The Apple Watch SE 3 and Series 11 can handle a depth of up to 50 meters while the Ultra 3 can be submerged up to 100 meters.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/best-apple-watch-160005462.html?src=rss
A quartet of Japanese organisations plan to build "advanced ambient internet of things systems" using a newly approved ISO standard.…
Amazon Web Services has enabled nested virtualization for a handful of EC2 instances.…
Keir Starmer has denied knowing that the shady 'Labour Together' sabotage outfit that put him into Labour's top seat was spying on journalists. But his office and front bench were knee-deep in it. And the details keep coming out.
Labour Together goes after Murdoch hacksLabour Together's spying on journalists has been public knowledge for months. But those were independent, left-wing journalists and authors. So none of the 'mainstream' media or political establishment cared much. But now it's public that it was using the same PR firm to dig — and allegedly make up-dirt on two hacks working for press baron Rupert Murdoch. So it's suddenly 'become' a scandal.
So far, so predictable. But as more information comes out, Starmer's denials look increasingly hollow. We already know that his disgraced, recently-resigned chief of staff Morgan McSweeney ran Labour Together for much of the critical period. We know also know that his cabinet minister Steve Reed was involved up to the elbows. So was Reed's fellow cabinet minister Lisa Nandy. And Josh Simons, now a Starmer front-bencher, ordered the £30k spying campaign.
But yet another tight-link to Starmer has come out.
Courting APCOIn September 2025, Starmer's strategy director Paul Ovenden was forced to resign after his obscene messages leaked to the hard-right media.
And in breaking news, we now know that Ovenden's wife, Kate Forrester, was Director of APCO Worldwide — the firm Labour Together hired to spy on and smear two Sunday Times journalists who were investigating its "slush funds and secret donations".
BREAKING: Kate Forrester, wife of Keir Starmer's disgraced ex-Director of Strategy Paul Ovenden, was Director of APCO Worldwide — the private investigator hired by Labour Together 'think tank' to trash Sunday Times journalists who exposed its slush funds and secret donations. https://t.co/66UfdYm5rx pic.twitter.com/A7YGCPYCIj
— Joe Rich (@joerichlaw) February 16, 2026
If Succession or Billions came up with this kind of psycho-drama plot, people would say it was too far-fetched. In Keir Starmer's 'Labour', reality is too wild for fiction.
Featured image via the Canary
By Skwawkbox
"We want are country back" may be the regular refrain of the British far right, but it seems their candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election in Manchester, Matthew Goodwin, isn't afraid of a bit of foreign cash.
Or a lot of foreign cash.
British far-right, courts Hungarian far-rightAccording to a new exposé by the Goodlaw Project, Goodwin has been taking as much as ten grand a month from a Hungarian far right institution that serves as a propaganda machine for fascist Hungarian premier Viktor Orbán.
Even worse, from a British 'fash' point of view, it's not even ten grand in 'fine English pounds' — but 10,000 euros. The horror.
Of course, the UK far right is no stranger to a bit of hypocrisy, either. Just ask the various child abusers behind the 'grooming gang' moral panic - or the immigrant-smugglers protesting outside asylum-seeker hotels. But they don't like being outed and put on the spot about it.
Poaching wealthy donorsGoodwin's not the only one taking wads from Hungary's so-called 'Mathias Corvinus Collegium' (MCC). MCC has been ladling moolah onto the British far-right, but Mr G seems to have been a leading beneficiary.
Some residents of Gorton and Denton may not have been put off voting Reform by Goodwin being a posh southern academic who wants girls to get pregnant younger. But they might just be put off by him taking cash from Johnny foreigner.
In Euros, to boot, Goodwin's cashflow speaks volumes.
Featured image via the Canary
By Skwawkbox
Apple continues to double down on its Formula 1 programming, following up on the box office success of its blockbuster movie by adding a dedicated channel for the racing league to the Apple TV app. This section of the streaming service hints at some of what may be coming when the F1 season begins with the kickoff event in Australia next month. The F1 channel has placeholders for practices, qualifying and the grand prix as well as a weekend warm-up show.
Although it announced the five-year deal to host F1 broadcasts in the US back in October, we still haven't heard many specifics on how Apple's presentation of the race events will work. The channel has a section labeled "Event Schedule: Sky Sports," which suggests that Apple will show the commentary from Sky rather than providing its own hosts; ESPN took that approach during its tenure with the F1 broadcast rights. In addition to the forward-looking streams, Apple TV also has some videos with highlights from the 2025 season and a recap of the rule changes for 2026.
If you're looking to follow Formula 1 in the 2026 season, some races will be available to watch for free. However, a F1 TV Premium streaming package is now part of an Apple TV subscription, so that's likely to be the preferred ticket for serious fans. F1TV grants access to all the zooming around you could want as well as to behind-the-scenes content like driver cams and live team radios.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/theres-a-dedicated-channel-for-formula-1-in-the-apple-tv-app-now-230904295.html?src=rssRode is rolling out a firmware update for its Wireless Pro and Wireless Go (third-gen) microphones to add a feature called Direct Connect, which was already available for the Wireless Micro. This allows the mics to pair with iPhones and iPads via Bluetooth without the need for a receiver. All you'll need is the Rode Capture app.
Rode said it's able to offer Direct Connect for Wireless Pro and Wireless Go without compromising "the broadcast-quality audio both wireless systems are known for." The feature still supports the option to record from two transmitters in either merged (whereby the audio blends into a single stereo track) or split (which keeps the recordings on separate channels to allow for more options in post-production) modes.
Not having to worry about setting up a physical receiver to link these mics to iOS devices could help streamline things quite a bit for creators. And I can always get behind companies adding handy features to existing products without pushing customers to buy new models. That's good for the environment, your wallet — assuming you already have one of these mics — and probably the company's reputation. An all-around positive update.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/more-rode-mics-can-now-connect-directly-to-iphones-and-ipads-230000533.html?src=rssCall of Duty: Warzone Mobile will be no more this spring. According to Activision, servers will be taken offline for this mobile battle royale game on April 17, 2026. The shooter will remain available for current players until that date. This mobile port of the CoD battle royale mode has been on its way to a finale for the past year, with the game studio sharing in May 2025 that the title would be delisted and would not receive new content.
For any people who still want to play the military shooter on their phones, there a mobile version of the main game remains available. Call of Duty: Mobile even offers a battle royale experience, so you can get pretty close to having Warzone if you still want it. "Player passion and feedback continue to shape the future of the Call of Duty franchise, and we look forward to delivering meaningful seasonal content and updates to Call of Duty: Mobile," Activision said in announcingWarzone's mobile shutdown. Call of Duty: Warzone is still free to play on Xbox, Battle.net, Playstation and Steam.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/call-of-duty-warzone-mobile-will-go-offline-on-april-17-222240967.html?src=rss
On 12 February, the government announced that it will soon publish guidance for schools regarding trans pupils. The press release states that schools must take a "very careful approach" when a pupil "asks to socially transition".
'Social transition' refers to the non-medical aspects of transitioning. It can include changing one's name, wearing different clothes, and using different pronouns.
The press release goes on to state that:
It clearly sets out that single sex spaces must be protected. Without exception, no child should be made to feel unsafe through inappropriate mixed sex sport, and there should be no sharing of school and college toilet facilities over eight years old or mixed sex sleeping arrangements on trips.
It is also vital that schools and teachers are aware of any child's birth sex to be able to take appropriate action where needed, so the guidance will also make clear that this must be accurately recorded in school and college records.
Single sex spaces "must be protected" — with the 'from trans kids' left implicit. No child should be made to feel unsafe — with the 'no cis child' unsaid but clearly in mind. These statements frame trans children as a threat, and as potential deceivers.
Even the framing of "asking" to transition socially implies that it's not utterly ridiculous for a school to refuse to use a pupil's chosen name and pronouns. But then, that's the level that the UK has sunk to. Any aspect of transness is now considered a legitimate topic for debate.
'Political football'Joining in on the game of political football that is trans existence, education secretary Bridget Phillipson said:
Parents send their children to school and college trusting that they'll be protected. Teachers work tirelessly to keep them safe. That's not negotiable, and it's not a political football.
That's why we're following the evidence, including Dr Hilary Cass's expert review, to give teachers the clarity they need to ensure the safeguarding and wellbeing of gender questioning children and young people.
Likewise, the draft guidance itself also states repeatedly that it is supported by Dr Hilary Cass. Cass wrote the Cass report, which was filled with spurious abuses of science in the name of denying healthcare to trans children.
The press release stated that the draft guidance was:
Backed by Baroness Cass, whose review warned that strong evidence about the impact of social transition remains limited, the guidance says children's wellbeing and safeguarding must be at the centre of every decision and schools cannot take a one size fits all approach.
Cass was completely inexperienced with trans healthcare before she was chosen to write her review. However, she was at least a medical doctor. By contrast, her expertise regarding social transition - which has nothing to do with gender medicine - is less than worthless. It follows that Labour set so much store by her opinion.
'Losing any hope'Meanwhile, experts and campaigners who are actually invested in the wellbeing of trans youth have condemned the draft guidance.
Cal Horton, a researcher specialising in trans youth, stated that:
Trans children need to be supported and respected in order to be safe at school, in order to access their right to education, in order to enjoy their childhood.
Instead, we are seeing a complete ban on access to appropriate toilets, PE, accommodation on school trips, a complete erosion of their rights.
It will lead to children avoiding the bathroom, avoiding exercise, missing out on school trips, dropping out of school, losing any hope of education, equality, friendship, happiness.
Likewise, advocacy organisation Trans Actual was scathing in its reaction:
It's absurd for this Government's proposed guidance to suggest that schools need to seek clinical advice if a young person wants to change their name, uniform or hairstyle.
Being trans is not a medical condition nor is it an unwanted life outcome to be guarded against, it is a healthy way that many people choose to express themselves.
All young people need safe and supportive schools yet this Government's proposed guidance risks leading to trans young people being outed to their families against their wishes.
As it stands, this guidance does nothing to help schools to include trans pupils - nor to address the epidemic of anti-trans bullying promoted by misogynist influencers.
The guidance will not become law until September of this year. However, if this draft is anything to go by, the final document will continue Labour's current streak of kicking trans people and calling it fair play.
At its heart, this document refuses to treat trans schoolchildren as the vulnerable minority they are, and instead figures them as an active threat to the cis majority.
Featured image via the Canary
The fallout from the Epstein files has been relentless. Those implicated in the dirty saga include UK Royals, members of our political class, the mainstream media, the "broligrachy," and others.
Still, one area corporate media coverage has ignored is the convicted sex-trafficker's feigned interest in polio eradication in the Global South. But why would a notorious predator and trafficker bother to involve himself with healthcare management in South Asia?
No champion of polio eradicationAmong the tranche of files released by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) Epstein appears in a video speaking with an off-camera interviewer whose voice resembles Steve Bannon's. Responding to the interviewer, Epstein justifies his ties to "dirty money," claiming to have helped with polio eradication in India and Pakistan — a convenient cover for a sex predator.
The Epstein files also include confidential reports on polio eradication efforts in Afghanistan and Pakistan, marked "CONFIDENTIAL — DO NOT CIRCULATE."
The emerging pattern is one the Canary has repeatedly reported on. Epstein used his deep pockets to court Western diplomats, global philanthropists, and political figures. His alleged interest in polio work was another power grab. He was using cash to climb the ranks. It was never about vaccines.
He positioned himself in global health by feigning noble interests. The release of the DOJ files proves this was nothing more than a mask to hide his predatory depravity.
Epstein-Gates connectionThe DOJ files show that the Gates Foundation was implicated in these lobbying efforts. The organisation — long at the forefront of global polio immunisation efforts — provided substantial funding for these IPI-led campaigns. An email exchange between Rod-Larsen and Epstein in September 2013 showed them discussing how to structure Gates Foundation funding for IPI's polio work. And another email from the same year, sent by a senior program officer at the Gates Foundation, the IPI was described as well placed to:
identify potential influencers/high-level contacts that can move the work forward and recommendations for how/whether BMGF, GPEI UN partners (UNICEF/WHO) and others should engage with such contacts.
The same email chains shows Epstein committing to $1 million per year for polio programmes in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Northern Nigeria, and Somalia — a whopping $15 million over five years. He instructed that Bill Gates' name should not appear on a proposed peace center.
But by March 2015, the relationship had run its course, due to the reputational risk attached to Epstein's criminal behaviour, and the funds Epstein promised which Gates never received.
Leveraging polio eradication for political gainEpstein's interest in polio projects in Pakistan was enabled through associates at the International Peace Institute (IPI), including senior staff.
Terje Rød-Larsen, its former president and ex-diplomat to Norway, is mentioned multiple times in the files. He stepped down from his role in disgrace after his ties to the convicted child-rapist made global headlines. Moreover, Rød-Larsen, as the DOJ files suggest, was a key ally of Epstein. He is currently under investigation by Norwegian police.
Rød-Larsen and IPI director, Andrea Pfanzelter, received intelligence briefings from a Pakistan-based field operative Nasra Hassan. They forwarded these reports to Epstein. The paper trail begins in April 2013. Emails from Hassan to Rød-Larsen describe meeting with Pakistani tribal leaders and government officials, and their changing position on polio eradication. Commenting on a chat had with a senior member of the Taliban, Hassan said:
It appears that religion-based refusal [of polio vaccination] is a very tiny.
However, the declassified files suggest interest in polio eradication ranked second to political ambitions. In June 2013, Hassan sent an email warning that Bill Gates' public outreach to Pakistan's ex-prime minister and opposition figure, Imran Khan, for polio support could jeopardise back-channel talks with the Pakistani Taliban:
This will harden the Pak[istani] Taliban's position.
She noted that while the Taliban appeared more receptive to polio programmes, they remained opposed to Western involvement. She reminded Rød-Larsen that the group banned polio vaccinations in the Waziristan region in 2012:
alleging the campaign was a cover for espionage.
Hassan reiterated the need for discreet talks, stating that:
Epstein names Imran Khan a "threat"This opposite effect [the possibility of losing Taliban support] emphasizes the IPI position that polio related efforts by politicians MUST be discreet and low-key.
Hassan's warnings about Imran Khan's public role — specifically his rejection of US imperialism — were echoed years later by Epstein himself. That's little surprise given Epstein's infiltration of Western diplomatic circles. He wooed politicians who cosied up to US — cue Peter Mandelson, Ehud Barak, among a long list of politicians he collected.
That's little surprise given [stuff about Epstein's political interference]"
Hassan's warnings about Imran Khan's public role were echoed years later by Epstein himself.
In 2018, as Drop Site News reporter Ryan Grim noted, Epstein described Khan as "very bad news."
Grim linked this to Khan's political downfall, noting that the US State Department, with help from the Pakistani military, pushed him out of office in 2022.
Khan is subject to ongoing persecution by the military establishment in Pakistan. His party has been suppressed, and he remains behind bars.
Among his opponents, former Indian diplomat, Hardeep Singh Puri, now a senior BJP official in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party, also features in the DOJ files. There were email exchanges between Puri and Epstein. There were five scheduled appointments between June 2014 and January 2017. Unsurprisingly, Puri has defended himself against alleged ties to the sex predator.
Unanswered QuestionsJeffrey Epstein in 2018 was claiming that @ImranKhanPTI was "really bad news," citing Pakistan's nuclear weapons. The State Dept pushed him out of office with help from the Pakistani military in 2022. pic.twitter.com/isDA4dePMj
— Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) November 14, 2025
Despite the documentary trail exposing Epstein's attempts to insert polio-related initiatives, by leveraging his wealth, many questions — as raised by Pakistan's Express Tribune remain unanswered. What was Epstein's actual role in this network? Did he have ties to intelligence agencies? And why were detailed reports on Taliban leadership and polio access appearing in his inbox?
In the words of Express Tribune reporter, Shireen Qasim:
The emails raise a fundamental question: was the polio work undertaken by operatives like Hassan genuine humanitarian effort that happened to provide access to sensitive locations and information, or was the humanitarian work itself a cover for intelligence gathering - with field reports being systematically forwarded through institutional channels to someone like Epstein who had no public health credentials?
Consider the March 2013 email from Boris Nikolic, Epstein's science adviser, asking how to deal with violence in Nigeria and Pakistan, who could mediate with the Taliban and Boko Haram, and whether these groups might ever be open to polio eradication.
It is not a stretch to imagine that was no humanitarian angle to Epstein's interference in South Asia. A man with no background in public health, no government position, a documented history of manipulation and blackmail, and a suspicious interest in polio eradication? Added to that, a sickeningly powerful man with the connections to manoeuvre political instability? The red flag is flaming
Featured image via the Canary
By The Canary
Pressure group Northants Crips Against Cuts has told us of an upcoming protest against Reform-led West Northamptonshire Council. Despite promises of tax cuts, the local manifestation of Nigel Farage's constantly chaotic outfit is planning to raise council tax and slash services.
Campaigners will protest in Northampton on Saturday 21 February from 2pm at the top of Abington Street outside BBC Northampton.
Statement from Northants campaignersWhen Reform UK took control of West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) in 2025, the party promised national tax cuts worth £90bn a year. Eight months later, that pledge lies in tatters. WNC under Reform is no different from when the Tories were in charge.
WNC now plans to raise council tax by 4.95%, meaning the average Band D home will have to shell out nearly £2,000 a year. This brazen U-turn brings more financial misery to people across West Northants.
£32.1m in council cuts and new chargesWNC aims to cut £32.1m from its budget by slashing funding for services and putting up charges, including £10.9m from adult social care. Among these are £2m axed from adult services, £900,000 from learning disability, and £300,000 from temporary housing, as well as new parking charges and insufficient funds to fix the roads.
The council claims that these cuts are "efficiencies," but we see them for what they really are. WNC is launching bare-faced attacks on vulnerable people. The council plans to bring in a handful of one-off grants to appease outraged residents, but these grants will soon run out, leaving our local services in a dire state.
Reform UK, like all the major parties, has chosen to balance the books on the backs of ill and disabled people. Under its new budget, WNC plans to rake in an extra £4.4m by raising charges for social care. People who rely on these services, shamefully referred to as "clients", have already been squeezed to near breaking point by year after year of brutal cuts.
The council cynically claims that people:
have a choice about whether they wish to use these services or not.
More lies. For vulnerable people, these resources are not a choice, they're a vital lifeline. For some, access to adult services is a matter of life and death.
Scapegoating ill and disabled peopleWNC loves to blame disabled adults and children for its failures. This year, the council is set to go £10.5m over budget, and has been quick to point the finger at adult social care, housing, and special educational needs.
What they don't talk about are the millions wasted on town centre vanity projects, many of which were hit by poor planning, delays, and were never needed in the first place. The council has overspent £5.1m on the market square revamp alone, and loaned £3m to H&M to move back into the Grosvenor Centre. Reports say they wasted nearly £200,000 on the ice rink, then misreported the figures. Yet somehow, their shortfall is the fault of vulnerable people.
Councillors insist government legislation blocks them from using capital from one-off projects to fund vital services. If that's the case, why doesn't Reform UK launch a national campaign to scrap those restrictive laws and give councils more autonomy over their finances? This is supposed to be the party's whole argument. Reform claims it wants to get rid of excessive legislation, slash red tape, and bring in "common sense" politics.
Councils like WNC have shown that this is nothing but empty rhetoric. Reform only wants to cut red tape when it allows them and their wealthy mates to get even richer, or to launch more vile attacks against asylum seekers. But when the red tape lets them shirk their responsibility to tackle the cost-of-living crisis, suddenly it's their new favourite excuse. Once again, this is pure hypocrisy from our Reform-run council.
We need full funding nowLocal groups have proposed a brief pause to WNC's budget cuts. Of course, none of us wants these cuts to go ahead. But a pause is not enough. After years of austerity, most local resources are severely underfunded. What good is a year or two of no cuts when so many services are already on their knees?
This plan relies on the council spending its reserves. But what happens when the money runs out? WNC will be free to pass even more severe cuts, only now we will have lost our safety net, leaving us even more vulnerable than we were before.
The only way to solve the cost-of-living crisis is to fight for full funding for all local services.
We are not asking for anything lavish. Healthcare, housing, education - these are basic human rights. We live in one of the world's richest countries. Our council spends millions on town centre vanity projects. Our government spends billions funding wars and genocide abroad. Billions are lost to tax avoidance. So why do we have 14.3 million people living in poverty?
We call for all West Northants councillors to take urgent action. Stop the cuts. Full funding now. No more pointing fingers at sick and disabled people.
Featured image via the Canary
By The Canary
Apple is planning a major update for its Podcasts app. The entire app is switching to the company's HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) video technology. Previously, it streamed video in various formats like MOV, MP4 and M4V.
This provides several benefits for the end user. It lets people switch seamlessly between watching and listening, in addition to offering a horizontal full display option. It'll also make both video and audio streams available to download for offline viewing. This wasn't possible with the previous streaming method, which pulled content from an RSS-like feed.
The technology integrates picture-in-picture for multitasking on products like the iPad. Finally, the updated app will automatically adjust the picture quality to ensure smooth playback in various network conditions, including both Wi-Fi and cellular.
The update will be available on most platforms, including iOS, iPadOS, visionOS and the web. It's in beta right now, but the company plans a major rollout this spring as part of the upcoming 26.4 operating systems.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/the-apple-podcasts-app-is-switching-to-http-live-streaming-video-technology-182605612.html?src=rss
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One of the leading institutes for the training of psychologists, psychotherapists and counsellors is facing a raft of claims from former members of staff. They accuse it of victimisation, whistleblowing and constructive dismissal because they stood up to racism.
The Metanoia Institute in West London has 1,500 students in its undergraduate, postgraduate, and research programmes.
It claims on its website to be:
known for delivering relational, high quality, part-time, university-validated and professionally accredited training in counselling, psychotherapy, counselling psychology, and related disciplines.
Many of its former students have gone on to work in NHS services.
Legal challenge against Metanoia InstituteFive former members of professional staff, Dr Eiman Hussein, Dr Maya Mukamel, Dr Malgorzata Milewicz, Dr Jane Hunt and Cathy Lasher, will commence their legal challenges against Metanoia Institute in a hearing at London Central Employment Tribunal on 24 February 2026, which is due to last for 18 days.
A further claim of racial discrimination was ruled out of time at a preliminary hearing, because the claimants did not originally have expert representation. But the five claimants, psychological therapists, researchers, and trainers, will give evidence that during their time at Metanoia Institute they raised serious concerns about practices that they:
believed and experienced as harmful to students and staff of colour.
Psychotherapist and claimant Dr Eiman Hussein said:
Despite our efforts to address the racism that exists in Metanoia Institute internally, the responses we received were profoundly disappointing with devastating impacts. This Employment Tribunal is our last option to ensure what happened is truly seen, heard and legally tested.
Psychologist, psychotherapist and claimant Dr Maya Mukamel said:
What we both experienced and witnessed at Metanoia Institute speaks to a broader pattern within psychotherapy training institutions, where racism is rife but where the realities and impacts of it are rarely named openly and too often denied or swept under the carpet in an attempt to isolate and silence those who speak up about it.
Psychologist, psychotherapist and claimant Dr Malgorzata Milewicz said:
Our group of claimants, which includes some of us who are white and white presenting, recognises our responsibility to challenge racism within our institutions and professional communities.
Standing alongside our Black, Brown and colleagues of colour is an ethical obligation grounded in anti-oppressive practice. We must examine power, confront our own complicity, and listen when harm is named without defensiveness or retreating into neutrality.
Zita Holbourne, chair and co-founder of Black Activists Rising Against Cuts (BARAC) UK said:
The tenacity and determination of these five courageous women in the face of the most horrific treatment by their former employer because they 'dared' to stand up to Metanoia Institute is to be applauded.
But this case is about more, it is about putting psychotherapy training organisations on notice that we will not allow them to create discriminatory and hostile environments for students and workers and they must be accountable and take urgent action to root out and prevent harmful discriminatory practices.
The Metanoia Institute claimants have received support in their legal challenge from their trade union, the Psychotherapy and Counselling Union, the Black, African and Asian Therapy Network and Black Activists Rising Against Cuts (BARAC) UK and have gained widespread support from others.
The union has pointed out that there is often a "structural imbalance" in such cases. Institutions tend to have the security of insurance and pre-existing legal support. However claimants face huge financial risk and emotional burden.
A crowd funder has generated over £30,000 towards legal fees to date. This is an indication of the shared concern about racism at Metanoia Institute and interest in this case.
Featured image via the Canary
By The Canary
Green leader Zack Polanski says a Green government would sign up to NATO's Article 5 and go to war if necessary. A Sky News interviewer challenged Polanski in an attempted gotcha rather reminiscent of the Corbyn-era.
Polanski told interviewer Trevor Phillips that he took national security very seriously:
That's the first job of a prime ministers, and its the first job of a party leader.
"I would absolutely commit to that."
Green Party leader Zack Polanski tells @TrevorPTweets he would sign up to NATO's Article 5, despite Keir Starmer's claims that he wouldn't.#TrevorPhillipshttps://t.co/9zBRF9VlR2
Content warning: this article contains extensive discussion of suicide
The Good Law Project (GLP) have published the results of a freedom of information (FOI) request which showed that suicides among trans youth spiked massively in 2021. This was immediately after the UK government suddenly halted almost all gender-affirming care for young trans people.
This is particularly significant given that, in 2024, the government published an 'independent' review dismissing the increase in suicides as statistically insignificant.
The review acknowledged 5 suicides. However, thanks to the FOI, we now know that there were at least 22. 22 young people took their own lives because their healthcare was suddenly ripped away by a bigoted, ideologically driven government.
In the week following the GLP's publication of its findings, the BBC has remained completely silent on the government's utter betrayal of trans youth. Instead, it chose to publish an interview with Dr. Hilary Cass, the woman responsible for continuing to deny healthcare to young trans people.
She claimed that children have been "weaponised" by both sides of the trans debate. She also denied preventing kids getting the medical care they needed.
At this point, I can hardly even blame her. I'd probably try to deny everything and blame everyone else too, if I had contributed to deepening the crisis for trans youth.
Tavistock, Bell, CassBack in 2020, the UK High Court ruled that it was "unlikely" that trans children could give informed consent to treatment with puberty blockers. Immediately afterwards, the NHS almost completely ceased puberty-blocking treatments.
A year later, the Court of Appeal overturned that decision. However, the NHS refused to resume its previous treatments. Instead, the then-Conservative government criminalised the prescription of puberty blockers for trans healthcare.
Following a review by Dr. Hilary Cass, the new Labour government also chose to uphold the criminalisation of puberty blockers in 2024. Dr. Cass is not a gender specialist. She had absolutely no experience or publications in trans healthcare, until the government chose her to decide the fate of trans youth.
Her report ignored basic scientific principles, applied impossible evidence standards, and was underpinned by the idea that being trans was itself undesirable. Rishi Sunak appointed her to the House of Lords for her trouble.
WhistleblowersIn 2024, the GLP raised whistleblowers' alarms that the number of suicides among patients at the Tavistock clinic - the UK's youth gender clinic - had risen sharply following the withdrawal of care. At the time, the whistleblowers stated that:
the seven years before the High Court decision there was one death of a young person on the waiting list for Gender Identity Development Services (GIDS). In the three years afterwards, there were 16.
In response, the government commissioned yet another independent review. The reviewer, Professor Louis Appleby, acknowledged just seven deaths in the three years following 2020-2021. The Appleby Review also criticised the GLP and other reporting on the issue, stating that:
Cover-upThe way that this issue has been discussed on social media has been insensitive, distressing and dangerous, and goes against guidance on safe reporting of suicide.
However, the GLP's recent FOI request revealed that the actual number of suicides among trans youth surged to 22 in the year 2021-2022. That's compared to just 5 and 4 in the two years immediately prior to the Bell ruling.
The GLP's press release explained that:
This new data was released via a freedom of information request made to the NHS-funded National Child Mortality Database (NCMD). The NCMD revealed that 46 trans children died by suicide from 2019-2025: 5 in 2019-20; 4 in 2020-21; 22 in 2021-22; and 10 in 2022-23. The NCMD adds "the numbers reported in more recent years will likely be underestimated, due to a higher proportion of child death reviews that have not yet been completed".
It went on to state the the Appleby report's sample size was notably small, focusing on a subset of children who were already at the Tavistock:
'People at the extremes'Forty-four of these deaths were within the time frame analysed for the government report by Professor Louis Appleby on suicides and gender dysphoria. That's almost four times more than the number accounted for by the Appleby report, which stated that only 12 young people (over and under 18) who were current or former patients of the Tavistock took their own lives from 2018-2024.
The Appleby review chose to focus specifically on some - the review itself is not clear - patients connected to the Gender Identity Development Service service at the Tavistock, so would not have accounted for all 44 deaths recorded by the NCMD.
To put that another way, the government massively under-reported the suicides that resulted directly from its decisions. Then, it also blamed whistleblowers for drawing attention to the crisis.
In a normal country, such a massive betrayal of public trust and basic human decency might at least make a single headline.
Instead, the BBC chose to publish a puff-piece interview with Cass, one of the architects of the pitiful state of trans youth healthcare in the UK. In the interview, Cass repeated the spurious claim that children become trans because of gender stereotyping and homophobia:
I think what has kind of misled children is the belief that if you are not a typical girl, if you like playing with trucks, or boys who like dressing up or that you have same-sex attraction that means that you're trans and actually it's not like that but those are all normal variation.
And, following the Appleby report's example, she bent over backwards to point the finger at trans-positive campaigners. The BBC reported that:
The vast majority of people in the middle of the debate were silent while the "people at the extremes" and rhetoric in the media had been "frightening for young people," the clinician said.
She added that some activists for trans rights had been "so strident that it's made it more difficult for trans people themselves who are just trying to live under the radar", while equally people who had taken the view no-one should ever transition had "similarly made it difficult".
What people like Cass will never acknowledge is that trans people shouldn't have to live under the radar. They equate trans people advocating for ourselves with obnoxious activism because they can't abide our speaking up. Our extremist belief is that trans kids are not an aberration, and they deserve healthcare like everyone else.
The issue is that trans adults don't get to look away. We don't get to turn our faces from the trans kids being treated as political punching bags. We can't ignore the suicides within our community.
Those deaths resulted directly from the decisions of the High Court, the Tories and the NHS. Cass and the Labour government upheld those same decisions. If I believed these people had a conscience to speak of, I would hope that knowledge never let them sleep again.
We won't roll over and be silent, because we remember what it was like to be trans kids ourselves. Cass would know that, if she ever had any intention of listening to trans people. But then, listening to us would involve acknowledging our humanity.
Featured image via the Canary
The Vatican is leaning into AI. AI-assisted live translations are being introduced for Holy Mass attendees — the holy masses if you will. The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican has teamed up with Translated, a language service provider, to create live translations in 60 languages.
"Saint Peter's Basilica has, for centuries, welcomed the faithful from every nation and tongue. In making available a tool that helps many to understand the words of the liturgy, we wish to serve the mission that defines the centre of the Catholic Church, universal by its very vocation," Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, O.F.M. Conv., Archpriest of the Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican, said in a statement. "I am very happy with the collaboration with Translated. In this centenary year, we look to the future with prudence and discernment, confident that human ingenuity, when guided by faith, may become an instrument of communion."
Visitors to the Vatican will have the option to scan a QR code. They will then have access to live audio and text translations of the liturgy. It doesn't require an app and should work right on a web page.
The technology stems from Lara, a translation AI tool Translated launched in 2024. Translated claims that Lara works with the "sensitivity of over 500,000 native-speaking professional translators."
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/the-vatican-introduces-an-ai-assisted-live-translation-service-163014907.html?src=rss
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A coalition of Greater Manchester groups has announced a major campaign calling for opposition to Britain First's upcoming 'March for Remigration' in the city.
The far-right fascist party, has previously announced its intention to host the march in Manchester city centre on 21 February 2026.
'Resist Britain First'Organisations from across Greater Manchester have launched a campaign, 'Resist Britain First', to oppose this march. It's calling for people and groups across the country to stand together and oppose the march.
A spokespserson for Resist Britain First said:
Britain First's 'March for Remigration' is a racist dogwhistle calling for a white supremacist ethnic cleansing of the United Kingdom by the forced expulsion of non-white people.
Britain First's previous march led to multiple recorded instances of racism, homophobia, and violence by attendees of the march.
We call on people across the UK to come to Manchester to resist this racism on our streets and show that you do not support this bigotry.
Britain First is led by Paul Golding and Ashlea Simon, both of whom have made horrific racist statements in the past.
Simon once stated that "English people can't be black" as "English blood is white". Meanwhile Golding, a former member of the National Front, was convicted for his vile harassment of a mosque. Golding has also previously been accused of sexually assaulting one of the attendees of his marches.
Amongst those that organised Britain First's last 'March for Remigration' in August was Lee Twamley, someone who himself has a conviction for people smuggling.
Golding publicly attended a Remembrance Sunday event at the Cenotaph drunk wearing women's underwear on his head. Resist Britain First believes that all this information makes it clear that the party's claim to be 'Britain First' is steeped in inconsistencies. They are racist thugs.
This comes against the backdrop of the Gorton and Denton by-election in Greater Manchester. Reform UK is happily amplifying the racist rhetoric of job-slashing Man United owner Jim Ratcliffe.
The full list of Greater Manchester based groups in Resist Britain First includes:
- Young Struggle Manchester.
- RS21 Manchester.
- Manchester Feminist Coalition.
- Greater Manchester Tenants Union, South Branch.
- No Borders Manchester.
- Northern Police Monitoring Project.
- Red Roots Collective.
- Anti-Fascist Action Manchester.
- South Asian Liberation Movement.
- Manchester Trans Liberation Assembly.
- Salford Anti-Fascists.
- Stockport Anti-Fascists.
Featured image Resist Britain First
By The Canary
Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State and a bulwark of the Trump administration, gave a "disquieting" imperialist speech at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday to deflect from the Epstein files fallout.
Journalist Ben Norton called the speech "a blatant call" by the US empire to resuscitate Western colonialism and recolonise the Global South.
Marco Rubio peddles neocolonialismThis is insane.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio just gave one of the most explicitly pro-colonialist speeches I have seen in the 21st century.
The US empire wants Europe to help it recolonize the Global South.
Rubio praised Western colonialists for "settl[ing] new… pic.twitter.com/tl4NojNdmP
— Ben Norton (@BenjaminNorton) February 15, 2026
Rubio appealed to the UK far-right by explicitly crediting "English settlers" for America's language, political system, and legal framework. He also appealed to German nationalists by praising "German farmers and craftsmen" for building the American heartland and jokingly upgrading beer quality.
Our story began with an Italian explorer whose adventure into the great unknown to discover a new world brought Christianity to the Americas - and became the legend that defined the imagination of a our pioneer nation. Our first colonies were built by English settlers, to whom we owe not just the language we speak but the whole of our political and legal system. Our frontiers were shaped by Scots-Irish - that proud, hearty clan from the hills of Ulster that gave us Davy Crockett and Mark Twain and Teddy Roosevelt and Neil Armstrong.
Our great midwestern heartland was built by German farmers and craftsmen who transformed empty plains into a global agricultural powerhouse - and by the way, dramatically upgraded the quality of American beer.
The reaction to Rubio's imperial nostalgia and his thirst for a new wave of colonisation has been swift and daming.
Lebanese-American journalist Rani Khalek damned Rubio for American exceptionalism:
"What the US empire did to Gaza, Venezuela, and currently Cuba is what it wants to do to the entire Global South." https://t.co/wpQpa7xSNe
— Rania Khalek (@RaniaKhalek) February 15, 2026
Author Joe Guinan warned that the U.S. is building a neo-fascist movement in Europe:
And the National Security Strategy of the United States Government is to promote the rise of allied far right movements in European countries - a neofascist International organized around white supremacy and eugenics. https://t.co/9FIrMiCnGr
— Joe Guinan (@joecguinan) February 15, 2026
Former Indian diplomat Kanwal Sibal stated that the speech was effectively a declaration of war against the non-Western world:
This is effectively a declaration of war against the non- West.
What Rubio is saying is that the world's pressing matters will be identified by the US, the US will use its power to deal with them and the outcomes will be determined by US national interest.
Very disquieting… https://t.co/nTHiW6DrX4
— Kanwal Sibal (@KanwalSibal) February 14, 2026
Professor Matteo Capasso quipped: "Average proud representative of Rubio's 'civilization' speech in Munich," tagging a picture of disgraced paedophile Jeffrey Epstein:
Average proud representative of Rubio's speech civilization in Munich… pic.twitter.com/X1aDSWwovL
— Matteo عمر 马韬 (@capassomat) February 15, 2026
Academic Dan Kervick called for resistance to the growing fascism.
UK's Rubio Also Drumbeats WarRubio delivered a fascist supremacist manifesto in the birthplace of the Third Reich and they all rose to cheer.
We must resist.
— Dan Kervick (@DanMKervick) February 15, 2026
Starmer, the UK's gutless fraud, called the US an "indispensable power" in his Munich speech on the same day.
The US remains an indispensable power. Its contribution to European security over 80 years is unparalleled. And so is our gratitude.
At the same time, we recognise that things are changing. The US National Security Strategy spells out that Europe must take primary responsibility for its own defence. That is the new law.
Starmer's subordination to the US was clear. He told Europe it must be "ready to fight" and "stand on our own two feet" - not as an independent strategy, but as a response to US demands:
Starmer also appeared to target the UK Green Party's ambivalence towards NATO. He dismisses those who question NATO or the US alliance as "peddlers of easy answers… on the extremes of left and right" who are "soft on Russia" and "weak on NATO."
How did the right wing respond?In the 1930s, leaders were too slow to level with the public about the fundamental shift in mindset that was required.
So we must work harder today to build consent for the decisions we must take to keep us safe.
Because if we don't, the peddlers of easy answers are ready on the extremes of left and right and they will offer their solutions instead.
It's striking that the different ends of the spectrum share so much. Soft on Russia. Weak on NATO. If not outright opposed. And determined to sacrifice the relationship we need on the altar of their ideology.
A MAGA fan account celebrated Rubio receiving a standing ovation in Germany after telling Europe to return to Christianity and oppose migration from the Global South:
Keir Starmer has told the Munich Security Conference that he'll send the navy's aircraft carrier group to the Arctic. The move is meant to appease US president Donald Trump who recently threatened to annex Greenland. In his speech on 14 February Starmer said:
I can announce today that the UK will deploy our Carrier Strike Group to the North Atlantic and the High North this year led by HMS Prince of Wales, operating alongside the US, Canada and other NATO allies in a powerful show of our commitment to Euro-Atlantic security.
Starmer also said he would increase the number of Royal Marines in Norway, alongside other measures:
Doubling our deployment of British commandos in the Arctic. Taking control of NATO's Atlantic and Northern Command in Norfolk, Virginia. And transforming our Royal Navy by striking the biggest warship deal in British history with Norway.
You can listen to the full speech here:
Right on cue, defence minister Al Carns - a former marine and rumoured coup candidate for Labour leadership - appeared 200 miles above the Arctic Circle:
-30°C. 200 miles above the Arctic Circle.
In the strategically vital High North, Britain's Surveillance and Reconnaissance Squadron train where few others can.
Minister for the Armed Forces, Col @AlistairCarns, joined them in Norway.
If you checked X today expecting the usual stream of hot takes, memes, and AI spats, you probably saw… nothing. A widespread outage hit the platform today, leaving feeds blank, timelines unresponsive, and users staring at the digital equivalent of an empty room. Outage trackers such as Downdetector logged a dramatic surge in problem reports […]
This story continues at The Next Web
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Bloober Team has revealed Layer of Fear 3 following a Valentine's Day countdown that started at the beginning of 2026. The new chapter will include not only a game but a novel and music, the company said in a press release.
The developer revealed the new IP via a live-action teaser, with an actor reading lines from William Blake's poem, The Sick Rose. A painting then fell from the wall, and the actor then turned over an hourglass with red sand, with a tagline stating "The door won't stay closed." No gameplay or other information like the release date was revealed.
What Bloober did say, though, is that it would launch new Layer of Fear non-game content, including a novel by horror writer, poet and vocalist Marta Bijan. The company also announced that it would release the soundtracks for Layer of Fear, The Medium and Cronos both in digital and physical (CD and vinyl) editions.
The new title is likely to be eagerly anticipated given Bloober's form of late. The company recently released its Silent Hill 2 remake, Cronos: The New Dawn and a new Switch 2 Layers of Fear 2 version called Layers of Fear: The Final Masterpiece Edition. The original Layers of Fear came out back in 2016 and is considered one of the better horror titles of recent years, thanks to an expertly crafted narrative and psychedelic thrills and chills. The sequel moved to a creepy ocean liner and was equally well-received.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/layers-of-3-revealed-via-a-mysterious-trailer-and-poem-153021903.html?src=rss
On 12 February, the Ministry of Justice announced plans to use predictive policing to overhaul the youth justice system. Tucked away in the 25-page document was a proposal to use "machine learning and advanced analytics" to "support early, appropriate intervention" in youth crime.
Whilst the white paper was vague on the particulars, only promising further news in the spring, a Times article went into greater detail on the plans. Beneath an inflammatory headline promising machines that would predict "the criminals of the future", the column explained that:
Artificial intelligence (AI) could be used to predict the criminals of the future under government plans to identify children who need targeted interventions to stop them falling into a life of crime. […]
Academic research has found patterns can emerge from data collected by health visitors checking on newborn babies, although it has not been decided whether the government programme would go back so far to determine whether someone was at risk.
Now, it would be easy here to point out that this pre-crime policing is horrifyingly dystopian. It sounds like a crude mashup of phrenological skull-measuring and Minority Report.
And that's true, it is horrifyingly dystopian. But it's also a present reality that racialised individuals in the UK have been subject to for decades.
Predictive policing and 'criminals of the future'Regarding the AI plans, a government source stated that:
We are looking at how we can better use AI and machine learning to essentially predict the criminals of the future, but to do so ethically and morally. It's about ensuring the data from the NHS, social services, police, Department for Work and Pensions and education is used effectively, and then using AI so you can go above and beyond what we can currently do.
This is going to be pretty transformative on how we put money and resources into prevention. We keep getting the same profiles of criminals in the justice system but we're intervening far too late.
This isn't about criminalising people but making sure the alarms in the system are better understood and data and AI modelling can do that much better.
Minister for youth justice Jake Richards explained further:
I'm determined to harness the power of artificial intelligence and machine learning to gain better insights into the root causes of crime. This will allow us to focus on the earliest of interventions for individuals and families, offering better outcomes for children and keeping our communities safer.
But we must hold and use this personal data carefully, and that's why I've commissioned this specialist expert committee to look at the efficacy of this work, but also the ethical and legal consequences.
The Times goes on to state that data show that neurodivergent, poor, and ethnic minority kids are more likely to commit crimes. Four in every five children in youth detention are neurodivergent. Before they're even 18, 33% of kids with a care background receive a police caution.
The article states all of this that neutral tone that only the discerning bigot's newspaper of choice can manage. And, of course, it's a deeply misleading abuse of the truth.
Biases past and biases futureIn reality, these marginalized kids are the ones who are more likely to be picked up by police, cautioned, or prosecuted. Police profile their arrestees - they have a (racist, discriminatory) idea of who a criminal is, and then police people accordingly. And surprise surprise, the people treated as criminals keep getting arrested.
That's a world away from being "more likely to commit crime".
Whilst AI decision-making is sometimes perceived as unbiased and emotionless, this couldn't be further from the truth. Rather, it simply hides the - very human - biases in its training dataset behind a veneer of cold 'fairness'.
In her report on AI biases in policing, the UN's Ashwini K.P. - special rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism - specifically called out predictive policing. Back in 2024, Ashwini explained that:
Pre-crime criminalisationPredictive policing can exacerbate the historical over policing of communities along racial and ethnic lines. Because law enforcement officials have historically focused their attention on such neighbourhoods, members of communities in those neighbourhoods are overrepresented in police records. This, in turn, has an impact on where algorithms predict that future crime will occur, leading to increased police deployment in the areas in question. […]
When officers in overpoliced neighbourhoods record new offences, a feedback loop is created, whereby the algorithm generates increasingly biased predictions targeting these neighbourhoods. In short, bias from the past leads to bias in the future.
However, as I mentioned earlier, this feedback loop isn't a problem specific to AI itself. Rather, it's inherent to the very idea of pre-crime policing - and it's an oppression that racialised individuals in the UK have been dealing with for decades.
Take, for example, the Met Police's 'Operation Trident' of the 1990s. This sought to prevent gang-related violence in London, and instead resulted in the mass racial profiling of Black youth. An Amnesty International report on Trident's 'Gangs Matrix' database stated that:
The type of data collection that underpins the Gangs Matrix focuses law enforcement efforts disproportionately on black boys and young men. It erodes their right to privacy based on what may be nothing more than their associates in the area they grow up and how they express their subculture in music videos and social media posts. Officials in borough Gangs Units monitor the social media pages and online interactions of people they consider to be 'at risk' of gang involvement, interfering with the privacy of a much larger group of people than those involved in any kind of wrongdoing.
Later, in 2003, the UK government created the Prevent counter-terrorism strategy. Ostensibly, it seeks to prevent people from being radicalised into extremist ideologies. In reality, it disproportionately targets Muslims - including Muslim children - for surveillance and hostile treatment as a dangerous 'other'.
Then, in 2023, the Shawcross Review of Prevent baselessly claimed that the strategy should target Muslims to an even greater degree, rather than far-right extremism. In itself, this was a perfect microcosm of bias-confirmation in action. At the time, the Canary's Maryam Jameela wrote that:
Pre-crime strategies like Prevent presume full agency and power at all times, for all Muslims. In order for such a thing to happen, there needs to be a cultural belief that Muslims are figures of suspicion because they always hold the potential to be terrorists. Underpinning this presumption is that Islam itself harbours something sinister. Repeated governments have, over the years, created a culture of criminalisation that only views Muslims as being in a constant state of pre-crime.
Now, and for all Jake Richards' protestations that his AI plans will use data ethically to create better outcomes for children, it certainly sounds like more of the same discriminatory dross. We've seen already what these people's ethics and care look like.
There is no way to predict criminality that isn't driven by our previous biases - machine learning or not. All that this 'new' strategy can do is push yet more marginalised youth into the no-man's-land of pre-criminality. And all the while, vulnerable kids will be shown directly that their every move was always already under scrutiny.
Featured image via the Canary
New TUC analysis reveals that the average woman effectively works for 47 days of the year for free and only starts earning from 15 February compared to the average man. The analysis reveals that the gender pay gap currently stands at 12.8%, the equivalent of £2,548 a year for the average woman worker.
That means that at current rates of progress, it will take 30 years - until 2056 - to close the gender pay gap.
The union body says a number of factors are driving the pay gap - including women having to work part-time to accommodate for extended caring responsibilities throughout their lives, therefore taking a significant pay cut.
The TUC says the government needs to do more if it wants to meet its ambition to close the gender pay gap. More opportunities for people to share caring responsibilities, improved access to flexible working and better access to childcare must all be part of the solution.
Gender pay gap spans across industriesThe pay gap persists across different industries, and even in jobs dominated by female workers, such as education and care:
- In health care and social work the earning gap is 12.8%. This means that the average woman effectively works for free for 47 days.
- In education the earning gap is 17%. So the average woman effectively works for free for 62 days.
- In wholesale and retail the earning gap is 10.5%, meaning 38 days that the average woman effectively works for free.
- The longest wait for Women's Pay Day comes in finance and insurance. The gender pay gap (27.2%) is the equivalent of 99 days, meaning women work for free until 9 April 2026.
The TUC analysis shows that the gender pay gap affects women throughout their careers, from their first step on the ladder until they take retirement. The pay gap is widest for middle-aged and older women:
- Women aged 40 to 49 have a gender pay gap of 16.2%. So they work 59 days for free until 28 February 2026.
- Women aged between 50 and 59 have the highest pay gap of 19.7% and work the equivalent of 72 days for free, until 13 March 2026.
- Women aged 60 and over have a gender pay gap of 17.7%. They work 65 days of the year for free and effectively start earning from 7 March 2025.
The TUC says the gender pay gap widens as women get older, due to women being more likely than men to take on unpaid caring responsibilities throughout their lives, limited childcare and social care provision, and too few good quality flexible jobs.
Older women take a bigger financial hit for balancing work alongside unpaid caring responsibilities throughout their lives - often looking after children, older relatives, and/or grandchildren.
Need for changeGender pay gap reporting: the TUC says government plans through the Employment Rights Act to make employers publish action plans to tackle the gender pay gap are welcome. But it says they must be more ambitious and robust to make a real difference.
The union body also says these plans will serve as a blueprint for broader action on forthcoming ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting, which the government has pledged to introduce. And it stresses the importance of getting the framework right from the outset.
Parental leave: the TUC says that the government must ensure the parental leave review delivers increased access to paid parental leave so that mums and dads can share care better.
TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said:
Women have effectively been working for free for the first month and a half of the year compared to men.
Imagine turning up to work every single day and not getting paid. That's the reality of the gender pay gap. In 2026 that should be unthinkable. With the cost of living still biting hard women simply can't afford to keep losing out. They deserve their fair share.
The Employment Rights Act is an important step forward for pay parity for women. It will ban exploitative zero hours contracts, which disproportionately hit women and their pay packets. And it will make employers publish action plans for tackling their gender gaps. But these plans must be tough, ambitious and built to deliver real change, otherwise they won't work.
Let's be clear - the government needs to turbo-charge its approach, or women will continue to lose out.
Featured image via the Canary
By The Canary
The Pentagon deployed AI technology linked to Palantir to kidnap Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro. The AI program concerned, Claude, is integral to Palantir systems used by the US military. The settler-colonial state of Israel is Claude's biggest per capita user.
Tech firm Anthropic developed the program. Claude is used within Palantir systems wielded by the Pentagon. Sources told the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on 15 February the use of AI in the 3 January raid showed how:
AI models are gaining traction in the Pentagon.
But there is a problem. Anthropic has strict rules on military usage:
Anthropic's usage guidelines prohibit Claude from being used to facilitate violence, develop weapons or conduct surveillance.
The sources said:
The deployment of Claude occurred through Anthropic's partnership with data company Palantir Technologies, whose tools are commonly used by the Defense Department and federal law enforcement.
Anthropic's programs can be used:
for everything from summarizing documents to controlling autonomous drones.
But could Anthropic's 'ethics guidelines' have been breached?
Questions are being asked of PalantirQuestions were asked within the firm after the Caracas raid:
Following the raid, an employee at Anthropic asked a counterpart at Palantir how Claude was used in the operation, according to people familiar with the matter.
An Anthropic spokesperson said:
We cannot comment on whether Claude, or any other AI model, was used for any specific operation, classified or otherwise.
They added:
Any use of Claude—whether in the private sector or across government—is required to comply with our Usage Policies, which govern how Claude can be deployed. We work closely with our partners to ensure compliance.
The Open Tools tech website said Claude is a chatbot:
Claude, a chatbot developed by Anthropic, has seen diverse adoption patterns across the globe, with notable variances based on national economic statuses and technological infrastructure.
Open Tools reported that Israel in the highest per capita user of the program:
The Anthropic AI Usage Index (AUI) places Israel at the top of the leaderboard for Claude usage per capita, signifying not just a quantitative but qualitative edge in how AI is utilized across sectors in the country.
The WSJ reported Anthropic's strict rules on 'defence' use might see the Pentagon divest. Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the US military's relationship with Anthropic was "under review":
Our nation requires that our partners be willing to help our warfighters win in any fight.
Sources told WSJ the guidelines might endanger the $200mn contract awarded in summer 2025. Anthropic Chief Executive Dario Amodei has:
publicly expressed concern about AI's use in autonomous lethal operations and domestic surveillance.
These are the "two major sticking points"
Defence secretary Pete Hegseth has said the US doesn't want to use:
AI models that won't allow you to fight wars.
Donald Trump's shadow war in Latin America isn't over, despite attention moving elsewhere after the 3 January Caracas raid.
Drones, raids and IsraelNicolas Maduro is in a New York jail. Vice-president Delcy Rodriguez is running Venezuela in his absence. Venezuela's left-wing government is still in power - if only in theory. Venezuela is shipping oil to Israel, for example.
The US was still hitting 'narco' boats in the Caribbean as of 13 February:
On Feb. 13, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known… pic.twitter.com/y50Pbtexfi
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) February 14, 2026
The US boarded another tanker loaded with Venezuela oil on 15 February. This time in the Indian Ocean:
The vessel tried to defy President Trump's quarantine —hoping to slip away. We tracked it from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, closed the distance, and shut it down. No other nation has the reach, endurance, or will to do this.
We defend the Homeland forward. Distance does not protect you.
Overnight, U.S. forces conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding of the Veronica III without incident in the INDOPACOM area of responsibility.
The vessel tried to defy President Trump's… pic.twitter.com/Tran3cLR9g
— Department of War
One of London's last local newsagents has been forced to close, after Transport for London (TFL) raised its rent by over three times. Brixton News has operated within Brixton tube station for 36 years, until TFL skyrocketed their rent from £40,000 a year to £125,000.
TFL putting profit over peoplePritesh Patel, who owns and runs the kiosk with his brother, told The Londoner that the lease was originally £8,000 a year in 1990. Since then, it's increased every three years.
Patel told The Londoner:
at some point, in five to ten years, we would have got to a point where we'd have to say, 'we've got to walk away', because the rents would've just kept increasing.
He explained that their profits aren't enough to keep up with ever-increasing rents. Despite being a newsagent's, most of their income comes from drinks and snacks. Which is also a sad statement about the decline of print media.
Patel said
You can't pay stupid rent when you're taking that.
While Brixton News stood alone until closure, it wasn't always that way. When they first moved in there was also a record store, a camera and photo shop, a cafe, and dry cleaners within the ticket hall. Upstairs used to be home to an arcade which housed a Chinese supermarket, hairdressers, and a pharmacy.
This all changed in 2000 when TFL kicked out all of the businesses as part of the station's redevelopment. Though the arcade upstairs has remained closed and empty. Brixton News was only allowed to stay because TFL shut the ticket hall, so passengers needed a place to top up their Oyster cards in person.
Pure greedTFL have insisted that the rent hike was to accommodate an increase in premises size. This doesn't appear to be something the Patels wanted or the kiosk needed.
TFL told The Londoner that they:
have the opportunity to increase the size of the retail unit currently occupied by the newsstand, and asked Pritesh in January 2024 if he'd be interested in the larger space. He decided not to stay, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavours and would welcome him elsewhere on our estate.
So basically, rather than keep a longstanding business in the station, they're going to increase it anyway to see who else they can attract. Probably a big business that can afford the ridiculous rent.
Patel said:
I've interacted with nearly everyone in the area at some point: sometimes I've done them a favour, and we've chatted, we've talked. It's just having somewhere you can come and have a conversation. Something local.
Because it's more than just a kiosk, Brixton News is a focal point for the community of Brixton. Having been there so long, Pritesh knows the faces and the regulars. In turn, customers told The Londoner about their sadness at the shop's closure.
Community is an obstacle for TFLAs London increasingly becomes a hollowed-out shell of faceless corporations, local run businesses that the community can trust are vital.
There's no justification for taking away such an integral part of the community. Except for the fact that for a conglomerate like TFL, community gets in the way of profits. So instead of connection and sense of belonging, they see something that needs to be stamped out. Which is an absolutely vile way to run a company which is literally supposed to connect London.
Featured image via the Canary
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Apple has lined up its first event of the year. The company has invited members of the press to an "Apple Experience" that's taking place in New York City on March 4 at 9AM ET. It hasn't yet confirmed whether it will stream the event publicly. According to MacRumors, versions of this Apple Experience will also take place simultaneously in London and Shanghai.
It seems likely that Apple will take this opportunity to unveil its latest slate of iPads and MacBooks. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported earlier this month that Apple was planning to make a number of hardware announcements "as early as the week of March 2."
AppleThis is expected to include a new MacBook Air and refreshed 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros, with the M5 Pro and M5 Max making their debuts (a MacBook Pro with the base M5 chip arrived in October). There's also speculation that Apple will announce a new entry-level MacBook that will be available in light yellow, light green, blue and pink colorways.
In addition, we may see new iPads here (or perhaps a little farther down the line), including an entry-level model with an A18 chip that's capable of supporting Apple Intelligence features. The iPad Air could be in line for an upgrade as well with the introduction of the M4 chip to that line. Apple is also expected to roll out updated versions of the Mac Studio, Studio Display and Mac mini later this year.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/apples-next-event-is-set-for-march-4-145931890.html?src=rss
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For most adventure games, the long-term goal can often focus on solving a grand mystery or chasing a lost artifact of the past. But for the upcoming Mixtape, from publisher Annapurna Interactive, it sets its sights on the misadventures of young friends enjoying their last days together before moving on. It's the type of narrative adventure game that shines a light on how good music can bring people together, and how much fun getting into trouble can be.
From developer Beethoven and Dinosaur, the Australian creative team behind The Artful Escape, Mixtape is, in many ways, a tribute to classic '90s Americana and an ode to the rebellious youth of the average suburb. I recently got to play the latest build of Mixtape and spoke with game director Johnny Galvatron about the making of their latest game. Along with sharing his favorite '80s and '90s films that helped shape his vision, he also explained how tough yet rewarding it is to make "idleness" in video games compelling.
"Idleness is hard to explore as a video game, and one of the interesting things about being a teenager is you just hang out a lot, and sometimes it just sucks," said Galvatron. "So I love that we made a game that shows that idleness."
"I think it can be a really hard balance to make something that is based on what is really a hangout film, something like Wayne's World or Richard Linklater's Dazed and Confused, but to have that be paced well and to be exciting for a video game was a real challenge."
Set in the 1990s, Rockford and her friends Slater and Cassandra prepare for one last hurrah before heading into adulthood. With Rockford deciding to make a daring move to New York City to hopefully connect with her music idol, the crew reminisces on the good times they had going for late-night fast food runs, evading the police in shopping carts, and first kisses with their crushes - and all to the tune of their favorite songs.
On the surface, Mixtape is an interactive coming-of-age story about a crew of rebellious teens, with memories serving as playable mini-games and interludes that capture their feelings at the time. But that's actually what makes this interactive trip down memory lane so compelling. These segments are presented as exaggerated memories of the past, fueled by the music of Devo, Joy Division, and Siouxsie and the Banshees. They're emotional, poignant moments for these characters, tapping into the idea of how moments from our youth seemed bigger and grander than they actually were.
One section I enjoyed playing was an interactive head-bobbing segment where the crew drove across town to get fast food. Different buttons corresponded to fist-pumping and head-bobbing actions, but there were no specific directions, so I just had to go with the flow. This scene was a great bit of comedy that showed off how goofy Rockford and her friends could get while vibing, but it was also a fun callback to films like Pulp Fiction, which used rear-projection sets to simulate car driving scenes (the memory even plays out on a film set). Another segment focused on a photo booth with Rockford and Slater, which put them in a position to capture the best or funniest shots.
But it's not all fun and games with the crew. One segment focused on the friends tossing toilet paper rolls around their school principal's home, which quickly takes a turn for the worse when one of them decides to take the blame to spare Rockford from expulsion. It's a surprisingly heartfelt and sad moment, but it also foreshadows a simmering conflict for these characters.
It's clear that Mixtape seeks to capture the experiences of a particular era, and that the developers themselves had a particular fondness for American movies and pop culture of the time. It captures the feeling of the so-called MTV generation and the intersection of media and the emotional expression of youth during this period. This is also evident in the game's use of a "mixed media, liquid television" editing style, which intercuts clips from TV shows and movies to emphasize emotional and comedic beats.. Rockford even does a Ferris Bueller-style narration for the players.
Given that video game-to-movie adaptations have never been more popular, game director Johnny Galvatron has also had some talks about a potential movie adaptation.
"Obviously, Annapurna is also a film company, and they have those kinds of connections, and let me tell you, those meetings are fun as fuck," said the director. "When people pitch you stuff, it's super cool. I would just say that, yes, I can see it coming. I would probably be totally hands-off on it."
"When you develop video games, you should be changing them to work better within the medium," he continued. "I think when they try to adhere too closely to the way a game works, that can sometimes break down. But yeah, I think if there were to be some adaptation stuff for Mixtape, probably, and I will stay clear of it."
Mixtape feels like a heartfelt tribute to the '90s. While nostalgia bait is increasingly common these days, I felt there's a much deeper message under the hood, and getting to take part in these larger-than-life days of being a young adult has really got me excited for what's to come. I'm hoping the final game will deliver an adventure where I can really savor those listless hangouts with friends.
Mixtape is set to be released on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S later this year.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-creators-of-mixtape-want-to-make-a-great-hangout-video-game-140026928.html?src=rss
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