Global Pulse

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  • Mother demands answers, weeks after black woman found hanging from Mississippi tree

    Mother demands answers, weeks after black woman found hanging from Mississippi tree

    More than a month after 29-year-old Tasia Fortune’s body was discovered hanging from a tree on the property of an abandoned Jackson, Mississippi home, her grieving family and a restless local community are still pushing for transparent information from law enforcement and state officials.

    Fortune’s mother, Christy Spivey, who resides in Kentucky, told the BBC she is consumed by frustration over repeated delays and a lack of communication from investigating officers. Spivey last saw her daughter alive at a family reunion in late July, when Fortune mentioned she was considering moving back home to be closer to her family. When Spivey was finally called to identify her daughter’s remains at a funeral home ahead of burial, she was too devastated to look directly at the body, only glancing at it from the corner of her eye. She ultimately chose burial over cremation, holding out faint hope that new investigation findings could one day require an exhumation for further testing.

    For weeks after the 3 August discovery of Fortune’s body, police offered no public updates on the case, and Spivey says her repeated requests for information about the investigation’s progress went completely unanswered. That changed only this Tuesday, when Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney confirmed for the first time that the department has treated Fortune’s death as a potential homicide from the first day of the probe, as investigators wait for formal autopsy results from the state medical examiner’s office. Brackney explained to the BBC that labeling all pending death investigations as potential homicides is standard policy to preserve critical evidence before an official cause of death is confirmed; prior to Tuesday’s announcement, the department had only described the matter as a general death investigation. The medical examiner’s office has declined to comment on the active case.

    Anxiety over the case has spread rapidly across majority-Black Jackson, amplified by Mississippi’s long, brutal history of racial terror lynchings against Black Americans. Fortune’s death marks the third incident in less than a year where a body was found hanging from a tree in the state. In September 2025, two bodies — one a Black man, the other a white man — were discovered on the same day. Both were officially ruled suicides, but the mother of the Black victim, Trey Reed, continues to dispute that finding.

    The prolonged lack of clarity has fueled widespread distrust in local and state authorities. Two online petitions have gained tens of thousands of signatures: one calls for an independent investigation into the office of Mississippi’s chief medical examiner Dr. Staci Turner, who has overseen the recent string of cases involving Black decedents, while the other demands the FBI launch a federal probe into Fortune’s death. The BBC has requested comment from Dr. Turner but has not yet received a response.

    Local leaders have echoed the community’s calls for urgent action. Jackson City Councilman Kenneth Stokes told the BBC he has visited the neighborhood where Fortune reportedly lived multiple times and has never seen police officers conducting investigative work at the site. “All cases are important, but this one — a hanging in Mississippi — should rise to the top of the priority list,” Stokes said. He sent formal requests for assistance weeks ago to federal prosecutors at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Mississippi and to the FBI, but has yet to receive any reply from either agency. “Nothing from nobody. It’s like nobody cares,” Stokes added. The BBC has also contacted both federal offices for comment with no response as of press time.

    U.S. Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett has formally requested federal intervention, sending a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice asking for a full investigation into the recent string of Mississippi deaths, including Fortune’s, labeling them potential “modern-day lynchings” and referencing the state’s well-documented history of anti-Black violent terrorism. The DOJ has not yet responded to requests for comment on the request. Notably, Mississippi is not alone: this year alone, four Black Americans have been found hanged from trees in North Carolina, three of which have been ruled suicides with an autopsy still pending for the fourth.

    While Stokes stresses he has not concluded whether Fortune’s death was a racially motivated lynching, he says the only thing that matters to him and the community is getting clear, accurate answers. For young Black residents including Brandon King, president of the Jackson State University student chapter of the NAACP, the uncertainty has created a pervasive climate of fear. “This is supposed to be the state capital. This is where I’m supposed to feel the most safe,” King told the BBC. “Right now, the feeling is that you could be next. This is in your own backyard.”

    For Spivey, the anger and grief remain raw. “What is the hold up?” she asked, echoing the question that has gone unanswered for more than a month for her family and thousands of others demanding accountability.

  • Europe’s royalty pay respects to King Harald V in Norway

    Europe’s royalty pay respects to King Harald V in Norway

    OSLO — Nearly two weeks after the passing of Norway’s King Harald V at the age of 89, dignitaries from across the globe gathered in the Norwegian capital Wednesday to lay to rest one of the nation’s most popular modern monarchs, closing 13 days of national mourning with a day of full ceremonial honors.

    The day of remembrance began with ceremonial troops assembling at Akershus Fortress, the medieval hilltop castle that would become Harald’s final resting place. A formal procession then carried the late king’s casket from the Royal Palace through central Oslo to Oslo Cathedral, where the public funeral service was held. Tens of thousands of Norwegians lined the procession route to pay their final respects, as members of the royal family followed the coffin through the city streets. Newly ascended King Haakon, Harald’s only son, walked alongside his sister Princess Märtha Louise and their children, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus. Queen Sonja, Harald’s 89-year-old widow, and Queen Mette-Marit, Haakon’s wife who recently underwent a successful lung transplant, followed behind in a motor vehicle.

    More than 30 senior royal figures from 10 nations around the world joined the ceremony, alongside multiple heads of state and government. The United Kingdom’s delegation included Prince William, the Prince of Wales, who represented his father King Charles III, and Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, who attended in a personal capacity as King Haakon’s godmother. Nordic neighbors were represented by Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf and Denmark’s King Frederik X, completing the group of three reigning Nordic monarchs in attendance. Other high-profile guests included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, alongside five foreign prime ministers and royals from Jordan, Monaco, Belgium, Spain, Japan and the Netherlands.

    During the service inside Oslo Cathedral, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre delivered a moving eulogy honoring the late king’s 35-year reign. Støre praised Harald for his rare ability to strike a balance between regal dignity and approachable groundedness, noting that he had “made Norway greater” through his steady leadership. Queen Sonja placed a single red rose atop her late husband’s casket, and both she and Mette-Marit were visibly emotional throughout the ceremony, with Mette-Marit seen wiping tears from her eyes. A brief, poignant moment of unintended disruption occurred when a mobile phone alarm interrupted three tolling bells marking the end of a national minute’s silence, which had been observed across every corner of Norway.

    A notable guest at the service was Marius Borg Høiby, Mette-Marit’s son, who is not a working royal but was raised in the royal household. Høiby, who was sentenced to four years in prison in June on two counts of rape and is currently under house arrest pending an appeal, received special court permission to attend his step-grandfather’s funeral, and sat in the second row alongside Märtha Louise’s children. The service concluded with a dramatic flyover of four F-35 fighter jets in the “missing man” formation, a traditional tribute to fallen leaders.

    Following the cathedral service, the casket was processed back to Akershus Fortress for a private interment ceremony in the Palace Chapel, attended by close family, visiting dignitaries and Norwegian political leaders. Harald was laid to rest alongside generations of Norwegian royal predecessors, including his father King Olav V, his mother Crown Princess Märtha, and his grandparents King Haakon VII and Queen Maud.

    After the burial, Norwegian flags across Oslo were raised from half-mast to full staff to mark the close of the national mourning period. The new royal leadership — King Haakon, Queen Mette-Marit, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Prince Sverre Magnus and Queen Sonja — returned to the Royal Palace, where they appeared on the palace balcony to greet the tens of thousands of Norwegians gathered outside. The appearance was a gesture of gratitude for the outpouring of public support the family has received since Harald’s death on August 28.

    Long remembered by Norwegians as a unifying, modernizing force who brought the Norwegian monarchy into the 21st century, Harald was widely described by royal observers as the “grandfather of the nation,” deeply respected and beloved across the political and social spectrum. In a statement released the day after his father’s passing, King Haakon thanked Harald for “being such a good dad” and praised him for remaining “always stayed true” to his core values and public commitments throughout his decades on the throne. The late king’s final months were marked by private and public turmoil for the family: earlier this year, documents revealed Mette-Marit’s past frequent contact with disgraced late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a connection she later said she regretted, alongside Høiby’s June conviction, which cast a shadow over the final period of Harald’s reign.

  • Israeli opposition accuses Netanyahu of fuelling diplomatic isolation after UK sanctions

    Israeli opposition accuses Netanyahu of fuelling diplomatic isolation after UK sanctions

    A major diplomatic rift has erupted between the United Kingdom and Israel after London imposed sweeping new sanctions on illegal Israeli settlement activity in the occupied West Bank, triggering immediate retaliation from Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government and deepening accusations from Israeli opposition that the current administration has pushed the country into historic global isolation.

    Announced by UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, the new measures mark a significant escalation of international pressure on Israel over its decades-long occupation of the West Bank. Miliband confirmed that the UK will officially designate Israel’s entire occupation of the West Bank as unlawful, and will implement a full ban on imports of goods produced in Israeli settlements. Additional sanctions include asset freezes and travel restrictions targeting individuals and companies involved in settlement construction, infrastructure development, financing, and real estate projects tied to expanding settlements. The UK will also bar advertising of settlement-based properties within its borders, sanction extremist settlers linked to violence against Palestinian communities, and suspend new weapons export licenses that could materially support the occupation, maintaining over 30 existing arms suspensions already in place.

    Miliband emphasized that the sanctions target only illegal settlement activity, not the state of Israel itself, noting that the UK will continue normal trade with Israel within its pre-1967 internationally recognized borders. “Today we refuse to be bystanders to further suffering and to the destruction of the two-state solution,” he said, adding that the UK could no longer merely condemn injustice without taking concrete action. Miliband also accused Israeli settler groups of carrying out ethnic cleansing against Palestinian communities, saying Netanyahu’s government has deliberately turned a blind eye to this violence.

    The UK announcement was backed by a joint statement from 12 European and North American nations including France, Canada, Spain, Denmark, Ireland, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Poland, Portugal and Sweden. The coalition called on Israel to immediately halt settlement expansion, hold perpetrators of settler violence accountable, and launch investigations into alleged abuses by Israeli forces, warning that ongoing Israeli actions in the West Bank have eliminated any viable path to a two-state solution that would deliver permanent peace for both Israelis and Palestinians.

    Netanyahu’s government responded with swift and sweeping retaliatory measures. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced the closure of the British consulate in Jerusalem, the expulsion of British representatives from the US-led International Gaza Support Centre (tasked with monitoring the Gaza ceasefire), and the termination of UK-led training programs for Palestinian Authority security forces. Israel also issued entry bans targeting 11 British parliamentarians known for their criticism of Israeli policy, including former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, and one British human rights lawyer.

    Saar denounced the UK sanctions as “morally distorted” and “a blatant interference in the affairs of a sovereign state”, arguing that the measures were an inappropriate attempt to sway Israel’s upcoming October national elections. Claiming that the Israeli public overwhelmingly rejects the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, Saar warned that Israel would retaliate against any other country that follows the UK’s lead. “The message to every government that harms us: whoever acts against Israel – Israel will harm them, and they will lose their influence and relevance,” he said.

    Israeli President Isaac Herzog also condemned the sanctions, calling them “a gross interference in the democratic elections of a sovereign nation, and a decision that will fall on the wrong side of history.” In a post on X, Herzog called on foreign governments to halt punitive measures, urging instead “constructive dialogue and cooperation.” Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir went further, urging Netanyahu to immediately close the British consulate in East Jerusalem, claiming the facility operates on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, and arguing that a hardline response is needed to push back against British “audacity”, reminding London that the British Mandate for Palestine ended decades ago and Israel is now a fully sovereign state.

    Inside Israel, opposition politicians have pinned the blame for the diplomatic fallout squarely on Netanyahu’s far-right coalition, saying the government’s unapologetic expansion of settlements has left the country more isolated globally than ever before. Former Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, who leads the main opposition bloc, called the British decision wrong but directed his criticism at the current administration. “[The government] is leading Israel into unprecedented diplomatic isolation, and doing nothing but issuing rebukes and threats that no one takes seriously,” Lapid said.

    Knesset member Gilad Kariv of the left-wing Democrats party echoed that assessment, saying Netanyahu’s government is directly responsible for the sanctions due to its ongoing seizure of Palestinian land in the West Bank. Kariv added that Netanyahu has become politically “leprous” on the global stage, and argued that ordinary Israeli citizens should not be forced to pay the price for the prime minister’s “corrupt alliance with nationalist fanatics” in his far-right coalition.

    Even some former senior Israeli officials have broken with the government to back the UK measures. Michael Ben-Yair, a former Israeli attorney-general, wrote in the Financial Times that while he does not support punitive action by a close Israeli ally, the sanctions are necessary to preserve the possibility of a two-state political solution that could deliver lasting peace and security for the seven million Jews and seven million Palestinians living between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. Ben-Yair argued that the measures correctly distinguish between the legitimacy of Israel as a sovereign state and its ongoing occupation of Palestinian territory, which he described as “morally, politically and legally unacceptable.”

    Netanyahu’s government has faced growing international condemnation this year for accelerating settlement construction across the occupied West Bank. Earlier this year, the government opened tenders for more than 1,200 new settlement homes in the strategically sensitive E1 corridor, a plan that would connect Jerusalem to the large Ma’ale Adumim settlement and cut off the territorial contiguity of any future Palestinian state, a move widely seen as a fatal blow to the two-state framework.

  • Passenger killed after train hits truck at Poland level crossing

    Passenger killed after train hits truck at Poland level crossing

    Less than two weeks after another fatal rail incident at a level crossing in Poland, a second deadly crash has killed one passenger and left 20 others injured, four of them critically. The collision unfolded just after 11 a.m. local time on Wednesday in the small village of Sokolniki Suche, roughly 100 kilometers south of the country’s capital Warsaw, when a concrete mixer truck struck an intercity passenger train carrying around 120 people, causing multiple carriages to derail.

    PKP Intercity, Poland’s state-owned long-distance rail operator, confirmed the casualty figures in an official statement shortly after the incident. Photographs from the crash site show severe structural damage to several train carriages, with twisted metal and debris scattered across the area.

    Local authorities have launched an immediate investigation into the cause of the crash, though early reporting from on-site sources indicates the level crossing was equipped with working traffic signals and barriers. Deputy Infrastructure Minister Piotr Malepszak told reporters that the truck driver, who is among those injured, told first responders he had been blinded by bright sunlight at the time of the collision. Investigators note it is still too early to confirm the full sequence of events that led to the tragedy.

    This latest crash comes only one week after a similar near-miss turned fatal incident at a Polish level crossing, when a lorry driver ignored closing barriers and was hit by an oncoming PKP train. Footage of that incident showed the driver making a desperate but failed attempt to reverse out of the path of the speeding train.

    In response to the second deadly level crossing incident in as many weeks, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called the crash “very serious” and emphasized the urgent need for immediate regulatory reform. Tusk argued that a “radical toughening of the rules” is required to target motorists who repeatedly ignore warning barriers and red traffic signals to force their way across level crossings, a dangerous habit that has contributed to multiple recent tragedies on Poland’s rail network.

  • Uganda pulling out of Prince Harry’s Invictus Games, says military chief

    Uganda pulling out of Prince Harry’s Invictus Games, says military chief

    In a sudden reversal that has stirred international attention, Uganda has announced its withdrawal from the Invictus Games, the global sporting event for wounded and injured military veterans founded and led by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. This decision comes only two months after the East African nation formally confirmed its participation in the 2025 competition set to be hosted in Birmingham, England, which would have made Uganda the 26th member country of the Invictus Games community.

    The withdrawal announcement was made via a post on X by General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces and the son of long-time Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni. In his statement, General Kainerugaba framed the pullout as an act of deference to the British monarchy, saying, “In order not to be construed as being opposed to His Majesty King Charles III of the United Kingdom, whom we deeply revere, Uganda hereby withdraws from the Invictus Games. We shall not participate in anything that does not have His Majesty’s approval.”

    The timing of the announcement lines up directly with a recent formal clarification from Buckingham Palace, which confirmed that Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle—who recently returned to the UK for a series of public engagements—no longer hold official working royal roles under King Charles. Reporting from The Times has additionally cited that General Kainerugaba had privately expressed concerns over what he called the “Harry-Meghan nonsense”, framing that rift as the underlying context for the withdrawal decision.

    A Ugandan government spokesperson later confirmed the general’s position to the BBC, noting that the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) defers to General Kainerugaba on all decisions regarding military participation in international events. “What you saw is his stated position. If it changes, he will let the world know,” the spokesperson added.

    Royal sources have pushed back on the framing of the dispute, telling reporters that King Charles remains fully supportive of all initiatives that support wounded and injured service members, including the Invictus Games. Spokespeople for the Invictus Games organization have also said that as of Thursday, they had not received any formal official notification of Uganda’s withdrawal, and have been reaching out to their local contacts in the country to seek clear clarification on the situation.

    The withdrawal announcement was not the only notable post from General Kainerugaba on X this Thursday. In separate messages, the general made a self-aggrandizing claim that he is “the most handsome, most daring and glorious Commander who ever lived”, and also shared a series of angry posts criticizing other senior Ugandan generals for holding a dance event without first obtaining his permission.

    When Uganda’s participation was first announced in July during Prince Harry’s promotional tour for the 2025 Birmingham games, the invitation marked a milestone expanding the Invictus Games’ reach across Africa. The event, which launched in 2014, is centered on celebrating the physical and psychological resilience of military personnel who have been injured or disabled during service, supporting their ongoing rehabilitation through competitive sport.

  • The Rwandan eyeing Champions League history against Man Utd

    The Rwandan eyeing Champions League history against Man Utd

    For lifelong Manchester United supporter Joy-Lance Mickels, a childhood dream is about to become reality this Thursday, as the 32-year-old Rwanda international prepares to step onto the pitch at Old Trafford for the opening matchday of the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League league phase.

    Mickels, who is expected to lead the line for Azerbaijani champions Sabah FC against the Red Devils (kickoff 20:00 BST), has called the draw to face his boyhood club the best possible outcome for his underdog side. “I watch every Man Utd game when I can,” Mickels told BBC World Service in an exclusive interview. “It makes it even better because we’re going to play in Old Trafford. Manchester United are one of the biggest clubs in the world so it will be a proud moment to step out on to the pitch.”

    This moment marks the culmination of a historic underdog run for both Mickels and Sabah, a club founded only nine years ago that is competing in the Champions League proper for the first time in its short history. Playing in his second spell with the Masazir-based side, based 16 kilometers northwest of Azerbaijan’s capital Baku, Mickels has been the driving force behind Sabah’s fairytale qualifying run. The forward found the back of the net four times across four qualifying rounds, including a decisive strike that sealed a 6-4 aggregate win over Israel’s Hapoel Be’er Sheva after a late 94th-minute opponent goal forced the tie into extra time. Remarkably, he scored in every single round of qualifying to book Sabah’s place in the league phase.

    Off the pitch, Mickels’ path to Europe’s top club competition has been far from a straightforward rise. Born and raised in Germany, he spent the first half of his career bouncing between German lower leagues, with early stints in the reserve sides of top clubs Borussia Mönchengladbach and Schalke, before later taking spells in the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia. He first joined Sabah from 2021 to 2023, before returning to the club’s Bank Respublika Arena base two years ago. “My career has not always followed a straight or easy path,” Mickels reflected. “I have played at different levels and in several countries. But every experience has helped me grow both as a footballer and as a person.”

    Eligible to represent Rwanda through his Rwandan-born parents, Mickels only made his international debut for the East African nation (nicknamed the Wasps) in March 2026. This Thursday’s appearance will make him the first player from Rwanda to feature in the main draw of the UEFA Champions League, a milestone he says he carries with immense pride. “I’m very proud of my Rwandan roots,” he said. “Representing Rwanda whilst playing the Champions League is very, very special. I hope my journey can help inspire young Rwandan players and show them that with belief, hard work and patience, it is possible to reach the pinnacle of football.”

    Sabah’s historic Champions League campaign does not end at Old Trafford. After opening their campaign against Manchester United, the club will host glamourous fixtures against former Champions League winners Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona, though the side will be forced to play these home matches at Baku’s Olympic Stadium, as their own ground does not meet UEFA’s venue requirements. Their campaign will wrap up with a second trip to England, where they will face reigning Premier League champions Arsenal.

    Mickels acknowledges that Sabah enter the competition as clear underdogs, particularly after securing their first ever Azerbaijan Premier League title last season, where Mickels notched 19 goals to lead the charge. But he insists the side is not traveling to Manchester just to soak in the atmosphere. “At the same time, we’re not going there only to enjoy the atmosphere. We want to compete to represent not only our club but Azerbaijan in the best possible way and show we deserve to be there,” he said.

    “Every match in the Champions League is special because you are competing against some of the best teams and players in Europe. Of course, Manchester United and Barcelona immediately stood out because of their history and global reputation. Playing at Old Trafford and welcoming Barcelona to Baku are the kinds of occasions every footballer dreams about. But we should respect every opponent and each match will be an opportunity for us to test ourselves at the highest level.”

    Led by manager Valdas Dambrauskas, who built his coaching career using winnings from his appearance on the Lithuanian version of *Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?*, the entire Sabah squad is relishing the underdog spotlight. Mickels says the side’s goal is simple: leave the competition with pride, valuable experience, and as many points as possible. “We know that the level will be extremely high, but we believe in ourselves and the strength of our team. We want to gain valuable experience, create memorable moments for our supporters and earn as many points as possible,” he said. “We want to go out with some points and we’re going to make it difficult for everybody to get points on us. This is the target.”

  • Listen: Juror in Lindsay Clancy trial speaks about lone holdout

    Listen: Juror in Lindsay Clancy trial speaks about lone holdout

    In a rare public comment following the high-profile proceedings in the Lindsay Clancy trial, one sitting juror has broken silence to shed new light on the closed-door deliberations that shaped the case’s outcome. The juror, who chose to speak on condition of anonymity to protect their privacy amid intense public scrutiny of the trial, opened up about the tense dynamics that unfolded inside the jury room during days of closed discussions.

    According to the juror’s account, the 12-member panel included a handful of what they described as “big personalities” – individuals who were unafraid to voice strong, unwavering opinions and push back heavily against perspectives that clashed with their own. Despite the charged atmosphere and strong convictions held by most jurors, the panel ultimately maintained enough respect for differing views to avoid rushing a decision. Most notably, the juror confirmed that one panel member stood alone as a holdout on the verdict, refusing to align with the majority position even as discussions stretched on.

    In a striking twist to the behind-the-scenes account, the speaking juror emphasized that the majority of the panel defended the lone holdout’s right to hold a dissenting opinion. Rather than pressuring the outlier to abandon their position or rush a compromise, jurors acknowledged the importance of allowing every panel member to weigh in fully and stand by their conclusions, even when that meant extended deliberations. The comments offer an unprecedented look into how jury dynamics function in high-emotion, publicized criminal cases, highlighting the tensions between majority consensus and individual conviction that are core to the U.S. jury trial system.

  • Anthropic researcher believes more than 10% chance AI ‘could kill all humans’

    Anthropic researcher believes more than 10% chance AI ‘could kill all humans’

    The global debate over artificial intelligence safety has entered a urgent new phase, as current and former researchers from leading AI developer Anthropic have issued stark warnings that rapid, unregulated progress could put the entire human species at risk within the next 10 years.

    Evan Hubinger, a leading AI alignment researcher at Anthropic — the company behind the popular chatbot and coding assistant Claude — shared his grim assessment in a viral post on X that has now been viewed over 10 million times. Hubinger clarified that current-generation AI models carry a low level of existential risk, but warned that the technology’s accelerating pace of self-improvement means there is a greater than 10% chance supercharged AI could kill all humans by the mid-2030s.

    While Hubinger did not outline a specific scenario for how AI could cause human extinction, his comments mark a deepening of the conversation around AI risk: the debate has shifted in recent months from whether advanced AI poses a genuine threat to humanity to just how severe that threat could become. Hubinger added that while Anthropic is making a good-faith effort to address safety concerns, the company currently has no actionable plan to solve the critical problem of AI alignment — the process of embedding human ethical values into AI systems to ensure they align with human priorities — and is not on a clear path to solving it ahead of the arrival of superintelligent AI.

    Hubinger’s post came in response to comments from Jacob Coxon, a former AI researcher who recently left Anthropic after previous stints at OpenAI. Coxon accused both of the leading AI firms of acting irresponsibly, noting that advanced AI systems will soon reach superhuman capability, allowing them to breach nearly any cyber defense, upend entire industries overnight, and accumulate significant real-world power and resources. OpenAI has been contacted for comment on the accusations, but has not yet issued a response.

    Wendy Hall, a prominent computer scientist who advises the United Nations on AI policy, told the BBC she was stunned by the social media posts from the two researchers. Hall suggested the warnings could be a calculated PR move as both Anthropic and OpenAI prepare for highly anticipated initial public offerings, but added that if the comments are genuine, investors should reconsider backing firms that acknowledge such severe risks without a clear mitigation plan. “Why would someone want to say that? I would plead with investors not to invest in this company if that is their value system,” she said.

    In a separate development that has raised further questions about AI safety collaboration, the Financial Times reported this week that Anthropic has declined to share its latest frontier AI model with the UK’s AI Safety Institute (AISI), one of the world’s leading global bodies tasked with assessing and mitigating AI risk. Anthropic has declined to comment on either its former and current employees’ social media posts or the report about withholding its model from the AISI. A UK Cabinet Office spokesperson did not directly confirm or deny that the model was withheld, instead stating that the UK government “continues to collaborate closely with industry partners, including Anthropic, to make models safer.”

    Warnings over AI safety have grown increasingly urgent across the industry in recent months, as new evidence emerges that leading firms are struggling to contain emerging risks from autonomous AI systems. Earlier this summer, multiple major AI developers — including OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta — publicly disclosed incidents where their own autonomous AI agents successfully carried out cyber-attacks, a development that many alignment researchers see as proof that current safety efforts are falling short.

    In Anthropic’s own August safety report, the company assessed that the risk of its future highly capable models becoming misaligned and causing catastrophic, AI-initiated harm through automated weapons research and development was low, but it also noted that its confidence in that low-risk assessment has dropped compared to previous reports. The company wrote that it is already seeing “early signs of potential acceleration” in AI capability gains that are outpacing safety progress.

    Calls for urgent action to slow AI development and strengthen global oversight have grown in recent months from even the highest levels of the industry. In 2023, the CEOs of OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Anthropic jointly warned of the existential risk posed by unregulated advanced AI. More recently, OpenAI chief scientist Jakub Pachocki called for “extreme caution” around rapid AI progress, arguing that greater intervention is needed to ensure humans retain control of future technological development. Anthropic’s own top leaders, Dario Amodei and Jared Kaplan, have also backed calls to slow the pace of frontier AI development.

    Earlier this year, an open letter signed by more than 1,300 AI industry employees called on the U.S. government to support a global international effort to build the technical and governance frameworks needed to deliberately slow the pace of advanced autonomous AI development, to give safety researchers time to close the gap between capability gains and risk mitigation.

  • Reigning Miss Austria beauty queen dies aged 22

    Reigning Miss Austria beauty queen dies aged 22

    The Austrian beauty pageant community is mourning the unexpected passing of 22-year-old Lucia Sisic, the current reigning Miss Austria 2024, who lived with a chronic congenital heart condition her entire life.

    The organization that oversees the Miss Austria and Mister Austria competitions, Mission Austria, shared the devastating news in a heartfelt public tribute posted to its official Facebook page on Monday. Translated from the original German statement, the post read: “It is with great shock and deep sorrow that we have learned of the passing of our Miss Austria 2024, Lucia Sisic. We will remember Lucia as a wonderful young woman. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences go out to her family, friends, and all those close to her during this difficult time.” Signed by Mission Austria CEO Kerstin Rigger and her husband Jörg, the tribute emphasized that Sisic “will always remain a part of our Miss Austria family.” As of the announcement, no official cause of death has been formally confirmed by authorities.

    Sisic earned her Miss Austria crown in 2024, and has retained the title as no subsequent national pageant has been held to crown a successor. Unlike many public figures who choose to hide personal health struggles, Sisic spoke openly about her lifelong journey with heart disease, using her platform to inspire others facing similar medical challenges.

    Over the course of her life, Sisic underwent seven separate surgical procedures to treat her condition, with her very first operation taking place just moments after she was born. In a 2024 interview with Austrian local publication Heute, she reflected on how her health shaped her early years: “Sports weeks took place without me. My childhood was simply different, but it also made me strong.” Later that year, she shared a public post on Instagram expressing gratitude to the pediatric medical team that cared for her from childhood, writing, “Thanks to the medical staff and the dedicated doctors – who time and again saved my life through their tremendous efforts – I have overcome many difficult moments and been able to lead a fulfilling life.”

    Herzkinder Österreich, an Austrian non-profit dedicated to supporting children born with heart conditions, also released a tribute to Sisic following the announcement of her passing. The organization described itself as “deeply saddened by the untimely death” of the young titleholder, noting that “at just 22 years old, she left us far too soon.” In its Facebook post, the charity highlighted Sisic’s unique perspective and courageous spirit: “Lucia herself was a true child at heart. A young woman who knew what it meant to grow up with a congenital heart defect, to endure surgeries, and still to pursue her own path with courage and joy. We will remember her as a warm-hearted, joyful, and impressive young woman – and as an adult child who wanted to give courage to others affected.”

    Tributes from across Austria have continued to pour in for Sisic, who is remembered for her resilience, warmth, and commitment to lifting up others navigating chronic childhood health conditions.

  • For these Venezuelans living in the US, June’s earthquakes still reverberate across daily life

    For these Venezuelans living in the US, June’s earthquakes still reverberate across daily life

    The June 24 back-to-back powerful earthquakes that rocked north-central Venezuela’s coastal region left more than 6,500 dead, thousands of structures destroyed, and countless families separated by borders and tragedy. For the more than 1.2 million Venezuelan immigrants living across the United States – a population that doubled between 2019 and 2024 as people fled persistent economic and political instability at home – the disaster unfolded thousands of miles away, leaving them trapped between crushing anxiety, survivor’s guilt, and a desperate drive to help from afar. Two months after the quakes, these four community members share how they have navigated loss, uncertainty, and grassroots action against a shifting political backdrop that has put their own right to remain in the U.S. in question.

    # A Los Angeles Restaurant Owner’s Months-Long Search for Her Parents
    When the first tremors hit Venezuela that June evening, Kelly Granado Montano, a 43-year-old Los Angeles restaurant owner, called her parents, Marina, 66, and Jesús, 80, repeatedly. The couple had been staying at their beach apartment in La Guaira, a coastal state that bore the brunt of the quake’s damage, and were last seen in the building’s underground parking garage preparing to leave their vacation. By the time news of the disaster spread, the 10-story building had collapsed completely, and Granado Montano got no answer.

    It had been 11 years since Granado Montano last saw her parents, and immigration restrictions barred her from leaving the U.S. to join the search in person. With little support from Venezuelan authorities, coordinating search efforts with local relatives and volunteers from 3,000 miles away became what she calls “an odyssey.” She launched fundraising campaigns to cover search costs and pleaded for support on social media, as local teams spent thousands of dollars renting heavy equipment to move debris with little progress. It was only after a private donor supplied an excavator and a drone operator helped locate the wreckage of her parents’ van that the search yielded results.

    Even before the recovery, Granado Montano transformed her restaurant, Full Arepas, into a community relief hub, packing shipping containers with donated goods to send to displaced quake survivors. “Knowing we are helping people who are going through something similar … it brings me a little relief,” she explained at the time. On the 57th day after the quake, August 19, she got word: her parents’ remains had been found inside their van, along with six other family members. The discovery was bittersweet: after months of not knowing, she had closure, but not the outcome she had prayed for.

    Unable to travel to Venezuela for the family memorial, Granado Montano and her sister held a private service at a local Los Angeles church. Today, she stays busy running her restaurant and has launched a new foundation to continue supporting Venezuelan disaster survivors. “They were together for 45 years and into eternity,” she said of her parents. “Because they were found just as I had hoped they would be. Together.”

    # A Texas ER Nurse Mobilizes Her Social Media Following to Ship Critical Medical Supplies
    For Dariela Merchan, a 28-year-old emergency room nurse in Austin, Texas, the desire to help hit close to home. Merchan left Venezuela 14 years earlier, and an expired Venezuelan passport – a common barrier for the diaspora after Venezuelan consulates across the U.S. closed years ago – made it impossible for her to return to provide on-the-ground care. After confirming her father and sister in Venezuela were unharmed, she turned her attention to the country’s already teetering healthcare system, which was overwhelmed by a surge of injured patients after the quakes.

    Long before the disaster, Venezuela’s healthcare network struggled with chronic shortages of medication, frequent power and water outages, and understaffing. When Merchan reached out to doctor colleagues in hard-hit La Guaira to ask what they needed most, their answer was simple: “Literally anything.” Merchan, who has built a large TikTok following with her nursing content that regularly earns millions of views, leveraged her platform to mobilize support.

    She connected frontline Venezuelan medical workers with global networks of volunteer providers offering free telehealth services, and a single TikTok post drew more than 500 volunteer sign-ups. When she called on medical brands for donations, one medical apparel company sent 200 brand-new sets of scrubs. To avoid the risk of theft by corrupt officials, Merchan arranged for door-to-door shipping directly to a local health nonprofit working in La Guaira, covering half of the $1,200 shipping cost out of her own pocket after crowdfunding the rest. Between night ER shifts, she packs more donations – including electrolyte powder for first responders – and tucks handwritten notes into each box, thanking local workers and reminding them they are not alone. “We’re watching and we’re with you,” she writes, “from all over the world.”

    # A Florida Student Grieves Lost Family While Facing an Uncertain Immigration Future
    For Alejandro Marquina, a 22-year-old senior at Florida International University, the grief of losing five family members – including his aunt Yolanda – in the quakes has been compounded by persistent anxiety and survivor’s guilt. One week after his aunt died under the rubble of her La Guaira apartment building, Marquina found an unsent Instagram message from her, sent just before the quake, congratulating him on a recent professional achievement. He never got the chance to reply.

    “I felt like a really bad person,” he said. “She was really proud of me. And now, she’s gone.” In the weeks after the disaster, Marquina struggled with recurring nightmares, panic attacks, and agoraphobia – he stopped driving, rarely left his home, and found it impossible to focus on classes. “I’m here having fun, but my family is dying,” he explained. “Many people in Venezuela, not even just my family, they’re fighting for their lives.”

    Marquina and his family fled Venezuela for South Florida in 2015, settling in Doral – a Miami-Dade County city nicknamed “Doralzuela” for its large concentration of Venezuelan immigrants. Today, as the Trump administration tightens immigration rules and ends temporary protected status programs that have allowed more than 700,000 Venezuelans to live and work legally in the U.S., Marquina’s grief is intertwined with uncertainty over his own future. He began therapy after the quakes, which helped him process his trauma, but it was grassroots relief work that pulled him out of his darkest days. A journalism major, Marquina used his social media and digital communication skills to raise awareness and funds for quake survivors, including his own displaced relatives in Venezuela, and has collected more than $2,000 in donations to date. “I needed to do something,” he said. “I couldn’t just stay in my house.”

    # An Arizona Former Athlete Sees Two Disasters Strike Her Split Family
    Diana Ramos, a 27-year-old former college recruited athlete who lives in Tucson, Arizona, breathed a sigh of relief when she finally confirmed her parents and grandmother in Venezuela were unharmed, with only minor property damage after the quake. But as she sorted through the flood of fundraising campaigns and volunteer appeals, she looked for a specific, local need to support from afar. Thinking back to her childhood in Guatire, a city outside Caracas, she reached out to her former elementary school and learned the building had been heavily damaged and forced to close. Ramos raised $4,000 from friends and family to fund repairs, giving hundreds of local children a chance to return to class.

    Weeks later, a second disaster struck close to her heart: a major earthquake hit Colombia, home to 2.8 million Venezuelan refugees – including Ramos’ older sister Duneida, who lives in hard-hit Cali. Both of Duneida’s workplaces were damaged, one completely destroyed, wiping out a large portion of her income and leaving her reeling. For weeks, Duneida was too overwhelmed to check in regularly, leaving Ramos coping with a new wave of anxiety.

    “It just feels like I have my heart in two parts of two different countries,” Ramos said. “So that’s just been sad.” After more than two decades of political upheaval and economic collapse in Venezuela, she questions how much more hardship her community can endure. “All these things are accumulating without anything being solved,” she said. Even the recent U.S.-Venezuela oil deal, which supporters frame as an economic lifeline for the country and critics dismiss as an affront to Venezuelan sovereignty, has done little to ease her uncertainty. Still, Ramos holds onto her routine in Tucson and the hope of reuniting with her family soon. “The earthquakes put into perspective how life can go within a second,” she said.

    This collaborative reporting project between the Associated Press, Caplin News (Miami) and Conecta Arizona (Phoenix) is supported by the AP Fund for Journalism, with additional support for AP’s philanthropy coverage through a partnership with The Conversation US, funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP retains full editorial control over all content.