Meta bosses grilled over decision to cut ‘censorship’ that has potentially unleashed more antisemitic content

• The US and Israel have launched a war against Iran, resulting in an irreversible transformation of the strategic landscape across the Gulf region. • Analysts suggest that any potential diplomatic deal between the US and Iran must be decoupled from the broader Middle Eastern conflicts regarding Palestinian rights and land.

• UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has warned that artificial intelligence poses a "Hiroshima"-style existential threat to humanity if global regulations are not established. • Cooper highlighted AI as part of a broader set of systemic risks, including the climate crisis, irregular migration, and foreign interference.

• India is evaluating four critical geopolitical shifts resulting from the ongoing conflict in Iran to mitigate economic and strategic risks. • To reduce energy vulnerability, India is advised to expand its strategic petroleum reserves from the current eight-day capacity to between 30 and 60 days.

• A major UN summit opened in Geneva on Monday to address the urgent need for global AI governance and safety frameworks. • The summit focuses on balancing the potential for AI to benefit humanity with the need to prevent "catastrophic harm" and ensure fair distribution of technology.

• Coface chief APAC economist Bernard Aw warns that the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz will not signify a quick return to pre-war normalcy for Asia. • While alternative routes exist, they remain tied to the Middle East's energy production system and are subject to the same geopolitical risks and infrastructure disruptions.

• Acting President Delcy Rodríguez of Venezuela is struggling to manage the aftermath of two powerful earthquakes that have triggered a humanitarian crisis. • The disaster has sparked fierce public criticism and provided an opening for Venezuelan opposition leaders currently in exile to attempt a return.

• Funeral processions have begun for Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei following his passing. • Notably, neither his son Mojtaba Khamenei nor his other three sons attended Friday's ceremony.

• A new US-backed framework agreement has been introduced as a diplomatic push to end the ongoing hostilities between Lebanon and Israel. • The initiative aims to provide a rare opportunity for peace in a region that has been exhausted by decades of persistent conflict.

• The U.S. has experienced a strategic failure in Iran, which the author attributes to the Trump administration's "Donroe Doctrine" and a reliance on unilateral actions. • A blockade of the Strait of Hormuz reportedly backfired, resulting in the empowerment of Iran and a significant decline in American international credibility.

• World Tibet Day highlights the ongoing struggle for Tibetan independence and its implications for Asian geopolitical stability. • Advocates argue that China's occupation of Tibet in the 1950s removed a critical strategic buffer, placing the Chinese military directly on India's northern frontier.

Campaign group calls on watchdog to investigate sector amid claims of anti-competitive practices elbowing out independentsBig brewers are misleading drinkers about their products’ “craft” credentials and geographical origin, the ale enthusiasts’ club Camra has claimed, as it called on the consumer watchdog to investigate the beer market.Camra asked the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) to launch a review of whether small breweries are being unfairly elbowed off the bar by larger rivals’ anti-competitive tactics. Continue reading...

Suspicions grow in Lanarkshire that local people have been misled on supposed benefits of the huge developmentRevealed: landmark Scottish AI project has no prospect of meeting renewables promiseWhat are Britain’s AI growth zones and are the plans feasible or ‘complete bunk’?The promise was that a Scottish community would be transformed by massive investment and empowered to chase “the jobs of the future”. Instead, local people in Lanarkshire fear they may have to sell their properties and lose green belt land because of the errors of a badly planned AI datacentre complex, even as those jobs and investments never arrive.Late last year, representatives of Oakes Energy Services began to knock on doors in Newarthill, a village east of Glasgow. In letters reviewed by the Guardian, they invited residents to individual meetings. They told them about plans for a solar farm, say local people, and made offers: free solar panels, tree planting, or even cash for their properties. Continue reading...