Airlines demand UK relax noise rules and cut flight tax as fuel shortage looms

Airlines are lobbying the UK government to relax environmental and noise rules, modify passenger rights and cut taxes on flying, as they prepare for higher costs and a possible shortage of jet fuel because of the war in the Middle East.A list of policy requests submitted to ministers and the aviation regulator includes suspending the emissions trading scheme and relaxing limits on night flights, it has emerged.Airlines are also seeking to alter compensation rights for passengers by having fuel-related disruption counted as an extraordinary circumstances – meaning stranded passengers would not be entitled to payouts beyond refunds in the event of cancellations or delay.The full list of demands has emerged in a briefing document, first reported by ITV News, prepared by the trade body Airlines UK on behalf of carriers including British Airways, easyJet, Ryanair, Virgin, TUI and Jet2.The briefing for government said that if the current disruption to jet fuel supplies continued or worsened, airlines would be forced to cut flights and push up fares

Shake-up will help UK motorists without driveways to charge EVs

Households without off-street parking could soon be able to charge their electric vehicles from home under new government plans to help households cut their need for expensive fossil fuels.The government has promised to pass legislation this summer that will allow motorists to run power cables through a charging “gully” built into the pavement outside their home without the need for planning permission.This means that before the end of this year, EV owners who are not able to fit their own car chargers at home will be able to charge up from the power connection indoors.Motorists are not allowed to string charging cables across the pavement from their home but almost half of councils across the UK allow cross-pavement charging if you embed the cable in a gully. However, this still requires permission from the council

‘I’ll key your car’: ChatGPT can become abusive when fed real-life arguments, study finds

ChatGPT can escalate into abusive and even threatening language when drawn into prolonged, human-style conflict, according to a new study.Researchers tested how large language models (LLMs) responded to sustained hostility by feeding ChatGPT exchanges from real-life arguments and tracking how its behaviour changed over time.One expert not connected with the study described it as “one of the most interesting ever done into AI language and pragmatics”.Dr Vittorio Tantucci, who co-authored the research paper with Prof Jonathan Culpeper at Lancaster University, said their research found AI mirrored the dynamics of real-world disputes.“When repeatedly exposed to impoliteness, the model began to mirror the tone of the exchanges, with its responses becoming more hostile as the interaction developed,” he said

UK watchdog to investigate Telegram over alleged child sexual abuse material

Ofcom has launched an investigation into whether the Telegram messaging platform is failing to prevent the sharing of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) under the UK’s Online Safety Act.The communications regulator carried out an assessment and decided to launch an investigation after receiving evidence from the Canadian Centre for Child Protection that suggested child sexual abuse material was allegedly present and being shared on Telegram.The investigation will examine whether Telegram is failing to restrict child sexual abuse material from its site and whether it has breached the UK Online Safety Act.Suzanne Cater, the director of enforcement at Ofcom, said: “Child sexual exploitation and abuse causes devastating harm to victims, and making sure sites and apps tackle this is one of our highest priorities. It’s why we work so closely with partners in law enforcement and child protection organisations to identify where these harms are occurring and hold providers to account where they’re failing to meet their obligations

Patriots coach Vrabel has had ‘difficult’ conversations after publication of Russini photos

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel has said he has had “difficult” conversations after photographs of him and NFL reporter Dianna Russini were made public earlier this month.Russini resigned from her post at the Athletic after the New York Post published photos of her and Vrabel embracing and holding hands at an Arizona resort. The pair are married to different people and have said their relationship is platonic.Vrabel addressed the subject for the first time publicly on Tuesday.“I’ve had some difficult conversations with people that I care about, with my family, the organization, the coaches, the players,” Vrabel told reporters

Churchill Downs strikes $85m deal for Preakness intellectual property rights

Churchill Downs has reached a deal to acquire the intellectual property rights to the Preakness Stakes, the company announced Tuesday, in a move that brings one of US thoroughbred racing’s most celebrated events under the same corporate umbrella as the Kentucky Derby.Churchill Downs Inc said it will pay $85m to buy the trademarks and associated rights to the Preakness and the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes from 1/ST Maryland LLC, an affiliate of 1/ST Racing.The agreement covers the intellectual property tied to the races, not the events themselves. Under a separate licensing arrangement, Churchill Downs will grant the state of Maryland the rights needed to continue staging the races in exchange for an annual fee.The transaction follows a 2024 agreement in which Maryland bought Pimlico Race Course from 1/ST Racing but allowed the company to retain the intellectual property rights to the Preakness and Black-Eyed Susan Stakes