All posts tagged: Abandons

Netflix’s Unchosen ending abandons a strong premise for something blander

Netflix’s Unchosen ending abandons a strong premise for something blander

Published by Daniella Wilson

**Warning: This article contains spoilers for Unchosen.** Netflix’s Unchosen ends with an explosion of violence inside its cloistered cult, which falls under the control of an even more ruthless figure than before. Throughout the series, we’ve seen married couple Rosie (Molly Windsor) and Adam (Asa Butterfield) process their confusing feelings towards enigmatic outsider Sam (Fra Fee). Initially appearing as the brave hero-type by rescuing their daughter from a near-death experience, Sam later discloses that he’s on the run from the law, but remains vague about how this came to be. Of course, we ultimately learn that he is a cold-blooded killer, whose cunning mind renders him highly effective at coercing the cult’s pious and submissive followers. The final act picks up against the backdrop of an almighty storm, as Rosie and Adam attempt to flee the fellowship’s compound after learning that Sam had threatened their young daughter, Grace. Want to see this content? This page contains content provided by Google reCAPTCHA. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as Google reCAPTCHA may use …

Labour abandons crackdown on family voting

Labour abandons crackdown on family voting

Published by Sam Flores

Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of taking a softer stance on family voting to appease the Left and win over Muslim voters. In government, the Tories changed voter fraud guidance to ensure the Electoral Commission, which oversees UK elections, made tackling family voting a priority. Labour has abandoned those plans despite reports of “concerningly high levels” of family voting in the Gorton and Denton by-election last month. Family voting, which is illegal, is an attempt to influence someone’s vote in the polling booth. It has become a particular concern in parts of the country with high Muslim populations because wives culturally can take their lead from their husbands. In 2022, the Conservative government gave the Electoral Commission tougher new guidelines for “tackling fraud”. They included “providing clear guidance to deliver robust polls that meet the UK’s highest standards of democratic integrity”, which ensured “the secrecy of the ballot inside polling stations by making it clear in both advice and guidance that any breach of the secrecy laws or attempt to influence someone’s vote while …

France abandons plan to demand Albanese resign at UN meeting – POLITICO

France abandons plan to demand Albanese resign at UN meeting – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

But the speech of France’s Permanent Representative Céline Jurgensen at a meeting of the UNHRC on Wednesday contained no such call for Albanese’s resignation. Jurgensen only referred to “repeated and extremely problematic statements by a United Nations Special Rapporteur,” and called on special rapporteurs to “exercise the restraint, moderation, and discretion required by their mandate.” During his Feb. 11 speech in France’s National Assembly, however, Barrot had said that Albanese’s “provocations call for only one response: her resignation. And it is in these terms and with this firmness … that France will speak … during the session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.” Asked about the change in position, Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux referred POLITICO to earlier comments by Barrot, and said that in the minister’s view, “repeated provocations from Mrs Albanese warranted for her to have the dignity to step down.” Albanese is a controversial figure due to her outspoken comments against Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, violence by Israeli settlers, and various other activities by the state of Israel …

Perplexity Abandons AI Advertising Strategy Over Trust Worries

Perplexity Abandons AI Advertising Strategy Over Trust Worries

Published by skeptic

AI company Perplexity is stepping away from advertising over concerns that it will erode user trust, despite moves by rivals to introduce ads as an alternative money-making strategy. Perplexity was one of the first AI services to embrace ads in 2024, after it ran tests where sponsored answers appeared under the chatbot’s answers. That approach however was phased out last year, and executives at the company now say they don’t plan to revisit it, according to the Financial Times. “A user needs to believe this is the best possible answer, to keep using the product and be willing to pay for it,” a Perplexity executive told the publication. The report follows OpenAI’s move earlier this month to show ads to ChatGPT users who have a free account or a low-cost Go subscription. OpenAI has said ads will not influence the answers that ChatGPT provides, nor will it provide advertisers with content from ChatGPT conversations. Anthropic, the makers of Claude, recently mocked OpenAI for its decision to show ads to users and has said it has …

Politics Home Article | Government Abandons Plan To Delay 30 Council Elections

Politics Home Article | Government Abandons Plan To Delay 30 Council Elections

Published by Sam Flores

2 min read1 hr Keir Starmer has scrapped plans to postpone dozens of local elections. MPs were told on Monday that elections in 30 local authorities will now go ahead after having been delayed until 2027. The government later confirmed the decision in a statement, with a Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Governmentspokesperson saying it was due to legal advice. “Following legal advice, the government has withdrawn its original decision to postpone 30 local elections in May. “Providing certainty to councils about their local elections is now the most crucial thing and all local elections will now go ahead in May 2026,” they said. The government decided to delay some local elections to create space and time for a planned restructuring of local government. However, in a letter seen by PoliticsHome, government lawyers said: “The secretary of state Steve Reed) has decided to withdraw his decision to postpone the council elections of 30 local councils due to take place in May 2026 in the light of recent legal advice.” Nigel Farage’s Reform UK had …

OpenAI Abandons ‘io’ Branding for Its AI Hardware

OpenAI Abandons ‘io’ Branding for Its AI Hardware

Published by skeptic

OpenAI will not use the name “io” for its forthcoming line of AI hardware devices, according to a Monday court filing. The motion is part of a trademark infringement lawsuit filed last year by audio device startup iyO, which sued OpenAI after it acquired famed Apple designer Jony Ive’s startup io. Peter Welinder, OpenAI’s vice president and general manager, said in the filing that OpenAI had reviewed its product-naming strategy and “decided not to use the name ‘io’ (or ‘IYO,’ or any capitalization of either) in connection with the naming, advertising, marketing, or sale of any artificial intelligence-enabled hardware products.” Welinder also said that OpenAI now has a better understanding of the timeline for getting its devices to market. In the filing, the company said its first hardware device won’t ship to customers before the end of February 2027. Previously, OpenAI has said that it is planning to unveil its AI device in the second half of 2026. The company’s first prototype is reportedly a screenless device that can sit on a user’s desk, and …

Migrant abandons partner and baby as he flees Border Patrol agents | US | News

Migrant abandons partner and baby as he flees Border Patrol agents | US | News

Published by Sam Flores

The man climbed out of the vehicle onto the frozen ground and sprinted across the car park (Image: AP) A suspected illegal immigrant abandoned his partner and baby as he made a desperate escape attempt from federal agents in Minnesota. Border Patrol officers were captured on camera smashing through a passenger window of an SUV in Minnesota on Tuesday to reach alleged illegal migrants sitting inside. After placing him and another man in handcuffs, they were put into the federal agent’s vehicle, while a woman who seemed unable to speak English was seen sobbing as she held a young child, according to footage obtained by Freedom News TV. Woman and child not taken into custody The woman and the child were not being detained. Officers left the rear door open, with the woman spotted moving towards the man to speak with him. Moments later, the man climbed out of the vehicle onto the frozen ground and sprinted across the car park towards a busy multi-lane road while his hands remained cuffed. Multiple agents were filmed …

As Key Talent Abandons Apple, Meet the New Generation of Leaders Taking On the Old Guard

As Key Talent Abandons Apple, Meet the New Generation of Leaders Taking On the Old Guard

Published by skeptic

Start the music. Players walk clockwise in a circle. When the music stops, everyone sits in a chair. Big Tech is setting in motion its plans for the next gen of lead designers, engineers, AI chiefs, and even CEOs. In Cupertino, Apple execs with familiar faces are retiring or reducing responsibilities. Who’s in and who’s out? Well, chief operating officer Jeff Williams retired in November, and the speculation is that CEO Tim Cook could follow in the near term. Lisa Jackson, who has led Apple’s sustainability efforts since 2013, is now set to retire in January too. There’s also the squad of Apple staffers who have been lured away to work with OpenAI, notably Apple’s former chief design officer Jony Ive after his independent stint at LoveFrom. In 2024, Molly Anderson was named industrial design leader, heading up a team of mostly fresh faces. Others have gone to Meta, such as Apple’s VP of human interface design, Alan Dye, who just this week was poached to head up a new Reality Labs design studio. At …