A shopper said he was “very surprised” when asked if he was old enough to buy a sausage at the self-checkout in Tesco. A tech error meant the supermarket accidentally listed a saucisson sec, a dry-cured pork product, as secateurs, which, as a bladed item, meant potential buyers must prove their age. Fufu Fang, 30, said: “I did a double-take and thought, ‘I hope I've bought the right kind of sausage’.”
Mind-reading robot unveiled in China
A mind-reading robot unveiled in China is “96% accurate” at reading human brain waves, scientists have claimed. The device, which scans a user’s brainwaves and muscle activity, has been designed by the Intelligent Manufacturing Innovation Technology Centre at China Three Gorges University. A boffin said the device followed commands of people most of the time but did need volunteers to “concentrate very hard” for their brain messages to be read.
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Soldier’s letter delivered 76 years late
A letter sent from a US soldier stationed in Germany to his mother in the US has been delivered 76 years after it was sent. Army Sgt John Gonsalves sent the letter to Woburn, Massachusetts, in December 1945, but it sat unopened for more than 75 years before being found in a US Postal Service distribution facility in Pittsburgh. His widow, who received the message, said: “It’s like he came back to me, you know?”
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Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
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Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
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Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
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China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
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How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
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One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
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What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
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Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designationThe Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
