Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon has resigned from the company, saying AI labs are “gambling with our lives” in their race toward self-improving superintelligence. Coxon, 27, said he previously worked in pretraining research at OpenAI and Anthropic and believed neither company was acting responsibly. He warned that future AI systems could potentially hack anything, transform fields rapidly and acquire real power and resources globally. Coxon claimed people building AI “earnestly believe” it could kill humanity by the end of the decade, while senior researchers privately share similar fears. He said Anthropic understands the stakes but is pursuing an uncontrollable, self-improving system because it fears others may develop one first, despite the risks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are scheduled to meet Friday, a day before the BRICS leaders’ summit in New Delhi on September 12-13, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday. Speaking to India-based journalists in an online interaction organised by Sputnik India, Peskov described the relationship between the two leaders as one involving close personal contact and pragmatism. He said Modi and Putin can discuss sensitive global issues and bilateral relations in an open and constructive manner. Peskov also highlighted Russia’s financial engagement with BRICS members, saying 90 per cent of Russian payments with BRICS countries are conducted through national currencies. He described BRICS as a flexible club focused on policy, security, economics, finance, and humanitarian cooperation. (PC: Wikimedia Commons)

Meta has launched Muse, a new artificial intelligence assistant designed to perform everyday digital tasks with limited user intervention. The AI agent can send emails, book travel, manage schedules, shop online and handle other activities, marking Meta’s biggest push yet into AI agents that independently complete real-world tasks. Unveiled Tuesday, Muse moves beyond conventional chatbots that mainly respond to prompts. The tool is initially available to adults in the United States through a dedicated app and Meta’s WhatsApp platform. Its rollout highlights Meta’s focus on AI agents capable of taking actions across connected services while emphasizing privacy and safety controls. Muse represents the company’s expanding effort to build autonomous AI tools. (PC: India Today)

India and China held two senior military-level flag meetings in two days along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh, amid efforts to maintain peace along the disputed boundary. The first meeting took place Sunday at Wacha, north of Kibithoo in Anjaw district, while the second was held Monday at Damai on the Chinese side. India was represented by 3 Corps Commander Lt Gen Girish Kalia. The meetings followed a misunderstanding between the two militaries near Taksing in Upper Subhansiri district. The Ministry of External Affairs said they followed understandings reached by Special Representatives Ajit Doval and Wang Yi. The meetings came ahead of Xi Jinping’s expected BRICS visit. (PC: The Tribune)

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed it seized a US unmanned underwater vehicle near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington. The IRGC said its naval forces captured the unmanned submarine during an intelligence mission. Iranian state media reported that the vehicle was delivered to the US military fleet in 2025 and can conduct underwater reconnaissance, map the seabed, detect mines and inspect submarine cables and pipelines. Iran said it would release photographs and video in the coming hours. The United States has not publicly commented. The seizure comes as Iran blocks the Strait, while Washington maintains a counter-blockade on Iranian ports. (PC: Reuters)

Oil prices climbed sharply on Wednesday as escalating US-Iran tensions raised concerns over possible disruptions to Middle Eastern energy supplies. West Texas Intermediate crude futures for October delivery rose 1.75% to $94.66 a barrel, while Brent crude gained 1.55% to $99.44. The increase followed US strikes that destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers on Tuesday after Washington said Iran had attempted attacks on an American warship. US Central Command said the warship evaded the attacks and no US personnel were injured. The latest escalation has heightened concerns that oil could rise above $120 a barrel if attacks on shipping continue. Goldman Sachs commodities researcher Daan Struyven said such a price level was “definitely plausible”. (PC: X)

Nearly 1,300 flights to and from British airports were cancelled Tuesday after a technical problem at air traffic control provider NATS caused widespread disruption. FlightRadar24 reported the cancellations, with Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Edinburgh among affected airports. Dublin Airport in neighbouring Ireland also reported dozens of cancellations. NATS said the fault affected its flight data processing system. By early evening, the provider said the problem had been fixed but warned that clearing the backlog would take time. NATS chief executive Martin Rolfe said the organisation’s investigation was incomplete and that it had no “idea of exactly what went wrong”. The disruption caused widespread travel chaos across the UK today. (PC: AFP)

The US struck five Iranian oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman and near Iran’s Kharg Island after accusing Tehran of targeting a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles twice over two days. The attacks prompted Iran to retaliate with missile strikes on an American base in Jordan, sharply escalating the ongoing war. US Central Command posted a video showing strikes on the five Iranian oil carriers. The US action followed accusations that Iran had targeted a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles. Tehran responded by firing missiles at US forces stationed at Jordan’s Al Azraq base. The strikes mark a fresh escalation in the ongoing confrontation between Washington and Tehran.

US forces have struck multiple Iranian oil tankers linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps after further attempted missile attacks on US Navy ships, according to a US official cited by Reuters. Iranian media reported strikes near Kharg Island and Jask. In response, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned that oil vessels in Kuwaiti and Bahraini ports hosting American forces would be targeted and urged crews to evacuate. The escalation follows earlier US strikes that disabled or destroyed three Iran-linked tankers. Meanwhile, Iran and the US continue exchanging attacks, while Iran-backed Houthis also struck targets in southern Saudi Arabia, widening the conflict across the Gulf. (PC: India Today)

The UK has announced sanctions targeting illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, accusing Israel’s government of failing to stop settler violence against Palestinians. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the measures would ban settlement goods and target companies and individuals involved in settlement expansion. The UK will introduce a comprehensive sanctions regime over the next six to nine months and ban advertising West Bank settlements. Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called Miliband’s allegation of “ethnic cleansing” an “outrageous lie” and announced the closure of the UK consulate in East Jerusalem. France and Canada also joined the sanctions announcement, citing support for a two-state solution. (PC: BBC)