Robotics hub to benchmark waste sorting under real-world conditions
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The NORAH project will investigate how robotic sorting systems can overcome challenges posed by variable waste streams and contaminated materials (image credit: Kingston University). A new £3.6 million research and technology adoption hub will help UK waste and recycling operators test robotic sorting systems under real-world conditions, with the aim of improving material recovery and […]
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New flood preparedness platform launched as government targets 200,000 properties
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A new online platform bringing together flood risk information, weather alerts and practical advice has been launched by the Environment Agency, alongside a government commitment to improve flood protection for 200,000 properties in England by March 2029. Announced on 12 October to coincide with the start of Flood Action Week, Flood Action Online is intended […]
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Two Courts, One Conclusion: EPA Unlawfully Terminated Solar for All
On September 18, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) termination of the $7 billion Solar for All program was unlawful under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) and vacated the EPA’s action. Four days later, on September 22, 2026, the U.S. District Court for […]
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Interactive: Tracking negotiating texts at the COP17 biodiversity summit
Print article Share Next week, diplomats from around the world will descend on Yerevan, Armenia, to negotiate a series of decisions under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Between 19 and 30 October, 196 parties will gather to hammer out the precise wording of the dozens of legal texts that make up the decisions […]
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Q&A: Building accountability behind our words — and AI’s — in civic conversations
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When government officials craft policies, there is often a comment period for public feedback. Lawmakers have long had to sort through fake feedback that is mass-produced in an effort to sway policy, but they’ve generally gotten used to detecting it. With, artificial intelligence, however, people can submit realistic-seeming comments, which are harder to dismiss as […]
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DXC Technology Partners with LangChain to Scale Governed AI Agents
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DXC Technology said on October 13, 2026, that it is partnering with LangChain to advance governed agentic AI across mission-critical enterprise IT environments, with its OASIS orchestration platform already in production and scaling toward 125 customer environments across regulated industries and multiple geographies. LangChain is the company behind the open-source LangGraph agent framework and the […]
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Character.AI Files for Chapter 11 with Disney Stalking Horse Deal
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Character Technologies Inc. (Character.AI) said in an announcement late on October 12, 2026 that it has filed a voluntary Chapter 11 case in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware to pursue a sale of all or substantially all of its assets, with Disney Worldwide Services, Inc. as stalking horse bidder in a […]
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IMF Warns AI Market Correction Could Trigger Global Financial Turmoil
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The International Monetary Fund released its October 2026 Global Financial Stability Report on October 13, 2026, warning that weaker or less durable investment and profitability in artificial intelligence could trigger a correction in AI-linked equities and credit, one of three salient risks it says could abruptly tighten financial conditions worldwide. The report, titled Resilience, Risk, […]
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Accelya Debuts FLX Recover Agentic AI for Airline Passenger Recovery
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Airline software company Accelya on October 13, 2026 announced FLX Recover, an agentic AI-powered solution designed to help airlines assist disrupted passengers faster, more intelligently and at scale. It is built on Amazon Web Services (AWS) using Amazon Bedrock AgentCore, powered by Accelya’s FLX AIViator intelligence layer, and was engineered with RapidScale, a provider of […]
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Mobile training facility takes instrumentation on the road
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The VEGATRUCK training facility is visiting locations across Scotland in October 2026. Sponsored content: This article contains sponsored content. Process instrumentation specialist VEGA is taking its distinctive VEGATRUCK mobile training facility on a four-week tour of northern England, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Wales and Scotland this October, bringing hands-on training in level and […]
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First new WEEE compliance scheme approved since 2015
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A new waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) producer compliance scheme has received regulatory approval for the 2027 compliance year, becoming the first new entrant to the UK market since 2015, according to its operator, HW Martin Waste. Verda Compliance Services has secured approval from the Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), […]
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Predictive modelling to support Thames water-quality monitoring
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Representatives of the Thames water-quality initiative gather at Canbury Gardens in Kingston during a visit by the Duke of Gloucester. (Image credit: Kingston University). A water-quality monitoring programme involving Kingston University will combine chemical analysis, environmental sampling and predictive modelling to assess pollution risks along the River Thames, supported by £110,000 in funding from local […]
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European solar startup funding rebounds to €82m
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Investment in European solar technology startups has rebounded from a decade low recorded in 2025, with €82 million in disclosed equity funding recorded during the first eight months of 2026, according to an analysis of Crunchbase data by electronic components distributor Avnet Silica. The findings suggest investors are concentrating their funding on fewer, larger transactions, […]
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Shoreham Port signs renewable electricity supply deal
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Image credit: Volvo Trucks UK. Shoreham Port has appointed energy supplier UrbanChain to provide electricity across its 115-acre estate, as the south coast port pursues plans to integrate renewable generation, battery storage and electrified equipment into its operations. The agreement, which takes effect in October 2026, forms part of the port’s programme to achieve net-zero […]
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What Are Vision-Language Models (VLMs)? How AI Connects Images and Words
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Vision-language models connect visual features with language so a system can describe, compare, retrieve, or reason about images using words. This guide explains the mechanism, trade-offs, evaluation, and controls that matter in practice.
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SWI Group Secures €800M From Institutions at €6.1B Valuation for Transatlantic AI Buildout
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SWI Group announced on October 12, 2026 an €800 million capital increase with institutional investors at a €6.1 billion final valuation, a transaction the company said will accelerate the expansion of its transatlantic AI infrastructure and compute platform. The capital increase is realized through the issuance of new ordinary shares by SWI Capital Holding Ltd., […]
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What Is Agent2Agent (A2A)? How AI Agents Communicate and Collaborate
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Agent2Agent is an open protocol for agents to discover one another, exchange messages, and coordinate work across systems. Learn how A2A differs from MCP and why interoperable agents matter.
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Sophos Says Daybreak AI Agents Cut Average Case Response to 89 Seconds
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In an October 9, 2026 customer story, OpenAI reported that Sophos cut threat investigation time by 96% using AI agents built through the OpenAI Daybreak program, with an 89-second average response on agent-handled cases and 52% of managed detection and response (MDR) cases now resolved end-to-end by AI. Sophos protects more than 625,000 organisations across […]