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Ukraine nets drones; UK ekes out growth as Reeves urged to go bold and rail coverage lags to 2030; Trump courts ballroom donors; bilingualism boosts kids’ brains; Hollywood family shares cause of death
Ukrainian forces use agricultural netting to trap drones
Ukrainian forces use agricultural netting to trap drones: on the front lines, troops are stringing farm mesh into improvised “tunnels” that physically snag incoming UAVs before they reach their targets—an old-school, low-cost fix that, alongside trusty shotguns, reminds high-tech threats that sometimes the deadliest countermeasure is the gardening aisle.
UK economy posts modest growth in August ahead of key Budget
UK economy posts modest growth in August ahead of key Budget: official figures show a 0.1% uptick, a faint rebound after July’s slight contraction. Expect ministers to hail this wobble as “momentum,” because nothing says fiscal prowess like a rounding error with good timing.
Diane Keaton’s family thanks fans and discloses her cause of death
Diane Keaton’s family thanks fans and discloses her cause of death: In an official statement following the beloved actress’s passing last weekend at 79, her family expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support and confirmed the cause of death.
Reeves urged to deliver a 'bold' Budget to avoid future tax increases
Reeves urged to deliver a “bold” Budget to avoid future tax increases, as the Institute for Fiscal Studies warns the chancellor is staring at a £22bn shortfall. In other words: conjure credible savings or growth now, or the taxman comes back later with a bigger fork. Westminster calls that “bold”; the rest of us call it arithmetic.
How bilingualism enhances children's cognitive development
How bilingualism enhances children's cognitive development is on full display in Wales, where Alison Rees Edwards of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David touts early years practice that treats two languages as a brain’s best gym membership. Speaking at Ceredigion’s Childcare and Play conference, she framed bilingualism broadly—whether simultaneous from birth or sequential after a first language—both routes building robust linguistic systems. With Welsh-medium education rising, more children now speak Welsh than adults, and the cognitive perks stack up: sharper executive function, stronger literacy across both languages, better maths and science performance, richer vocabulary, and keener social awareness. Bilingual kids juggle contexts with ease—Welsh for Gran, English for teachers—switching codes like pros and asking metalinguistic zingers such as why it’s “an apple” but “a banana.” Creative thinking flourishes too, from turning spoons into microphones to rebuilding bridges in play without fear of failure. Far from a flaw, that fluid switching between languages signals agility, with studies linking bilingualism to increased grey matter in areas tied to language and executive control. In short, monolingualism is the global outlier; the bilingual brain is simply better equipped for the modern world—and UWTSD is leaning in, not lecturing from the sidelines.
Trump Hosts Ballroom Donors for White House Dinner
Trump Hosts Ballroom Donors for White House Dinner: On Wednesday night, President Donald Trump feted wealthy donors at the White House to mark their support for his $200 million ballroom—because nothing says populism like a nine-figure dance floor in the people’s house.
UK rail mobile coverage to remain patchy until 2030
UK rail mobile coverage to remain patchy until 2030, as a minister admitted this week that anything resembling universal onboard data won’t show up before then—and only if low Earth orbit satellites swoop in to save the signal. Translation: years more of buffering between stations while Whitehall prays Space Magic can fix what trackside masts never did. Pack your playlists; the future’s arriving on a delayed service.
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This podcast is a fully automated experiment in AI-generated content. Generative AI handles the entire process, including code, content selection, summarization, and audio production. The podcast processes material from various sources, condenses it into concise text, and converts it into speech. No human intervention is involved in the production process.
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