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UK on edge: far-right dystopia, Sheppey escape, Ramsgate death, Met staff strike; manufacturing and hiring cool as Torq hits $1.2B and cloud breaches “forget” MFA; Netflix sweeps Globes with KPop Demon Hunters, teases Stranger Things 5; Haiti marks 2010 quake anniversary
Welsh dystopia takes aim at far-right creep
Welsh writer Jack Strange will publish his second novel, “The Boyfriend Academy,” on 9 April 2026 with HarperCollins. Set in a collapsed future mid-Wales, it follows teen Dylan Cecil at Ganymede boarding school, where eight “trials” decide who is “worthy of manhood” in a society obsessed with obedience, population regrowth, and banning same-sex attraction. As a friend disappears and Dylan falls for fellow student Roman Edwards, he starts questioning the academy’s secrets and the life prewritten for him. Strange cites fears about the far right and climate change, and says he is foregrounding Welsh language, names, and settings. He also announced a third novel, “25 Days in Athens,” due in June 2026.
Prison escape on the Isle of Sheppey
A prisoner has escaped from a prison on the Isle of Sheppey. The public are being advised to call 999 immediately if they see him.
UK manufacturing warns costs are pushing investment out
A Make UK report says Britain’s appeal as a place to manufacture and invest is deteriorating, with rising business costs nearing a tipping point that could drive firms to cancel plans or move investment overseas. A survey of 174 manufacturers found cautious optimism for the year ahead, but most said a clear long-term industrial strategy, plus sector-specific plans, would be the biggest growth driver. Many indicated they would invest more if the government delivers promised reforms.
Torq raises $140 million, hits $1.2 billion valuation
Torq raised $140 million in new funding, valuing the company at $1.2 billion. The company says the investment will be used to speed adoption of its platform and support expansion into the federal market.
Met Police civilian staff set to strike
Thousands of civilian employees working for London’s Metropolitan Police are set to go on strike this week.
Golden Globes: Netflix’s “KPop Demon Hunters” cleans up
Netflix’s animated film “KPop Demon Hunters,” one of last year’s major pop-culture hits, won the Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature and also took home Best Original Song.
Cloud breaches, still powered by the timeless force of “not enabling MFA”
ISMG editors say cloud data breaches continue to be driven by basic security lapses, especially failure to deploy multi-factor authentication. They also point to emerging approaches that use AI-era data protection as a defensive tool, plus the growing security and policy implications of autonomous, AI-enabled robots used for border patrol.
Man in his 70s dies after Ramsgate crash
A man in his 70s has died following a crash near a railway bridge in Ramsgate. His next of kin have been informed.
Hiring demand falls as employers stay cautious
Research suggests demand for new hires fell in December, with both permanent and temporary placements declining amid redundancy reports, rising costs, and economic uncertainty. Data from about 400 recruitment agencies also showed more candidates seeking work as vacancies eased, while pay for temporary roles rose for the first time in three months. KPMG and the REC said employers remain cautious and may keep hiring restrained until confidence in the broader economy improves.
Netflix goes behind the scenes on “Stranger Things 5”
A review highlights “One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5,” arriving on Netflix Monday, described as the platform’s first full-length behind-the-scenes feature. It offers a look at the production’s technical process and emotional moments.
Haiti earthquake anniversary, 2010 disaster that reshaped a nation
Jan. 12 marks the anniversary of the 2010 magnitude-7 earthquake that struck Haiti and its capital, Port-au-Prince, causing catastrophic destruction and killing at least 100,000 people. The disaster was later linked to a cholera outbreak, deepening an already immense humanitarian crisis.
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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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