Critical Software, based in Coimbra, Portugal, is rebuilding itself around artificial intelligence. About 200 people are being laid off as part of the change. The move shows how AI is reshaping work inside software firms, so staff and readers in the tech sector may want to follow how the company's new direction plays out.
Quick glossaryCritical Software
Critical Software
Critical Software is a software company based in Coimbra, Portugal, as described in the story's source link.
A new Vox article asks whether AI will take your job. Its main message is that workers have more agency than they might think in how AI changes their work. The piece has been shared on Hacker News, where it has drawn little discussion so far.
Quick glossaryVox, agency
Vox
A US news website best known for explainer articles on politics, technology, and culture.
agency
The ability to make your own choices and actively shape what happens to you in your work and life.
A developer has shared a web tool that opens a Character.AI data export right in the browser. Nothing is uploaded, so the personal chat data stays on the user's own device. People who want to see what the chatbot platform has stored about their conversations can check it privately, without sending the file to anyone.
Quick glossaryCharacter.AI, data export
Character.AI
A US company known for letting people chat with AI characters that play roles such as friends, historical figures or fictional people.
data export
A copy of the information a online service holds about your account, which you can download and keep for yourself.
Anthropic's Claude Duet is set to roll out to users, but for now people must first join a waitlist. Engadget's short guide explains the basics of using it. Since access starts with a waitlist, the first step is signing up for one and waiting for your turn.
Quick glossaryAnthropic, roll out, waitlist
Anthropic
An AI company based in the US, best known for its Claude chatbot, which people use to write, search and answer questions.
roll out
When a new feature is made available gradually to users over time, rather than all at once for everyone.
waitlist
A list you join to wait your turn, so you get access to a product once there is room for you.
A poll reported by Rural Radio Network says AI use has doubled in rural Nebraska. Polls ask a group of people questions and use their answers to estimate what a wider population does. Doubling means the share of people using AI has risen to twice its earlier level.
Quick glossaryRural Radio Network, poll
Rural Radio Network
A network of radio stations that serves rural communities across several US states, including Nebraska.
poll
A survey that asks a set of people questions to estimate what a wider group thinks or does.
A post shared on Hacker News claims that senior management at Proton puts AI ahead of security. The claim comes from a consumer rights wiki page. Proton is best known for encrypted email, so the claim matters to users who rely on the service to keep their messages private.
Quick glossaryProton
Proton
Proton is a Swiss company best known for its encrypted email and VPN services, which aim to keep users' data private.
A figure named Faldizon has urged AI tools to learn to recognise 718 local languages. He also called for copyright to be protected, so creators keep control over their work. The report was published by VOI.ID in Arabic, and the headline gives few other details yet.
Quick glossaryفالديزون, copyright
فالديزون
A person named in the headline who calls for AI to recognise local languages and protect copyright.
copyright
The legal right that stops others from copying or using a creator's work without permission.
The European Union and Canada have agreed a major partnership covering critical minerals, artificial intelligence and digital trade. The deal aims to strengthen ties between the two sides across these areas. It is described as a landmark step in their cooperation, which could shape how both work together on new technology and supplies.
A US judge has allowed a lawsuit by the NAACP to move forward. The civil rights group says pollution from xAI's data center breaks the Clean Air Act, a federal law on air quality. The case will now continue in court, and the claims have not yet been decided.
Quick glossaryxAI, Clean Air Act, NAACP
xAI
An AI company owned by SpaceX, best known for its Grok chatbot.
Clean Air Act
A US federal law that sets rules to limit harmful pollution in the air people breathe.
NAACP
A US civil rights group that works to end racial discrimination and promote equal rights.
Anthropic is adding a text watermark to four more Claude models to meet an EU AI Act deadline in December. On two older models, developers can skip the watermark by changing one sampling setting. The report says Anthropic is working to close that gap.
Quick glossaryAnthropic, EU AI Act, watermark, sampling parameter
Anthropic
An AI company based in the United States, best known for its Claude chatbot and AI models.
EU AI Act
A European Union law that sets rules for how artificial intelligence can be built and used.
watermark
A hidden marker added to AI-generated text so that people can later check where it came from.
sampling parameter
A hidden setting that controls how randomly an AI picks its next words when writing an answer.
Apple's new chief executive has defended the company's current position in the AI landscape. He said Apple does not want to ship AI for AI's sake, meaning it wants AI features that serve a clear purpose. The comment offers a glimpse into how Apple plans to approach AI under its new leader.
Quick glossaryApple, CEO
Apple
An American technology company based in Cupertino, California, best known for the iPhone, Mac computers and iPad tablets.
CEO
The top leader of a company, who runs its day-to-day work and answers to its board of directors.
EPFO's Agra regional office will promote digital life certificates among pensioners during a nationwide campaign from 1 to 30 November. Eligible pensioners can submit their certificates from home using a smartphone, with face authentication confirming their identity. The drive covers all of November.
Context
Context: Pensioners under the EPFO scheme must prove each year that they are alive to keep receiving their monthly pension, and a life certificate is the usual proof. Doing it online saves trips to offices, which matters most for older people.
The Quad has announced $85 million to expand AI access and has flagged economic coercion. The Quad groups India, the US, Japan and Australia, which meet to coordinate on shared interests.
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Context: The Quad is an informal partnership of India, the US, Japan and Australia, formed to work together on the Indo-Pacific. Economic coercion means pressure through trade or money, and the grouping has been widening its work on AI and critical minerals.
NASA said on October 28, 2026 that its Lucy spacecraft had entered the Jupiter Trojan region, five years after launch. The mission has travelled more than 2.2 billion miles, and it is described as the first spacecraft to reach this area.
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Lucy launched in 2021 to study Jupiter's Trojan asteroids, groups of rocky bodies that share the giant planet's orbit. Scientists think these asteroids may be leftovers from the early solar system, which helps explain how the planets formed.
The government has extended the tenure of the Nilekani-led exam reforms panel until January. The news reports only that the extension runs to January, with no other details given.
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Context: Nandan Nilekani is an Infosys co-founder and the architect of Aadhaar, and the panel was set up to review how India's national exams are run after the 2024 NEET paper-leak row.
Clashes broke out between police and protesters in Paris on a weekend of nationwide demonstrations. More than 320,000 people joined the third weekend of protests across France against rising living costs and weak public services. The protests focus on how expensive daily life has become and how well public services are working.
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Context: France's yellow vest protests of 2018 also began over living costs and spread across the country, so similar anger has a history there. Paris is the capital and a common site of large street protests.
The Madras High Court Advocates Association has challenged a 1965 Union Cabinet decision that kept English as the common language for the Supreme Court and all High Courts. The association says it only learned of the decision in 2025, after a lawyer obtained details under the Right to Information Act, 2005.
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Context: The Constitution makes English the default language of the Supreme Court and High Courts, while Hindi is the main official language of the Union. The Official Languages Act of 1963 allowed English to continue alongside Hindi, and the language debate has run for decades.
WalletHub has compared all 50 US states to find which offer the strongest job opportunities in 2026. The ranking considers more than pay, including job security, living costs, employee benefits and daily travel. It names both the best and worst states for work, and is useful for anyone thinking of relocating for a job.
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WalletHub is a US personal finance website, so its rankings reflect its own chosen measures. Rankings like this one weigh several factors, so a higher salary may matter less if living costs are high.
The government health scheme for central employees will cover dependent daughters who are widowed or divorced after their parents die. This update is about who counts as a dependant under the scheme.
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Context: CGHS, the Central Government Health Scheme, provides medical care to central government employees, pensioners and their eligible family members. Rules on who counts as a dependant decide who can use the benefit.
Jaspooran Singh, competing in the 125kg category, came close to a bronze medal. He beat Jamaica's Aaron Johnson 10-0 in the repechage round, but then lost 0-10 to Wyatt Hendrickson of the USA in the bronze medal match, ending his medal hopes.
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Context: A repechage is a second-chance round in wrestling, where athletes who lost earlier can still win a bronze medal. Jaspooran's loss means he finished just short of a podium finish, a common result in tournaments with many strong competitors.
IIM Bangalore reported 100% summer placements, with a median stipend of ₹2 lakh per month. Consulting firms made up 50.7% of offers, and first-time recruiters were 40% of the companies taking part. Internship pay is the monthly amount students earn during their summer work.
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Context: The Indian Institutes of Management are top business schools, and placements are the campus job offers students receive through company recruitment drives. Strong placement numbers are closely watched by students choosing between management courses each year.
India's space scientists were praised by the Prime Minister for the successful launch of NVS-03, a navigation satellite. The head of Isro said two more navigation satellites will be launched to strengthen the constellation.
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Context: NVS satellites are part of NavIC, India's own regional navigation system that works alongside global systems like GPS. A constellation means a group of satellites working together to cover a region.
Scientists from France and Switzerland have developed a wireless electronic device that detects high blood sugar and removes excess glucose from the bloodstream. In studies, the device worked effectively, which could open a drug-free option for diabetes and obesity. The idea is still being developed.
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Diabetes means the body cannot control blood sugar well, and many patients rely on daily medicines or insulin today. Scientists are looking for new tools that could reduce the need for regular drugs.
Canada and the European Union have launched the Alliance for the Future, a partnership to deepen cooperation in defence, critical minerals, technology and trade. The move comes amid tensions with the United States under Donald Trump, and aims to diversify supply chains.
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Context: Canada and the EU are both close US trading partners, and the US has used tariffs and trade threats in recent years, which has pushed both to look for other partners. Critical minerals are key inputs for electronics and batteries.
During Balen Shah's first visit to India, Nepal is expected to seek aid and investment. Nepal and India have close ties, and this trip is a chance to ask for help with development.
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Context: Nepal is India's neighbour, and the two countries share open borders and deep cultural and trade links. Requests for aid and investment are a common theme in Nepal's dealings with India and other partners.
A Ukrainian couple who were evacuated say they spent years in Oleshky, a frontline city held by Russia. They describe crossing minefields in search of food and say the ordeal felt like escaping a nightmare. Their account gives a personal view of life there during the war.
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Oleshky sits on the Dnipro River in southern Ukraine's Kherson region, which Russia occupied early in its 2022 full-scale invasion. Civilians who stayed behind in the occupied area have faced danger and hardship since then.
Tech site TechRadar says 2026 was the year of 'peak camera', and the Sony A7R VI is the camera that best shows this. Sony India has also expanded its premium Alpha line-up with the new Alpha 7R VI, according to TheWire.in. Both reports focus on Sony's high-end full-frame camera and what it says about where camera technology stands today.
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Sony's Alpha line is its range of mirrorless cameras, and the 7R models are known for high-resolution full-frame sensors aimed at serious photographers. Buyers usually compare new models on resolution, autofocus and price, which is why launches like this get wide coverage.
A new bridge is set to open near Sholinghur to replace a structure from the British era. It is meant to take the place of the older structure, which dates from that period.
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Context: Many old bridges and culverts in India were built during British rule and are being replaced as traffic grows and older designs wear out. Replacements like this are part of routine road and rail upgrades.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha marked Jammu and Kashmir's Union Territory Foundation Day by saying peace had been established there, not bought. He argued that terror, separatism and stone-pelting have given way to democracy, development and public participation since Article 370 was removed.
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Context: Article 370 gave Jammu and Kashmir special autonomy until it was changed in 2019, when the state was split into two Union Territories. The Lieutenant Governor is the Centre's appointed head of the territory, and the debate over that change continues.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he is open to a slavery apology but rejects reparations. He argued that the country needs to face up to its past. The report was published on 1 November and focuses on his stance rather than any new policy.
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Reparations means payments made to make up for past wrongs. Britain's role in the slave trade has been debated for years, with some calling for formal apologies and others for compensation.
Flavio Bolsonaro left Brazil and arrived in the United States with his family on October 28, after losing the presidential run-off on October 25. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was not directly involved in his departure from Brazil.
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Jair Bolsonaro, Flavio's father, was Brazil's president from 2019 to 2022 and lost his re-election bid to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The Bolsonaro family is a major force in Brazilian politics, so moves abroad by its members are closely watched.
Pakistan won the final of the ODI tri-series against Sri Lanka. Fakhar scored 127 and Minhas made 61, which turned the match. Pakistan reached 331 for 7 in 48.3 overs, while Sri Lanka finished on 325 for 8.
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Context: A tri-series is a short tournament where three teams play each other in one-day matches, and the final decides the title. Fakhar Zaman is Pakistan's left-handed opening batter, known for attacking innings.
London police arrested 139 people outside the US Embassy during a protest in support of Palestine Action, a group banned in the UK. Many of the protesters were retirees, and their signs opposed genocide while backing the group.
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Context: Palestine Action was banned in the UK in July 2025 under terrorism law, so openly backing it can lead to arrest. The group's actions against sites linked to Israel have fuelled wider debate over Gaza protests in Britain.
