California’s Newsom signs law requiring AI safety disclosures
Labour Party members in the UK vote to acknowledge genocide in Gaza at conference | News on Israel-Palestine conflict
The move adds pressure on the UK government, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, which has been slammed over its stance on the Gaza war.
Published On 29 Sep 2025
Members of the United Kingdom’s Labour Party have voted to recognise that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, in a move that increases pressure on the UK government to adopt the same position.
Delegates at Labour’s party conference approved an emergency motion backing the findings of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry, which earlier this month concluded that Israel “has committed genocide”. The vote was strongly supported by trade unions.
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The decision contrasts with Labour leader and Prime Minister Keir Starmer, as well as senior ministers, who have argued that the question of genocide should be determined by international courts rather than politicians.
Israel is facing a case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague in which it is accused of committing genocide.
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy reaffirmed that stance following the conference vote.
“That means that it must be for the ICJ with their judges and judiciary, and for the ICC, to determine the issue of genocide in relation to the convention. It is not for politicians like me to do that,” he said, adding that he believed in “the rules-based order”.
McDonald’s Revives Monopoly Promotion After $24 Million Scam Revelations
McDonald’s is bringing back its iconic Monopoly game in the United States on October 6, 2025, for the first time since the infamous “McMillions” scam, which saw $24 million in prizes stolen by an insider and his criminal network. This fan-favorite promotion returns after nearly 10 years away, having been shelved following the exposure of one of the biggest frauds in corporate marketing history.
The Monopoly promotion, first introduced in 1987, became a marketing phenomenon, offering customers the chance to win prizes ranging from free meals to houses, cars, and million-dollar cash jackpots. However, from 1989 to 2001, the game was marred by a vast conspiracy led by Jerome P. Jacobson, a security officer who managed the distribution of winning pieces. Jacobson, known as “Uncle Jerry,” systematically stole high-value game pieces and distributed them to a network that included family, friends, and mob associates, costing McDonald’s $24 million and cheating regular customers out of major prizes. The FBI eventually uncovered the scam in 2001, as chronicled in HBO’s 2020 documentary series “McMillion$”.
In response to the scandal, McDonald’s fired its marketing agency and replaced the Monopoly game with other promotions, including “Game Time Gold” for U.S. stores after 2015. The return of Monopoly in 2025 comes with extensive security upgrades: customers will now collect and redeem both physical peel-off stickers and digital pieces, but all pieces must be scanned and tracked through the McDonald’s app, where new safeguards and independent audits are in place.
Players can win a range of prizes, including:
- $1 million cash
- A 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited
- One million American Airlines miles
- Dream vacations
- $10,000 Lowe’s shopping sprees
More than 30 menu items feature game pieces, and using the app provides both bonus chances and an easier way to track rewards. Pre-registering in the app offers customers additional reward points and chances to play.
The return is both a nostalgia play and a strategic sales push for McDonald’s. Recent months have seen the company regain momentum in U.S. sales with movie tie-ins and new menu items. Analysts suggest the Monopoly comeback could reconnect lapsed customers and strengthen brand loyalty, while also testing whether enhanced security can erase the memory of one of corporate America’s most notorious scams.
For this story, Fortune used generative AI to help with an initial draft. An editor verified the accuracy of the information before publishing.
Fortune Global Forum returns Oct. 26–27, 2025 in Riyadh. CEOs and global leaders will gather for a dynamic, invitation-only event shaping the future of business. Apply for an invitation.
Qin Haiyang Secures Second Gold Medal, Advances to Main Draw at Asian Aquatics Championships
By Retta Race on SwimSwam
11th ASIAN AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Sunday, September 28th – Wednesday, October 1st (swimming)
- Veer Savarkar Sports Complex, Ahmedabad, India
- LCM (50m)
- Meet Central
- SwimSwam Meet Preview
- Day 1 Recap
- Live Results
Day two of the 11th Asian Aquatics Championships transpired tonight from Ahmedabad, India with additional nations getting onto the overall swimming medal table.
As a reminder, this meet, although still prestigious, takes a backseat to November’s Chinese National Games as well as next year’s Asian Games being held in Japan.
Nevertheless, there were some notable performances this evening, including at the hands of Chinese ace Qin Haiyang.
Following up on his 200m breaststroke victory on day one, Qin fired off a time of 26.99 to top the men’s 50m breaststroke podium.
Qin beat the field handily, with the next-closest swimmer represented by Kazakhstan’s Aibat Myrzamura who touched next in 28.04 followed by Qatar’s Mohamed Mahmoud who bagged bronze in 28.09.
26-year-old Qin earned bronze in the 50m breast at this year’s World Championships, notching a mark of 26.67 behind winner Simone Cerasuolo of Italy (26.62) and runner-up Kirill Prigoda who raced as an independent athlete (26.62).
The women’s edition of the 50m breast saw the nation of Hong Kong reap the top two spots of the podium, as Wui Kiu Man got it done for gold in 32.04.
Teammate Wing Yi Claire Cheung snagged the silver in 32.26 and Taipei’s Yi Chen Chiu was a hair behind in 32.29.
Qatar earned its first gold of the competition, courtesy of Ali Tamer Hassan.
Hassan produced an outing of 22.45 as the decisive winner in the men’s 50m freestyle to join the hardware party.
That established a new national record, erasing his former mark of 22.58 logged in April of this year at the Qatar Trophy.
Gleb Kovalenya of Kazakhstan was runner-up in 22.81, just out-touching Taipei’s Mu Lun Chuang who settled for bronze by the narrowest of margins in 22.82.
China’s Wang Gukailai reaped gold as the sole swimmer of the mens’ 200m back field to delve under the 2:00 barrier.
Wang posted 1:59.78, nearly two seconds ahead of silver medalist Rui Yoshida of Japan who was next in line at 2:01.66.
India’s Rishabh Das also landed on the podium in 2:02.64.
China also was too quick to catch in the women’s 4x200m free relay, grabbing gold in a collective time of 8:14.79 ahead of Hong Kong (8:16.93) and Thailand (8:32.17).
The fastest split for China came on the anchor leg, with Gong Zhenqi notched a split of 2:00.86.
The Chinese men followed suit, earning top honors in their edition of the 4x200m free relay.
They turned in a time of 7:21.05 with India behind in 7:23.38. Malaysia rounded out the podium in 7:23.43.
The fastest men’s split was logged by 17-year-old Xu Haibo of China who clocked 1:47.05.
Additional Notes
- Vietnam’s Huy Hoang Nguyen earned gold in the men’s 1500m free in 15:15.01. His speediest remains at the national record of 14:58.14 he put on the books at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.
- The women’s 400m IM saw Chinese swimmer Zhou Yanjun get to the wall first. At just 14 years of age, Zhou posted 4:44.88 for the victory.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: Qin Haiyang Remains Main Draw At Asian Aquatics Championships With Second Gold
Unique Features of Limited Edition Titanium Vise
Not that long ago, most of us didn’t even know what a fractal vise was. Now, however, we’re hearing about the fourth one in six months. That said, the Titaner TiFractal Vise still manages to pack in a few unique selling points of its own.
Fractal vises’ big claim to fame is the fact that they can firmly clamp irregular-shaped items without damaging them. Here’s how they work …
Whereas most bench vises simply have two straight-edged rigid jaws, fractal vises’ jaws incorporate multiple nesting/rotating semi-circular grips. As the jaws are closed around an object, those grips freely and independently pivot to conform to its contours. In this way, they hold the item secure without placing too much pressure on any one part of it.
Although fractal vises in general date back to the 1920s, it was just this March that MetMo introduced a miniature modern version. It was quickly followed by models from MakerPi and Konink. Now, established gear manufacturer Titaner has entered the ring, with the all-titanium TiFractal Vise.
Titaner
Each of the TiFractal’s two jaws is made up of three nested grips, sitting four layers deep. This gives it a total of 16 contact points, spreading the pressure well out across the object being gripped.
If needed, the jaws can be taken out and swiveled around so their flat sides are facing inwards. This allows the TiFractal to be used like a regular bench vise or alternatively, it can be used to hold hollow objects from the inside (i.e: the object is lowered down onto the vise, then the jaws are expanded outwards until they contact the object’s inner walls).
Titaner
Additionally, Titaner claims that the TiFractal is the first fractal vise to offer a limitable torque system. Users start by setting the maximum clamping force. When they’re subsequently turning the clamping handle, it will simply produce a clicking sound and clamp no further once it reaches that threshold.
The TiFractal also offers an unusually large maximum clamping width of 100 mm (3.9 in). There’s additionally an optional ball head base, allowing the whole rig to be rotated and locked in place at the optimum angle.
The TiFractal Vise is currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign, and only 1,000 of the things are being made. A pledge of US$1,099 will get you one, assuming everything works out – the planned retail price is $2,461.
Titaner No.1/1000 : The Master Artisan’s Clamping Instrument
Source: Kickstarter
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Taliban cuts fibre optic cables causing internet blackout in Afghanistan.
The Taliban in Afghanistan have imposed a nationwide shut down of telecommunications, weeks after they began severing fibre-optic internet connections to prevent what they call immorality.
The country is currently experiencing a total connectivity blackout, internet watchdog, Netblocks reports.
International news agency AFP says it lost contact with its office in the capital Kabul, including mobile phone service. Mobile internet and satellite TV has also been severely disrupted across Afghanistan.
Since seizing power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed numerous restrictions in accordance with their interpretation of Islamic Sharia law.
Flights from Kabul airport have also been disrupted, according to reports.
Several people in Kabul have told the BBC that their fibre-optic internet stopped working towards the end of the working day, around17:00 local time (12:30 GMT)
Because of this, it is understood many people will not notice the impact until Tuesday morning, when banking services and other businesses are due to resume.
Fibre-optic cables transfer data super fast, and are used for much of the world’s internet.
In a post on social network Mastodon.social, Netblocks said:
“Afghanistan is now in the midst of a total internet blackout as Taliban authorities move to implement morality measures, with multiple networks disconnected through the morning in a stepwise manner; telephone services are currently also impacted”.
For weeks internet users in several Afghan provinces have been complaining about either slow internet access or no connectivity.
The Taliban earlier said an alternative route for internet access would be created, without giving any details.
Business leaders at the time warned that if the internet ban continued their activities would be seriously hit.
Hamid Haidari, former editor-in-chief of Afghan news channel 1TV, said after the shutdown that “loneliness enveloped the entire country.”
“Afghanistan has now officially taken first place in the competition with North Korea for [internet] disconnection” he said on X.
The blackout is the latest in a series of restrictions which the Taliban have enforced since returning to power.
Earlier this month they removed books written by women from the country’s university teaching system as part of a new ban which has also outlawed the teaching of human rights and sexual harassment.
Women and girls have also been particularly hard-hit: they are barred from accessing education beyond the age of 12, with one of their last routes to further training cut off in late 2024, when midwifery courses were quietly shut down.
The Taliban, a hardline Islamist group, retook control of Afghanistan in 2021 in a lightning advance that lasted just 10 days.
SESAC and GMR Partner with ASCAP and BMI to Expand ‘Songview’ Database to Over 38 Million Works in Historic Collaboration
In December 2020, US PROs ASCAP and BMI launched a public performance copyright database called Songview, described at the time as a “groundbreaking collaboration” aimed to serve as a “comprehensive data resource for music users.”
A “landmark expansion” of the platform was announced on Monday (September 29), with data from all four major performing rights organizations in the United States – including ASCAP, BMI, GMR and SESAC – to be integrated into the Songview platform.
According to the four PROs, for the first time, the expanded Songview platform will feature information for over 38 million musical works licensed by the four major performing rights organizations in the United States, “offering the industry the most authoritative view of public performance copyright ownership and administration shares from a single source”.
Over the coming months, Songview will begin incorporating data from GMR and SESAC, starting with the addition of all 100%-owned works represented by GMR and SESAC.
In addition, according to Monday’s announcement, Songview “will enhance the limited data” that currently appears for GMR and SESAC works by including the publisher names for GMR and SESAC works that have split ownership percentages with ASCAP and/or BMI – “one of the most popular information requests from Songview users,” according to Monday’s announcement.
The press release also indicated that “the ownership percentages for the GMR and SESAC split works are part of a future plan”.
The Songview engine was built by a “cross-functional team of copyright, technical, distribution, and product experts” from ASCAP and BMI.
The system ingests song ownership information, processes and reconciles it based on agreed-upon rules, and then sends the reconciled data back to the ASCAP and BMI searchable databases.
Information displayed for those works includes songwriters and their affiliations, publisher data, performers, alternate song titles, and ISWC and IPI codes. Reconciled songs appear with a green checkmark to indicate that each of the PROs agrees on the information.
The information is free to the public and currently accessible on the ASCAP and BMI websites.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with BMI, GMR and SESAC as we innovate to provide more transparency to licensees into musical ownership data for the combined repertories of the most performed music in the world.”
Elizabeth Matthews, ASCAP
ASCAP CEO, Elizabeth Matthews, said: “We are thrilled to collaborate with BMI, GMR and SESAC as we innovate to provide more transparency to licensees into musical ownership data for the combined repertories of the most performed music in the world.”
“It was always our intention to ensure Songview would be the single most comprehensive source of copyright information for the industry, which is why the addition of GMR and SESAC data is so important.”
Mike O’Neill, BMI
BMI President & CEO, Mike O’Neill, added: “It was always our intention to ensure Songview would be the single most comprehensive source of copyright information for the industry, which is why the addition of GMR and SESAC data is so important.
“Having the four major US PROs come together to enhance data transparency highlights how we as an industry can successfully collaborate and deliver solutions that benefit the entire music community.”
“With the addition of the GMR and SESAC repertoire to Songview, the most comprehensive view of US songwriter and publishing information will represent over 38 million works.”
Randy Grimmett, Global Music Rights
Randy Grimmett, Co-Founder and CEO of Global Music Rights, said: “With the addition of the GMR and SESAC repertoire to Songview, the most comprehensive view of US songwriter and publishing information will represent over 38 million works.
“This is a major step in addressing the needs of licensees for a comprehensive view of PRO licensing obligations.”
“The addition of SESAC and GMR to Songview will provide a comprehensive view of ownership data and licensing representation for the largest music market in the world.”
John Josephson, SESAC
John Josephson, Chairman & CEO of SESAC added: “The addition of SESAC and GMR to Songview will provide a comprehensive view of ownership data and licensing representation for the largest music market in the world.
“This collaborative solution addresses requests from licensees and Congress that extends the visibility of repertory data already available from SESAC.”
Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05), said: “As a Member of Congress, I have long called for greater transparency into music licensing to ensure businesses have the information they need to make informed licensing decisions. This is because music ownership data has for years been fragmented and opaque, compounded by continued growth in the performing rights industry.
“With today’s announcement, we take a giant step towards transparency, and towards my goal of a complete and authoritative database. I congratulate ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and GMR on their partnership, and I look forward to continuing to work with them to ensure the database meets the needs of Wisconsin businesses.”
House IP Subcommittee Chairman Darrell Issa (CA-48) said: “Our copyright system is the backbone of our creative economy, with clarity and transparency essential to ensuring creators have the compensation they deserve while licensees have the predictability they need. I congratulate ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and GMR on the launch of a new and improved Songview to enhance clarity and transparency in music licensing.”
Music Business Worldwide
Pro-European Party Expected to Win Moldovan Election
new video loaded: Pro-European Party Is Set to Win Moldovan Election
In an election widely seen as a showdown between Europe and Russia, Moldova’s pro-European party of President Maia Sandu won slightly more than 50 percent of the vote, according to preliminary results. The win could further the country’s bid to enter the European Union.
By Monika Cvorak
September 29, 2025
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Video: Moldova’s President Claims Election Results Indicate Russia’s Failure | Government
Moldova’s President Maia Sandu hailed her pro-EU party’s victory in parliamentary elections despite allegations of widespread Russian interference, saying the results showed Russia had ‘failed’.
Published On 29 Sep 2025