A man has died on a Sydney beach after being bitten by a suspected “large shark”, Australia’s New South Wales police have said.
In a statement, the police said the man had been pulled out of the morning surf onto the shore at Long Reef Beach – but he “died at the scene”.
“Two sections of a surfboard have been recovered and taken for expert examination,” the statement read.
Saturday’s incident has resulted in a string of closures in the popular area known as the Northern Beaches.
The state police said the emergency services received reports shortly after 10:00am local time on Saturday (00:00 GMT) that “a man had suffered critical injuries”.
At a news briefing later on Saturday, the police described the victim as an “experienced surfer” who had been in the water with his friends.
They said he had been surfing for only about 30 minutes when he was attacked some 100m (328ft) off the shore, losing “a number of limbs”.
Rod McGibbon, a duty officer from Surf Life Saving, said the victim had been brought to the beach by other surfers.
He said he expected the beaches to remain closed for between 24 and 72 hours.
The victim’s name has not been publicly released.
Local police officers and experts were now working together to “determine the species of shark involved”, the police added.
Prior to that, there had not been a fatal attack since 1963.
Australia typically records about 20 shark attacks each year, with most in New South Wales and Western Australia.
Historically, dying from a shark bite is uncommon. In over a century of records, Australia’s shark attack mortality rate is 0.9 – less than one person per year.
Anthropic has agreed to a $1.5 billion settlement with authors in a landmark copyright case, marking one of the first and largest legal payouts of the AI era.
The AI startup agreed to pay authors around $3,000 per book for roughly 500,000 works, after it was accused of downloading millions of pirated texts from shadow libraries to train its large language model, Claude. As part of the deal, Anthropic will also destroy data it was accused of illegally acquiring.
The fast-growing AI startup announced earlier this week that it had just raised an additional $13 billion in new venture capital funding in a deal that valued the company at $183 billion. It has also said that it is currently on pace to generate at least $5 billion in revenues over the next 12 months. The settlement amounts to nearly a third of that figure or more than a tenth of the new funding Anthropic just received.
While the settlement does not establish a legal precedent, experts said it will likely serve as an anchor figure for the amount other major AI companies will need to pay if they hope to settle similar copyright infringement lawsuits. For instance, a number of authors are suing Meta for using their books without permission. As part of that lawsuit, Meta was forced to disclose internal company emails that suggest it knowingly used a library of pirated books called LibGen—which is one of the same libraries that Anthropic used. OpenAI and its partner Microsoft are also facing a number of copyright infringement cases, including one filed by the Author’s Guild.
Aparna Sridhar, deputy general counsel at Anthropic, told Fortune in a statement: “In June, the District Court issued a landmark ruling on AI development and copyright law, finding that Anthropic’s approach to training AI models constitutes fair use. Today’s settlement, if approved, will resolve the plaintiffs’ remaining legacy claims. We remain committed to developing safe AI systems that help people and organizations extend their capabilities, advance scientific discovery, and solve complex problems.”
A lawyer for the authors who sued Anthropic said the settlement would have far-reaching impacts. “This landmark settlement far surpasses any other known copyright recovery. It is the first of its kind in the AI era. It will provide meaningful compensation for each class work and sets a precedent requiring AI companies to pay copyright owners,” Justin Nelson, partner with Susman Godfrey LLP and co-lead plaintiffs’ counsel on Bartz et al. v. Anthropic PBC, said in a statement. “This settlement sends a powerful message to AI companies and creators alike that taking copyrighted works from these pirate websites is wrong.”
The case, which was originally set to go to trial in December, could have exposed Anthropic to damages of up to $1 trillion if the court found that the company willfully violated copyright law. Santa Clara law professor Ed Lee said could that if Anthropic lost the trial, it could have “at least the potential for business-ending liability.” Anthropic essentially concurred with Lee’s conclusion, writing in a court filing that it felt “inordinate pressure” to settle the case given the size of the potential damages.
The jeopardy Anthropic faced hinged on the means it had used to obtain the copyrighted books, rather than the fact that they had used the books to train AI without the explicit permission of the copyright holders. In July, U.S. District Court Judge William Alsup, ruled that using copyrighted books to create an AI model constituted “fair use” for which no specific license was required.
But Alsup then focused on the allegation that Anthropic had used digital libraries of pirated books for at least some of the data it fed its AI models, rather than purchasing copies of the books legally. The judge suggested in a decision allowing the case to go to trial that he was inclined to view this as copyright infringement no matter what Anthropic did with the pirated libraries.
By settling the case, Anthropic has sidestepped an existential risk to its business. However, the settlement is significantly higher than some legal experts were predicting. The motion is now seeking preliminary approval of what’s claimed to be “the largest publicly reported copyright recovery in history.”
James Grimmelmann, a law professor at Cornell Law School and Cornell Tech, called it a “modest settlement.”
“It doesn’t try to resolve all of the copyright issues around generative AI. Instead, it’s focused on what Judge Alsup thought was the one egregiously wrongful thing that Anthropic did: download books in bulk from shadow libraries rather than buying copies and scanning them itself. The payment is substantial, but not so big as to threaten Anthropic’s viability or competitive position,” he told Fortune.
He said that the settlement helps establish that AI companies need to acquire their training data legitimately, but does not answer other copyright questions facing AI companies, such as what they need to do to prevent their generative AI models from producing outputs that infringe copyright. In several cases still pending against AI companies—including a case The New York Times has filed against OpenAI and a case that movie studio Warner Brothers filed just this week against Midjourney, a firm that makes AI that can generate images and videos—the copyright holders allege the AI models produced outputs that were identical or substantially similar to copyrighted works
“The recent Warner Bros. suit against Midjourney, for example, focuses on how Midjourney can be used to produce images of DC superheroes and other copyrighted characters,” Grimmelmann said.
While legal experts say the amount is manageable for a firm the size of Anthropic, Luke McDonagh, an associate professor of law at LSE, said the case may have a downstream impact on smaller AI companies if it does set a business precedent for similar claims.
“The figure of $1.5 billion, as the overall amount of the settlement, indicates the kind of level that could resolve some of the other AI copyright cases. It could also point the way forward for licensing of copyright works for AI training,” he told Fortune.“This kind of sum—$3,000 per work—is manageable for a firm valued as highly as Anthropic and the other large AI firms. It may be less so for smaller firms.”
A business precedent for other AI firms
Cecilia Ziniti, a lawyer and founder of legal AI company GC AI, said the settlement was a “Napster to iTunes” moment for AI.
“This settlement marks the beginning of a necessary evolution toward a legitimate, market-based licensing scheme for training data,” she said. She added the settlement could mark the “start of a more mature, sustainable ecosystem where creators are compensated, much like how the music industry adapted to digital distribution.”
Ziniti also noted the size of the settlement may force the rest of the industry to get more serious about licensing copyrighted works.
“The argument that it’s too difficult to track and pay for training data is a red herring because we have enough deals at this point to show it can be done,” she said, pointing to deals that news publications, including Axel Springer and Vox, have entered into with OpenAI. “This settlement will push other AI companies to the negotiating table and accelerate the creation of a true marketplace for data, likely involving API authentications and revenue-sharing models.”
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Results on Meet Mobile: “75 Copa Espana Internacional De Natacion” (or search “Santiago”)
World Junior Championship silver medalist Agostina Hein is having herself a month, including a new Argentina National Record on Friday in Santiago, Chile.
This is just the latest conquest for the 16-year-old Hein. In Otopeni, Romania in August, she won the 400 IM in 4:34.34, a huge personal best time and breaking the former Argentine and South American Records that had stood since 2004 when legendary swimmer Georgina Bardach set them.
Then she was the star of the Junior Pan Am Championships, winning 8 medals (including 3 individual golds).
She was honored for that run by the River Plate soccer club, her favorite team, earlier this week.
But she wasn’t done, as on Friday she began her assault on the short course record book. Racing at the 75th edition of the Copa España Internacional, one of the world’s oldest swim meets, she won the 100 fly in 59.24. She swam 58.90 in prelims, which stands as the new record.
That swim broke the old record of 1:00.09 set by Macarena Ceballos in 2022 in Buenos Aires. Hein, while known for her endurance, was out very fast in her 100 fly in prelims. She took the front half with more control in finals, but it resulted in a small add to her time.
Hein also won the 400 free on Friday in 4:04.34, which is .17 seconds shy of her own National Record set last summer.
Hein now owns eight Argentinian Records, seven of which are in individual events. In short course, that includes the aforementioned 400 free and the 200 free; she also owns the National Record in the 100 fly in 59.36.
She picked up a third win on Friday by swimming a leg of the mixed 200 free relay.
new video loaded: Inside Iran After the 12-Day War
By Declan Walsh, Gelareh Kiazand, Nanna Heitmann, Jon Hazell and Christina Thornell•
Following a 12-day war with Israel in July, which resulted in the deaths of over 1,000 civilians and many of Iran’s top nuclear scientists and officials, a New York Times team was granted access to Tehran. Declan Walsh, a Times international correspondent, explains how the conflict has created a widespread sense of uncertainty and flux in the Iranian capital.
Imagine if, instead of using cadmium or lithium, a few drops of dirty water were enough to power a battery. Such is the approach of researchers at Binghamton University in New York. And more than the drop of water, it is its tiny inhabitants: bacteria. The inventors of the new bacterial biobattery are strong advocates of this new form of green energy that could power all kinds of sensors and small devices. They have been researching this field for years, and the latest version of their technology is the most efficient to date.
In this article, you will read about the following:
What are biobatteries?
A biobattery is a device that allows energy to be stored and released through metabolic processes carried out by bacteria or enzymes, which break down a raw material such as glucose and release protons and electrons. In the past, we already talked about this approach and the microorganisms that enable it, also known as electrogenic.
Biobatteries, manufactured mainly from organic elements, are essentially biodegradable and could offer a solution for creating inexpensive single-use devices. At the moment, biobatteries are devices capable of generating a small electrical current, enough to power an LED light or a low-power sensor. However, they are expected to power wearables or IoT devices in the future.
Currently, the main types of biobatteries are:
Enzymatic, which use enzymes to break down a raw material.
Scientists at Binghamton University are working on the latter. In their case, they have resorted to a novel approach to improve the efficiency of their biobattery. So far, one of the issues that prevented this technology from becoming mainstream was its battery life. This type of devices worked in a lab environment, but only for a few hours.
The new device, which its developers describe as “plug & play,” combines three types of bacteria that provide power for several weeks.
The bacteria are maintained in three vertical compartments. First, a group of photosynthetic bacteria generates nutrients for the second layer of bacteria below. Next, the second group of bacteria produces chemical elements that promote electron transfer. Finally, on the bottom “floor” are the electrogenic bacteria that produce the electric current.
The new biobatteries are designed as three-centimeter-wide square modules that can be stacked, thus multiplying their output. The developers of this technology believe that such devices will be needed in the near future when IoT devices and sensors become a common sight, many of them in remote areas. Another option we discussed for powering these remote sensors is triboelectricity.
Origami biobatteries
In science and engineering, each discovery or invention is often preceded by other incremental advances. In the case of Binghamton University’s new biobattery, its developers had already created other models. One of the earlier versions used two types of bacteria. However, their most striking model is probably the paper biobattery prototype, the original version they presented in 2015.
That model was based on a foldable origami structure that combined paper, a cathode with a nickel bath, an anode with a carbon layer, and bacteria. Roughly the size of a matchbox, the origami biobattery simply required a drop of dirty water to operate. Since paper is an absorbent material, not even a syringe or other device was needed to introduce the bacteria.
The main benefit of using a folding origami structure is that the paper surfaces are multiplied and thus the ability to generate electricity. The resulting energy was still small but sufficient to power a biosensor.
Thus, in an emergency, a team could use these batteries to power disposable diagnostic kits that test water purityin an affordable manner. The estimated production cost of that early model was five cents on the dollar.
If you want to learn about other applications of bacteria besides biobatteries, you can take a look at this article about bacteria that produce biodegradable plastic or this one about a bacterial concrete. And if your thirst for knowledge is still intact, you can subscribe to our newsletter at the bottom of this page.
Monti Olson has been appointed by BMG to oversee the company’s music publishing operations as Executive Vice President, Publishing, North America.
The move sees Olson return to BMG after previously serving from 2018–2022, when he oversaw US music publishing and led the expansion of the company’s frontline publishing activities, business development, and was actively involved in acquisitions.
The exec will lead BMG’s publishing A&R and creative administration teams, and according to the company, will also “drive new signings and catalog acquisitions”.
He will also “oversee the development and execution of growth strategies” across the company’s US operations in Los Angeles, Nashville, and New York.
During the transition into his new role, he will report to Thomas Scherer, BMG’s President of Global Catalog Recordings and Music Publishing, North America, before later reporting directly to BMG CEO Thomas Coesfeld.
Olson will also join BMG’s Global Strategy Committee, which, BMG says, “brings together key leaders from across the business to help shape the company’s long-term strategy and direction”.
Most recently, Olson served as President (founding partner) of Litmus Music, a music rights acquisition company backed by The Carlyle Group.
While there, the company executed over 10 high-profile deals, including acquisitions and partnerships with benny blanco, Opus Music Group (Juice WRLD, Ozuna, Maluma), Randy Newman, Keith Urban, and Katy Perry, among others.
New York-based Litmus launched in August 2022, with Carlyle Global Credit committing an initial $500 million for the company to focus on acquiring and managing both publishing and recorded music rights.
With more than two decades of experience across the music industry, Olson has previously held senior roles at Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Bros. Records, Global Entertainment/Global Music Publishing, and BMG Music Publishing, alongside peermusic, Windswept, and MCA Records.
Olson’s new job at BMG sees him reunite with a roster of publishing clients he partnered with during his previous tenure at the company, including the estate of Juice WRLD, Diane Warren, D’Mile, Jeff Gitelman, Rob Grimaldi, and John Legend.
“Thomas Coesfeld is building something special at BMG and I’m proud to be part of it. In addition, I look forward to working alongside my great friend Tom Scherer once again. It’s good to be home!”
Monti Olson
Olson said: “BMG has always been home to me. It is a world-class music company that is filled with great people who put songwriters and their creativity first as a core value.
“Thomas Coesfeld is building something special at BMG and I’m proud to be part of it. In addition, I look forward to working alongside my great friend Tom Scherer once again. It’s good to be home!”
“His proven leadership, deep creative network, and experience in both frontline publishing and high-profile catalog acquisitions will be invaluable as we continue to scale the future of our business.”
Thomas Scherer
Scherer added: “Monti’s return to BMG reflects our commitment to being the most effective, songwriter-first partner in music publishing. His proven leadership, deep creative network, and experience in both frontline publishing and high-profile catalog acquisitions will be invaluable as we continue to scale the future of our business.
“With Monti at the helm, we are strengthening our publishing business in North America, the world’s largest music market, and reinforcing our position as a trusted home for songwriters.”
With his expertise and passion for songwriters, we are confident Monti will play a transformative role in helping shape the next phase of growth for BMG.”
Thomas Coesfeld
Commenting on Olson’s appointment, Thomas Coesfeld, said: “We are pleased to welcome Monti back to BMG. His return comes at a pivotal moment for both our company and the industry at-large, and his leadership will be central to driving our publishing strategy.
“With his expertise and passion for songwriters, we are confident Monti will play a transformative role in helping shape the next phase of growth for BMG.”
Speaking with MBW last month after the company published its H1 2025 results, Coesfeld explained that “music publishing will likely remain the primary income driver for our business, and we plan to allocate additional resources to our successful and diversified publishing operations”.
He added: “Signings, administration and buyouts remain strong engines of growth, especially as streaming expands globally. Our strength lies in our focused model — publishing and recordings — which gives us resilience and flexibility as the market evolves.”
F-35 stealth fighter jets reported to be joining US naval operation against drug cartels seen as designed to pressure Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro.
Published On 6 Sep 20256 Sep 2025
United States President Donald Trump had ordered the deployment of F-35 stealth fighter jets to Puerto Rico amid a report he is weighing options for strikes targeting drug cartels operating inside Venezuela, according to news organisations.
Sources in the US told news agencies on Friday that 10 of the advanced fighter jets are being sent to an airfield in Puerto Rico as part of operations against Latin American drug cartels designated “narco-terrorist” organisations by Washington.
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American broadcaster CNN, citing multiple sources, reported on Friday that the Trump administration is considering attacks on drug trafficking groups inside Venezuela, which would mark a dramatic escalation in already surging tensions between Washington and Caracas.
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro called on Friday for the US to “abandon its plan of violent regime change in Venezuela and in all of Latin America”.
The US should “respect sovereignty, the right to peace, to independence,” Maduro said.
“I respect Trump. None of the differences we’ve had can lead to a military conflict,” he said.
“Venezuela has always been willing to converse, to dialogue.”
Maduro has mobilised Venezuela’s military, which numbers about 340,000 soldiers, amid weeks of US threats, and reservists and militia members, which he claimed exceed eight million.
“If Venezuela were attacked, it would immediately enter a period of armed struggle,” Maduro told reporters earlier this week.
Trump said on Friday that the US was “not talking” about regime change in Venezuela.
“But we are talking about the fact that you had an election which was a very strange election, to put it mildly,” Trump said, referring to Maduro’s return to office in January following claims of vote irregularities in the country’s presidential election.
Trump: ‘They’ll be shot down’
The reported deployment of F-35 warplanes comes on top of a US naval build-up in the southern Caribbean, where American warships and a large number of Marines, as well as a nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine, have been deployed just outside Venezuelan territorial waters.
On Thursday, the US Department of Defense accused Venezuela of carrying out a “highly provocative” move by sending two F-16 fighter planes to fly near the guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham.
The Dunham is one of at least seven US warships deployed to the Caribbean, carrying more than 4,500 sailors and Marines.
Trump later warned Venezuela that the US military had authorisation to shoot down the jets if ship commanders believe they pose a threat to their vessels, saying: “If they do put us in a dangerous position, they’ll be shot down.”
Venezuela’s Communications Ministry did not respond to a request for comment about the reported F-35s deployment or US claims that Venezuelan fighter jets flew over a US warship.
On Tuesday, US forces blew up a speedboat in the Caribbean that Trump said belonged to Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan criminal organisation that he has tied to Maduro.
Trump said 11 people were killed in the US attack that Caracas labelled an “extrajudicial killing” of civilians, and which law experts have questioned regarding its legality.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio this week defended Trump’s military approach towards what Washington calls “narco-terrorist” groups.
“What will stop them is when you blow them up, when you get rid of them,” Rubio said of drug cartels, while in Mexico on Wednesday.
“If you’re on a boat full of cocaine or fentanyl headed to the United States, you’re an immediate threat to the United States.”
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