Hype too often influences policymakers when it comes to regulating markets. So it was reassuring to hear Sir Andrew Bailey, the governor of the Bank of England, resist the momentum behind cryptocurrencies. In his July Mansion House speech, he reiterated his scepticism over the need for a “Britcoin” central bank digital currency or a UK stablecoin, with tokens issued by finance houses and backed by their sterling reserves. As Donald Trump signs stablecoins into US law and rebrands private dollars with political colours, Sir Andrew’s caution isn’t just prudent, it’s essential.

The governor’s view is that UK banks should not be allowed to issue their own stablecoins. Nor should the Bank

ChatGPT is launching a “study mode” to encourage responsible academic use of the chatbot, amid rising cases of misuse of artificial intelligence tools at universities.

The feature, which can be accessed via the chatbot’s tools button, can walk users through complex subjects in a step-by-step format akin to an unfolding academic lesson.

In one example released by ChatGPT’s developer, OpenAI, the chatbot responds to a prompt asking for help with understanding Bayes’ theorem – a mathematical formula – by asking the user what level of maths they are comfortable with and what their goal is.

Study mode is being released as academic communities grapple with the issue of AI misuse. A Guardian

Texas has sued a New York official for refusing to take action against an abortion provider, teeing up a state-versus-state battle that is widely expected to end up before the US supreme court.

Ken Paxton, Texas’s attorney general, has petitioned the New York state supreme court to order a county clerk to enforce a fine against Dr Margaret Carpenter, a New York doctor accused of mailing abortion pills across state lines.

Paxton accused Carpenter last year of mailing abortion pills to a Texas woman in defiance of Texas’s ban on virtually all abortions. After Carpenter failed to show up in a Texas court, a judge ordered her to pay more than

A new ad campaign from American Eagle starring the US actor Sydney Sweeney is meeting backlash, with some critics alleging online that the advertisement’s punny use of the phrase “great jeans” is a coded promotion of eugenics.

In the campaign, the 27-year-old Euphoria and White Lotus star is dressed in American Eagle denim outfits, accompanied by the tagline “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans”.

In one video clip shared by American Eagle on Instagram, Sweeney – who is blond and blue-eyed – is standing in front of a poster of herself with text that reads “Sydney Sweeney has great genes”. In the video, the word “genes” gets crossed out and is replaced

Donald Trump’s administration on Tuesday proposed revoking a scientific finding that has long been the central basis for US action to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change.

The proposed Environmental Protection Agency rule rescinds a 2009 declaration that determined that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare.

The “endangerment finding” is the legal underpinning of a host of climate regulations under the Clean Air Act for motor vehicles, power plants and other pollution sources that are heating the planet.

The EPA administrator, Lee Zeldin, announced the proposed rule change on a podcast ahead of an official announcement set for Tuesday in Indiana.

Repealing the endangerment finding “will