Booker prize winner Margaret Atwood describes herself as an “observer,” but in her many novels she has often offered us a portal to understanding, be it about totalitarianism, or the idea of other forms of life, future and past.

In her latest book, Old Babes in the Woods, she navigates death and the loss of loved ones, in short stories which are both acerbic and hilarious, as well as adding to her fantastical oeuvre, such as an octopus-like creature narrating its own interpretation of a folk tale.

Seven of the stories feature the characters Tig and Nell, a thinly-veiled portrayal of Atwood and her long-life partner Graeme Gibson who died four years ago. Margaret Atwood began her interview with Kirsty Wark with a reading from the darkly funny story, Widows.

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Hundreds have been arrested across France during a day of major protests over falling education standards and the cost of living.

In Paris, protesters are clashing with riot police – you can watch live above.

A tourism office has been set on fire in Lyon, while protesters have broken into and damaged town hall buildings in Lille and Marseille – the interior ministry condemns what it calls “targeted acts of violence”.

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President Zelensky admitted he felt ‘betrayed’ by Trump in an interview with Piers Morgan. Where does that leave the US-Ukraine relationship?

Adam is joined by Sarah Smith, Americast host, and Shashank Joshi, Washington bureau chief at The Economist, to discuss what we’ve learned from Zelensky’s interview. Plus, what is going on with intelligence sharing between the US and Ukraine? And why is Starlink so important to the Ukrainian battlefield?

And, Keith Brown, Depute Leader of the SNP, is in Aberdeen to discuss the party conference and the SNP’s focus on securing another independence referendum, plus whether Andy Burnham travelling to Scotland during conference is a distraction.

#Ukraine #Zelensky #Newscast

00:00 Zelensky says he’s been betrayed by Trump
05:50 What are US voters thinking about Ukraine and Iran?
09:40 An update on the Ukraine war
11:49 An update on the firing squad live stream
13:13 Wes Streeting meets Pete Hegseth
14:55 The new Whitehouse press secretary
17:24 The DUP party
20:13 Andy Burnham’s position on the EU
21:22 The law of referendum
25:11 Cost of living in Scotland
27:30 Andy Burnham’s visit to Scotland
28:51 The television industry in Scotland
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From shadowboxing Parisians to chihuahuas fronting rap videos, the acceleration in generative AI capability is now impossible to miss on our feeds.

This week, Matt and Marianna explain how new software allows users to ‘reskin’ video content to make anyone say or do literally anything they like.

They discuss the resulting shift from realism to absurdism online, the existential threat to any type of IP ownership, and why independent creators inevitably suffer the most.

To hear the full episode, search Top Comment on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Several people have been killed or injured as a result of a large fire near a Canadian military base in Alberta, the nation’s defence minister has said.

David McGuinty did not confirm the cause or the number of casualties, describing the situation as “very, very active and delicate”. The Canadian military and local authorities were managing the fire, he said.

Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, where the fire broke out, is one of the country’s busiest military training bases.

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