Baptist Unity; Shanty Embassy; Philippines Split; Anti-EU Italy; Austria's Right; Russian Crash; Uber Buys into AI; and Emotional Car

Apostasy

British Baptists Issue Call For Unity Over Same-Sex Marriage christiantoday

An introduction on The Courage to be Baptist website says: "This Baptist way of being church allows us to maintain unity even when we disagree about certain issues. We believe this is a gift of God, allowing us to witness to our true unity in Christ even when we disagree about serious matters."

Crime

Fake American embassy in Ghana shut down after ten years issuing visas independent.co.uk

Until it was shut down this summer, the sham embassy was housed in a run-down, pink two-storey building with a corrugated iron roof and flew a U.S. flag outside. Inside hung a portrait of President Barack Obama.

The crime ring issued fraudulently obtained but legitimate U.S. visas and false identification documents, including birth certificates at a cost of $6,000 each, the statement said.

Philippines

Philippines vice-president resigns from cabinet over 'differences' with Rodrigo Duterte theguardian

Leni Robredo, a human rights lawyer and respected political newcomer, tendered her resignation as housing secretary in a letter to the president but will stay on in her elected post as vice-president.

Italy

Italy referendum: Is the EU going to fall apart before Britain gets a chance to leave it? independent.co.uk

With Austria narrowly escaping a ruling far-right president and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's resignation giving rise to fresh uncertainty over the bloc’s future, could this be the end of the European Union as we know it?

Also see What’s next for Italy and Europe after Matteo Renzi resigns? telegraph.co.uk

Austria

Austria election: Far-right candidate Norbert Hofer concedes defeat independent.co.uk

Austria's Norbert Hofer has conceded defeat after his hopes of becoming the European Union's first far-right president were dashed.

Military

Another jet crashes attempting to land on Russian aircraft carrier navaltoday

The Russian Ministry of Defense mil.ru has confirmed that the Su-33 fighter jet skidded off the dock after the arresting cable broke.

AI

Uber Buys a Mysterious Startup to Make Itself an AI Company wired

Founded by New York University psychologist Gary Marcus and University of Cambridge professor of information engineering Zoubin Ghahramani, Geometric Intelligence geometric.ai spans thirteen other researchers culled from across the academic world. Fourteen of the startup’s fifteen employees will move to San Francisco, where Uber is based, serving as the central AI lab for the ride-hailing company. Ghahramani, the mathematician most responsible for the startup’s core technology, will remain at Cambridge while spending half his time working for Uber. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Tech

Honda says its newest concept car will be able to feel human emotions businessinsider

It's called the " NeuV," and according to Honda it's "a concept automated EV commuter vehicle equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) called 'emotion engine' that creates new possibilities for human interaction and new value for customers."