BBC Verify Live: How we're investigating reports Gaza aid workers were attacked and killed

Update:
Date: 09:28 BST
Title: Good morning from BBC Verify
Content: Rob CorpBBC Verify Live editor
Welcome to Thursday's live page where we'll be providing
updates on what's being done by the BBC's specialists in open-source
intelligence, verification, tackling disinformation and fact-checking.
Following our morning editorial meeting, this is what we're
working on today:
If you want to know more about BBC Verify - check out our pages on the BBC News website.

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The Sun

3 hours ago

• The Sun

Leading car brand launches new SUV that looks just like a Land Rover but only costs £9,000

A LEADING car brand has launched a new SUV that looks just like a Land Rover and is easier on the wallet. The Chinese car firm have obviously taken inspiration from one of the biggest SUV brands on the market but for a fraction of the price. 1 Chery's 2026 Tiggo 7 Sport and Tiggo 7 Plus have been unveiled with both designs looking almost identical to Range Rover's hugely popular Evoque. But it has one major advantage over its European competitors as its set to hit the roads for £9,000. Pricing for the new Tiggo 7 Sports starts at 87,900 yuan in Asia, or around £9,100. The higher end Tiggo 7 Plus is priced slightly higher at 91,900 yuan or £9,400. Compare that to a brand new Evoque and you're looking at an eye-watering £44,000 with costs even exceeding the £50,000 mark in some instances. It's still not as cheap if you purchase a second-hand Evoque which come in at around £20,000. The new Tiggo is not yet sold in Europe and prices are likely to be higher when the model is eventually made available due to importing costs. But British motorists will be happy to hear that, because of the lack of tariffs on brand-new Chinese cars, they will likely pay considerably less than their US or EU counterparts. In Australia, the Tiggo 7 Super Hybrid has been made available with models hitting the market for $39,990. That would equate to around £19,000 in the UK but this is still cheaper than many Western-build SUVs. The Tiggo 7 is available in a range of fuel types including mild hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fully electric options. But those keen on getting their hands on one may have to wait a while as Chery intends to first expand to Eastern European markets. Eastern European nations could see a launch in the second half of this year with an initial focus on midsize plug-in hybrid models. The Tiggo 7 Sport comes with a 1.5 litre turbocharged engine variant delivering 115 kW with a six-speed dual clutch transmission. I restored a classic car I found at a scrapyard – now it's award-winning The model also comes with a mesh grille, concealed door handles and 18-inch alloy wheels. Inside, buyers will find a 13.2 inch screen and a multifunction steering wheel. Spend a bit more for a higher-spec model and you'll see higher end features included such as a panoramic sunroof and ventilated front passenger seat. Chery, the largest exporter of cars from China for the past 22 years, exported 1.14 million vehicles globally in 2024. It was announced last year that Chery was set to launch five new models in the UK markets to rival Kia. Chery decided to launch as a standalone brand despite a pre-existing partnership with British firm Jaguar Land Rover.

Times

5 hours ago

• Times

Will a chatbot give me a job? I put AI recruitment to the test

The pot plant on the filing cabinet behind my interviewer's head needs water. Its curling leaves distract me as the floppy-haired recruiter in a crumpled black polo shirt poses his next question: 'In the role of tax consultant at McKinsey, balancing technical expertise with interpersonal skills enhances client relationships. Can you share an example of how your organisational skills and multitasking have benefited a specific task?' I gabble through my recent work organising a large charity auction in my spare time, while juggling work deadlines and three busy children. The interviewer nods, looking impressed. 'It's fantastic that you bring those soft skills to the table.' The grilling goes well until I hit some actual tax questions and stumble. My two decades in business journalism will not, it's clear, secure me a role as one of McKinsey's newest tax consultants. But thousands of words of post-interview feedback arrive seconds later, and they are gently encouraging. 'You demonstrated your ability to mobilise resources and engage others … but need to practise emphasising how your unique abilities will benefit the company.' Impressive — since the whole recruitment process was carried out by robots. For £70 a month, website Final Round AI offers mock interviews with a human-like chatbot. Its questions are honed to any job listing you provide plus your CV. McKinsey had no involvement with the process, but one of its applicants might well have practised here first. The CV I used was concocted by AIApply, which also makes cover letters specific to the demands of any job posting. A monthly subscription costs £23. Before interviews, it provided a list of likely questions alongside what it deemed perfect answers. No need to learn them, though; for £29.99 a month the Interview Buddy app offers 'real-time assistance during job interviews, helping you answer questions confidently'. Using this app during my mock video interview, it perfectly detects questions and rapidly bashes out uninspiring but detailed and accurate responses. Propping up my phone next to my webcam, I can easily reel off these AI responses to the, er, AI recruiter's questions: This may sound outlandish, but it's happening: TikTok hosts thousands of videos of candidates undertaking real interviews while using ChatGPT-fed answers. Human resources might need to be redefined as inhuman resources: hiring work often pits employers' AI systems against candidates' AI-generated responses. Amid the frenzied talk about how AI is going to transform our working lives, in recruitment, it already has. More than two-thirds of HR professionals use AI at work in the UK, according to research by tech firm The Access Group. That's far higher than in the EU, where it's only 38 per cent of firms, according to European tech firm SD Worx. Anyone who hasn't applied for a job in five years will find being hired is an entirely new process. Applicant tracking systems (ATS) now scan and rank CVs and cover letters based on the inclusion of set keywords to whittle down the number of candidates, meaning a human may never see the majority of CVs sent in for a role. Those who make it through may then face 'asynchronous video interviews', where candidates are filmed answering written questions that flash up like a PowerPoint presentation, before AI systems assess their answers, or chatbot-led interviews, like mine. Recruiters have the upper hand: the number of job vacancies in the UK has dropped from 1.3 million in 2022, to just 761,000 in the three months to April. The concurrent adoption of AI by employers and applicants has created a race to the bottom. Firms are receiving an influx of thousands of chatbot-generated applications, while candidates report feeling dehumanised by the process. 'It was awful,' communications manager Laura Andrews said of a recent AI-led job application for a UK water utility. 'After an automated email saying I had been shortlisted, I had a video interview with a slideshow of questions listed on screen. It was really strange not having any kind of response from an interviewer to know how it was going. Without human interaction, my personality didn't show, and I think for neurodivergent people, it would be very hard.' Weeks later, Andrews still hadn't heard back. 'I was ghosted, which is usual with roles now,' she added. 'I applied for more than 100 jobs in three months, and 80 per cent of the time I heard nothing at all. 'I couldn't contact the interviewer, as they didn't exist. When I chased with the recruiter, I was told it was a 'system error'. That's the flavour of the job search now: being AI-led, companies don't seem to care about candidates. The lack of feedback or even acknowledgement of applications that take hours to tailor felt isolating.' This is a common complaint, according to Amelia Miller, whose start-up, Ivee, helps women return to work after a career break. 'Recruitment used to be a human process. Now, jobseekers are up against AI algorithms. The current market isn't sustainable. Recruitment teams are drowning in job applications with features like LinkedIn's 'easy apply' [which allows candidates to submit their CV in just a few clicks], along with hundreds of emails and messages. I believe this will lead to the death of the job application,' she said. In the US, some recruiters have already moved to 'agentic AI', relying on bots to handle the admin of organising job interviews. But while some claim that AI's transformation of the job search removes human bias, others say it embeds it. University of Washington research used real CVs but varied names associated with white and black jobseekers into AI recruitment systems, and found AI favoured the white-associated names 85 per cent of the time. Female-associated names were picked only 11 per cent of the time. 'If we're not careful, AI will just automate discrimination at scale,' Miller added. Khyati Sundaram, chief executive of the ATS firm Applied, added: 'AI interviewers trained on datasets dominated by American speakers, for example, can be biased against candidates with different accents, non-native English speakers or individuals with disabilities that affect their speech. 'When assessing candidates' facial expressions, eye movement, hand gestures and tone of voice, biased bots can also favour those with a neurotypical communication style. Candidates who communicate differently can be ruled out of the running, regardless of [their] skills… reinforcing existing workforce inequalities.' Not all candidates despise the changes, however. Rachel, a jobseeker who did not want her surname published, said ChatGPT and its rival, Claude, were 'huge timesavers.' 'I used them to refine cover letters, tailor them to job descriptions, and insert the right keywords,' she said. 'Recruiters are using AI, so I need to speak their language to pass the screenings. ChatGPT stripped out my personal attachment to my CV and showed me what was key and what was fluff, and what recruiters would ask me. It takes the legwork out of applications.' To those returning to the job market after a long time, the recruitment landscape will 'feel very alien,' Miller acknowledged. 'The best thing you can do is learn how to use AI. Avoid applying for jobs on inundated sites such as LinkedIn and Indeed, and turn towards company websites and niche job boards to lessen the competition. Focus on building your network: ask for warm introductions and leverage the human element of recruitment as much as you can.' The job market is being taken over by algorithms, but for now, the human touch still opens some doors. 'The market's more competitive than ever and the sheer number of tools and platforms can feel overwhelming,' says Kevin Fitzgerald, UK managing director of recruiter Employment Hero. 'Your CV has to be AI-literate.' Here are his tips on how to get it right: Match the job description: Use the exact keywords and phrases from the job ad, especially for skills, tools and job titles. Keep formatting simple: Stick to clean layouts. Avoid graphics, columns etc, as they can confuse Applicant Tracking Software. Stick to Word or PDF. Use specific, hard skills: List tools or certifications relevant to the role such as Xero, Python, CRM management. Quantify your achievements: Add real numbers where possible such as 'cut costs by 15 per cent' or 'trained five new hires'. Avoid generic buzzwords: Terms such as 'motivated' or 'team player' don't help. Use language that's specific and meaningful. Tailor your CV every time: Make slight edits for each application. Use AI tools but edit carefully: ChatGPT and other AI tools can help draft or refine your CV, but always review for tone, accuracy and clarity. It should still sound like you.

The Sun

7 hours ago

• The Sun

WiFi alert issued to all UK homes to check routers NOW over ‘mass blackout' risk

TEMPERATURES are soaring across the UK this weekend with Brits enjoying the sunshine. Although hot weather is great for BBQs and tanning, your internet connection might suffer. 1 UK homes could experience connectivity issues with 25 per cent slower WI-FI. According to Broadband Genie, high temperatures could overheat your router with upload speeds dropping by 27 per cent. These black boxes, just like most devices, don't like being too hot and could completely shut down. In order to avoid a total blackout, it is advised to keep your router away from the direct sunlight. The Broadband Genie team told Mirror: 'Broadband companies design and test their equipment to operate in and around temperatures up to 40°C. 'If users can keep their broadband router below this, we'll avoid a wave of mass broadband blackouts. 'Customers should check their router isn't placed in an unsuitable spot, such as next to any sunny south-facing window or a sweltering loft space. 'A couple of minutes taken here will save your broadband grinding to a halt, avoiding any broadband-related frustrations.' But don't tuck away your router inside a cabinet either as that could block the signal. It is recommended to place your black box at least 30cm off the floor on a flat, hard surface. Brand new Wi-Fi router revealed Broadband Genie also warns pet owners to keep their fur babies away from the router. Your fluffy friend's fur could congest the air ducts which will prevent ventilation. If your router is too old and is struggling to keep cool even with all precautions taken, you might want to consider an upgrade. Experts say households should replace their router once every five years, at the very least. The newer models run cooler and aren't as perceptive to the temperature, and they could cost you only £50. If all else fails and the temperatures reach 40+ degrees, it is best to disconnect from the internet and bask in the Sun while giving your devices a break.