(Sharecast News) - More than a fifth of the videos recommended to new YouTube users are low‑quality AI‑generated clips designed to maximise views, according to research reported by the Guardian. Video‑editing firm Kapwing analysed 15,000 of the platform's most popular channels and found that 278 consisted entirely of so‑called AI slop. Those channels have collectively drawn more than 63bn views and more than 200m subscribers, generating an estimated $117m in annual revenue.
Kapwing also created a new YouTube account for the study and found that 104 of the first 500 recommended videos were AI slop, while a third fell into the broader category of low‑quality "brainrot" content aimed at monetising attention, the Guardian said.
Separately, the Guardian reported that around a third of Kyiv was left without heating after a large‑scale Russian drone and missile barrage struck the capital's energy infrastructure. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said nearly 500 drones and 40 missiles were launched in the overnight attack, which lasted 10 hours, killed one person and injured more than 20. He said the strikes were aimed at "energy facilities and civilian infrastructure".
The attack came as Zelenskyy travelled to Florida for a meeting with Donald Trump, following a stop in Canada where prime minister Mark Carney announced a further $2.5bn in economic support for Ukraine. Carney condemned the "barbaric" assault on Kyiv and said conditions existed for a "just and lasting peace", adding that this required a "willing Russia".
Labour has imposed visa restrictions on a foreign nation for the first time after the Democratic Republic of Congo refused to take back criminals and illegal migrants, according to the Telegraph. Diplomats and ministers from the DRC will no longer receive preferential visa treatment, while its citizens will be barred from fast‑track entry to the UK.
The Home Office has branded the central African nation "obstructive" for declining to accept deportees, including violent offenders and sex criminals. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has warned the Congolese government that a full visa ban on all travellers from the country, including its president, could follow if it continues to refuse returns.
The Telegraph reported that the move was intended to encourage wider cooperation from other nations. Angola and Namibia were issued similar warnings last month and have since agreed to accept deportees.
Labour's mansion tax has been described as a "burglar's charter" that could effectively advertise the wealthiest households to organised criminals, the Telegraph reported. The Conservatives said the surcharge on properties worth more than £2m, announced in last month's Budget, would hand a "gift" to thieves.
Under the plans, anyone will be able to look up an address online to see whether it pays the levy, offering a clear indication of the owner's wealth. There are concerns that owners of rural or isolated homes could be targeted, as their property values are often less obvious.
At present, council tax bands are based on 1991 valuations, with the top band covering all homes worth £325,000 or more. The Telegraph said the introduction of the mansion tax will, for the first time, make all properties valued above £2m publicly identifiable.
Wagamama is preparing to raise prices next year as the noodle chain faces higher labour and ingredient costs, according to the Times. The group, which operates 165 restaurants across the UK, told investors it was considering introducing "selective price increases" as inflation continues to squeeze margins.
In a presentation to bondholders, Wagamama said it expects the cost of labour and food and drink to rise by 4% to 5% in 2026, while other expenses such as rent - excluding utilities - are forecast to climb by 2% to 3%. The company is also planning to cut around £8m of costs in 2026 as part of efforts to streamline operations.
The Times reported that the chain has been attempting to offset inflationary pressures this year through "value initiatives", including £12 lunch deals and its "Soul Club" rewards programme, after guest numbers fell sharply in the first half of 2025.
Train fares on some routes have jumped following the expansion of contactless payment systems, raising concerns that passengers could be priced off the railways, according to the Independent. Rebecca Paul, the Conservative MP for Reigate, warned that the new rules risk "pricing passengers out of rail altogether".
Govia Thameslink Railway said many travellers would save money under the changes and stressed that the shift was not intended to boost fares revenue. Contactless ticketing, which allows passengers to tap a bank card or device instead of buying a paper ticket, was rolled out to 30 additional stations in south‑east England on 14 December as part of the Department for Transport's Project Oval.
The Independent reported that the fare increases stem from changes to paper ticket time restrictions, which have been brought into line with Transport for London's contactless structure. As a result, some services that were previously available on off‑peak tickets now require more expensive peak‑time fares.
Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com