Eigen Labs, a blockchain research company, and Shielded Labs, a Zcash research organization, have launched HashSmash, an open competition that tests whether AI can find weaknesses in widely used cryptographic hash functions. Eigen Labs is a blockchain technology research company, while Shielded Labs is a research organization focused on developing Zcash.
The competition focuses on SHA-256, SHA-3, BLAKE3, and Poseidon. These hash functions help protect blockchains, zero-knowledge systems, software, and other digital infrastructure. Participants can use AI agents and tools such as SAT solvers, automated searches, and formal methods to develop attacks.
Luxxfolio Holdings has signed a non-binding letter of intent with Hypercall to explore options trading on part of its Litecoin ($LTC) and Dogecoin ($DOGE) holdings. Luxxfolio is a digital asset company focused on Litecoin mining and accumulation, while Hypercall provides options trading products on Hyperliquid.
Under the proposed program, Luxxfolio would sell covered calls on selected $LTC and $DOGE holdings through Hypercall. The company would decide which assets to use, how much to allocate, and the strike prices and expiration dates. Each option would be backed by the corresponding cryptocurrency.
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
Ontario’s medical regulator is proposing sweeping changes to prescribing safer supply drugs, The Canadian Press has learned.
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario is looking to clamp down on the practice and is set to hold a board of directors meeting next week to decide on the proposed changes.
Safer supply refers to prescribing medications as an alternative to opioids obtained on the streets to those who are at high risk of overdose.
The most common form of safer supply is hydromorphone, a powerful opioid often prescribed for pain but significantly less potent than fentanyl and its derivatives that dominate the illicit drug supply chain. Fentanyl is often found laced with other drugs such as benzodiazepines, a depressant, and xylazine, often used to tranquilize animals.
One change the regulator has proposed in a document tucked away on its website is that “physicians must only prescribe safer supply medications in conjunction with opioid agonist therapy.” The therapy uses medications such as methadone to treat opioid addiction.
The college is also proposing an eight-week time limit for physicians to prescribe safer supply, and mandating that it be consumed in front of health-care professionals.
The regulator previously made changes to its drug prescription policy in May that mandated physicians to perform an in-person assessment before prescribing narcotics for safer supply, as well as making it mandatory for doctors to offer opioid agonist therapy before prescribing safer supply drugs and perform follow-ups every three months.
The rationale behind the new proposed changes centres largely on diversion of patients’ prescription pills to the black market.
“The proposed amendments build on targeted changes introduced in May and respond to ongoing concerns about the diversion of safer supply medication and the resulting risks to patients and communities,” Mickey Cirak, spokesperson for the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, wrote in an email.
“In response, the college has proposed amendments intended to strengthen oversight of safer supply prescribing and enhance safeguards related to physician prescribing practices, consistent with its role as Ontario’s medical regulator.”
WATCH | Fifth Estate dives into Canada’s opioid crisis:
Canada’s opioid crisis has led to the deaths of tens of thousands of people, costing the health and justice systems billions. Many health providers say there were solutions that could have helped. We reveal how politics got in the way.
Health minister supports changes
The college said it has consulted with a broad range of people and organizations, including physicians, municipalities and health-care partners, as well as the office of Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Kieran Moore.
Moore’s office did not respond to a request for comment or an interview. Moore has never granted The Canadian Press an interview about the province’s opioids crisis, despite more than a dozen requests since he took the role in 2021.
The College of Physicians and Surgeons said the initiative to change safer-supply prescription rules is its own and did not come from the provincial government.
WATCH | Ontario ends funding for supervised drug consumption sites:
Moss Park drug consumption sites to close as Ontario ends funding
Two supervised drug consumption sites in Moss Park received letters on Friday from the Ontario Ministry of Health saying that their provincial funding will end in 90 days. CBC’s Ali Chiasson spoke to advocates who are concerned this could lead to more open drug use in the area.
Cirak said the college also received feedback from doctors with expertise in addiction medicine.
The proposal has the support of Health Minister Sylvia Jones.
“Our government does not and will never support the distribution of illegal drugs, including the illicit use of hydromorphone masked as ‘safer supply,’” said Satnam Grewal, a spokesperson for Jones.
“We welcome any action from Ontario’s 27 regulatory colleges who set standards and obligations for health-care professionals, including the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, to crack down on the predatory prescribing of addictive drugs.”
Changes ‘dangerous’: harm reduction worker
Ontario has moved to an abstinence-based model under Premier Doug Ford in its approach to the ongoing opioid crisis. The province closed provincially funded supervised consumption sites and passed a law banning them within 200 metres of schools and daycares.
The province has since opened 29 homelessness and addiction recovery treatment hubs, which the government calls HART hubs. It has spent more than $500 million on that plan, which offers primary and mental health care, addiction services and peer supports.
Word of the proposed changes has reached some people who depend on safer supply, said Lorraine Lam, an organizer with the Shelter and Housing Justice Network and a longtime harm reduction worker.
WATCH | ‘HART’ hubs replace supervised drug consumption sites:
Ontario opens homelessness and addiction hubs, replacing consumption sites
After passing a law closing numerous supervised consumption sites, the province opened nine of its HART hubs on Tuesday. But critics say Ontario’s new approach is off to a bumpy start. Shawn Jeffords explains.
“The changes are really dangerous and very destabilizing,” Lam said.
“People are really, really scared and people are really, really anxious and very angry.”
She said some people using safer supply got jobs or returned to school and she’s worried what will happen to them when they’re cut off.
“The reality is people who are on safe supply are going to be de-prescribed really, really quickly, which will increase the chances of people turning to the street unregulated supply, which will then therefore increase the risk of overdoses and deaths,” Lam said.
The college’s board of directors is set to meet on Oct. 13, when it is expected to vote on the proposed changes.
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
Kenyan authorities on Tuesday confirmed the country’s first imported Ebola case from Congo, making Kenya the latest country affected by the fast-moving outbreak.
Health Minister Aden Duale said a Kenyan citizen who arrived in the country on Saturday from Congo, via its neighbour Uganda, had been isolated and treated at Nairobi Hospital, where he tested positive for the Ebola virus and died late Monday.
Ebola is highly contagious and spreads in the human population through contact with bodily fluids such as vomit, blood or semen, and with contaminated surfaces and materials, such as bedding and clothing.
The current outbreak was declared in mid-May, months after it had been spreading in a remote part of eastern Congo. At least 8,400 cases have been recorded, including more than 4,000 deaths, according to government data, making it the fastest-growing outbreak of the disease in history.
Kenya had never had an outbreak of Ebola, according to the Kenya Medical Research Institute. Dozens of contacts have either been identified or are being traced.
Duale said Kenya was well-prepared to respond to Ebola cases, having trained nearly 5,000 health workers across the country on prevention and management.
Kenya is the fourth country to record an Ebola case in the current outbreak.
Tracing of flight passengers begin
Uganda has recorded 20 cases and France one. Before Kenya reported its case, there had been no active cases outside Congo since Uganda declared its outbreak over in late August.
Health authorities in Kenya have placed the country’s border points on high alert and are monitoring for possible additional cases.
Kenya’s Health Minister Aden Duale holds a news conference in Nairobi on Tuesday, announcing the first case of Ebola in the country. (Monicah Mwangi/Reuters)
Duale said 28 contacts, including family members and health workers who cared for the patient, had been identified. Another 23 passengers who travelled on the same flight from Uganda were being traced.
He said the patient had been living in Congo for the past seven years and fell ill about a month ago. He was treated at various hospitals before travelling by road to Kampala, where he boarded a flight to Nairobi, arriving on Saturday afternoon.
The contacts will remain in isolation for 21 days and will be released after testing negative for the virus, the Health Ministry’s director, Patrick Amoth, said.
WATCH | Congo’s record Ebola outbreak :
Ebola outbreak now deadliest in Congo’s history
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is officially the deadliest in the country’s history, and health officials worry the crisis will only get worse when children return to school.
The patient’s relatives later took him in a private vehicle to Nairobi Hospital, where he was immediately isolated. He will be buried within 24 hours in accordance with recommended public safety protocols.
The minister said Kenya had tested 267 samples at five laboratories across the country since May before this first case was detected.
Congo’s outbreaks ‘like fighting a megafire’
In Congo, where the outbreak has spread to seven provinces, conditions are difficult. Responders have faced attacks on health teams, misinformation about the virus, a failure by locals to report symptoms and rebel violence that has limited access to treatment centres.
While cases have slowed in Ituri province, the epicentre, the outbreak is spreading in emerging hot spots in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.
“It is like fighting a megafire. Multiple outbreaks are developing at the same time, with varying intensity and in different locations,” Stephanie Hoffmann, with Doctors Without Borders, said in a statement.
The World Health Organization has warned this could surpass the deadliest Ebola outbreak in history, which erupted more than a decade ago and killed some 11,000 people in West Africa.
Are you ready to get a jump on your holiday shopping, or just give yourself a treat before Halloween begins? Amazon Prime’s Big Deal Days are here, and I’ve gone through the sales to highlight a few bargains on fantastic digital cameras for creators of all skill levels. And I know what I’m talking about, I’ve spent the last 15 years as PCMag’s camera expert and in that time have tested thousands of digital cameras, lenses, and accessories. I’ve picked out three great deals on gear worth buying, including the best price ever on Nikon’s do-it-all full-frame Z6II mirrorless camera, a solid deal on the YouTube darling DJI Osmo Pocket 3 vlogging camera, and a good price on the entry-level Sony a6400 mirrorless camera.
Not a Prime Member?
You can still shop and save during Big Deal Days, but if you want to score the best deals, you need to sign up for Prime. The good news is that you can grab afree 30-day trial during the sales event.
The Best Prime Day Digital Camera Deals
Best Full-Frame Mirrorless Digital Camera Deal
Nikon Z6II with 24-70mm F4 Zoom Lens
24.5MP full-frame camera with 5-axis stabilization, 14fps autofocus, and 4K video
The Nikon Z6II is selling for its best-ever price during Amazon Prime’s Big Deal Days event. That’s good news for photographers, videographers, and content creators who want to step up to a full-frame camera, or finally make the move from an SLR to a mirrorless system. The Z6II comes with an excellent, compact Nikkor Z 24-70mm F4 lens, and the kit has been selling below its suggested retail price lately, costing around $2,149.95 in the weeks ahead of this sale. Needless to say, its $1,896.95 sale price is a great value, about $250 less than normal, and beats the previous lowest cost by $100. The Z6II earned a solid recommendation in our 2021 review, and while it’s a generation behind the latest Z6III, its image quality, 14fps autofocus, and 4K video engine deliver solid results even when compared against new cameras. One of my gripes from five years ago is addressed, too. At the time, the Z lens system was pretty new and not yet fully formed, but today there are plenty of lenses available from both Nikon and third parties.
Best Vlogging Digital Camera Deal
DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Vlog Bundle
DJI Osmo Pocket 3 vlogging camera and Mic Mini wireless microphone
In its time on the market, the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 has cemented itself as the affordable camera for YouTube and content creation. Its lens is stabilized on a gimbal, so footage is super smooth, even when you’re moving with the camera. It records at up to 4K60, and includes Log color support for experts. The Pocket 3 is the newest option from DJI that’s officially available in the US, and the clear value choice when compared with fresher competitors like Insta360 Luna Ultra ($769). You can get the Pocket 3 bundled with the DJI Mic Mini, a wireless mic that records clear, crisp sound, for $406 during Amazon’s sale, about $100 less than the bundle cost last week, and less than the typical $439 camera-only price. You’re saving money and getting a microphone during the sale, so if you have YouTube aspirations or want to step up your TikTok game, it’s an ideal time to upgrade from a smartphone. If you already have a wireless mic, you can get the Pocket for $395, though for the small difference, I think I’d prefer picking up an extra mic; it’s handy for interviews, and it’s always good to have a backup.
Best Entry-Level Mirrorless Digital Camera Deal
Sony a6400 With 16-50mm Zoom Lens
24MP mirrorless camera with electronic viewfinder, 11fps autofocus, and 4K video
Photographers who’ve started out with a smartphone and are ready to step up to an interchangeable lens camera should take a close look at the Sony a6400, available during the Big Deals Day sale for $998 with a 16-50mm zoom lens, about $200 less than its typical price. The a6400 is a fantastic camera for beginners, with a capable 24MP APS-C image sensor, outstanding tracking autofocus at up to 11fps for action, and 4K30 video recording. And despite including an electronic viewfinder, a tilting rear display, and a built-in flash, the a6400 is quite small, and is bundled with a correspondingly compact 16-50mm zoom lens. The a6400 a good pickup for anyone who wants try an interchangeable lens camera, and it gives beginners room to grow with manual controls and the largest number of add-on lenses available for any mirrorless camera system.
Recommended by Our Editors
I hope that I helped you find a good deal on a camera that satisfies your creative impulses and makes sense for your wallet. If you’re looking for more tech bargains, make sure you check out our index of the best Prime Day deals.
The Best Editor-Vetted Prime Day Deals
*Deals are selected by our commerce team
FAQ
Is the the Nikon Z6II a Good Deal at $1,896.95?
Yes, it’s the best price yet for the bundle, and a significant discount versus buying the camera and lens separately. The Z6II has sold for $1,546.95 recently, and the 24-70mm F4 costs $1,046.95 on its own. The bundle and sale represent a $700 discount!
Should I Get a6400 or Z6II?
The Sony a6400 and Nikon Z6II are both mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras, but they appeal to different audiences. The a6400 is an ideal camera for beginners: It’s affordable, compact, and gives you room to grow as you learn more about photography. The Z6II costs more to start, but its full-frame sensor and larger body design make it a better choice for enthusiasts, and it’s a fine choice to use as a backup body for professionals.
Is This Deal Likely to Get Better Before Prime Day Ends?
I don’t expect any of these deals to get better before the end of Big Deal Days. The Z6II and Pocket 3 are at rock-bottom prices. The a6400 might drop more before the holidays; it sold for $50 less than the current deal a few times over the past year.
What’s Missing at This Price?
Each deal comes with some compromises. The a6400 doesn’t include the weather protection or in-body stabilization available in more advanced entries in the line like the Sony a6700. The Z6II doesn’t use Nikon’s latest autofocus, nor does it support full-width 4K60 video, both available in the newer Z6III. The Pocket 3 can’t match the premium entry in this space, the Insta360 Luna Ultra, a $769 vlogging cam that has both wide-angle and telephoto lenses, plus support for 4K120 slow-motion capture.
Do Digital Cameras Go on Sale During Prime Day?
Yes, digital cameras often go on sale during Amazon events and during the holiday shopping season. Typically, we see the best prices on models that are a little older, which is the case here.
Who Has the Best Deals on Digital Cameras?
Name-brand digital cameras cost about the same at every retailer. This is because most camera companies use Minimum Advertised Pricing (MAP), which requires authorized resellers to sell at a price the manufacturer sets. This helps mom-and-pop photo shops compete with Amazon and other big resellers, so if the deal you’re looking at is out of stock at Amazon, there’s a good chance you can get the same price from another retailer.
Are Digital Cameras Actually Cheaper on Prime Day?
Yes. Cameras are often available at a good discount during Amazon sales.
About Our Expert
Jim Fisher
Principal Writer, Cameras
Experience
Images, and the devices that capture them, are my focus. I’ve covered cameras at PCMag for the past 15 years, which has given me a front row seat for the changeover from DSLRs to mirrorless cameras, the smartphone camera revolution, and the emergence of drones for aerial imaging. I have extensive experience with every major mirrorless and SLR system, and am also comfortable using point-and-shoot and action cameras. As a Part 107 Certified drone pilot, I’m licensed to fly unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for commercial and editorial purposes, and am knowledgeable about federal rules and regulations regarding drones.
The United States Department of Justice has filed 40 new cases seeking to strip naturalised Americans of their citizenship over alleged crimes they have committed.
In a statement on Monday, federal prosecutors said they were targeting individuals accused of “serious offenses”, including money laundering, child sexual abuse, visa fraud and tax evasion.
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The statement touted the 40 cases as the largest volume of denaturalisation petitions submitted in such a short period under President Donald Trump. The petitions were filed from late August through early October.
“Today’s announcement marks the largest denaturalization effort in modern history,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, the Department of Justice will continue to employ the denaturalization process to maintain our national security and protect the American people.”
The 40 citizens targeted in Monday’s announcement include people from a range of countries, including Mexico, Pakistan, China and Sierra Leone.
They are accused of concealing criminal acts and other facts about themselves as they sought to obtain citizenship. Their criminal convictions largely came after they took their oaths of citizenship.
Two people on the list are also accused of engaging in espionage on behalf of China. Committing these crimes before they became citizens, the Department of Justice alleges, meant these individuals lacked “good moral character” and should have been denied citizenship.
Expanded use of denaturalisation law
The laws to denaturalise US citizens have been used for decades, but historically, they have been reserved for serious crimes.
After World War II, for instance, the US government moved to denaturalise dozens of citizens accused of concealing involvement in the Holocaust or engaging in war crimes.
Notable cases include that of Emma Goldman, a Lithuanian-born anarchist and women’s rights activist who was jailed in 1917 for her antiwar activities, before being denaturalised and deported to the Soviet Union.
But the practice has become much less frequent since the end of the Cold War.
Top officials in the Trump administration, however, have sought to expand denaturalisation as part of a push to conduct the largest deportation operation in US history.
Under US law, prosecutors can ask courts to strip citizenship from those born outside the country if they wilfully concealed a “material fact” during their citizenship application that would have otherwise disqualified them.
But Trump’s efforts to widen denaturalisation proceedings have received pushback from human rights groups, which argue they could leave people stateless.
Critics have also warned that Trump has sought to leverage denaturalisation against specific groups he perceives to be political rivals or enemies.
Last year, for instance, the Trump administration indicated it would seek to denaturalise large numbers of Somali Americans after allegations emerged in Minnesota of daycare fraud involving the Somali diaspora.
“Send them back from where they came, Somalia, perhaps the worst, and most corrupt, country on earth,” Trump wrote at the time.
Members of Trump’s Republican Party, notably Representative Andy Ogles, have also floated the possibility of yanking citizenship from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who was born in Uganda. Trump himself has falsely suggested Mamdani may be in the country illegally.
At one point, Trump even floated the idea of withdrawing citizenship from tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, a close ally and adviser to his second administration, after the two men had a falling-out in 2025.
Trump has also pushed to do away with birthright citizenship, which is granted to virtually all children born in the US. The few exceptions include the babies of diplomats and foreign military forces.
Birthright citizenship is protected under the US Constitution and cannot be taken away the way naturalised citizenship can.
In June, the US Supreme Court struck down Trump’s efforts to dismantle birthright citizenship, but legal battles continue after the president issued a second executive order also seeking to restrict how birthright citizenship is applied.
Move comes after ethics experts criticised three nationally broadcast ads and called for independent investigations.
Published On 6 Oct 20266 Oct 2026
United States President Donald Trump has said he will stop using taxpayer funds for television advertisements featuring him after widespread criticism of the campaign-style spots.
In a post on his social media site on Monday, Trump defended the advertisements, which cost at least $1.5m in federal funds and were aired ahead of the US November midterm elections.
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Trump said he considered the advertisements to be “a positive promotion for our Great U.S.A.”, but that they would no longer be funded by taxpayers but by either him or his MAGA PAC,
MAGA Inc. is Trump’s political war chest and had amassed more than $400m by the end of July.
The announcement came as ethics experts and lawmakers from both parties have criticised the three nationally broadcast advertisements and called for independent investigations.
The advertisements have run during football games as recently as Sunday and during other programming.
One features Trump declaring that “America will never be a communist country”, while a chorus repeats the words “love me”. Another combines images of Mount Rushmore with footage of Trump praising a “golden age of America”.
The advertisements end with a disclaimer saying they were paid for by the US government.
Democratic lawmakers said last month that the White House transferred $20m in Homeland Security Department funds to air the advertisements, including one that closely resembles a 2024 Trump campaign ad, and sought independent probes.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Monday called for an independent investigation, calling it a “staggering misuse of public funding and breach of public trust” after the calls for a probe.
Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr, a Republican named to his position by Trump, last week said the advertisements were appropriate and rejected a request to investigate them.
The musical adaptation of the 1987 film will make a stop at the Lena Horne Theatre on Broadway starting this winter, as part of its national tour. The show will play the theater from Feb. 12 through Sept. 5.
The musical features a new book by Eleanor Bergstein, the original screenwriter of the film, direction by Lonny Price (who played Neil Kellerman in the film) and choreography by Darrell Grand Moultrie (Fat Ham).
The tour launched in St. Paul, Minnesota, in August and will continue this fall in Detroit, West Palm Beach, Boston, Toronto and more cities before the Broadway engagement. The musical will resume its national run after Broadway.
Annalese Starzec, who plays Frances “Baby” Houseman, and Blake Zelesnikar, who plays Johnny Castle, will both make their Broadway debuts in the roles, alongside a company that will see 19 additional Broadway debuts.
This is the latest stage adaptation from Lionsgate, which is also bringing the illusionist show Now You See Me Live to Broadway this fall, and premiered The Hunger Games: On Stage in London. Lionsgate is also developing a musical production of the studio’s six-time Academy Award-winning film La La Land from producer Marc Platt, and has a stage adaptation of the $400-million hit film The Housemaid in the works.
The studio is also developing a Dirty Dancing film sequel, from The Hunger Games producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson, starring the film’s original “Baby” Jennifer Grey.
Dirty Dancing: The Musical is produced by The Path Entertainment Group, Lionsgate and LD Entertainment and co-produced by Magic Hour Productions, Nederlander Presentations and John Gore Organization.
Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis may have some of the most recognizable royal titles in the world, but inside the classroom, things are considerably less formal. The three children of Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Prince and Princess of Wales, do not routinely use “Prince” or “Princess” as part of their everyday school names. Instead, they follow a royal family tradition that gives them names that sound much more like those of their classmates.
At school, they are known as George Wales, Charlotte Wales and Louis Wales, according to reports.
Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and Prince George
What names do Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis use at school?
When a surname is required, the royal siblings use Wales, taken from their parents’ titles as the Prince and Princess of Wales. That means Prince George becomes George Wales, Princess Charlotte is Charlotte Wales, and Prince Louis is Louis Wales in the school setting.
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Their formal royal styles are quite different. The Royal Family lists the siblings as Prince George of Wales, Princess Charlotte of Wales and Prince Louis of Wales. George is second in line to the throne behind his father, followed by Charlotte in third place and Louis in fourth.
The simpler school names allow them to skip the formality of their titles during ordinary school life.
The Princess of Wales, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis seen during Trooping the Colour
For George, that school life has now entered a significant new chapter. The 13-year-old began attending Eton College in September 2026, following in the footsteps of Prince William, while Charlotte and Louis continue their education at Lambrook. Recent reporting confirms George has begun his first term at Eton.
Kate Middleton and Prince William walk with their 13-year-old son, Prince George, at Eton College
Why do the royal children use Wales as their surname?
There is a straightforward royal explanation. Members of the Royal Family with titles do not always need to use a conventional surname in the way most families do. When one is needed, royal children have historically been able to use a name connected to their parents’ territorial titles.
George, Charlotte and Louis previously used Cambridge at school because William and Kate were the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Reports from before the change described them as George Cambridge, Charlotte Cambridge and Louis Cambridge.
Princess Charlotte of Wales, Prince George of Wales and Prince Louis of Wales on August 01, 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland.
That changed after Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022 and King Charles III acceded to the throne. William subsequently became Prince of Wales, the title previously held by his father. The Royal Family confirms that King Charles announced that his eldest son would be known as the Prince of Wales following the late Queen’s death.
The children consequently became George, Charlotte and Louis of Wales, and “Wales” became the surname used for school purposes.
Prince William used the same school naming tradition
George, Charlotte and Louis are not the first young royals to experience this switch between palace titles and school names.
Prince William and Prince Harry were known as William Wales and Harry Wales during their younger years, taking the name from their father, who was then the Prince of Wales. PEOPLE notes that the same royal naming convention has been used elsewhere in the family, including by Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, who used “York” in reference to their father’s Duke of York title.
Princess Diana (1961 – 1997) with her sons Prince William (left) and Prince Harry
So although “George Wales” may sound surprisingly ordinary for a future king, it is actually rooted in an established royal practice.
Prince George reportedly had another very British school nickname
George’s surname is not the only name linked to his school days.
During his time at Thomas’s Battersea, reports claimed his classmates called him “PG,” an obvious play on Prince George. The nickname reportedly developed into “PG Tips,” after the famous British tea brand, and was eventually shortened again to “Tips.”
Even more intriguingly, George once reportedly introduced himself to a stranger using a completely unexpected name.
In 2019, a woman who encountered George while he was out with his grandmother Carole Middleton said she asked the young prince his name, despite already knowing who he was.
According to Marie Claire UK, George replied: “I’m called Archie!”
The woman recalled: “To my astonishment, he said, ‘I’m called Archie,’ with a big smile on his face.”
What nicknames do Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis have?
Charlotte has also been linked to a more familiar nickname. Kate previously appeared to reveal that she calls her daughter “Lottie,” a traditional shortening of Charlotte. During a conversation with a member of the public whose son was the same age as Charlotte, Kate reportedly responded: “Oh, he’s the same age as Lottie.”
Charlotte has also been linked to the affectionate nickname “Mignonette,” reportedly used by Prince William. Louis, meanwhile, has reportedly been called “Lou Lou” by his older siblings.
The ordinary school names behind extraordinary royal titles
The contrast is particularly striking in George’s case. Officially, he is Prince George of Wales and second in line to the British throne. One day, if the monarchy continues on its current line of succession, he is expected to become king.
Yet at school, “George Wales” is enough.
Charlotte and Louis have the same distinction. Their titles may identify them instantly as members of Britain’s most famous family, but their school names remove at least some of that formality.
Parti Quebecois returns to power, promising a third referendum on Quebec’s independence from Canada.
Published On 6 Oct 20266 Oct 2026
The secessionist Parti Quebecois has won the most seats in Quebec’s election and will form the next government in the predominantly French-speaking Canadian province, according to media reports.
The result on Monday revives the question of whether the province should leave Canada, testing Prime Minister Mark Carney’s message of national unity.
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Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, the party’s leader, is set to become premier.
During the campaign, he promised a third referendum on leaving Canada during his first term, although he said he would wait until US President Donald Trump leaves office in January 2029.
It was not yet clear whether the party had reached the 64 seats needed for a majority in the 127-seat National Assembly.
If it falls short, it would lead a minority government and need support from opposition lawmakers to pass major legislation and survive confidence votes.
The Parti Quebecois, or PQ, last governed the province from 2012 to 2014.
Monday’s victory marks a sharp recovery for the PQ, which won just three seats in the 2022 provincial election.
Its return also ends eight years in power for the Coalition Avenir Quebec, or CAQ, a centre-right Quebec nationalist party that does not support independence.
Daniel Beland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal, told The Associated Press news agency that the victory reflects Quebec’s multiparty system, where support is divided among several parties, rather than a surge in secessionist sentiment.
Support for independence remains at about 30 percent, low by historical standards, he said.
Still, Beland said a secessionist government in Quebec represents a new national-unity challenge for Carney, particularly with another independence-related vote approaching in Alberta.
“Seeing that a pro-independence party won in Quebec barely two weeks before an independence-related referendum takes place in Alberta might suggest to the Trump administration that national unity remains a major issue in Canada despite the popularity of Mark Carney,” Beland said.
Quebec held two previous referendums on independence, in 1980 and 1995, and voters rejected secession both times.
The second vote was decided by a narrow margin, but there has been no further referendum in the three decades since.
