A wildfire raging in Quito has forced residents to flee their homes and Ecuador’s president to make an emergency return from abroad, as heavy smoke spreads across whole neighborhoods of the capital city. “I had two refrigerators, stoves, gas tanks, beds, dining tables, everything. As you can see, it’s all…
Pope Francis took the unusual decision Wednesday to expel 10 people – a bishop, priests and laypeople – from a troubled Catholic movement in Peru after a Vatican investigation uncovered “sadistic” abuses of power, authority and spirituality. The move against the leadership of the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, or Sodalitium of…
President Vladimir Putin warned the West on Wednesday that Russia could use nuclear weapons if it was struck with conventional missiles, and that Moscow would consider any assault on it supported by a nuclear power to be a joint attack. The decision to change Russia’s official nuclear doctrine is the Kremlin’s answer…
A pair of blood-spattered trousers in a miso tank and an allegedly forced confession helped send Iwao Hakamata to death row more than five decades ago. Now, the world’s longest-serving death row convict has a chance to clear his name. A Japanese court on Thursday is set to hand down…
The killing of a Japanese schoolboy in China has sparked an outpouring of anger and soul searching over the rise of extreme nationalism in the country, with some accusing the government of fanning anti-Japan sentiment and even the “education of hatred.” The tragic loss of a young life has once…
Hong Kong will roll out the red carpet Thursday to receive two giant pandas gifted by the Chinese government to mark 75 years of Communist Party rule, part of a citywide push by authorities to deepen patriotism. An An and Ke Ke, both five years old, are expected to land…
When award-winning actress Meryl Streep spoke on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly about cats, squirrels and birds, she wasn’t making a point about hunters and prey. She was comparing all three with women and girls in Afghanistan – and pointing out that the animals have more rights.…
The moon will get a companion this week as an asteroid around the length of a double-decker bus enters Earth’s orbit. The temporary guest, called 2024 PT5, should arrive on 29 September and is expected to befriend the regular moon for around two months. “A mini-moon is a small object…
Hundreds of thousands of Instagram users, including actors Julianne Moore and Ashley Tisdale, have shared a post that supposedly revokes Meta’s right to train its artificial intelligence tool using their information. “Goodbye Meta AI,” it says before saying the user does “not give Meta or anyone else permission to use…
Dame Judi Dench, John Cena and Awkwafina will all voice Meta AI – the artificial intelligence being rolled out by Instagram and Facebook owner Meta. As part of an update to its Llama model, people will now be able to interact with Meta AI – the company’s ChatGPT-like chatbot –…