5 mins read

Movie Review: In ‘Heart of the Beast,’ Brad Pitt and a dog try to survive in the wild

Brad Pitt loves a lone wolf character. Even in ensembles, he’s often the quiet one just to the left (but, you know, still the focus). The guy who sees everything and says little, drawing people, when there are any, into his orbit with sheer charisma. Small talk is for the strivers, not the stars, maybe? […]

7 mins read

Worsening El Nino threatens Asia with drought, potentially raising food prices globally

BANTEN, Indonesia | All signs are pointing toward a record-breaking El Nino this year, which experts say may cause severe drought in Asia and other extreme weather across the world, threatening food security for millions of people. El Nino is part of a natural climate cycle of warming ocean temperatures, but this year’s is expected […]

4 mins read

China’s Alibaba unveils new powerful chip and ambitious AI model plans

HONG KONG | China’s Alibaba unveiled new artificial intelligence chip technologies and plans for more powerful models on Tuesday, including what it said was China’s most powerful AI chip, days ahead of a meeting between Chinese and U.S. leaders at which competition to lead on AI technology is expected to be a major theme. Alibaba’s […]

6 mins read

Russia and Ukraine trade deadly strikes as Zelenskyy prepares to meet Trump

KYIV, Ukraine | Russia bombarded at least four Ukrainian regions overnight with missiles and drones, killing five people, officials said Tuesday, and Ukraine’s forces damaged another Russian oil refinery in their latest long-range strike. The ongoing exchange of daily aerial attacks, while positions on the battlefield’s front line barely change, provided a backdrop to the […]

7 mins read

Trump returns to UN at a moment of anxiety about Iran, AI and the future of the world body itself

UNITED NATIONS | President Donald Trump is set to address the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday at a tumultuous moment for the world — and for his presidency. The global economy has been shaken by his decision to launch a war against Iran. Anxiety about the social impact being wrought by artificial intelligence is surging. […]

7 mins read

UN leaders’ meeting convenes with secretary-general calling for ‘world built on interdependence’

UNITED NATIONS | U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pleaded for “a world built on interdependence” as he made his final address Tuesday to a yearly gathering of world leaders convening to face a formidable menu of challenges — from climate change and war to inequality and artificial intelligence. The U.N. leader has long implored leaders not […]

2 mins read

Tiny wild cat newly identified as a species draws curious visitors in Bolivia

COROICO, Bolivia | A tiny wild cat hidden away in the cloud forests of Bolivia has become an unlikely tourist attraction, drawing a stream of visitors hoping for a glimpse of the animal that scientists have identified as a brand new species. There is just one problem: Tigrino, as he has been affectionately dubbed, doesn’t […]

5 mins read

There’s an easy way to get rid of all the reusable bags piling up in your home

NEW YORK | When professional home organizer Britnee Tanner visits her clients, she often spots extra reusable bags buried under the kitchen sink or stuffed in a corner of the pantry. “They just are sneaky,” said Tanner, who lives in Salt Lake City. “I purchased a handful of these and then somehow I’ve collected ones […]

2 mins read

Munich’s Oktoberfest roars to life as the mayor taps the first keg

MUNICH | Munich’s Oktoberfest kicked off Saturday with the city’s mayor tapping the first keg of beer and opening the 191st edition of the world’s largest folk festival. Mayor Dominik Krause put the first keg on tap with only two strokes and the traditional cry of “O’zapft is” — or “It’s been tapped.” Thousands of […]

8 mins read

Americans are increasingly concerned about the environmental impact of AI, new poll finds

On the way home from a recent trip, Eriech Tapia drove past a sea of dark industrial buildings lining an already jam-packed northern Virginia road: data centers. “It was interesting to see how many were going up,” said Tapia, a 30-year-old Republican from Arlington, Virginia, who works in higher education advocacy and policy. He said […]