Europe
Pope calls for journalists to be released from prison
Pope Leo, who was chosen as the new leader of the Catholic Church on Thursday, also highlighted the role journalists can play in bringing attention to injustice and poverty in the world. He urged the media to focus on reporting the truth instead of taking part in partisan divisions, and not to give space to "fanaticism and hatred." Speaking in the Vatican's Paul VI audience hall, he said "the way we communicate is of fundamental importance: we must say'no' to the war of words and images, we must reject the paradigm of war." "We do not need loud, forceful communication," he said, "but rather communication that is capable of listening and of gathering the voices of the weak who have no voice." The new pope also raised concerns about artificial intelligence, telling the assembled media they should use AI with "responsibility and discernment." Reporters should ensure that AI can be used for the "benefit of all of humanity," he said.
Pope Leo dishes advice to journalists, mentions AI challenge in first news conference
OutKick writer Mary Katharine Ham and Democratic strategist Kevin Walling join'MediaBuzz' to discuss the election of Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope in history, and the U.S. trade deal with the U.K. Pope Leo XIV wrapped up his first meeting with Vatican-accredited journalists Monday morning. More than 1,000 members of the media were assembled to hear his remarks, according to the New York Times. Some of them even took their children. The gathering took place in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall, Vatican Media reported. There, the pontiff "thanked reporters in Italian for their tireless work over these intense few weeks."
AI-powered robots help tackle Europe's growing e-waste problem
Photo credit: Muntaka Chasant, reproduced under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license. Just outside the historic German town of Goslar, a sprawling industrial complex receives an endless stream of discarded electronics. On arrival, this electronic waste is laboriously prepared for recycling. Electrocycling GmbH is one of the largest e-waste recycling facilities in Europe. Every year, it processes up to 80 000 tonnes of electronic waste, which comes in all shapes and forms.
Pope Leo XIV calls this a challenge to 'human dignity' in first address to cardinals
Newly elected Pope Leo XIV addressed the College of Cardinals in the New Synod Hall at the Vatican on Saturday, May 10. He credits his Papal name choice as a response to the digital age facing the Catholic Church. In his first official remarks as pope, Leo XIV delivered a powerful message to the College of Cardinals on Saturday, warning that artificial intelligence (AI) presents serious new risks to human dignity. He called on the Catholic Church to step up and respond to these challenges with moral clarity and bold action. Speaking at the New Synod Hall, the Pope said the Catholic Church has faced similar moments before.
Pope Leo identifies AI as main challenge in first meeting with cardinals
Pope Leo XIV has held his first meeting with the world's cardinals since his election as the head of the Catholic Church, identifying artificial intelligence (AI) as one of the most crucial issues facing humanity. Leo, the first American pope, laid out a vision of his papacy at the Vatican on Saturday, telling the cardinals who elected him that AI poses challenges to defending "human dignity, justice and labour" โ a view shared with his predecessor, the late Pope Francis. Explaining his choice of name, the pontiff said he identified with the late Leo XIII, who had defended workers' rights during his 1878-1903 papacy at the dawn of the industrial age, adding that "social teaching" was now needed in response to the modern-day revolution brought by AI. The late Pope Francis, who died last month, warned that AI risked turning human relations into mere algorithms and called for an international treaty to regulate it. Francis warned the Group of Seven industrialised nations last year that AI must remain human-centric, so that decisions about when to use weapons or even less-lethal tools would not fall to machines.
Universal Tariffs Go from Bonkers to Blanket
This week: The UK and the US agreed to the framework for a trade deal. Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the details of the agreement and what it means that it includes keeping the 10% baseline tariffs staying in place. Then, Bill Gates has announced that he's winding down the Gates Foundation and doubling the money he's giving away. The hosts discuss how this is a reaction to Elon Musk's slashing of USAID and the state of billionaire philanthropy. And finally, OpenAI has reversed its plan to become a for profit enterprise after public backlash.
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,171
Russia and Ukraine accused one another of violating a May 8-10 ceasefire that had been unilaterally declared by Russian President Vladimir Putin to coincide with commemorative events marking the 80th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. The Russian Defence Ministry said on Friday that Ukrainian troops had made four attempts to smash through the border into the Kursk and Belgorod regions in the past week. It claimed that Kyiv's troops attacked Russian forces 15 times during the ceasefire. In Belgorod, the local governor said a Ukrainian drone had attacked a government building on Friday. Pro-Russian war bloggers said Ukraine attacked multiple villages in the region, with further "high-intensity fighting" near Tetkino, a village in the Kursk region.
Elton John and Dua Lipa seek protection from AI
Not everyone agrees with the artists' approach. Julia Willemyns, co-founder of the Centre for British Progress think tank, said such proposals could hamper the UK and its bid for growth. The measures would "do nothing to stop foreign firms from using content from the British creative industries," she told the BBC. These tools, which can produce new content in response to simple text prompts, have become increasingly popular and available to consumers. But their capabilities have been accompanied by concerns and criticism over their data use and energy demand.
Paul McCartney and Dua Lipa among artists urging Starmer to rethink AI copyright plans
"We will lose an immense growth opportunity if we give our work away at the behest of a handful of powerful overseas tech companies and with it our future income, the UK's position as a creative powerhouse, and any hope that the technology of daily life will embody the values and laws of the United Kingdom," the letter says. Urging parliamentarians on all sides of the political spectrum and in both houses to support the change, the letter says: "We urge you to vote in support of the UK creative industries. Supporting us supports the creators of the future. Our work is not yours to give away." Spanning the worlds of music, theatre, film, literature, art and media, the more than 400 signatories include Elton John, Kazuo Ishiguro, Annie Lennox, Rachel Whiteread, Jeanette Winterson, the National Theatre and the News Media Association, which represents more than 800 news titles including the Guardian.
World's first Star Wars-style hoverbike can hit 124mph and DOESN'T need propellors to fly
A company say they have developed a Star Wars-inspired speeder bike that can zoom to 124mph. Poland-based Volonaut says their Airbike is the first'hoverbike' vehicle of its kind that does not use propellers to fly. Incredible videos show someone sitting on the device as it appears to effortlessly glide through the air. At one point it hovers remarkably steady as the rider lifts a hand to wave at the camera. The firm says: 'This groundbreaking design shares a lot of similarities to'speeder bikes' featured in popular science-fiction movies.'