francis
Who died in 2025? Notable deaths of the year
The first non-European Pope in more than 1,000 years, the Oscar-winning star of Annie Hall and The Godfather, a soul legend and one of the world's most famous designers - here are some of the well-known faces no longer with us. Among those we remember are Hollywood stars Robert Redford, Diane Keaton and Gene Hackman, and theatrical dames Joan Plowright and Patricia Routledge. Robert Redford's acting career spanned more than 50 films and won him an Oscar as a director. For many filmgoers though, he was simply the best-looking cinema star in the world - once described as a chunk of Mount Rushmore levered into stonewashed denims. As well as leading roles in hits such as All The President's Men, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Way We Were, Redford also launched the Sundance Film Festival to champion independent filmmakers. Los-Angeles-born Keaton shot to fame with her role in The Godfather, but enjoyed a long creative partnership with Woody Allen. Annie Hall, a comedy based on their off-screen relationship, earned her a Best Actress Oscar and they collaborated on several other films. She was nominated for three further Oscars - all in the best actress category - for her work in Something's Gotta Give, Marvin's Room and Reds. BASIL! - the unmistakable sound of Sybil Fawlty admonishing her pompous and incompetent husband, is probably how Prunella Scales will best be remembered. Apart from starring in sitcom Fawlty Towers, she played many other roles on screen and stage, including Queen Elizabeth II in Alan Bennett's play, A Question of Attribution.
- Europe > France (0.46)
- North America > United States > California > Los Angeles County > Los Angeles (0.24)
- Europe > United Kingdom > Northern Ireland (0.14)
- (30 more...)
- Media > Film (1.00)
- Leisure & Entertainment > Sports > Soccer (1.00)
- Government > Regional Government > North America Government > United States Government (1.00)
- (3 more...)
Opposed to Data Centers? The Working Families Party Wants You to Run for Office
The influential progressive third party announced Thursday that it was putting out a recruitment call for candidates specifically opposed to data centers. The Working Families Party said Thursday that it is putting out a specific recruitment call for people who are organizing against data centers in their communities to run for office. The announcement comes amid a period of heightened political turmoil around data centers, as some high-profile Democrats wade into the fight. Earlier this week, three Democrats in the Senate sent letters seeking information from Big Tech companies about how data centers impact electricity bills, while senator Bernie Sanders, the independent from Vermont, became the first national politician to call for a moratorium on data center construction. "We see our role as responding to what working families and working people are concerned about, what issues are keeping them up at night," says Ravi Mangla, the national press secretary for the Working Families Party. "We would be ignoring the needs of our constituents if we were not responding to the issue of data centers and their impacts on communities."
- North America > United States > Vermont (0.24)
- North America > United States > California (0.15)
- Asia > Myanmar (0.05)
- (6 more...)
analysis and our analysis of FRANCIS remains unchanged, we wish to note that in our own internal re-review we
We thank the reviewers for their thoughtful reviews; below we address their main concerns. This allows us to express the misspecification error (e.g., eqn 37 in appendix) directly in every (null 1) Note that the results from Chi et al. We consider this work as a first step in this direction. Is a good representation sufficient for sample efficient reinforcement learning?
analysis and our analysis of FRANCIS remains unchanged, we wish to note that in our own internal re-review we
We thank the reviewers for their thoughtful reviews; below we address their main concerns. This allows us to express the misspecification error (e.g., eqn 37 in appendix) directly in every (null 1) Note that the results from Chi et al. We consider this work as a first step in this direction. Is a good representation sufficient for sample efficient reinforcement learning?
Hidden city built 5,000 years ago by lost advanced civilization discovered underneath vast desert
For centuries, the Rub' al-Khali desert near Saudi Arabia and Dubai -- known as the Empty Quarter -- was dismissed as a lifeless sea of sand. In 2002, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai, spotted unusual dune formations and a large black deposit while flying over the desert. That led to the discovery of Saruq Al-Hadid, an archaeological site rich in remnants of copper and iron smelting, which is now believed to be part of a 5,000-year-old civilization buried beneath the sands. Researchers have now found traces of this ancient society approximately 10 feet beneath the desert surface, hidden in plain sight and long overlooked due to the harsh environment and shifting dunes of the Empty Quarter. This discovery brings fresh life to the legend of a mythical city known as'Atlantis of the Sands.'
- Asia > Middle East > Saudi Arabia > Eastern Province > Rub' al Khali (0.83)
- Asia > Middle East > UAE > Dubai Emirate > Dubai (0.47)
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" – 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.
Who will be the next Pope? AI predicts the new head of the Roman Catholic Church after Pope Francis dies
Following the death of Pope Francis at the age of 88, the Catholic Church must now begin the lengthy process of electing his successor. Starting at least 15 days after his death, the 135 eligible cardinals will be locked away in the legendary Conclave until they have chosen the next pope. But if you just can't wait for the world's most secretive election to run its course, MailOnline has used AI to predict the result. According to OpenAI's ChatGPT, the man set to become the next head of the Roman Catholic Church is Cardinal Pietro Parolin. As the AI points out, the 70-year-old Italian priest is seen by many as the natural heir to Pope Francis' legacy and holds an edge in current betting markets. ChatGPT said: 'As Vatican Secretary of State since 2013, Parolin is viewed as the "continuity" candidate - acceptable to both reformers and traditionalists.
- Asia > China (0.15)
- Asia > Philippines > Luzon > National Capital Region > City of Manila (0.06)
- Europe > Holy See > Vatican City (0.05)
- Africa > Ghana > Central Region > Cape Coast (0.05)
Pope warns Davos summit that AI could worsen 'crisis of truth'
Pope Francis has warned global leaders in Davos that artificial intelligence raises "critical concerns" about humanity's future and it could exacerbate a growing "crisis of truth". Francis said governments and businesses must exercise "due diligence and vigilance" to navigate the complexities of AI. In a written address at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Switzerland on Thursday, the pope said AI could fuel the "growing crisis of truth in the public forum", as its output was almost indistinguishable from those of humans. "This technology is designed to learn and make certain choices autonomously, adapting to new situations and providing answers not foreseen by its programmers, thus raising fundamental questions about ethical responsibility, human safety, and the broader implications of these developments for society," he said in a statement read to Davos delegates by Cardinal Peter Turkson, a Vatican official. The pope has first-hand experience of artificial intelligence's ability to distort the truth – he is a popular subject in AI-generated deepfake images, including one of him embracing the singer Madonna and a second in a Balenciaga puffer jacket.
- Europe > Switzerland (0.26)
- Europe > United Kingdom (0.06)
- Information Technology (0.53)
- Media (0.37)
- Leisure & Entertainment (0.37)
- Health & Medicine (0.35)
The god illusion: why the pope is so popular as a deepfake image
For the pope, it was the wrong kind of madonna. The pop legend, she of the 80's anthem Like a Prayer, has stirred controversy in recent weeks by posting deepfake images on social media which show the pontiff embracing her. It has fanned the flames of a debate which is already raging over the creation of AI art in which Pope Francis plays a symbolic, and unwilling, role. The head of the Catholic church is used to being the subject of AI-generated fakery. One of the defining images of the AI boom was Francis in a Balenciaga puffer jacket.
Pope warns of AI dangers, urges fair wages for migrants on Singapore visit
Pope Francis, on a visit to Singapore, has warned of the negative effects of artificial intelligence (AI) on society and called for "fair" wages for migrant workers. The comments by the head of the Catholic Church came on Thursday as the high-tech city-state became his final stop on a 12-day Asia Pacific tour. Technology developments risk isolating individuals and putting them into a false reality, Francis said, adding that AI should be used to bring people closer together and to promote understanding and solidarity within society. He also cautioned that AI should not make people forget about what is important: human relationships. This is not the first time the 87-year-old pontiff has weighed in on AI.
- Asia > Singapore (0.78)
- Asia > Timor-Leste (0.08)
- Asia > Philippines (0.08)
- (9 more...)