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Pope Leo XIV says AI dangers are not "fake news" but insists he's not in "panic mode"
Speaking to reporters aboard the papal plane from Metz to Rome on September 28 as his first apostolic trip to France concluded, Pope Leo XIV said concerns about artificial intelligence going rogue should be taken seriously and are not "fake news," a term he used in apparent contrast to President Trump's dismissal of AI safety fears. "If someone were to ask me, am I in panic mode, no I'm not, I sleep at night," the pope said, adding that "we can't just sit back and pretend that nothing is going to happen." His comments build on his encyclical on AI and human dignity, Magnifica Humanitas, and cap a five-day tour of Paris, Lourdes and Metz that drew hundreds of thousands of onlookers.
Read more →Lead Story
Pope Leo XIV says AI dangers are not "fake news" but insists he's not in "panic mode"
Speaking to reporters aboard the papal plane from Metz to Rome on September 28 as his first apostolic trip to France concluded, Pope Leo XIV said concerns about artificial intelligence going rogue should be taken seriously and are not "fake news," a term he used in apparent contrast to President Trump's dismissal of AI safety fears. "If someone were to ask me, am I in panic mode, no I'm not, I sleep at night," the pope said, adding that "we can't just sit back and pretend that nothing is going to happen." His comments build on his encyclical on AI and human dignity, Magnifica Humanitas, and cap a five-day tour of Paris, Lourdes and Metz that drew hundreds of thousands of onlookers.
DR Congo's Ebola outbreak surpasses 7,600 cases and 3,699 deaths
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has reported 7,672 confirmed Ebola cases and 3,699 deaths as of September 19-20, including 58 new cases and 23 new deaths in a single reporting period, according to WHO and ECDC data. Ituri province remains hardest hit with 5,913 cases and 2,703 deaths across 28 of its 36 health zones, followed by North Kivu (1,402 cases, 850 deaths) and Haut-Uele (307 cases, 126 deaths); 886 patients are currently hospitalised in isolation and about 80% of identified contacts are under active follow-up.
Read more →DR Congo's Ebola outbreak surpasses 7,600 cases and 3,699 deaths
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has reported 7,672 confirmed Ebola cases and 3,699 deaths as of September 19-20, including 58 new cases and 23 new deaths in a single reporting period, according to WHO and ECDC data. Ituri province remains hardest hit with 5,913 cases and 2,703 deaths across 28 of its 36 health zones, followed by North Kivu (1,402 cases, 850 deaths) and Haut-Uele (307 cases, 126 deaths); 886 patients are currently hospitalised in isolation and about 80% of identified contacts are under active follow-up.
Houthis complete takeover of Bab al-Mandab strait in biggest shift since 2022 truce
Iran-backed Houthi forces captured the Yemeni port city of Mocha, advanced into Dhubab and took Mayyun (Perim) Island in the middle of the Bab al-Mandab strait after Saudi-backed government naval forces withdrew without a fight, also pushing onto the Zuqar and Hanish islands further north in the Red Sea. Yemeni officials and analysts describe the gains, which followed fighting that has left hundreds dead, as the most significant shift in the country's civil war since an uneasy calm took hold after a 2022 truce, handing the Houthis control of a chokepoint linking Asia to Europe via the Red Sea and Suez Canal.
Read more →Houthis complete takeover of Bab al-Mandab strait in biggest shift since 2022 truce
Iran-backed Houthi forces captured the Yemeni port city of Mocha, advanced into Dhubab and took Mayyun (Perim) Island in the middle of the Bab al-Mandab strait after Saudi-backed government naval forces withdrew without a fight, also pushing onto the Zuqar and Hanish islands further north in the Red Sea. Yemeni officials and analysts describe the gains, which followed fighting that has left hundreds dead, as the most significant shift in the country's civil war since an uneasy calm took hold after a 2022 truce, handing the Houthis control of a chokepoint linking Asia to Europe via the Red Sea and Suez Canal.
Sudan's besieged El Fasher runs out of food as RSF barrier chokes off aid
Community kitchens feeding thousands of besieged residents in Sudan's El Fasher have shut down after running out of funds and food, with only a handful of the roughly 20 soup kitchens that once operated in the city still running, aid groups say. The Rapid Support Forces has encircled North Darfur's capital with a 57-kilometre earthen barrier and tightened control of exit routes, trapping a population the UN estimates at 260,000, including 130,000 children, many of whom now rely on "ambaz," an animal-feed byproduct, to survive as malnutrition and disease spread through the city.
Read more →Sudan's besieged El Fasher runs out of food as RSF barrier chokes off aid
Community kitchens feeding thousands of besieged residents in Sudan's El Fasher have shut down after running out of funds and food, with only a handful of the roughly 20 soup kitchens that once operated in the city still running, aid groups say. The Rapid Support Forces has encircled North Darfur's capital with a 57-kilometre earthen barrier and tightened control of exit routes, trapping a population the UN estimates at 260,000, including 130,000 children, many of whom now rely on "ambaz," an animal-feed byproduct, to survive as malnutrition and disease spread through the city.
Philippines ferry fire death toll passes 76 as dozens remain missing off Palawan
The confirmed death toll from a fire that engulfed the ferry M/V June Aster off Coron, Palawan on September 9 rose to at least 76 after coast guard crews recovered 41 more bodies from the burnt-out vessel, with dozens of the 134 people listed on its manifest still unaccounted for. Firefighters were able to board the ship and reach previously inaccessible areas only after extinguishing the blaze more than a day after it broke out; forensic teams have set up temporary tents in Coron town to identify recovered remains, and the cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
Read more →Philippines ferry fire death toll passes 76 as dozens remain missing off Palawan
The confirmed death toll from a fire that engulfed the ferry M/V June Aster off Coron, Palawan on September 9 rose to at least 76 after coast guard crews recovered 41 more bodies from the burnt-out vessel, with dozens of the 134 people listed on its manifest still unaccounted for. Firefighters were able to board the ship and reach previously inaccessible areas only after extinguishing the blaze more than a day after it broke out; forensic teams have set up temporary tents in Coron town to identify recovered remains, and the cause of the fire has not yet been determined.