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Fight or flight! Two kingfishers lock beaks as they battle mid air
Two kingfishers locked beaks in mid-air during a territorial dispute near a river in Tokyo, Japan. Photographer Seiichi Tsuboya captured the encounter, a rare moment that highlights how difficult such wildlife behaviour can be to photograph. Tsuboya said the birds watched and chased each other before confronting one another directly for about a minute. Neither…
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Customers at Asian supermarket in east London form separate male and female queues as they wait in line for discounted cooking oil
A video emerged showing customers at Masala Bazaar, a British Asian supermarket in Romford, east London, queuing separately by gender during promotional sales in late August. The footage, filmed during the store’s third anniversary celebrations, showed women and men standing in separate lines to receive discounted cooking oil and other products, which subsequently circulated online.…
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Burnham courts business as Khanna demands AI safety treaty
The Prime Minister seeks to rebuild Labour’s ties with business at the party conference, as the US congressman calls for US-China negotiations to rein in artificial intelligence risks.
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Trump rules out joint US-China venture to develop AI
Donald Trump has ruled out a joint US-China venture to develop artificial intelligence, saying it could give Beijing access to American know-how. Speaking at the launch of a new AI-powered government services portal, he said the US was well ahead in the field and wanted to maintain that lead. His comments underline tensions between cooperation…
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Monk begins TWELVE-YEAR isolation with absolutely no contact with anyone or any information from the outside world as part of extreme Buddhist training
Sogaku Taguchi, a 31-year-old Japanese monk, has begun a planned 12 years of isolation in a mausoleum at Enryakuji temple on Mount Hiei, near Kyoto. The training is intended to prepare him to become a “jishin”, a monk devoted to tending the tomb of Saicho, founder of Tendai Buddhism; he is expected to remain cut…
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Ro Khanna urges US and Chinese AI firms to negotiate safety treaty
Representative Ro Khanna, the top Democrat on the House Select Committee on China, is urging the US government and Chinese AI companies to negotiate a treaty aimed at preventing artificial intelligence from becoming uncontrollably dangerous. In letters sent to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and three major Chinese AI firms—DeepSeek, Alibaba, and…
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‘Light Pillar’ Director Xu Zao Readies AI-Themed Follow-Up ‘Easy, My Friend’
Xu Zao’s animated feature *Light Pillar*, screening in the Hidden Dragons section at the Pingyao film festival, is still seeking distribution in China. It follows a film-studio worker who falls for a woman he meets in a virtual game and is drawn into a failed journey to the moon. Xu uses the story to explore…
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Unverified rape claim sparks violent protests at Punjab university
An unverified claim that a female student had been raped at Lovely Professional University in Punjab sparked protests that escalated into violence over the weekend. Classes have been suspended for 10 days, exams postponed and students allowed to leave; the incident has raised concerns about safety and the handling of rumours on a large residential…
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Sign before praying: A new conversion law is affecting churchgoers in Indian state
Some churches in and around Mumbai have started asking worshippers to sign statements saying they came to pray voluntarily, amid fears about Maharashtra’s new anti-conversion law. The forms have no legal standing, but churches keep them in case prayer meetings are challenged or organisers are accused of trying to convert people. The law bans conversions…
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‘Hirayasumi’ Anime Unveils Footage, Key Visual and Lead Voice Cast Ahead of NHK Debut
An anime adaptation of manga series “Hirayasumi” has been unveiled ahead of its January 2027 debut on Japan’s NHK General TV. The announcement includes new footage, a key visual and the principal voice cast, with production handled by studio +h. The manga, which began serialisation in 2021, has become a significant commercial and critical success,…