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OpenAI’s expanding work with the United States military has ignited a wave of criticism among sections of its user base, with some subscribers cancelling ChatGPT plans and shifting to rival platform Claude, citing concerns over
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There is a worry that AI might become godlike, well it already has, or at least Buddha like.There is a worldwide shortage of people willing to join religious orders and preach so a Japanese university
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Polling officials carry ballot boxes and other materials at Damak in Jhapa district Monday ahead of parliamentary elections in Nepal. Nepal votes Thursday in the first elections since deadly youth-led anti-corruption protests toppled the government in September 2025.Key figures contesting for power include a former prime minister seeking a return to power, a rapper-turned-mayor bidding for the youth vote, and the newly elected leader of the Nepali Congress party.Here are three of the most closely watched candidates in the March 5 parliamentary polls — all central figures in an election that analysts say is unlikely to deliver an outright majority for any single party. Gagan Thapa, 49 Gagan Thapa presents himself as the face of generational change, arguing that the country can no longer be run by what he calls an "old age" club of revolving veteran leaders.Thapa led an internal revolt in January to be elected as head of the Nepali Congress, the country's oldest and historically dominant party, which had been the largest member of the ousted coalition government.Born in 1976, Thapa was drawn into politics as a teenager during the 1990 pro-democracy movement against the then absolute monarchy.He rose through student activism, linked to the Nepali Congress, and became a prominent figure in the 2006 mass uprising that forced the king to abdicate.Jailed several times for street protests, he then entered parliament as one of its youngest members. He has since served multiple terms, and been health minister."I am the right mix of energy and experience — the right mix which can deliver," Thapa told AFP, pledging governance reform and job creation, while promising to work across party lines.KP Sharma Oli, 74Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli is one of Nepal's most seasoned and polarising political figures.A veteran Marxist leader who has served four times as prime minister, he was ousted in September's protests at his rule.Leader of the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML), Oli has spent nearly six decades in politics.He was drawn into underground communist activism as a teenager and was arrested in 1973 for campaigning against the monarchy. He spent 14 years in prison, including four in solitary confinement.He later rose through party ranks to become prime minister in 2015, returning to office multiple times in Nepal's turbulent parliamentary landscape.Critics accuse him of an authoritarian streak and intolerance of dissent, while supporters credit him with strong leadership and nationalist resolve, particularly in navigating relations with India and China.Oli denies ordering security forces to fire on protesters during last year's unrest, in which at least 77 people were killed and crowds torched parliament.Oli told AFP he blames "infiltrators" for the violence.Despite his dramatic fall, he won re-election as party chief in December and is seeking a comeback, framing the vote as a "competition between those who burn the country and those who build it".Balendra Shah, 35Balendra Shah, widely known as "Balen", has emerged as a symbol of youth-driven political change, after backing the protests that forced the government from power.Born in Kathmandu in 1990, he was a schoolboy during Nepal's decade-long Maoist civil war.A former underground hip-hop artist whose songs railed against corruption and inequality, the 35-year-old civil engineer first shot to national prominence through music.He translated that online popularity into a shock political victory in 2022, when he was elected Kathmandu's first independent mayor.Shah built a reputation as a blunt and often confrontational reformer, launching campaigns against tax evasion, traffic congestion and waste mismanagement.In December, Shah joined the centrist Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), positioning himself for national leadership.He has taken the unusual step of challenging former prime minister Oli in his home constituency, telling AFP that it shows he is "not taking the easy way out".Advocating a liberal economic system with social justice, including free education and healthcare for the poor, Shah says Gen Z's core demand is good governance — and insists music will remain part of his identity, even if he becomes prime minister. Related Story
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Long queues formed at fuel stations across Sri Lanka Monday as the conflict in Iran fed fears of oil shortages in the island nation, which is still recovering from a deep financial crisis.The nation of 22mn people is clawing its way back from a crisis brought about by a record shortfall of dollars in 2022, supported by a $2.9bn loan programme from the International Monetary Fund.At the height of its problems Sri Lanka faced a massive fuel shortage for months that sparked huge protests and the eventual ousting of former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa in July 2022.Monday, people lined up at fuel stations across the island as US and Israeli strikes on Iran stoked fears of another fuel shortage.Many people were panic buying despite assurances from the authorities that Sri Lanka had enough stocks of diesel and petrol to last 35 and 37 days, respectively — the full amount that the country usually stores.'There is fuel. People are panicking because of the war and they are themselves creating these lines. So people are just flocking to the stations, but there is enough fuel in Sri Lanka,' said Mohammed Aslem, a 36-year-old three-wheeler driver standing in a fuel queue in Colombo.Sri Lanka spent $3.83bn on fuel imports last year, according to government data, with most shipments arriving from India and Singapore.'Sri Lanka does not have enough storage facilities to store fuel beyond the next few weeks, but there are sufficient confirmed shipments till the end of this month,' said S. Rajakaruna, chairman of the state-run Ceylon Petroleum Corp told reporters.The CPC also stepped up distribution, releasing more than 5mn litres of fuel despite Monday being a public holiday, Rajakaruna added.Police have ordered stations to stop dispensing fuel into cans and have warned of legal action against hoarders.Lanka IOC PLC, a unit of Indian Oil Corp, and China's Sinopec who also operate fuel stations reassured the public of adequate supply.
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South Korea’s President Lee Jae-myung shakes hands with Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Singapore, Monday. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung met Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong Monday for a summit aimed at expanding co-operation in fields such as artificial intelligence and nuclear energy, during a state visit to the city-state.At a joint press conference, Lee and Wong announced the start of negotiations to upgrade the countries' existing free trade agreement, which took effect in 2006.The countries also signed five memoranda of understanding (MoUs) for co-operation in fields such as small modular reactors (SMRs) for nuclear power generation, AI and other scientific fields such as quantum and space satellites, South Korea's Blue House said.Other partnerships will include co-operation on investment between Singapore's sovereign wealth fund Temasek and its asset management unit Seviora Group with state-run Korea Development Bank, Lee told the press conference."Singapore is a meaningful place where the historic US-North Korea summit was held in 2018," Lee said. "I trust that you will continue to play a constructive role for peace on the Korean Peninsula and in the region."Wong and Lee exchanged views on the impact of the situation in the Middle East, including on global security, energy, and supply chains, and agreed on their hope that stability and peace would be restored, Lee said. Related Story
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Sinners scooped the top prize at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) gala in Los Angeles on Sunday, tightening the race to the Oscars with two weeks to go before Hollywood's awards season finale.The honour at the newly rebranded Actor Awards recognises the ensemble cast of a film – a decision that sometimes, but not always, presages Academy Award best picture glory.Ryan Coogler's vampire fable about America's difficult racial history, has stormed through awards season, garnering a record 16 Oscar nominations."We brought our hearts, we brought our souls, we brought our spirits to this endeavour," said Delroy Lindo, who plays blues musician player Delta Slim, as he accepted the award on behalf of the cast. "This project is anointed. And from that standpoint, we are all anointed to be a part of this incredible journey created by the genius Ryan Coogler."It was the first time Sinners seized a top prize at a pre-Oscars gala, which have so far been largely swept by One Battle After Another, including at the Producers Guild Awards on Saturday.Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle is a political thriller starring Leonardo DiCaprio as a former revolutionary forced back into the game when his teenage daughter goes missing.Sinners may have had the upper hand with SAG-AFTRA, which represents more than 160,000 members – but that may not hold true in two weeks' time for the Academy Awards."I'm not as confident that it's going to win the best picture Oscar," Scott Feinberg, awards columnist for *The Hollywood Reporter, told AFP ahead of the gala, after predicting the SAG award win. "Those two awards have gone to different films just about as often as they have gone to the same film."Voting for the Academy Awards does not close until Thursday, meaning Sunday's results could be influential.For best leading male actor, Michael B Jordan pulled off a surprise win in a category that Timothee Chalamet (*Marty Supreme) has dominated all season."I'm so honoured and privileged to be nominated in categories with people and actors and humans that I love," he said. "This ride has been unbelievable."For best leading female actor, there were no surprises when Jessie Buckley's name was announced.The Irish actress, who plays the grief-stricken wife of William Shakespeare mourning their son in Hamnet has so far won nearly every prize on offer."I have been categorically changed by so many people in this room and beyond," an emotional Buckley said. "To get to work with my heart in my hand and stand beside my brilliant, daring friends who show me their heart – I mean, what a way to spend a life."The race for the Oscar for best supporting performers became even cloudier after Sunday's gala.Amy Madigan took home the statuette for best supporting actress for her role as the sinister aunt in horror flick Weapons, following her success at the Critics Choice Awards."I wasn't expecting this, but it does really mean a lot to me from my peers," she said.The major awards in this category this season have gone to different people – the Golden Globe to Teyana Taylor in One Battle After Another, and the BAFTA to Wunmi Mosaku for Sinners.For the men, Sean Penn – who was not at the ceremony – won for his wild turn as Colonel Lockjaw in *One Battle After Another, following on from his BAFTA win.The Critics Choice Awards recognised Jacob Elordi for Frankenstein, and the Golden Globe went to Stellan Skarsgard in Sentimental Value, who did not even get a SAG nod.The television side of the awards was dominated by Apple TV's Hollywood satire The Studio which won three statuettes, including a posthumous award for Catherine O'Hara, who died in January.Series co-creator Seth Rogen, who accepted the award on her behalf, said he felt fortunate to have spent time with the actress – a Hollywood stalwart known for her work in Home Alone and Schitt's Creek."Something that I've just been marveling at over the last few weeks was really her ability to be generous and kind and gracious, while never ever minimizing her own talents," he said.The evening also honoured veteran Harrison Ford with a life achievement award for memorable roles that have included Han Solo in the Star Wars franchise and Indiana Jones."I feel incredibly grateful for this kind attention. But to be clear, I also am quite humbled," said Ford, whose big break came in George Lucas's American Graffiti in 1973."I'm in a room of actors, many of whom are here because they've been nominated to receive a prize for their amazing work, while I'm here to receive a prize for being alive," the 83-year-old said to laughs. Related Story
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An emergency vehicle passes by the entrance of RAF Akrotiri, a British sovereign base in Cyprus, which was hit by an unmanned drone overnight, causing limited damage, Monday. An Iranian drone hit the runway of a UK air force base in Cyprus Monday hours after Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain would not join the US-Israeli conflict with Iran.He said that mistakes of the Iraq war had been "learned".Starmer announced late on Sunday that he had agreed to the United States' request to use British bases for "specific and limited defensive purpose".Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer insisted Monday that "the UK is not at war"."Let me be really clear: the UK took a deliberate decision not to be part of the first wave of strikes conducted by the US and Israeli governments."But in the face of reckless attacks from Iran on a whole range of allies in the region... we took the decision, as the Prime Minister announced last night, to support the US's request to use our bases in order to conduct defensive actions," he added.Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper said the strike on the Royal Air Force base at Akrotiri had been "specifically on the airport runway" and that the government was "working on every possible option" to help its nationals in the region return home if needed."There's an estimated 300,000 British citizens in Gulf countries that have now been targeted by Iran, including countries where now airspace is closed," she told Sky News.She urged nationals to register with UK authorities and follow local advice.Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides said the strike took place just after midnight (2200 GMT) when "a Shahed unmanned aerial vehicle crashed into the military facilities of the British Bases in Akrotiri, causing minor material damage".The RAF Akrotiri base is a British overseas territory near the southern coastal city of Limassol.More than 100,000 UK nationals have so far registered their presence in the Middle East, according to Cooper.Scottish teacher Felicity Flanagan, who lives in Dubai, said she had been sheltering at home since Saturday when she heard loud bangs while at the beach with friends."Moments later, we actually saw what we believed to be shrapnel from the missile then fall into the water in front of us," she told the BBC's Radio Scotland.She said she was now following British embassy advice not to venture out.Starmer, speaking late on Sunday before news of the strike on RAF Akrotiri, said the decision not to be involved with the initial strikes was "deliberate"."I want to be very clear: we all remember the mistakes of Iraq. And we have learned those lessons," he said in a video address posted on X."We were not involved in the initial strikes on Iran and we will not join offensive action now," he added.Rosa Freedman, an expert on international law and conflicts at the University of Reading, told AFP the current situation was "materially different" from the war in Iraq in 2003.She said the hostilities were part of a broader conflict following the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel and concerns about its nuclear programme."The Iranian people have tried for many years to overthrow this regime, including tens of thousands of young people being slaughtered in the streets over recent weeks. Regime change needs to happen for domestic and international stability and security," she said. Related Story
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From almost $900 for the opening game to over $8,000 for the final, match tickets are far from cheap for the World Cup which begins in North America in 100 days. AFP Sport assesses the cost of attending games at the tournament: How many tickets, how much demand?According to world football's governing body FIFA, almost 7mn tickets have been made available in total. Each person can buy a maximum of four tickets per match and a total of 40 for the whole competition.Around 2mn tickets were sold during an initial lottery in October. A second sales phase in December and January was also a lottery and attracted a record 508mn requests, according to FIFA. It has not said how many tickets have been attributed but the matches in highest demand were the Group K finale between Colombia and Portugal in Miami on June 27, co-hosts Mexico against South Korea in Guadalajara on June 18, and the final at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19. Prices skyrocketThere will be a total of 104 matches played at this expanded World Cup, the first ever to feature 48 teams, and ticket prices have soared for the most in-demand games. Fan group Football Supporters Europe said the North American bid had initially promised tickets would be available from as little as $21, but instead the cheapest tickets to go on sale have been for $60, for example for the Group J opener between Austria and Jordan at the Levi's Stadium in California.Most tickets cost at least $200 for matches involving leading nations, while the cheapest tickets for the final cost $2,000 and the best seats $8,680 – that is before taking into account FIFA's official resale site, where one category three seat for the game at the MetLife Stadium on July 19 was being advertised for an eye-watering $143,750, over 41 times its original face value of $3,450.FIFA president Gianni Infantino insists ticket prices are simply a consequence of the huge demand. 'In the US in particular there is this thing called dynamic pricing, meaning the prices will go up or down', depending on the match in question, he said.Having faced sustained criticism over prices, FIFA announced a cheaper category of tickets, but those seats available for $60 were reserved for fans of qualified teams and would make up just 10 percent of each national federation's allotment.FIFA has also put on sale packages combining match tickets with access to VIP lounges. For France against Senegal in New Jersey on June 16, those packages cost between $2,900 and $4,500.FIFA is keeping aside an unspecified number of tickets which it will make available from April until the end of the tournament 'on a first come, first served basis'.Then there are the resale platforms, including FIFA's own official site. But this controversial fan-to-fan market allows resellers to determine prices themselves, hence the huge price advertised for a final ticket.The resale market is unregulated in the United States and Canada. In Mexico, reselling a ticket above face value is prohibited, but only when the ticket is purchased in Mexico using the local currency. A 'category three' seat – the highest section of the stands – for the tournament's opening game between Mexico and South Africa at Mexico City's Azteca Stadium on June 11 was recently listed at $5,324, compared to an original price of $895. Other sites such as SeatGeek and StubHub were selling tickets at slightly lower prices.Extra costs-It is not just the ticket prices that travelling supporters need to consider. The price of parking is also through the roof at many World Cup stadiums, which are often situated well away from the downtown areas of host cities. A space in a parking lot for a group game in Atlanta costs $100, while the price is $300 in Los Angeles.An alternative for visiting fans who do not have match tickets is to go to one of the Fan Festivals in and around the 16 host cities. The Fan Fest in Kansas City will be able to welcome up to 25,000 people. In New York, the US Open tennis venue at Flushing Meadows will be transformed into a fan zone holding up to 10,000 paying visitors, albeit only from June 17 to 28.
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Stuttgart’s Jamie Leweling celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal during the Bundesliga match against Wolfsburg in Stuttgart Sunday. (AFP) Jamie Leweling grabbed a first-half brace and Deniz Undav scored again as Stuttgart cruised to a 4-0 home victory over Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga Sunday. Nikolas Nartey scored in stoppage time as the German Cup holders drew level with third-placed Hoffenheim on 46 points. Stuttgart are five points ahead of fifth-placed RB Leipzig, who play at Hamburg in Sunday’s late game. Leweling praised coach Sebastian Hoeness, who reached 100 Bundesliga games as Stuttgart manager. “He developed me into the player I am today. He helped me a lot, gave me a lot of confidence,” said Leweling. “I think I’ve been repaying him with my performances - of course not always with two goals every game.” Wolfsburg, who haven’t been relegated since promotion to the Bundesliga in 1997, have won just one of their last 10 games and now sit second bottom, three points from safety. Stuttgart welcomed the Wolves to south-western Germany fresh from beating Celtic 4-2 over two legs to reach the Europa League last 16, where they will face Porto. Undav pounced on a poor clearance to put Stuttgart ahead with his 14th league goal after 21 minutes. Chris Fuehrich found Leweling on the half-hour mark to double Stuttgart’s lead and the Germany winger scored again just before half-time, volleying in from the right side of the box. Stuttgart added a fourth late on as Nartey scored with the final kick of the match. Goals from Fares Chaibi and Jean-Matteo Bahoya took Eintracht Frankfurt to a 2-0 home win over Freiburg, lifting the hosts past the visitors into seventh spot. Chaibi snuck a low shot into the bottom corner with 64 minutes gone. With nine minutes remaining, the Algerian passed to Bahoya who guided the ball over Freiburg’s Noah Atubolu and into the net. Frankfurt have now nabbed seven points from four matches since Spaniard Albert Riera took over as manager, with their only loss coming at league leaders Bayern Munich. Related Story
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Ethiopia’s Tadese Takele successfully defended his Tokyo Marathon title Sunday, edging Kenya’s Geoffrey Toroitich in a sprint finish to cross the line in 2hr 3min 37sec. Takele finished with the same official time as Toroitich after a dramatic battle for the line, with Kenya’s Alexander Mutiso just one second further behind in third place. “I knew that the final stage would be decisive,” said the 23-year-old Takele. “Around 41km I wanted to wait and see what would happen and then I made my move right before the finish.” Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei won the women’s race in 2:14:29, a new course record. Ethiopia’s Berukan Welde was second in 2:16:36, followed by her countrywoman Hawi Feysa in 2:17:39. In warm, dry conditions in the Japanese capital, a men’s leading pack including Takele, Toroitich, Mutiso and Kenya’s Daniel Mateiko broke away around the 37km mark. Takele made a late move and managed to stay in front despite a last-gasp challenge from Toroitich. “Today’s race was a great one,” said Takele. “There was intense and positive competition, and I’m truly happy that I was able to win.” The men’s field was weakened by the withdrawal through injury of Kenya’s Timothy Kiplagat and Ethiopia’s Milkesa Mengesha in the lead-up to the race. In the women’s competition, Kosgei was in a class of her own and finished more than two minutes clear of her nearest rival. Kosgei, the Tokyo Marathon champion and Olympic silver medallist in 2021, has said she will compete for Turkey at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. “We have a lot of athletes in Kenya,” said Kosgei. “I want some young generation to follow my step to join me in Turkey.”
