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A critical security vulnerability in the open-source AI assistant OpenClaw has exposed developers to silent takeovers of their automated workflows, raising fresh concerns about the risks tied to rapidly deployed autonomous coding tools. OpenClaw, a
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Spain's Cristina Bucsa captured her first WTA title on Sunday, beating Poland's Magdalena Frech 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 in the final of the hardcourt tournament in Merida, Mexico.The 63rd-ranked Bucsa was coming off her first career
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Marco Bezzecchi won the MotoGP season-opening grand prix in Thailand from pole position on Sunday as defending world champion Marc Marquez retired late with a buckled wheel.Aprilia’s Bezzecchi led from start to finish to top
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Equinix and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board have struck a $4 billion deal to acquire Nordic data centre operator atNorth from Partners Group, marking one of the largest transactions in Europe’s digital infrastructure sector and
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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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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
