Kapuas Hulu (Indonesia) (AFP) – Indonesian villager Octavius wades through the forest in rubber boots and tattered joggers, ears pricked, eyes peeled, a telephoto lens on his phone primed to capture orangutans, monkeys or birds. The daily photo hunt earns Octavius and hundreds of others in Borneo cash as part of a conservation programme seeking to make animals worth more alive than dead.
San Francisco (United States) (AFP) – Dozens of protesters march in San Francisco to demand that artificial intelligence companies “stop the AI race” as fears mount over the safety of the technology. A security research company said Friday it managed to break into OpenAI’s internal systems using the latest software from Anthropic, exposing how quickly the technology can carry out sophisticated cyberattacks.
San Francisco (United States) (AFP) – Dozens of protesters march in San Francisco to demand that artificial intelligence companies “stop the AI race” as fears mount over the safety of the technology. A security research company said Friday it managed to break into OpenAI’s internal systems using the latest software from Anthropic, exposing how quickly the technology can carry out sophisticated cyberattacks.
Damascus (AFP) – Syrian singer Assala Nasri makes a triumphant comeback to Damascus in a sold-out concert after 15 years of exile due to her opposition to ousted ruler Bashar al-Assad. Syria’s new Islamist authorities, who overthrew Assad in 2024, have welcomed Assala, with Culture Minister Mohammed Yassine Saleh calling her “the daughter of Damascus”.
London (AFP) – Prince Harry attends the inaugural Invictus Spirit Awards in his first public appearance since returning to the United Kingdom. Harry and wife Meghan have kept a low profile since returning to Britain three weeks ago. Speculation abounds over the reasons for their return, given that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex left in the middle of a falling-out with his family, which only worsened after Harry published his tell-all memoir ‘Spare’.
Seoul (AFP) – South Korean President Lee Jae Myung says that US President Donald Trump clearly wants dialogue with Pyongyang. Trump, seeking to revive the bond he claims to have forged with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in his first term, said last month that he plans to meet Kim later this year. Lee says it is “clear” that “Trump wants dialogue, and I am also encouraging him to talk.”
Seoul (AFP) – South Korean President Lee Jae Myung says that US President Donald Trump clearly wants dialogue with Pyongyang. Trump, seeking to revive the bond he claims to have forged with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in his first term, said last month that he plans to meet Kim later this year. Lee says it is “clear” that “Trump wants dialogue, and I am also encouraging him to talk.”
Bangkok (AFP) – From a working-class childhood on the southern English coast to the top foreign-born monk in Thailand, Shaun Chiverton’s quest for a better life has taken him further than most. Five decades after he travelled to India to follow the Buddha’s teachings, the 68-year-old this summer became the first non-Thai to be elevated to rank of Somdet Phra Rachakhana, or royal monastic leader — the second-highest level in Thailand’s monkhood.
Bangkok (AFP) – From a working-class childhood on the southern English coast to the top foreign-born monk in Thailand, Shaun Chiverton’s quest for a better life has taken him further than most. Five decades after he travelled to India to follow the Buddha’s teachings, the 68-year-old this summer became the first non-Thai to be elevated to rank of Somdet Phra Rachakhana, or royal monastic leader — the second-highest level in Thailand’s monkhood.
Gold Coast (Australia) (AFP) – Images released by Olaf Meynecke of Griffith University’s Whales and Climate Research Program appears to show a humpback whale mother grieving her stillborn calf. The new research released Thursday offers rare insights into the complex emotions of the sea-dwelling mammals. The footage was taken off Australia’s Gold Coast last year, and shows the female humpback whale staying close to the dead calf as it lies motionless on the sea floor.
Tullamore (Ireland) (AFP) – Among the roar of tractors and clip-clop of horses, precision, tradition and technology meet in rural Ireland’s biggest annual gathering: the National Ploughing Championships, where horse-drawn ploughs and GPS-guided machinery offer contrasting visions of farming’s past and future. Veteran competitors preserve skills once passed down through generations, while engineers explore how “autonomous tractors” could support an ageing workforce.
Tullamore (Ireland) (AFP) – Among the roar of tractors and clip-clop of horses, precision, tradition and technology meet in rural Ireland’s biggest annual gathering: the National Ploughing Championships, where horse-drawn ploughs and GPS-guided machinery offer contrasting visions of farming’s past and future. Veteran competitors preserve skills once passed down through generations, while engineers explore how “autonomous tractors” could support an ageing workforce.
