Terrasse-Vaudreuil, Quebec, has officially recognized trees as living beings with rights, including the right to life and natural growth. The move, inspired by a filmmaker and supported by environmental groups, aims to protect trees as 'green infrastructure' against climate change.
Anya Taylor-Joy joins the cast of "The Hunt for Gollum" as Seren, a new elf character created for the film. Directed by Andy Serkis, the movie focuses on Aragorn's pursuit of Gollum. Taylor-Joy's role suggests a potential "road movie" dynamic with Aragorn and Gollum, exploring themes of espionage and the fate of Middle-earth.
Patrick Mahomes has agreed to a contract extension with the Kansas City Chiefs, making him the first NFL player to earn over $500m. The deal ties him to the franchise until 2033.
Pope Leo begins Spain tour by urging leaders to seek unity over division, emphasizing peace, and meeting with marginalized groups, including migrants and sexual abuse survivors, amidst a backdrop of Spain's progressive immigration policies and the Church's reckoning with its past.
Aaron Rai won the PGA Championship, earning praise from fellow golfers like Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm for his character and dedication. Rai, who represents his Indian, English, and Kenyan heritage, attributes his success to his family's sacrifices and his own relentless work ethic.
Pope Leo XIV is establishing a new Vatican commission to coordinate the Catholic Church's response to artificial intelligence. This move precedes his first encyclical, which will prioritize an ethics-based approach to AI and its impact on human dignity, justice, and labor.
A US congressional commission is pressing President Donald Trump to confront his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping over detained Americans when the leaders meet this week, warning that silence would leave Beijing free to “use human beings as bargaining chips”. The Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), in a letter to Trump dated May 7, aired concerns over the growing threat arising from the Communist Party’s use of “hostage diplomacy, coercive exit bans and transnational repression”...
Patriots quarterback Drake Maye stood behind his coach and said he doesn't think Mike Vrabel's off-field issues will be a distraction this season.
Wu Yize, a 22-year-old snooker prodigy from Lanzhou, China, stands eight frames away from winning the World Championship against veteran Shaun Murphy, who trails 10-7 in the final at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre. The feature paints the match as a testament to human perseverance, celebrating Murphy's journey through three lost finals since his 2005 title triumph when Wu was a baby, and the Chinese player's preternatural precision.
Researchers from University of Missouri-Kansas City and University of Arizona analyzed 22 studies with over 2,000 participants and found the average daily spoken words fell from 16,632 in 2005 to 11,900 in 2019—a 28% drop. Younger people lost 451 words per day annually versus 314 for those over 25. The trend likely continued post-pandemic, potentially bringing daily speech below 10,000 words.
Palantir CEO Alex Karp is a man in charge of one of the most important and frightening companies in the world. Karp's new book, co-written with Nicholas Zamiska, is called "The Technological Republic." After claiming "because we get asked a lot", Palantir posted a 22-point summary of the book that reads like a corporate manifesto. […]
