Pull up to a Starbucks drive-thru in the US and you might hear a cheerful voice taking your order. Human? Not always. In some locations, it’s an AI doing the talking.Inside the store, baristas now lean on virtual assistants to recall recipes or juggle schedules. Smart scanners quietly handle the dreaded task of counting inventory.
What does a “normal day” look like in Balochistan anymore? On one of the bloodiest days the province has seen in years, coordinated gun and bomb attacks ripped through south-western Pakistan. They killed 18 civilians and 15 members of the security forces, according to the military. The violence spanned at least a dozen towns and
Scientists expected bad news. Instead, they got a surprise. Polar bears in Svalbard, a Norwegian Arctic archipelago, are actually fatter and healthier than they were in the early 1990s. Yes—despite shrinking sea ice. How does that happen? For decades, polar bears have depended on sea ice to hunt seals, building up the fat they need
What’s supposed to be a space for dialogue turned tense — and dangerous — in Minneapolis on Tuesday. During a town hall hosted by Representative Ilhan Omar, an audience member suddenly sprayed an unknown liquid at her. The audience member used a syringe. Shock rippled through the room. Omar? She didn’t flinch. “I’m ok,” she
A routine take-off turned into chaos in the middle of a brutal winter storm. How much can pilots really see when snow, wind and darkness collide? Seven people were killed after a private jet crashed while departing Bangor International Airport in Maine on Sunday night. One crew member was seriously injured. The Bombardier Challenger 600,
The US is deep in a winter deep-freeze — and it’s not letting up. From Texas to New England, a powerful storm has turned daily life upside down, leaving at least seven people dead. Millions asking the same thing: how cold is too cold? Roads are shut. Schools are closed. Flights? Thousands wiped off departure
What does a normal person do on a Saturday? Alex Honnold climbs a 508-metre skyscraper. Without a rope. Without a harness. And without blinking. The American climber has pulled off another jaw-dropping feat, free-soloing Taipei 101 — a steel-and-glass giant designed to look like a bamboo stalk. It is tall enough to make even seasoned
When India rolls out the red carpet for its Republic Day next Monday, the guest list will say as much as the parade itself. European Council President António Costa and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen will be front and centre. Why does that matter? Because behind the pageantry lies a high-stakes push to
What happens when rain turns deadly and snow shuts a country down? Across Afghanistan, severe storms have done just that. At least 14 people have been killed after heavy rain, fierce winds and snow. Officials say avalanches and landslides were triggered this week. The danger isn’t over yet. In Kandahar, strong winds and rain tore
US President Donald Trump used the World Economic Forum stage on Thursday to unveil his new “Board of Peace”. A body he says will start by shoring up Gaza’s fragile ceasefire but could eventually stretch far beyond it. How far? In Trump’s own words: “Once this board is completely formed, we can do pretty much
Measles is back—and it’s spreading fast. South Carolina has reported 88 new cases in just days, pushing the state’s total to 646 infections since October. Health officials say the surge has forced more than 500 people, including students across 15 schools, into quarantine. And that’s raising a bigger question: is the US at risk of
China’s baby bust just hit a new low — and it’s raising uncomfortable questions about the country’s future. Official figures released Monday show births fell to a record low last year, even as Beijing throws incentives at young families. So how bad is it? Only 7.92 million babies were born nationwide in 2025 — the
