By Edgar Beltrán, The Pillar - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

Pope Leo XIV warned Monday of the dangers presented by artificial intelligence (AI), especially citing the threat of “increasingly autonomous weapons systems practically beyond human reach to govern effectively.” The topic of AI regulation was addressed in his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, or magnificent humanity, on safeguarding the human person in the time of AI. [...]

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At a press conference on Thursday, Assistant Attorney General for National Fraud Enforcement Colin McDonald announced that federal charges were being brought against 15 defendants accused of participating in fraudulent schemes in Minnesota. These individuals allegedly stole funds from Medicaid and other social service programs accumulating over $90 million in losses. McDonald stated that at [...]

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Mojnsen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Wednesday adopted a resolution enshrining the duty of member states to protect the global climate system by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The resolution calls upon states to comply with the obligations set out by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), giving legal force to the non-binding advisory opinion issued [...]

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Mandatory Credit: Photo by SARAH YENESEL/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock (16049970a) New York, New York, USA, 08 December 2025.

New York Judge Gregory Carro ruled Monday that the gun and notebook obtained during Luigi Mangione’s arrest in December 2024 are admissible as evidence in his state murder trial. Carro’s ruling comes with victories for both the prosecution and defense. On one hand, Carro ruled that the items examined at the station once Mangione was [...]

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Oklahoma District Judge Natalie Mai on Thursday ordered former death row inmate Richard Glossip to be released from prison while awaiting a retrial, after 29 years behind bars. During these 29 years, Glossip famously faced several execution dates and ate his “last meal” three times. Mai set the bail at $500,000, with release contingent upon [...]

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In a bid for emergency relief, Democratic officials in Virginia asked the US Supreme Court on Monday to reinstate the state’s new, voter-approved congressional map for the upcoming election. The partisan redistricting amendment that would have allowed the proposed map to take effect was struck down in a 4-3 decision by the Supreme Court of [...]

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KARL NORMAN ALONZO/PPD, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In a unanimous decision Thursday, Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (ICC) confirmed all charges against Philippines ex-president Rodrigo Duterte, sending him to a formal trial. The chamber based its decision on document submissions and evidence presented during confirmation hearings that took place in February, concluding that there are “substantial grounds” to believe [...]

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Amnesty International applauded on Wednesday the Italian government’s suspension its decades-long defense agreement with Israel, due to growing opposition to the Israeli military operations in the Middle East. Italy’s decision marks a departure from the right-wing government’s traditional supportive relationship with Israel. Opposition parties and Italian civil society voices had pushed for the action, as [...]

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Standardwhale, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Monday reported that Israeli strikes on four Iranian oil depots put the health of civilians and the environment at risk and may constitute war crimes under international humanitarian law. The group warned that the release of toxic pollutants may impose long-term effects on man-made and natural environments. HRW alerted to [...]

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