Author: admin

“How to Train Your Dragon” filmmaker Dean DeBlois has heard the “remake fatigue” concerns. In Hollywood’s quest to get family audiences to movie theaters, the industry has often opted to re-package something familiar, lately in the form of a live-action, or hybrid remake. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.That’s part of the reason why DeBlois, who directed the animated movies, wanted to also be the person behind the live action remake, coming to theaters June 25. He knew how to do it, and how to do it well.“We were careful,” DeBlois said. “We wanted to make sure that if we…

Chaucer, a global specialty insurance and reinsurance group, has teamed up with Armilla AI to launch a new standalone third-party liability (TPL) insurance product aimed at tackling the unique risks posed by AI technologies.The collaboration aims to address the growing concerns around mechanical underperformance in AI systems and the legal liabilities that can arise from such failures.As AI adoption surges, Chaucer and Armilla AI have partnered to launch a specialized insurance product addressing evolving AI risks.Merging Chaucer’s specialty insurance expertise with Armilla AI’s technical risk tools, the new TPL product protects US organisations from liabilities such as hallucinations, model drift,…

Regulatory enforcement saw a sharp decline in the first quarter of 2025, with both the volume and monetary value of fines significantly lower than in previous quarters.  However, this quieter period did not mark a retreat from scrutiny, particularly around how financial firms treat their customers and manage governance. According to a recent enforcement report for Q1 by Corlytics, customer treatment was a recurring theme in enforcement actions across major financial markets. In the US, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) took action against Sutherland Global for misleading borrowers by sending letters suggesting their loans were in default. The bureau also penalised…

Bamboo Insurance, a California-based InsurTech focused on simplifying property insurance, has launched a new fire prevention initiative in partnership with Whisker Labs.The initiative involves providing eligible policyholders with the Ting fire prevention sensor and service at no cost. This move reflects the company’s continued focus on safeguarding families, homes, and pets through advanced technology.The decision to roll out the Ting sensor stems from Bamboo Insurance’s commitment to improving household safety while proactively reducing risks associated with electrical fires.The InsurTech aims to deepen customer trust and satisfaction by offering practical tools that go beyond traditional coverage.Known for its flexible and tech-enabled…

A Ukrainian national was extradited from Spain to the US on Wednesday to face charges related to his involvement in Nefilim ransomware attacks. The man, Artem Stryzhak, was arrested in Spain in 2024. He is charged with fraud conspiracy, including extortion, and faces up to five years in prison. According to an indictment unsealed on Thursday, Stryzhak became a Nefilim ransomware affiliate in June 2021. He was granted access to the malware through the online Nefilim panel, in exchange for 20% of the ransom proceeds. Discovered in March 2020 and operating as a ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) enterprise, Nefilim has been used…

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Right after Sunday worship at St. Paul’s-San Pablo Lutheran Church, Juan Carlos Toapanta lay in a lounge chair set up by the altar, needles sticking out of his forehead, wrist and foot for an hourlong acupuncture session.“Just like the Lord’s light helps emotionally, the body’s pain is treated as well,” said the Ecuadorian construction worker, who suffers from sciatica and has worshipped at the Minneapolis church for about five months. “Everything feels freed, emotionally.”Founded by Swedish immigrants in the late 19th century, the church is now a predominantly Latino congregation. Like most other churches in the U.S.…

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Home ownership is receding further out of reach for most Americans as elevated mortgage rates and rising prices stretch the limits of what buyers can afford.A homebuyer now needs to earn at least $114,000 a year to afford a $431,250 home — the national median listing price in April, according to data released Thursday by Realtor.comThe analysis assumes that a homebuyer will make a 20% down payment, finance the rest of the purchase with a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, and that the buyer’s housing costs won’t exceed 30% of their gross monthly income — an often-used barometer…

US President Donald Trump overseeing ‘troubling deterioration’ in press freedom in US, Reporters Without Borders says.Palestine has become the world’s most dangerous state for journalists amid Israel’s war on Gaza, with dozens of reporters likely killed specifically due to their work, a media freedom watchdog has said. Israeli forces killed nearly 200 journalists in the first 18 months of the war, at least 42 of whom were slain while doing their job, Reporters Without Borders said on Friday as it released its World Press Freedom Index 2025. “Trapped in the enclave, journalists in Gaza have no shelter and lack everything,…

LONDON (AP) — Russell Brand got out of a sleek black Mercedes on Friday and took his first steps toward a court where he faces charges of rape and sexual assault in a scene far removed from a walk down a Hollywood red carpet.The actor-comedian, wearing a black collared shirt open to his midsection and sporting a gold cross, was quickly mobbed by cameras. He stood bolt upright and paced slowly forward through a crush of media and onlookers, protected by a ring of bodyguards and uniformed police officers.The comedian, author and “Get Him To The Greek” actor gave a…

Social media campaign depicts fictional scenes of officials becoming disillusioned with ruling Chinese Communist Party.The CIA has launched a Chinese-language social media campaign calling on government officials in China to switch sides and leak secrets to the United States. The two videos released on Thursday depict fictional scenes involving Chinese officials who approach the top intelligence agency after becoming disillusioned with the ruling Communist Party of China (CCP). In one of the videos, an actor depicting a senior CCP member describes the fear he feels for his family as he witnesses officials around him being purged like “worn-out shoes”. “This…