Researchers in Australia have built the largest quantum simulator yet to study complex quantum materials and advanced electronic behaviour. By placing individual atoms on silicon chips, the system recreates real-material interactions directly at the quantum level.
Unlike conventional computers, which struggle to model certain effects accurately, the simulator directly mirrors how electrons interact inside materials such as superconductors. This allows scientists to explore phenomena that would otherwise require enormous computational resources.
The system, known as Quantum Twins, consists of grids containing 15,000 qubits arranged to emulate atomic structures. By controlling how electrons move and interact across the grid, researchers can replicate key material properties linked to conductivity and magnetic behaviour.
Early experiments successfully simulated transitions between conducting and insulating states, as well as responses to magnetic fields. These results suggest the platform can handle complex two-dimensional systems that challenge classical modelling techniques.
Scientists in Australia believe the simulator could accelerate research into unconventional superconductors and other advanced materials, with potential applications in energy, electronics, medicine, and artificial photosynthesis technologies.
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Phishing continues to succeed despite increasingly sophisticated AI-driven threats, with attackers relying on familiar tools such as PDFs and cloud services. Researchers have identified a new campaign using legitimate-looking documents to redirect victims to credential-harvesting pages impersonating Dropbox.
The attack starts with professional emails framed as procurement or tender requests. When recipients open the attached PDF, they are quietly redirected through trusted cloud infrastructure before reaching a fake Dropbox login page designed to steal corporate credentials.
Each stage appears legitimate in isolation, allowing the campaign to bypass standard filters and authentication checks. Business-style language, reputable hosting platforms, and realistic branding reduce suspicion while exploiting everyday workplace routines.
Security specialists warn that long-standing trust in PDFs and mainstream cloud services has lowered user vigilance. Employees have been conditioned to view these formats as safe, creating opportunities for attackers to weaponise familiar business tools.
Experts say phishing awareness must evolve beyond basic link warnings to reflect modern multi-stage attacks. Alongside training, layered defences such as multi-factor authentication and anomaly detection remain essential for limiting damage.
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UN Secretary-General António Guterres has formally submitted, for consideration and appointment by the United Nations General Assembly, the proposed composition of a new Independent International Scientific Panel on AI, marking a step towards evidence-based global AI governance.
The panel brings together 40 experts from across regions and disciplines, selected through an open global call that attracted more than 2,600 applications, and members serve in a personal and independent capacity.
In his submission to the General Assembly, Guterres said the body would act as the first fully independent global scientific authority focused on closing the AI knowledge gap and assessing real-world impacts across economies and societies.
According to the UN chief, a reliable and unbiased understanding of AI has become essential as technologies reshape governance, labour markets, and social systems at an accelerating speed.
The panel will operate for an initial three-year term, aiming to provide a shared scientific foundation for international cooperation amid rising geopolitical tension and technological competition.
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The European Commission is testing a European open source system for its internal communications as worries grow in Brussels over deep dependence on US software.
A spokesperson said the administration is preparing a solution built on the Matrix protocol instead of relying solely on Microsoft Teams.
Matrix is already used by several European institutions, including the French government, German healthcare bodies and armed forces across the continent.
The Commission aims to deploy it as a complement and backup to Teams rather than a full replacement. Officials noted that Signal currently fills that role but lacks the flexibility needed for an organisation of the Commission’s size.
The initiative forms part of a wider push for digital sovereignty within the EU. A Matrix-based tool could eventually link the Commission with other Union bodies that currently lack a unified secure communication platform.
Officials said there is already an operational connection with the European Parliament.
The trial reflects growing sensitivity about Europe’s strategic dependence on non-European digital services.
By developing home-grown communication infrastructure instead of leaning on a single foreign supplier, the Commission hopes to build a more resilient and sovereign technological foundation.
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Spain is preparing legislation to ban social media access for users under 16, with the proposal expected to be introduced within days. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez framed the move as a child-protection measure aimed at reducing exposure to harmful online environments.
Government plans include mandatory age-verification systems for platforms, designed to serve as practical barriers rather than symbolic safeguards. Officials argue that minors face escalating risks online, including addiction, exploitation, violent content, and manipulation.
Additional provisions could hold technology executives legally accountable for unlawful or hateful content that remains online. The proposal reflects a broader regulatory shift toward platform responsibility and stricter enforcement standards.
Momentum for youth restrictions is building across Europe. France and Denmark are pursuing similar controls, while the EU Digital Services Act guidelines allow member states to define a national ‘digital majority age’.
The European Commission is also testing an age verification app, with wider deployment expected next year.
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Google’s AI chatbot Gemini has surpassed 750 million monthly users, signalling rapid consumer adoption, according to fourth-quarter 2025 earnings. The figure jumped from 650 million in the previous quarter, reinforcing Gemini’s rapid expansion in the generative AI market.
Competitive positioning remains solid. Meta AI has nearly 500 million users, while ChatGPT leads globally with about 810 million. Ongoing product upgrades and ecosystem integration across Google services have sustained Gemini’s growth momentum.
Gemini 3 has driven adoption, with Google calling it its most advanced model, offering deeper reasoning and more nuanced responses. Leadership called the release a key growth driver, with further investment and updates expected to sustain expansion.
Broader AI demand is also lifting Alphabet’s financial performance. Annual revenue has topped $400 billion for the first time, driven by enterprise API demand and infrastructure growth, including the Ironwood TPU rollout.
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Roughly $500 billion has been wiped from the cryptocurrency market over the past week as a Bitcoin-led sell-off accelerated. Total digital asset capitalisation fell by about $467.6 billion since 29 January, reflecting broad risk-off sentiment across global markets.
Bitcoin briefly dropped to a 15-month low of $72,877 before rebounding 1.31% to $76,681.72. The asset remains down 13% year-to-date and nearly 39% below its October peak above $126,000, underscoring sustained selling pressure.
Macro forces are driving the downturn. Escalating US-Iran tensions pushed capital toward traditional safe havens, while currency shifts, interest rate differentials, and tightening liquidity conditions weighed on leverage and stablecoin flows.
Analysts say the decline reflects positioning resets and broader market nervousness rather than a single catalyst.
Near-term outlook remains cautious. Liquidation pressure persists, though key structural supports continue to hold. Technical analysts identify $73,000 as critical downside support, while reclaiming the $77,500–78,000 range would be needed to restore bullish momentum.
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Search behaviour around XRP increasingly reflects the psychological side of the crypto market. Negative narratives spread quickly online, shaping sentiment and fuelling volatility. Data shows that ‘XRP scam’ search spikes often appear during strong price rallies.
Crypto analyst Leonidas compared Google Trends data for ‘Ripple scam’ and ‘XRP scam’ with XRP’s price chart. Results show that damaging search surges typically align with bullish moves and sometimes precede pullbacks, suggesting that perception pressure builds during peak momentum.
Rapid price growth tends to trigger retail curiosity and concern, primarily when sensational claims circulate widely. Search spikes often coincide with heightened mainstream and social media exposure, indicating sentiment reacts to price action rather than fundamentals.
Despite recurring allegations and past regulatory scrutiny, institutional partnerships and XRP Ledger adoption remain intact. Analysts stress that sentiment spikes rarely signal structural weakness, urging investors to prioritise utility and adoption metrics.
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Medical AI promises faster analysis, more accurate pattern detection, and continuous availability, yet most systems still struggle to perform reliably in real clinical environments beyond laboratory testing.
Researchers led by Marinka Zitnik at Harvard Medical School identify contextual errors as a key reason why medical AI often fails when deployed in hospitals and clinics.
Models frequently generate technically sound responses that overlook crucial factors, such as medical speciality, geographic conditions, and patients’ socioeconomic circumstances, thereby limiting their real-world usefulness.
The study argues that training datasets, model architecture, and performance benchmarks must integrate contextual information to prevent misleading or impractical recommendations.
Improving transparency, trust, and human-AI collaboration could allow context-aware systems to support clinicians more effectively while reducing harm and inequality in care delivery.
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Reports suggest Australia may expand biometric and identity data sharing with US authorities through border security and visa negotiations, granting enforcement agencies broader access to sensitive personal information.
Information reportedly covered includes passport numbers, dates of birth, facial images, fingerprints, and criminal or immigration records. Such access could allow US authorities to query Australian-held databases directly, bypassing traditional legal cooperation procedures.
No official treaty text or confirmation has been released by either government, and responses have remained general, avoiding details about the Enhanced Border Security Partnership negotiations. The absence of transparency has raised concerns among privacy advocates and legal commentators.
Australia and the United States already cooperate through established frameworks such as the Visa Waiver Program, Migration 5 agreements, and the CLOUD Act. Existing mechanisms involve structured, case-by-case data sharing with legal oversight rather than unrestricted database access.
Analysts note that confirmed arrangements differ significantly from claims of open biometric access, though expanding security vetting requirements continue to increase cross-border data flows. Debate is growing over privacy, sovereignty, and the long-term implications of deeper information sharing.
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