Ukraine’s parliament has introduced a bill proposing to allow the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) to include Bitcoin as part of the country’s state reserves, alongside gold and foreign currencies. The bill 13356 gives the NBU full discretion to buy and manage cryptocurrencies without any obligation.
Supporters argue that incorporating digital assets into national reserves could enhance Ukraine’s macroeconomic stability and boost the digital economy.
Lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak said the flexible framework lets the NBU decide when, how, and how much cryptocurrency to acquire independently.
Several countries, including the US, El Salvador, Switzerland, and Brazil, are exploring or already hold cryptocurrencies in their reserves. Ukraine’s move aligns with this global trend and signals an openness to financial innovation, potentially improving its attractiveness to investors and fintech firms.
While cautious, the bill represents a step towards modernising Ukraine’s economic policy and integrating emerging financial technologies.
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The Alan Turing Institute has warned that urgent action is needed to protect the UK’s AI research from espionage, intellectual property theft and risky international collaborations.
The report highlights inconsistencies in how security risks are understood within universities and a lack of incentives for researchers to follow government guidelines. Sensitive data, the dual-use potential of AI, and the risk of reverse engineering make the field particularly vulnerable to foreign interference.
Lead author Megan Hughes stressed the need for a coordinated response, urging government and academia to find the right balance between academic freedom and security.
The report outlines 13 recommendations, including expanding support for academic due diligence and issuing clearer guidance on high-risk international partnerships.
Further proposals call for compulsory research security training, better threat communication from national agencies, and standardised risk assessments before publishing AI research.
The aim is to build a more resilient research ecosystem as global interest in UK-led AI innovation continues to grow.
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Meta Platforms has unveiled V-JEPA 2, an open-source AI model designed to help machines understand and interact with the physical world more like humans do.
The technology allows AI agents, including delivery robots and autonomous vehicles, to observe object movement and predict how those objects may behave in response to actions.
The company explained that just as people intuitively understand that a ball tossed into the air will fall due to gravity, AI systems using V-JEPA 2 gain a similar ability to reason about cause and effect in the real world.
Trained using video data, the model recognises patterns in how humans and objects move and interact, helping machines learn to reach, grasp, and reposition items more naturally.
Meta described the tool as a step forward in building AI that can think ahead, plan actions and respond intelligently to dynamic environments. In lab tests, robots powered by V-JEPA 2 performed simple tasks that relied on spatial awareness and object handling.
The company, led by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is ramping up its AI initiatives to compete with rivals like Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI. By improving machine reasoning through world models such as V-JEPA 2, Meta aims to accelerate its progress toward more advanced AI.
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Apple is rolling out Apple Intelligence, its generative AI platform, across popular apps including Messages, Mail, and Notes. Introduced in late 2024 and expanded in 2025, the platform blends text and image generation, redesigned Siri features, and integrations with ChatGPT.
The AI-enhanced Siri can now edit photos, summarise content, and interact across apps with contextual awareness. Writing tools offer grammar suggestions, tone adjustments, and content generation, while image tools allow for Genmoji creation and prompt-based visuals via the Image Playground app.
Unlike competitors, Apple uses on-device processing for many tasks, prioritising privacy. More complex queries are sent to its Private Cloud Compute system running on Apple Silicon, with a visible fallback if offline. Additional features like Visual Intelligence and Live Translation are expected later in 2025.
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Binance has announced it will now allow Syrian residents to access its cryptocurrency services, following the recent suspension of US sanctions on Syria. The platform had previously barred Syrian users due to longstanding international restrictions.
With Syria no longer classified as a prohibited country, local users can now register and engage in spot and futures trading, staking, cross-border payments via Binance Pay, and educational tools in Arabic.
The exchange stated that it aims to contribute to Syria’s economic recovery and digital growth, in line with international compliance.
The shift follows the rise of Syria’s new leadership under President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who came to power in December 2024 after overthrowing Bashar al-Assad. In response, US President Donald Trump declared an end to sanctions in May 2025, offering Syria ‘a chance at greatness’.
Due to persistent inflation and currency instability, Syrians have increasingly turned to crypto. Despite sanctions, Syria has ranked among the top 10 countries for crypto-related search activity since 2021, highlighting the region’s demand for financial alternatives.
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Meta and TikTok have taken their fight against an the EU supervisory fee to Europe’s second-highest court, arguing that the charges are disproportionate and based on flawed calculations.
The fee, introduced under the Digital Services Act (DSA), requires major online platforms to pay 0.05% of their annual global net income to cover the European Commission’s oversight costs.
Meta questioned the Commission’s methodology, claiming the levy was based on the entire group’s revenue instead of the specific EU-based subsidiary.
The company’s lawyer told judges it still lacked clarity on how the fee was calculated, describing the process as opaque and inconsistent with the spirit of the law.
TikTok also criticised the charge, alleging inaccurate and discriminatory data inflated its payment.
Its legal team argued that user numbers were double-counted when people switched between devices. The Commission had wrongly calculated fees based on group profits rather than platform-specific earnings.
The Commission defended its approach, saying group resources should bear the cost when consolidated accounts are used. A ruling is expected from the General Court sometime next year.
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Orange Business and Toshiba Europe have launched France’s first commercial quantum-safe network service in Paris.
The Orange Quantum Defender, now living in the greater Paris region, aims to shield organisations from cyber threats posed by future quantum computing capabilities.
The service combines Toshiba’s Quantum Key Distribution and Post-Quantum Cryptography technologies to protect sensitive data with a multi-layered approach. A major French financial institution already uses the network to safeguard its critical infrastructure.
After years of testing, the partners confirmed the system works over existing fibre networks, cutting costs and easing enterprise adoption.
Leaders at both companies say the launch marks a turning point in cybersecurity preparedness for the quantum age.
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At London Tech Week, Darktrace and UK officials warned that many firms are over-relying on AI tools while failing to implement basic cybersecurity practices.
Despite the hype around AI, essential measures like user access control and system segmentation remain missing in many organisations.
Cybercriminals are already exploiting AI to automate phishing and accelerate intrusions in the UK, while outdated infrastructure and short-term thinking leave companies vulnerable.
Boards often struggle to assess AI tools properly, buying into trends rather than addressing real threats.
Experts stressed that AI is not a silver bullet and must be used alongside human expertise and solid security foundations.
Domain-specific AI models, built with transparency and interpretability, are needed to avoid the dangers of overconfidence and misapplication in high-risk areas.
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Two of Hollywood’s most powerful studios, Disney and Universal, have launched a copyright infringement lawsuit against the AI firm Midjourney, accusing it of illegally replicating iconic characters.
The studios claim the San Francisco-based company copied their creative works without permission, describing it as a ‘bottomless pit of plagiarism’.
Characters such as Darth Vader, Elsa, and the Minions were cited in the 143-page complaint, which alleges Midjourney used these images to train its AI system and generate similar content.
Disney and Universal argue that the AI firm failed to invest in the creative process, yet profited heavily from the output — reportedly earning $US300 million in paid subscriptions last year.
Despite early attempts by the studios to raise concerns and propose safeguards already adopted by other AI developers,
Midjourney allegedly ignored them and pressed ahead with further product releases. The company, which calls itself a small, self-funded team of 11, has declined to comment on the lawsuit directly but insists it has a long future ahead.
Disney’s legal chief, Horacio Gutierrez, stressed the importance of protecting creative works that result from decades of investment. While supporting AI as a tool for innovation, he maintained that ‘piracy is piracy’, regardless of whether humans or machines carry it out.
The studios are seeking damages and a court order to stop the AI firm from continuing its alleged copyright violations.
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The US Senate has taken a significant step towards regulating stablecoins, voting 68–30 to advance the GENIUS Act. The legislation requires stablecoins to be fully backed and mandates yearly audits for issuers valued at over $50 billion.
A final vote is expected on Monday unless the debate is concluded sooner.
Although the bill received bipartisan support, it has also triggered notable opposition. Leading Democrats, including Elizabeth Warren and Chuck Schumer, voted against it, citing unresolved amendments and ethical concerns.
Senator Warren accused lawmakers of facilitating corruption linked to Donald Trump’s expanding involvement in the crypto sector.
Trump’s growing ties to digital assets have added fresh controversy. His firm, World Liberty Financial, recently launched a US Treasury-backed stablecoin named USD1.
The Trump family has also introduced meme coins such as $TRUMP and $MELANIA, reportedly generating profits from transaction fees despite significant price volatility.
While the Senate progresses towards a final vote, the outcome in the House remains uncertain. Issues between the two chambers, especially regarding foreign issuers and state regulation, need resolution before a unified framework can be implemented.
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