Digital standards

ALX and Anthropic partner with Rwanda on AI education

A landmark partnership between ALX, Anthropic, and the Government of Rwanda has launched a major AI learning initiative across Africa.

The program introduces ‘Chidi’, an AI-powered learning companion built on Anthropic’s Claude model. Instead of providing direct answers, the system is designed to guide learners through critical thinking and problem-solving, positioning African talent at the centre of global tech innovation.

An initiative, described as one of the largest AI-enhanced education deployments on the continent, that will see Chidi integrated into Rwanda’s public education system. A pilot phase will involve up to 2,000 educators and select civil servants.

According to the partners, the collaboration aims to ensure Africa’s youth become creators of AI technology instead of remaining merely consumers of it.

A three-way collaboration that unites ALX’s training infrastructure, Anthropic’s AI technology, and Rwanda’s progressive digital policy. The working group, the researchers noted, will document insights to inform Rwanda’s national AI policy.

The initiative sets a new standard for inclusive, AI-powered learning, with Rwanda serving as a launch hub for future deployments across the continent.

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Google launches WeatherNext 2 for faster forecasts

WeatherNext 2, Google’s latest AI forecasting model, offers significantly faster and more precise weather predictions. Developed by DeepMind and Google Research, the model produces forecasts eight times faster with hourly resolution, aiding decisions from supply chains to daily commutes.

The model generates hundreds of weather scenarios from a single starting point, enabling agencies and businesses to plan for all potential outcomes, including extreme events.

Its predictions outperform the previous WeatherNext model on 99.9% of variables, providing more accurate forecasts for temperature, wind, humidity, and other factors.

A Functional Generative Network (FGN) powers WeatherNext 2, allowing it to predict both individual weather elements and complex interconnected systems. The system enables applications such as forecasting regional heatwaves or wind farm output, while keeping predictions physically realistic.

Forecast data is available through Google Earth Engine, BigQuery, and an early access programme on Vertex AI, while WeatherNext 2 now powers Search, Gemini, Pixel Weather, and Google Maps’ Weather API.

Google plans to expand access further, supporting researchers, developers, and businesses to make informed decisions and accelerate scientific discovery.

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Cloudflare buys AI platform Replicate

Cloudflare has agreed to purchase Replicate, a platform simplifying the deployment and running of AI models. The technology aims to cut down on GPU hardware and infrastructure needs typically required for complex AI.

The acquisition will integrate Replicate’s extensive library of over 50,000 AI models into the Cloudflare platform. Developers can then access and deploy any AI model globally using just a single line of code for rapid implementation.

Matthew Prince, Cloudflare’s chief executive, stated the acquisition will make his company the ‘most seamless, all-in-one shop for AI development’. The move abstracts away infrastructure complexities so developers can focus only on delivering amazing products.

Replicate had previously raised $40m in venture funding from prominent investors in the US. Integrating Replicate’s community and models with Cloudflare’s global network will create a singular platform for building tomorrow’s next big AI applications.

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Abridge AI scribe allegedly gives doctors an hour back daily

A new study led by Yale University confirmed that Abridge’s ambient AI scribe significantly reduces burnout for medical professionals. Clinicians who used the documentation technology experienced a sharp decline in burnout rates over the first thirty days of use.

AI may offer a scalable solution to administrative demands faced by practitioners nationwide. The quality study, published in ‘Jama Network Open’, examined 263 practitioners across six different healthcare systems.

Burnout rates dropped from 51.9 percent to 38.8 percent after the one-month intervention programme. Secondary analysis showed the AI scribes reduced the odds of burnout by a substantial seventy-four percent.

The ambient AI scribe also led to substantial improvements in the clinicians’ cognitive task load. Practitioners reported they were better able to give undivided attention to patients during their clinical consultations.

High documentation demands are increasing clinician attrition, whilst physician shortages multiply across the sector. Reducing the burdensome administrative load is now critical for maintaining quality patient care and professional well-being.

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Europe ramps up bid for digital independence

European leaders gathered in Berlin for the Summit on European Digital Sovereignty, where France and Germany unveiled a series of major commitments aimed at boosting the EU’s technological autonomy and competitiveness. The event brought together more than 900 policymakers, industry figures, and researchers from across the bloc to outline new measures aimed to reducing reliance on non-EU technologies, strengthening digital infrastructure, and supporting European innovation.

Paris and Berlin identified seven strategic areas for action, including simplifying the EU digital regulation, strengthening competition in strategic markets, and establishing higher protection standards for Europe’s most sensitive data. The two countries also endorsed the expansion of digital commons, backed the rollout of the EU Digital Identity Wallet, and committed to broadening the use of open-source tools within public administrations.

A new Franco-German task force will work on defining what constitutes a European digital service, developing indicators of sovereignty, and shaping policy tools to reinforce strategic sectors, including cloud services, AI, and cybersecurity.

The summit also highlighted ambitions to make Europe a leader in frontier AI by fostering public-private collaboration and attracting large-scale investment. European tech companies pledged over €12 billion for key digital technologies, signalling a strong private-sector commitment to the sovereignty agenda.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron both praised the progress made, stressing that Europe must shape its technological future on its own terms and accelerate the development and adoption of homegrown solutions.

With political momentum, cross-border cooperation, and significant financial backing, the summit marked one of the EU’s most coordinated pushes yet to build a secure, competitive, and sovereign digital ecosystem.

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Outage at Cloudflare takes multiple websites offline worldwide

Cloudflare has suffered a major outage, disrupting access to multiple high-profile websites, including X and Letterboxd. Users encountered internal server error messages linked to Cloudflare’s network, prompting concerns of a broader infrastructure failure.

The problems began around 11.30 a.m. UK time, with some sites briefly loading after refreshes. Cloudflare issued an update minutes later, confirming that it was aware of an incident affecting multiple customers but did not identify a cause or timeline for resolution.

Outage tracker Down Detector was also intermittently unavailable, later showing a sharp rise in reports once restored. Affected sites displayed repeated error messages advising users to try again later, indicating partial service degradation rather than full shutdowns.

Cloudflare provides core internet infrastructure, including traffic routing and cyberattack protection, which means failures can cascade across unrelated services. Similar disruption followed an AWS incident last month, highlighting the systemic risk of centralised web infrastructure.

The company states that it is continuing to investigate the issue. No mitigation steps or source of failure have yet been disclosed, and Cloudflare has warned that further updates will follow once more information becomes available.

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Berlin summit links digital strategy to wider European security

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron will host a Berlin summit to reduce Europe’s reliance on US tech platforms and to shape a more independent EU digital strategy. The meeting coincides with planned revisions to EU AI and data rules.

The push for digital independence reflects growing concern that Europe risks falling behind the US in strategic technologies. Leaders argue that regulatory changes must support competitiveness while maintaining core privacy and safety principles.

Germany is also hosting a two-day European security conference in Berlin, featuring German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius. The parallel agendas highlight how digital strategy and geopolitical security are increasingly linked in EU policy debates.

The German foreign minister, Johann Wadephul, has meanwhile backed the EU enlargement in the Western Balkans during a visit to Montenegro, signalling continued geopolitical outreach alongside internal reforms.

The Berlin discussions are expected to shape Europe’s stance ahead of upcoming AI and data proposals, setting the tone for broader talks on industrial policy, technology sovereignty, and regional security.

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UK uses AI to fight drug-resistant infections

The UK is harnessing AI to combat the growing threat of drug-resistant infections, a crisis often called ‘the silent pandemic’. The Fleming Initiative and GSK will invest £45m in AI research to speed up new antibiotics and combat deadly bacteria and fungi.

The project targets Gram-negative bacteria, such as E. coli and Klebsiella, which resist treatment due to their protective outer layers. Researchers will test different molecules and use AI to identify which can penetrate and persist in these bacteria.

The goal is to shorten years of laboratory work into rapid computational predictions that guide the design of effective antibiotics.

AI will predict how resistant infections emerge and spread, helping scientists anticipate threats early. The initiative will also target deadly fungal infections, such as Aspergillus, which threaten people with weakened immune systems.

Experts hope the approach can outpace bacterial evolution and reduce the human toll from untreatable infections. Fleming Initiative director Alison Holmes emphasised the vital role of antibiotics in modern medicine and warned that overuse has squandered this critical resource.

Tony Wood, GSK’s chief scientific officer, said the project will open new avenues for discovering antibiotics while anticipating resistance, transforming the treatment and prevention of serious infections worldwide.

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Bitcoin edges into yearly losses as volatility rises

Bitcoin has slipped into negative territory for the year after a sharp retreat that pushed the price below $90,000 for the first time in seven months. The cryptocurrency has now fallen more than 28% from its peak above $126,000, erasing over $600 billion in market value.

Investors have been rotating out of speculative assets, with concerns around potential Federal Reserve decisions adding to the risk-off sentiment.

Market analysts note that long-term holders have been taking profits following the extraordinary rally that carried Bitcoin to new records in October. Uncertainty around monetary policy, tightening liquidity, and broader macroeconomic pressures have fuelled the downturn.

The impact of the October flash crash, triggered by renewed US-China trade tensions, continues to weigh heavily as thinner order books leave Bitcoin more vulnerable to abrupt price swings.

Bitcoin had rallied strongly throughout the year, supported by optimism over pro-crypto policies under President Donald Trump and the rollout of new digital-asset regulations. Yet the cryptocurrency has now surrendered its gains, underperforming major benchmarks such as the S&P 500 and gold.

Analysts say the market is approaching a pivotal moment, with some fearing a deeper reset while others view the current consolidation as an opportunity for strategic accumulation.

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Eurofiber France confirms the major data breach

The French telecommunications company Eurofiber has acknowledged a breach of its ATE customer platform and digital ticket system after a hacker accessed the network through software used by the company.

Engineers detected the intrusion quickly and implemented containment measures, while the company stressed that services remained operational and banking data stayed secure. The incident affected only French operations and subsidiaries such as Netiwan, Eurafibre, Avelia, and FullSave, according to the firm.

Security researchers instead argue that the scale is far broader. International Cyber Digest reported that more than 3,600 organisations may be affected, including prominent French institutions such as Orange, Thales, the national rail operator, and major energy companies.

The outlet linked the intrusion to the ransomware group ByteToBreach, which allegedly stole Eurofiber’s entire GLPI database and accessed API keys, internal messages, passwords and client records.

A known dark web actor has now listed the stolen dataset for sale, reinforcing concerns about the growing trade in exposed corporate information. The contents reportedly range from files and personal data to cloud configurations and privileged credentials.

Eurofiber did not clarify which elements belonged to its systems and which originated from external sources.

The company has notified the French privacy regulator CNIL and continues to investigate while assuring Dutch customers that their data remains safe.

A breach that underlines the vulnerability of essential infrastructure providers across Europe, echoing recent incidents in Sweden, where a compromised IT supplier exposed data belonging to over a million people.

Eurofiber says it aims to strengthen its defences instead of allowing similar compromises in future.

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