AIM Institute

China has introduced 15-year research grants aimed at attracting the world's brightest young scientists, according to the South China Morning Post. The long-term funding scheme signals an effort to draw top international research talent to Chinese institutions and strengthen the country's standing in global science and innovation.

The US National Institutes of Health has launched Linked Discoveries, an experimental new PubMed tool aimed at strengthening research replication and reproducibility. The announcement is circulating among science and technology communities, with observers highlighting the effort to help researchers verify and build on published findings more easily.

The European Central Bank has launched Pontes, a new platform for settling transactions in digital securities. The move is part of the Eurosystem's broader work on blockchain and digital market infrastructure, aiming to let financial institutions settle digital asset trades using central bank money. The initiative is drawing attention across European banking and fintech circles as a step toward modernising euro-area settlement systems.

The Guardian reports that Silicon Valley's leading AI figures, who aim to transform society through artificial intelligence, are being caught off guard by democratic forces. The piece suggests the industry's power players failed to anticipate public and political resistance to their sweeping plans. It frames a growing tension between technologists' ambitions and the accountability that democratic institutions demand.

Piotr Serafin, the EU Commissioner for Budget, Anti-Corruption and Public Administration, said in an interview that EU bonds are AAA-grade safe assets and pitched investment in them as a way to strengthen ties between the European Union and the Republic of Korea. His remarks aim to encourage Korean institutional investors to buy EU debt while deepening bilateral financial and political relations between Brussels and Seoul.

Pope Leo is visiting France with the stated aim of restoring public trust in the Catholic Church. The visit is being covered as an effort to rebuild confidence in Church institutions amid ongoing scrutiny. Details of his itinerary and specific remarks remain limited in early coverage.

Physicist and broadcaster Jim Al-Khalili will present the 2026 Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, taking on the mysteries of time. The announcement, reported by Laboratory News, signals another high-profile scientist delivering the annual lecture series, which has long aimed to bring complex science to young audiences and the wider public.

Adtech company 33Across has rebranded as WealthStage, shifting to an advertising platform aimed at banks, trading apps, lenders, brokers and insurers. The platform uses an AI engine to score household wealth, positioning itself for an estimated $124 trillion in wealth changing hands by 2048. Industry observers are questioning which data sources feed the system and what parts of the 33Across business remain.

French research institute CEA-Leti and quantum computing startup Quobly have announced an expanded collaboration aimed at accelerating the development of next-generation silicon-based quantum technologies. The partnership builds on their existing work and focuses on advancing silicon qubit technology as a route toward scalable quantum computing. Details of the agreement, including financial terms and specific milestones, have not been disclosed in initial reports.

The American Alliance of Museums has endorsed the Smithsonian Integrity and Historical Independence Act of 2026, legislation introduced in Congress by Representatives Stanbury (D-NM) and Jackson. The bill aims to protect the Smithsonian Institution's independence from political interference, and the AAM says congressional action is needed to safeguard the museum and research complex's autonomy.

The Institute for Justice, a US public interest law firm, has launched a new Education Entrepreneurship Project aimed at supporting people starting educational businesses as schools reopen and workers return for the fall. The initiative reportedly combines the group's litigation and advocacy work with efforts to help education entrepreneurs overcome regulatory barriers, tapping into renewed attention on schooling and work at the start of the academic year.

NASA's Science Mission Directorate has put out a call for volunteer reviewers to evaluate research proposals. The agency regularly relies on scientists from universities and research institutions to assess grant applications across its science programs, and this notice invites qualified experts to take part in the peer review process. It is aimed at researchers willing to contribute time to reviewing upcoming science submissions.

Finastra has introduced SCF, a software solution designed to help banks deliver supply chain finance faster. The product is aimed at streamlining how financial institutions offer financing to businesses across their supply chains, reducing processing times and operational friction. Details on pricing, launch partners and customer adoption were not included in the initial announcement.

The National Videogame Museum in the United Kingdom has launched a nationwide survey dedicated to the conservation of video games. The initiative aims to gather information that could help preserve gaming history for future generations. It highlights growing concerns in the industry and among cultural institutions that games, as digital and fragile media, risk being lost without coordinated preservation efforts.

Chandra Classes in Prayagraj has released a cell biology practice test aimed at candidates preparing for TGT and PGT teacher recruitment exams and other biology-based tests. The session is taught by Anju Ma'am and covers core cell biology topics. Such exam preparation material draws steady attention from students in India, where teaching post exams are highly competitive and coaching institutes regularly publish test series and revision content.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards have issued an open letter aimed at American voters, an unusual direct appeal to the US public ahead of elections, according to Reuters. The move is drawing attention given the force's designation in Washington and its role in tensions between the two countries, including Iran's nuclear programme. Observers see it as a rare attempt by a hardline Iranian institution to influence American political opinion.

MI5 has issued an unprecedented public warning that a Chinese institute is secretly trying to exploit British universities and research bodies, recruiting academics to pass on expertise that could help Beijing develop more powerful technology. The Security Service alert, aimed at staff across UK academia, urges researchers to stay alert to suspicious approaches. It is a rare direct public intervention and has sparked debate about the scale of Chinese espionage against British science and how universities should respond.

Duke University's Fuqua School of Business has introduced a new executive education certificate focused on agentic AI, adding to its portfolio of leadership and technology programs. The offering is aimed at working professionals seeking practical training in AI systems that can act autonomously. The move reflects business schools' broader push to build executive programs around rapidly evolving artificial intelligence skills.

The Bank of Canada is telling financial institutions they should not hesitate to use its liquidity facility when needed, according to reporting carried by Reuters and multiple US outlets. The central bank's message is aimed at removing any stigma around tapping emergency-style funding, encouraging institutions to seek support early rather than wait until stress builds. The remarks come amid heightened attention to banking-sector liquidity safeguards worldwide.

The American Enterprise Institute argues that single-family rental homes are essential to housing affordability for families with children, pointing to the everyday reality of children sleeping in a second bedroom. The think tank contends that expanding the supply of rented single-family homes, not just owner-occupied ones, should be central to housing policy debates aimed at making family-sized housing attainable.

US Congress is moving to place Pentagon 'red team' hackers — specialists who test defences by attacking them — within universities accredited by the National Security Agency, according to Intelligence Online. The aim is to strengthen the pipeline of cybersecurity talent trained at NSA-designated institutions, drawing on military offensive-testing expertise for academic programmes.

ETF provider HANetf has partnered with HSBC to list the world's first GBP and EUR-hedged bitcoin exchange-traded products, aiming to shield European investors from currency swings when gaining bitcoin exposure. The move signals growing mainstream financial institutional involvement in crypto investment products, with hedged access to bitcoin now offered in sterling and euro terms for the first time.

Zoom has announced a set of offerings connecting live instruction, video-based learning, and engagement insights for higher education institutions. The move aims to give universities a single platform for teaching and analytics on student participation. It reflects growing competition among education technology providers seeking to support hybrid and online classrooms as universities reassess their digital tools.