technology

Italy's parliament has approved a return to nuclear power, decades after the country shut down its reactors following referendums in the wake of the Chernobyl disaster. The move marks a major shift in Italy's energy policy and reflects a broader European reassessment of nuclear energy amid energy security concerns and climate targets. Details of timelines, technology and public reaction remain to be seen.

Russia has started rationing fuel following a large-scale Ukrainian drone strike that hit oil and fuel infrastructure. Reports say Ukrainian long-range drone technology is outpacing Russian air defences, including jet-powered drones deployed by Moscow. The strikes have disrupted fuel supplies, prompting authorities to introduce restrictions, while observers highlight the growing effectiveness of Ukraine's drone campaign against Russian energy targets deep inside the country.

The Dutch government is building an alternative to Microsoft's software ecosystem based on NixOS, a reproducible open-source Linux distribution. The move aligns with the Netherlands' broader push for digital sovereignty and reduced dependence on US technology vendors. The project is drawing attention in open-source and tech policy circles as other European governments weigh similar steps away from proprietary platforms.

Leading figures in artificial intelligence have appealed to the United Nations, asking the Security Council and member states to establish international controls over AI development, warning that the technology they helped create could pose risks to humanity. The appeal adds to growing pressure on global institutions to set rules for advanced AI, a debate that has intensified as powerful new systems reach the public faster than regulators can respond.

China has expanded overseas travel restrictions covering top AI professionals at private companies, now also applying them to the families of key personnel. The move, reported as an extension of existing exit controls, is being read as part of Beijing's effort to prevent sensitive AI expertise from leaving the country amid tightening US-China technology competition.

OpenAI has announced it will not release its newest artificial intelligence model, citing unresolved safety concerns. The company says the decision reflects internal caution about deploying systems before safeguards are adequate. The move is drawing attention across the technology sector, with commentators debating whether it sets a precedent for how AI firms handle models that may pose risks.

US F-35 components, including a cockpit canopy and weapons bay door, were accidentally shipped to China and are now in the possession of the Chinese government, according to a Bloomberg report citing people briefed on the matter. The parts reportedly came from an Australian Air Force F-35. The case has drawn attention because it raised concerns that a US adversary could gain access to sensitive stealth fighter technology through a logistics error.

The Civilian, a New Zealand satire site, reports that AI companies are engaged in an arms race to demonstrate their models are the most existentially threatening to humanity. The piece mocks the industry's tendency to hype the dangers of its own systems, suggesting firms now compete to sound as alarming as possible about their technology. The item is satirical and its claims should not be taken as factual reporting.

Former President Donald Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson are set to meet with technology CEOs to discuss the risks posed by artificial intelligence. The talks come as Washington weighs how to regulate rapidly advancing AI systems, with major tech leaders increasingly drawn into policy debates over safety, competition and national security.

US Ambassador to Beijing revealed that President Donald Trump asked Chinese leader Xi Jinping whether China would be interested in purchasing American weapons. The remark, reported by The Japan Times, is an unusual public overture given ongoing US-China tensions over trade, Taiwan and export controls on sensitive military technology.

Classified budget estimates indicate the National Security Agency is paying billions of dollars to test artificial intelligence models, according to a new report. The figures suggest US intelligence agencies are moving aggressively to evaluate and adopt advanced AI systems. The scale of the spending has prompted discussion about oversight, privacy implications and how far the intelligence community is investing in AI.

Pope Leo has publicly pushed back against Donald Trump's claim that worries about artificial intelligence safety are 'fake news', insisting the concerns are legitimate and deserve serious attention. The exchange marks a notable clash between the Vatican and the US president over how to handle the risks of rapidly advancing AI technology.

Ukraine's digital minister Mykhailo Fedorov is pushing a plan to deploy an 'army of robots' to replace soldiers on the front line, Le Parisien reports. The initiative aims to use unmanned ground and aerial systems to reduce troop losses in the war with Russia, as Kyiv struggles with manpower shortages and continues positioning itself as a pioneer of battlefield technology.

The United States delivered a formal intervention at a UN Security Council meeting devoted to artificial intelligence and international security. The remarks, released through diplomatic channels including in China, set out the US position on how AI affects global peace and stability. The session is part of growing international attention to the risks and governance of advanced AI technologies.

US House Speaker Mike Johnson says President Trump's meeting with technology chief executives will focus on finding the right balance on artificial intelligence. The discussion is expected to weigh innovation and industry growth against regulation and safety concerns. The meeting brings the Trump administration face to face with leading AI companies as Washington shapes its approach to governing the fast-moving technology.

Pope Leo has said that warnings about catastrophic artificial intelligence scenarios should not be dismissed as 'fake news'. His remarks add a prominent religious voice to the global debate over AI risks, reinforcing concerns raised by scientists and industry leaders. The comments drew attention as governments and companies weigh how far to regulate fast-developing AI technology.

China has expanded travel restrictions to cover leading artificial intelligence specialists and their family members, according to Bloomberg. The curbs limit the ability of key AI personnel to leave the country, reflecting Beijing's concern over protecting expertise in a strategic technology sector. The move adds to existing exit bans affecting business figures and officials.

OpenAI has cancelled the release of a new AI model, citing safety concerns. The decision, reported by France 24, is drawing attention as it suggests the company is willing to delay or shelve technology it considers too risky to deploy. Observers are likely debating what this means for OpenAI's safety commitments and the pace of AI development.

The Pentagon has launched an investigation into how F-35 fighter jet components that were supposed to be delivered to the United States were instead diverted to Hong Kong. The case is raising concerns about vulnerabilities in the military supply chain and the potential exposure of sensitive defence hardware to foreign hands, prompting scrutiny of contractors and shipping routes.

US Congressman Ro Khanna is preparing to introduce an AI safety bill that would ban 'recursive' artificial intelligence — systems capable of self-improvement — until adequate safeguards are in place. The proposal signals growing concern in Washington about frontier AI risks and would represent one of the most restrictive federal approaches to advanced AI development so far.

US lawmakers are weighing a series of proposals aimed at securing artificial intelligence systems and protecting them from misuse. The measures under consideration in Congress would address security risks posed by rapidly advancing AI technology, though details of the specific bills and their prospects remain limited.

Reports say China could permit its major technology companies to purchase new Nvidia chips, a shift after earlier restrictions on such imports. The move would ease access to advanced US-made semiconductors for Chinese firms, and it is drawing attention given the tensions between Washington and Beijing over chip exports and technology trade.

MongoDB chief executive Dev Ittycheria... no—reports say MongoDB's CEO Desai has resigned to lead Meta's enterprise platform. The move ends his tenure at the database company, which now begins a search for a successor. The news, reported by Reuters, is drawing wide attention in technology circles, with discussion focused on what Meta's push into enterprise software means and how MongoDB's leadership change will affect its strategy.

AMD has agreed to acquire World Labs, the AI startup founded by Fei-Fei Li, in a deal valued at $8.2 billion, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The acquisition would give the chipmaker access to World Labs' spatial intelligence technology and its team, deepening AMD's push into artificial intelligence beyond processors and accelerators.

Meta is pushing AI agents into consumer-facing territory, according to a Wall Street Journal report, signalling that the technology is no longer reserved for enterprise customers. The move suggests Meta wants everyday users interacting with AI agents across its platforms, widening a market so far dominated by business applications.

Elizabeth Holmes, founder of the failed blood-testing startup Theranos, is reportedly set to be transferred from prison to a halfway house next year. Holmes is serving an 11-year sentence for fraud tied to misleading investors about the company's technology. The reported early move is drawing renewed attention to her case and debate over how white-collar offenders are treated in the US prison system.

The Federal Aviation Administration has asked Congress for roughly $30 billion to complete the modernization of the US air traffic control system. The funding request covers upgrades to aging radars, communications equipment and other infrastructure that controllers rely on. The appeal comes as officials face growing pressure over near-misses, staffing shortages and technology failures that have strained the US aviation system.

A US jury has ruled that Apple owes a record $5.7 billion in damages in a patent dispute over haptic technology, the feedback feature behind vibrations in iPhones and other devices. The verdict ranks among the largest patent damages awards against a major technology company and is likely to be challenged on appeal.

Anthropic and OpenAI are publicly warning about the risks posed by advanced artificial intelligence while pushing to influence how the technology will be regulated and controlled. The two leading AI firms are framing safety as a central concern even as they compete to develop increasingly powerful systems, prompting debate over whether companies building AI should be the ones setting the rules for its oversight.