✅ Discord will require a face scan or ID for full access next month

Discord announced on Monday that it’s rolling out age verification on its platform globally starting next month, when it will automatically set all users’ accounts to a “teen-appropriate” experience unless they demonstrate that they’re adults.

Users who aren’t verified as adults will not be able to access age-restricted servers and channels, won’t be able to speak in Discord’s livestream-like “stage” channels, and will see content filters for any content Discord detects as graphic or sensitive. They will also get warning prompts for friend requests from potentially unfamiliar users, and DMs from unfamiliar users will be automatically filtered into a separate inbox.

Direct messages and servers that are not age-restricted will continue to function normally, but users won’t be able to send messages or view content in an age-restricted server until they complete the age check process, even if it’s a server they were part of before age verification rolled out.

@QSIMedia

🇺🇸🔥 The CME exchange is launching futures on ADA, LINK and XLM today.

#Stellar

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🤴 What is QSI?

In this detailed article from Stellar Today, we'll explore the Quantum Stellar Initiative and its underlying principles:

https://telegra.ph/Quantum-Stellar-Initiative-QSI-by-Emily-Tang-The-Community-Led-Guide-to-the-Stellar-Ecosystem-Tokenization-Bridges-and-Self-Bank-02-09

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🇲🇽🇨🇺 Mexico halts oil to Cuba, sends humanitarian aid instead

Mexico has paused its oil shipments to Cuba but is sending humanitarian aid to ease the island’s deepening fuel crisis without provoking U.S. reprisals. Earlier Washington has warned that countries supplying Cuba with oil could face tariffs.

President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed the halt in a statement, saying, “The assistance is intended for Cuba’s civilian population.” She framed the aid within Mexico’s “tradition of solidarity” with Latin American peoples. 🤝

According to local reports, the aid departed from Veracruz on Sunday, February 8. It includes 536 tonnes of liquid milk, meat, cookies, beans, rice, tuna, sardines, vegetable oil, and hygiene items, along with 277 tonnes of powdered milk. Meanwhile, the Cuban government said the fuel shortage has forced international airlines to stop refuelling on the island.

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🇪🇺 European alternatives to Visa and Mastercard ‘urgently’ needed, says banking chief

Europe “urgently” needs to reduce its reliance on US groups such as Visa and Mastercard, the head of a banking alliance has said.

“We are highly dependent on international [payment] solutions. Yes, we have nice national assets like domestic [payment] card schemes…but we don’t have anything cross-border. If we say independence is so crucial and we all know it’s a timing issue…we need action urgently,” - said Martina Weimert, chief executive of the European Payments Initiative (EPI), a consortium of 16 European banks and financial services companies.

However, Visa and Mastercard accounted for almost two-thirds of card transactions in the euro zone in 2022, according to the European Central Bank, with 13 member countries lacking a national alternative to the US providers. 😄

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🇺🇸🇦🇲 US Vice President Vance in Armenia for peace talks

US President JD Vance and his family arrived in Armenia on Monday. He became the highest-ranking US politician ever to visit the South Caucasus country. Vance was greeted with a red carpet, an honor guard and an official delegation before he was driven to a meeting with Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

"The prime minister has been a great friend of ours and a real ally in peace and development in this region (of) the world," - said Vance said.

Vance and Pashinyan signed a number of documents aimed at furthering peace, including commitments to peaceful nuclear cooperation and the establishment of a major rail and road transit corridor through Armenia to connect Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave.

Pashinyan thanked both Vance and US President Donald Trump and said that Armenia and neighboring Azerbaijan are "very close" to achieving peace after decades of conflict. 🙏🤝

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🚀 SpaceX revealed its new cyclotron used for radiation testing of space hardware

This lets them hit electronics with real high-energy ions to simulate space radiation, far more accurate than photon or electron testing.

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🇺🇸 Trump posts a picture on Truth Social.

In this picture Trump is talking to European leaders with a map depicting Greenland and Canada as part of the U.S. in the background. 😄

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🇺🇳 Global economy must move past GDP to avoid planetary disaster, warns UN chief

The global economy must be radically transformed to stop it rewarding pollution and waste, UN secretary general António Guterres has warned. Guterres said humanity’s future required the urgent overhaul of the world’s “existing accounting systems” he said were driving the planet to the brink of disaster.

“We must place true value on the environment and go beyond gross domestic product as a measure of human progress and wellbeing. Let us not forget that when we destroy a forest, we are creating GDP. When we overfish, we are creating GDP. GDP tells us the cost of everything, and the value of nothing. Our world is not a gigantic corporation. Financial decisions should be based on more than a snapshot of profit and loss," - said Guterres.

For decades, politicians and policymakers have prioritised growth – as measured by GDP – as the overarching economic goal. But critics argue that endless, indiscriminate growth on a planet with finite resources is driving not only the climate and nature crisis but increasing inequality.

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🇨🇳 Chinese AI company unveils $173K ‘biometric’ robot built for human companionship

Moya, a humanoid robot unveiled in Shanghai, China by robotics company DroidUp, can walk, make eye contact, smile, and show subtle facial expressions. It’s the world’s first fully biomimetic robot, using AI that lets it see, think, and act in the real world. The company plans to use it in healthcare, education, business, and as a daily companion. 🤩

#BRICS

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🪙 Ripple accelerates institutional custody adoption with security, compliance, and staking capabilities

Ripple today announced a series of strategic collaborations with Securosys and Figment, following recently announced integration with Chainalysis and acquisition of Palisade that expand the capabilities of Ripple Custody.

🔥 Securosys: Ripple now offers CyberVault HSM and CloudHSM capabilities from Securosys, a leading provider of high-security hardware security modules, enabling institutions to deploy HSM-based custody without the traditional cost, complexity, or procurement delays. These are available both on premises and in the cloud, allowing customers to meet their individual security and operational requirements while maintaining the highest level of protection. This ready-to-go offering provides banks and custodians with direct control over cryptographic keys while offering a cost-effective and scalable solution.

🔥 Figment: Through this collaboration, Ripple and Figment enable banks, custodians, and regulated enterprises to offer staking for leading Proof-of-Stake networks, including Ethereum and Solana, without building validator infrastructure or compromising operational controls. This partnership brings secure, institutional staking to the largest banks and enterprises,

These enhancements immediately follow a wave of momentum for Ripple’s Custody offering - from the acquisition of Palisade which will enable faster delivery and scalable wallet capabilities for fintechs and institutions, to the adoption of Chainalysis’ compliance capabilities directly into the custody execution flow, enabling real-time transaction screening and policy enforcement before assets move.

#Stellar

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🇦🇿🇺🇸 Azerbaijan and the U.S. have signed a Charter of Strategic cooperation between the governments of the two countries

The signing ceremony of the Charter on Strategic Partnership between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the USA took place. It is noted that President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Vice President of the U.S. Jay D. Vance participated in the ceremony.

According to the content of the document, the countries have agreed on partnership in the fields of AI and technology, bilateral business development and investment. Washington and Baku also intend to conscientiously ensure security in the region and fight terrorism. In addition, the parties also confirmed the importance of "Trump's route".

"Why should we be fighting one another when we can engage in commerce with one another, when we can build partnerships with one another?" - said Jay D. Vance. 🤝

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💊 Scientists at the UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center have found a small molecule that can shut down a gene tied to glioblastoma

The finding comes from the lab of Hui Li, PhD, who previously identified the “oncogene” that helps drive glioblastoma. Li reports that the newly identified compound blocked the gene’s activity in both cell samples and laboratory mice. In the mouse experiments, the molecule worked without causing harmful side effects. The research is still at an early stage.

This discovery could eventually point to a new way to treat this aggressive brain cancer. Glioblastoma grows quickly and is almost always fatal. After diagnosis, average survival is about 15 months, and more than 14,000 Americans are diagnosed each year.

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🇦🇪 UAE, Starlink launch global partnership to enable digital education for remote communities worldwide

The UAE announced the launch of a strategic global partnership with Starlink on the sidelines of the World Government Summit 2026. The partnership aims to expand access to high-quality digital education for learners in remote and underserved communities worldwide through an integrated model that combines reliable connectivity with comprehensive digital learning.

The partnership with Starlink reflects the UAE’s leadership in advancing future-ready education solutions and strengthening global collaboration while reinforcing its commitment to expanding equitable access to education and shaping the future of learning.

#BRICS

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🏦 Trump seeks commitments from tech cos over data center costs

The Trump administration is seeking commitments from the world’s biggest technology companies over the rapid building of AI data centers. Trump wants tech firms to commit to a new compact that ensures data centers will not raise household electricity prices, strain water supplies, and undermine public grids.

The compact is framed as a voluntary agreement between Trump and major data center builders, which could include Microsoft, Alphabet, OpenAI, Meta, and Amazon. The move had come amid growing public backlash over the impact of data centers on household utility costs, as well as their potential undermining of public electricity grids.

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🇮🇱🇺🇸Netanyahu departs for Washington to meet Trump with focus on Iran and Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is heading to Washington ahead of schedule to meet US President Donald Trump, bringing new intelligence on Iran’s ballistic missile program and regional proxy activities. Tehran has told mediators it is not ready at this stage to discuss its missile arsenal or support for proxy groups.

“This, of course, does not include his unforgettable visit to Israel and his speech in the Knesset. I think these things reflect the unique closeness in the extraordinary relationship that we have with the U.S., and for me personally with the President, and for the State of Israel with the U.S., something that has never been equaled in our history,” - said Netanyahu. 🤝

During the visit, Netanyahu said he will discuss a broad range of issues, including Gaza and regional security, but the top priority will be negotiations with Iran.

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