🤖 ASML unveils EUV light source advance that could yield 50% more chips by 2030

Researchers at ASML Holding have found a way to boost the power of the light source in a key chip making machine to turn out up to 50% more chips by decade's end. ASML opens new tab is the world's only maker of commercial extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) machines, a critical tool for chipmakers such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, Intel and others.

The company's researchers have found a way to boost the power of the EUV light source to 1,000 watts from 600 watts now. The chief advantage is that greater power translates into the ability to make more chips every hour, helping to lower the cost of each. Chips are printed similar to a photograph, where the EUV light is shone on a silicon wafer coated with special chemicals called a photoresist. With a more powerful EUV light source, chip factories need shorter exposure times.

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⚡ Anthropic accuses Chinese labs of mass Claude IP theft

Anthropic claims three major Chinese labs - DeepSeek, Moonshot, and MiniMax - orchestrated a massive model distillation operation using 24,000 fake accounts to extract Claude's capabilities. These companies collectively generated more than 16 million exchanges with Claude by creating thousands of fake accounts and using proxy services to avoid detection, according to Anthropic.

The tactic, known as distillation, allows developers to train their own models on the outputs of more advanced systems. DeepSeek alone generated more than 150,000 exchanges, while MiniMax accounted for more than 13 million interactions, Anthropic said.

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🇰🇷🇧🇷South Korea and Brazil agree to expand cooperation in key minerals, trade

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung held summit talks in Seoul on Monday with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, where they agreed to expand cooperation in sectors including trade, key minerals, technology and culture. The leaders plan to elevate the bilateral relationship into a strategic partnership, and for the countries to work together to support stability on the Korean Peninsula, Lee said.

Brazil is South Korea's largest trading partner in South America, making economic cooperation a key part of the agenda. Lula said Brazil holds the world's second largest rare-earth reserves and has substantial nickel deposits, and that his government hoped to attract investment from South Korean companies. The leaders also agreed on a need to resume talks to conclude a trade agreement between South Korea and the Mercosur trade bloc. 🤝

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💻 Linux 7.0 launches with enablement for Intel Nova Lake, AMD Zen 6

Linux 7.0-rc1 has been officially released and brings with it a boatload of new features and changes. The new kernel is focused on preparing for upcoming AMD and Intel hardware, including Nova Lake and Zen 6. It is expected that the upcoming Ubuntu 26.04 LTS and Fedora 44 will be some of the first Linux distros to upgrade to Linux 7.0.

On the CPU side alone, enablement work has been done to get Nova Lake, Diamond Rapids, and Zen 6 chips operational on Linux 7.0. Intel TSX is now tuned to auto mode to boost performance on newer Intel CPUs. DSA 3.0 accelerators are now included in Linux 7.0 to offload appropriate tasks to dedicated silicon on newer Xeon chips.

Support for future AMD graphics hardware has been added, and Nova Lake display support has been added (for the iGPU). Beyond pure CPU and GPU hardware, there have been a number of other improvements, such as Apple USB Type-C PHY support, and file system enhancements and improvements for F2FS, exFAT, and EXT4 to name a few.

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⚡ Russian authorities launch terror-related investigation into Telegram CEO

Russian security officials have opened a criminal investigation targeting Telegram’s chief executive Pavel Durov on charges related to supporting terrorist activities. The Federal Security Service is leading the probe. The messaging service, which reports having over one billion users worldwide, has not issued a statement in response to inquiries about the investigation.

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🧑‍⚖️ Tesla sues California DMV to reverse ruling that company engaged in false advertising on FSD

The suit comes 2 months after the state’s Office of Administrative Hearings determined that Tesla engaged in false advertising, and said the DMV could temporarily suspend the company’s licenses to manufacture or sell cars in the state. The DMV instead asked Tesla to clean up its marketing language. By Feb. 17, the agency said Tesla had done so appropriately and no license suspension would be required.

But Tesla, which is banking much of its future on robotaxis, wants the DMV to go further. In their complaint attorneys for the automaker alleged that the agency “wrongfully and baselessly” labeled Tesla a “false advertiser” for its prior use of the terms “Autopilot” and “Full Self-Driving.” Tesla now uses the brand name “Full Self-Driving (Supervised)” to describe its partially automated driver assistance system, and it sells it only on a subscription basis.

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💻 Quantum data teleported 19 miles across German capital with 95% peak accuracy

Researchers in Berlin have teleported quantum data across a 19-mile loop of commercial fiber in one of the most advanced quantum networking tests on regular telecommunications infrastructure. The achievement was carried out by T-Labs in collaboration with Qunnect.

Quantum teleportation enables secure long-distance data transfer without moving the particles themselves. For the trial, the team employed a weak coherent source to generate qubits over a 19-mile (30-kilometer) fiber loop connecting T-Lab’s Quantum Lab to a node on the Berlin fiber testbed. They utilized Qunnect’s Carina entanglement distribution platform capable of producing paired photons for teleportation.

Despite the harsh environmental conditions, the demonstration reached a peak fidelity of 95% and an average accuracy of 90%. Deutsche Telekom stated that the teleportation ran alongside regular data traffic on the same metro fiber cables, showcasing that future quantum services could coexist with today’s city networks.

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🤝 Musk's xAI and Pentagon reach deal to use Grok in classified systems

Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI has signed an agreement to allow the military to use its model, Grok, in classified systems, a Defense official said.

The deal makes Grok the second AI model available for the military’s most sensitive intelligence work, weapons development and battlefield operations. Anthropic’s Claude has been the only model available in these classified systems until now, the report showed. It still remains uncertain whether Grok can completely replace Claude or how long such a transition would take. 🤔

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⚡ Iran is ready for any necessary steps to reach deal with US

Iran is ready to take any necessary steps to reach a deal with the United States, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi said on Tuesday, as the two countries prepare for a fresh round of talks.

"We are ready to reach an agreement as soon as possible. We will do whatever it takes to make this happen. We will enter the negotiating room in Geneva with complete honesty and good faith," Takht-Ravanchi said.

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🤝 AMD and Meta strike $100 billion AI deal that includes 10% stock deal

AMD and Meta have announced another multi-year AI chip deal, believed to be worth over $100 billion. The new partnership will see AMD provide up to 6 gigawatts of AMD Instinct computing power to power Meta's AI ambitions. The deal includes a colossal performance-based share incentive that could see Meta awarded with up to 160 million AMD shares, roughly 10% of the company's total stock.

This agreement expands on the companies’ existing strategic partnership and aligns roadmaps across silicon, systems and software to deliver AI platforms purpose-built for Meta’s workloads. AMD will provide Meta with AMD Helios rack-scale architecture, with the first gigawatt deployment expected to begin in the second half of 2026. The solution will be powered by custom AMD Instinct GPUs built on the company's MI450 architecture. The deployment will also use AMD's EPYC CPUs (Venice), and its ROCm software.

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⚡🤝 Microsoft achieves global milestone to extend internet access with Starlink

Today, 2.2 billion people around the world remain unconnected. Microsoft is collaborating with SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service on a global connectivity effort. The new collaboration with Starlink designed to bring Microsoft’s experience with governments, local operators, and community partners together.

“Through our collaboration with Starlink, Microsoft is combining low-Earth orbit satellite connectivity with community-based deployment models and local ecosystem partnerships,” Microsoft’s chief sustainability officer, Melanie Nakagawa, wrote in a blog post.

With more than 9,000 satellites in low-Earth orbit, Starlink will extend digital infrastructure to rural, agricultural, and hard-to-reach communities. In alliance with Starlink and an internet service provider in Kenya, Microsoft is working to connect 450 community hubs in the country.

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💎 US scientists develop diamond cooling layer that cuts device heat by 41°F

Researchers at Rice University have developed a bottom-up method for growing patterned diamond surfaces to cool electronics. The technique enables diamonds to be integrated directly into devices, reducing operating temperatures by 23°C (41°F). Diamond is the undisputed champion of heat management.

The researchers are shifting toward “bottom-up” approaches to grow diamonds in precise, functional forms that can be integrated into electronics. This process uses microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition. It uses photolithography, which is the same tech used to print tiny patterns on microchips. The researchers create a “stencil” on the chip’s surface. They then dust this stencil with nanodiamond “seeds.” When placed in a high-energy reactor, carbon atoms rain down, latch onto those seeds, and grow into a solid, heat-conducting layer exactly where it’s needed.

The research team successfully scaled their process for 2-inch wafers. It could help extend device lifespans, improve performance, and increase energy efficiency in technologies such as 5G, radar, and AI data centers.

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🇺🇸 Trump hails ‘golden age’ in State of the Union

U.S. President Donald Trump boasted in his State of the Union address on Tuesday that he had ushered in "the golden age of America". Tonight’s State of the Union address, nearly 108 minutes, is the longest on record. Trump spent the first hour of his televised speech focused on the economy, saying he had slowed inflation, driven the stock market to record heights, signed sweeping tax cuts and lowered drug prices.

"Our nation is back - bigger, better, richer and stronger than ever before," said Trump. 💪

Here are some takeaways from Trump’s State of the Union:

🔥 401(k)’s for everybody. The Trump administration will give American workers access to the same type of retirement plan offered to every federal worker, matching the contribution with up to $1,000 each year.

🔥 U.S. President reiterates his call to bar private equity from gobbling up homes. Trump is driving home his ask for Congress to codify limits on how many homes large corporations can own.

🔥 Trump said the economy is “roaring like never before.” Inflation is plummeting. In 12 months, the Trump administration has driven core inflation to the lowest level in more than 5 years, and in the last 3 months of 2025, it was down to 1.7%.

🔥 Trump pointed to housing costs as further evidence of improvement. Mortgage rates are the lowest in 4 years, and falling fast - and the annual cost of the typical new mortgage is down almost $5,000 dollars.

🔥 Trump highlighted investment figures. In 12 months, he secured commitments for more than $18 trillion dollars pouring in from all over the globe.

🔥 Trump reiterated his long-standing support for tariffs, suggesting they could eventually reduce reliance on income taxes.

🔥 Trump calls for a ban on congressional stock trading. In January, a House panel approved a bill along party lines that would ban lawmakers from buying new stocks.

🔥 Trump said he has secured a pledge from technology companies that they will provide their own power for AI data centers. Prices of electricity will go down for the community.

🔥 Trump is touting parts of his health care plan. That includes ending tax credits for insurance premiums under the Affordable Care Act and instead increasing access to health savings accounts.

🔥 On immigration and election policy, Trump urged lawmakers to pass new restrictions. He called for legislation preventing states from issuing commercial driver’s licenses to illegal aliens and advocated barring illegal aliens from voting in federal elections. He also pressed for voter ID requirements and tighter limits on mail-in ballots.

🔥 Trump says he will never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon.

🔥 The Trump administration had brokered the end of 8 conflicts, including hostilities between Israel and Iran as well as the war in Gaza.

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🤖 China claims to develop world’s smallest and most energy-efficient transistor

Researchers at Peking University in China have developed the world’s smallest and most energy-efficient transistors, which could power the AI chips of the future. Called ferroelectric field-effect transistors (FeFETs), these chips mimic the workings of the human brain, making them powerful yet efficient.

The researchers used advanced processing techniques to scale down the gate electrode to just one nanometer. In addition to lower energy consumption (0.6 V), the transistor also delivers high-speed operation with a response time as low as 1.6 nanoseconds.

Peking University has patented the process and design for these chips. Not only will this development to build energy-efficient data centers and high-performance chips, but it will also open the possibility of building node chips at the sub-1 nm scale.

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🇩🇪🇨🇳 Germany's Merz hails China ties as he seeks reset with Beijing

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz won a pledge by China to import more high-quality goods from Germany on Wednesday, as he visited Beijing aiming to reset relations. Also Merz noted that Germany wants investments from China.

"The more turbulent and intertwined the world becomes, the more China and Germany need to strengthen strategic communication and enhance strategic mutual trust," - said Xi. 🤝

Li told Merz that China wished to cooperate in areas like automobiles and chemicals as well as emerging fields including AI and biomedicine.

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⚡️🇷🇺 Russian President Putin says BRICS is "ready to develop joint educational investment programs in biotech for the sake of all humanity."

'Equal access to future technologies, rather than privileges for the chosen few, are the prerequisite for the fair development of civilization,' - said Putin.

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🇺🇸 Trump administration to use Pentagon AI to set mineral reference prices

The Trump administration plans to use a Pentagon-developed AI program to set reference prices for critical minerals, including gallium and germanium, as part of a broader effort to build a global metals trading bloc.

The program in question is DARPA's Open Price Exploration for National Security (OPEN), launched in 2023 to calculate what a metal should cost once labor, processing, and other inputs. The administration intends to use OPEN's pricing model as the backbone for the reference price system that Vice President JD Vance proposed. Also Vance noted that member nations adopt reference prices for critical minerals "at each stage of production," enforced by adjustable tariffs.

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🚀 SpaceX's cellular Starlink aims for speeds that reach 150Mbps per user

SpaceX this week offered more details on its plan to deliver 5G connectivity with its next-generation cellular Starlink service for mobile phones. SpaceX has been offering the service through T-Mobile’s T-Satellite, allowing users in cellular dead zones to remain connected.

“We are aiming at peak speeds of 150Mbps per user,” SpaceX satellite policy lead Udrivolf Pica said at the International Telecommunication Union's Space Connect conference. “So something incredible if you think about the link budgets from space to the mobile phone.”

If SpaceX can hit its speed goal, the upgraded cellular Starlink service promises to deliver speeds close to those of traditional cell carriers' 5G networks on Earth. The median download speeds for T-Mobile’s 5G network currently reach 309Mbps while AT&T’s 5G network comes in at 172Mbps.

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🇻🇪🇨🇺 US says it will allow resale of Venezuelan oil to Cuba

The U.S. Treasury Department said it would authorize companies seeking licenses to resell Venezuelan oil to Cuba, a move that could help ease the island's acute fuel scarcity. Venezuela had been for more than 25 years the main supplier of crude and fuel to its political ally Cuba through a bilateral pact mostly based on barter of products and services.

Large trading houses including Vitol and Trafigura handle the lion's share of Venezuela's oil exports, with millions of barrels exported to the U.S., Europe and India, and millions of additional barrels stored at Caribbean terminals for resale. U.S. President Donald Trump has said Venezuela's allies that were taking its oil as part of swaps, debt repayments and other agreements must now pay fair market prices for cargoes. These allies include China and Cuba.

The U.S. Treasury's guidance also makes clear that potential transactions must "support the Cuban people, including the private sector," including exports for commercial and humanitarian use in Cuba. 🤝

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⚡️🇨🇺 Cuba shoots four dead in clash with speedboat from Florida

Cuban forces killed 4 people who opened fire from a speedboat with Florida tags. The details of the incident remain unclear. The vessel approached within one nautical mile off the coast of Villa Clara, Cuba’s Interior Ministry said in a statement. When security forces approached to identify the passengers, the occupants started shooting at border patrol, injuring the commander of the military vessel. 6 others on the speedboat were wounded and are being provided with medical care. 🕊

Presumably It was a US civilian vessel attempting to get relatives out of Cuba. The vessel is a 24-foot Pro-Line fishing boat built in 1981 with an outboard engine. Florida Congressman Carlos Gimenez said in a statement posted to X that the incident was a “massacre” and demanded an investigation to determine whether any of the victims were US citizens or “legal residents.”

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🇮🇳 India may finally get Apple Pay by mid-2026

Apple Inc. is in discussions with key Indian banks and global card networks in preparation to start Apple Pay in the world’s most populous country. The iPhone maker is in talks with ICICI Bank Ltd., HDFC Bank Ltd. and Axis Bank Ltd., as it aims to introduce its payment service in India around the middle of 2026. Apple is also discussing the plan with payment networks Mastercard Inc. and Visa Inc.

Apple Pay in India is expected to support India’s state-backed Unified Payments Interface (UPI), alongside card based payments. UPI, which allows Indian customers to instantly transfer money and pay bills, dominates India’s digital payments space.

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