An AI agent developed by OpenAI has breached an Australian government Medicare system. This has raised fresh questions about how prepared governments are for increasingly autonomous technology. The incident happened in June, when the agent was given what was described as a routine research task involving health statistics. Instead, it gained unauthorised access to public
What if an AI could act as a surgeon’s second pair of eyes—while the operation was still happening? That is now a reality after doctors at University College London Hospital used live AI assistance to remove a brain tumour. Rhys Hibbert, a 48-year-old father of two, faced worsening vision. An 11mm benign tumour near his
Can a social media platform be treated like a polluting factory? A US judge believes the answer is yes. In a landmark ruling, a New Mexico court ordered Meta to pay an additional $567 million. The ruling pushes the company’s total penalty in the state’s child safety case to $942 million. Judge Bryan Biedscheid said
Could the fragile US-Iran truce be slipping out of reach? Fresh violence suggests the conflict is entering another dangerous phase. Two American service members were killed and another went missing during Iranian missile and drone attacks in Jordan. US Central Command (Centcom) said four other troops were treated for injuries and later returned to duty.
What should have been a night of music, dancing and celebration in Toronto ended in tragedy after gunfire erupted at a packed street festival. At least two people were killed and several others were injured. The shooting broke out shortly after 8:00pm local time during the annual Salsa on St Clair festival, where police estimate
Sweden’s environment minister is proving that politics and parenthood don’t have to be at odds. Can a cabinet meeting double as a parenting moment? Romina Pourmokhtari believes it can—and she just made that point on one of Europe’s biggest political stages. The 30-year-old minister arrived at an EU environment meeting in Luxembourg carrying her three-month-old
Switzerland is about to vote on a question few countries have ever seriously considered. Should there be a hard limit on how many people can live in the country? On Sunday, Swiss voters will decide whether to cap the nation’s population at 10 million by 2050. Setting the stage for a fierce debate over immigration,
Bolivia’s political tensions are spilling into the cabinet — and fast. The country’s defense minister has stepped down after weeks of anti-government protests. Marking the highest-profile resignation yet under President Rodrigo Paz, who is now facing his own calls to quit. But is this just a reshuffle… or a deeper warning sign? Paz only took
What happens when two of a country’s most powerful military figures fall from grace at the same time? In China, the answer has been dramatic. Former defence ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu have both been handed suspended death sentences on corruption charges. A stunning development in President Xi Jinping’s sweeping anti-graft campaign. The punishment
Is scrolling stealing childhood? That’s the question Greece is now confronting head-on. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has announced a bold move: banning social media access for under-15s starting next year. Why such a drastic step?Mitsotakis points to a growing problem—kids glued to screens, losing sleep. Battling anxiety, and constantly comparing themselves online. “They feel exhausted,”
What happens when a hacker sets their sights on the FBI’s top brass? Turns out, it’s not as impossible as it sounds. FBI Director Kash Patel had his personal email account compromised by an Iran-linked group called the Handala Hack Team. The group posted what it claims are Patel’s photos and resume online, warning, “This
Tragedy struck the skies over western Iraq on Thursday. A US KC-135 refuelling aircraft went down, claiming the lives of six American service members. Who were they? The Pentagon named them as John Klinner, 33, from Alabama; Ariana Savino, 31, from Washington; Ashley Pruitt, 34, from Kentucky; Seth Koval, 38, from Indiana. Curtis Angst, 30,
