World’s largest crypto exchange said it had not confirmed whether funds had been pilfered
Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, said on Thursday it is investigating reports of a potential security issue as its founder said the incident “does look like a hack on Binance”. The company said cryptocurrency firms had frozen about $3bn in funds by Thursday evening.
It was not immediately clear the extent of the damage hackers might have been able to accomplish and Binance had not explicitly confirmed that funds had been pilfered, but stablecoin issuers quickly froze funds Thursday evening.
Continue reading...
© Photograph: Brent Lewin/Bloomberg via Getty Images
© Photograph: Brent Lewin/Bloomberg via Getty Images
© Photograph: Brent Lewin/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Report calls for an effort to tackle harms in similar way to obesity and smoking, and stresses need to ‘offer boys something better’
The manosphere and online misogyny should be treated by the government as a public health issue, in the same way as obesity or smoking, experts have said.
Writing in the Lancet, the authors of a new report argue that a coordinated response is needed, involving governments, schools, health services and community organisations, similar to the public-health response to tobacco use and ultra-processed food.
Continue reading...
© Photograph: miniseries/Getty Images
© Photograph: miniseries/Getty Images
© Photograph: miniseries/Getty Images
Security incident linked to performance-monitoring tool spurred platform to halt trading for about an hour
Polymarket temporarily halted trading on its international platform on Thursday because of a security incident that compromised a third-party provider, the company said.
Trading was paused for about an hour and resumed on Thursday afternoon. The company has promised to fully reimburse any affected traders.
Continue reading...
© Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images
© Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images
© Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images
Research finds 55% of lawyers are using AI in legal practices, up from 37% last year, though efficiency gains aren’t as high as expected
Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast
More than half of Victoria’s lawyers have reported using AI in their work, according to a new study, but just over a quarter say they have reduced fees as a result of efficiency gains.
They also say clients seeking advice from chatbots have added to their workload, forcing them to correct errors made by AI.
Continue reading...
© Photograph: Posed by models; Jacob Wackerhausen/Getty Images
© Photograph: Posed by models; Jacob Wackerhausen/Getty Images
© Photograph: Posed by models; Jacob Wackerhausen/Getty Images
Ukrainian company Robotic Complexes is developing CASEEVAK, an armored module that lets the Murakha unmanned ground vehicle carry wounded soldiers off the battlefield, the company told Militarnyi on 28 October. The casualty rides in a closed capsule with ventilation, heating, lighting, and a first-aid kit, and side and rear doors let medics load and reach the soldier from any side.
Drones that can fly long distances pose a threat to both wounded soldiers and the crews evacuating them, making transportation the main challenge, said Ukrainian military medic Daryna Boiko, The Independent reported. Developers are looking for new ways to counter this threat. The current Murakha model is being equipped with passive anti-drone protection elements, the developers say.
After a wounded soldier is loaded onto an evacuation platform, it is important not only to transport them to a safe location but also to protect them and monitor their condition during transit.
The module is built around a closed armored capsule made of 3.5 mm-thick Armox 500T steel with an inner lining of HDPE 1000, the media outlet reports. Side and rear doors allow the wounded to be loaded from different directions and accessed during evacuation.
To enable the operator to monitor the person inside and maintain contact with them, the capsule is equipped with a camera with day and night channels and two-way audio communication. The system can be controlled via ELRS, LTE, Starlink, or fiber-optic communications. Militarnyi reports that even if the capsule is detached from the main platform, it retains two independent communication channels.
The developers are also working to integrate vital-signs monitoring systems intended to provide medical personnel with information about the wounded person’s condition during transport.
The evacuation module requires a platform capable of carrying it as it moves through dangerous areas. The Murakha is equipped with two electric motors, delivering a combined torque of 1,600 N·m, and a 35 kWh battery. The system’s stated range is up to 80 km, according to the media outlet.
Another area of development is protection against drones. Measures intended to protect the system include net launchers and electronic warfare (EW) equipment. However, work on a protective cage against FPV drones is still ongoing, according to the report.
The company has already conducted ballistic tests of the armor steel at a distance of 50 meters, using ammunition of various calibers, Militarnyi reports.
The same company previously developed the Murakha-Mini logistics platform. Ukrainian military personnel began using it on the front line to deliver equipment, provisions and other supplies, Militarnyi reported on 24 October 2025.
The UGV can carry up to 250 kg and travel up to 40 km on a single charge, the media outlet reported. During one combat mission, it transported 150 kg of cargo and towed a six-metre platform carrying another drone and provisions, covering 16 km in one direction, Militarnyi reported.
On this week's episode of Freed Up, Robby "Lestat" Soave and Christian "Lizard" Britschgi sport their Halloween costumes while reviewing Nathan Fielder's buzzy new documentary, You Can See Everything. During their discussion, they analyze the psyche of Elizabeth Holmes as well as the differences between documentaries and biographical dramas, and Christian gets an opportunity to defend his written critique of the film. Next, the boys shift gears and unpack reports that Mary Peltola's Senate campaign in Alaska helped recruit a second "Dan Sullivan" to confuse voters who meant to support the incumbent, Sen. Dan Sullivan (R–Alaska).
0:00—Halloween costumes
4:58—Robby and Christian review You Can See Everything
9:05—The ethical dilemmas in You Can See Everything
16:00—Elizabeth Holmes is still a liar
30:00—The Dropout vs. You Can See Everything
42:24—Mary Peltola's dirty tactics come to light.
54:06—Freed Up live for the 2026 midterm elections
If you enjoy Freed Up, come watch Robby debate at our upcoming Reason Versus event in Washington, D.C. Tickets are available here.
The post <em>You Can See Everything</em>, Halloween Costumes, Mary Peltola appeared first on Reason Magazine.
© Illustration: Fatima Ruiz
Samsung Electronics reported the most profitable quarter in its history on Thursday, with operating profit of 107.4 trillion won on revenue of 195.3 trillion won, and still watched its shares close more than 4% lower. At one point they were down 6.6%. The KOSPI, which had broken above 6,000 the day before, slipped back under […]
The post Why Samsung’s record profits weren’t enough for investors appeared first on Asia Times.
The Department of Homeland Security asked an Icelandic hosting company to take down data obtained through hack
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) asked an Icelandic hosting company on Thursday to take down or limit access to data related to thousands of agency personnel, saying the content put them at risk, according to the request posted online by hosting company FlokiNET.
The database “places more than 40,000 identifiable individuals at risk of harassment, stalking and physical harm”, the request said.
Continue reading...
© Photograph: Julius Constantine Motal/The Guardian
© Photograph: Julius Constantine Motal/The Guardian
© Photograph: Julius Constantine Motal/The Guardian
Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour recently told Reason's Nick Gillespie there's a "big group" of lawmakers in both parties who are "actually" in favor of prediction market platforms. Utah Attorney General Derek Brown is not one of them.
On Wednesday, Brown filed criminal charges in state court against Kalshi, Mansour, and fellow co-founder and chief operating officer Luana Lopes Lara. Mansour, Lopes Lara, and Kalshi are charged with one count of general gambling promotion, a class A misdemeanor; one count of pattern of unlawful activity, a second-degree felony; and 12 counts of online gambling promotion, a third-degree felony.
The feud between Kalshi and Utah has been brewing for quite some time. In August, U.S. District Court Judge Robert J. Shelby found that federal law did not preempt Utah from enforcing its anti-gambling laws against Kalshi, meaning the platform could not legally operate in the Beehive State. Last week, Utah filed a civil suit against the prediction platform alleging it had continued to engage in a "brazen pattern of unlawful conduct." The criminal case comes a day after the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) filed its lawsuit to block Utah from enforcing its anti-gambling laws against Kalshi.
Even though it's been illegal to use Kalshi in Utah since August, Special Agent Scott Eggerman of the Attorney General's Office was able to "create an undercover Kalshi account, using an undercover name and an undercover Visa Debit Card," according to Wednesday's complaint.
All of Eggerman's personal user information identified him as a Utah resident with a local phone number and bank account through a "Utah-based banking establishment." Over two weeks, Eggerman spent $114.87 on a dozen wagers spread across the NFL, MLB, a local college football game, and a Major League Soccer match involving Utah-based Real Salt Lake. In one instance, he lost $20 on a wager that the Troy Trojans football team would upset the Utah State Aggies.
Utah argues Eggerman should never have been able to set up an account, let alone place any wagers on the platform. When Kalshi challenged Shelby's ruling, it asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit for an injunction while the appeal proceeded. However, in September, the 10th Circuit denied Kalshi's request for an injunction pending appeal, meaning Shelby's order remained in effect while the court considered the case.
"A federal court has already ruled that Utah's gambling laws apply to Kalshi," Brown told Deseret News. "Kalshi kept taking bets from Utahns anyway. That is illegal, and we're putting a stop to it."
Utah joins Arizona as the only two states to pursue criminal charges against Kalshi. However, the prediction platform has more than 20 lawsuits and cease and desist actions pending across the country, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The issue might soon come before the Supreme Court. Earlier this month, the NFL, 39 states, and Washington, D.C., filed amicus briefs, arguing that conflicting decisions in the 6th and 9th Circuit Courts of Appeals left them unsure whether the states or the CFTC has regulatory authority over prediction markets.
Kalshi is a supporter of Reason Foundation, the nonprofit that publishes Reason. In a statement to the Deseret News, a Kalshi spokesperson called the criminal charges a "crazy overreach" and said Brown was "playing politics." With Shelby's ruling still in effect, so long as Utah considers Kalshi a gambling platform, its continued operation violates state law. Still, the criminal charges are an attempt to strong-arm Kalshi into acquiescing to his demands instead of letting the pending court case play out.
Utah acknowledges that there's been a "rapid increase in volume on the Kalshi platform" from users in the Beehive State. Yet its attorney general seems intent on restricting adults in the state from spending their money as they see fit.
The post Utah Files Criminal Charges Against Kalshi Co-Founders appeared first on Reason Magazine.
Europe’s efforts to establish greater control over artificial intelligence technology are entering a new phase as the EUROPA consortium, led by Italian company Domyn, advances plans to develop one of the continent’s largest open-source AI models.
The initiative, supported by the European Commission and European high-performance computing infrastructure, aims to create an advanced artificial intelligence system capable of competing with models developed by leading American and Chinese companies.
Domyn chief executive Uljan Sharka told the Financial Times on 29 October that Europe possesses the technological resources and industrial expertise required to compete in advanced AI development.
However, he also identified two obstacles: the need for greater investment and the difficulty of persuading European businesses to adopt domestically developed systems.
These challenges extend beyond the development of a single language model.
They concern whether Europe can establish a commercially sustainable AI industry while reducing dependence on technology providers headquartered outside the EU.
The European Commission selected EUROPA in June 2026 as the winner of its Frontier AI Grand Challenge.
The competition, launched in February, was designed to support the development of a European general-purpose AI model with more than 400 billion parameters.
EUROPA’s planned model is expected to contain approximately 500 billion parameters and support all 24 official EU languages.
The consortium brings together Domyn and Germany’s Fraunhofer research organisation, including the Fraunhofer IAIS and IIS institutes.
Its work will rely on the EuroHPC network of European supercomputers.
Under the competition arrangements, the winning consortium can obtain access to as much as 2.5 per cent of EuroHPC’s total computing capacity for one year.
This allocation is intended to address one of the largest barriers to advanced AI development: the enormous computing resources required to train models at this scale.
The final system is intended to be released under an open-source licence, allowing organisations to inspect, adapt and deploy the technology.
Nevertheless, parameter count alone does not demonstrate that a model is competitive.
Its actual performance will depend on training data, architecture, computational efficiency, evaluation results and the ability to perform reliably across different tasks.
One of EUROPA’s distinguishing objectives is its coverage of all official EU languages.
The commercial AI market has historically been dominated by models developed primarily for English-language applications, although leading international systems increasingly support multiple languages.
For Europe, linguistic capability has particular relevance to public administration, legal services, education and cross-border business.
A model designed specifically for the European market could potentially support specialised applications involving national legislation, administrative procedures and technical terminology.
However, multilingual availability will need to be assessed against measurable performance standards.
A system capable of producing fluent responses in a particular language is not necessarily equally reliable when interpreting specialised legal or scientific information.
The consortium will therefore need to demonstrate that linguistic coverage translates into practical capabilities rather than remaining principally a technical specification.
The EUROPA project forms part of a wider effort to use European publicly supported computing infrastructure for commercial and scientific AI development.
The EuroHPC Joint Undertaking has invested in systems intended to provide advanced computing resources to researchers, businesses and public institutions.
Additional AI-focused infrastructure is being developed through the EU’s network of AI factories.
These facilities are intended to make specialised computing capacity available to organisations that would otherwise face considerable costs when developing or adapting AI systems.
However, infrastructure ownership does not necessarily provide complete technological independence.
European supercomputing projects continue to rely on internationally sourced semiconductor technology and specialised software.
Domyn itself has described a partnership with the American technology company Nvidia in its previous model-development work.
Consequently, European AI sovereignty is better understood as a question of control over important technological capabilities than complete separation from international supply chains.
On 20 October, Domyn announced the initial release of Domyn Edge, a separate AI model containing four billion parameters.
According to the company’s technical announcement, the system was trained from scratch using approximately 13 trillion tokens on Europe’s Leonardo supercomputer.
Domyn has committed to making the model’s weights, training code, intermediate checkpoints and datasets available under open licences.
This approach is intended to improve reproducibility and allow external developers to examine how the model was constructed.
Domyn Edge is substantially smaller than the planned EUROPA system and should not be confused with it.
Nevertheless, the project provides an example of the company’s approach to developing AI models using European computing infrastructure.
The EU has already established an extensive regulatory framework for artificial intelligence through the AI Act.
However, legislation governing the development and deployment of AI does not, by itself, create a competitive domestic technology industry.
Europe faces competition from American companies with substantial private investment, established cloud platforms and access to large commercial markets.
Chinese developers have also expanded their capabilities, including in open-weight AI systems.
EUROPA’s commercial prospects will therefore depend on more than technical performance.
European businesses must be willing to integrate the resulting technology into their operations, while developers will require dependable access to computing infrastructure and support services.
There is also the question of whether European institutions themselves will adopt domestically developed AI systems where they meet relevant security and performance requirements.
Without sufficient demand, even a technically successful model could struggle to establish a sustainable ecosystem.
Domyn has indicated that it aims to release EUROPA during 2027, although public statements have differed over the precise timetable.
The company’s leadership has discussed a June target, while an earlier technical announcement referred to the second half of 2027.
The immediate challenge is completing development and demonstrating that the model can compete on performance, reliability and cost.
The longer-term challenge concerns adoption.
If European businesses and public institutions continue relying predominantly on foreign technology, access to an advanced European alternative may have only a limited effect on the market.
Conversely, a competitive and widely adopted open-source model could offer organisations greater control over deployment, customisation and sensitive information.
EUROPA is therefore more than a publicly supported technology experiment.
It is a test of whether Europe can convert research institutions, computing infrastructure and industrial expertise into AI products capable of competing in the international market.
The outcome will depend not simply on whether Europe can build an advanced model, but on whether organisations consider it sufficiently capable and economical to use.
Login