All posts tagged: Backs

EuroHPC backs €290M AI supercomputer for IT4LIA AI factory

EuroHPC backs €290M AI supercomputer for IT4LIA AI factory

Published by skeptic

A major public investment is being directed into Italy’s next phase of high-performance AI infrastructure, with a new AI supercomputer commissioned for the IT4LIA AI factory in Bologna. The initiative is being led by the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) in partnership with E4 Computer Engineering and Dell Technologies. The system forms part of a €290m programme covering procurement through to long-term operation. Funding is split evenly, with support from the Digital Europe Programme (DEP) and co-financing from Italy’s Ministry of University and Research. When deployed, the platform, delivering more than 160 exaflops of peak AI inference performance, will anchor Italy’s AI factory within a wider European network, delivering large-scale AI compute capacity and expanding access for startups, SMEs, and researchers working on data-intensive applications. Anders Jensen, Executive Director of EuroHPC JU, commented: “This signature marks another important milestone for Europe’s HPC and AI ambitions. “With the IT4LIA system, we are making a significant investment in cutting-edge infrastructure that will empower startups, SMEs, and the research community to develop and deploy advanced AI …

NATO backs non-proliferation as global nuclear pacts come under strain – POLITICO

NATO backs non-proliferation as global nuclear pacts come under strain – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

NATO routinely reiterates support for the treaty, but the new statement comes ahead of a weekslong U.N.-linked review conference of the agreement in New York at the end of April. The pact has come under unprecedented pressure from growing geopolitical disputes, growing fears around Chinese nuclear armament and Russia’s all-out war in Ukraine. In recent months, France has said it would increase the size of its nuclear arsenal as it enters early-stage talks with other European countries to extend its deterrent in response to Russian aggression — even as Paris insists this does not violate the NPT. Meanwhile, the U.S. refused to extend New START, its 2010 bilateral nuclear arms control pact with Moscow, in February. Russian President Vladimir Putin has also repeatedly engaged in nuclear saber-rattling since the beginning of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The review conference, from Apr. 27 to May 22, will gather countries to assess compliance with the treaty and aim to find a consensus on a final document. Laura Kayali contributed to this report. Source link

UK’s £500m Sovereign AI initiative backs domestic AI innovators

UK’s £500m Sovereign AI initiative backs domestic AI innovators

Published by skeptic

The UK Government has launched an ambitious £500m initiative to strengthen its position in artificial intelligence (AI), placing homegrown startups at the centre of its AI strategy. Branded Sovereign AI, the programme is designed to fund British founders, accelerate innovation, and ensure the country retains control over technologies increasingly tied to both economic growth and national security. At its core, Sovereign AI represents a deliberate shift: rather than relying on external tech giants, the UK is seeking to cultivate its own AI ecosystem, keeping talent, intellectual property and long-term value within its borders. UK Technology Secretary Liz Kendall explained: “We believe in Britain, and we are betting on Britain. We are backing our brilliant innovators and entrepreneurs, so we seize the benefits of AI to reshape Britain for the benefit of all. “Sovereign AI is unlike anything the government has ever done before. Its unique approach will help break down the barriers that have too often held back British enterprise and innovation. This is how we ensure Britain’s economic prosperity and national security in the modern age. “My message …

Blanche backs public hearings with Epstein survivors

Blanche backs public hearings with Epstein survivors

Published by Sam Flores

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Wednesday that he would support public congressional hearings with victims of the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, less than a week after the chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee committed to holding them. “Of course,” Blanche responded when asked at the Semafor World Economy summit… Source link

France Backs Colonial-Era Art Restitution Bill

France Backs Colonial-Era Art Restitution Bill

Published by Jenni Sidey

To receive Morning Links in your inbox every weekday, sign up for our Breakfast with ARTnews newsletter. The Headlines HISTORIC VOTE. France’s lower house of parliament, the National Assembly, unanimously voted late last night in favor of a long-anticipated bill to facilitate the restitution of artworks looted during the colonial era, making good on a nearly decade-old pledge by president Emmanuel Macron. ARTnews attended the lively late-night debate, where many lawmakers described the legislation as “imperfect,” yet still a meaningful step toward confronting France’s colonial past and returning cultural goods that were unfairly, and often violently, seized in the 19th and 20th centuries. Why “imperfect”? A central issue is that the bill does not explicitly mention the word “colonialism,” despite being conceived with that context in mind. Instead, it specifies that artworks looted between 1815 and 1972 are eligible for a fast-track restitution process to countries that submit formal requests. The issue remains politically charged. Conservative lawmakers argued that the bill could open a “Pandora’s box” of claims, potentially leading to a wave of restitutions and depriving the French public of prized national …

ECB Backs Tokenized EU Capital Markets (With Strict Guardrails)

ECB Backs Tokenized EU Capital Markets (With Strict Guardrails)

Published by Jenni Sidey

Authored by Christina Comben via CoinTelegraph.com, The European Central Bank (ECB) set out a cautious path toward tokenizing Europe’s capital markets, saying the technology can deliver efficiency gains only if it remains anchored to central bank money, infrastructures remain interoperable, and regulation is “robust and supportive.”  In its latest Macroprudential Bulletin published on Monday, the ECB said distributed ledger technology (DLT) could help deepen the European Union’s savings and investments union, but warned that benefits will depend on interoperable infrastructure and policymakers keeping pace with new risks.  The central bank’s stance highlights a push to modernize market plumbing in the bloc without loosening control over settlement or financial stability. The ECB said that tokenization and DLT are “moving from concept to early-scale deployment,” but the benefits will “only be realised safely if European policy action keeps pace.” ECB maps conditions for tokenized capital markets One article in the Bulletin lays out how tokenized assets could rewire the issuance-to-settlement chain, cutting operational frictions and potentially improving secondary market liquidity. By moving securities and cash onto compatible ledgers and automating corporate actions, the …

UK backs £86.5m hydrogen electrolyser project in South Yorkshire

UK backs £86.5m hydrogen electrolyser project in South Yorkshire

Published by skeptic

The UK has moved to reinforce its domestic clean energy capabilities with a significant investment in hydrogen technology, centred in South Yorkshire. The funding package is expected to generate more than 400 jobs and position the region at the forefront of European hydrogen production infrastructure. At the heart of the announcement is a £40m commitment from Great British Energy, paired with a government grant in principle worth £46.5m. The funding will support ITM Power’s expansion plans, a Sheffield-based firm specialising in hydrogen electrolyser systems. Commenting on the investment, UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: “This investment is the government’s clean energy mission in action – rebuilding our energy security with clean homegrown power and good industrial jobs for South Yorkshire. “Communities have long been calling out for a new generation of good industrial jobs, and with these plans, we answer that call, helping to create an economy in which there is no need to leave your hometown just to find a decent job. “Thanks to this government’s commitment to clean energy, a generation of young people in our industrial …

OpenAI Backs Bill That Would Limit Liability for AI-Enabled Mass Deaths or Financial Disasters

OpenAI Backs Bill That Would Limit Liability for AI-Enabled Mass Deaths or Financial Disasters

Published by skeptic

OpenAI is throwing its support behind an Illinois state bill that would shield AI labs from liability in cases where AI models are used to cause serious societal harms, such as death or serious injury of 100 or more people or at least $1 billion in property damage. The effort seems to mark a shift in OpenAI’s legislative strategy. Until now, OpenAI has largely played defense, opposing bills that could have made AI labs liable for their technology’s harms. Several AI policy experts tell WIRED that SB 3444—which could set a new standard for the industry—is a more extreme measure than bills OpenAI has supported in the past. The bill, SB 3444, would shield frontier AI developers from liability for “critical harms” caused by their frontier models as long as they did not intentionally or recklessly cause such an incident, and have published safety, security, and transparency reports on their website. It defines frontier model as any AI model trained using more than $100 million in computational costs, which likely could apply to America’s largest …

Trump backs Israel, says Lebanon a ‘separate skirmish’ after ceasefire | US-Israel war on Iran

Trump backs Israel, says Lebanon a ‘separate skirmish’ after ceasefire | US-Israel war on Iran

Published by Sam Flores

NewsFeed After Israeli strikes on Beirut, Donald Trump said Lebanon isn’t included in the Iran ceasefire, calling it a “separate skirmish,” risking the fragile truce. Al Jazeera’s Kimberly Halkett reports from the White House. Published On 8 Apr 20268 Apr 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Source link

Appeals court backs Kalshi against New Jersey as Arizona case adds new pressure

Appeals court backs Kalshi against New Jersey as Arizona case adds new pressure

Published by skeptic

A federal appeals court has handed Kalshi an early but meaningful win in its fight with New Jersey regulators, and a fresh filing in a separate Arizona case is now adding momentum to the company’s broader legal strategy. In a decision issued Monday (April 6), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit said Kalshi is likely to succeed in arguing that federal law overrides state gambling restrictions against New Jersey. This keeps a lower court injunction in place, blocking New Jersey from enforcing its laws against the company as the case continues. Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour quickly welcomed the outcome, writing, “The Third Circuit ruled in Kalshi’s favor.” He added, “People use prediction markets because they’re more fair, transparent, and reward being right.” The Third Circuit ruled in Kalshi’s favor. People use prediction markets because they’re more fair, transparent, and reward being right. Free markets work. We should keep them that way. This is a big win for the industry and millions of users. pic.twitter.com/Ay0dLtgZdV — Tarek Mansour (@mansourtarek_) April 6, 2026 Kalshi’s …