Tag: technology

Reports of UFOs sightings on the rise in Belgium – with spike reported in March

Belgium’s UFO hotline recorded 237 sightings of unidentified flying objects in 2025, according to its annual report published on Monday.

The Belgische UFO-meldpunt (Belgian UFO Reporting Centre) has been analysing strange aerial phenomena in Belgium since 2007, supported by a team of five scientists.

Sightings in 2025 rose by 44% compared to the previous year, following a significant drop from 227 reports in 2023 to 161 in 2024. Most incidents occurred in March and September.

March’s spike was attributed to the release of excess fuel by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket during a satellite launch. The fuel created a spiral-shaped illuminated cloud, made up of water and carbon dioxide.

Reports were also driven by “skytracers” – bright lights used to illuminate clouds – and sightings of Starlink satellite trains.

In November, only 11 sightings were linked to drones spotted near military bases and airports.

In most cases, misidentifications involving aeroplanes, helicopters, or stars were found to be the cause.

The French-speaking counterpart, the Belgian Committee for the Study of Space Phenomena (Cobeps), is set to release its 2025 report in the coming days, according to its president Patrick Ferryn.

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In Beijing, Netanyahu looks to ‘marry Israel’s technology with China’s capacity’

On the second day of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit here, Israel and China took further steps to strengthen economic and scientific relations.

Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong said Beijing and Jerusalem had agreed to upgrade bilateral relations, including by forming an “innovative comprehensive partnership” meant to “bring the ties and the cooperation between the two countries to new heights,” according to the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem.

“Innovation cooperation is a highlight of our bilateral relations,” Liu said at the conclusion of the third meeting of the China-Israel Committee on Innovation Cooperation, held at Beijing’s Diaoyutai State Guest House.

Liu said she had visited Israel twice and was “deeply impressed” by its culture of innovation.

“You’re a global leader in research and development,” she said.

Israeli and Chinese ministers and top officials signed 10 bilateral agreements in health, science, education, environmental protection and other areas.

“We want to marry our technology with China’s capacity,” Netanyahu said at the summit.

“We in Israel are eager to share with China our science and technology that can better the lives of all mankind, and the people of China,” he said.

Addressing dozens of Israeli and Chinese government officials, industry leaders, university presidents and private businesspeople, Netanyahu called on Beijing to accelerate the pace of negotiations over an Israel-China free trade agreement, which started exactly one year ago.

Netanyahu said that in today’s world everything is becoming technologized and that therefore all countries need to innovate. He hailed Israel’s startup scene, highlighting Intel’s recent acquisition for $15 billion of Jerusalem-based autonomous driving company Mobileye, adding that Israel is home to 500 additional companies “that do the same thing. A few years ago we had nothing.”

Israel and China both have old, rich histories and traditions, and are committed to improving themselves and advancing technological innovation, he said.

“We have deep roots, but we seek for the sky, for the future. And that means science and technology,” the prime minister added.

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Footage Suggests ‘Black Program’ Stealth Drone May Have Supported Delta Force In Maduro Capture Operation

Our reporting on Saturday, spanning from early morning through late night, covered the incremental developments as U.S. Delta Force operators successfully executed Operation Absolute Resolve. This operation led to the capture of Venezuelan socialist leader Nicolás Maduro, his immediate transport to the U.S., and the filing of federal charges in New York, including a highly visible “perp walk” designed to send a clear message to other left-wing-controlled countries in the Western Hemisphere that America is back.

In a late-night press briefing, Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine disclosed that the operation involved the deployment of more than 150 air assets, underscoring the air-dominant posture of the Delta Force-led mission.

“Last night, on the order of the President of the United States and in support of a request from the Department of Justice, as the President said, the United States military conducted an apprehension mission in Caracas, Venezuela, to bring to justice two indicted persons, Nicolás and Cecilia Maduro,” Caine told reporters.

He continued:

“This operation, known as Operation Absolute Resolve, was discreet and precise, conducted during the darkest hours of January 2nd, and was the culmination of months of planning and rehearsal, an operation that, frankly, only the United States military could undertake.

In an unprecedented operation, we leveraged our unmatched intelligence capabilities and years of experience hunting terrorists. We could not have accomplished this mission without the extraordinary work of multiple intelligence agencies, including the CIA, NSA, and NGA.

We watched, we waited, we prepared, and remained patient and professional. This mission was meticulously planned, drawing lessons from decades of operations. It was an audacious effort that only the United States could execute. It required the highest level of precision and integration within our joint force.

Even the word ‘integration’ fails to capture the sheer complexity of this mission.”

Caine then revealed a key operational detail:

Such a precise extraction involved more than 150 aircraft launching across the Western Hemisphere in close coordination, all converging at the right time and place to layer effects for a single purpose: inserting an interdiction force into downtown Caracas while maintaining tactical surprise.

Failure of any single component would have endangered the entire mission, and failure is never an option for America’s joint force. Those in the air over Caracas last night were prepared to give their lives for those on the ground and aboard the helicopters.”

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EU says it is ‘seriously looking’ into Musk’s Grok AI over sexual deepfakes of minors

The European Commission said on Jan 5 it is “very seriously looking” into complaints that Mr Elon Musk’s AI tool Grok is being used to generate and disseminate sexually explicit child-like images.

“Grok is now offering a ‘spicy mode’ showing explicit sexual content with some output generated with child-like images. This is not spicy. This is illegal. This is appalling,” EU digital affairs spokesman Thomas Regnier told reporters.

He added: “This has no place in Europe.”

Complaints of abuse began hitting Mr Musk’s X social media platform, where Grok is available, after an “edit image” button for the generative artificial intelligence tool was rolled out in late December.

But Grok maker xAI, run by Mr Musk, said earlier in January it was scrambling to fix flaws in its AI tool.

The public prosecutor’s office in Paris has also expanded an investigation into X to include new accusations that Grok was being used for generating and disseminating child pornography.

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Fusion Ignition Breakthrough: Energy Researchers Report Tokamak Experiments That Exceed Mysterious ‘Plasma Density Limit’

In a potential new milestone for fusion energy research, researchers in China report achieving a state once only theorized for fusion plasmas, enabling stable operation under conditions that significantly exceed normal limits.

The achievement was made during experiments with China’s Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), which reportedly produced fusion plasmas in a “density-free regime,” overcoming a longstanding hurdle to nuclear fusion ignition.

The team’s findings were featured in a new study in Science Advances, offering a fresh perspective on tackling one of the most significant impediments to practical fusion energy.

The Plasma Density Limit

Amid growing concerns about access to clean, sustainable energy, nuclear fusion has long been seen as one of the most promising avenues for future energy sources.

Despite its promise, harnessing nuclear fusion is easier said than done, since it involves fusion reactions between deuterium and tritium that require heating plasmas to around 150 million kelvins—temperatures that still only represent a fraction of the intense conditions that occur naturally on the surface of the Sun.

Nonetheless, achieving such temperatures in conventional tokamaks—devices physicists use to conduct controlled fusion experiments with hot plasmas—is challenging because of the currently known upper limit on attainable plasma density. In essence, energy levels above this boundary typically lead to instabilities that not only affect plasma confinement but also cause disruptions that can damage tokamaks.

A Fusion Ignition Breakthrough

The recent work reported in Science Advances is significant because the EAST experiments now demonstrate that the plasma density limit, which has long constrained the operational capabilities of tokamaks, may finally have been overcome.

The research, co-led by Prof. Zhu Ping from Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Associate Prof. Yan Ning of the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, details the achievement of high-density plasmas at EAST, potentially extending stable operating periods without causing plasma disruption.

At the heart of the Chinese team’s work is a novel concept known as plasma-wall self-organization (PWSO) theory, which offers a unique approach to overcoming the plasma density limit. This theoretical approach, first developed by French physicist Dominique Franck Escande and colleagues with the French National Center for Scientific Research and Aix-Marseille University, holds that the key to overcoming plasma density issues involves attaining harmonious conditions between the plasma within the tokomak and its metallic walls, where physical forces increasingly impact the plasmas and their confinement as temperatures increase.

Verification of PWSO Theory

Although PWSO theory was initially introduced in 2021, it has yet to see verification in practice until now. According to the Chinese research team, the recent EAST experiments have successfully demonstrated the concept by combining careful control of fuel pressure with increased temperature during the initial startup phase of tokamak operation. During this time, electron cyclotron resonance heating is initiated, and with optimal control between fuel pressure and heating, the resulting plasma-wall interactions become more manageable from the outset.

The EAST researchers report that employing this process helps reduce potentially harmful interactions between the heated plasmas and the tokamak wall, limit impurity accumulation during confinement, and reduce overall energy loss.

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FEMA Grants $250 Million to Track Drones During World Cup

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is awarding $250 million for anti-drone efforts in 11 states that will host the FIFA World Cup 2026 soccer matches, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a Dec. 30 statement.

“Recipients can use this money to strengthen their ability to detect, identify, track, or mitigate unmanned aircraft systems,” DHS said. “In recent years, criminals, terrorists, and hostile foreign actors have intensified their use of this technology.”

The money is being awarded under the Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) Grant Program set up under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed into law by President Donald Trump in July.

“With today’s C-UAS Grant Program award—along with the new authorities granted in the SAFER SKIES Act—state and local law enforcement agencies now have the tools they need to keep their communities safe,” DHS said.

“This is especially critical as officials across the country prepare for the United States to host the FIFA World Cup, which is expected to be the largest sporting event in world history.”

The C-UAS Grant Program allows DHS to provide $500 million in federal funding over two years to boost local and state capabilities to combat drone threats, according to DHS.

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As Mexico’s Biometric ID Draws Closer, Implementation Remains Uncertain

Looking toward 2026, Mexicans and foreigners residing in Mexico are preparing to navigate an uncertain future regarding new laws that require biometric identification for certain services.

In July 2025, several new laws took effect in Mexico that greatly increase opportunities for government surveillance and coerce the population into registering for a biometric program required to access many services, including banking, health programs, social welfare, education, cellphone service, and internet access.

While the laws are set to be phased into practice beginning in February and continuing throughout the spring of 2026, it remains unclear how the policies will be enforced in a country known for its weak federal government and rampant corruption. It is also uncertain how the infrastructure for such programs will be implemented in Mexico’s vast rural areas, where as much as one fifth of the population resides.

The biometric requirement relates to Mexico’s personal identity code for citizens and residents, known as the Clave Única de Registro de Población (Unique Population Registry Code), or CURP. The CURP typically consists of 18 characters derived from a person’s family names, date and place of birth, and gender. It functions similarly to the US Social Security number.

The new laws will require the CURP to include the holder’s photograph and a QR code embedding biometric data, including scans of both fingerprints and irises. The legislation mandates the creation of a “Unified Identity Platform,” managed by the Ministry of the Interior and the Digital Transformation Agency. This platform will integrate the biometric CURP with the healthcare system as well.

The biometric CURP would also be required for purchasing internet and cellular services. This would force businesses selling these services to check a customer’s CURP before purchase. Individuals who do not comply with the CURP requirement could see their internet or phone service interrupted.

Mexico’s civilian intelligence service, the Centro Nacional de Inteligencia (CNI), and the National Guard will have access to the biometric data.

The Mexican government says these new laws are aimed at fighting organized crime and drug trafficking, as well as helping with the search for missing people. The government has also argued that controversial changes to the nation’s telecommunications laws are designed to bridge the so-called “digital divide,” referring to the limited access to internet and cellular service in rural areas compared to urban environments.

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China’s Military AI and Biotechnology Directed at the United States

Soldiers in a brigade attached to the 83rd Group Army of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army conduct virtual reality exercises. Photo: Screenshot from China Central Television

According to a congressional report, the People’s Liberation Army continues to exploit military-civil fusion to integrate commercial and academic research into military systems. Military-Civil Fusion is China’s national strategy to merge civilian technology, research institutions, and industry with the defense sector in order to build a world-class military.

The strategy aligns commercial innovation with military requirements across fields ranging from artificial intelligence to semiconductors, pooling state and private resources to accelerate military development. Chinese authorities describe military-civil fusion as a core component of comprehensive national power and a central driver of long-term military modernization.

Through state laboratories, funding programs, conferences, and industrial parks, China has ensured sustained private-sector participation in this effort. As a result, it has made significant advances in artificial intelligence and large language models that underpin many emerging PLA technologies. AI reasoning systems support cyber operations, command decision-making, and influence campaigns, while also enabling autonomous and unmanned platforms, drone swarms, and loyal wingman UAVs.

These capabilities increasingly intersect with developments in quantum computing, quantum sensing, and quantum communications, which China has identified as priorities for national security and future warfare.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has described quantum technologies as drivers of industrial transformation, and Beijing is investing in post-quantum cryptography, military applications of quantum sensing, and ground- and space-based infrastructure for a global quantum communications network with both civilian and military uses.

Quantum communications support nuclear command, control, and communications by enabling hardened and interception-resistant links, while quantum sensing has potential applications in anti-submarine warfare by enabling detection methods that do not rely on active sonar.

Semiconductor self-sufficiency remains a parallel strategic objective. In 2024, firms including Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp and Huawei Technologies received substantial local government funding to accelerate chip indigenization. Although China continues to lag the West in the most advanced GPUs, it is pursuing alternative pathways through nontraditional microchip technologies, including photonic components developed by state research institutes.

Domestic chip production underpins military resilience by enabling continued weapons manufacturing under sanctions and securing supply chains for missiles, drones, and radar systems. Alternative chip architectures support AI processing and reduce reliance on advanced Western GPUs, sustaining production capacity during conflict.

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Is The Gloom And Doom About An AI Dystopia Justified?

“Artificial intelligence does the work of many minds at once. Will human creativity flourish or fail?”

“Artificial intelligence will make us useless slaves. We must stop these abuses before they start!”

“AI will create killer robots! We’re doomed!”

I have heard various versions of the above concerns regarding the rise of robots, the growth of artificial intelligence, and the broader concerns about the moral and ethical dilemmas facing humanity as technological innovation advances—and then accelerates.

The gloom around AI is understandable but incorrect.

Technological innovation has always served as a winnowing process. Old jobs fall away, but new jobs take their place. Some career paths may disappear, but new opportunities take over.

No matter how sophisticated, artificial intelligence cannot replace human intelligence, wisdom, ingenuity, and entrepreneurship. AI can hone specialized skills for those who want to retain or maintain specific fields of craftsmanship, but craftsmen are not going away.

With special thanks to Canadian commentator JJ McCullough, AI makes it easier to create templates and ideas, but the quality and the taste of the pictures, objects, and ideas created are, on the surface, still cringeworthy. A machine cannot inspire, nor can it replicate the inspiration of the human spirit. Whatever stories, poems, or other forms of art that can come out of a ChatGPT prompt, the style and substance will never suffice or suffuse the human mind. Furthermore, the compact creations of Grok or Meta AI programs can’t reflect the inner tensions of man’s search for place or meaning in his world, including the scenes that he depicts. While AI can generate pictures or formulate ideas into pictures, it cannot create or enhance the contrasts, shades, and shadows that transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Of course, there is a growing number of artists and intellectuals ruggedly opposed to AI. They think that all creative works deserve assessment and praise based on the amount of effort put into the creation. Here’s the fundamental failure of the marketplace for leftists. Value is not determined by labor but by the interest or value of the consumer. No creation, no good, and no service has value in and of itself, but rather its value is based on what it produces. There you have the Austrian economics’ subjective theory of value.

Animators fear that AI will take their jobs away. AI might make it easier to produce films, but the fundamental characters and templates of individual actors, processions, and ideas will have to come from the people. The stunning beauty of Walt Disney’s “Snow White” still rivals the computer animation of DreamWorks.

Instead of limiting or bankrupting artists, AI will induce the general public to discern quality, and artists will strive to reflect that. The general public will have a greater appreciation for the abstract and avant-garde. That’s a win-win for artists.

We cannot predict how broad and commanding man’s ingenuity will be going forward. AI has provided a means for man to be more creative more quickly, but it cannot predict or anticipate the future wants and needs of the general public, either.

Man and his search for competence, recognition, and meaning will not disappear, but our lives will improve in the search for answers.

Another fear about rapid mechanization and advancement of AI was that there would be such widespread unemployment that governments and peoples would have to invest in universal basic incomes.

Industries that promoted the upkeep and well-being of horses fell into decline with the arrival of the automobile. Animal enthusiasts, performers, and general-interest equestrians still own horses, ride them, and enjoy their company. The horse-riding industry was limited, but it became more specialized.

But specialized careers employ fewer people. Where’s the comfort, then? Consider the moment when banks switched to automatic in the 1970s. There was widespread fear that automated teller machines, ATMs, would put thousands of people out of work. The opposite happened. Banks shifted their services to more customer-related features. With the increased savings, these financial firms opened up more branches, and they ended up having to hire more people! Free enterprise does entail creative destruction, but there always follows a creative proliferation!

Furthermore, it’s rather arrogant for labor leaders and liberal pundits to claim that “There will be no jobs left.” Human wants and needs are constantly changing. Steve Jobs created the portable phone with Internet before there was a thought, let alone a want, for the phone. Once he invented the nifty device, everyone had to have one. The innovations often create the need because of the facility and agility they provide to the consumer.

Even now, reports are listing the jobs that AI cannot replace. Human beings will always have employment opportunities.

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The AI Arms Race Is Cracking Open The Nuclear Fuel Cycle

  • The abstract “cloud” of artificial intelligence possesses a massive, structural demand for 24/7 “baseload” power that is equivalent to adding Germany’s entire power grid by 2026, a need intermittent renewables cannot meet.
  • Decades of underinvestment have resulted in a widening uranium supply deficit, with mined uranium expected to meet less than 75% of future reactor needs and an incentive price of $135/lb required to restart mothballed mines.
  • Big Tech hyperscalers are privatizing energy security by locking in clean baseload nuclear power via long-term agreements, effectively making the public grid’s “service” secondary to the “compute-ready” requirements of major platforms.

We are seeing a violent collision between two worlds: the high-speed, iterative world of artificial intelligence and the slow, grinding, capital-intensive world of nuclear physics. 

Data from a survey of over 600 global investors reveals that 63% now view AI electricity demand as a “structural” shift in nuclear planning. This isn’t a temporary spike or a speculative bubble. It is the physical footprint of every Large Language Model (LLM) query finally showing up on the global balance sheet.

For years, the energy narrative was dominated by “efficiency.” We were told that better chips would offset higher usage. That era is over. Generative AI doesn’t just use data; it incinerates energy to create it.

Why the “Efficiency” Narrative Failed

The “Reverse-Polish” reality of AI is that the more efficient we make the chips, the more chips we deploy, and the more complex the models become. This is Jevons Paradox playing out in real-time across the data centers of Northern Virginia and Singapore.

When you look at the energy density required for an AI hyperscale center, you aren’t looking at a traditional office building. You are looking at a facility that pulls as much power as a mid-sized city, but does so with a 99.999% uptime requirement.

Traditional demand models simply didn’t account for a single industry deciding to double its power footprint in less than five years. S&P Global Energy recently highlighted that data center electricity consumption could hit 2,200 terawatt-hours (TWh). 

Intermittent renewables…the darlings of the corporate ESG report…cannot provide the 24/7 “baseload” these machines require…

The hyperscalers have realized that if they want to dominate AI, they need to secure physical atoms before the other guy does.

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