Headlines

This new brain-like chip could slash AI energy use by 70%

A breakthrough in brain-inspired computing could make today’s energy-hungry AI systems far more efficient. Researchers have engineered a new nanoelectronic device using a modified form of hafnium oxide that mimics how neurons process and store information at the same time.

How US and Iran could step back from the brink

Donald Trump’s deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face a renewal of American bombardment was due to expire this week, but was extended at the last moment, this time with no defined time limit. But the risk of renewed escalation remains real, as both sides

Asia

War in the Middle East: latest developments

The latest developments in the Middle East war: - US Central Command turns back 31 vessels - US Central Command (CENTCOM) said late Wednesday that it had also "directed 31 vessels to turn around or return to port" as part of its own "blockade against Iran". It said on X "the

Is China’s soft power rising, or is America’s just crumbling?

Soft power is notoriously hard to quantify, but it’s difficult to argue that global soft power has been shifting steadily toward East Asia in recent decades. A few years ago, I wrote a post about how South Korea became a cultural superpower on purpose, while Japan became one by

Asia