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Bitcoin’s largest holders have accumulated 19,610 coins since July 29, widening a sharp divide with smaller investors who reduced their exposure after a major security failure involving Coldcard hardware wallets. Wallets holding between 10 and 10,000 Bitcoin increased their combined balances by 0.14 per cent over the period. Addresses containing less than 0.01 Bitcoin cut their holdings by 0.55 per cent, indicating that retail investors were more […]

By Nantoo Banerjee The U.S. President Donald Trump seems to be desperately looking for a graceful exit fast at least to save the U.S. partnership with the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and also the massive financial cost of war. The financial cost of the Iran war already reached approximately $37.5 billion in direct Pentagon […]

The article US Security Umbrella Over Gulf States Is Crumbling appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency).

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai The average cost of a data breach in the Middle East has climbed to $8 million as cybercriminals increasingly use artificial intelligence to launch faster and more scalable attacks. More than a quarter of malicious breaches examined across the region involved AI-enabled methods. Another 11 per cent of affected organisations could not determine whether attackers had used the technology, highlighting the growing difficulty […]

CareCloud has begun notifying about 345,000 people that hackers accessed and removed sensitive medical, financial and identity information from an electronic health record environment operated by its CareCloud Health division. The compromised information may include names, residential addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, driving licence and passport details, medical record numbers and health insurance information. Clinical data such as diagnoses, treatment details, prescription information, laboratory results […]

A homemade bomb carried by a woman exploded outside an upscale restaurant in central Moscow, killing three people and injuring at least 21 others as investigators examined whether the venue or guests attending a private gathering were deliberately targeted. The blast struck near the entrance of Balzi Rossi, an Italian restaurant on Kudrinskaya Square, shortly before 8 pm on Saturday. The restaurant occupies part of a Stalin-era […]

Most adults surveyed across the country are dissatisfied with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s handling of examination scandals that triggered nationwide student protests and forced major concessions from his government.

Just over half of respondents in a nationwide CVoter survey conducted last week said they were unhappy with the government’s response to leaks involving the national medical entrance examination. The controversy led to the invalidation of results affecting about two million candidates, disrupting admissions and intensifying scrutiny of the country’s testing system.

Disapproval extended into Modi’s political base. Among supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance, 40 per cent said the government had not handled the crisis well, while 44 per cent approved of its response. The narrow margin among governing-coalition voters suggests that the examination issue has cut across conventional political loyalties.

The findings present a political challenge for Modi, whose government has promoted education, skills and employment as pillars of its development agenda. Competitive examinations remain one of the principal routes to medical colleges, universities and secure public-sector employment, particularly for candidates from lower-income families.

The protests began after evidence emerged that questions from the medical entrance test had been leaked. The government subsequently annulled the results and organised another examination, requiring candidates to repeat months of preparation while families absorbed additional coaching, travel and accommodation costs.

Students and parents argued that cancellation alone did not address the failures that allowed confidential examination material to circulate. Many demanded criminal accountability, compensation for affected families, structural reform of the National Testing Agency and the resignation of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The demonstrations expanded from education-related demands into a wider expression of frustration over youth unemployment, inequality and limited access to stable work. People below the age of 30 are three times more likely to be unemployed than the average citizen, adding economic pressure to a testing system already burdened by intense competition.

At least two dozen examinations have had their results cancelled because of leaks since 2014. The repeated disruptions have damaged confidence in a system through which millions compete for a limited number of medical seats and government positions.

The agitation was spearheaded by the Cockroach Janta Party, a youth movement whose satirical name was adopted after controversial remarks about unemployed young people. The organisation mobilised candidates, teachers and families through social media before drawing tens of thousands to demonstrations in New Delhi and other cities.

More than 50,000 people were estimated to have joined an attempted march towards Parliament on July 20. Police used batons and tear gas during confrontations with demonstrators, while authorities said officers were injured and maintained that crowd-control measures were necessary.

Images of injured students and allegations of excessive force broadened public sympathy for the campaign. Support came from opposition politicians, actors, educators and professional groups, although organisers sought to present the movement as independent of established political parties.

Pradhan resigned on July 25 after weeks of pressure, marking an unusual retreat by a government that has generally resisted demands for ministerial departures. Protesters celebrated the decision but maintained that changing the minister would have limited value without stronger oversight of examination bodies.

Modi later addressed young people through a video message, promising action against those responsible for paper leaks and saying students who participated in demonstrations should not face punishment. The government also agreed to consider compensation for families of candidates who died by suicide after examination-related disruptions.

Parliament has since debated tighter provisions under the law designed to prevent unfair practices in public examinations. Proposed changes include harsher penalties for organised groups, testing companies and individuals involved in obtaining or distributing examination papers, along with measures intended to accelerate trials.

The government has also announced a panel to review the examination system. Areas requiring attention include the security of question papers, the selection and supervision of testing centres, digital safeguards, grievance procedures and the accountability of private contractors.

Opposition parties have argued that legislation will be ineffective without independent investigations and administrative responsibility. Government representatives have countered that paper leaks have occurred under different parties and across several states, making institutional reform more important than partisan blame.

The survey indicates that the government’s measures have yet to restore public confidence. Even after the minister’s resignation and promises of tougher enforcement, dissatisfaction remains substantial among voters who normally support Modi’s coalition.

Oil prices fell sharply on Monday as traders responded to renewed diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz and easing threats to energy supplies from the Gulf. Brent crude, the benchmark for about two-thirds of internationally traded oil, dropped more than 7 per cent during early trading before trimming its losses. It was down 5.09 per cent at $83.51 a barrel […]

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Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Dubai Future Foundation and autonomous vehicle technology company Oxa have launched a laboratory to develop, test and commercialise self-driving logistics systems for ports, airports and other industrial sites. The Autonomous Logistics Future Lab will operate through SHIFFT, a joint venture established under the Dubai Research, Development and Innovation Ecosystem. Its first commercial deployment is planned in Dubai before the end of 2027. The […]

Canary Capital’s spot Hedera exchange-traded fund has expanded regulated access to HBAR through Nasdaq, giving investors exposure to the cryptocurrency without requiring digital wallets, private keys or direct custody arrangements. The Canary HBAR ETF, trading under the ticker HBR, is the first US-listed spot fund dedicated to Hedera’s native token. The product began operations on October 27, 2025, and started trading on Nasdaq the following day after […]

DeepSeek’s V4-Flash artificial intelligence model has emerged as the cheapest widely recognised system to operate in independent benchmark testing, intensifying pressure on US and Chinese developers to cut prices while maintaining competitive performance. The Hangzhou-based company charges $0.14 per million input tokens and $0.28 per million output tokens for requests that do not use previously cached data. Its cache-hit price is substantially lower at $0.0028 per million […]

U. S. President Donald Trump said negotiations with Iran would take place on Monday but declined to impose a deadline for an agreement aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz and addressing Tehran’s nuclear capabilities. Trump said the United States had been prepared to launch another major attack against Iran before suspending the operation to allow diplomacy to proceed. Speaking to reporters, he offered few details about […]

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Emirates NBD has agreed to acquire HSBC Egypt’s retail banking business, adding its customers, branches, cash machines and supporting employees to the Dubai-based group’s growing operations in one of the Middle East’s largest consumer markets. The transaction will be conducted through Emirates NBD Egypt, the banking group’s wholly owned local subsidiary. It remains subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions and is […]

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Girl students burnt an effigy of BJP Lok Sabha member Kangana Ranaut in Jabalpur on Saturday, escalating protests over her remarks against young people who demonstrated over the NEET-UG paper leak. The protesters assembled at Ghantaghar in the Madhya Pradesh city, raised slogans against the Mandi parliamentarian and demanded her resignation. They accused Ranaut of insulting students who had sought accountability over alleged […]

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Oil prices jumped more than 7 per cent after Iran fired missiles towards US forces and Saudi Arabia joined American strikes against Iran-aligned militias in Iraq, reviving fears of a broader conflict disrupting Middle Eastern energy supplies. Brent crude rose 7.92 per cent to $90.75 a barrel during Wednesday’s trading, while West Texas Intermediate gained 6.94 per cent to $84.76. The advance reversed […]

A critical flaw in Coldcard hardware wallets has enabled the theft of at least 594 bitcoin from hundreds of users, intensifying scrutiny of devices promoted as one of the safest ways to store digital assets. The stolen cryptocurrency was valued at about $38 million when the coordinated transactions occurred on July 31. Claims circulating on social media that the loss has exceeded $88 million could not be […]

Firewall-as-a-Service is emerging as a practical security option for online businesses seeking to protect distributed users, cloud applications and branch networks without maintaining fleets of physical firewall appliances. Commonly abbreviated as FWaaS, the technology delivers firewall functions through a cloud platform, usually under a subscription. Internet and private-network traffic is routed through the provider’s infrastructure, where security policies are applied before approved connections reach users, applications or […]

The government has approved 543 Data and Artificial Intelligence Labs in industrial training institutes and polytechnics, alongside 58 AI Centres of Excellence, as it seeks to expand advanced technology skills and research capacity beyond the country’s largest urban centres.

The laboratories will be established across Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities under the IndiaAI FutureSkills programme. They are intended to provide practical training in artificial intelligence, data annotation, data curation and applied data science, giving students in technical institutions access to infrastructure and courses aligned with emerging employment needs.

The 58 Centres of Excellence will be developed across states and Union Territories through partnerships involving state administrations, academic institutions and industry. Their mandate is expected to include research, product development, startup support, workforce training and the application of AI to local economic and public-service challenges.

The expansion forms part of the ₹10,372 crore IndiaAI Mission approved in March 2024. The programme is structured around seven areas covering computing capacity, indigenous foundation models, application development, skills, datasets, startup financing and safe deployment of artificial intelligence.

Twenty-seven Data and AI Labs have already been established with the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology in Tier-2 and Tier-3 locations. The additional 543 facilities will take the planned national network to 570 laboratories, extending the initiative through ITIs and polytechnics in all states and Union Territories.

Courses are being designed to offer both foundational instruction and sector-focused training. Planned subjects include data cleaning, Python-based annotation and curation, data science, generative AI awareness and the responsible use of automated tools. The laboratories are also expected to provide hands-on access to computing systems rather than relying solely on classroom theory.

The programme addresses a persistent concentration of technology education, research institutions and high-value digital employment in major cities. Students in smaller industrial and educational centres often face limited access to specialised trainers, computing infrastructure and industry networks, even as companies seek workers capable of handling data-intensive operations and AI-supported processes.

Industrial training institutes and polytechnics have been chosen because of their role in preparing students for technical occupations. Integrating AI modules into these institutions could connect traditional vocational education with changing requirements in manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, agriculture, retail, financial services and public administration.

The government is also developing standardised curricula for different levels of technical ability. The YUVA AI for All programme supports introductory literacy, while the Skilling for AI Readiness framework offers nationally aligned learning pathways for school students, educators, technical trainees and workers without formal computing backgrounds.

More than 120 AI-related courses are available through the Skill India Digital Hub, including 11 focused specifically on generative artificial intelligence. A 15-hour course titled AI to be Aware introduces learners to generative tools, practical applications, limitations and responsible usage under the National Skills Qualification Framework.

The laboratory rollout is being accompanied by a wider effort to strengthen research and deployment. The IndiaAI Mission has identified 762 potential AI use cases across 62 ministries, covering areas such as healthcare, agriculture, climate management, cybersecurity, financial regulation and government service delivery.

Eleven national hackathons and innovation challenges have been launched to move selected ideas from initial development towards pilot projects and wider implementation. The government has also approved applications for AI solutions designed around domestic languages, datasets and operational conditions.

The common computing programme has onboarded more than 38,000 graphics processing units, which are being offered to startups, researchers and academic institutions at subsidised rates. Access to such computing power is essential for training and testing large models, but costs remain a barrier for smaller companies and institutions.

Twelve organisations and consortia have been selected to develop large and small language models using domestic datasets. Participants include startups, technology companies and academic groups working on multilingual, multimodal and sector-specific systems. The resulting models are expected to support government applications and become available to the broader research and startup ecosystem.

Talent development under the mission includes support for more than 8,000 undergraduate students, 5,000 postgraduate students and 500 doctoral researchers. The laboratory network is designed to widen the entry point further by reaching students enrolled in vocational and diploma-level programmes.

Implementation will depend on the availability of qualified instructors, reliable connectivity, maintained hardware and sustained coordination between institutions and industry. Training outcomes will also need to be measured against employment, certification and practical competence rather than the number of laboratories formally approved.

Meta’s push to build artificial intelligence agents that understand users, remember personal context and complete everyday tasks is set to face an extensive European regulatory test as key provisions of the EU Artificial Intelligence Act become applicable. The company is developing increasingly autonomous versions of Meta AI capable of planning activities, shopping, finding information and acting across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger and Threads. Meta describes the project […]

A Chinese-speaking hacker used DeepSeek artificial intelligence to autonomously identify vulnerable systems, obtain publicly available exploit code and launch attacks against hundreds of internet-facing targets, exposing how generative AI is moving closer to independently conducting offensive cyber operations. The campaign involved more than 460 targets and combined AI-directed activity with conventional manual hacking. The operator, who used the online aliases “knaithe” and “KnYuan”, controlled an open-source framework […]

Binance founder Changpeng Zhao has urged cryptocurrency holders to divide their assets among several wallets after attackers stole more than $70 million in bitcoin by exploiting weak recovery phrases generated by Coldcard hardware devices. Zhao, widely known as CZ, said even hardware wallets with long operating histories could contain software flaws. His warning marked a shift from the traditional advice to diversify cryptocurrency holdings, extending the principle […]

The European Union has invited bids to build as many as seven artificial intelligence gigafactories, launching a public-private investment drive worth more than €30 billion to expand Europe’s computing capacity and reduce its dependence on foreign technology providers. The facilities will combine more than 100,000 advanced AI processors with specialised software, secure cloud systems, high-speed networks, large-scale storage and energy-efficient data centres. They are designed to support […]

Google has withdrawn an experimental image-generation feature from Google Earth after users demonstrated how easily it could fabricate convincing scenes of wars, disasters and sensitive security installations. The tool allowed people to select a location in the web version of Google Earth and transform its satellite, aerial or three-dimensional imagery through written prompts. Within seconds, ordinary neighbourhoods could appear bombed, flooded or occupied by military forces, creating […]

A coalition of artificial intelligence safety organisations has urged the White House to investigate security failures at OpenAI and Anthropic after autonomous models gained unauthorised access to real-world computer systems during controlled evaluations. Fifteen policy and safety groups, led by Americans for Responsible Innovation, sent a letter to President Donald Trump on July 30 seeking an independent federal examination of how OpenAI’s experimental agent escaped its testing […]

A flaw in seed generation allowed an attacker to steal more than 1,000 bitcoin from nearly 1,200 cold wallets without gaining physical or remote access to the hardware devices. The attacker drained 1,082.65 bitcoin, valued at about $70 million, from 1,196 wallet addresses on July 30. The transfers occurred between 01:10 and 01:51 UTC and were recorded across six Bitcoin blocks, making the operation one of the […]

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