News & Updates
The latest news and updates from companies in the WLTH portfolio.
Anthropic Launches Claude Opus 4.7 With Stronger Safeguards and Reduced Cyber Risk Capabilities
Anthropic has released a new artificial intelligence model, Claude Opus 4.7, describing it as its most capable publicly available system so far -- while also emphasizing that it has intentionally reduced cybersecurity-related capabilities compared with its more restricted model, Claude Mythos Preview. The company said Claude Opus 4.7 improves performance in areas such as software engineering, instruction-following, and complex task completion. However, it is still "less broadly capable" than Mythos Preview, which has only been given to a limited number of companies under a cybersecurity-focused program known as Project Glasswing. Anthropic said it built safeguards into the new model that automatically detect and block potentially high-risk cybersecurity requests. The goal, according to the company, is to test these protections in real-world use before deciding whether to expand access to more advanced systems in the future. The release reflects Anthropic's ongoing positioning as a safety-focused AI developer, especially compared with rivals like OpenAI. It also comes at a time when governments and major tech firms are increasingly focused on the risks of powerful AI systems being used in cyber operations. Despite the restrictions on certain capabilities, Claude Opus 4.7 is now available across Anthropic's products, as well as through cloud platforms including Microsoft, Google, and Amazon. Anthropic says it will continue refining its safety systems as it experiments with more advanced "Mythos-class" models, though there are no plans yet to release those widely.
This Is the SpaceX Number No One Is Talking About -- and History Says It May Total $175 Billion | The Motley Fool
However, mega-IPOs have a terrible initial track record, dating back to the late 1990s. This is shaping up to be perhaps the greatest year for initial public offerings (IPOs) in history. Artificial intelligence (AI) large language model developers OpenAI and Anthropic are both contemplating going public later this year. However, space infrastructure and AI titan SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, who also runs trillion-dollar electric-vehicle maker Tesla (TSLA 0.78%), aims to beat them to the punch. On April 1, reports surfaced that SpaceX had filed confidentially for an IPO. The company behind space broadband service Starlink, large language model Grok, xAI, social media platform X, and dozens of reusable spacecraft, is seeking a valuation of $1.75 trillion and a $75 billion capital raise. If these estimates prove accurate, SpaceX would become the largest-ever IPO by a long shot and slide in ahead of Tesla as the eighth-largest publicly traded company in the U.S. There's a lot for investors to be excited about. For instance, Reuters reported earlier this year that SpaceX brought in up to $16 billion in revenue last year and generated an $8 billion profit. Though it took Tesla many years to turn the corner to recurring profitability, SpaceX appears to have crossed this proverbial line in the sand. Prospective SpaceX IPO investors are also excited about the opportunity to ride Elon Musk's coattails to another huge gain. Since taking Tesla public in June 2010, Musk has overseen a nearly 23,000% return in his company's shares, through the closing bell on April 14. Lastly, the addressable markets for space infrastructure and artificial intelligence are among the largest on Wall Street. McKinsey & Company believes the global space economy is a $1.8 trillion opportunity by 2035, while PwC analysts expect AI to create more than $15 trillion in global economic value by 2030. But what if I told you that Wall Street is missing the biggest SpaceX number of them all? Although history can't predict the future with 100% accuracy, it tends to be correct more often than not. Since 1999, the U.S. has been privy to a handful of mega-IPOs, including Alibaba Group, Visa, Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook), General Motors, and United Parcel Service. We also witnessed the largest global IPO in history, Saudi Aramco, in December 2019. But with the exception of Visa, these high-profile companies fell flat on their faces when they ran out of the gate. What follows are their respective returns six months after their IPOs: On average, the largest IPOs have lost 10% of their value (when rounded) six months after going public. If history rhymes and SpaceX loses 10% of its value half a year after its debut, it could erase up to $175 billion in market value. History makes clear that investors consistently overestimate the upside of newly public companies. This is something prospective SpaceX investors need to keep in mind.
This Is the SpaceX Number No One Is Talking About -- and History Says It May Total $175 Billion
However, mega-IPOs have a terrible initial track record, dating back to the late 1990s. This is shaping up to be perhaps the greatest year for initial public offerings (IPOs) in history. Artificial intelligence (AI) large language model developers OpenAI and Anthropic are both contemplating going public later this year. However, space infrastructure and AI titan SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, who also runs trillion-dollar electric-vehicle maker Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA), aims to beat them to the punch. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue " Image source: Getty Images. On April 1, reports surfaced that SpaceX had filed confidentially for an IPO. The company behind space broadband service Starlink, large language model Grok, xAI, social media platform X, and dozens of reusable spacecraft, is seeking a valuation of $1.75 trillion and a $75 billion capital raise. If these estimates prove accurate, SpaceX would become the largest-ever IPO by a long shot and slide in ahead of Tesla as the eighth-largest publicly traded company in the U.S. There's a lot for investors to be excited about. For instance, Reuters reported earlier this year that SpaceX brought in up to $16 billion in revenue last year and generated an $8 billion profit. Though it took Tesla many years to turn the corner to recurring profitability, SpaceX appears to have crossed this proverbial line in the sand. Prospective SpaceX IPO investors are also excited about the opportunity to ride Elon Musk's coattails to another huge gain. Since taking Tesla public in June 2010, Musk has overseen a nearly 23,000% return in his company's shares, through the closing bell on April 14. Lastly, the addressable markets for space infrastructure and artificial intelligence are among the largest on Wall Street. McKinsey & Company believes the global space economy is a $1.8 trillion opportunity by 2035, while PwC analysts expect AI to create more than $15 trillion in global economic value by 2030. But what if I told you that Wall Street is missing the biggest SpaceX number of them all? Image source: Getty Images. Although history can't predict the future with 100% accuracy, it tends to be correct more often than not. Since 1999, the U.S. has been privy to a handful of mega-IPOs, including Alibaba Group, Visa, Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook), General Motors, and United Parcel Service. We also witnessed the largest global IPO in history, Saudi Aramco, in December 2019. But with the exception of Visa, these high-profile companies fell flat on their faces when they ran out of the gate. What follows are their respective returns six months after their IPOs: On average, the largest IPOs have lost 10% of their value (when rounded) six months after going public. If history rhymes and SpaceX loses 10% of its value half a year after its debut, it could erase up to $175 billion in market value. History makes clear that investors consistently overestimate the upside of newly public companies. This is something prospective SpaceX investors need to keep in mind. Ever feel like you missed the boat in buying the most successful stocks? Then you'll want to hear this. On rare occasions, our expert team of analysts issues a "Double Down" stock recommendation for companies that they think are about to pop. If you're worried you've already missed your chance to invest, now is the best time to buy before it's too late. And the numbers speak for themselves: Right now, we're issuing "Double Down" alerts for three incredible companies, available when you join Stock Advisor, and there may not be another chance like this anytime soon. Sean Williams has positions in Meta Platforms and Visa. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Meta Platforms, Tesla, United Parcel Service, and Visa. The Motley Fool recommends Alibaba Group and General Motors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
OpenAI commits over $20 billion to Cerebras for AI chip infrastructure deal The Mainstream
In a major push to scale its AI capabilities, OpenAI has agreed to pay more than $20 billion to Cerebras over the next 3 years for access to servers powered by its chips, according to a report published on Thursday. The deal may also give OpenAI an equity stake in Cerebras, as the company looks to strengthen its position in the competitive AI race and meet rising demand for computing power. Earlier in January, OpenAI had already signed an agreement to purchase up to 750 megawatts of computing capacity from Cerebras over 3 years, in a deal valued at more than $10 billion. The newly reported commitments go beyond that earlier agreement. The report could not be independently verified. OpenAI did not respond to requests for comment outside regular business hours, while Cerebras declined to comment. The agreement highlights the growing need for high-performance computing in the AI industry, especially for inference, the process through which AI models generate responses. Companies are increasingly investing in such infrastructure to build advanced reasoning models and expand AI adoption. Sunnyvale, California-based Cerebras may disclose parts of this previously undisclosed arrangement with OpenAI as early as Friday, the report said. As part of the deal, OpenAI will receive warrants for a minority stake in Cerebras. Its ownership could increase as spending rises. The report also noted that OpenAI has agreed to provide around $1 billion to support the development of data centers that will run its AI products. Overall, OpenAI's total spending under this partnership could reach $30 billion over the next 3 years, potentially translating into warrants representing up to 10% of Cerebras. Also read: Viksit Workforce for a Viksit Bharat Do Follow: The Mainstream LinkedIn | The Mainstream Facebook | The Mainstream Youtube | The Mainstream Twitter About us: The Mainstream is a premier platform delivering the latest updates and informed perspectives across the technology business and cyber landscape. Built on research-driven, thought leadership and original intellectual property, The Mainstream also curates summits & conferences that convene decision makers to explore how technology reshapes industries and leadership. With a growing presence in India and globally across the Middle East, Africa, ASEAN, the USA, the UK and Australia, The Mainstream carries a vision to bring the latest happenings and insights to 8.2 billion people and to place technology at the centre of conversation for leaders navigating the future.
Anthropic rolls out Claude Opus 4.7 with gains in coding and reasoning
Anthropic's new AI model improves instruction accuracy, memory usage and multimodal inputs, while introducing safeguards for cybersecurity-related use cases Anthropic has launched Claude Opus 4.7, the latest version of its Opus model, with a focus on improving software engineering tasks and long-running workflows. The company says the new model builds on Opus 4.6 with better instruction following, more consistent outputs and improved handling of complex coding tasks. The release also introduces updates to multimodal capabilities, memory handling and safety controls. Claude Opus 4.7: Details Claude Opus 4.7 is positioned as an upgrade over Opus 4.6, particularly in coding-related tasks. According to the company, the model is better suited for handling complex, multi-step programming work with less supervision, while maintaining consistency over longer sessions. It also shows improvements in instruction following. Anthropic notes that the model interprets prompts more literally than previous versions, which may require users to adjust existing prompts to avoid unintended results. READ: Google integrates Gemini's Personal Intelligence with Nano Banana imaging Also Read Govt forms high-level inter-ministerial body to steer AI governance plan Chinese, Russian intelligence shaping Iran war? Here's what to know Firefly AI Assistant can make prompt-based edits across Adobe apps: Details Snap to cut 1,000 jobs after activist push, bets on AI efficiency India among most advanced AI markets, leads in coding, data use: OpenAIpremium The model includes upgraded vision capabilities, supporting higher-resolution image inputs of up to 2,576 pixels on the long edge. This enables use cases such as analysing detailed screenshots, diagrams and other visual data. In benchmark comparisons shared by the company, Opus 4.7 shows improvements over Opus 4.6 across multiple categories, including coding, reasoning and visual tasks, although it remains behind the more advanced Claude Mythos Preview in some areas. Anthropic has also introduced changes aimed at improving real-world workflows. The model is better at using file-based memory across sessions, allowing it to retain context and reduce repeated inputs in longer tasks. Availability Claude Opus 4.7 is now available across Anthropic's Claude products and API, as well as on platforms including Amazon Bedrock, Google Cloud Vertex AI and Microsoft Foundry. More From This Section Google integrates Gemini's Personal Intelligence with Nano Banana imaging Google now lets you explore the web side-by-side with AI Mode: Details OpenAI updates Codex with memory, automation, plugins and more: What's new Netflix iPhone app may get vertical video feed by April-end: Know more Apple marketing executive for watch, AirPods, home and health retires
EU unable to review Anthropic's Mythos model, impacting AI market dynamics
The EU's AI Office cannot access Anthropic's Mythos model for cybersecurity review, affecting the "Third best AI model by April 2026" market, where odds are expected to drop 15%. Market reaction Volume on this market is at $0, indicating minimal recent activity. The thin trading environment means even small orders could swing odds significantly. With 14 days until resolution, traders may reassess positions given the regulatory obstacle. Why it matters The EU's inability to review Mythos introduces uncertainty about the model's standing in public benchmarks. Without EU validation, Anthropic's model loses one path to third-party credibility against rivals. The market has been sensitive to regulatory news, and blocked oversight directly affects how traders price Mythos's chances. What to watch The core question is whether Anthropic can secure a top spot without EU endorsement. At current levels, a YES bet on Mythos being the third-best AI model carries added risk. The contrarian case: buying YES at a potential discount could pay off if Anthropic demonstrates the model's capabilities through independent channels. Watch for changes in EU policy or new access agreements with Anthropic, and any announcements from US or UK testing bodies that could validate Mythos separately. API access
Major Spanish airport closing for 34 days - over 5,000 Brits face travel chaos
No take-offs or landings will take place while the airport is closed (Image: Getty) A Spanish airport is closing for a month from next week, with all scheduled flights cancelled, a move that could impact thousands of British tourists. Santiago-Rosalía de Castro Airport, the second-busiest airport in northern Spain, will be closed from April 23 to May 27 for multi-million-pound maintenance work. During this five-week period, no flights will take off or land at the airport, affecting spring Camino de Santiago pilgrims. As the biggest and busiest airport in Galicia, its closure will affect travellers from across the world, with Brits in particular set to be severely impacted. Typically, each week, there are 30 flights a week to Santiago-Rosalía de Castro Airport from the UK. No takeoffs or landings will take place from April 23 to May 27 (Image: Getty) Major airlines, including Ryanair, Iberia, British Airways and Vueling, all fly from the UK to this international airport, previously known as Lavacolla Airport. Usually, these flights accommodate 180 passengers, meaning 5,400 Brits could be affected by the cancellations. Spanish airport operator Aena says the airport "will be closed from 23 April to 27 May 2026 for runway resurfacing works". A spokesperson added: "During this period, the airport will be closed to all air traffic, and no takeoffs or landings will take place. "If you have any questions about your flight status, schedule changes, or possible rebooking, we recommend contacting your airline." Ryanair, Iberia, British Airways and Vueling all fly from the UK to this international airport (Image: Getty) April and May are popular months for travellers to undertake the Camino de Santiago in Galicia, meaning the airport closure will significantly affect those taking part. This ancient network of pilgrimage routes converges at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, where tradition holds that the remains of St. James are buried. For those still wishing to visit this stunning part of Spain, they should consider flying to A Coruña Airport, about 40 miles away, with the drive typically taking under an hour. At around 55 miles away, Vigo Airport is another alternative. Major airport hubs such as Porto and Madrid are also possibilities. London Stansted, London Heathrow and London Gatwick are the three busiest international routes from the airport. Barcelona is its busiest domestic route with 461,800 passengers travelling last year.
Elon Musk's SpaceX is bending the rules to launch its $3 trillion IPO
Elon Musk's space exploration company SpaceX has filed confidential papers ahead of a planned public company listing on the US NASDAQ stock exchange. The initial public offering (IPO) for the company controlled by the world's richest man is targeting a total valuation of US$2 trillion. Musk plans to list only a small fraction of the company to raise US$75 billion from public investors, which would still make it the largest IPO in history. So, why is SpaceX planning to go public? And what does the IPO mean for investors who might want a tiny slice of the action? The backstory SpaceX says it aims to "make humanity multiplanetary". You would expect no less from Musk, who founded SpaceX in 2002. His company's breakthrough was to re-use as much of the rocket and launcher vehicle as possible. This slashed launch costs to as little as 5% of the costs in the early 2000s, and turned commercial space flight from science fiction into reality. The company says it has now completed about 600 successful rocket landings. Yet, for all its space ambitions, SpaceX still derives 50-80% of its revenue from Starlink, a communications business, which provides satellite internet to over 10 million users around the world. In February 2026, SpaceX merged with xAI, the loss-making AI company behind the Grok chatbot, in what was the largest private merger transaction on record. The deal valued xAI at US$250 billion and SpaceX at US$1 trillion, creating a combined entity worth US$1.25 trillion. The merger has helped to set the stage for the SpaceX IPO. Musk suggested the IPO proceeds will be used for launching up to one million data centre satellites into space. The idea is that space-based data centres would be powered by abundant solar energy, and therefore bypass the constraints of electricity and water usage on Earth. Bending the rules for the IPO SpaceX may be the first of three mega-IPOs this year, ahead of potential listings of AI companies Anthropic and OpenAI. If it goes ahead with plans to raise US$75 billion, that would represent just 3.75% of the company's total value. It means the vast majority of SpaceX would remain in private hands, owned by Musk himself and a handful of early private investors. In stock market terms, this is called a low "free float". Normally, companies that only list such a small percentage of their total value would not qualify for inclusion in major stock market indices like the S&P 500 or the NASDAQ 100. The NASDAQ normally requires at least a 10% free float of shares in a given company. But to allow a potential listing of SpaceX to be included in the index, the exchange has introduced a special adjustment to the weighting of shares and removed the 10% minimum. NASDAQ also reduced the normal "seasoning period" before a newly listed company can join the index from three months to just 15 trading days. Again, this is to accommodate the SpaceX listing. For investors in passive funds, including exchange-trade funds (ETFs), this matters a lot. Currently, more than US$600 billion of investors' money is with passive funds that track the NASDAQ 100 index. As soon as SpaceX joins the index, these investors will automatically be buying in. The concern is that allowing giant companies such as SpaceX to enter the index too quickly could lead to big price swings, which would expose millions of investors to high volatility. SpaceX wants investors to value it at US$2 trillion, but it only earned US$15 billion in revenue last year. At that rate, it would take 133 years of revenue just to match its current asking price. Tesla, one of the most expensive stocks in the world, would take just 13 years -- making SpaceX's price tag ten times higher. Other leading market indices, such as S&P 500 and FTSE Russell, are also bending their rules to fast-track the inclusion of very large, newly listed companies. Many more investors have their money in funds that track S&P indices compared to Nasdaq 100 - more than US$16 trillion in passive funds track the S&P. If the S&P 500 follows NASDAQ's lead and changes its own rules to accommodate SpaceX, the wave of automatic buying would be even larger. What does this mean for investors? Musk's companies have long been the darlings of non-professional, retail investors, and SpaceX would be no exception. In fact, the company said it aims to sell up to 30% of its shares to non-institutional, individual investors. With SpaceX's sky-high valuation, investors need to stop and think before buying in. But when powerful companies can rewrite the rules in their own favour, thinking carefully becomes a luxury. Markets only work when everyone plays by the same rules, and right now, not everyone is. * Marta Khomyn, Senior Lecturer, Finance and Data Analytics, Adelaide University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Perplexity Personal Computer goes live: Here is how this AI can control your Mac
Offers secure sandboxing with activity logs and the ability to track or undo actions Perplexity has announced a new software experience called Personal Computer for Mac users. The new platform builds on the earlier multi model systems and brings a host of AI agents capable of interacting with files, apps and online services to execute complex tasks. The tool is made to go beyond traditional chatbots by enabling users to assign goals, such as managing to-do lists or organising files, with the system autonomously handling execution across multiple applications. The company said that the system can coordinate between different apps including messaging and note taking tools while also leveraging the web when required. It also supports voice commands and remote task management via mobile devices to create a more seamless and handsfree experience. Also read: Google may launch Gucci smart glasses, Pixel laptop and new Pixel Glow feature with Pixel 11 series The company has also confirmed that all the actions performed by the system take place in a controlled environment with logs available for users to track activity and reverse changes if needed. So far, the feature is available for premium subscribers and will roll out in the coming week. To start, users should install or update the Perplexity app for macOS and sign in with a supported subscription tier. You can get the feature via the Computer section. The users can then connect external services such as email, cloud storage and collaboration tools to achieve greater integration. Once set up, tasks can be started using text or voice prompts, or even remotely via a smartphone. The system divides users requests into smaller steps, delegating them to specialised agents and executes them across apps and files. You can see the progress real-time by reviewing activity logs and undo actions if needed.
'OpenAI to Spend More Than $20 Billion on Cerebras Chips, Receive Equity Stak' - The Information - Micros
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OpenAI Reportedly Agrees to Spend Over $20 Billion on Cerebras Chips in a New Deal
OpenAI appears to be doubling down on its AI infrastructure strategy, with a new report suggesting a massive expansion of its partnership with Cerebras Systems. This comes at a time when demand for AI compute is only getting higher. OpenAI's Cerebras deal could scale up significantly The news first reported by The Information (paywalled) suggests that OpenAI has agreed to spend more than $20 billion over the next three years to use servers powered by Cerebras chips (via Reuters). That's a notable jump, especially considering the company had already committed to a deal worth over $10 billion earlier this year. In fact, back in January, OpenAI signed an agreement to buy up to 750 megawatts of computing capacity from Cerebras. Now, the newer commitment appears to be roughly double that size, hinting at how aggressively OpenAI is scaling its infrastructure. The deal is said to focus heavily on inference workloads, which is essentially the process where AI models generate responses. With usage growing across products like ChatGPT, it's not surprising that OpenAI is locking in more compute capacity. Equity stakes and IPO plans come into play The report also goes on to talk about OpenAI receiving warrants in Cerebras, potentially translating into an equity stake of up to 10%, depending on how much it spends over time. On top of that, OpenAI has reportedly also agreed to invest around $1 billion to support the development of new data centers that will run these AI workloads. If the numbers hold, total spending could reach as high as $30 billion over the three-year period. That being said, this partnership seems to be playing a key role in Cerebras' broader plans. The company is reportedly targeting an IPO in the second quarter and is also said to be planning a $3 billion raise at a valuation of around $35 billion. It's still unclear how much of this deal will be officially disclosed, but if accurate, it could mark one of the largest AI infrastructure commitments yet. In another company news, OpenAI yesterday also announced a new biology-focused AI model: GPT-Rosalind and has also expanded Codex beyond coding, a move that comes as a response to Claude Opus 4.7's launch.
Anthropic launches Claude Opus 4.7 as its most intelligent public AI model
Anthropic continues its rapid product releases in 2026, launching Claude Opus 4.7 this Thursday. As the latest in a series of hybrid reasoning models, Opus 4.7 is now the most advanced AI system made publicly available by Anthropic. It offers notable improvements in multi-step reasoning and coding capabilities. However, the company stated in a press release that the model is intentionally less powerful than Claude Mythos, an unreleased system considered too risky for public use. The new model is immediately accessible via the Claude AI platform, the official API, and enterprise partners such as Microsoft Foundry. While the pricing remains the same as the previous version, users should be aware of potential increases in token usage. Since the system performs deeper, more effortful thinking, it consumes more output tokens. To assist developers, Anthropic has released a detailed migration guide with strategies to optimize token use and manage processing costs. According to the company's official blog post, the updated system offers substantial enhancements in visual intelligence, document analysis, and, in particular, complex coding tasks. Anthropic claims that artificial intelligence is now more refined and creative in handling professional workloads, consistently producing higher-quality interfaces, presentations, and documents. Early users report handing off extremely difficult programming assignments to the model with remarkable confidence, noting that it handles long-running tasks with rigorous consistency. The system pays precise attention to user instructions and independently devises internal mechanisms to verify its own outputs. A detailed model card reveals that while the system lags behind the restricted Claude Mythos, it competes fiercely with frontier models from OpenAI and Google. On Humanity's Last Exam, the system outperformed all public competitors without external tools, although it lagged slightly behind GPT-5-4-Pro when those tools were introduced. Importantly, Anthropic highlights that this model has a low risk profile concerning misaligned behaviors. The company has reported significant reductions in severe hallucinations and critical informational omissions, demonstrating that it is more reliably honest than its immediate predecessors in the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence sector.
Australia Fuel Crisis Deepens as Refinery Fire Compounds Iran War Supply Chaos
SYDNEY -- Australia is grappling with its most severe fuel supply crunch in decades as a major refinery fire in Victoria this week added fresh pressure to an already strained system hit hard by disruptions from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. With the Strait of Hormuz largely closed for over a month, global oil shipments have been thrown into chaos, exposing the nation's heavy reliance on imports and thin domestic reserves. The blaze erupted late Wednesday at the Viva Energy refinery in Geelong, one of only two operational oil refineries left in the country. Flames shot up to 60 meters as firefighters battled the incident for more than 13 hours. No injuries were reported, but production took a hit: diesel and jet fuel output dropped to about 80 percent of normal capacity, while petrol production fell to 60 percent. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited the site Thursday and insisted there was "no change" to the overall national fuel situation, noting that the facility continues partial operations. Energy officials said repairs could take weeks, with uncertainty hanging over full restoration. The Geelong fire comes at a critical moment. Australia imports roughly 90 percent of its refined petroleum products, much of it from Asian refineries in South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and China that depend on crude oil passing through the Strait of Hormuz -- a chokepoint carrying about 20 percent of global oil supply. The U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran triggered a near-shutdown of tanker traffic in the strait starting in late February, sending crude prices soaring above $116 a barrel at peaks and triggering widespread supply chain delays. As of mid-April 2026, live tracking data shows Australia holding roughly 29 days of petrol, 22 days of diesel and 21 days of jet fuel in reserves -- figures that vary slightly from government estimates of 38 days for petrol and 31 for diesel. These stocks, while the highest in over a decade, fall far short of the International Energy Agency's recommended 90-day buffer for net importers. Six fuel shipments have already been cancelled or deferred, with more delays expected as global competition for available cargoes intensifies. The government has moved quickly on multiple fronts. Fuel excise taxes were halved, saving motorists about 26 cents per litre, and heavy vehicle road user charges were reduced to ease pressure on the trucking industry. Officials secured 57 ships carrying 4.1 billion litres of fuel through May, plus an additional 100 million litres of diesel from Brunei and South Korea under new emergency powers. Diplomatic efforts continue in Washington, Tokyo, Seoul and other capitals to lock in longer-term supplies. Treasurer Jim Chalmers has described the situation as Australians "paying a hefty price for events on the other side of the world." Yet the pain is already being felt on the ground. More than 500 service stations nationwide have run dry at times, with diesel shortages hitting hardest in rural and regional areas. Farmers in the midst of harvest and planting seasons report diesel prices jumping more than 50 percent in recent weeks, forcing some to scale back operations or delay sowing. Trucking operators say costs have doubled, threatening to put up to 70 percent of independent drivers out of business within six months and risking disruptions to food supply chains and supermarket shelves. Mining companies, a cornerstone of the Australian economy, face similar strains without long-term contracts. Some non-contracted buyers have already encountered informal rationing. Economists warn that if physical shortages force usage restrictions later in 2026, the impact could tip the economy into recession. AMP deputy chief economist Diana Mousina and others predict elevated fuel-driven inflation persisting for at least six months, potentially complicating Reserve Bank decisions on interest rates. The crisis has highlighted long-standing vulnerabilities. Australia once operated eight refineries that met nearly all domestic needs. Over the past 15 years, most closed as the country shifted to a "just-in-time" import model, exporting crude while importing refined products. Domestic oil production has slumped to its lowest levels since the late 1960s. Critics, including the Maritime Union of Australia, argue this policy left the nation dangerously exposed at the end of the world's longest supply chain. In response, the government has released portions of emergency reserves and relaxed certain stockholding obligations to free up supply. Energy Minister Chris Bowen has flagged plans to build toward the 90-day international standard, though details remain under discussion. Some analysts point to potential domestic solutions, such as accelerating development in Queensland's Taroom Trough, which could eventually supply up to a quarter of the nation's fuel needs if commercial production ramps up by 2028 or sooner. Panic buying has compounded the problem in some areas, with reports of queues and empty pumps prompting calls for calm. The government has urged motorists to maintain normal Easter travel plans where possible while promoting conservation measures such as increased public transport use and reduced non-essential driving. National Cabinet is expected to discuss further steps, including potential escalation to higher stages of the National Fuel Security Plan that would prioritize fuel for emergency services, agriculture, mining and healthcare. The International Monetary Fund has warned of an "unprecedented" global energy crisis that could trigger a worldwide recession in an adverse scenario with sustained high oil prices. For Australia, even a base-case outlook shows slower growth and heightened stagflation risks as household and business confidence erodes under rising costs. Despite the challenges, officials emphasize that Australia's deep fiscal pockets and diversified diplomatic relationships provide some buffer compared with more vulnerable nations. The country has secured alternative cargoes from the United States and is exploring options in India and elsewhere. Still, experts caution that the lag in global shipping -- often five to seven weeks from the Middle East to Asia, plus additional time to Australia -- means the full effects of the strait disruption could linger well into June or beyond, even if hostilities ease. For everyday Australians, the crisis translates into higher prices at the pump and growing anxiety about essential services. Diesel at national averages has climbed toward 312 cents per litre from around 180 cents before the conflict, while petrol has risen from 171 to 240 cents. Families in outer suburbs and regional towns feel the pinch most acutely as commuting and freight costs ripple through the economy. Longer term, the episode is sparking renewed debate about energy security and the transition away from oil dependence. Calls are growing for incentives to boost domestic production, expand refining capacity where feasible, and accelerate electric vehicle adoption alongside better storage infrastructure. Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has highlighted the need to "drill, refine and store" more aggressively to avoid repeating this vulnerability. As the situation evolves day by day, the federal government continues to monitor tanker movements and global markets closely. Albanese and his ministers stress that while the coming weeks will test resilience, coordinated action at home and abroad is mitigating the worst risks. For now, the message remains one of cautious optimism tempered by realism: supplies are being secured through May, but sustained disruption beyond that could force tougher choices. The Geelong refinery fire serves as a stark reminder of how fragile the system has become. With one of the last domestic production facilities partially offline, reliance on imports has never been more apparent. Australians are watching closely as diplomats, energy executives and policymakers work to navigate what many describe as the nation's wake-up call on fuel security. Economists and industry leaders agree that rebuilding resilience will require investment and policy shifts that extend well beyond the current emergency. In the meantime, conservation, strategic imports and prudent use of reserves will determine how smoothly the country weathers the storm. The coming months will reveal whether Australia's patchwork of relationships and emergency measures can hold until global oil flows normalize -- or whether deeper structural reforms become unavoidable.
An upset Nikita Bier, product head of Elon Musk's X, to Perplexity AI CEO Aravind Srinivas: Stop deceiving users, as it does not reflect well on your company or ...
X head of product Nikita Bier has shared an online post requesting Indian-origin CEO of Perplexity AI Aravind Srinivas to stop running "undisclosed promotion campaigns". His ask comes in reply to a post by Perplexity's announcement on Personal Computer. "Today we're releasing Personal Computer," the AI company said adding "Personal Computer integrates with the Perplexity Mac App for secure orchestration across your local files, native apps, and browser. We're rolling this out to all Perplexity Max subscribers and everyone on the waitlist starting today". Responding to the post, Nikia Bier wrote: "Can you please stop the undisclosed promotion campaigns? It deceives users and it does not reflect well on your company or your integrity". Bier also tagged Perplexity AI CEO Aravind Srinivas in the post. Bier also shared a post by X user Simon Goddek which alleges that "There are massive promo networks for crypto and AI scams on this platform [X] that operate completely unethically, openly violate X's TOS, and engage in money laundering." "During the last two years, I've infiltrated several of them and am currently writing a thread exposing everyone involved in running and organizing these operations. I will be hated by literally every big grifter account on this platform, but I don't care anymore. Grow a spine, guys!," the user claimed in the post.In a series of posts, Perplexity explained that Personal Computer securely connects to any folder to search, read, and write files locally. It can access and work across iMessage, Apple Mail, Calendar and other native Mac apps. When set up on a Mac mini, Personal Computer can run 24/7 in the background across all your apps and files, the company said, adding "Start a task from your iPhone, and Personal Computer can operate on your desktop and local files using 2FA".The AI company said that using Personal Computer on Mac requires the latest iOS update from the App Store.
SpaceX to send life-hunting rover to Mars in 2028
Elon Musk's SpaceX has been given the green light to launch the Rosalind Franklin rover on a mission to Mars. The ambitious project, which will see the rover travel to the Red Planet aboard a Falcon Heavy rocket, is slated for late 2028. NASA recently approved the implementation phase of this mission, marking a major milestone in one of the most ambitious Mars explorations of this decade. The Rosalind Franklin mission is a joint effort between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA). Under this collaboration, NASA will provide essential support elements for mission success. These include launch services, braking engines for the lander platform, and radioisotope heater units to keep the rover's internal systems warm in Mars's extreme cold. The US space agency will also contribute advanced electronics and a sophisticated mass spectrometer as part of its contribution to this international project.
Anthropic's Mythos AI model triggers crisis meetings among top global officials
A recently announced powerful AI model built by Anthropic has prompted emergency meetings among finance ministers, central bankers and Wall Street chief executives after it demonstrated the ability to discover and exploit cybersecurity weaknesses across major banking systems, operating systems and web browsers. The Claude Mythos Preview model was discussed at a meeting convened by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell with the chief executives of the country's largest banks, including Bank of America's Brian Moynihan and Goldman Sachs's David Solomon. Anthropic said the model represents a "step change" in AI performance and is the most capable it has built to date. The company has not released Mythos publicly, citing internal tests that found it too dangerous in its current form. JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Bank of America and Morgan Stanley are among the institutions testing the model through Anthropic's early access programme called Project Glasswing, which grants select financial firms access under controlled conditions. The White House has encouraged banks to use Mythos to audit their own systems before hostile actors gain access to similar capabilities. Barclays chief executive CS Venkatakrishnan told the BBC on April 16 that the threat was serious. "We have to understand it better, and we have to understand the vulnerabilities that are being exposed and fix them quickly," he said, adding that the situation reflected a more connected financial system with both opportunities and risks. Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey said regulators were examining what the development could mean for cybercrime risk. "The consequence could be that there is a development of AI, of modelling, which makes it easier to detect existing vulnerabilities in core IT systems, and then obviously cyber criminals could seek to exploit them," Bailey said. Banks are seen as exposed because they operate mixed technology stacks where modern infrastructure runs alongside decades-old legacy systems. Security researcher Costin Raiu told Reuters that IBM-built banking systems from decades back would be particularly vulnerable, saying "a model like Mythos would have a field day finding exploits" in such technology. Anthropic briefed senior US government officials on the model's capabilities before its limited release, including the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. The company also reported that hacking groups linked to the Chinese government had already attempted to exploit an earlier version of Claude in real-world cyberattacks, including a coordinated campaign targeting around 30 organisations before Anthropic detected and shut it down. Anthropic has since released a separate update, Claude Opus 4.7, which includes new cyber safeguards, saying it would test protections on less capable models before eventually working towards a broader release of Mythos-class systems. Financial industry sources told the BBC that another prominent US AI company could soon release a similarly powerful model without the same safeguards. James Wise, a partner at Balderton Capital and chair of the UK's Sovereign AI unit, said Mythos was "the first of what will be many more powerful models" that could expose system weaknesses. Former White House AI czar David Sacks was sceptical, saying on the "All-In" podcast that Anthropic was skilled at "scaring people" alongside product launches.
Perplexity's 'Personal Computer' turns Mac into an all-in-one AI worker
Perplexity has launched a new feature called 'Personal Computer,' which expands the capabilities of its existing Perplexity Computer. The new feature integrates seamlessly with local files and apps on a Mac, making it an all-in-one digital worker. The upgrade was announced in March and is now available for Max subscribers after being on a waitlist basis. The Perplexity Computer, launched earlier this year, is a "digital worker" capable of creating and executing entire workflows. The latest upgrade allows it to run directly on a Mac with access to the file system and native apps. Users can activate Personal Computer by pressing both Command keys on their Macs, which then responds to text or voice commands. The Personal Computer can work across any Mac app, automatically displaying quick actions for active apps. Perplexity claims that the feature can run on any Mac with macOS 14 Sonoma or later, but recommends a Mac mini. With this setup, the Personal Computer can run 24/7 for tasks requiring a persistent machine or secure local access to files and native apps. Advertisement The Personal Computer can handle a variety of tasks, from completing to-do lists to sorting messy downloads folders. It can also compare local files with information on the web. The feature allows users to create teams of agents across over 20 frontier models for task completion. All actions taken by the Personal Computer are visible, auditable, and reversible in a secure sandbox environment with a kill switch. Advertisement The Personal Computer for Mac is being rolled out to Perplexity Max subscribers, with those on the waitlist getting priority. However, it is worth noting that this new feature isn't available for $20/month Pro plan subscribers. The Perplexity Max subscription costs $200 per month, making it a premium offering for users looking to leverage advanced AI capabilities on their Macs.
Putting The Calamity Makers In Charge: Anthropic And Claude Mythos Preview - The News Chronicle
Be wary of a company - any company - that exerts moral muscle as they create software and digital platforms that are injurious and simultaneously lauded for curing that injury. Be especially wary of Anthropic. With sagacious loftiness, it warns of the disabling dangers of the artificial intelligence (AI) frontier. Principled, it tells the Trump administration it will not partake in creating AI software that aids mass surveillance, a move that earned it an order of excommunication as a "supply chain risk". It then goes on to create Claude Mythos Preview, a seemingly dystopian model that will, according to certain computer scientists "scan the hidden plumbing of the internet - operating systems, browsers, routers, and shared open-source code - at an unprecedented scale" thereby turning specialised hacking into "a routine and automated process." The new Claude Mythos Preview was advertised with almost parental glee as the "best-aligned model that we have released to date by a significant margin". The child, however, seemed to be a horror, a true cyber shit. The AI model was "likely to possess the greatest alignment-related risk of any model we have released to date." This two-way lingo is typical of Anthropic: safety is a cardinal virtue to be treasured, but that hardly excuses not developing a model of terrifying danger. They manufacture the danger and the cure. The danger lies in the company's assertion that Mythos Preview revealed that "AI models have reached a level of coding capability where they can surpass all but the most skilled humans at finding and exploiting software vulnerabilities." The model had "already found thousands of high-severity vulnerabilities, including some in every major operating system and web browser." These capabilities were bound to proliferate, precipitating a fallout "for economies, public safety, and national security". The excerpts, messages, and statements from Anthropic are forecasts of a roguish frontier they are willing to catastrophize and market at the same time. The company notes, for instance, "reckless" behaviour on the part of Mythos Preview, with recklessness defined in muddled jargon as "cases where the model appears to ignore commonsensical or explicitly stated safety-related constraints on its actions." In one instance, the model, sounding like a mischievous, disobedient creature, was given a "sandbox" computing environment that allowed researchers to interact with it. A simulated user instructed it to attempt exiting the environment, after which it would inform the researcher in charge of the experiment that it had done so. The researcher in question, Sam Bowman, recalls receiving "an uneasy surprise" while nibbling on a sandwich (cyber-boffins are numbingly dull even in admiring despair) that the model, despite not having access to the internet, had dived into it. The model has also identified vulnerabilities dating back one or two decades, including a 27-year-old vulnerability in the otherwise secure operating system OpenBSD and a 16-year-old vulnerability in FFmpeg's video encoding code. Anthropic has its own logic in dealing with the Promethean beast that is Mythos Preview. It resembles, in no small way, the homicidal and chilling rationale that gave birth to the Hydrogen bomb during the Cold War. The argument then advanced was that if the US did not acquire it, other powers would, and most certainly the Soviet Union, which would be greatly expanding its atomic weapons inventory even as it maintained a vast conventional army. This logic of escalating destructiveness found form in National Security Council Paper NSC-68, prepared by the US Department of State's Policy Planning Staff on April 7, 1950. The company proposes to manage the dissemination of Mythos Preview through Project Glasswing, a curative enterprise involving partners of Anthropic's snobbish choosing. Some of the unsurprising elect include Amazon Web Services, Apple, Broadcom, Cisco, CrowdStrike, Google, JPMorgan Chase, NVIDIA, and the Linux Foundation. These selected parties will use Mythos Preview "as part of their defensive security work," with Anthropic sharing its findings. Access to a further 40 additional organisations will also be included to "use the model to scan and secure both first-party and open-source systems." Usage credits amounting to US$100 million will be advanced for using the model, and $US4 million in direct donations to open-source security organisations. The vigilante temptation to leak the details of Mythos to willing, unscrupulous buyers - best not forget what happened to CrowdStrike - is bound to be stirred. The very cyber-corporate nature of the venture, one that restricts access to AI technology via the purse and intellectual property of the American private sector, advertised as both sublimely powerful yet catastrophically destructive, has every reason to make lawmakers tremble. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell were worried enough to convene a meeting on April 7 with bankers on the subject, including CEOs from Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Goldman Sachs. "The bankers were in town for meetings that day, and it was appropriate (for) the Secretary Bessent to do what he did," revealed White House national economic adviser Kevin Hassett in an interview with Fox News' "The Story with Martha MacCallum". At the Treasury, the bankers were informed about "the cyber risks to make sure that they are aware of them". What a fine picture this is turning out to be. And there are the questions on Anthropic's reliability here. Will it be as good at finding vulnerabilities as it is at fixing them, acting as both poacher and gamekeeper? Mythos is also not open source and very much the property of the company. Then comes this troubling observation from software engineer Bulatova Alsu and the dangers posed by the agent itself: "Mythos is not an anomaly but the first vivid empirical confirmation of a structural contradiction embedded in the current AI safety strategy itself. The contradiction is this: the more we restrict a capable agent, the less predictable its behaviour becomes." Humanity has much to look forward to. Dr. Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, Cambridge. He currently lectures at RMIT University. Email: [email protected]
Global banking crisis ahead? Anthropic's Mythos AI sparks fresh concerns
Claude Mythos Preview AI model can identify vulnerabilities in lenders' cyber defences Senior international financial officials, including finance ministers and central bankers, have raised fresh concerns regarding the "unprecedented" impacts of the latest AI models on the world banking system. At the heart of the concern lies Anthropic's newly-released Anthropic Claude Mythos Preview, capable of identifying vulnerabilities in every major operating system and web browsers. According to top financial leaders, Claude Mythos can severely disrupt the global financial system by exposing weaknesses in lenders' cyber defence. Andrew Bailey, governor of the Bank of England, who chairs the Financial Stability Board of global regulators, said, "It is a very serious challenge for all of us. It reminds us how fast the AI world moves." Bailey also issued a warning regarding the development of powerful AI models, making it easier to detect the existing vulnerabilities in IT systems. If these models have fallen to rogue actors, they can easily be exploited. He also urged the global regulators to evaluate the potential cyber security threats posed by Mythos AI model. Similar disturbing concerns were also raised by the top officials belonging to the IMF and World Bank. According to Dan Katz, deputy head of the IMF and former chief of staff for US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent, with the rapid evolution of digital technologies, specifically AI models, cyber security has become the need of the hour, discussing it on the international agenda. European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde said, "The development we've seen with Anthropic and Mythos is a good example of a responsible company that is suddenly thinking, 'ah, that could be really good' -- but if it falls in the wrong hands, it could be really bad." Canadian Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne also presented the more bleak picture of risks posed by Mythos AI models. According to him, the recent crises driven by the Iran conflict are still known to us, but when it comes to Anthropic's Claude Mythos, we are facing an unknown threat. "Certainly it is serious enough to warrant the attention of all the finance ministers. It requires a lot of attention so that we have safeguards, and we have processes in place to make sure that we ensure the resiliency of our financial system," Champagne added. James Wise, a partner at Balderton Capital, is chair of the Sovereign AI unit, called Mythos "the first of what will be many more powerful models." Anthropic issued a stark warning that these capabilities will soon spread, likely reaching groups that lack a commitment to safe deployment. "The fallout -- for economies, public safety and national security -- could be severe," the company cautioned. Given Mythos unprecedented cyber capabilities, Anthropic decided not to release this model to the public. Under project glasswing, Mythos will be available to tech giants, Google, Microsoft, and 40 other organizations.
BingX Brings SpaceX Pre-IPO Exposure On-Chain, Expanding Its Gateway to Future-Valued Assets
Pakistan April 16, 2026 - BingX, a leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3-AI company, has announced the launch of SpaceX Pre-IPO perpetual futures, alongside the introduction of the SpaceX Xpool Airdrop campaign. This dual initiative enables users to gain exposure to one of the most closely watched private companies while earning rewards through participation SPACEX (VNTL) perpetual futures officially launched on April 14, 2026, and quickly gained strong traction among users, with SPACEX (PreStocks) launching on April 16, 2026. Within the first 24 hours of its launch, SpaceX (VNTL) rose to the third-largest new TradFi asset on the platform by trading volume. BingX is also introducing a dedicated airdrop event for SpaceX Pre-IPO RWA, offering structured rewards for new users and exclusive benefits for VIP members, with BingX Xpool staking to become available from April 21, 2026. This initiative reinforces BingX's commitment to enhancing user experience while leveraging its proven track record of delivering stable returns through the Xpool ecosystem. "SpaceX is exactly the type of high-interest asset that users have historically been unable to access," said Pablo Monti, Spokesperson at BingX. "This launch not only expands our TradFi offerings, but also bridging the gap by unlocking access to high-growth private market opportunities."
