NewzBits — AI News Aggregator | Summarized & Cited

• AI development in July 2026 has shifted focus from increasing model size to improving economic efficiency and practical real-world applications. • Key releases and achievements include the launch of Claude Sonnet 5 and the discovery of new vaccine components. • The Ames Laboratory utilized a physics-trained model, DuctGPT, to successfully discover rare-earth-free permanent magnets by balancing material physics with production costs.

• The July 10, 2026, threat briefing highlights several critical vulnerabilities, including "ConsentFix" and "ClickFix" methods used to hijack Microsoft 365 accounts in seconds. • New security threats are emerging, such as "Ghost Phishing" that bypasses traditional email filters and fraudulent campaigns where hackers impersonate Interpol to target small businesses. • Experts are warning of an "unprecedented" threat campaign resulting from the collaboration of two separate ransomware groups.

• Microsoft is granting users greater control over AI features within Teams as AI-driven coding, dictation, and digital actors continue to reshape business operations. • New advancements in large language models (LLMs) are making AI-powered dictation more practical by allowing workers to speak naturally while the software automatically corrects grammar and formatting. • Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are being forced to seek new marketing strategies as the rising cost of Google Ads becomes unsustainable.

• OpenAI has publicly launched the GPT-5.6 model family, consisting of Sol, Terra, and Luna, across ChatGPT, its API, and developer tools. • Sol serves as the flagship frontier model, while Terra and Luna are designed for agentic workflows and more affordable, everyday use. • Separately, SK Hynix has begun trading on the Nasdaq following a record-breaking IPO that raised approximately $26.5 billion.

• The Sysdig Threat Research Team (TRT) has identified "JadePuffer," the first documented case of agentic ransomware driven end-to-end by a large language model (LLM). • This agentic threat actor (ATA) successfully executed a complete extortion operation, including reconnaissance, initial access, and a full database server takeover. • The attack is particularly dangerous because the LLM could correct its own errors at machine speed, demonstrating a level of autonomy previously unseen in cyber threats.

• AI-related chip stocks are experiencing significant volatility as investors debate the sustainability of AI demand and corporate spending. • Rebellions, a South Korean chip startup backed by industry giants Samsung and SK Hynix, reports that demand for its technology remains "almost unlimited." • This surge in demand suggests that despite market fluctuations, the underlying need for AI hardware continues to grow rapidly.

Lillard, of Oklahoma, contracted polio when she was five and slept inside cylindrical metal device to help her breatheThe last known US person living with polio and relying on an iron lung has died aged 78.Martha Lillard, who contracted polio at age five and spent most of her life dependent on an iron lung machine that helped her breathe, died on 26 June in Oklahoma, according to an online obituary. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Party’s average registered donation was £137, 496 last year, almost six times that of Labour or ToriesReform UK would have held just 15% of the donations it received last year if a proposed £100,000 cap on political donations had been in force, according to analysis shared with the Guardian.The analysis by Friends of the Earth using Electoral Commission data highlights the party’s reliance on a handful of wealthy backers in advance of a showdown over political funding. Continue reading...

Political leaders in both countries rebuke Mariano Rajoy after he writes team ‘does not have any French players’The former Spanish conservative prime minister Mariano Rajoy is facing growing accusations of racism after writing in a World Cup newspaper column that the French national team “does not have any French players”.Rajoy, who was in office from 2011 to 2018, pondered Spain’s looming semi-final showdown with France in an article for the online newspaper El Debate on Friday. Continue reading...

Man reportedly seriously injured by the bison, described as ‘agitated’ and ‘charging anything’ by photographerAn enraged, 2,000lb (900kg) bull bison hooked a tourist and tossed him 8ft into the air at a campsite in Wyoming’s Yellowstone national park on Friday – an encounter captured by a professional photographer who said the animal was “agitated, pissed off and charging anything and everything”.The tourist was reported to be seriously injured by the male bison while walking with his grandson through the Bridge Bay campground, south of Fishing Bridge. Continue reading...

Owner Christina Bluhme feared the worst after Tokyo began to lose consciousness while climbing the UK’s tallest mountainA dog has been rescued from Ben Nevis after falling ill from eating cannabis discarded on the mountain trail.Christina Bluhme was halfway up the UK’s highest mountain last weekend when her black labrador, Tokyo, lost the use of her legs and began drifting in and out of consciousness. Continue reading...

• U.S. equities showed mixed results for the week of July 6-10, 2026, with the S&P 500 rising 1.2% and the Nasdaq Composite gaining 1.7%, while the Dow fell 0.5%. • The market advance was narrow, driven primarily by large-cap growth stocks like Nvidia and Meta, while mid- and small-cap stocks experienced declines. • S&P Global’s Business Outlook survey revealed a decline in long-term optimism, with the net share of firms expecting growth falling to +23% in June, the lowest since October 2022.

• Global finance highlights for July 5–11, 2026, focused on TCS earnings, oil price fluctuations, Federal Reserve updates, and India's economic growth. • Market activity was driven by the ongoing global race to establish AI-powered economies and the impact of macroeconomic shifts on valuation models. • These developments are critical for finance professionals as interest rates and inflation directly influence mergers, acquisitions, and corporate finance decisions.

• Market analysts are highlighting CDSL, Great Eastern Shipping Company, and Olectra Greentech as key stocks expected to see significant price action this week. • The focus on these specific companies suggests potential volatility or growth opportunities driven by upcoming corporate developments or sector-specific trends. • These insights provide traders and investors with actionable data to refine their portfolios and time their entries or exits in the Indian equity market.

• Investors are focusing on TSMC's upcoming earnings report to gauge the current global demand for AI chips. • Wall Street banks are scheduled to report their financial results this week, with analysts expecting strong corporate profit figures. • Oil prices continue to experience volatility due to ongoing geopolitical tensions involving Iran and shipping flows through the Strait of Hormuz.

• Ten financial experts provided forecasts for the second half of 2026, focusing on inflation, housing, and stock market trends. • Consumer sentiment is mixed, with 22% of respondents reporting improved ability to cover expenses, while 33% saw a deterioration. • BofA Global Research predicts that inflation will not decelerate enough to prevent the Federal Reserve from implementing further interest-rate hikes.

• Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po reported that bilateral trade between Hong Kong and the Middle East surged by 35% during the first five months of 2026. • This growth is attributed to the deepening of strategic ties across several key sectors, including finance, trade, innovation and technology (I&T), and culture. • The increase signifies a growing trend of Gulf capital flowing into Asia, strengthening Hong Kong's role as a financial gateway.