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The Nordic Times

Polaris of Enlightenment

The Nordic Times

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https://nordictimes.com/tech/usb-c-is-now-a-common-standard-in-the-eu/

Tech

USB-C is now a common standard in the EU

Published December 31, 2024 – By Editorial staff
The idea is that all electronics can be charged with the same cables.
1 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

This week, USB-C officially became the standard for chargers in the EU, meaning that all new mobile phones, tablets and other portable electronic devices sold in the Union must use this particular variant as a charging socket.

The rule aims to reduce electronic waste and simplify for consumers by eliminating the need for multiple chargers. Existing products will not be retroactively affected, but new devices will have to comply with the new requirements.

Advocates describe the standardization as an important step towards uniform charging solutions across Europe, and many manufacturers have already started adapting their products to meet the new rules.

"It means better-charging technology, reduced e-waste, and less fuss to find the chargers you need", the European Commission says.

Note that laptops are temporarily exempt from the new rules – but they will also be subject to the requirements in 2026.

Editorial staff
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https://nordictimes.com/tech/breakthrough-could-give-china-unlimited-nuclear-energy/

Tech

Breakthrough could give China unlimited nuclear energy

Published yesterday 12:33 pm – By Editorial staff
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, a Chinese research institute, has successfully converted thorium into uranium in an experimental reactor, enabling nearly unlimited access to nuclear energy.

The two-megawatt molten salt reactor is the world's only functioning facility of its kind.

The experiment has, according to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, demonstrated that thorium-based technology is technically feasible in molten salt reactors and represents a significant breakthrough. It is the first time researchers have been able to collect experimental data from thorium operation in such a reactor, reported the newspaper Science and Technology Daily.

The reactor has produced heat through nuclear fission since reaching criticality on October 11, 2023, according to Li Qingnuan, party secretary and deputy director at the institute.

Superior fuel availability

Thorium exists in much larger quantities and is more readily available than uranium. A single mining waste site in Inner Mongolia is estimated to contain enough thorium to supply all of China with energy for over a thousand years.

The new technology is based on a process where naturally occurring thorium-232 is converted into uranium-233 inside the reactor core. Thorium-232 absorbs a neutron and becomes thorium-233, which then decays into protactinium-233 and finally into uranium-233 – a fissile material that can sustain nuclear reactions.

The thorium is dissolved in a fluoride salt that forms a high-temperature molten mixture which functions as both fuel and coolant. The system creates a self-sustaining cycle where the reactor "breeds" fuel while simultaneously producing energy.

Requires no water cooling

Unlike conventional reactors, the thorium reactor requires no water at all for cooling, allowing it to be located in dry inland areas. The molten fluoride salts efficiently transfer heat at atmospheric pressure and extreme temperatures.

Safety is, according to the developers, significantly higher than in traditional reactors because the system operates at atmospheric pressure, eliminating the risk of high-pressure explosions. In the event of a leak, the molten salt would flow into a passive collection tank where it would solidify.

The reactor reached full power in June 2024, and in October of the same year, the world's first experiment with adding thorium to a molten salt reactor was conducted. China is now building a 100-megawatt demonstration reactor in the Gobi Desert with the goal of proving the technology is commercially viable around 2035.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/tech/watch-as-russias-ai-robot-falls-on-stage/

Tech

Watch as Russia’s AI robot falls on stage

Published November 13, 2025 – By Editorial staff
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Russia's first humanoid AI robot fell on stage during its official launch in Moscow this week. Staff rushed forward to shield the damaged robot while attempting to fix the malfunction.

What was meant to be a grand launch of Russia's venture into humanoid robotics ended in embarrassment. To the sounds from the Rocky film, the robot AIdol was led onto the stage by two staff members at a technology event in the Russian capital.

But the presentation ended in chaos when the robot lost its balance and crashed to the ground. Several parts came loose and staff hurried to pull the machine away and hide it behind a screen.

Behind the project is the Russian robotics company Idol, led by Vladimir Vitukhin. According to the company, AIdol is an advanced robot built mostly from domestic components.

Vitukhin explained the fall as a calibration problem and emphasized that the robot is still in the testing phase.

— This is real-time learning, when a good mistake turns into knowledge, and a bad mistake turns into experience, Vitukhin said, according to Newsweek.

Despite the company's attempts to downplay the incident, criticism has been massive on Russian tech forums and social media. Many question the decision to showcase an obviously unfinished prototype.

AIdol is powered by a 48-volt battery that provides up to six hours of operation. The machine is equipped with 19 servo motors and a silicon skin designed to recreate human facial expressions.

— The robot can smile, think, and be surprised – just like a person, Vitukhin said.

According to reports, AIdol consists of 77 percent Russian-produced components. After the fall, developers have withdrawn the machine while engineers examine the balance systems.

Editorial staff
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https://nordictimes.com/tech/italian-political-consultant-became-victim-of-spyware-program/

Tech

Italian political consultant became victim of spyware program

Totalitarianism

Published November 11, 2025 – By Editorial staff
Francesco Nicodemo.
3 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

An Italian political advisor who worked for center-left parties has gone public about being hacked through an advanced Israeli-developed spyware program. Francesco Nicodemo is the latest in a growing list of victims in a spyware scandal that is shaking Italy and raising questions about how intelligence services use surveillance technology.

Francesco Nicodemo, who works as a consultant for left-leaning politicians in Italy, waited ten months before publicly disclosing that he had been targeted by the Paragon spyware program. On Thursday, he chose to break his silence in a post on Facebook.

Nicodemo explained that he had previously not wanted to publicize his case because he "didn't want to be used for political propaganda," but that "the time has now come".

"It's time to ask a very simple question: Why? Why me? How is it possible that such a sophisticated and complex tool was used to spy on a private citizen, as if he were a drug dealer or a subversive threat to the country?", Nicodemo wrote. "I have nothing more to say. More people must speak out. Others must explain what happened".

Extensive scandal grows

Nicodemo's revelation once again expands the scope of the ongoing spyware scandal in Italy. Among those affected are several journalists, migration activists, prominent business leaders, and now a political consultant with a history of working for the center-left party Partito Democratico and its politicians.

The online publication Fanpage reported first that Nicodemo was among the people who received a notification from WhatsApp in January that they had been targeted by the spyware program.

Questions about usage

Governments and spyware manufacturers have long claimed that their surveillance products are used against serious criminals and terrorists, but recent cases show that this is not always the case.

— The Italian government has provided certain spyware victims with clarity and explained the cases. But others remain disturbingly unclear, says John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at The Citizen Lab who has investigated spyware companies and their abuses for years.

— None of this looks good for Paragon, or for Italy. That's why clarity from the Italian government is so essential. I believe that if they wanted to, Paragon could give everyone much more clarity about what's going on. Until they do, these cases will remain a burden on their shoulders, adds Scott-Railton, who confirmed that Nicodemo received the notification from WhatsApp.

Intelligence services' involvement

It is still unclear which of Paragon's customers hacked Nicodemo, but an Italian parliamentary committee confirmed in June that some of the victims in Italy were hacked by Italian intelligence services, which report to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government.

In February, following revelations about the first victims in Italy, Paragon severed ties with its government customers in the country, specifically the intelligence services AISE and AISI.

The parliamentary committee COPASIR later concluded in June that some of the publicly identified Paragon victims, namely the migration activists, had been legally hacked by Italian intelligence services. However, the committee found no evidence that Francesco Cancellato, editor of the news site Fanpage.it which had investigated the youth organization of Meloni's governing party, had been hacked by the intelligence services.

Paragon, which has an active contract with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, states that the U.S. government is one of its customers.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

FACTS: Paragon

Paragon Solutions is an Israeli cybersecurity company that develops advanced spyware for intelligence services and law enforcement agencies. The software can be used to monitor smartphones and other digital devices.

The company was acquired by American private equity giant AE Industrial and has since been merged with cybersecurity firm REDLattice. Paragon's clients include the US government, including the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.

In February 2024, Paragon terminated its contracts with Italian intelligence services AISE and AISI after several Italian citizens, including journalists and activists, were identified as victims of the company's spyware.

Paragon is marketed as a tool against serious crime and terrorism, but its use in Italy has raised questions about whether the spyware is also being used against political opponents and journalists.

https://nordictimes.com/europe/france-young-women-suspected-of-planning-terror-attack/

Europe

France: Young women suspected of planning terror attack

The Islamization of Europe

Published November 10, 2025 – By Editorial staff
The three arrested young women describe themselves as Salafists and all wear niqab. NOTE: Archive image - the women in the picture have no connection to the article.
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Three young women have been arrested in France suspected of planning a jihadist terror attack in Paris. The arrests come as France commemorates the 10th anniversary of the 2015 terror attacks.

The young women, aged 18, 19 and 21, were arrested in Lyon, Villeurbanne and Vierzon. They are suspected of planning a jihadist terror attack targeting a bar or concert venue in Paris.

According to French media and investigative sources, they had been exchanging messages about a violent attack in the French capital for several weeks. The three suspects were arrested as part of an investigation that began this summer.

One of the women, who is reportedly considered the leader and most radicalized, was first discovered through another person already under surveillance by intelligence services.

Her messages and contacts with the two other women have been under close surveillance since mid-summer.

The investigation is being led by France's National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office (PNAT).

Investigation and evidence

According to the investigation, the main suspect discussed topics including the price of a Kalashnikov-type automatic rifle and the manufacture of explosive belts. During a search, a note about preparations for a jihadist attack was also found.

The two other suspects have different backgrounds: one has mobility impairments and has lived in foster care, while the youngest is described as "naive" in some of her messages.

According to the investigation, the women met physically at least once, which strengthens suspicions that the group intended to carry out an attack.

During questioning, one of the women admitted that she may have been radicalized, but claims she has gradually abandoned jihadist ideology. All deny planning an attack.

According to French authorities, this is the sixth planned terrorist attack thwarted in France since the beginning of 2025.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com