Global oil companies see record profits due to war in Ukraine - Global Witness

European and American oil companies have made record profits of more than $281 billion since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This is according to an investigation by Global Witness, Euractiv reports.

According to the analysis, the five largest Western oil and gas companies - Shell, BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil and TotalEnergies - have made more than $281 billion (€261 billion) in profits since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Global Witness noted that since the COVID-19 pandemic, wholesale energy prices have risen significantly due to the war in Ukraine. The economic sanctions imposed on Russia for its aggression against Ukraine, as well as Moscow's decision to stop importing gas to a number of countries, have led to an increase in gas prices in Europe, which has provoked a global energy crisis, the report says.

As a result, American and European oil and gas companies have seen a rapid increase in profits.

One of the Global Witness researchers, Patrick Haley, said that "regardless of what happens on the front lines, the main winners of the war in Ukraine are fossil fuel companies".

BAFTA Awards 2024: See the List of Winners

“Oppenheimer” was a big winner at the 2024 BAFTA Film Awards, which were presented Sunday at the Royal Festival Hall in London, England.

The Christopher Nolan-directed award season favorite led the nominees with 13 nods this year and won seven awards, including director, lead actor and the coveted best film award.

Winning his first-ever BAFTA, Nolan expressed his thanks to studio Universal, “for letting us take on something dark, and seeing the potential for that” during his acceptance speech.

“Poor Things” was the other stand-out winner of the ceremony with five wins, including Emma Stone’s award for lead actress.

“The Holdovers” star Da’Vine Joy Randolph continues to dominate the supporting actress category through this award season cycle. Thanking her co-star Paul Giamatti while accepting her BAFTA, Randolph said, “Gosh, I cry every time I say your name. You represent everything that is great and good in our craft.”

The chilling Holocaust drama “The Zone of Interest” by director Jonathan Glazer took home the prestigious award for outstanding British film, as well as best film not in the English language. The “Barbie” movie, “Saltburn,” “Maestro” and the Martin Scorsese-directed epic “Killers of the Flower Moon,” meanwhile, came away empty on Sunday.

Best Film

• “Anatomy of a Fall”
• “The Holdovers”
• “Killers of The Flower Moon”
• “Oppenheimer” – WINNER
• “Poor Things”

Europe concerned about risk of weakened US support and Russian attack - Bloomberg

Leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries are concerned about a potential Russian attack on one of them. Their apprehensions stem from doubts about the United States maintaining its traditional role in defending Europe as part of the Alliance, informs Bloomberg.

The agency noted a growing concern among European allies of US President Joe Biden. They are aware that, at a time when Russia is emboldened by its successes on the battlefield in Ukraine, the US might reduce assistance to NATO countries. Additionally, leaders and governments of these countries have done too little to prepare.

Such pessimism dominated discussions last weekend at the Munich Security Conference, where leaders and representatives of defense agencies gathered to assess the most significant geopolitical threats in the world.

High-ranking representatives of defense agencies expressed concern about the inability of the US to provide Ukraine with billions of dollars in funding. They stated that they are planning scenarios in which this public deterioration of support could push Russia towards a direct attack on a NATO ally.

One anonymous official noted that, compared to the decisiveness of previous meetings, there was a sense of uncertainty at this year's Munich conference.

The agency highlights that pessimism and heightened concerns about a Russian attack at the Munich conference were fueled by a series of recent events, including the occupation of the town of Avdiivka in the Donetsk region by Russian forces, the death of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny, and the US Congress delaying the approval of a financial aid package to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.

Republican Senator from Ohio, JD Vance, who opposes assistance to Ukraine and is a close ally of Donald Trump, expressed an opinion shared by many members of his party. He stated that the US needs to redirect its foreign policy towards Asia, allocating fewer resources to support its allies on the other side of the Atlantic.

Російські, китайські та іранські хакери використовують для злому ШІ OpenAI та Microsoft

Microsoft і OpenAI повідомили, що кілька підтримуваних державою хакерських груп використовують інструменти генеративного штучного інтелекту (GAI) для здійснення кібератак. Про це повідомляє Engadget.

За даними компаній, такі групи пов'язані з Китаєм, Росією, Північною Кореєю та Іраном. За допомогою інструментів GAI, хакери можуть налагоджувати код, здійснювати пошук інформації, розробляти методи соціальної інженерії, створювати фішингові електронні листи й перекладати тексти. 

OpenAI закрила доступ цих груп до своїх GAI-систем після виявлення їх використання.

Зокрема, російська група Forest Blizzard (відома як Fancy Bear або APT 12) використовувала платформу OpenAI для досліджень з відкритим вихідним кодом у галузі супутникового зв'язку та радіолокації.

Microsoft відстежує більше ніж 300 хакерських груп і спільно з OpenAI допомагає виявити й закрити акаунти хакерів.