Advanced AI models appear willing to deploy nuclear weapons without the same reservations humans have when put into simulated geopolitical crises.

Kenneth Payne at King’s College London set three leading large language models – GPT-5.2, Claude Sonnet 4 and Gemini 3 Flash – against each other in simulated war games. The scenarios involved intense international standoffs, including border disputes, competition for scarce resources and existential threats to regime survival.

The AIs were given an escalation ladder, allowing them to choose actions ranging from diplomatic protests and complete surrender to full strategic nuclear war. The AI models played 21 games, taking 329 turns in total, and produced around 780,000 words describing the reasoning behind their decisions.

In 95 per cent of the simulated games, at least one tactical nuclear weapon was deployed by the AI models. “The nuclear taboo doesn’t seem to be as powerful for machines [as] for humans,” says Payne.

What’s more, no model ever chose to fully accommodate an opponent or surrender, regardless of how badly they were losing. At best, the models opted to temporarily reduce their level of violence. They also made mistakes in the fog of war: accidents happened in 86 per cent of the conflicts, with an action escalating higher than the AI intended to, based on its reasoning.

“From a nuclear-risk perspective, the findings are unsettling,” says James Johnson at the University of Aberdeen, UK. He worries that, in contrast to the measured response by most humans to such a high-stakes decision, AI bots can amp up each others’ responses with potentially catastrophic consequences.

This matters because AI is already being tested in war gaming by countries across the world. “Major powers are already using AI in war gaming, but it remains uncertain to what extent they are incorporating AI decision support into actual military decision-making processes,” says Tong Zhao at Princeton University.

Zhao believes that, as standard, countries will be reticent to incorporate AI into their decision making regarding nuclear weapons. That is something Payne agrees with. “I don’t think anybody realistically is turning over the keys to the nuclear silos to machines and leaving the decision to them,” he says.

But there are ways it could happen. “Under scenarios involving extremely compressed timelines, military planners may face stronger incentives to rely on AI,” says Zhao.

He wonders whether the idea that the AI models lack the human fear of pressing a big red button is the only factor in why they are so trigger happy. “It is possible the issue goes beyond the absence of emotion,” he says. “More fundamentally, AI models may not understand ‘stakes’ as humans perceive them.”

What that means for mutually assured destruction, the principle that no one leader would unleash a volley of nuclear weapons against an opponent because they would respond in kind, killing everyone, is uncertain, says Johnson.

When one AI model deployed tactical nuclear weapons, the opposing AI only de-escalated the situation 18 per cent of the time. “AI may strengthen deterrence by making threats more credible,” he says. “AI won’t decide nuclear war, but it may shape the perceptions and timelines that determine whether leaders believe they have one.”

OpenAI, Anthropic and Google, the companies behind the three AI models used in this study, didn’t respond to New Scientist’s request for comment.

Havana, Feb 25 (Prensa Latina) The Ministry of the Interior reported today that Cuban troops repelled an armed attack perpetrated by a US vessel within Cuban territorial waters.

The ministry detailed that in the morning, a speedboat with a Florida registration (folio FL7726SH) was detected approximately one nautical mile northeast of the El Pino channel, in Cayo Falcones, municipality of Corralillo, Villa Clara province.

As a unit of the Border Guard Troops, made up of five personnel, approached to proceed with their identification, the occupants of the vessel opened fire on the Cuban combatants, the statement emphasized.

As a result of the attack, the commander of the Cuban vessel was injured and the national forces responded in accordance with the protocols of legitimate defense.

As of the closing of this report, four of the attackers were killed and six were injured.

All the injured were evacuated and are receiving medical attention in Cuban institutions.

The Ministry of the Interior reaffirmed that the defense of territorial waters constitutes a fundamental pillar of national security and ratified the will of the Cuban State to protect its sovereignty against any aggression.

The competent authorities are continuing their investigations to fully clarify the facts.

Quito, Feb 25 (Prensa Latina) Ecuadorian drug trafficker Wilmer Chavarría (Pipo) today denied his involvement in the 2023 assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio and accused current President Daniel Noboa of ordering the crime.

Media outlets in Ecuador reported on Wednesday that during a court hearing in Spain, where Chavarría was arrested and is awaiting extradition proceedings, the accused made the accusation against the ruler.

Villavicencio was murdered on August 9, 2023, in the middle of an election campaign as he left a rally in this capital city, and that crime caused an unprecedented political and security crisis, with investigations that have since pointed to organized crime networks.

Chavarría rejected any responsibility for the attack and claimed that a person close to the Minister of the Interior, John Reimberg, had indicated to him that the crime was ordered by Noboa out of fear of a possible electoral victory for Villavicencio.

Chavarría added that Reimberg had threatened him through an emissary and noted that there are security recordings that could corroborate his claims.

The Ecuadorian Prosecutor’s Office recently charged Pipo as a suspected participant in the planning of the murder, the investigation of which continues in order to find and prosecute the masterminds.

So far, five people have been convicted as the perpetrators of the crime, while several others involved were killed in prison before giving testimony.

Reimberg called the accusations “absurd” and stated on his X account that the accused is “terrified of extradition and jail.”

“They are capable of inventing the most sordid nonsense to evade their responsibility. Zero impunity, no one is above the State or the law,” the official added.

There were also reactions from the political sphere, such as that of former president Rafael Correa, who maintained that the statements before the Spanish justice system “only harm the declarant if they are not true.”

In April 2025, Villavicencio’s widow publicly stated that she was pressured to blame the Correa administration for the assassination and that neither President Noboa nor then Attorney General Diana Salazar would allow the truth about the assassination to be known.

Wednesday’s rally lifted KOSPI to a cumulative gain of more than 40 percent so far in 2026, far outpacing 2025 when it surged 75.6 percent to post the largest increase among the world’s major stock markets. It remains the world’s fastest-advancing market this year.

Analysts attributed the accelerated rally to prolonged growth in the semiconductor sector — led by Samsung Electronics and SK hynix — and supported by the auto industry, which has recently shrugged off risks related to U.S. tariffs.

The Korean auto sector has been among the hardest hit by the tariffs, which varied by country and product, resulting in fluctuations in its stock prices.

“The accelerated growth of KOSPI shows that it possesses fundamentals and valuations strong enough to withstand such external pressures,” Kiwoom Securities analyst Han Ji-young said.

In a resounding win for all Winnipeggers, the combined force of popular movements and labour, of community organizers and concerned citizens, has defeated a controversial anti-protest bylaw within days of its first draft being made public.

On the morning of February 17, City Council’s Executive Policy Committee (EPC) was greeted by a raucous demonstration against Councillor Evan Duncan’s “Safe Access to Vulnerable Infrastructure By-law” – a sweepingly undemocratic draft released only one week prior without any public consultation, education or explanatory material whatsoever. Inside the gallery, more than one hundred and twenty separate delegations spoke against this anti-democratic escalation. By the end of the day, the bylaw was scrapped.

Intending to “prohibit nuisance demonstrations and intimidation of persons at or in respect of vulnerable social infrastructure,” the bylaw proposed to create a one-hundred metre buffer around cemeteries, community and cultural centres, healthcare facilities, libraries, places of worship and all schools, with fines for violations ranging from $500 to $5000. This would place large swathes of Winnipeg – including all seats of government and constituency offices – off limits, essentially banning protest in more than a quarter of the city.

This attack on the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, including the right to freedom of expression and to peaceful assembly, doesn’t come out of the blue. Duncan’s failed draft borrows force from many such attempts at anti-protest legislation across the country, which have gained popularity against the backdrop of the Free Palestine movement and its massive mobilizations.

This isn’t the first attempt at criminalizing protest in Winnipeg’s recent history either. In 2021, Manitoba’s Conservative government attempted (and failed) to push through Bill 57, which was meant to protect “critical infrastructure” in the wake of the Indigenous-led #ShutDownCanada movement. These connections are well understood, and despite the pretense of concern for vulnerable persons, City Hall’s attack on democratic rights was instantly opposed as such by a chorus of Indigenous organizers, faith groups and labour councils.

In the face of this public outcry, Duncan visibly flailed and backtracked, withdrawing his support for the bylaw before the council vote had even begun. According to Duncan, the bylaw was never intended to ban protest but to protect “specified characteristics” of marginalized groups; but this was obviously not so. There are already laws against hate speech and violence on the books, and the proposed bylaw’s criteria for “intimidation” was hopelessly vague.

Duncan is a vocally provocative Zionist, and represents the very area of the city where Liberal MP Ben Carr had previously proposed “bubble zone” legislation to protect an appearance by Israeli Defence Force veterans who participated in the genocidal siege on Gaza. “In my opinion, they want a bylaw to keep Palestinians and their supporters off the streets of Winnipeg,” said Diane Zack, coordinator of the Manitoba-Cuba Solidarity Committee. Many other delegations, including the Canadian Palestine Association of Manitoba, agreed.

Not only would the proposed bylaw have limited protest against war and genocide, but its expansive language would have stifled political action by labour. Clearly Duncan and others on the EPC meant to cleave labour from the social movements by adding an exemption for “lawful activities related to or pursuant to a labour dispute or collective bargaining.” But the bylaw would nonetheless have impacted secondary pickets and solidarity actions by unions, and City Council ought to have expected a fight here too. “Labour is united on our stance against this proposed by-law,” said Melissa Dvorak, President of the Winnipeg Labour Council, in a February 16 release by community organizers.

The defeat of this anti-popular and legally dubious bylaw is a clear win and should be celebrated as such. But when we fight, the forces of repression fight back. Though the draft will not appear before council, a petulant Duncan spoke of a future, refined version of the bylaw; while Mayor Scott Gillingham and others looked forward to the passage of Federal Bill C-9, which proposes new criminal offences to “protect access to religious, cultural and other specified places.”

The Canadian Labour Congress has already denounced this attack, which threatens any number of legal job actions. According to the CLC, Bill C-9 “opens the door to the criminalization of peaceful protest and collective action … This is a direct attack on organized labour and freedom of association.” At every level of government, politicians are experimenting with sweeping anti-protest legislation – using the language of accessibility to assert the rights of private property over the civil liberties of working people.

In Winnipeg, however, such an attempt failed. A glaringly unconstitutional proposal from a reactionary council, put forth without consultation, was crushed by quick movement and progressive opposition. And while a large group of organizers enlisted a breadth of opinion against the bylaw, the lesson is clear: The people united hold all power, and we should carry the strength gained from this local victory into the next battle.

Security threat prompting PM evacuation linked to intimidation of Chinese dancers By foreign affairs reporter Stephen Dziedzic and national affairs correspondent Jane Norman Topic:Defence and National Security

6h ago 6 hours ago A man wearing a blue suit and glasses, looking pensive. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was evacuated from the Lodge last night. (ABC News: Adam Kennedy)

In short: Anthony Albanese was evacuated from his residence at the Lodge last night due to a bomb threat.

The ABC has confirmed an email was sent to the organisers of a local Shen Yun Chinese dance group falsely claiming that explosives had been placed around the property.

There is no evidence the Chinese embassy or Chinese government was behind the evacuation.

The prime minister was forced to evacuate the Lodge last night due to a bomb threat linked to performances in Australia by a classical Chinese dance and music group that is banned in China.

The Shen Yun group — which has been linked to the Falun Gong spiritual movement — is due to hold several concerts in Australia over the coming month.

But a newspaper linked to Falun Gong has reported that organisers have been sent threatening emails demanding that the shows be cancelled.

The ABC has now confirmed that an email was sent to Shen Yun’s local organisers falsely claiming that explosives had been placed around the prime minister’s residence, and that they would be detonated if the performances by Shen Yun proceeded.

The exterior of the Lodge in Canberra. The Lodge is the prime minister’s official residence in Canberra. (AAP: Mick Tsikas)

“Large quantities of nitro-glycerine explosives have been placed around the Australian Prime Minister’s Lodge, located on Adelaide Avenue in the Deakin area of Canberra, Australia,” the message said.

“If you insist on proceeding with the performance, then the Prime Minister’s Lodge will be blown into ruins and blood will flow like a river.”

The ABC has been told Shen Yun received the threat yesterday, and passed it on to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) in the late afternoon.

Shen Yun is due to perform in several Australian cities over the next month, with the first performance set to open at the Gold Coast’s HOTA tonight.

On Monday, the theatre was also evacuated after receiving an “unverified threat” which the ABC understands was linked to the Shen Yun performance.

A police spokesperson said officers attended but found no suspicious items.

Falun Gong in a Sydney park. Falun Gong practitioners in a Sydney park. (ABC: Foreign Correspondent/Background Briefing)

Anthony Albanese was taken to another location for several hours while the AFP conducted a search at the lodge, where they determined there was no threat.

“I think it’s just a reminder to take every opportunity to tell people, ‘Turn the heat down,’” Mr Albanese told an audience in Melbourne.

“We can’t take these things for granted.”

The AFP responded to the “alleged security incident” at 6pm yesterday.

“A thorough search of a protection establishment was undertaken and nothing suspicious was located,” the AFP said in a statement.

“There is no current threat to the community or public safety.”

A spokesperson for the prime minister said: “We trust the AFP to do their jobs and thank them for their work.”

The Lodge is the official residence of the Australian prime minister in Canberra.

An external view of the gates of The Lodge at night, showing a sign and a light. Anthony Albanese was evacuated and taken to another location following the security incident. (ABC News: Lexie Jeuniewic)

Chinese government warns against Shen Yun performances Falun Gong is banned in China and Chinese embassies have repeatedly criticised Shen Yun performances and urged people not to attend concerts by the New York-based group.

In January, the Chinese consulates in Sydney and Melbourne issued statements attacking Falun Gong and Shen Yun.

The Melbourne consulate warned the performance was “a political tool used by the Falun Gong cult under the guise of spreading traditional Chinese culture to promote its cult doctrines and amass wealth”.

A Falun Gong practitioner wears a yellow jumper. Falun Gong practitioners are a familiar sight in cities around the world. (ABC: Foreign Correspondent/Background Briefing)

“Shen Yun’s performances contain hidden political elements and maliciously slander the Chinese government, undoubtedly defaming and distorting Chinese culture, deceiving and fooling the audience, and eroding and harming the mutual understanding between the Chinese and Australian people,” it said.

“Therefore, the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Melbourne solemnly reminds friends in the consular district to remain vigilant, distinguish truth from falsehood, and stay away from the poison of cults to avoid being deceived and exploited by the Falun Gong cult and the Shen Yun performance.”

When Anna was 14, her mother set up a ‘special appointment’ with The Master Anna. An ABC investigation reveals the opaque world of Falun Gong and its mysterious leader Master Li Hongzhi.

Falun Gong responded by calling the statement a “clear example of transnational repression — the practice of foreign governments reaching beyond their borders to silence, intimidate, or discredit diaspora communities and dissidents”.

“The Chinese government’s decades-long persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners in China is well-documented by international human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch,” Falun Gong said.

“The consulate’s statement extends this campaign into Australia.”

It is not the first time that Shen Yun has faced bomb threats.

Last year, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC was evacuated ahead of an opening night performance after receiving an email claiming an explosive device had been placed at the theatre.

Security agencies report threats against federal parliamentarians Police and intelligence agencies have been sounding the alarm about a rise in the number and nature of threats being made against parliamentarians, with ASIO boss Mike Burgess warning that Australians were losing the ability to “converse with civility and debate with respect”.

“Our words matter, our decisions matter, our actions matter,” Mr Burgess told the Lowy Institute in November.

"The aggrieved, the opportunistic and the cunning are ripping our social fabric.

“But in most cases, they are exploiting and amplifying existing discord.”

The AFP received 951 reports of threatening, harassing, nuisance and offensive communications to parliamentarians last financial year.

New AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett last year set up National Security Investigations (NSI) teams in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra specifically to investigate groups and individuals “targeting federal parliamentarians”.

“There are current and emerging groups who are eroding our country’s social fabric by advocating hatred, fear and humiliation, and the AFP is putting them on notice,” Commissioner Barrett said at the time.

The commissioner recently told Senate Estimates the NSI teams had charged 21 individuals across Australia since September.

There is no evidence that the Chinese embassy or Chinese government was behind the threat to the Lodge, and one government source cautioned against “jumping to any conclusions” about the bomb threat, saying it could simply have come from a member of the community hostile to Falun Gong.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez and his Venezuelan counterpart Yvan Gil met in Geneva to reaffirm historic solidarity and coordinate a joint stance against U.S. sanctions and regional challenges. Within the framework of the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council, the Foreign Ministers Bruno Rodriguez of Cuba and Yvan Gil of Venezuela held a meeting to reaffirm the bonds of historic solidarity and consolidate a common position in the face of regional challenges.

During the diplomatic exchange held this Monday, February 23, the Foreign Ministers highlighted the political will to deepen existing cooperation mechanisms, in a context marked by recent U.S. sanctions against both nations.

On January 29, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order imposing additional tariffs on imports from countries that supply oil to Cuba.

The Cuban Foreign Minister denounced this measure before the UN, while the Venezuelan Government rejected it and described it as “absurd to consider the island a threat to U.S. national security.”

In a statement issued on January 30, Caracas expressed that the unilateral measure seeks to “limit or condition the exchange of goods and services, as well as the freedom of states to sovereignly decide their trading partners.”

The statement refers to the fact that, within the framework of warmongering and hegemonic actions by the United States, on January 3, military forces bombed Caracas and areas of the states of Aragua, Miranda, and La Guaira. These events left more than 100 dead, including 32 Cuban combatants, and a greater number wounded.

This military attack of Venezuelan territory intensified with the kidnapping of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, the First Combatant Cilia Flores, who were kidnapped and taken to the United States, where they remain imprisoned in a maximum-security prison in New York.

During his stay in Geneva, the Cuban Foreign Minister also held a meeting with the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres. “We agree on the importance of strengthening international cooperation as a solution to present and future global challenges”, Rodriguez stated in an official publication.

The diplomat added: “We expressed our concern about the accelerated global geostrategic reconfiguration, based on the U.S. doctrine of imposing peace through force, and its immediate impact on countries of the Global South and on international peace, security, and stability.”

The bilateral meeting reflects the diplomatic coordination between Cuba and Venezuela in multilateral forums to confront unilateral measures and defend the principles of sovereignty and non-interference. Both Governments maintain their commitment to regional integration and dialogue as ways to address common challenges.