AI-designed coronavirus vaccine clears first trial

June 15, 2026

1–2 minutes

Summary

Researchers said an AI-designed coronavirus vaccine was safe and triggered an immune response in a first human trial.

Why this matters

The study suggests artificial intelligence could help design vaccines aimed at multiple related viruses before future outbreaks occur. The results were preliminary, and researchers said larger, more diverse trials are still needed.

An artificial intelligence-designed vaccine intended to protect against multiple coronaviruses passed its first human clinical trial, according to researchers at the Universities of Cambridge and Southampton.

The vaccine was designed to target Sarbeco coronaviruses, a group that includes SARS-CoV-2, which caused the COVID-19 pandemic. In a university news release, researchers said they used available genetic sequence data for Sarbeco coronaviruses to design a “super-antigen” containing features common across the group, including viruses that have not yet emerged.

Traditional vaccines often must be updated as viruses mutate. “Viruses like Influenza, coronaviruses and the Ebola group are evolving continuously, and by the time vaccines are rolled out, they may be poorly matched — the current ‘reactive’ vaccine system struggles to keep pace,” said Saul Faust, a University of Southampton professor and the trial’s chief investigator.

The early-stage trial found the vaccine was safe and triggered an immune response in 39 healthy volunteers. Researchers said it was “the first time that a vaccine whose active component was designed entirely by computer simulations has been tested in humans.”

The vaccine was delivered through the skin with a micro-fluid jet, which uses a small, high-pressure stream of liquid instead of a needle. Researchers said that method could make large-scale administration faster and easier.

Faust said, “This new class of universal vaccines are future-proofed. They not only protect against many variants simultaneously, but potentially against related viruses that haven’t yet emerged and spilt over to humans. If we can develop and clinically advance this new class of vaccines before a virus outbreak begins, millions of lives could be saved, lockdowns avoided and the economy preserved.”

More top news

Europe

Finland parliament backs lifting nuclear weapons ban

If enacted, the legislation would allow nuclear weapons to be transported, supplied, or possessed in Finland where the country’s military defense requires it. The bill now goes to the president for final approval.

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Finland’s Parliament voted Wednesday to lift a decades-old ban on nuclear weapons, approving a defense policy change tied to the country’s role in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen said the amendment to the Nuclear Energy Act passed with a two-thirds majority. According to Euronews, 125 lawmakers supported the proposal, 61 voted against it, and 13 abstained.

“The Parliament approved the amendment to the Nuclear Energy Act with a strong 2/3 majority,” Häkkänen said in a post on X. “This historic reform strengthens the security of Finland and of NATO as a whole.”

Finland joined NATO in April 2023 after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, ending decades of military nonalignment.

Häkkänen said nuclear weapons policy had been one of the most difficult issues for the Defense Ministry during the current parliamentary term.

“The overall nuclear weapons policy has been one of the most challenging issues in the Ministry of Defence during this parliamentary term. Years of study, discussions with nuclear-weapon states and other allies, and assessments of how Finland’s security can best be strengthened in NATO,” Häkkänen said.

The measure repealed provisions in Finland’s 1987 Nuclear Energy Act that banned the import, production, possession, and detonation of nuclear explosives.

Opposition lawmakers criticized the measure, warning it could increase tensions, make Finland a target, and depart from regional practice, noting that several neighboring countries have rejected hosting or permitting nuclear weapons.

Russia reacted strongly to the proposed law in March.

“This is a statement that leads to an escalation of tensions on the European continent,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

“This statement adds to Finland’s vulnerability, a vulnerability provoked by the actions of the Finnish authorities. The fact is that by deploying ⁠nuclear weapons on its territory, Finland is beginning to threaten us. And if Finland threatens us, we take appropriate measures.”
Latin America

Colombia says 5 suspects killed after bus bombing

The military action followed the April 26 attack in the municipality of Cajibío, where an explosive device detonated on a bus traveling on the Pan-American Highway in the Cauca region.

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Colombia’s military said Wednesday that it killed five suspected members of an armed group it blamed for an April 26 bombing of a passenger bus in Cauca that killed 20 civilians and injured 45 others.

In a statement, the Military Forces of Colombia said those killed were members of Estructura Jaime Martínez, which it described as an organized armed group. Authorities said the group also stole vehicles along the Pan-American Highway and used drones loaded with explosives.

The April bombing killed 15 women and five men. Initial local reports said 36 people were injured, including several children, but the Colombian military later said 45 civilians were wounded.

Gen. Hugo López, commander of Colombia’s armed forces, called the bombing a “terrorist act.” He blamed dissident factions of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, specifically the Jaime Martínez faction and the network of Iván Mordisco, one of Colombia’s most wanted figures.

Southwestern Colombia has become a center of fighting among illegal armed groups seeking control of coca-growing areas and drug trafficking routes to Central America and Europe.
Europe

Russia says Ukraine hit school bus, Kyiv denies

Ukraine has increased drone strikes on Russia in recent months as the war has continued.

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Russia accused Ukraine of carrying out a drone strike on a bus carrying Belarusian schoolchildren in Russia’s Bryansk region on Wednesday, killing an accompanying adult and injuring eight others, including six children. Ukraine’s military called the allegation “false.”

Yegor Kovalchuk, acting governor of the Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, said the bus was taking a children’s soccer team from Belarus to southern Russia for a holiday. In a Telegram post, he said he visited those injured and described the incident as a “completely deliberate strike on civilian transport on a busy highway.”

Russia’s Foreign Ministry called the attack “another monstrous crime.” The ministry said a woman traveling with the children was killed and eight others were injured.

The Ukrainian military’s General Staff denied the claim, saying on Telegram that “during the specified period, the Defence Forces of Ukraine did not employ unmanned aerial vehicles against targets in Bryansk Oblast.”

Belarusian Health Minister Alexander Khodzhayev, cited by state news agency Belta, said two people, an adult and a child, were in serious condition. He said Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko ordered all injured Belarusian nationals to be airlifted back to Belarus.

Belarus’s Foreign Ministry said it had demanded “complete explanations” from Ukraine.

Kovalchuk posted images online showing a silver bus with some windows blown out, a damaged front right tire, and what appeared to be blood stains on some interior seats.

Russian investigators opened a terrorism investigation and said the bus was traveling from Gomel, Belarus, to Gelendzhik, Russia, carrying 44 passengers, including 28 children.

Russia earlier this month accused Ukraine of another drone attack on a bus in a Russian-controlled part of the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, saying it killed eight civilians and wounded 11 others.

Russia has regularly struck Ukrainian towns and cities, including Kyiv, since launching its war in Ukraine in February 2022.
Finance & Markets

Gold Rises on U.S.-Iran Deal, Fed Rate-Hike Signal

Oil prices fell but it remained unclear how quickly fuel prices might fall and when shipping through the strait could return to pre-war levels.

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Gold rose after U.S., Iranian officials signed an interim peace agreement, even as the Federal Reserve signaled a possible rate increase later this year.

Bullion gained as much as 1.7% to $4,328 an ounce, reversing the previous session’s decline. Spot gold rose 1.6% to $4,322.83 an ounce as of 9:21 a.m. in Singapore. Silver gained 2.5% to $69.61 after falling 3% in the previous session. Platinum and palladium also rose. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index fell 0.2% after gaining 0.7% in the previous session.

The Fed left interest rates unchanged Wednesday, said it would deliver price stability, and removed a reference in its statement to additional rate adjustments.
Tech & Artificial Intelligence

Trump says Apple, Intel plan U.S. chip work

Last year, the Trump administration took a 10% stake in Intel and announced plans to invest roughly $10 billion in the chipmaker to build or expand U.S. factories.

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President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post on Thursday that Apple had agreed to work with Intel to design and manufacture chips in the United States.

A partnership with Intel would help Apple diversify its manufacturing base as it seeks additional chip capacity. Apple relies heavily on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), whose advanced production lines are in high demand from artificial intelligence chipmakers such as Nvidia and AMD.

Intel reached a preliminary deal to make some chips for Apple after more than a year of discussions, The Wall Street Journal reported in May.

An Apple contract would give Intel steady demand from one of the world’s largest consumer electronics companies and support a manufacturing business that has trailed TSMC in recent years.

Earlier this week, Intel said its 18A manufacturing technology had entered initial production, as the company reported strong demand for its central processors.

Trump previously said he “should have asked for more” of a stake in Intel, eight months after the government’s Intel position grew to be worth more than $50 billion.

The administration has increased efforts to secure U.S. supply chains for critical minerals and semiconductors, including by taking equity stakes in companies to reduce reliance on China.
Finance & Markets

Oil prices fluctuate as U.S.-Iran deal nears

West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. benchmark, also rose more than 1% to nearly $77 a barrel before easing to about $76.60.

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Oil prices fluctuated Wednesday as investors awaited a preliminary agreement aimed at ending the war between the United States and Iran.

Neither country had released the terms of the agreement, but traders were watching whether the talks would lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to commercial traffic, as President Donald Trump said. The agreement is expected to be signed Friday.

Brent crude, the global benchmark, rose more than 1% and traded above $80 a barrel for several hours before falling back to about $79.

In late April, Brent crude reached about $120 a barrel, its highest level during the war.

Oil prices have fallen since the U.S. and Iran announced a framework that would include a 60-day ceasefire and the reopening of the strait. Prices remained above the pre-war range of about $65 to $75 a barrel.
World

Trump, Pezeshkian sign interim U.S.-Iran accord

Tehran agreed to dilute its enriched uranium in exchange for economic relief.

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President Donald Trump and Iran’s president signed a memorandum of understanding Wednesday aimed at ending the Middle East war, according to U.S. and Iranian officials.

A U.S. official told Agence France-Presse that Trump signed the document during a dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Palace of Versailles after a Group of Seven summit. “Just signed it,” Trump told reporters.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei, quoted by the state news agency IRNA, said the document “was finalized with the signatures of the presidents.”

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Thursday on X that the memorandum “shall enter into force with immediate effect and as a first step, Islamic Republic of Iran will instantly reopen the Strait of Hormuz and the United States of America will immediately lift the naval blockade.” He said Pakistan, with Qatari support, would host a ceremony in Switzerland on Friday to “commemorate this landmark event and commence with the technical level talks.”

Baqaei said, “Now it is time to test the implementation of the agreement.”

The deal says Washington would immediately waive oil sanctions on Iran and, once a final agreement is reached on Iran’s nuclear program, facilitate the release of a $300 billion reconstruction fund backed by regional countries.

The agreement was presented as an effort to end fighting that began Feb. 28, when the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran, prompting Iranian missile and drone attacks across the region and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Tech & Artificial Intelligence

States probe OpenAI over ChatGPT safety, data use

Earlier this month that Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier sued OpenAI and Chief Executive Sam Altman, alleging they “ignored internal and external safety warnings, put children at great risk, and allowed a dangerous product to reach millions of Floridians.”

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OpenAI is facing a multistate investigation into how it handles users, data, and harms tied to ChatGPT, days after disclosing that it had confidentially filed to go public.

New York Attorney General Letitia James subpoenaed OpenAI on Friday as part of an investigation by a coalition of state attorneys general. The reported records request covered OpenAI’s advertising, efforts to keep users engaged, model sycophancy, consumer and health data, and its treatment of minors and seniors.

The Journal reported that OpenAI had not identified which states were involved or specified which records were sought.

The inquiry came as OpenAI sought to move past a court victory over co-founder Elon Musk while continuing to fight other cases, including copyright lawsuits and claims tied to ChatGPT’s alleged role in user suicides.

In response to a Florida lawsuit announced last month, OpenAI said it was taking the matter seriously. A spokesperson said, “AI is a new and powerful technology, and we work every day to safely bring its benefits to people in a responsible way.”

OpenAI also said, “Today’s ChatGPT includes a more protective experience for minors and people experiencing difficult situations, with safeguards that direct them to real-world resources and trusted human contacts.”

ChatGPT has become widely used for work, school, and personal questions. Regulatory scrutiny of how OpenAI markets the product, keeps users engaged, and handles sensitive information could affect standards for users, including minors and older adults.
Tech & Artificial Intelligence

Reports link Fortinet breaches to reused credentials

Recent campaigns targeting Fortinet devices generally exploited software vulnerabilities. In this case, the firms said attackers relied on leaked passwords.

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Cybercriminals compromised tens of thousands of Fortinet firewalls and virtual private networks used by companies worldwide, according to reports published this week by cybersecurity firms Hudson Rock and SOCRadar.

The campaign, dubbed FortiBleed, did not appear to rely on a previously unknown flaw in Fortinet devices. Instead, the firms said attackers scanned the internet for exposed Fortinet systems and used lists of previously known passwords to gain access.

“Once a device is compromised, [the hackers] use it as a listening post, monitoring traffic passing through and collecting any additional credentials that flow by. Those freshly collected passwords are then fed back into the scanner to compromise even more devices. The system feeds itself,” SOCRadar wrote.

Fortinet spokesperson Tiffany Curci told TechCrunch that the company “is aware of a reported third-party credential-harvesting campaign targeting Fortinet firewalls and VPN gateways.” Fortinet said its analysis indicated the data involved was “a resharing of data from previous incidents, as well as bruteforcing of credentials, and is not related to any recent incident or advisory.”

Hudson Rock said it found evidence suggesting more than 73,000 unique Fortinet URLs were compromised, while SOCRadar put the number at more than 30,000 devices.

According to Hudson Rock, affected companies included Accenture, Comcast, Foxconn, Lenovo, Oracle, Samsung, Siemens, and PwC. A Lenovo spokesperson acknowledged TechCrunch’s request for comment but did not respond. The other companies did not respond.

Both firms said the countries with the most affected devices were India, the United States, Taiwan, and Mexico, though victims were identified worldwide. Hudson Rock said the most affected industries were information technology services, construction materials, and telecommunications. SOCRadar said government agencies were also among the victims. Both firms said the group behind the campaign appeared to be Russian-speaking.

The reports were based on a discovered list of credentials for Fortinet devices and associated companies. Security researcher Bob Diachenko first reported the campaign over the weekend. Independent researcher Kevin Beaumont said in a Wednesday blog post that he analyzed the data and confirmed it “is legit.”
World

Taiwan seeks quick approval of $14B U.S. arms sale

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier this month the proposed package was “under review.”

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Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said Thursday he hoped a proposed $14 billion U.S. arms sale would be approved soon, as Taipei faced continued pressure from Beijing.

“We hope that the arms purchases can be approved as soon as possible,” Lai told reporters in Taipei.

Taiwan relies on U.S. support as China claims the island as part of its territory and has not ruled out using force to take control.

“Taiwan’s efforts to safeguard its national security, uphold its democratic and free way of life, and reject unification and the rule of the Chinese Communist Party should not be seen as a provocation against China or a troublemaker in the region,” Lai said.

The United States formally recognizes only China, but under U.S. law must provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, an issue that has long strained ties between Washington and Beijing.

U.S. officials said in May they were also assessing whether U.S. weapons stockpiles were sufficient for operations related to Iran.

Lai’s government pledged to raise defense spending to more than 3% of gross domestic product this year. It proposed NT$1.25 trillion, or about $40 billion, for weapons purchases, including U.S.-made arms, Taiwan-made drones, and other items.

Taiwan’s lawmakers remained divided over defense spending. Opposition parties, which hold a legislative majority, passed a $25 billion special defense budget last month, cutting by about one-third the amount sought by Lai’s ruling party.

Lai said the U.S. commitment to Taiwan’s security “remains unchanged,” and that both sides “share the goal of strengthening security and accelerating efforts to strengthen Taiwan’s self-defence capabilities”.

He also said China “exerted pressure” on Japan and the Philippines during their talks over maritime boundaries in waters east of Taiwan.

Japan and the Philippines said in late May they would begin formal talks to “delimit the maritime boundary” of their exclusive economic zones and continental shelf. China called the talks “illegal” and also claimed exclusive control over the waters.

Taipei rejected Beijing’s claims, saying Taiwan and China are “not subordinate” to each other.

“China is not only pressuring Taiwan, but also other countries in the Indo-Pacific region,” Lai said Thursday.

Lai said China’s military expansion in the East and South China Seas, the Taiwan Strait, and into the western Pacific had continued, and that its “various forms of coercion continue to increase.”

Concerns over China’s maritime claims have brought Japan and the Philippines closer in recent years. Neither country recognizes Taiwan’s statehood claim, but both maintain close unofficial ties with the island.