Scientists from the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pune (IUCAA), identified the first X-ray binary system in the Magellanic Bridge, a tidal structure linking the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. The system comprises a white dwarf pulling gas from a giant companion star, producing powerful X-ray emissions observable by space telescopes. The team used data from the eROSITA X-ray telescope to confirm the discovery, noting that such binaries enrich understanding of stellar evolution in low-metallicity environments. The finding adds to a growing catalogue of exotic binary systems in nearby galaxies and informs models of accretion physics.
First X-ray binary discovered in the Magellanic Bridge by IUCAA, Pune.
System includes a white dwarf accreting from a giant star.
eROSITA data confirmed the discovery.
Helps study stellar evolution in low-metallicity regions.
Alibaba unveils Qwen3.8-Max AI model
Alibaba announced the Qwen3.8-Max, its latest AI model, in August 2026. The model reportedly comprises about 2.4 trillion parameters and supports processing text, images, and videos with a context window of up to one million tokens. Its mixture-of-experts architecture is designed to reduce computing costs and improve response speed for large-scale applications. The model aims to compete with leading multinational AI platforms by offering sophisticated reasoning, multimodal capabilities, and efficient inference for enterprise use. Alibaba stated the system will be integrated into its cloud services and developer tools, enabling businesses to build advanced AI-powered experiences across global markets and sectors.
Qwen3.8-Max announced by Alibaba in August 2026.
Approximately 2.4 trillion parameters; multimodal support.
Context window up to one million tokens; mix-of-experts design.
Integrated into Alibaba Cloud and developer tools for enterprises.
Aug 01, 2026
Sarvam AI launches Epoch Builder Edition on 30 July 2026
Sarvam AI released the Epoch Builder Edition on 30 July 2026 for developers and enterprises. The platform enables building, fine-tuning and deploying multilingual large language models. Epoch Builder Edition provides 7‑billion and 70‑billion parameter models trained on nearly two trillion tokens. It supports more than ten Indian languages and promotes the development of indigenous AI applications. The release reflects India’s growing AI ecosystem and the push to build language technologies that meet local needs in education, governance and business. Users can integrate Epoch Builder Edition with existing data pipelines and deploy on cloud or on‑premises infrastructure, as required.
Epoch Builder Edition released on 30 July 2026 for developers and enterprises.
Supports multilingual LLMs with 7B and 70B parameter models.
Trained on nearly two trillion tokens across more than ten Indian languages.
Aims to boost indigenous AI applications in India.
Can be deployed on cloud or on‑premises infrastructure.