The website of the port of Rotterdam was targeted in a cyberattack blamed on Russia-aligned hackers last week.

A key government online platform has been down for several days and mobile money services are also affected.

Researchers have made a breakthrough with a so-called miracle material to break the efficiency record for solar panel electricity generation. A team from the Chinese solar technology firm Longi set a new world record of 33.9 per cent for a silicon-perovskite tandem solar cell, breaking the previous record set in May this year by King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia. The new efficiency record also broke the theoretical limit of 33.7 per cent for the first time of standard single junction cells, which are found in commercial solar panels. “This provides meaningful empirical data to demonstrate the advantage of crystalline silicon-perovskite tandem solar cells over crystalline silicon single junction solar cells in terms of efficiency,” the company noted in a statement. “The emergence of crystalline silicon-perovskite tandem technology has opened up a new track for the development of next-generation high-efficiency solar cell technology. This means that the same area, absorbing the same light, can emit more electricity.” The theoretical efficiency limit of silicon-perovskite tandem solar cells is 43 per cent, however this level is unlikely to ever be realised on a commercial scale. The first production of ultra-efficient perovskite solar panels could begin in China, with researchers from Nanjing University saying earlier this year that a design breakthrough has made mass production possible. According to the researchers, the next-generation panels will be 50 per cent cheaper and 50 per cent more efficient than traditional silicon cells, however the efficiency rates will still be a long way off the levels achieved in the lab. UK startup Oxford PV, which is a spin-out from the University of Oxford, is already in the process of commercialising the technology, with hopes of beginning full-scale production at a German facility later this year. “Current silicon solar panels have reached their physical limits. We’ve got a way to transform the efficiency of these solar cells with perovskite,” Chris Case, Oxford PV’s chief technology officer, told The Independent in August. “The biggest challenge by far is durability and reliability. We already have great efficiency – much greater than current silicon cells – so most of our research and development is spent enhancing reliability, not efficiency.” Perovskite has been hailed as a “miracle material” for its potential to revolutionise everything from high-speed telecommunications to renewable energy technologies. Its potential for solar panels is not limited to the efficiency gains compared to traditional silicon cells, but also new ways of using them. Recent breakthroughs include self-healing solar panels that can maintain their efficiency for tens to hundreds of years, as well as double-sided solar panels capable of generating electricity from the Sun’s energy on both sides. The material could also be used in applications ranging from building-integrated solar panels to space-based electricity generation. Read More How tech could turn our homes into renewable energy power stations Hundreds of years after it was discovered, one material is about to change the world Millions could abandon electrical grid with new solar panel advance Millions of Australians left without mobile and internet network after Optus outage Guidance urges parents not to buy smartphones for primary school children

Scientists are raising concerns about a supervolcano in Italy which is “on the brink” of erupting for the first time since 1538. Campi Flegrei, also known as Phlegraean Fields, is an area of supervolcanic calderas in Naples, Italy. If it did erupt again, it could plunge the world into a global winter. An eruption of the scale last seen in 1538 would also result in 100-feet tsunamis and the expulsion of volcanic gases into the stratosphere. The results would kill wildlife and crops across the world, and the possible impacts have been explored in the new journal Communications Earth & Environment. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter There’s been an increase in the number of earthquakes in the surrounding area over recent times, which has proved concerning viewing for scientists. New research was undertaken by members of Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) and University College London (UCL). "Our new study confirms that Campi Flegrei is moving closer to rupture,” said lead author Professor Christopher Kilburn (UCL Earth Sciences). Mauro Antonio Di Vito, director of the INGV’s Vesuvius Observatory, expressed concern about the evacuation from the local area. He added: "These areas have been urbanised without considering the fragility. Buildings need to be better structured and we need a cultural change to really encourage people to do this." Stefano Carlino, also of Vesuvius Observatory, added: "It's the same for all volcanoes that have been quiet for generations. Campi Flegrei may settle into a new routine of gently rising and subsiding, as seen at similar volcanoes around the world, or simply return to rest. "We can't yet say for sure what will happen. The important point is to be prepared for all outcomes." Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Check out the NBA 2K24 best controller settings for Current and Next Gen players, including Shot Timing Visual Cue, Pro Stick Defense, and more.

U.K. telecom company BT Group plans to shed up to 55,000 jobs by the end of the decade and replace some of them with artificial intelligence

Students are back to school and back to ChatGPT for homework help. At least that's

A little over a year ago, Peter Gardner, a Louisiana developer, completed rehabbing an apartment building with 144

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 15, 2023--

Microsoft Corp. is talking to partners to help launch a mobile gaming store that will take on Apple

A man who has spent 'millions' trying to biologically lower his age in order to live longer reveals he drinks alcohol every morning for breakfast. Bryan Johnson, 45, has the 'biological age' of an 18-year-old, and is projected to live to be 200. He made the shocking confession on Steven Bartlett's Diary Of A CEO podcast, where he told of how his final meal of the day is done by 11am. Johnson says he loves wine, and would have 3oz with his breakfast before it became too expensive. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

Backlash follows Baby Gronk's controversial comment, while Olivia Dunne secures an exciting new deal with Team Accelerate