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Serious security flaws in PHP, a programming language used to build millions of websites, have triggered a global cybersecurity alert after researchers used artificial intelligence (AI) tools to identify vulnerabilities that had remained undetected for years. Governments, cybersecurity agencies and technology companies are urging website operators to install emergency software updates or temporarily take vulnerable platforms offline to prevent potential attacks. Cybersecurity firm Wiz, whose researchers helped uncover the flaws, described them as the most severe vulnerabilities identified by AI. OpenAI, whose technology was used in the research, called the discovery one of the most significant cybersecurity issues in recent years. PHP, short for PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor, is widely used to develop websites and online services, including Wikipedia, online shopping platforms and websites built with WordPress. The programming language processes information and delivers it to users through websites. However, the newly discovered vulnerabilities could allow attackers to take control of affected servers without authentication and access sensitive information. Paul Spain, chief executive of Gorilla Cyber Security, warned that the flaws could affect millions of websites. Cybersecurity researcher Jill Slay of the University of Adelaide said the misuse of the vulnerabilities could expose private data on a large scale. Websites taken offline The security alert has disrupted online services worldwide, affecting government portals, public institutions, gaming platforms and online forums. Wikimedia, the organisation behind Wikipedia, temporarily shut down some systems as a precaution. Several public websites in Finland, the Netherlands and Scotland were also taken offline, along with sites operated by Edinburgh Council and the University of Geneva. Experts warned that smaller organisations with limited cybersecurity resources could face greater risks, particularly if their websites are not regularly maintained. Salil Kanhere, a cybersecurity researcher at UNSW Sydney, said attempts to exploit the flaws could increase in the coming weeks as technical details become publicly available. Governments urge immediate action PHP developers released security updates on Wednesday and urged users to install them immediately. The US National Security Agency advised organisations to temporarily take affected systems offline if they could not apply the updates promptly. It warned that the vulnerabilities could provide attackers with a direct route to databases. The UK's National Cyber Security Centre issued similar advice, urging organisations to check their systems for unauthorised access and hidden backdoors. Cybersecurity authorities in the European Union, Singapore and Australia also issued warnings. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi urged operators of publicly accessible websites to check whether their systems used PHP and apply the necessary fixes. Amazon, meanwhile, said it had faced multiple attempts to target its systems days before the vulnerabilities were publicly disclosed. It remains unclear how the potential attackers learned about the flaws. How AI helped uncover the flaws Researchers at cybersecurity firms Calif and Wiz used advanced AI tools to examine software code and identify weaknesses more quickly than traditional methods. Kanhere said complex software could contain security problems that remain unnoticed for years. The underlying flaws were not new, but advances in AI made them easier to detect, he said. OpenAI said the incident demonstrated AI's potential to identify security weaknesses while also highlighting the risk that attackers could use the technology to develop malicious tools and exploit vulnerabilities. The company said it had released a programme to help check whether PHP systems were secure. Ryan Ko of the University of Queensland's Cyber Research Centre said many vulnerabilities originated in older software designed primarily to provide functionality rather than strong security protections. How website operators and users can stay safe Website owners are being advised to install the latest security updates for PHP and closely monitor announcements from software providers. Paul Spain said applying the patch should be a routine task for most technical teams. The US National Security Agency also urged organisations to remain alert and promptly apply relevant security updates. Although website operators are primarily responsible for securing their platforms, users should follow security advice from affected services, including requests to change passwords when necessary, Kanhere said. He also warned users to watch out for phishing messages that exploit the incident to trick people into revealing passwords or other sensitive information. Source: Al Jazeera

Ukrainian drone attacks on several major Russian data centres have disrupted key digital services, including banking, online shopping, taxi bookings and cloud computing, raising concerns about the country's artificial intelligence (AI) development. The attacks this month targeted three major data centres operated by technology company Yandex, one belonging to Russia's largest bank, Sberbank, and another serving social media platform VKontakte, according to reports. The damage has caused widespread service interruptions across Russia, affecting businesses, ordinary users and even the judicial system. Some arbitration courts reportedly had to postpone hearings after losing access to databases. Experts warn that repairing the damaged facilities could take months or even years, potentially slowing Russia's efforts to compete with the United States and China in AI development. Mikhail Klimarev, head of the Internet Protection Society, said the attacks could leave Russia significantly behind in the global AI race. The strikes took place between October 8 and 18. Ukrainian drones hit Yandex facilities in the Ryazan, Kaluga and Vladimir regions before targeting Sberbank's data centre in Balakovo and a facility serving VKontakte in St Petersburg. Data centres contain large numbers of computer servers and rely on specialised power and cooling systems. Even relatively small explosives can cause extensive damage to the equipment. The attacks followed Russian strikes on Ukrainian data centres, which disrupted internet services and television broadcasts. Russia's policy of keeping data within its borders has also increased the vulnerability of its digital infrastructure. Unlike Ukraine, which stores critical information on servers in allied European countries, Russia requires much of its data to remain on domestic systems. Nick Reiners, a senior geotechnology analyst at Eurasia Group, said Russia's vast territory and limited air defence resources made it difficult to protect all critical facilities. The disruptions have affected everyday activities. Some users reported being unable to collect online orders, access personal data or book taxi rides through Yandex's services. Taxi driver Pavel Belyavskiy said he had to cancel several trips because he could not contact passengers through the company's app. Yandex said it restored most of its key cloud services within days by shifting operations to other data centres in Russia. However, concerns remain over the impact on its AI research. The company operates three supercomputers used to develop AI models, including one at its Sasovo facility that ranked 19th globally. Experts said fires caused by the attacks may have damaged expensive computer chips and other sensitive equipment. Connor Martin, an expert with the Council on Foreign Relations, said the strikes would likely further delay Russia's AI development. Replacing advanced US-designed Nvidia A100 chips could prove difficult because of global shortages and Western sanctions restricting technology supplies to Russia. Klimarev warned that rebuilding the damaged facilities could be expensive and time-consuming, adding that it remained uncertain whether all the equipment could be replaced within a year.

Websites operated by governments and other organisations in Europe and the United States went temporarily offline on Wednesday as operators rushed to install security updates after artificial intelligence-assisted research uncovered vulnerabilities in a widely used programming language. The FBI’s cyber division warned that the flaws in PHP, a programming language used to power websites and web applications, could allow malicious actors to execute code remotely. The vulnerabilities could expose sensitive data and networks to compromise, the agency said, recommending that website operators take their sites offline if they were unable to update them immediately. The Finnish government’s website, for example, was only partially accessible on Wednesday. A message to visitors said government websites were experiencing temporary disruptions and were fully or partially unavailable while the issue was being resolved. “The potential impact is enormous,” said Ismael Valenzuela, vice president of labs, threat research and intelligence at cybersecurity firm Arctic Wolf. He noted that PHP powers roughly 70% of websites for which the server-side programming language is known. The vulnerabilities put a “significant portion of the internet’s business and commercial infrastructure at potential risk,” Valenzuela said. Although not every website is vulnerable, he stressed that the flaws require “immediate attention”. The PHP Foundation, which includes developers working to secure the programming language, announced on Wednesday that it had released fixes for the vulnerabilities, along with instructions for updating affected systems. Artificial intelligence agents helped identify the flaws. In a blog post, OpenAI said it had led a coalition of researchers, cybersecurity providers and other partners over the past two months to address vulnerabilities in PHP. “PHP’s maintainers led the fixes and release, with our teams and partners like Wiz, Cloudflare, and others contributing research, technical support, and coordination to prepare protections ahead of disclosure,” the company said. OpenAI, based in San Francisco, described the flaws as “one of the most impactful security issues in recent memory”. The company said AI appeared to have discovered the vulnerabilities before any attackers did. “As significant as they are, these bugs are among several significant vulnerabilities we’ve already found and are working to fix, and we expect similar findings to increase sharply in the coming months,” OpenAI said. AI agents have been blamed for several high-profile security incidents in recent months, highlighting vulnerabilities in AI security and raising questions about how the rapidly advancing technology can be developed safely as its use expands worldwide. However, experts have also pointed out that AI can help identify cybersecurity weaknesses, as demonstrated by the PHP case. “There’s an important paradox here. We want AI to move quickly enough to find vulnerabilities humans might miss, while also making sure that increasingly autonomous systems operate within boundaries we understand and control,” said Raghu Nandakumara, vice president of industry strategy at cybersecurity firm Illumio. “The faster AI becomes at finding weaknesses, the more important it becomes to think about what happens after those weaknesses are exposed, especially when organizations can’t immediately patch every affected system,” he added. “The lesson isn’t that AI is inherently dangerous or inherently protective. It’s that speed without control creates a new kind of security problem.” Valenzuela said advances in AI were also changing how security experts assess whether flaws could be exploited. Some of the vulnerabilities identified in PHP, he noted, had existed for more than a decade. “What changed wasn’t the underlying code, but the ability to find those weaknesses and turn them into working exploits,” he said.

Polymarket has removed a contract from its prediction market platform that allowed users to bet on whether any of the seven men accused of sexually assaulting or exploiting a Cornell University student in 2024 would face felony sex crime charges. The market was launched on Sept. 30 and was scheduled to close on Jan. 31. It had generated more than $450,000 in trading volume before being removed from Polymarket's international platform. The company's US exchange is regulated by the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which prohibits trading related to “activity that is unlawful under Federal or State law.” “Our primary goal at Polymarket is to bring objective, data-driven insight to the most important questions of our time,” a Polymarket spokesperson said Tuesday. “This market addressed whether the government would take action — a process that deserves scrutiny, particularly in a case of such serious concern. That said, we believe in the wisdom of crowds, have heard them loud and clear, and removed the market,” the spokesperson added. Front Office Sports was the first to report on the contract. Some criticism of the Polymarket contract has focused on celebrities who promote the company. Philadelphia 76ers star LeBron James has an endorsement deal with Polymarket and recently appeared in a star-studded commercial featuring Derek Jeter, Eli Manning, Sue Bird and several other celebrities. The Associated Press left messages with representatives for James, Jeter, Manning and Bird on Tuesday seeking comment. Polymarket also has partnership agreements with the NHL, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, the UFC and the ATP Tour. AP sought comments from each organisation. A spokesperson for Spike Lee, who also appeared alongside James in the Polymarket commercial, said the director had no comment. AP also left messages with representatives for actors Craig Robinson, John Leguizamo and Alexandra Daddario, who featured in the advertisement. A woman identified in court documents under the pseudonym Jane Doe filed a lawsuit last month alleging that seven fraternity members sexually assaulted or exploited her in October 2024 and that Cornell mishandled her complaints. All seven men have denied the allegations, saying their interactions with the woman were consensual or that they were not involved. Online critics described the Polymarket contract as degrading and questioned why celebrity ambassadors would associate themselves with the company. An online petition launched by UltraViolet, a national women-led advocacy organisation, named James, Manning, Daddario and model Emily Ratajkowski, urging other prominent endorsers to sever ties with the company. AP also left a message seeking comment from a representative for Ratajkowski, who appeared in the celebrity-filled commercial with James. Prediction markets allow users to trade on the outcomes of future events. Sports account for a significant share of the trading volume generated by these platforms, which typically offer yes-or-no questions. Earlier this year, a US Army sergeant was indicted over bets related to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The sergeant had traded on Polymarket's international platform. In April, AP reported that 50 newly created accounts on the platform had placed substantial bets on a US-Iran ceasefire in the hours, and in some cases minutes, before President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire on social media. The activity raised concerns about possible insider trading. Polymarket still had an active market on its international platform on Tuesday allowing users to bet on whether Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff would leave his position by Oct. 31. The market had generated more than $10,700 in trading volume.

China hit back Tuesday at a U.S. ban on Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek's products for federal civilian agencies, highlighting friction in the two AI powers’ heated technology race. The agencies should remove DeepSeek and its affiliated products, as well as third party products and services developed using DeepSeek, from their IT systems, the Department of Homeland Security said in a notice made public on Monday. The department’s order, dating back to late July, also blocks civilian agencies from procuring DeepSeek products and services. DeepSeek is one of China's leading and best-known AI companies and its open-source models are widely available in countries including the United States. They are mostly free to use. The notice in the Federal Register alleges that DeepSeek’s models “present multiple threat vectors.” It said concerns include that its servers are located in China and that Chinese authorities' could potentially access private company infrastructure and sensitive U.S. data. In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said China will “will resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies” when asked at a regular press conference about the U.S. ban. “China consistently opposes the overstretching of the concept of national security and the politicizing of science, technology, economic and trade issues,” she told reporters at a routine briefing. DeepSeek did not immediately respond to a request for comment. U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to meet in mid-November on the sidelines of the APEC, or Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, leaders’ summit in Shenzhen, China. AI is expected to be on the agenda. China and the U.S. have recently made progress in some collaboration on AI governance, including a U.S. proposal for setting up of a notification system on national security-related incidents, but the two countries are still at odds on many issues. U.S.-led restrictions still ban China from accessing some of the world's most advanced AI chips and the machines that make them. Last week, Beijing rolled out new proposed plans to restrict exports of certain advanced AI models. The U.S. has also said Chinese AI startups including DeepSeek engaged in large-scale “distillation,” or extraction of capabilities, from frontier American AI models, claims that Beijing has dismissed. Earlier this year, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission announced it was barring imports of new foreign-made humanoid robots in a move seen as targeting China.

Digital Science, a leading technology company serving stakeholders across the research ecosystem, today announced a partnership with Sunmedia , a Tokyo-based scholarly information company, to help medical affairs teams across Japan understand the impact of their research. Under the partnership, Sunmedia will develop customized, narrative-driven reports using Digital Science’s Dimensions and Altmetric data, helping medical affairs teams show how their published research and independent medical education (IME) activity translate into real-world outcomes, such as clinical guidelines. The reports help medical affairs teams understand the impact of their work – including how much attention their research and independent medical education activities receive and the sentiment regarding those activities. That understanding feeds directly into publication strategy. Sunmedia serves around 2,000 corporate customers across various sectors, with pharmaceutical as its core market, including most major pharma companies in Japan. Koji Yamashita, CEO, Sunmedia, said: "Medical affairs teams in Japan have long needed a clearer way to demonstrate the value of their work to leadership. Combining Dimensions and Altmetric data with a narrative-driven approach gives us a way to help them tell that story with real evidence behind it, in a market where this kind of reporting hasn't really existed before." Gareth Williams, Director of Partnerships, Digital Science, said: "We're excited to partner with Sunmedia to bring new insight to medical affairs teams in Japan. This partnership provides medical affairs teams with clear insights into how their research output is received, enabling them to internally justify and externally measure their impact in clear, accessible terms." About Sunmedia Established in 1964, Sunmedia Co., Ltd. is Japan’s leading innovation-driven content solutions and market development partner, connecting global scholarly publishers, AI companies, and research solution providers with the Japanese scientific community. For over 60 years, Sunmedia has provided top-tier research content solution tools, e-journal hosting, rights permissions, and single-article sales to university libraries, hospitals, corporations, and government agencies across Japan. Headquartered in Tokyo, the company accelerates business growth and supports academic advancement through deep local market knowledge and trusted strategic partnerships. For more information, please visit: https://www.sunmedia.co.jp About Digital Science Digital Science is an AI-focused technology company providing innovative solutions to complex challenges faced by researchers, universities, governments, funders, industry, and publishers. We work in partnership to advance global research for the benefit of society. Through our brands – Altmetric, Dimensions, Figshare, IFI CLAIMS Patent Services, metaphacts, Overleaf, ReadCube, Symplectic, and Writefull – we believe when we solve problems together, we drive progress for all. Visit digital-science.com and follow Digital Science on Bluesky , on X or on LinkedIn . Media contacts Sunmedia: [email protected] Digital Science: David Ellis , Manager, Media & PR: [email protected]

Artificial intelligence agents can make everyday online tasks easier by acting on users' behalf, but their growing access to personal information is raising concerns over privacy, security and the risks of unintended actions. Matt Robb, a Toronto-based content creator who regularly reviews consumer technology, experienced those risks when he used Meta's new AI agent Muse to sell a computer keyboard on Facebook Marketplace. Robb said he decided to experiment with Muse late last month after noticing its plush toy-like avatar on Instagram, hoping the technology would handle online negotiations for him. However, within a day, a prospective buyer he did not know arrived outside his home late at night. According to Robb, Muse had independently negotiated a deal, accepted the buyer's offer and shared his home address to arrange a pickup. The AI agent even sent an automated message from his account saying, "Yep, I'm here!" when the buyer arrived, despite Robb not being there and having no knowledge of the exchange. "Not only did it give my address when the guy asked and it accepted the offer, but it literally was almost like teasing the guy (about me being there when I wasn't)," Robb said, describing the incident in social media posts that were widely shared. "That really baffled me." Robb and the buyer eventually resolved the misunderstanding, and Meta contacted him to discuss what had gone wrong. The incident, however, highlighted the real-world risks of giving AI agents extensive access to personal information. Many users have embraced AI agents such as Muse for their ability to handle routine tasks, including making dinner reservations, planning trips and organising email inboxes. However, their effectiveness depends heavily on the information and permissions they receive, which can include details about users' friends, families and colleagues. "Using an AI agent is similar to handing someone your keys and a to-do list," said Veronica Rivera, an assistant professor at Georgia Tech's School of Cybersecurity and Privacy. "How helpful they are, and by extension how risky, depends on which keys you hand over," she added. AI companies have different privacy policies Downloads of Meta's Muse app have surged since its launch in September, while competition in the AI agent market continues to grow. OpenAI has also introduced its own range of "always on" AI assistants, called dots, which can be integrated with ChatGPT and workplace platforms such as Slack and Microsoft Teams. Unlike conventional generative AI chatbots, which respond to specific prompts by producing text, images, music or code, AI agents can carry out everyday tasks on users' behalf. Powered by large language models, they operate in a continuous loop that allows them to take proactive steps even when users are not actively monitoring them. "One of the things that makes these AI agents really appealing is that they are unprecedentedly useful," said Rivera, who is also a Microsoft-funded Computing Research Association Trustworthy AI Research Fellow. However, this convenience comes at the cost of sharing more personal information. Ebrahim Bagheri, a professor at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Information, said withdrawing an AI agent's access does not necessarily erase information it has already collected. "If you provide access to your credit card to an agent, the agent now immediately has access to all of the historical transactions … they will immediately — within less than seconds — ingest all of that data," Bagheri said. Although users can later revoke access, he said there was "no taking back" information an agent had already seen. He also noted that the way developers store historical data could be unclear. Meta and OpenAI have published privacy policies for their AI agents, which operate on dedicated cloud computers. OpenAI allows users to disable memory sharing between dots and ChatGPT, but information previously received by an agent is not automatically deleted. The company also provides options for users to request access to, delete or correct their personal information, although the rights available may vary by location. Meta's Muse also allows users to delete message histories and other information. The agent requests access permissions for everyday tasks, while the company says it learns about users and their interactions through public information and details they choose to share. Meta maintains that users' information remains secure, but acknowledges that Muse can still "make mistakes or take unexpected actions." Risks increase with broader access Robb said the disclosure of his home address resulted from an "always allow" permission he had granted when connecting Muse to his Facebook Marketplace profile, where he had previously shared his pickup address. He warned that other users could similarly misunderstand the extent of the permissions they grant, adding that he had initially expected the agent to seek his approval before sharing the address or accepting offers. The agent also made mistakes while handling another item he was selling. Robb said Muse appeared to indicate that he would accept a price $100 below his previously established minimum. Meta acknowledged the agent's error when contacted by The Associated Press but offered no further comment. Robb later largely disconnected Muse from his applications. In an interview earlier this month, he said the incident could have had more serious consequences, particularly "if some stranger turned up to someone more vulnerable's house." Despite the experience, he said he expected AI agents to improve and would consider using Muse again in the future. He has since been testing another AI agent, Grok Bot from Elon Musk's X, which launched in beta in August. Other technology companies have also raised concerns about the growing access AI agents have to users' devices and applications. Earlier this month, Apple said it would introduce new controls for its Mac operating system in response to AI agents gaining broader access to applications, including email and messaging services, as well as browsing histories, sometimes without users' "full knowledge and understanding." "As AI agents become increasingly capable and autonomous, the risks associated with this level of access will grow substantially," Apple said in an October 2 update. Apple did not name any developers or agents in the update. However, it followed a report by Inc. Magazine columnist Jason Aten, who said Muse had monitored notifications on his Mac, including messages, without his explicitly granting the agent that specific access. Meta spokesperson Andy Stone maintained that such integration was "entirely opt-in". In a social media post last month, he said users had to enable both Apple's "Full Disk Access" security feature and a Messages connector through Muse. Aten, however, said he had not granted the agent those permissions. AI agents may expose other people's information, too Privacy risks may extend beyond people who directly use AI agents. Even consumers who do not download such tools could have their information accessed when they communicate with someone who does. Experts warn that when an AI agent reads a user's emails or text messages, it may also process information shared by other people who have never explicitly consented to that access. "When your agent reads your inbox or your texts, it's also reading what your friends and family sent you, even if they never explicitly agreed to that," Rivera said.

China has proposed restricting or banning exports of 40 technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors and solar power, citing national security concerns amid intensifying global technology competition. The commerce and science ministries on Friday jointly released a draft updating the country's list of technologies subject to export controls. The commerce ministry said the measures were necessary to strengthen security, prevent misuse and keep AI under human control. The proposal covers 23 AI technologies, including advanced large models and agents. Exports of core technologies used in AI models trained on sensitive national data would be banned, while models with at least two trillion parameters or certain world-leading capabilities could face restrictions. The draft names no specific models. Several chip-design technologies, including those for AI processors and memory chips, are also covered. Twelve solar-related technologies, including polysilicon production, and five biomedical technologies involving cell and gene therapy are included. Analyst Lian Jye Su of Omdia said the move could respond to Western sovereignty requirements for key technologies. Natixis economist Gary Ng said access to technology was becoming increasingly fragmented alongside global trade and investment. The proposal comes as China and the United States discuss AI safety, governance and a mechanism to notify each other of AI incidents threatening national security. US restrictions have limited China's access to advanced AI chips and chipmaking equipment. In June, Washington also sought restrictions on foreign nationals' access to certain powerful Anthropic AI models, though they were later lifted.

Ukraine is negotiating with SpaceX and the Pentagon to remove a speed restriction on its military satellite communication service, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday, as Kyiv remains uncertain why the limit was introduced amid growing tensions with Washington. The restriction, imposed without prior notice early Thursday, interrupts internet data connections when a communication terminal moves faster than 160 kilometres per hour (100 mph). The limit affects Ukrainian drones equipped with Starshield, the military version of SpaceX's Starlink satellite service, forcing them to fly more slowly and making them easier for Russian weapons to target or evade. Serhii Beskrestnov, a defence technology adviser to Zelenskyy, told The Associated Press that the issue appeared to involve political considerations as well as technical and commercial factors. He said Ukraine could only speculate about who influenced the decision. SpaceX founder Elon Musk said this week that Starshield is owned and controlled by the US government, with decisions about its use resting with the American military and ultimately President Donald Trump. The Pentagon did not respond to AP's questions about the restriction. Trump told reporters Friday that he had not ordered the measure and did not believe Musk was responsible. He said the system appeared to be operating as it normally did. Restriction adds to strained US-Ukraine relationsThe development has further complicated relations between Kyiv and Washington, already strained by Trump's decision to import Russian diesel, which Ukraine viewed as a betrayal, and what Zelenskyy described as a breakdown in Western intelligence sharing. The speed limit disrupted Ukrainian frontline operations and increased the country's vulnerability to Russian jet-powered Shahed drones, which can fly at speeds exceeding 400 kilometres per hour (250 mph). Ukraine had recently developed an effective way to counter the drones after weeks of sustained attacks that killed dozens of civilians. Starshield, which previously had no speed restriction, is used to control interceptor drones that pursue the faster Russian aircraft. Beskrestnov said Ukrainian forces had demonstrated that the countermeasure worked before the unexpected restriction undermined its effectiveness. The limit also affects Ukrainian helicopters used to hunt propeller-driven Shahed drones, he said. Starshield underpins Ukrainian drone operationsStarshield plays a central role in Ukraine's drone operations. Beskrestnov described it as a military communications package managed by the Pentagon and the US government and made available to partner countries. It operates under separate fees and conditions from the civilian satellite service and provides a more stable, higher-priority connection. He stressed that Ukraine does not use Starshield on Russian territory and that the service does not support Ukrainian drones attacking Russian oil refineries. Ukraine began raising concerns almost immediately after the restriction took effect because so many military units depend on the network, making the disruption impossible to conceal, Beskrestnov said. He was the first Ukrainian official to publicly confirm the measure. Communication outages soon followed the speed restriction, most likely because of the new limits. SpaceX resolved the connectivity problems after Ukraine reported them, but the speed cap remained in place. Kyiv is negotiating with SpaceX, the Pentagon and the US government to remove the restriction or switch to a separate Starshield package designed for aircraft that has no speed limit. However, the aviation package is considerably more expensive, creating an additional financial challenge for Ukraine. Beskrestnov said the outcome of the negotiations remained uncertain. Ukraine explores alternatives to StarlinkUkraine is seeking alternative satellite communication systems both as a precaution against losing access to Starlink and because Russia is developing ways to disrupt the network, Beskrestnov said. Russian forces are deploying electronic warfare equipment at various locations along the frontline to interfere with satellite communications. Kyiv is examining other options, including a satellite network being developed by Amazon and OneWeb, operated by Europe's Eutelsat. Satellite internet is important beyond battlefield operations, as it also connects civilians and helps maintain the morale of Ukrainian troops. Beskrestnov said Starlink was the only way for soldiers at many positions to communicate with their families. Russia's Rassvet network raises new concernsWhile Ukraine seeks to resolve the Starshield restrictions, Beskrestnov warned that Russia's emerging Rassvet satellite network could pose another major technological challenge for Ukraine and Europe. He said he believed Russia was already developing the ability to control Shahed attack drones, reconnaissance drones and relatively inexpensive missiles, including the Banderol and Dan-M, through real-time satellite connections. Such technology could allow Russian operators to steer drones and missiles directly, potentially undermining Ukraine's nationwide electronic warfare network, which is designed to jam their communications. Beskrestnov warned that satellite-guided weapons could strike targets across Ukraine with greater precision and said Russia's satellites already provided temporary coverage over parts of the country for periods of 30 to 40 minutes as they passed overhead. He estimated that continuous coverage could become available within about six months. Ukraine is working on countermeasures, including sanctions, but faces difficulties because Russian engineers have been able to test their jamming technology against an operational Starlink system, while Ukraine must prepare defences against a Russian network that is not yet fully operational. Beskrestnov said Ukraine needed to develop, mass-produce and deploy protective technologies before Russia began using the system to attack Ukrainian infrastructure.

Brazil's top electoral court on Thursday ordered Meta to take immediate steps to ensure equal treatment of the two presidential candidates ahead of the Oct 25 runoff election. The ruling came after President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva filed a complaint accusing the technology company, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, of using biased algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) restrictions to favour opposition candidate Flávio Bolsonaro. Electoral Court Justice Marco Aurélio Bellizze ruled that Meta must not limit the reach of political content, restrict searches or remove posts in ways that create an unfair advantage for either candidate. The company must also ensure its AI tools apply the same standards to both campaigns. Failure to comply with the order could result in a fine of 500,000 reais ($98,000) per day. The Lula campaign's legal filing, seen by The Associated Press, alleged that Meta had unjustifiably reduced the reach of campaign materials and regular posts supporting the incumbent president. It also accused the company of failing to follow a plan submitted to the electoral court to address the concerns. Meta declined to comment on the ruling. Lula's campaign claimed that accounts and advertisements linked to Flávio Bolsonaro had received unusually high visibility, with engagement levels comparable to those of global celebrities. The presidential race remains tight after Bolsonaro, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, secured 47% of the vote in the first round on Oct 4, compared with 45% for Lula. The complaint also raised concerns about unequal treatment by Meta's AI tools. According to the campaign, users were unable to generate campaign images supporting the 80-year-old Lula through WhatsApp's Meta AI feature but could create images promoting Flávio Bolsonaro. Lula campaign lawyers Gean Ferreira and Evelyn Santos said Meta's content distribution system appeared to restrict material from the incumbent president and his supporters while giving greater exposure to accounts supporting Bolsonaro, an ally of US President Donald Trump. “On one hand, content from candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his supporters faces delivery restrictions, without any justification or transparency,” the lawyers said in a statement. They added that accounts operating as political supporters of the opposition were receiving unusually high exposure, attracting more views than some internationally known celebrities. Lula's campaign has asked the electoral court to order Meta to immediately end the alleged restrictions and compensate for the lost visibility by doubling the reach of affected content. On Oct 11, after Lula's supporters began raising concerns about Meta's services, the company told the electoral court that it rejected allegations of favouring Bolsonaro. Meta acknowledged technical problems affecting accounts beyond Brazil but said it complied fully with the country's electoral rules and was committed to providing equal access to its platforms for all political parties.