Science & Technology

President Donald Trump, center, walks from Air Force One at Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, N.J., Friday, July 31, 2026, from Camp David, the presidential retreat. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Zelenskyy asks Trump to help him get Elon Musk’s OK to use Starlink to help with strikes on Russia

Lisa Mascaro, Aamer Madhani And Collin Binkley, The Associated Press 6 minute read 4:34 PM CDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pitched President Donald Trump and other American officials on helping Ukraine win permission from tech titan Elon Musk to use his Starlink satellite communications system to guide strikes inside Russia.

The push for expanded use of Starlink comes as Zelenskyy looks for alternate ways to mitigate the need for U.S. Patriot air defense systems to thwart the steady barrage of Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian territory. The interceptors are in shorter supply as the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran continues to rage, and Trump on Friday appeared to back away from a recent commitment to give Ukraine a license to produce them.

Zelenskyy made the request directly to Trump in an Oval Office meeting this week during his whirlwind trip to Washington, according to one person familiar with the matter. He also told lawmakers later on Capitol Hill that he wanted Starlink to help with targeting inside Russia, according to a person in the room. Both officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive private discussions. Trump did not commit to Zelenskyy’s request.

Zelenskyy has been pushing to expand Starlink use for weeks

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Science & Technology

Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation Minister Evan Solomon speaks with the media in the Foyer of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Monday, June 15, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Human or AI bot? Ottawa consulting on transparency of AI systems

Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Human or AI bot? Ottawa consulting on transparency of AI systems

Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Updated: 4:08 PM CDT

OTTAWA - The federal government is asking for input from Canadians about the transparency of artificial intelligence systems.

In an online post featuring an AI-generated video of the CN Tower launching into the air like a rocket, Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon said the government wants to hear from Canadians what meaningful and practical AI transparency might look like.

"AI can do extraordinary things, but as it becomes part of our everyday life, transparency matters more than ever. Are you interacting with AI or with a real person? Was something created by AI or not?" he said in the video.

Those are two key questions the government posed in a consultation launched last week.

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Updated: 4:08 PM CDT

Science & Technology

FILE - This combination of 2017-2022 photos shows the logos of Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat on mobile devices. On Friday, Jan. 6, 2023, Seattle Public Schools filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court, suing the tech giants behind TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Snapchat, seeking to hold them accountable for the mental health crisis among youth. (AP Photo, File)

Social media companies sued over deaths of four teens as pressure, lawsuits over child safety mount

Kaitlyn Huamani And Barbara Ortutay, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Social media companies sued over deaths of four teens as pressure, lawsuits over child safety mount

Kaitlyn Huamani And Barbara Ortutay, The Associated Press 4 minute read Updated: 12:17 PM CDT

The families of four teenagers who died by suicide are suing Meta, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube over what they describe as “years of escalating harms” from using their platforms that eventually resulted in their deaths.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in the Superior Court of Delaware, is the latest in a flurry of suits filed against the social media giants that alleges their platforms are addictive and dangerous.

The complaint was filed on behalf of four families from Texas, North Carolina, Minnesota and Tennessee whose children died over a 14-month period starting in July 2024 through September 2025.

The Social Media Victims Law Center is bringing the suit on behalf of the families, and its founding attorney, Matthew Bergman, said it's “particularly salient” that the children in this case died “long after” similar suits had been filed.

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Updated: 12:17 PM CDT

Science & Technology

FILE - A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from pad 39A with a payload of a pair of lunar landers at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Jan. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)

A discarded SpaceX rocket is on a high-speed collision course with the moon

Marcia Dunn, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

A discarded SpaceX rocket is on a high-speed collision course with the moon

Marcia Dunn, The Associated Press 4 minute read Updated: 8:34 AM CDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A drifting SpaceX rocket is on a collision course with the moon after launching a pair of lunar landers more than a year ago.

The rocket's upper stage will unintentionally slam into the moon on Wednesday, carving out a crater and sending up a plume of dust and rubble that scientists — and skygazers — are eager to observe.

Space tracking expert Bill Gray predicts an impact of 5,400 mph (8,700 kph) — seven times the speed of sound — near Einstein Crater on the moon’s sunlit western limb. With the action unfolding in the wee hours, the eastern portions of the U.S. and Canada, and much of South America should have the best views.

While scientists are not too concerned about this particular piece of space junk, it highlights the growing threat as more and more items cram into orbit.

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Updated: 8:34 AM CDT

Science & Technology

FILE -A data centre is pictured in Frankfurt, Germany, Friday, Aug. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Probst, File)

EU to crack down on AI deepfakes, illicit imagery and hacking with new team in Brussels

Sam Mcneil, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

EU to crack down on AI deepfakes, illicit imagery and hacking with new team in Brussels

Sam Mcneil, The Associated Press 3 minute read 4:47 AM CDT

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union rolled out a new team on Friday to rein in AI companies across the world, in one of the most aggressive regulations the high-tech sector has so far faced as fears rise over the risks the rapidly advancing technology poses to people, politics and prosperity.

Brussels aims to track the use of AI models for violations of its new regulations, like the publishing of sexually explicit material, fake photos and videos, and cyber threats to public infrastructure. When the bloc's AI Act comes into force on Sunday, AI companies will be required to make clear to consumers with labels or digital watermarks that chatbots or imagery are generated with AI.

“As enforcement begins, we are taking an important step towards AI that people and businesses can understand and trust, and whose benefits are shared widely across our society,” said Henna Virkkunen, the EU chief for tech sovereignty, on Friday.

The European Commission said in a statement that new regulations also include “systemic risks” posed by AI like “chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents, loss of control, cyber offense, harmful manipulation and threats to fundamental rights."

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4:47 AM CDT

Environment

Solar-powered street lights are displayed for sale in Nairobi, Kenya, Tuesday, July 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

Africa’s off-grid solar sector courts mainstream investors with landmark financing deals

Allan Olingo, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

Africa’s off-grid solar sector courts mainstream investors with landmark financing deals

Allan Olingo, The Associated Press 5 minute read 2:21 AM CDT

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Landmark fundraising deals by two of Africa’s largest off-grid solar companies are raising hopes that private capital markets could become a major source of funding to help bring electricity to millions of homes lacking access to reliable power.

A $50 million green bond issued by affordable energy company D.light in June, and $286 million in securitized debt by rival Sun King mid-2025 are testing whether institutional investors will back a pay-as-you-go business model on a commercial scale.

Such strategies are fueling debate over whether Africa’s off-grid solar sector has reached a financial turning point, attracting mainstream investors beyond its traditional base of donor agencies and development finance institutions.

Raising fresh capital to fund solar installations

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2:21 AM CDT

Science & Technology

Anthropic says its AI models hacked 3 organizations during testing

Chan Ho-him, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Anthropic says its AI models hacked 3 organizations during testing

Chan Ho-him, The Associated Press 3 minute read Updated: 4:53 AM CDT

Anthropic said its artificial intelligence models hacked into three other organizations during testing, just days after ChatGPT maker OpenAI raised concerns over AI controls after it disclosed its rogue models hacked another company.

Anthropic, the San Francisco-based AI company behind Claude, posted on its website Thursday that it discovered the three incidents after reviewing more than 141,000 evaluation runs.

It had launched a “large-scale” cybersecurity review which specifically looked for evidence whether its AI models were able to access the internet from within testing environments that should have been sealed off, in response to the OpenAI incident, Anthropic said.

Anthropic said the models involved in the incidents were Claude Opus 4.7, Claude Mythos 5 and an internal research test model. The earliest incidents date to April, the AI company said.

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Updated: 4:53 AM CDT

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Science & Technology

Japan’s Sony sees profit grow on demand for games, but quake damage still unclear

Yuri Kageyama, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Japan’s Sony sees profit grow on demand for games, but quake damage still unclear

Yuri Kageyama, The Associated Press 3 minute read Updated: 1:13 AM CDT

TOKYO (AP) — Sony Group Corp. reported a 32% profit growth in the fiscal first quarter Friday while warning of a negative impact from the earthquake that hit southwestern Kumamoto earlier this week.

The Tokyo-based entertainment company said its semiconductor facilities there were affected, and production remained suspended at one, while others were back up.

There was no major damage. However, the impact on Sony’s bottom line was still being assessed, so that was not included in Friday’s results. Before the quake, Sony had said it was on track to report record profit for the fiscal year.

Sony, which makes the PlayStation video game machines, Bravia TVs and “Spider-Man” movies, said net profit for the April-June period rose to 342.2 billion yen ($2 billion) from 259 billion yen. Quarterly sales edged up 8% to 2.84 trillion yen ($17.7 billion).

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Updated: 1:13 AM CDT

Science & Technology

A water tower is seen Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Plymouth, Minn. A cyberattack targeted the operating technology at over 30 water systems in Minnesota, including Plymouth's, earlier this week, state officials said. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)

Cyberattacks on Minnesota water systems investigated as officials warn about Iranian hackers

Jamie Stengle And Eric Tucker, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Cyberattacks on Minnesota water systems investigated as officials warn about Iranian hackers

Jamie Stengle And Eric Tucker, The Associated Press 4 minute read Yesterday at 5:46 PM CDT

Authorities were working Thursday to find the source of cyberattacks that targeted over 30 water systems in Minnesota and came amid warnings that Iranian hackers have been focused on such systems.

Minnesota IT Services said state officials had yet to identify who was behind the attacks that took place Sunday and Monday. There were no reports that residents had been impacted by the attacks, though one city asked residents to conserve water for a couple hours while they tried to determine what was wrong.

The FBI, which is investigating, has not publicly identified a culprit and a spokesperson declined to say Thursday who the bureau thought might be responsible. The FBI, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and other agencies warned in an advisory last week that Iranian hackers have been targeting water and wastewater systems and the operational controls other critical infrastructure sectors.

Digital warfare has become ingrained in military conflict, and local water plants or healthcare facilities often lack the funds and know-how to install the latest software patches or take other security steps. That has made them a favorite target, both because of the relative ease of penetrating them and because of the panic such disruptions can cause.

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Yesterday at 5:46 PM CDT

Environment

FILE - A firefighter carries a hose while battling a wildfire in San Martin de Valdeiglesias, west of Madrid, Spain, July 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)

Human-caused climate change made Spanish, French fires much more likely, scientists calculate

Seth Borenstein, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

Human-caused climate change made Spanish, French fires much more likely, scientists calculate

Seth Borenstein, The Associated Press 5 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 8:19 PM CDT

Climate change's fingerprints are all over the extreme fire weather that sparked this week's devastating wildfires in Spain and France and has spiked Southern Europe's burning the past eight years, two new studies conclude.

Human-caused climate change made the hot and dry conditions responsible for Spain's record-sized inferno 20 times more likely to happen, and it doubled the chances of extreme fire conditions for the flames in France, scientists at World Weather Attribution calculated in a rapid analysis Thursday, conducted while fires were still burning. Warming in the past 26 years has tripled the odds of the severe fire risk conditions in Spain and increased the chances in France 40%, the same report found.

At the same time, researchers published a separate study on Thursday — written and edited long before this week's fires began — that found the number of days that Southern Europe's weather reached extreme fire-prone levels has more than doubled compared to decades ago.

Both studies examined changes in the weather that creates fire-prone conditions. The measurements factor in air temperature, drought conditions, humidity and wind.

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Updated: Yesterday at 8:19 PM CDT

Science & Technology

This photo provided by Bernardo Arriaza shows the Camarones coast on Nov. 2, 2018, in Northern Chile, where scientists found evidence of ancient smallpox infections. (Bernardo Arriaza via AP)

Ancient mummy DNA provides scientific evidence that colonization brought smallpox to the Americas

Adithi Ramakrishnan, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Ancient mummy DNA provides scientific evidence that colonization brought smallpox to the Americas

Adithi Ramakrishnan, The Associated Press 4 minute read Yesterday at 1:17 PM CDT

NEW YORK (AP) — Ancient mummy DNA recovered in Chile has yielded the firmest evidence yet that European colonization brought smallpox to the Americas.

Smallpox was one of the deadliest diseases in human history before it was eradicated in 1980, largely thanks to vaccination. For centuries, the virus had killed about one-third of the people it infected and left most survivors with deep and sometimes disfiguring scars.

Outbreaks struck Asia and Europe and eventually spread to the Americas, where colonial writings, administrative records and missionary reports documented how it killed millions and devastated Indigenous populations who had never been exposed to the virus.

Now there's scientific evidence for the spread: An analysis of Chilean mummies provides the strongest genetic link yet to the virus as it existed outside of the Americas, and provides a better picture of how it reached remote populations through colonization, said geneticist Shigeki Nakagome with Trinity College Dublin.

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Yesterday at 1:17 PM CDT

Science & Technology

A student walks on campus at York University in Toronto on Thursday, March 20, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Ontario funds new family medical school as it preps for 2028 opening

Liam Casey, The Canadian Press 1 minute read Preview

Ontario funds new family medical school as it preps for 2028 opening

Liam Casey, The Canadian Press 1 minute read Yesterday at 11:02 AM CDT

TORONTO - Ontario is funding a new medical school focused on training family doctors so it can start preparing for its first students in 2028.

Colleges and Universities Minister Nolan Quinn says the province is providing $55.8 million for York University's new school of medicine.

He says the money will help the school hire faculty, build a medical library and operate its undergraduate and graduate programs.

The program will have 80 undergraduate spots and 102 postgraduate spots when it opens in the fall of 2028 and the province says it will eventually grow to 240 undergraduate spots and 293 postgraduate seats.

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Yesterday at 11:02 AM CDT

Environment

FILE - The Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant is seen near Paducah, Ky., Nov. 18, 2013. (AP Photo/Stephen Lance Dennee)

Federal government to turn a Kentucky uranium plant into an AI data center and gas power complex

Marc Levy, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

Federal government to turn a Kentucky uranium plant into an AI data center and gas power complex

Marc Levy, The Associated Press 5 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 4:50 PM CDT

The U.S. Department of Energy is harnessing the artificial intelligence boom in its bid to convert another Cold War-era uranium enrichment site, tapping private equity to fund a $100 billion data center complex that will include its own new natural gas and battery storage power plant in Kentucky.

The department selected investment firm Brookfield Asset Management to develop and operate the data center at the government-owned Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. In March, the department announced a similar project at its Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Ohio.

Both are undergoing extensive cleanup, decontamination and decommissioning after decades of fueling the nation's nuclear weapons and power plants. The project is in line with the Trump administration's efforts to make artificial intelligence superiority over China a top national security and economic priority.

The federal government is transforming former DOE sites into “engines of innovation and economic growth” to “ensure the United States wins the A.I. race,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in a statement Wednesday.

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Updated: Yesterday at 4:50 PM CDT

Science & Technology

A person uses a cellphone in Ottawa on Monday, July 18, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

From travel passes to eSims, here’s how you can avoid high roaming fees on vacation

Sammy Hudes, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

From travel passes to eSims, here’s how you can avoid high roaming fees on vacation

Sammy Hudes, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 1:38 PM CDT

Costs can quickly add up on an overseas vacation, from lavish meals to airfares and accommodation, but staying connected can sometimes be the biggest source of bill shock for travellers when they arrive home.

So when your cellphone starts to ring during an evening stroll through Paris or Rome or Melbourne, experts say you may want to think twice before answering, lest you end up with a pesky roaming charge — unless you've planned ahead.

Canadians have a few options nowadays to use their phones while travelling abroad without breaking the bank, but picking the right one could depend on where you're travelling and for how long.

Major providers have begun offering roaming packages tailored to longer stays out of the country, rather than just daily roaming rates that have grown more expensive over the years. There's also inclusive plans that bake roaming in certain countries into monthly fees, while some savvy customers may prefer to purchase an eSim, taking their carrier out of the equation altogether.

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Updated: Yesterday at 1:38 PM CDT

Science & Technology

EU lays out $11.4 billion for 7 AI gigafactories as it aims to catch up with US and China

Sam Mcneil, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

EU lays out $11.4 billion for 7 AI gigafactories as it aims to catch up with US and China

Sam Mcneil, The Associated Press 3 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 6:12 AM CDT

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union is offering 10 billion euros ($11.4 billion) in funding for firms to erect seven AI gigafactories as it seeks to close the AI gap with U.S. and China, the 27-nation bloc's executive said on Thursday.

The European Commission said it would like the public financing to draw an additional 20 billion euros ($22.8 billion) in private investment.

“Access to the raw scale of computing power within AI gigafactories is a strategic necessity for Europe as AI development accelerates,” said Henna Virkkunen, the Commission executive vice president overseeing tech sovereignty.

The efforts by Brussels to establish “ tech sovereignty ” have gained urgency as leaders worry about dependence on technologies from foreign providers, which they say could be “weaponized” against Europeans. U.S. President Donald Trump has railed against the EU over its tech regulations and China has limited the supply of minerals critical to the sector.

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Updated: Yesterday at 6:12 AM CDT

Science & Technology

A phone rests on a computer showing the Australian eSafety web page in Sydney, Thursday, July 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Australian watchdog files legal action against Telegram, saying it failed to remove violent content

Rod Mcguirk And Charlotte Graham-mclay, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Australian watchdog files legal action against Telegram, saying it failed to remove violent content

Rod Mcguirk And Charlotte Graham-mclay, The Associated Press 4 minute read Yesterday at 12:50 AM CDT

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia’s online safety watchdog has filed legal action against messaging app Telegram, saying the platform failed to remove extremist content including videos of white supremacist mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and the New Zealand city of Christchurch as well as Islamic State group beheadings.

The United Arab Emirates-based app, which reports having 1 billion users worldwide, faces a fine of up to 54.6 million Australian dollars ($38 million) if convicted in the Australian Federal Court for “alleged failure to detect and remove pro-terror material,” eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said Thursday.

The civil action is a test of Australia's 2021 law requiring tech platforms to work to keep illegal and pro-terrorism material off their networks.

Telegram denied the claims. “We reject these allegations and will contest them in court,” a spokesperson said in a written statement sent on Telegram.

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Yesterday at 12:50 AM CDT

July 31, 2026

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