Elon Musk acknowledged that SpaceX restricted Starlink speeds in Ukraine, ending uncertainty over who ordered a slowdown that disrupted communications and front-line operations for more than a week. He said Ukraine had used the civilian service for offensive drone strikes, violating its terms, and that SpaceX closed this loophole. Musk also said the U.S. government controlled changes to Starshield, the military-grade system used for Ukrainian drone operations and communications. Ukrainian commanders had reported lost drones and disrupted missions during the restrictions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Starlink and Starshield speeds had returned to their previous levels by Saturday, improving logistics and defence against Russian drones. Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara credited direct talks and Zelenskyy’s diplomacy with Washington. The episode heightened tensions between Ukraine and the United States, while U.S. officials gave conflicting accounts of whether the administration coordinated the restrictions: President Donald Trump denied making the decision, and senior officials disputed one another’s accounts of government involvement. The slowdown also renewed concerns about Ukraine’s dependence on a single private provider. Fighting continued as both sides reported strikes on military and industrial targets, including Ukrainian attacks on facilities in Russia and a Russian missile strike that killed a man in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region.
Summary generated by AI from the linked article. hn.today is not affiliated with Hacker News or Y Combinator.
More than 300 Boston Dynamics employees urged executives to stop a deal supplying ICE with modified robot dogs, citing risks to the company and its workers. Executives stood by the sale, saying the robots would not be weaponized. (arstechnica.com)
Micron Taiwan’s new labor agreement raises pay for more than 80% of employees, with production workers’ annual salaries increasing from NT$630,000 to over NT$2 million. It also boosts employer pension contributions to 10% and triples day-shift allowances for production workers. (ec.ltn.com.tw)
Boston Dynamics employees petitioned the company to cancel a $1.3 million ICE contract for four Spot robot dogs and related technology. ICE says the robots will help assess dangerous scenes before agents enter, while workers argue the sale damages the company’s reputation. (wbur.org)
Linux 7.4 adds initial support for Apple’s M4 and A18 Pro chips, enough to boot and display a console, while most hardware features remain unsupported. The kernel also adds support for Google Tensor G5, Qualcomm chips and boards, and Valve’s Steam Frame headset. (phoronix.com)
AI coding tools are making it easier for hobbyists to modify smart TVs and revive abandoned gadgets, including removing ads and replacing outdated interfaces. These changes can improve old devices but also introduce security and reliability risks. (zdnet.com)
Intel agreed to acquire quantum software company Classiq, combining its synthesis platform with Intel’s spin-qubit hardware and software. The deal aims to create an accessible, full-stack quantum computing platform that can scale toward mainstream use. (intc.com)
Today's best Hacker News stories, summarized and screenshotted, one email a day.