CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images
Tesla has begun producing its long-awaited humanoid robot, Optimus, at its Fremont factory, the company said in its quarterly earnings report.
"The bots coming off this line are the first production-quality bots that we have manufactured," Tesla said, saying the current manufacturing process is "suitable for a commercial product."
"There's still some things we need to tweak about the design, because you need to deliver a robot that is safe and reliable and has long duration," CEO Elon Musk said on Tesla's Q3 earnings call. "It can't, like, wear out after a month."
Musk said the company will take at least a year to scale up Optimus production to 20,000 units a week in Fremont. He said he expects to begin delivering Optimus to customers at the end of next year.
Musk tempered expectations about how quickly Tesla can scale up Optimus production because it is "such a radically new product." He said the early stages of production will be "somewhat bumpy" because "there's like 10,000 things that have to go right" to build the robot. One of the big challenges Musk outlined is building robot hands.
Musk said Tesla is building an "Optimus Academy," where robots will practice tasks and generate data to improve the AI models that power them. The company also plans to install its next-generation AI5 chip in Optimus in April, which will give the robots more computing power and be a "big step change in intelligence," Musk said.
The latest version of Optimus has not been unveiled. Musk said he expects to release a video of Optimus within one or two months. He previously said Tesla was keeping the robot under wraps to prevent competitors from copying its design.
Tesla stopped producing the Model S and Model X at its Fremont, California, plant earlier this year to make room for an Optimus line designed to eventually produce a million robots a year. A second line under construction in Austin is planned to have an annual capacity of 10 million robots.
Tesla is competing in a crowded humanoid market. Agility Robotics, which plans to go public, has deployed its Digit robot across nine customer facilities, while Figure AI has announced deployments in logistics and distribution centers this year. Sunday Robotics, 1X, and Weave Robotics are preparing to ship robots into homes this fall.
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A Assembleia da República aprovou esta quarta-feira, em votação final global, a nova Lei de Organização e Processo do Tribunal de Contas (LOPTC), que altera o modelo de fiscalização da despesa pública, elevando para 7,5 milhões de euros o limiar a partir do qual os contratos públicos ficam sujeitos a visto prévio.
A reforma separa as funções de fiscalização, auditoria e julgamento, reforça a intervenção do Ministério Público e exige dolo ou culpa grave para responsabilizar financeiramente gestores. Contratos acima de 950 mil euros terão de ser comunicados ao Tribunal.
O Governo defende que ” a aprovação desta lei no Parlamento demonstra que é possível construir maiorias para fazer as reformas de que o país precisa. Esta lei abre caminho a decisões mais rápidas e à concretização de investimento público, com maior capacidade de fiscalização e responsabilização na utilização do dinheiro dos contribuintes”, explica o Ministro Adjunto e da Reforma do Estado, Gonçalo Saraiva Matias, em comunicado.
O limiar de sujeição a visto prévio sobe para 7,5 milhões de euros, reduzindo o universo de contratos que têm de obter autorização do TdC antes de avançarem. Quanto aos contratos de valor superior a 950 mil euros, estes terão de ser obrigatoriamente comunicados ao Tribunal, para efeitos de fiscalização concomitante e sucessiva.
Já as entidades com sistemas de decisão e controlo interno “considerados fiáveis” poderão ficar dispensadas de fiscalização prévia, mediante acreditação baseada em parecer da Inspeção-Geral de Finanças (IGF).
A acreditação deverá avaliar, entre outros aspetos, a segregação de funções, os mecanismos de prevenção da fraude e da corrupção, a gestão de riscos e a existência de auditorias e procedimentos regulares de controlo.
A alteração desloca parte do escrutínio para fases posteriores à decisão de contratar. O Governo sustenta que os recursos libertados pela redução da fiscalização prévia “devem ser canalizados para mais auditorias e acompanhamento da execução dos contratos. A eficácia do novo modelo dependerá, por isso, da capacidade do Tribunal para reforçar esse controlo e detetar irregularidades depois de as decisões terem sido tomadas”.
A proposta procura tornar mais precisos os fundamentos que permitem recusar um visto, reduzindo a margem de indeterminação dos critérios legais.
Entre as situações previstas estão nulidades, violações financeiras expressamente identificadas e determinadas infrações às regras da contratação pública, quando tenham impacto significativo no resultado financeiro. Os cocontratantes, como as empresas adjudicatárias de empreitadas ou concessões, passam a ter direito a pronunciar-se sobre o projeto de decisão de recusa e a recorrer da decisão final. A revisão altera, assim, tanto os critérios de intervenção do TdC como as garantias processuais dos envolvidos.
A reforma reorganiza a estrutura interna do Tribunal de Contas para separar as funções de fiscalização prévia, auditoria e julgamento de responsabilidades financeiras.
Assim, a 1ª secção fica exclusivamente dedicada à fiscalização prévia. A 2.ª secção concentra as funções de auditoria, incluindo a fiscalização concomitante e sucessiva. A proposta admite aumentar o número de juízes nesta secção. E a 3.ª Secção fica responsável pela efetivação da responsabilidade financeira e passa a ser a única secção de recurso.
A intenção é reduzir “a sobreposição entre quem fiscaliza, quem audita e quem julga”. A proposta prevê ainda critérios de recrutamento para os juízes da 1.ª e da 3.ª Secções análogos aos aplicáveis aos juízes do Supremo Tribunal Administrativo. Os visados por relatórios de auditoria passam também a poder recorrer.
Uma das alterações com maior impacto no regime de responsabilização é a exigência de dolo ou culpa grave — correspondente a negligência grosseira — para imputar responsabilidade financeira. O critério aproxima-se do regime aplicável aos gestores privados.
E a legitimidade para requerer o julgamento fica concentrada no Ministério Público (MP). O MP poderá “investigar, alargar a ação a factos conexos e definir o objeto do processo sem ficar vinculado ao enquadramento constante dos relatórios de auditoria”. Se o MP arquivar o caso, a decisão poderá ser objeto de impugnação hierárquica pelos órgãos de tutela ou de controlo interno.
A exigência de culpa grave restringe o conjunto de condutas que podem fundamentar uma condenação financeira, afastando a responsabilização baseada apenas em negligência leve. A mudança poderá ter consequências na forma como são apreciadas falhas na gestão de dinheiros públicos, dependendo da aplicação concreta dos novos critérios.
A proposta prevê a criação de um Conselho Consultivo com funções relacionadas com a estratégia e a organização do Tribunal. O órgão terá competências consultivas sobre os planos e programas de fiscalização e sobre iniciativas legislativas e regulamentares ligadas à jurisdição financeira. Caber-lhe-á também nomear o júri dos concursos de recrutamento de juízes.
O ministro Adjunto e da Reforma do Estado, Gonçalo Saraiva Matias, considerou que a aprovação demonstra ser possível construir maiorias parlamentares para concretizar reformas e afirmou que “a lei abre caminho a decisões mais rápidas e ao investimento público, com fiscalização e responsabilização”.
A nova proposta não acaba com o controlo do Tribunal de Contas: “muda o seu foco, o seu ponto de incidência. O modelo deixa de assentar tanto num controlo prévio generalizado e passa a estar suportado em três eixos: melhor separação de funções; visto prévio mais focado no que é verdadeiramente relevante; e responsabilidade financeira mais exigente, mas também mais justa e mais clara”, diz o Governo.
A reforma altera, contudo, o equilíbrio entre o controlo preventivo e a fiscalização posterior. A subida do limiar do visto e o alargamento das dispensas de fiscalização prévia reduzem a intervenção obrigatória do Tribunal antes da execução de determinados contratos. Em paralelo, a comunicação obrigatória dos contratos acima de 950 mil euros e a aposta em auditorias procuram compensar essa redução.
Don Feria/AP Content Services for Anthropic
Anthropic is joining the personal AI agent craze.
The company announced the new app Claude Duet on Wednesday, billed as a "proactive agent" that can run in the background, surface tasks to a user, and handle a variety of work. The tool is in research preview for now with a waitlist, meaning it won't immediately compete for the larger market with other new agents like Meta's Muse and OpenAI's Dots.
Still, the announcement ramps up the pressure on those companies — Anthropic says it built Duet around its flagship Opus 5.5 model, which was released in late September and has already become one of the industry's most popular. Recent model breakthroughs have made AI better at handling work on its own, spurring a rush to build these "always-on" personal agents.
"It can have the discernment and judgment around when to be proactive, when to act on your behalf," said Mike Krieger, a co-lead of Anthropic's Labs team, said in a Duet launch video.
The tool, Anthropic says, will send users a brief each morning about what's happening on their connected apps, and message them when something needs attention. Like other companies' offerings, it runs outside a user's computer, sends notifications, and asks for approval on certain tasks.
Anthropic announced Duet on the day of Meta's earnings report and used the opportunity to mention a new poach from Mark Zuckerberg's company. Karan Ahuja led product management for Meta Superintelligence Labs until July, according to his LinkedIn, before starting at Anthropic in August and leading Duet's development.
He wrote on X that he's been using Duet to build Duet, and said the team "built it for professionals and small business owners juggling a lot at work and at home."
Ahuja also wrote that Anthropic is letting people into Duet from the waitlist "as quickly as possible."
The news didn't go unnoticed at Meta. Alexandr Wang, who heads Meta Superintelligence Labs, posted a meme about Duet's similarity to Muse.
Anthropic is fast approaching a giant initial public offering, which could value the company at as much as $2 trillion. Like other AI players, the company navigates a high-wire competition to win over users, secure computing power, build state-of-the-art models, and deliver AI-native products.
The data firm Apptopia estimates that Muse had more than 14 million installations as of Wednesday. It found that Claude users who installed the Muse app were using Claude more than before, though still for fewer minutes per day than they spent on the Meta product.
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The two systems differ most sharply in what happens when beneficiaries reach adulthood
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Em Vila Real, algumas escolas tiveram que suspender as atividades letivas. A escola de São Pedro foi uma delas. Segundo a diretora, Rita Mendes, a escola não conseguiu iniciar as atividades letivas às 8h00 devido à ausência de funcionários em áreas como a portaria, os diferentes pisos do edifício e o bar. A decisão foi tomada por razões de segurança, uma vez que a falta de pessoal compromete as condições necessárias para assegurar o normal funcionamento das aulas.
A adesão à greve dos trabalhadores não docentes rondou os 30%, de acordo com uma estimativa avançada pela diretora. No entanto, Rita Mendes sublinha que esta percentagem deve ser analisada tendo em conta a falta de pessoal que já se faz sentir na escola. Segundo a diretora, o estabelecimento já funciona com um número reduzido de assistentes operacionais.
Apesar da interrupção das atividades letivas, os serviços administrativos mantiveram-se abertos e os professores continuaram a trabalhar.
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The price for a typical fast-food combo has risen at least $3 since 2020
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Os 55 manifestantes detidos na sequência da desocupação do acampamento pelo direito à habitação no Rossio, em Lisboa, foram convocados para comparecer perante o Ministério Público no próximo dia 27 de outubro, data em que será definida a situação processual de cada um. A Procuradoria-Geral da República (PGR) adianta que estes casos “poderão seguir para julgamento em processo especial sumário ou, caso exista acordo e estejam reunidos os pressupostos legais, ser resolvidos através da suspensão provisória do processo“, em comunicado enviado ao ECO.
A hipótese da suspensão provisória do processo já tinha sido avançada pelo jornal Público. Os detidos foram constituídos arguidos e libertados após a intervenção policial, ficando sujeitos a termo de identidade e residência, a medida de coação menos gravosa e que os obriga a comunicar uma eventual alteração de residência e a comparecer perante as autoridades sempre que forem legalmente convocados.
As detenções ocorreram na madrugada de terça-feira, 20 de outubro, durante uma operação da Polícia de Segurança Pública (PSP) para desmantelar o acampamento instalado na Praça D. Pedro IV, no Rossio, no âmbito dos protestos contra a crise da habitação. A operação policial, iniciada pelas 05h45, levou à apreensão de 228 tendas e estruturas, segundo os dados divulgados pelas autoridades. A PSP justificou a intervenção com a ocupação de espaços públicos sem autorização e com comportamentos de resistência às ordens policiais, apontando a desobediência como um dos ilícitos criminais em causa.
O processo sumário é uma forma especial e simplificada de processo penal, destinada, em regra, a situações em que uma pessoa é detida em flagrante delito, o que é o caso dos manifestantes. A sua finalidade é permitir uma resposta judicial mais rápida, dispensando algumas das etapas do processo penal comum, desde que estejam reunidos os requisitos previstos na lei.
Neste caso, a PGR admite que os visados possam ser apresentados a julgamento por esta via. Isso significa que o Ministério Público poderá encaminhar os casos para julgamento sumário se considerar que existem condições legais para o fazer.
Não se trata, porém, de uma condenação automática. Cabe ao tribunal apreciar os factos imputados a cada arguido, a prova existente e os argumentos da defesa, decidindo se houve crime e, em caso afirmativo, qual a consequência jurídica.
A segunda possibilidade referida pela PGR é a suspensão provisória do processo, um mecanismo previsto na lei processual penal que permite evitar que determinados processos avancem para julgamento, desde que estejam reunidos requisitos legais específicos.
Este mecanismo aplica-se a crimes de menor gravidade — como é o caso destes detidos que alegadamente cometeram o crime de desobediência à lei — e depende, entre outras condições, da concordância do arguido e, quando exista, do assistente, bem como da intervenção das autoridades judiciárias legalmente competentes.
É ainda necessário que se verifiquem os pressupostos relativos à “gravidade dos factos, à culpa e à adequação da medida às exigências de prevenção criminal”. A suspensão é determinada pelo Ministério Público com a concordância do juiz de instrução.
Na prática, em vez de avançar diretamente para julgamento, o arguido aceita cumprir determinadas injunções ou regras de conduta durante um período definido. Estas podem incluir, consoante o caso, o pagamento de uma quantia, a reparação de danos ou outras obrigações legalmente admissíveis como o trabalho comunitário.
Se o arguido cumprir as condições impostas, o processo é arquivado no final do período de suspensão e não pode ser reaberto pelos mesmos factos. E não fica no cadastro criminal dos arguidos. Se não cumprir as injunções ou regras de conduta, o processo prossegue e poderá haver acusação e julgamento.
Portugal e China vão retomar no próximo ano as negociações com vista a um novo acordo de reconhecimento mútuo de graus e diplomas de Ensino Superior.
“Ambas as partes concordaram que o acordo a negociar constitui um elemento essencial no intercâmbio académico entre os dois países no domínio do Ensino Superior”, informa o Ministério da Educação, Ensino Superior e Ciência em comunicado às redações esta quarta-feira, 21.
O documento precisa que a parte portuguesa, liderada pela Direção-Geral de Estudos, Planeamento e Avaliação (DGEPA), apresentou uma nova versão do projeto de acordo, propondo a substituição do texto de 2005, atualmente em vigor, tendo a parte chinesa indicado que iria proceder à análise interna da proposta.
Portugal e China acordaram “promover ativamente” um processo de consultas técnicas em 2027.
Os dois países acordaram também iniciar em 2027 consultas técnicas na área do ensino e formação vocacional, com vista “à elaboração de instrumentos de cooperação bilateral”,
com especial incidência no intercâmbio de boas práticas, no desenvolvimento curricular, na formação de professores e de formadores, e nas parcerias institucionais.
Este é, por assim dizer, o balanço da primeira reunião do Grupo de Trabalho Portugal-China sobre Educação, incluindo Ensino Superior, realizada esta terça-feira, 19, em Pequim, após a o encontro político entre o ministro da Educação, Ciência e Inovação de Portugal, Fernando Alexandre, e o ministro da Educação da China, Huai Jinpeng.
A Declaração define cinco áreas prioritárias para o desenvolvimento da cooperação nas áreas da ciência e tecnologia. A saber: economia azul, energia, agricultura, saúde e património cultural.
Relativamente à preparação do Plano de Ação Conjunto para 2027–2030, o comunicado do MECI revela que “a China apresentou três áreas prioritárias de cooperação: o diálogo entre presidentes de Universidades da China e de Portugal; a formação conjunta de engenheiros de excelência; e a cooperação apoiada pela inteligência artificial” E Portugal apresentou quatro áreas prioritárias de cooperação: “formação avançada, mobilidade académica e desenvolvimento de talentos; cooperação transnacional no ensino superior e garantia da qualidade; parcerias estratégicas entre instituições de ensino superior; e cooperação linguística e cultural”.
Na Declaração Conjunta do Grupo de Trabalho assinada esta segunda-feira, 18, ficou ainda definido que Portugal participará, como País de Honra, na Conferência Anual e Exposição da China sobre Educação Internacional, bem como na paralela Exposição de Educação da China, ambas a realizar em 2027.
Fernando Alexandre e a secretária de Estado da Ciência e Inovação, Helena Canhão, encontram-se em visita oficial à China, com passagens por Tianjin, Pequim e Xangai num aprofundamento das relações bilaterais nas áreas da Investigação, da Inovação, da Educação e do Ensino Superior. Integram a comitiva o presidente da Agência para a Investigação e Inovação (AI2), João Barros, o presidente do Instituto para o Ensino Superior (IES, I.P.), Joaquim Mourato, a Sub-Diretora da DGEPA, Sofia Cordeiro, o presidente do Conselho de Reitores das Universidades Portuguesas (CRUP), Luís Ferreira, e o presidente do Conselho Coordenador dos Institutos Superiores Politécnicos (CCISP), Luís Loures, bem como reitores e investigadores de 15 instituições portuguesas.
A delegação visitou já diversas instituições de ensino superior, centros de investigação e empresas do país asiático, em Tianjin, em Pequim e em Xangai, tendo em vista aprofundar a cooperação já existente e explorar novas oportunidades com instituições chinesas.
Foto: Ministério da Educação, Ciência e Inovação
Relatives recount distress and loneliness their loved ones went through in pandemic as a result of isolation policy
“At the time it felt like a devil’s bargain – it was horrible, but it was what [we thought] we had to do to keep people safe,” says Amy of the “devastating” and “terrifying” restrictions that led to her maternal grandparents being locked down in separate care homes during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Eva and Eric had been married for more than 60 years when her dementia and his increased frailty meant they needed separate residential support. When the first lockdown was announced in March 2020, however, it in effect cut them off from each other and their granddaughter, to whom they had been especially close after the early death of Amy’s mother.
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© Photograph: Matt Crossick/PA
© Photograph: Matt Crossick/PA
© Photograph: Matt Crossick/PA
Ukraine continues to struggle with throttling of the speeds at which weapons using the vital satellite communications services provided by the SpaceX Starlink system can operate, and one weapons manufacturer tells us it is rethinking whether to rely on it in the future. As we have previously reported, heavy use of Starlink on both sides of the conflict in Ukraine, including as a means of guiding one-way attackers in the air and at sea, has underscored potential risks of exclusive reliance on Elon Musk’s orbital communications networks in critical tactical tasks.
At issue are complaints by Ukrainian officials that “in various sectors of the front, the equipment ceases to function at speeds of 130–161 kilometers per hour.”
A limit on how fast Starlink terminals on vehicles can travel before the feed is cut off in certain areas impacts a slew of weapons and campaigns, especially strikes on Russian logistics behind enemy lines and in the sea of Asov, as well as the control of defensive interceptor drones critical for taking down Russian long-range one-way attack drones, like the notorious Shahed-136.
The following video shows one such Shahed interception.
Spectacular footage of a Ukrainian interceptor striking a Russian Shahed kamikaze drone, followed by its fall to the ground. pic.twitter.com/8DrJyS22Fn
— Special Kherson Cat
The limiting of Starlink/Starshield occurred amid deteriorating relations between the Trump administration and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The latest chill between Washington and Kyiv was sparked by the American leader’s claims that Ukraine’s attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure have reduced the supply of diesel fuel to the U.S. and other nations more than the conflict in the Middle East. Trump was upset Ukraine kept hitting these targets despite his demanding they stop.
Q: Do you think Ukraine should stop attacks on Russian oil refineries? Have you told Zelenskyy that?
— Furkan Gözükara (@FurkanGozukara) October 5, 2026
TRUMP: We've talked about it, we have, and I think they're slowing it down, but they are causing a lot of problems. The lack of refineries is the problem. pic.twitter.com/ffpFnRqFlk
Exacerbating this issue, Trump on Oct. 9 announced via his Truth Social platform that he had made a deal to purchase diesel from Russia, pivoting away from a years-old Western policy that placed massive economic pressure on Moscow.
Trump: "I have just concluded a highly successful discussion with President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, wherein it was agreed that Russia will immediately supply over 300,000 Tons of Diesel Fuel to the American and Global Marketplace, another 500,000 Tons during the month of… pic.twitter.com/zH0I6HA941
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 9, 2026
Who gave the order to limit the speeds at which Ukrainian weapons using the Starlink/Starshield system operate is unclear.
“The order to limit a satellite system used by Ukraine for battlefield communications and drone operations came from inside the White House,” Reuters reported last week, citing two U.S. officials and a Western official briefed on the matter. “The officials said leaders at the Defense Department received a message that the SpaceX Starshield service for the Ukrainian military needed to be slowed.”
“No such request was ever made by the president,” a U.S. official told us on Monday.
“There has been no change to Department of War policy regarding intelligence sharing or any capabilities we are enabling Europeans to provide to Ukraine,” a senior Pentagon official responded to our questions about whether the Pentagon imposed the limits and, if so, why.
When we pushed for a more specific response to the Starlink/Starshield concerns, the Pentagon declined comment. However, Tuesday afternoon, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Pentagon did not order any changes and that Ukraine violated Starlink’s terms of services.
Hegseth suggests Ukrainians haven't abided by Starlink's "terms of service" pic.twitter.com/Z8MJyQ4Nvq
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 20, 2026
We reached out to SpaceX as well, but the company did not immediately respond. Last week, SpaceX’s founder and CEO, Elon Musk, said that “any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately” Trump. Musk had previously refused Ukrainian requests to use Starlink against targets inside Russia.
The prohibition against using Starlink inside Russia has drastically limited Ukraine’s ability to strike dynamic targets like mobile ballistic missile launchers and hunt for drone launch sites. However, Ukraine has not had to rely on Starlink in its campaign against oil infrastructure or other fixed targets deep inside Russia which upset Trump in the first place.
Tuesday morning, Zelensky spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and again brought up Starlink/Starshield in addition to other major concerns.
“…the situation with Starlink/Starshield… needs to be restored,” Zelensky urged.
I spoke with Marco Rubio @SecRubio, and it was a substantive conversation – focused on the issues that matter. I am grateful for his readiness to help and his clear position. First, ballistic missile interceptors, which are needed to protect lives. Second, early warning of…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) October 20, 2026
Rubio denied that any assistance was being withheld from Ukraine. Noting that Starlink “is a private company,” the secretary told reporters that Trump is “frustrated…because he doesn’t like to be blamed for things that aren’t true, including accusations that somehow he had ordered intelligence sharing to be cut off. And that’s not true; he’s said that repeatedly.”
SECRETARY RUBIO: There's nothing being deliberately denied to Ukraine. It's simply a balance between our obligations to other partners, and frankly, our own standards and requirements for our own facilities as well. pic.twitter.com/x9NWbIufBa
— Department of State (@StateDept) October 20, 2026
This most recent flap isn’t the first time SpaceX and Musk have faced particularly significant criticism over limiting some Ukrainian use of the network. Actions SpaceX took earlier this year to block unregistered Starlink terminals also had major consequences for Russian forces, which were sent scrambling to find alternatives to fill the massive resulting communications gap.
Given the tenuous nature of Ukraine’s ability to use Starlink/Starshield, the Wild Hornets company is reevaluating whether to use the SpaceX system in future endeavors even though, so far, it has experienced few problems with it. Wild Hornets is a major Ukrainian combat drone maker. Among other weapons, it makes the Sting interceptors, designed to defend against Russian Shahed kamikaze drones.
The Starlink/Starshield issue isn’t affecting current operations, a Wild Hornets spokesman told us Tuesday morning. “Our own communications system provides the basic connection to our interceptors,” he said. “Plus, our technology for remote control of the interceptors can use various sources of internet connectivity. True, the military often uses Starlink for this, but in our case, the terminal doesn’t need to be moved at high speeds (it simply provides a connection between the command center and the ground station to which the interceptor is connected—it’s somewhat similar to cell towers).”
Concerns about the reduction in speeds at which Starlink terminals can operate has Wild Hornets thinking about ditching a future project, the spokesman told us.
“But we understand that there are other types of interceptors,” added the spokesman. “For example, some drones carry a terminal on board and need to fly at high speed with it. In such cases, Starlink’s limitations make their operation impossible. From this point of view, it also makes us rethink some of the projects we’re currently working on. For example, launching interceptors from aerial platforms.”
“We’re keeping an eye on the situation,” the spokesman continued. “For our current operations (connections with ground stations), we can use any source of stable internet connectivity. Therefore, various solutions are possible in different locations. However, for these needs, everything is operating normally with Starlink at the moment. As for our plans with new projects, we don’t have a clear decision yet, but we will be testing alternatives.”
The spokesman declined to provide further details about what “alternatives” could look like.
There are a number of ways the lack of Starlink for extended-range drone operations could be mitigated to a degree, but the persistent, reliable, high-bandwidth and compact capability SpaceX provides has no direct alternative at this time. The use of drones that work as line-of-sight relays, which can be daisy chained together electronically with other airborne relays, with a connection spanning dozens or even hundreds of miles to a ground entry point is possible. You can read about this concept here. The use of swarms of balloons to create an active network over a battlespace and using Starlink on those slower moving platforms to relay line-of-sight connections to multiple drones below is another possibility. You can read more about this concept here. But we must stress again, nothing can fully replace Starlink/Starshield and its seamless beyond line-of-sight communications architecture at this time.
“I believe, in any case, depending on a single solution is very risky,” the Wild Hornets spokesman proffered. “Especially if you don’t have full control over it. Especially when it comes to something as critical on the battlefield as communications. That’s exactly why our ecosystem is built around our own communications technology and basically is open to various solutions when it comes to internet connectivity.”
The No. 1 interceptor: STING by Wild Hornets has destroyed over 15,000 Shaheds and Gerberas in one year
— Wild Hornets (@wilendhornets) October 13, 2026
Confirmed data shows that STING has topped the interceptor rankings for 12 consecutive months. In September this year, Ukraine’s Defense Forces downed around 1,600 Shaheds,… pic.twitter.com/4v1aeOxPiy
As far as military units are concerned, the commander of the Georgian Legion told us that his forces have been affected by issues with Starlink/Starshield even though the main concerns have been about the speeds at which weapons can travel and still have connectivity. The Georgian Legion is fighting in the heavily contested Kramatorsk region of eastern Ukraine.
“We use Starlink a lot because, in this war, reliable communication is essential,” Mamuka Mamulashvili told us. “It helps us stay connected when everything around us is changing. Of course, we’ve learned not to rely on just one system. There are alternatives, like mobile internet, fiber-optic connections, radio and other satellite systems such as OneWeb. But honestly, none of them can fully replace Starlink in Ukraine right now.”
“The problems were not limited to the speed restriction of approximately 160 km/h,” the Georgian Legion commander pointed out. “Starlink connectivity itself was also intermittent, repeatedly switching on and off. This caused communication disruptions across various drone systems, not just those operating at speeds exceeding 160 km/h. As a result, the impact was broader than the restriction on high-speed interceptor drones. Intermittent connectivity created problems for drone control and communications across multiple systems, affecting their reliability and the ability to carry out missions as intended.”
“We had serious communication problems,” Mamulashvili explained. “At one point, our drone operators were struggling to maintain a reliable connection with the drone systems, which disrupted coordination and made it difficult to carry out missions as planned. When you lose the connection between the operator and the drone, you can lose control of the situation in seconds. We managed to adapt, but it definitely affected our work.”
“We have to adapt and find solutions, as we always do,” the commander said. “This war teaches you one thing every day. You can’t depend on a single technology or expect someone else to solve all your problems. You have to be ready for anything and keep moving forward.”
Russian sources, meanwhile, are gloating over the speed limits placed on weapons using Starlink/Starshield, particularly how it is affecting Ukraine’s mid-range drone attacks that have crippled Russian logistics. As we explained in a previous report, Ukrainian units have relied on the SpaceX system to help extend the range of their drones to reach as far as 150 miles into Russian-occupied territory. The SpaceX system is not used to hit targets inside Russia proper.
The following video shows some of these mid-range attacks.
Russian rail logistics are now also the target of Midstrike drones, with lines to Crimea being particularly affected. pic.twitter.com/K1BFd0QVov
— Sergio
“Disabling or slowing down Starlink has significantly reduced the enemy’s ability to launch medium-range drone strikes along the ‘Novorossiya’ highway,” influential Russian milblogger Vladimir Romanov reported. The highway, also known as the R-280, is a key link between cities in occupied southern Ukraine and the occupied Crimean peninsula. The road has been a frequent target of Ukraine’s mid-range strike campaign.
“The success of these strikes depends on the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ access to American satellite communication,” Romanov noted. “For the past six months, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been attacking civilian transport – trucks, cars, and buses – exclusively through the use of ‘Starshield.’ This means that, for the past six months, American military satellite infrastructure has been used to carry out terrorist acts against Russian civilians, and so on. In other words, the United States is still directly involved in the war with Russia!”
America's gifts to Russia never end, with Russian military bloggers now confirming that Washington's operation to cut Ukraine's Starlink has halted Ukraine's ability to strike Russian logistics routes in Ukraine.
— SPRAVDI — Stratcom Centre (@StratcomCentre) October 20, 2026
An operation likely written in the Kremlin, executed by… pic.twitter.com/iXcIAu5Rr3
As for how widespread worries among Ukrainian weapons manufacturers are, the Wild Hornets spokesman suggested that his company is not alone. He said he has spoken with other companies relying much more heavily on Starlink/Starshield who have expressed concerns. He pointed to growing interest in the European Eutelsat satellite constellation as an example of companies seeking options, but noted that “of course, creating something like Starlink won’t be easy.”
We’ve reached out to the Ukrainian Brave1 defense technology incubator and the National Association of Ukrainian Defense Industries (NAUDI) for additional insights into how this issue is affecting Ukraine’s defense manufacturing base.
It will be interesting to see if other Ukrainian weapons companies also consider scrapping plans to rely on Starlink in the future and what architectures will emerge at least as a backstop to it.
Contact the author: howard@twz.com
The post Major Ukrainian Arms Maker Rethinking Future Reliance On Starlink appeared first on TWZ.
A Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus (VWCO) passa a equipar toda a família Volksbus com novo painel de instrumentos digital, mas como equipamentos opcionao. Com isso, a marca investe em mais segurança, conforto e tecnologia a bordo dos seus ônibus.
Disponível como opcional a partir de 2027, o novo painel digital poderá equipar todos os modelos de ônibus da marca, proporcionando uma condução ainda mais intuitiva, ergonômica e agradável.
O novo painel de instrumentos é uma alternativa tecnológica à versão analógica atual e estará disponível nos idiomas português, inglês, espanhol e francês.
Totalmente digital, a ferramenta reúne cerca de 80 funcionalidades, entre elas a avaliação do motorista, a indicação do peso por eixo e o controle da altura da suspensão nas versões pneumáticas.
Além do design moderno, o novo painel digital aprimora a visibilidade das informações e a navegação pelos menus, proporcionando mais controle e conhecimento sobre a operação do veículo durante a viagem.
Ergonomia e eficiência
A solução também torna o cockpit mais ergonômico e eficiente ao concentrar informações operacionais em uma única interface e permitir a total personalização de dados conforme as necessidades da operação.
Dessa forma, o motorista acessa com mais agilidade os principais indicadores do veículo, reduz distrações e ganha mais conforto, praticidade e controle ao longo de toda a jornada.
Para os modelos elétricos, o sistema conta ainda com integração ao aplicativo VWCOnnect, que disponibiliza no celular do cliente todas as informações do veículo.
Entre as funcionalidades, estão a interpretação de códigos de falha, consultas operacionais, acompanhamento de revisões, histórico de viagens, visualização do consumo médio e monitoramento de gastos.
Compatível com sistemas Android e iOS, o aplicativo permite ainda o cadastro de até sete veículos em uma única conta, proporcionando uma gestão centralizada e mais eficiente da frota.
O novo painel digital reforça a estratégia da VWCO de ampliar o acesso a tecnologias avançadas em toda a família Volksbus, elevando os níveis de conectividade, inteligência operacional e experiência do cliente a bordo.
The post Família Volksbus 2027 fica mais moderna com novo painel digital appeared first on Diário da Manhã - O Jornal do leitor Inteligente.
VTM
Os academistas entraram bem e inauguraram cedo o marcador, por Renato Lopes. O Montalegre respondeu e chegou ao empate através de João Mendes, mas Nuno Joaquim voltou a colocar a equipa da casa em vantagem. O mesmo jogador bisou ainda na primeira parte, permitindo ao AAR chegar ao intervalo a vencer por 3-1.
Na segunda parte, o AAR procurou gerir o jogo e explorar as transições, mas voltou a desperdiçar várias ocasiões, incluindo uma grande penalidade. O Montalegre manteve-se na discussão e reduziu para 3-2 por Tiago Moura.
A incerteza só terminou a cerca de minuto e meio do final. Com o Montalegre a apostar no cinco para quatro, o Académico Alves Roçadas aproveitou para marcar por duas vezes e fixar o resultado em 5-2, com Mateus Ferreira e Bernardo Melro a assinarem os golos finais, ambos ao minuto 39 da partida.
Nuno Joaquim, autor de dois golos, foi distinguido como homem do jogo.
The post Alves Roçadas resolve jogo nos minutos finais appeared first on A Voz de Trás-os-Montes.
A chilling video has surfaced showing a Weather Channel broadcast with wording so strange, so ominous, and so uncharacteristically apocalyptic that even seasoned sky-watchers are asking: What aren’t they telling us? In a clip now [...]
The post Weather Channel Tells Americans to “Mentally Prepare” for “Pitch Black” Darkness — What Aren’t They Telling Us? appeared first on The People's Voice.
This video report was collaboratively produced and is being co-published by Workday Magazine and The Real News Network
On the morning of June 16, 2026, 15 people were indicted by the federal government for their involvement in community organizing efforts to oppose Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota this past winter. This group of defendants have become known as the “Minnesota 15,” and over half of them are rank-and-file union members or former union members.
In this special report, collaboratively produced by Workday Magazine and The Real News Network, we speak with three of the “Minnesota 15” defendants about the charges against them and the Trump administration’s attacks on dissent and the labor movement today. Interviewees include: Treasure Thoreson (Minneapolis Federation of Educators, Local 59), Alec Stewart (Minnesota Association of Professional Employees), and Emmett Doyle (Northern Midwest Regional Council of Carpenters).
Credits (Workday Magazine):
Credits (TRNN):
Music:
Special thanks to East Side Freedom Library, Minneapolis Central Library, Hosmer Library, and Minneapolis Federation of Educators.
The following is a rushed transcript and may contain errors. It will be updated.
Treasure Thoreson:
Tuesday morning, June 16th, I had just woken up. I was in my pajamas. I hear a knock on the door at seven in the morning, and it’s a woman standing there in business clothes with a tactical vest on top that said Homeland Security.
Alec Stewart:
I was in my car backing out of my garage to go to work, coffee in hand. As soon as I backed out of my parking pad, several squads rolled up. A bunch of agents jumped out of the vehicles. I went to just text my aunt, because I have a dog. I assumed I’d be going to jail or something, and that’s when they smashed my window.
Treasure Thoreson:
I see six more agents standing in front of my house. The woman at the door, she just said, “We’re here with a warrant for your arrest for a conspiracy to harm or impede a federal officer.”.
Alec Stewart:
Exposes that while the government was targeting immigrant communities, tearing families apart, abducting children and murdering spokes in the street.
Emmett Doyle:
I had just typed in on my phone the location of the house that we were working on that day. I was boxed in by a vehicle, and so I rolled my window down to ask the guy like, “Hey, what’s the deal? You’re a pretty bad driver. What’s going on?” And then I looked around and I realized that my car had been surrounded. There was a swarm of armed federal officers with HSI on their uniforms.
Alec Stewart:
I do not think it’s a coincidence that over half of us are rank and file union folk. I think that speaks to, again, the working class nature of both the attack by the federal government and the working class predominant response to that attack.
Treasure Thoreson:
We had at least one person from every single site who was plugged into our committee and was able to get information out to their members and arm their building with the knowledge that they needed to face this kind of violence. And people stepped up in really major ways. Everybody did something, whether it was patrols or walking students to and from school, riding in a cab with a kid to and from school, making sure that their parents had rent money. There were some schools in the district that were delivering hundreds of boxes of food every week.
Emmett Doyle:
The unions that did get involved, I think understand what the labor movement is about in a way that some of our other unions have forgotten. An injury to one is an injury to all isn’t just a moral statement. It’s a hard reality of life. And the unions that stood up during Metro search understood that and demonstrated what solidarity means.
Treasure Thoreson:
We got a lot of great information from the Chicago Teachers Union who had been fighting back ice for months at the point when they came here. But we learned a lot from their struggle and were able to adapt that to fit what we were doing here in Minneapolis.
Alec Stewart:
And that was all without coercion, without money exchanging hands. That was just horizontal organizing. And I think how effective that is, how the power of mutual aid and horizontal organizing is evident because of this indictment. This wouldn’t have happened if what thousands of Minnesotans were doing hadn’t worked. I think the success of the January 23rd general strike speaks to that connection of the labor movement and just seeing the numbers and the outpouring of support for such a strike is historic.
Emmett Doyle:
I think that the general strike that happened in Minneapolis terrified the federal government. There were downtown, just hundreds of thousands of workers in the streets marching. And people have to remember this was severe sub-zero. It was a fantastic feeling of power and of joy and of resistance. And unfortunately, the next day that joy and resistance was answered tragically with the brutality of the beating and murder of Valence Preddy. But I think that the general strike was a major turning point in the regime’s logic of violence that they realized they couldn’t defeat the city.
Background music:
Stores are getting thin. There’s passing down that’s going on. Scabs anymore. We’ll put ourselves in union down this year of 34. Can’t you hear the mark? Either sign or behind. See the times get better when we hold that picket line.
Alec Stewart:
The revelation of Operation Puppet Master exposes that while the government was targeting immigrant communities, tearing families apart, abducting children and murdering our neighbors in the street, they were also attempting to disrupt and dismantle one of the facets of Minnesota that makes us so unique. And that is our strong and unified labor movement.
Isaac Sant:
This is not just an attack on me and my friends and our little group. This is an attack on our entire community. They were spying on us from day one. In fact, five days before Operation Metro Surge was declared on November 28th, they began spying on our organizations. These prosecutions were inevitable. Somebody was going to be on trial in there. If it wasn’t us, it was going to be somebody else. It was going to be one of you. We were being prosecuted for doing something that every single person that everybody and their mom in Twin Cities did to resist their federal occupation.
Emmett Doyle:
This case is meant to intimidate the entire community. It’s meant to tie up the time and efforts of many activists. But beyond that, as a conspiracy case, what they’re trying to do is set up a situation where they can expand and expand and expand the conspiracy. They’re trying to use our own solidarity and close-knit community against us through guilt by association.
Treasure Thoreson:
They want us to be separated. They want to separate out the good protestors from the bad protestor. I don’t want folks to feel afraid to stand up for their neighbor and do the right thing.
Alec Stewart:
It was such an obvious threat on what the Twin Cities is all about, which is community connections and helping each other’s neighbors. And the face of fascism, complacency, I think has no place. I think there was just a very justified feeling of standing up.
Emmett Doyle:
The support and solidarity towards us by our community has been overwhelming in just the most amazing way. I
Treasure Thoreson:
Think that they see our ability to bring people together as threatening. However, going after the 15 of us isn’t going to stop anything in Minneapolis or the Twin Cities because this is a place full of great organizers. We can’t let them bully us out of doing the right thing. We need to stand strong in our values and our morals and know that we are protecting our neighbors and that is the right thing to do. They’re afraid of us and that’s why we’re getting this response.
Ciudad de México, 21 oct (Prensa Latina) El Gobierno de México invertirá hasta 13 mil millones de pesos (casi 700 millones de dólares) en Jalisco para atender la crisis con la calidad del agua en ese estado, anunció hoy la presidenta Claudia Sheinbaum.
The post México realizará inversión para atender crisis de agua en Jalisco first appeared on Noticias Prensa Latina.
An American woman living in Massachusetts has been accused by the Department of Justice of arranging sham marriages to help her clients seek green cards and U.S. citizenship.
Jennifer Gonzalez, a U.S. citizen, collected up to $40,000 per marriage and arranged as many as 20 per year over the last decade, according to Leah Foley, the U.S. attorney for the Massachusetts District.
Gonzalez's female employees, who were also charged, married the men looking to get legal status in the U.S., authorities said.
"This conspiracy netted her $6 million during the course of the alleged scam," Foley said during a news conference Wednesday at the Moakley Federal Courthouse in Boston. "She bragged that she invested her ill-gotten proceeds in businesses and property in the Dominican Republic, which she repeatedly referred to as 'my country.'"
DOJ SUES CONNECTICUT, NEW HAVEN OVER SANCTUARY POLICIES: 'OPEN DEFIANCE'
It appears Gonzalez spilled the details of the scheme to a witness cooperating with federal law enforcement. Foley said Gonzalez believed this individual was an illegal immigrant.
Gonzalez, 43, told a witness who was recording the interaction that Massachusetts was "so special" because it is a sanctuary state where "illegal aliens get a lot of help as an immigrant."
Gonzalez also allegedly said her goal was to give all her children pieces of land in the Dominican Republic they could later own.
"Miss Gonzalez got rich off selling the American dream, all the while investing her money in another country," Foley said.
Gonzalez told the witness she stopped holding phony marriages at the end of 2024 because President Donald Trump was returning to office, before shutting down the scheme entirely in 2025 because immigration enforcement had become "a little harsh," according to Foley.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S IMMIGRATION PUSH FUELS ICE'S BIGGEST ARREST MONTH IN AGENCY HISTORY
Gonzalez was described by prosecutors as the "ringleader" of the operation, though there were other alleged co-conspirators.
Amara Pugh, Gonzalez's 31-year-old secretary, along with Jessica Tavares, 31; Erica Daniels, 29; and Jaylin Hill, 26, were allegedly paid to marry Gonzalez's clients. Gonzalez also allegedly entered into a sham marriage herself with an illegal immigrant.
Photographs of at least two marriage ceremonies were included in court records shared by the Justice Department.
In most cases, they would stay married to the illegal immigrants for years, get divorced, then get married to other illegal immigrants as early as a month after their divorces, officials added.
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Foley told reporters that another component of the alleged fraud involved Gonzalez applying for and receiving SNAP benefits from 2019 through 2026. She received more than $124,000 from the SNAP program over that time, according to prosecutors.
"She did not list her income from her sham marriage business and did not list anyone else in her household, not the illegal alien she married and not the father of her children, who she referred to as her husband," Foley said.
Gonzalez, Pugh, Tavares and two other conspirators were arrested Wednesday morning, the Justice Department said. Hill is already in state prison for a gun offense.
The company’s US sales have fallen for six straight quarters
© Getty
De acordo com o Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (Inpe), nas últimas 23 horas estão ativos 13 focos de incêndios florestais. Cerca de 370 lançamentos de água já foram efetivados pela força-tarefa que atua na região para combater o fogo.
“Estamos reforçando o apoio à organização dos serviços e mobilizando equipes para garantir que o cuidado chegue a quem precisa”, reforça.
As equipes trabalham com um painel interativo que reúne as informações fornecidas pelos municípios sobre demandas no setor de saúde. De acordo com informativo divulgado pelo Ministério da Saúde, 43 municípios já atualizaram a base de dados da ferramenta.
A partir das informações, são definidas rotas e os meios de transporte para que o deslocamento das equipes seja mais rápido e capaz de fornecer resposta em, no máximo, 72 horas, por meio do uso de embarcações e aeronaves para o deslocamento.
Essa é a quarta base regional em funcionamento no país. A previsão é que outra unidade seja instalada ainda esta semana em Porto Velho, com o objetivo de ampliar a capacidade de resposta aos efeitos das mudanças climáticas sobre a saúde da população, incluindo os associados ao fenômeno El Niño, que deve acentuar a seca na Região Norte durante os próximos meses.
A Associação Sindical dos Funcionários de Investigação da Polícia Judiciária (ASFIC/PJ) vai processar o Estado, para exigir a regulamentação de matérias em falta há seis anos.
“A ASFIC, decorridos mais de seis anos sobre a entrada em vigor do Estatuto [Profissional da Polícia Judiciária] […] e não tendo havido […] uma série de regulamentações, decidiu que vai intentar nos próximos dias uma ação por essa omissão regulamentar”, disse esta quarta-feira à Lusa o presidente da ASFIC/PJ.
Segundo Nuno Domingos, a ação vai dar entrada no Tribunal Administrativo de Lisboa “no início da próxima semana” e vai visar o Ministério da Justiça, que tutela a Polícia Judiciária (PJ).
No total, estão em causa 14 regulamentos que o estatuto que entrou em vigor em 01 de janeiro de 2020 previa que fossem concluídos em 180 dias e que até hoje não foram, alega a associação sindical.
Destes, o líder da ASFIC/PJ destacou o Regulamento de Colocações, o Regulamento Disciplinar e o Regulamento de Formação e o Regime Remuneratório do Formador.
No caso das colocações, “o que está em causa é uma mudança de paradigma” que visa tornar o processo menos subjetivo e mais previsível, em particular para profissionais “que estão deslocados em Lisboa e querem ir para o Centro ou para o Norte”.
O atual regulamento disciplinar data de 1994 e, defendeu Nuno Domingos, “prevê coisas completamente ilegais, como a suspensão sem vencimento dos trabalhadores quando forem pronunciados [acusados após instrução] por crimes de pena superior a três anos” de prisão e a possibilidade de o procedimento disciplinar se prolongar até 10 anos, quando o limite geral do trabalho em funções públicas é de 18 meses.
O novo Regulamento do Formador e o novo Regime Remuneratório do Formador visam permitir, por sua vez, “que as pessoas que de facto têm vocação para a formação — que nada mais é do que um instrumento de alavanca para a produtividade na Polícia Judiciária — possam ir para esses lugares sem perder dinheiro“.
“Sabemos que Roma e Pavia não se fizeram num dia, mas o que a ASFIC pretende, com o seu sindicalismo responsável e se calhar demasiado paciente, é que a tutela mostre um calendário de aprovação dos documentos, alguns dos quais a ASFIC já entregou quase ‘chave na mão’ há mais de dois anos, para que isso ponha termo à necessidade de os tribunais obrigarem o Ministério da Justiça a regulamentar”, concluiu o dirigente sindical.
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