Section
Future
Future on Europa Now: AI, climate tech and the long bets that will decide what Europe builds next.
Future
NASA Opens Door to Private Rescue of Hubble as Orbital Decay Accelerates
The space agency is asking commercial operators how they might extend the life of the aging telescope, boost its altitude, or manage its eventual descent before it falls to Earth in 2033 or 2034.
AI
Google's Suncatcher satellite successfully runs AI model in orbit, generates space-themed poetry
Google's prototype orbital data centre has executed an AI inference task in space, with its onboard Gemma 4 model composing a haiku about the experience. The company now prepares to stress-test its custom TPU chips against the harsh conditions of the space environment.
Climate Tech
Mississippi judge blocks xAI's attempt to dismiss NAACP air quality lawsuit
A federal court has refused to throw out a Clean Air Act case targeting the gas turbines powering xAI's Colossus 2 data centre, rejecting arguments that the equipment qualifies as exempt mobile sources.
AI
Salesforce Acquires Rune Technologies in $375M Defence Play
The cloud giant is expanding its military footprint with the purchase of an AI logistics startup already serving the US Army and Marine Corps.
AI
French Parliament Backs Controversial Data Tax, But Survival Uncertain
Lawmakers narrowly approved a €0.055-per-gigabyte levy on content delivery in a budget amendment, though the measure faces steep hurdles before it could become law.
AI
Brussels pumps the brakes on national social media bans, but Austria and Greece refuse to wait
The European Commission has asked EU member states to shelve their own age-restriction laws for a year while it drafts continent-wide rules. Several countries are pushing back, unwilling to delay protecting young users.
Climate Tech
Google faces criminal investigation over Finnish data centre environmental concerns
Police in Oulu have launched a probe into suspected environmental damage at Google's Muhos facility, with the inquiry potentially extending through 2027. The company's local subsidiary must submit detailed water management plans by early November.
AI
UK regulator launches probe into Meta's publisher content terms
The CMA is investigating whether Meta's commercial agreements with publishers and advertisers breach competition law by allowing the platform to harvest content for AI training without consent.