Sunak defence deal takes off as UK and US launch space rocket June 15, 2023 A new space rocket is catalysing a defence deal struck by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and president Joe Biden between the UK and the US last week. Oxford-based startup Pulsar Fusion and aerospace company Princeton Satellite Systems are joining forces to build a “hyper-fast” rocket which can travel from Earth to Saturn’s moons in under [...]
UK safety tech sector to grow to £1bn by mid-2020s June 15, 2023 Safety tech – technology designed to promote a safer online environment – is experiencing rapid growth in the UK. The UK’s safety tech sector has achieved an annual revenue of £456m, shooting up 20 per cent from this time last year, a new government analysis reveals today. It bottles this success down to greater investment, [...]
Vodafone and Three UK ‘transformative’ merger sparks speculation over CMA approval June 15, 2023 Britain’s competition regulator is set to scrutinise the long-awaited tie-up of Vodafone and Three, announced yesterday. The deal will create the largest mobile network in the UK. Vodafone boss Margherita Della Valle said the merger is “great for customers, great for the country and great for competition”, but commentators warned last night the CMA was [...]
Vodafone and Three announce long-awaited £15bn UK mega merger June 14, 2023 Vodafone and CK Hutchinson, owner of Three, have announced their long-awaited UK merger today. The new group ‘MergeCo’, now the UK’s biggest mobile operator, was revealed this morning and is valued at £15bn, according to Sky News’ Mark Kleinman. MergeCo is 51 per cent Vodafone owned and 49 per cent CK Hutchinson owned. Vodafone chief [...]
UK unveils new arts fund in bid to boost ‘gangbusters’ creative sector by £50bn June 14, 2023 Ministers have unveiled plans to boost the UK’s “gangbusters” creative industries by up to £50bn. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has revealed a plan to give a multimillion-pound boost across film, music, fashion and gaming, which could see the arts sectors grow by £50bn by 2030. The ‘Creative Industries Sector Vision’ [...]
Tech experts support UN calls for global AI watchdog June 13, 2023 Tech experts have voiced their share in concerns over the safety of artificial intelligence (AI) this week, following world leaders’ calls for a global regulator. Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations (UN), declared on Monday that he “would be favourable to the idea that we could have an artificial intelligence agency”, suggesting it could [...]
Nintendo crowned ‘best value for money’ as nearly 70 per cent of Brits reduce gaming spend June 13, 2023 Nintendo’s online gaming subscription is the “best value for money” – but British gamers have spent less on products as the cost of living crisis weighs down their wallets. The Mario and Luigi creators have beaten the likes of the Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus in Indivisible Gaming’s investigation into online gaming subscriptions. An [...]
US competition watchdog follows UK and blocks Microsoft’s $68bn Activision swoop June 13, 2023 America’s competition watchdog, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has moved again to prevent Microsoft from acquiring Call Of Duty maker Activision Blizzard. The US regulator asked a court to temporarily block the $68.7bn (£54.7bn) merger, which it believes could significantly reduce competition in the market. In December, the FTC issued an initial legal complaint, saying, [...]
Brexit cited as a major concern as US business confidence in Britain drops June 12, 2023 US business confidence in the UK has fallen for the third consecutive year, with the fallout from Brexit being cited as one of the main reasons for the collapse in confidence. The Transatlantic Confidence Index, published by BritishAmerican Business (BAB) and Bain & Company, today found that the US average business confidence rating for the UK dropped [...]
Amazon warehouse workers accuse tech giant of ‘dirty tricks’ as staff strike again June 12, 2023 Amazon workers commence three days of industrial action at the firm’s Coventry warehouse today as a dispute over pay drags on and continues to disrupt its operations. This is the fifth time this year that members of the GMB Union have walked out over low pay, with strikes taking place nearly every month since the [...]
