UK’s data centre ambitions threatened by grid red tape February 6, 2025 Delays connecting to the electricity grid may risk the UK’s position in the global AI race, as proposals for new data centres are pushed down the track, experts have warned. The National Energy Systems Operator (NESO) is grappling with a major backlog, and it is understood that any proposed big infrastructure project looking to hook [...]
Public sector pay gap threatens UK cyber resilience February 6, 2025 The UK’s national security is at risk due to a growing pay gap between public and private sector cyber roles, making it harder for the government to attract and retain top talent. A recent study by Naoris Protocol found that salaries for key cyber security positions in the private sector can be nearly double those [...]
Google parent firm Alphabet drops pledge on using AI tech for weapons and surveillance February 5, 2025 Google’s parent company Alphabet has removed its commitment to avoiding artificial intelligence (AI) applications for weapons and surveillance from its ethical guidelines. The tech behemoth stressed the importance of collaboration between businesses and democratic governments to develop AI that “protects people, promotes global growth, and supports national security.” The revised guidelines were announced in a [...]
Kay Burley: Broadcaster quits Sky News after almost four decades February 5, 2025 Broadcast titan Kay Burley has announced her retirement from Sky News after 36 years at the outlet. The legendary news presenter was part of the original news team which launched in 1989, meaning her career at the broadcaster spanned five decades. Closing her final Sky News breakfast show today, she said : “From a standing [...]
Future: Marie Claire owner hits expectations despite ad struggles February 5, 2025 Publisher Future plc reported it is trading in line with market expectations for the first four months of its financial year, despite ongoing challenges in the UK advertising market. The media group, which owns specialist titles across tech, gaming and lifestyle, told markets this morning that its consumer business continued positive momentum from 2024, with [...]
Salesforce cuts 1,000 jobs as it joins Meta, Microsoft and Apple in AI pivot February 4, 2025 Cloud-based software giant Salesforce is cutting 1,000 roles while hiring salespeople for AI, following in the footsteps of big techs like Meta, Microsoft and Apple. Salesforce is reducing its headcount to streamline its operations, while actively looking for new roles centred on selling new AI products. This move reflects a trend of layoffs in big [...]
Entain’s betting operator rises on iGaming boom and sports betting gains February 4, 2025 Entain’s sports betting operator, BetMGM, posted strong revenue growth thanks to record iGaming performance and an improved online sports betting strategy. The sports book and iGaming giant told the market on Tuesday that it achieved $2.1bn (£1.69bn) in net revenue for the year, up seven per cent from 2023. Its iGaming division led this growth, [...]
Reeves reviews tech tax as Trump trade war fears mount February 4, 2025 Rachel Reeves is reviewing the UK’s £700m digital services tax (DST) on American tech giants in a bid to avoid Donald Trump’s tariffs. The DST, which was introduced in April 2020, imposed a two per cent levy on UK revenues of major tech leaders like Amazon, Apple and Google. The US previously expressed strong opposition, [...]
YouGov boss ousted as share price plummets under his leadership February 4, 2025 YouGov’s chief executive, Steven Hatch, has stepped down after the firm’s share price more than halved under his charge. YouGov, the international research and data analytics group, reportedly agreed to let go of Hatch with immediate effect. YouGov’s cofounder and current chair, Stephan Shakespeare, will return as interim CEO while the board searches for Hatch’s [...]
Vodafone shares slump as headwinds grow in key German market February 4, 2025 Vodafone shares have plunged more than six per cent in early trade this morning after the FTSE 100 giant reported its third-quarter results. While the group reported overall service revenue growth of 5.2 per cent in the third quarter, beating the average analyst estimate of 4.2 per cent, it noted the migration of 1&1 customers [...]
