Invisible datacentres and capricious chips: is UK’s AI bubble about to burst? pred 1 dnevom, 3 urami in 23 minutami Datacentre investment boom is one of the biggest infrastructure gambles of this era, and Britain may be uniquely exposedStargate was to be the world’s biggest AI investment: a $500bn infrastructure project to “secure American leadership in AI”. Never shy of hyperbole, its key backer, the ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, promised “massive economic benefit for the entire world” with facilities to help people “use AI to elevate humanity”.Now, OpenAI appears to be dropping out of a part of the deal – the expansion of a flagship datacentre stretching across a swathe of land in Abilene, Texas, which has become one of the most visible manifestations of a frenzy of investment in the chips and power plants required to build and run AI. There has been a breakdown in negotiations over project financing, as well as the timeline of when the expanded capacity might come online. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Could be the making of him’: Starmer’s allies praise stance on Trump and Iran pred 1 dnevom, 3 urami in 23 minutami Refusal to kowtow to US president has won public backing – and left Badenoch and Farage playing catch-upIt is not often that Keir Starmer’s allies believe he has Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch on the run – but on Iran, they think he is on the right side of history and public opinion.“It could be the making of him,” said Emily Thornberry, the Labour chair of the foreign affairs committee, who was first out of the blocks to say she thought Donald Trump’s strikes on Iran were illegal. “You’ve not had a British prime minister say no to an American president since Vietnam. This is a big deal.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
The escalation trap: how the Iran war could become more costly and complex pred 1 dnevom, 4 urami in 23 minutami Iran’s is trying to create wedges between Gulf states and the US, but Trump is very comfortable on the ‘escalatory ladder’In its current phase, the Israeli-US war against Iran and its proxies has become a proving ground for two competing concepts of military escalation, each of which threatens to become a trap.On one side, Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu have failed thus far in their ill-defined and shifting strategic aims. Despite killing Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, and other key leaders in the opening salvo of the campaign, the clerical regime remains and Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium is unsecured. Airstrikes are intensifying and hitting a greater number of targets. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump says US forces destroyed military targets on Iranian island handling oil exports pred 1 dnevom, 7 urami in 33 minutami President says forces ‘obliterated’ military targets on Kharg Island and warned its oil infrastructure could be nextMiddle East crisis – live updatesDonald Trump said Friday that US forces have “obliterated” military targets on Iran’s Kharg Island and warned that the oil infrastructure there could be next.“For reasons of decency, I have chosen NOT to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the Island,” Trump wrote on social media. “However, should Iran, or anyone else, do anything to interfere with the Free and Safe Passage of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider this decision.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Cannot wait until December’: Dennis Richardson calls for urgency over Bondi attack failures after quitting inquiry pred 1 dnevom, 7 urami in 58 minutami Former spy chief says recommendations regarding intelligence agencies shouldn’t wait for royal commission’s final reportGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastImprovements to public safety and intelligence in the wake of the Bondi terrorist attack “cannot wait until December”, former spy chief Dennis Richardson has said just days after he sensationally quit the antisemitism royal commission.“You cannot leave matters that go to public safety till the end of the year, particularly when you have a small section of the community living in such fear,” Richardson told an ABC podcast. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Meta reportedly plans sweeping layoffs as AI costs increase pred 1 dnevom, 8 urami in 28 minutami Sources tell Reuters layoffs could affect 20% or more of company as plans reflect broader tensions within big techMeta is planning sweeping layoffs that could affect 20% or more of the company, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, as Meta seeks to offset costly artificial intelligence infrastructure bets and prepare for greater efficiency brought about by AI-assisted workers.No date has been set for the cuts and the magnitude has not been finalized, the people said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Melbourne to finally get Myki-less public transport on Monday – but only on four train lines pred 1 dnevom, 8 urami in 59 minutami Commuters on Craigieburn, Upfield, Ballarat and Seymour lines will be first to test tap-and-go technologyGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMelbourne is finally poised to join other Australian cities in the tap-and-go era, with the state government confirming public trials for contactless credit and debit card payments will launch for suburban rail commuters on Monday.Commuters on the Craigieburn, Upfield, Ballarat and Seymour lines will be the first to test the technology, allowing them to bypass the physical Myki card in favour of paying via a debit or credit card, smartphone or smartwatch. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump announces Ric Grenell departure as Kennedy Center head pred 1 dnevom, 10 urami in 3 minutami President thanks Grenell for ‘outstanding work’ and says Matt Floca, vice-president of operations, will take overDonald Trump has announced that Ric Grenell, the longtime Republican foreign policy adviser who oversaw far-reaching changes at the Kennedy Center, which prompted many artists to abandon the performing arts venue, will be replaced by Matt Floca, vice-president of operations at the center.Trump made the announcement on social media that he has replaced Grenell, thanking him for the “outstanding work he has done”. Floca was photographed in December personally overseeing the addition of Trump’s name to the center’s facade. Grenell’s departure comes as the Kennedy Center prepares to close this summer for a two-year renovation. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Judge orders ICE to release Minneapolis man after 50 days of unlawful detention pred 1 dnevom, 11 urami in 12 minutami Arrest of asylum seeker Elvis Joel TE and his two-year-old, without a warrant, had sparked widespread outrageA federal judge ruled on Friday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) must release a Minneapolis man and asylum seeker who has been unlawfully detained for 50 days.The man, identified as Elvis Joel TE in court filings, was arrested on 22 January at the height of ICE’s aggressive raids in Minneapolis. The case sparked widespread outrage as Elvis TE was detained with his two-year-old daughter while they were returning home from the store, and ICE quickly flew both of them to Texas despite a court order barring their transfer out of Minnesota. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Kyrsten Sinema says in court filings she had a ‘romantic’ relationship with guard pred 1 dnevom, 11 urami in 21 minutami Former US senator’s admission comes after Heather Ammel sued her under North Carolina’s ‘homewrecker’ lawKyrsten Sinema, a former US senator, admitted in court filings to having a “romantic and intimate” relationship with a married man who was a member of her security detail during her final year in office – but argues that his estranged wife should not be able to sue her over it.The admission to the multi-state affair came in response to a lawsuit filed by Heather Ammel, who accused the former Arizona senator in federal court of breaking up her marriage under North Carolina’s so-called “homewrecker” law. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
