Starmer warns of online radicalization in wake of Southport murders
UK prime minister signals threat posed by “loners, misfitsโ and โyoung men in their bedroom.”
Technology UK
Trump signs executive order to give TikTok extension
The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the sell-or-ban law.
Le Monde, French newspaper of record, quits Elon Muskโs X
Negatives clearly outweigh the positives, says editor-in-chief.
Trump could sign TikTok order in the Rotunda
The social media platformโs CEO is expected to be present, along with lawmakers who want to ban it.
TikTokโs back: App thanks Trump as it returns for US users
Trumpโs proposal exerted pressure on the entire tech ecosystem that makes TikTok available to U.S. users, including app store operators and service providers like Oracle which hosts its servers.
TikTok goes dark in the US
โWe are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office,โ the company said in a notice on the app.
The Davos Man is back
… and heโs running America.
Trump and Xi talk TikTok, fentanyl and trade in Friday call
The call occurred just hours before the Supreme Court upheld a law set to ban TikTok in the U.S.
USย Supreme Court upholds law to sell or ban TikTok
Starting Sunday, if the company is not sold, app stores and cloud providers who continue to host it will face billions of dollars in fines.
US SEC sues Elon Musk over Twitter purchase disclosures
โMusk underpaid Twitter investors by more than $150 million for his purchases of Twitter common stock during this period,โ the SEC said.
Keir Starmer appoints former New Labour spin doctor as EU negotiator
Michael Ellam was No. 10 director of communications before working for HSBC.
Starmer banks on AI as UKโs savior as growth agenda falters
Rishi Sunak positioned the U.K. as a world-leader on AI safety. Keir Starmer is adopting a more boosterish stance.
Macron and Starmer to discuss Ukraine as Trump looms
British and French leaders will discuss Russia’s full-scale invasion โ plus hot-button issues like AI and migration โ when they meet in the UK Thursday.
Zuck goes full Musk, dumps Facebook fact-checking program
Meta will replace it with so-called community notes like on the X platform. The content moderation changes won’t be rolled out in the EU for now.
How do you solve a problem like Elon Musk?
The “chameleon” tech billionaire is one of the most powerful politically connected people in the world. Europe’s governments are still working out how to deal with being on his bad side.
Elon Musk faces UK backlash after boosting far-right activist Tommy Robinson
X owner and Donald Trump ally accused of spreading “poison” after he backs jailed activist.
โNobody was tricked into voting for Trumpโ: Why the disinformation panic is over
Eight years ago, Trump and Brexit sparked fears social media was corroding reality. Now, that narrative is crumbling.
Who is Peter Mandelson, Britainโs โprince of darknessโ US ambassador pick?
He’s an anti-Brexit advocate for closer China ties โ but could Peter Mandelson charm Trumpworld?
Peter Mandelson will be UKโs next US ambassador
An announcement on the Blair-era heavyweight’s new role is expected from No.10 Downing Street Friday.
Scotland bans WhatsApp on government phones
Scottish politicians faced scrutiny for their use of the app during the pandemic.
Elon Musk hosts Nigel Farage at Mar-a-Lago
Tech tycoon and arch-Brexiteer appear to be getting on well.
TikTok influencers flee Romania amid tax probe into their election role
Romanian tax authorities are now investigating ultranationalist Cฤlin Georgescu and the TikTok activists who promoted his campaign.
Staff at Britainโs AI institute in open revolt
Letter expressing no confidence in Alan Turing Instituteโs top team comes amid external criticism of the prestigious state-funded body.
Vodafoneโs ยฃ15B UK deal cleared with investment commitment
The United Kingdomโs competition authority cleared Vodafoneโs ยฃ15 billion tie-up with telecom rival Three after the companies pledged to spend billions of pounds to scale up networks. Vodafone and Three, owned by Hutchison, will also need to cap some mobile tariffs for customers and give certain contractual terms to mobile virtual network operators who use [โฆ]
Romaniaโs presidential front-runner Georgescu benefited from Russia-style booster campaign, declassified docs say
The files, released by the outgoing liberal president, donโt specify the Kremlin tried to swing the election in Cฤlin Georgescu’s favor but strongly suggest it.
How Elon Musk could disrupt Washington
Trump and Musk want to run a giant experiment on the federal bureaucracy. Two big unknowns already loom over it.
How Trump โfirst buddyโ Elon Musk fell out with the UK
Keir Starmer may be rueing the British government’s decision to snub the X owner now that he’s joining Donald Trump’s top team.
French minister to Musk: Donโt break democracy like you did Twitter
Jean-Noรซl Barrot dealt with Elon Musk’s handling of X in his previous role as France’s tech minister.
Elon Musk calls Germanyโs Scholz a โfoolโ
The tech billionaire, emboldened after Donald Trump’s U.S. election victory, picks a fight with Berlin’s embattled chancellor.
Bank of England prepares to cut rates despite U.S. election turmoil
Analysts see a 25 basis point cut as the most likely result tomorrow, but political uncertainty clouds the outlook going forward.
Britain braces for a Trump tariff war
The Republicanโs protectionist trade posture would hit enemies and allies alike. U.K. officials are preparing for every outcome.
UK budget: 5 things you need to know as Labour hikes taxes
Big swings from the new chancellor will reshape the British state.
UK open to restarting China trade talks
JETCO forum was frozen by the Conservatives amid Beijingโs crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.
UK accuses Russian firms of stoking anti-Ukraine protests
U.K. says allies will join it in slapping sanctions on the Doppelganger network.
IMF upgrades UK growth forecast ahead of budget
The revised 2024 forecast puts the U.K. ahead of Germany, Italy and Japan, and equal with France. But it comes after tricky borrowing data for Britain’s new chancellor.
UK presses China on weapons to Russia
On trip to Beijing, Britain’s foreign secretary says practice “risks damaging China’s relationships with Europe.” But the two sides agree to disagree on human rights.
UK fudge on Horizon Brexit deal risks killing new research
Researchers celebrated a big post-Brexit deal to rejoin Horizon. Now they fear they will end up footing the bill.
Elon Muskโs politics are crashing hard into his business
Itโs now more difficult than ever to separate Elon Musk the businessman from Musk the political figure.
Labour didnโt disclose top civil servantโs party links on key transparency form
Civil service watchdog wasnโt told of in-kind donations by Emily Middletonโs former employer to Labour frontbencher.
Why the UK governmentโs love-in with Taylor Swift is coming to an end
The music industry has cosied up to Britainโs new government. But relations could soon sour as ministers prepare to reform the rules protecting creative work from AI.
UKโs Keir Starmer: Donโt be scared of AI
The previous U.K. government emphasized the potential risks of the technology and focused on AI safety.
We still love you Elon Musk, says UK government
Science Secretary Peter Kyle says he’s ‘absolutely ready to engage’ with the X owner despite summit snub.
US Supreme Court wonโt hear case stemming from secret warrant for Trumpโs Twitter data
The data obtained by the special counsel may be key evidence against the former president if the federal election-subversion case ever reaches trial.
Will the US really dismantle Google? Hereโs what happens next.
Bidenโs competition cops want โhistoricโ changes to Google โ but judges, and presidential politics, could undercut their plans.
Rise of the robots: AI to shape UK defense review
Experts warn the use of artificial intelligence in Britain’s future military planning could prove a costly mistake.
Europeโs privacy patrol is spoiling Big Techโs AI party
New leadership in Dublin has put the EUโs privacy regulators on a collision course with Big Tech.
Bitcoin creator is Peter Todd, HBO film says
Documentary claims a Canadian developer is the real Satoshi Nakamoto.
AI doomsayer wins Nobel Prize for key research
Geoffrey Hinton previously worked at Google but left to publicly speak out about the technology’s risks.
Musk the surrogate: The tech titan will hit the campaign trail for Trump
Those close to Musk say his primary focus is on Pennsylvania.
UK government hires TikTok comms chief
Appointment of James Lyons may raise eyebrows given TikTok banned on UK government phones.
The Labour-linked lobbying firm boasting invite-only access to the UK Treasury
Arden Strategies have gained a reputation as a power player in the new U.K. regime.
Californiaโs failed AI safety bill is a warning to Britain
What can London learn from Sacramento’s doomed attempt to regulate the existential risks posed by powerful AI?
Brexit talks are back โ forever
Starmer came away from his first visit to Brussels as prime minister with an agreement to keep talking.
British government split over new-look Brexit deal
Keir Starmer travels to Brussels with the prospect of a new youth mobility scheme high on the agenda.
Control smartphones like tobacco, says leading WHO expert
Problematic and โaddiction-likeโ online behavior is rising among adolescents.
Top UK civil servant Simon Case quits
In a message to staff, Case said “whilst the spirit remains willing, the body is not.”
Why Britainโs โdeepfake electionโ never happened
The U.K. dodged a predicted deluge of AI-generated misinformation. That doesn’t mean its politicians can rest easy.
Elon Musk dismisses UK summit snub, says he doesnโt want to go anyway
โI donโt think anyone should go to the UK when theyโre releasing convicted pedophiles in order to imprison people for social media posts,โ said tech billionaire.
Tech policy: 20 people to meet at Tory conference
We break down the 20 figures shaping the Conservativesโ tech policy in opposition.
Apple mega-bucks give Ireland a โฌ14 billion dilemma
More billions are on the way from the tech giant as the Irish hoover up multinational taxes at a breakneck pace โ but struggle to build what this booming nation needs.
Biden administration moves to ban imports of Chinese โconnectedโ cars and parts
The Commerce Department is publishing a proposed rule today to ban imports of Chinese and Russian vehicles, as well as key hardware and software components, that could be used to spy on Americans or potentially even take control of their cars. โCars today have cameras, microphones, GPS tracking, and other technologies connected to the internet,โ [โฆ]
Metaโs Nick Clegg tears into Rishi Sunakโs AI doomerism
The Meta exec and former deputy PM said Britain had โwasted a huge amount of timeโ focusing on the gloomy risks of artificial intelligence.
โThatโs not manlyโ: Chechen warlord claims Elon Musk disabled his Tesla
“How could you do that, Elon?” asks Ramzan Kadyrov, saying the tech billionaire remotely bricked his new favorite toy.
Tech policy: 20 people to meet at Labour conference
We break down the 20 figures inside and outside government shaping Labourโs tech policy.
Creator of Kamala Harris parody video sues California over election โdeepfakeโ ban
The complaint argues laws signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom violate free speech rights.
Hungarian company built Hezbollahโs exploding pagers, Taiwanese firm says
Thousands were wounded in a simultaneous explosive strike across Lebanon on Tuesday.
Russian election interference efforts targeting Harris campaign, Microsoft finds
The new effort, which involves spreading fake videos discrediting Harris and her campaign, is the latest foreign interference linked to Russia in recent weeks.
French European Commissioner Thierry Breton resigns, attacks von der Leyen for โquestionable governanceโ
In a fiery letter, Breton accused the Commission chief of trying to get Emmanuel Macron to ditch him.
Elon Musk roasted by Metaโs Nick Clegg
The Meta exec and former British deputy PM launched a broadside at X owner Elon Musk.
Brussels questions whether Starmer really wants a Brexit reset
EU officials and diplomats say when push comes to shove, the new PMโs position is so far so similar to his Tory predecessorโs.
European Commission scores stunning court win in โฌ13B Apple tax row
Competition czar Margrethe Vestagerโs surprise victory against Apple vindicates her finding that the tech giantโs Irish tax deals were illegal aid.
Why the Kremlin loves social media
This weekโs indictment of a social media content firm shows how itโs getting easier and easier for Russia to influence U.S. elections.
Pavel Durov slams Franceโs โmisguidedโ charges against him
In first comments since his arrest, Telegram boss vows to “significantly improve” the app, as he acknowledges criminals “abuse our platform.”
Elon Muskโs top lobbyist leaves X
He’s one of the few high-profile figures to have stayed on after Elon Musk took over Twitter in 2022.
Durovโs family signed lease for home in Paris in 2018, ex-partner says
The Telegram CEO agreed to pay for a house for his family in the French capital the same year he first met with Emmanuel Macron.
Oasis fiasco prompts UK Ticketmaster probe
Competition and Markets Authority looks back in anger after “dynamic pricing” row.
FBI dossier reveals Putinโs secret psy-ops in Europe
Russian psychological warriors identified Germany as a particularly vulnerable target for Moscow’s influence, U.S. law enforcement says.
US announces new crackdown on Russian disinformation in 2024 election
The U.S. Justice Department has seized more than 30 web domains that it said were part of a broader, ongoing, surreptitious effort by the Russian government to influence the 2024 U.S. election and American public opinion, federal authorities announced Wednesday.
Oasis Ticketmaster fiasco prompts UK probe into โdynamic pricingโ
British Culture Secretary said it was โdepressing to see vastly inflated prices excluding ordinary fans.โ
Emmanuel Macron finally admits he gave Telegram chief French citizenship
President’s team initially said the foreign ministry made the call to grant Russian-born Pavel Durov a French passport.
3 unsolved mysteries in the case of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov
Why does the Russian-born tech tycoon have so many nationalties? And where do his loyalties lie?
Trump claims Zuckerberg plotted against him during the 2020 election in soon-to-be released book
The Meta CEO earlier this week asserted that Biden administration tried to โpressureโ the company to downplay content about Covid.
France charges Telegram CEO Pavel Durov, releases him on โฌ5M bail
The Russian-born tech tycoon faces six charges and is barred from leaving France.
Telegram CEOโs brother also wanted by French authorities
Arrest warrants for Pavel and Nikolai Durov were issued months earlier than previously known.
Zuckerbergโs new Washington game
Meta has largely won its legal battles over social media bias โ and now its CEO is hedging his bets against a potential Trump presidency.
UKโs Starmer wants to โturn a corner on Brexitโ
Britain’s new leader heads to Berlin and Paris to talk up a fresh pact with Germany โ and closer ties with Europe.
Russia says France better come up with strong evidence against Telegram CEO
Kremlin needles Emmanuel Macron over Pavel Durov arrest.
The bewildering politics of Telegram
Here are two big reasons the controversial app just became a global flashpoint.
UAE demands โurgentโ access to Telegram CEO locked up in France
Pavel Durov’s arrest in Paris triggered an international outcry.
Steve Hilton, the British ex-Fox News host, wants to run for California governor
Hilton has supported Trump, but heโs also leaned into his own brand of โpositive populism.โ
Zuckerberg says he regrets caving to White House pressure on content
Metaโs CEO tells the House Judiciary Committee that he wishes he had been more outspoken against the Biden administration during the pandemic.
Franceโs love-hate relationship with Telegram
President Emmanuel Macron is an avid user of the app and his government granted Pavel Durov a French passport. That didn’t shield the Telegram CEO from arrest.
UK Labour faces a scandal of its own making
Keir Starmer promised to clean up Whitehall. Heโs already engulfed in a cronyism scandal.
The crazy life and times of Pavel Durov, Russiaโs Elon Musk
Is the arrested Telegram CEO a free speech martyr or a shadowy criminal?
Macron on Telegram CEOโs arrest: French government was not involved
French president condemns “false information” as Pavel Durov’s detention in Paris triggers global outcry.
Italy probes captain over Mike Lynch yacht disaster
James Cutfield has been asked to explain how a vessel considered unsinkable could sink.