News with views from around the world.
General Election Battle Begins, Jeremy Hunt Promises Tax Cuts
17 May 2024 @ 6:33 pm
With parties gearing up for a general election, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt promises further tax cuts. Plus: We speak to Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer; and a British asylum housing tycoon hits the Sunday Times rich list. With Michael Walker and Aaron Bastani.Starmer Launches “First Steps” Ahead of General Election
16 May 2024 @ 6:31 pm
Keir Starmer has launched six ‘first steps’ ahead of the upcoming general election. Plus: residents in Devon have been told their tap water is not safe to drink following the outbreak of a parasitic disease; and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out a two-state solution. With Dalia Gebrial and Mike Bankole.Young Jews Are Sick of Being Lied to About Israel
16 May 2024 @ 1:24 pm
Simone Zimmerman sits in a palm-fronded courtyard, leafing through childhood memorabilia. Something catches her eye: a piece of blue and white card cut in the shape of an oil jug and furnished with tin foil polka dots. She parses it for her audience: “Hanukah, Israeli independence – all of it together.” My own parents have […]Far-Right Party ‘Thrilled’ by ‘Remarkable Achievement’ of Losing Election
16 May 2024 @ 12:01 pm
Far-right political party Homeland has hailed its performance in a local election as a “remarkable achievement”, despite its candidate coming third and halving his vote share from the last election. A seemingly AI generated statement on the Homeland website said: “We are thrilled with our efforts in the Hart district council election. As a political […]Living Through the Chinese Miracle
16 May 2024 @ 11:38 am
No country has ever changed so fast as China. From the west, we see only the dazzling headline figures – 15% growth in some years. But it’s on the ground, in the huge shifts in the patterns of daily life, where the story comes alive. Journalist Yuan Yang’s first book Private Revolutions provides just that insight, […]On Nakba Day, Joe Biden Pledges New Arms to Israel
15 May 2024 @ 6:31 pm
As Nakba arrives and commemorates the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians driven from their homes, Joe Biden has floated another billion dollars of weapon sales to Israel. Plus: we look at events in Georgia after protestors react to a controversial new law; and Paul Mason has announced he is seeking selection to be […]Israeli Forces Push Deeper Into Rafah
14 May 2024 @ 6:23 pm
Israel’s military operation has intensified in Rafah, with tanks reportedly pushing into built up areas in the city’s eastern zones. Plus: Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has come out with a bold ambition for Britain; and far-right Israeli settlers have taken their attacks on aid trucks bound for Gaza to new levels. With Aaron Bastani and @NoJusticeMTG .Labour Finally Come Out Against Israeli Arms Sales
13 May 2024 @ 6:27 pm
Labour have finally said they now oppose arms sales to Israel. Plus: Rishi Sunak has used a keynote speech to say the country would not be safe under Keir Starmer; and shocking details of conditions at an Israeli detention centre have been revealed. With Michael Walker and Ash Sarkar.‘Snooping’ Claim After Anti-Monarchy Opinions Included in Government Disinformation Reports
13 May 2024 @ 10:29 am
On 2 June 2022, newspaper editors delighted at the chance to fill pages and pages fawning at the royal pomp, as Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her Platinum Jubilee with a special Trooping of the Colour military parade. Telegraph columnist Alison Pearson, for instance, was overcome with patriotic fervour at seeing Union flags along the Mall, […]Individualism Is Destroying Our Freedom | Grace Blakeley Meets Aaron Bastani
12 May 2024 @ 3:00 pm
Common sense tells us that free-market economies maximise freedom and that planned economies, typically found under socialist governments, curtail it. But what if this is completely the wrong way around? On this episode of Downstream Aaron is joined by economist and author Grace Blakeley to discuss Henry Ford, Boeing and the nature of democracy You […]
If you’ve been to London recently you may have noticed packs of dark green and brown ebikes lining the city’s streets. They belong to Forest, an aptly named startup that claims to be London’s cheapest and most sustainable shared ebike operator. It’s success stems from an advertising model unique to the world of micro-mobility. Forest’s main competitors in the capital are Lime and Tier. All three ebike sharing schemes work in much the same way. You open an app, find an ebike bike near you, scan a QR code, and get pedalling. You usually pay an unlock fee and then…
Friday is here, there is a long weekend ahead in the Netherlands, and it’s time for your weekly round-up of news from the Dutch tech ecosystem. This week saw Booking.com become a DMA “gatekeeper,” a new European Investment Fund (EIF) office opened in Amsterdam, TSMC questioned whether or not ASML’s new machines might be too expensive, neobank bunq entered the insurance market and there were fresh rounds of funding for Magic Lane and Refreshworks.ai, and more. Our highlights have you covered, but we’d also love to hear your thoughts on the local ecosystem. Drop us a line if you want…Th
You’ve probably already seen the dazzling pics of the aurora that flooded social media over the weekend. Lucky onlookers were treated to streaks of green, pink, and purple dancing across the night sky from the UK to New Zealand. 𝑨𝑼𝑹𝑶𝑹𝑬𝑺 𝑩𝑶𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑳𝑬𝑺 𝑬𝑵 𝑭𝑹𝑨𝑵𝑪𝑬 – Comme si vous y étiez en accéléré ! Timelapse d’une heure – Mont Saint-Michel – Nuit du 10 au 11 Mai 2024 𝑀𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑒𝑢 𝑅𝑖𝑣𝑟𝑖𝑛 / Tous Droits Réservés#aurore #auroreboreale #france #northernlights #aurores #nuit pic.twitter.com/ipL1k9onGr — Mathieu Rivrin – Photographies (@mathieurivrin) May 11, 2024 The breathtaking display on May 10 to 12 was
Many noteworthy things happened in the realm of European tech yesterday. However, not all involved the King of Sweden — and quantum. To see the representative of such a traditional office in conjunction with the most out-there groundbreaking tech almost causes a bit of a cognitive dissonance. Nonetheless, H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf attended the inauguration of the second House of Quantum building in Delft, the Netherlands, on Wednesday. The mission of House of Quantum is to create a national campus for the Dutch quantum ecosystem. It is a co-working space that also offers plug-and-play labs and other facilities otherwise…
Business execs and politicians gathered at a helicopter base in France yesterday for the first public unveiling of Airbus’ new Racer aircraft. At first glance, Racer looks like a regular helicopter. Look closer, however, and you’ll notice it has both wings and two forward-facing rotors. This means it can take-off vertically like a helicopter, and fly fast like a plane — real fast. Racer can reach speeds in excess of 400 km/h. That eclipses civilian helicopters, which cruise at around 200 km/h. It’s even faster than military choppers like the Black Hawk (295 km/h) or Chinook (302 km/h). Racer’s so-called…
The modern startup founder will tell you work never stops. What they’re far less likely to tell you is that stress, anxiety, panic, and feelings of failure never stop either. From worrying about funding and filling skills gaps in an uber-competitive environment, to simply running out of available working time to clear to-do lists — leaders contend with countless unique and interchangeable stresses on a daily basis. Whether it’s a lack of time, money or talent, these stresses contribute to a culture of overworking, and a vicious cycle of inefficiency that af
The artificial intelligence scene in Great Britain feels a little bit like your weekly tv drama at the moment. Major funding rounds compete for attention with controversial CEO departures and outlandish government campaigns (“Unicorn Kingdom” and 3D statue holograms, anyone?). London-based PolyAI today announced it had secured a valuation of $500mn following a successful fund raise for its call centre voice assistant tech. It might not be the sexiest of AI applications, but then again not all business bets need to be. While PolyAI is still only halfway towards that coveted unicorn mark of a $1bn valuation, the $50mn raise from…
Have you ever been trapped in a bad relationship? I’m stuck in one right now with Google Chrome. The browser’s good looks can no longer hide the ugliness that lurks inside. Chrome devours my laptop’s memory, sucks away its battery, and harvests my data. All the while, the software expands Google’s almighty empire. Chrome, you treat me terribly. Why can’t I quit you? One reason for my undeserved loyalty is that rival browsers catch my eye. But that’s started to change. A raft of pro-competition rules are pushing alternatives towards the mainstream. Leading the charge is the EU’s Digital Markets…
Amazon Web Services (AWS) today confirmed plans to launch its European “sovereign cloud”, aiming to enhance data residency and security across the EU. The city of Bradenburg in Germany will be the first region to host the cloud servers, which are set to power up by the end of 2025. AWS will invest €7.8bn through 2040. According to the tech giant, the European sovereign cloud will have its entire infrastructure within the EU and will operate independently from existing cloud regions. Only EU-resident and bloc-based AWS employees will have access to the system. The service is especially designed for public sector…
While Intel is betting big on ASML’s latest High NA EUV chipmaking machines, Taiwanese semiconductor giant TSMC is considering opting out. Speaking at a conference in Amsterdam on Tuesday, TSMC’s Senior VP Kevin Zhang told reporters that ASML’s new equipment comes with too hefty a price tag. The Dutch chipmaker’s High NA EUV machines represent the next generation in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography technology, which uses light to draw chip designs on the silicon wafer. According to ASML, these machines can manufacture chips that are both faster and more energy efficient. They reportedly cost about €350mn — compared to the…