City of rivers, history and headlines
Ofgem has proposed refundable upfront deposits between £237,500 and £712,500 per megawatt for projects seeking grid connections, to stop speculative data‑centre schemes clogging the queue. The regulator has opened a consultation to force applicants to hit hard milestones or lose their place as Britain faces connection requests vastly above peak demand.
AMD has unveiled its Helios AI rack system at Advancing AI in San Francisco, promising higher throughput and lower cost per token. The system targets hyperscalers and data centers, with partnerships across Microsoft, Anthropic, OpenAI, and others. The move intensifies the race with Nvidia as AMD argues Helios delivers greater inference efficiency.
The US government is examining whether Chinese open-weight AI models have been distilled from American models, a sign that policy actions are likely as tensions in AI leadership between the US and China intensify. Silicon Valley startups are lobbying for targeted safeguards rather than broad bans while White House officials signal ongoing enforcement in the AI space.
Official data shows a drop in youth violence and knife offences among under-18s in Scotland, reflecting a 2024/25 low in homicides. Yet high-profile cases and social media glorification keep fear alive, and a police group is teaching eight-year-olds about violence consequences as public safety remains paramount.
The Memphis WTA 250 sees top seed Alexandrova withdraw from a three-hour match against 16-year-old Kristina Liutova in extreme heat, handing Liutova her debut- win while Venus Williams falters elsewhere; other first-round results unfold.
Democratic state official Francesca Hong has seen a shift in her gubernatorial bid as old social media posts are scrutinized. While she emphasizes focusing on policy and delivering for Wisconsinites, Republicans and some Democrats worry about electability in a close general election. The race is drawing national attention as endorsements and opposition converge ahead of the August primary.
Unaccompanied migrant children in government care face potential gaps in legal representation as a federal contract for legal services expires. Providers warn that without attorneys to guide them through asylum proceedings, children could face higher deportation risks amid ongoing immigration enforcement drives.
Investors are watching SpaceX as lockup expirations open more shares for trading. After a volatile period since the IPO, insiders may sell, weighing on the stock while ongoing AI and capex plans shape the path forward.
Amazon has confirmed plans for an on-site natural gas power plant to power a Pecos County data center campus. The plant would emit up to 33 million tons of CO2 annually and is positioned as a path to faster deployment and potential future grid connections, though critics warn it could become the largest climate pollution source in the U.S.
The UK and parts of England face an ongoing extreme heat event. Amber heat-health alerts are in place across much of the country, with health officials urging caution, travel adjustments, and cooling measures as temperatures reach near-38C and drought conditions worsen.
SpaceX has pledged $100 billion to build a 125,000‑acre Starbase in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, that it says will support thousands of Starship launches a year, add about 3,000 direct jobs and include propellant production, power generation and deep‑water shipping. Construction is scheduled to start in 2027; SpaceX targets initial launches by 2029 while state officials give a 2030 timeline.
Autopsy results show Tyrin Johnson was shot in the back, conflicting with police and National Guard accounts that he pointed a weapon. Family calls for accountability as investigations continue.
Alphabet-backed tests are validating Google’s orbital AI compute concept. A MVP satellite carries four TPUs and will run in-space workloads to evaluate space-ready AI hardware and links to future laser-connected satellites.
DNA evidence links former Chicago homicide detective Thomas F. McInerney Jr. to the 1960 murder of 8-year-old Gloria Kowalewicz. Modern forensic methods and genealogical DNA used with items from the crime scene have connected the long-cold case to the ex-officer, who died in 2006.
Mississippi investigators have concluded that the police shooting of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley in Senatobia was justified, as officers fired during a Walmart stop after a reported shoplifting incident. The family’s attorney disputes the findings and calls for release of body-camera footage as protests continue.