Author: bibhuti

The AI industry entered 2025 with strong momentum.  There were 49 startups that raised funding rounds worth $100 million or more in 2024, per our count at TechCrunch; three companies raised more than one “mega-round,” and seven companies raised rounds that were $1 billion in size or larger.  The industry didn’t slow down in 2025. While less companies raised rounds larger than $1 billion, four — Anthropic raised two rounds over $1 billion — significantly more companies raised multiple rounds compared to 2024, eight.   How will 2026 compare? Elon Musk’s xAI announced a $20 billion Series E round and Sam Altman’s brain computer interface startup Merge Labs raised a $250 million seed round (with OpenAI as the lead investor) in the first few weeks of 2026, so signs point to another strong…

Elon Musk’s Starlink has made headlines again, but this time it’s not for rockets. The company’s latest move in the UK is all about price, and it’s shaking up one of Britain’s most entrenched industries. Starlink has officially introduced a broadband plan priced at £35 per month, undercutting offerings across the industry – including those of long-time industry leader, BT. For UK consumers, the news has been greeted with relief and excitement, but unsurprisngly, BT and other competitiors aren’t quite as thrilled. So, the main question on everybody’s minds is, will this be a genuine challenge to BT’s longstanding grip…

Closures will once again take place near the Dartford CrossingThe A282 and Dartford Crossing will be subject to various closures this week(Image: Getty Images/Dan Kitwood)Drivers will need to navigate around numerous closures on some of Kent’s busiest A-roads and motorways this week. National Highways has confirmed the details on all of the works impacting travel around the county between Monday, January 19 and Sunday, January 26.Key stretches of the A2, A282, A20, M2, M20 and M25 will be affected by overnight road closures over the coming days, typically between the hours of 8pm and 6am to minimise the impact on…

Meta’s enormous bet on virtual reality ended last week, with the company reportedly laying off roughly 1,500 employees from its Reality Labs division — about 10% of the unit’s staff — and shutting down several VR game studios, according to The Wall Street Journal. It’s a huge reversal for a company that, just four years ago, staked its entire identity on the concept. Few are going to miss it. As industry watchers might remember, Facebook rebranded itself as Meta in 2021, promising to usher in a new era of technology led by VR devices. In part, the decision was a…

CNC Metal Cutting Machine Tools MarketMarket OverviewQY Research Inc., A global market research and consulting firm, has announced the release of its latest 2025 report titled “CNC Metal Cutting Machine Tools – Global Market Share and Ranking, Overall Sales and Demand Forecast 2026-2032.” The report provides a data-driven analysis of the global CNC Metal Cutting Machine Tools market, integrating historical insights from 2020-2024 with forward-looking forecasts through 2032. It covers market size, competitive landscape, demand trends, and industry development, offering strategic insights for stakeholders navigating this rapidly evolving sector.The global CNC Metal Cutting Machine Tools market was valued at US$…

There was a five-day trial as Boakes had pleaded not guiltyTrevor Boakes has been jailed for five years(Image: Kent Police)A Sevenoaks paedophile who sexually abused a “vulnerable child” has been jailed for five years. Trevor Boakes targeted his young victim “multiple times and in different locations in the 1990s”, said Kent Police.He was arrested on December 6, 2022 after his offending was reported to the police. Boakes of Woodside Road in Sundridge was charged with seven counts of indecent assault on a child; one count of attempted indecent assault; and one of gross indecency with a child.Boakes pleaded not guilty…

What happens when an AI agent decides the best way to complete a task is to blackmail you?  That’s not a hypothetical. According to Barmak Meftah, a partner at cybersecurity VC firm Ballistic Ventures, it recently happened to an enterprise employee working with an AI agent. The employee tried to suppress what the agent wanted to do, what it was trained to do, and it responded by scanning the user’s inbox, finding some inappropriate emails, and threatening to blackmail the user by forwarding the emails to the board of directors.  “In the agent’s mind, it’s doing the right thing,” Meftah…

Monday 19 January 2026 4:49 pm Share Facebook Share on Facebook X Share on Twitter LinkedIn Share on LinkedIn WhatsApp Share on WhatsApp Email Share on Email The BCC’s Sheavaun Haviland has warned firms to brace for tariff hits. Businesses across the UK have been warned to draw up “contingency plans” in case President Trump follows through on imposing 10 per cent tariffs on imports from major European economies next month. British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) director general Shevaun Haviland warned businesses to prepare for the worst as the impact of US tariffs on imports from the UK over a diplomatic…

Less than half (46 percent) of 25 to 29-year-olds take up their cervical screening appointment, which is a “real concern”, say health officials. The recent Glasgow Times’ Don’t Fear the Smear campaign raised awareness of the issue and aimed to reassure women that the test is quick, safe and can be lifesaving. Abi Harrison, Cervical Screening Nurse Ashley Milrine, and Lee Gibson. (Image: Lenny Warren) Alison Potts, consultant in public health screening at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: “We have seen excellent uptake of the HPV vaccine which protects against most Human Papilloma Viruses that lead to cervical cancer.…

The inquest is expected to begin in full later this weekSolicitor Niall Murphy (left) and Fiona Donohoe (third left), the mother of Noah Donohoe, outside Belfast Coroner’s Court, for the inquest into the death of 14-year-old Noah, who was found dead in a storm drain in north Belfast in June 2020, six days after he went missing while cycling to meet friends. Picture date: Monday January 19, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Liam McBurney/PA Wire(Image: Liam McBurney/PA Wire)Jury selection is under way ahead of an inquest into the death of Belfast schoolboy Noah Donohoe.The inquest is expected to…