News 3 February 2026

Harvard Bioscience: HBIO stock stalls, margin pressure in focus
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Harvard Bioscience: HBIO stock stalls, margin pressure in focus

Harvard Bioscience closed at $5.59 Friday, up 1.3% for the day and 6.5% for the week, following a 1-for-10 reverse stock split in March. First-quarter revenue fell to $20.8 million, with a net loss of $3.4 million and gross margin rising to 59%. The company cited weak demand from academic and distributor customers and faces a 17.3% effective interest rate on borrowings. CEO John Duke and CFO Mark Frost will speak at a virtual conference May 28.
May 25, 2026
Supreme Court of India to WhatsApp: Stop ‘playing’ with privacy as Meta data-sharing ban looms
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Supreme Court of India to WhatsApp: Stop ‘playing’ with privacy as Meta data-sharing ban looms

India’s Supreme Court warned it may reinstate a ban on WhatsApp for sharing user data with Meta affiliates, demanding a written affidavit by Feb. 9. Chief Justice Surya Kant called the privacy policy misleading and pressed Meta on monetizing user metadata. The court involved the IT Ministry and threatened to dismiss appeals without firm commitments. WhatsApp has over 500 million users in India.
February 3, 2026
Spain targets TikTok, X and Instagram with under-16 ban plan and exec liability push in Spain
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Spain targets TikTok, X and Instagram with under-16 ban plan and exec liability push in Spain

Spain will introduce a bill next week to hold social media executives liable for illegal and hate speech content, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Tuesday. The government also plans to ban social media use for those under 16. Sanchez announced the measures at the World Governments Summit in Dubai. Prosecutors will investigate possible violations by Grok, TikTok, and Instagram.
February 3, 2026
Google Cloud lands Liberty Global in five-year Gemini AI deal across Europe
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Google Cloud lands Liberty Global in five-year Gemini AI deal across Europe

Google Cloud and Liberty Global signed a five-year agreement to deploy Gemini AI and cloud technologies across Liberty’s European operations, the companies said Tuesday. The deal includes AI-powered TV search, automated customer service, and autonomous network management. Liberty will also expand sales of Google devices and run some Google Cloud services in its own data centres.
February 3, 2026
Paris prosecutors raid X offices, summon Elon Musk as Grok deepfake probe widens
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Paris prosecutors raid X offices, summon Elon Musk as Grok deepfake probe widens

French authorities raided X’s Paris office Tuesday as part of a cybercrime investigation now expanded to include AI chatbot Grok and sexually explicit deepfakes, some allegedly involving minors. Prosecutors summoned Elon Musk and former CEO Linda Yaccarino for questioning on April 20. UK and EU regulators have also launched probes into X and its AI services over data handling and harmful content. X has not commented on the raid or summons.
February 3, 2026
Siemens Energy’s $1 billion U.S. bet: new Mississippi switchgear plant taps AI power boom
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Siemens Energy’s $1 billion U.S. bet: new Mississippi switchgear plant taps AI power boom

Siemens Energy will invest $1 billion in U.S. manufacturing, including a new grid-equipment plant in Mississippi set to open in 2028. CEO Christian Bruch cited surging demand from data centres, with about 20 gigawatts of generation capacity tied to U.S. data-centre projects. Grid expansion faces delays due to equipment shortages and slow connections. The U.S. is now Siemens Energy’s top market for orders.
February 3, 2026
NXP’s upbeat forecast hints industrial-chip bottom — but telecom slump knocks shares
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NXP’s upbeat forecast hints industrial-chip bottom — but telecom slump knocks shares

NXP Semiconductors forecast first-quarter revenue of $3.05–$3.25 billion, above analyst estimates, citing strong demand in automotive and industrial markets. Fourth-quarter revenue reached $3.34 billion, with adjusted earnings of $3.35 per share, both beating forecasts. Shares fell about 5% after hours, pressured by an 18% drop in communications infrastructure revenue. Automotive sales totaled $1.88 billion for the quarter.
February 3, 2026
Amazon AWS data center expansion in Europe hits seven-year power grid queues
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Amazon AWS data center expansion in Europe hits seven-year power grid queues

Amazon Web Services says delays of up to seven years in connecting to Europe’s power grid are stalling new data center projects. The company told Reuters these waits now rival real estate and construction as the main obstacle to expansion. The EU is considering proposals to speed up grid permits and modernize infrastructure. Italy and Spain face particular backlogs due to speculative project filings.
February 3, 2026
Leak: Xiaomi 17 Ultra could cost €1,499 in Europe — and ship with a smaller battery

Leak: Xiaomi 17 Ultra could cost €1,499 in Europe — and ship with a smaller battery

A tipster says the Xiaomi 17 Ultra will launch in Europe at €1,499 for the 16GB/512GB version, with a 6,000 mAh battery for global models—smaller than the 6,800 mAh unit in China. A German retailer briefly listed the Xiaomi 17 at €1,099 for 12GB/512GB, with a 6,330 mAh battery. Code leaks show the Xiaomi 17T may feature a 6,500 mAh battery and 67W charging. Xiaomi has not confirmed European pricing or launch dates.
February 3, 2026
Android 16 QPR3 Beta 2 quietly revamps Pixel Adaptive Connectivity — what the new toggles do
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Android 16 QPR3 Beta 2 quietly revamps Pixel Adaptive Connectivity — what the new toggles do

Google has split Pixel’s Adaptive Connectivity feature into two separate toggles in Android 16 QPR3 Beta 2: “Auto-switch to mobile network” and “Optimize network for battery life,” both enabled by default. The change follows an update to Adaptive Connectivity Services. The new options replace the previous single switch and warn users about possible data charges. A stable rollout is expected in March.
February 3, 2026
Firefox adds an AI kill switch — Mozilla lets you block every generative AI feature
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Firefox adds an AI kill switch — Mozilla lets you block every generative AI feature

Firefox 148 will launch Feb. 24 with a new “Block AI enhancements” toggle, letting users disable all current and future generative AI features. Mozilla says the master switch covers tools like translations, AI alt text, tab grouping, and sidebar chatbots. Individual AI features can still be managed separately. Settings persist across updates and can be changed at any time.
February 3, 2026
Turning off Google’s AICore on Samsung phones sounds easy — here’s what changes
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Turning off Google’s AICore on Samsung phones sounds easy — here’s what changes

Tests on Samsung’s Galaxy S24 FE showed some Galaxy AI features stopped working locally when Google’s AICore was disabled, shifting tasks to the cloud. Samsung says users can enable on-device processing, but many AI tools still rely on cloud services. Google’s AICore supplies up-to-date AI models like Gemini Nano for Android apps. Some users report better battery life after disabling AICore.
February 3, 2026
Apple warns of iPhone chip squeeze as DRAM prices tipped to jump up to 95% — Micron Technology back in spotlight
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Apple warns of iPhone chip squeeze as DRAM prices tipped to jump up to 95% — Micron Technology back in spotlight

Apple warned analysts its March-quarter results will be hit by shortages of advanced processors from TSMC and rising memory costs. CEO Tim Cook said supply constraints and surging DRAM prices are pressuring margins. Samsung and SK hynix expect shortages to persist into 2027. Apple shares rose 4% in early U.S. premarket trading Tuesday; Micron and TSMC also gained.
February 3, 2026
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Stock Market Today

  • Diploma Plc: £10,000 in FTSE 100 Stock Grew to £23,959 Over 5 Years
    May 25, 2026, 11:41 AM EDT. Diploma Plc (LSE:DPLM) has been a top FTSE 100 performer, turning a £10,000 investment five years ago into £23,959. The company reported 17% revenue growth and a 36% rise in earnings per share recently, driven largely by its Controls division, which benefits from increased defence spending and data centre demand. Despite this strong performance, risks persist due to the company's reliance on cyclical markets like aerospace and data centres. With a high price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio around 31, the stock could face sharp declines if demand falters. Analysts urge caution, noting that the firm's target of 5% annual organic growth may not justify its current valuation.