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• Permission to build data center in Hertfordshire has been approved
• Owner is likely to be a hyperscaler operator, though application was done by an obscure company
• It is expected to draw 400MVA from the National Grid when it goes live in 2030

Who doesn’t enjoy a good whodunnit? Approval has been granted for a large data center to be built in Hertfordshire, UK, near London’s M25 motorway, but the identity of the future occupant, believed to be a major hyperscale operator (so potentially AWS, Microsoft, Google or Meta), is as yet unknown.

The planning application was submitted last year by DC01 UK Ltd, and approved by Hertsmere Borough Council shortly after the UK Government launched its AI Opportunities Action Plan, for which new AI data centers will play a major role.

Following the news, a spokesperson for DC01UK said, “We want to thank Hertsmere Borough Council for their open and pragmatic approach to DC01UK’s plans. They understand our ambition for both the project and the borough. It will bring huge benefits for local people through a stronger local economy, more skilled jobs and better opportunities. Our plans also include a raft of upgrades for local transport, including new and existing bus routes, expansion of the local cycle hire scheme and road improvements.”

Operational by 2030

DC01UK will be Europe’s largest cloud and AI data center, with up to two million square feet of space, and draw 400MVA (Megavolt-Amperes) of power from the National Grid, which is enough electricity to power 20,000 homes. 400MVA is the total power supplied, including both real power (MW) and reactive power (MVAR, which accounts for inefficiencies in the system). The location of the project, which is just East of South Mimms Services, places it close to the Elstree (Letchmore Heath) substation.

DC01UK claims “Economic projections estimate the construction value of the project at £3.75bn with a year-round generation of £21.4m in business rates once the data center is operational. The positive economic impact of the data center would also see the creation of 500 skilled on-site jobs during the construction phase, 200 permanent, skilled jobs once up and running and a further 13,740 indirect jobs, 10,900 of which would be in the South East. DC01UK is also estimated to generate approximately £1.1 billion per annum GVA (Gross Value Added) indirectly per year.”

The data center will be built in 85 acres of grounds (54 percent of which DC01UK says will be retained as green space) with construction planned to begin in 2027. The data center is expected to become operational three years later in 2030.

As to who that hyperscaler might be? The Register was told by a DC01UK spokesperson, "Since the announcement last September, we've received significant interest and there are active, ongoing discussions that will be finalized in the near future. We will make a further announcement in due course," which seems to suggest that DC01UK doesn’t know who will be moving into its data center just yet either.

More from TechRadar Pro

• Why the data center of 2030 will look very different from today
• Quite a lot of Brits have never heard of data centers
• Spending on data centers hit a high in 2024, but it won't last

Investigators are still working to piece together key details to determine the cause of the crash that killed 67 people.

(Image credit: Samuel Corum)

The new defendants added into the legal filing included Lego, Nestlé, Tyson Foods, Abbott Laboratories, Colgate-Palmolive, Pinterest and Shell International.

(Image credit: Al Drago)

"I think the information that you’re going to have about this is available to you right now,” Stephanie Holmes told workers at Elon Musk's DOGE who pressed for detail on offers of “deferred resignation.”

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #336) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Album of the year

NYT Strands today (game #336) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• GRASS
• DOWLE
• MODE
• WORN
• NOSE
• WINE

NYT Strands today (game #336) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Presented by the Recording Academy

NYT Strands today (game #336) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 1st column

Last side: bottom, 4th column

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #336) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #336, are…

• SWIFT
• WONDER
• HILL
• CROSS
• STYLES
• KING
• JONES
• SPANGRAM: GRAMMY WINNERS

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

This collection of Album of the Year winners omits a few other artists whose names are also words – Beck, Plant (Robert) and Garland (Judy) failing to make the cut.

Meanwhile, JONES could refer to both Norah (who won a Grammy in 2003 for Come Away With Me) and Quincy (whose Back on the Block was a surprise success in 1991). Quincy Jones is also one of only three artists who have won Grammys as an artist and as a producer, the others being Lauryn HILL and Bruno Mars.

Taylor SWIFT holds the record for most Album of the Year victories with four and is among the nominees this year for The Tortured Poets Department.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, 1 February, game #335)

• KESTREL
• EAGLE
• HAWK
• CONDOR
• FALCON
• OSPREY
• VULTURE
• SPANGRAM: RAPTORS

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,000 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1105) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1105) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1105) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1105) - hint #4 - starting letters (1) Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1105) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• L

• P

• C

• S

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1105) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1105, are…

• LOUSY
• PENNE
• CHUMP
• SALVE

There’s no game like Quordle for feeling like you’re pulling rabbits out of hats getting unlikely words like PENNE. The truth is, it’s not really magic when you’ve only got a few options left, but it can feel like it.

I got SALVE pretty quickly too and I’m sure that’s because it’s cropped up before and is hardwired into my brain somehow.

After yesterday’s wipeout I’ve got my mojo back. For now.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Daily Sequence today (game #1105) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1105, are…

• LOUSY
• GROSS
• STINK
• ESTER

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1104, Saturday 1 February: FACET, BLISS, FLUFF, FRANK
• Quordle #1103, Friday 31 January: PARER, SYNOD, BRAWN, BANJO
• Quordle #1102, Thursday 30 January: WEEDY, CHIRP, STALE, SUGAR
• Quordle #1101, Wednesday 29 January: CROWN, SCENE, AGILE, CRANK
• Quordle #1100, Tuesday 28 January: TOKEN, DAISY, INANE, PLIED
• Quordle #1099, Monday 27 January: ANGEL, GLOBE, MAYOR, BRAVE
• Quordle #1098, Sunday 26 January: WATER, ORBIT, BRIDE, TOUCH
• Quordle #1097, Saturday 25 January: GIVER, GROOM, GUSTO, MAKER
• Quordle #1096, Friday 24 January: GRIND, STOCK, SERVE, TOUCH
• Quordle #1095, Thursday 23 January: RUGBY, SASSY, WORRY, BANAL
• Quordle #1094, Wednesday 22 January: SLANT, TRUNK, WOOZY, EATEN
• Quordle #1093, Tuesday 21 January: CHART, VIGOR, PRINT, SPAWN
• Quordle #1092, Monday 20 January: SIXTY, THONG, TATTY, ROBIN
• Quordle #1091, Sunday 19 January: WREST, RINSE, SCOUR, CANNY
• Quordle #1090, Saturday 18 January: BLARE, ITCHY, BICEP, PIPER
• Quordle #1089, Friday 17 January: CATCH, WEARY, SWOON, LATHE
• Quordle #1088, Thursday 16 January: PARTY, BLUNT, TWEED, PLANT
• Quordle #1087, Wednesday 15 January: RISEN, PLATE, RURAL, ENVOY
• Quordle #1086, Tuesday 14 January: SWARM, SCRAP, ONION, BELCH
• Quordle #1085, Monday 13 January: EYING, GIDDY, CHEAP, PETAL

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need clues.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #602) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• SWISS
• SWALLOW
• SORRY
• STREET
• MUNSTER
• MART
• BLUE
• HAWK
• DUCK
• DOWN
• POP
• PARTRIDGE
• GRIFFIN
• GROUSE
• PICKLES
• HANGDOG

NYT Connections today (game #602) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Depressed 
• GREEN: Winged words 
• BLUE: A list missing the Simpsons 
• PURPLE: Think of a letter

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #602) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: DEJECTED BLUE, DOWN, HANGDOG, SORRY
• GREEN: BIRDS THAT ARE VERBS DUCK, GROUSE, HAWK, SWALLOW
• BLUE: TV COMEDY FAMILIES GRIFFIN, MUNSTER, PARTRIDGE, PICKLES
• PURPLE: WORDS AFTER "K" MART, POP, STREET, SWISS

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #602) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #602, are…

• YELLOW: DEJECTED BLUE, DOWN, HANGDOG, SORRY
• GREEN: BIRDS THAT ARE VERBS DUCK, GROUSE, HAWK, SWALLOW
• BLUE: TV COMEDY FAMILIES GRIFFIN, MUNSTER, PARTRIDGE, PICKLES
• PURPLE: WORDS AFTER "K" MART, POP, STREET, SWISS

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 2 mistakes

As the owner of a hangdog expression (especially when my team loses), gathering together a bunch of words that mean DEJECTED was a relatively easy task. Less so was the TV COMEDY FAMILIES, which took a mistake to find – my very obvious error being to include SWISS (as in Family Robinson). PICKLES was a guess that I would never have got otherwise, merely based on the fact that I’ve got a friend whose surname is Pickles and I enjoy calling him Mr Pickles.

BIRDS THAT ARE VERBS was my other mistake, as I initially included PARTRIDGE before realising the error of my random ways.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, 1 February, game #601)

• YELLOW: TINT HUE, SHADE, TINGE, TONE
• GREEN: COMPONENTS OF A MYSTERY ALIBI, CLUE, DETECTIVE, SUSPECT
• BLUE: TAKE ISSUE WITH CHALLENGE, CONTEST, DISPUTE, QUESTION
• PURPLE: STRIKE A __ CHORD, DEAL, MATCH, POSE

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Starting Tuesday, nearly all imports from Canada and Mexico will be charged a 25% tariff, while goods from China will be charged a 10% tariff.

(Image credit: Alfredo Estrella)

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The Army released the identity of the third crew member aboard the Black Hawk helicopter involved in the deadly airport crash near DCA as Capt. Rebecca Lobach, an aviation officer and past ROTC cadet.

(Image credit: Samantha Brown)

A growing number of US government websites have gone offline as of Saturday, including several related to USAID and others focused on youth programs, Africa, and more.

Here are some hints — and the answers — for Connections: Sports Edition No. 132 for Feb. 2.

Here are some hints -- and the answers -- for the Feb. 2 Strands puzzle, No. 336.

Here are some hints — and the answers — for Connections No. 602 for Feb. 2.

Here are some hints and the answer for Wordle No. 1,324 for Feb. 2.

In a Truth Social post Saturday, President Trump announced successful precision airstrikes on the "Senior ISIS Attack Planner," though didn't provide a name for that individual.

(Image credit: AP)

• Mukesh Ambani's Reliance touches the lives of nearly everyone in India
• Reliance plans to build a 3GW data center in India, the largest in the world
• Ambani has pledged to use green and renewable energy to power this giga data center

Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Group, one of India's largest and most influential conglomerates, is developing a large-scale data center in Jamnagar - a small town in Gujarat that’s already home to Reliance’s major oil refining and petrochemical operations.

Reports from Bloomberg claim the data center, which could become the world’s largest, is expected to reach a total capacity of 3 gigawatts, significantly boosting India’s current data center capacity, which is estimated at under 1 gigawatt.

That will make it five times the size of Microsoft’s 600 megawatts facility in Boydton, Virginia.

Operational by 2027

Nvidia will provide Reliance Group with the AI chips it needs for the project, which comes at a time when tech firms are investing heavily in AI infrastructure. In the US, OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle recently announced Project Stargate, a $500 billion investment venture, and Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on Facebook that his company was earmarking a $65 billion capital expenditure spend in 2025 and “building a 2GW+ data center so large it would cover a significant part of Manhattan.”

Reliance reportedly plans to power the facility primarily with renewable energy, integrating it with its existing solar, wind, and green hydrogen projects. However, Bloomberg believes achieving a stable energy supply may require backup from fossil fuels or other sources.

Although a Reliance spokesperson declined to provide further details on the Jamnagar project they did point Bloomberg to previous remarks from Mukesh Ambani’s son Akash, CEO of Reliance Jio Infocomm, who claimed the company aims to complete the data center within 24 months.

Headquartered in Mumbai, Reliance was founded by Dhirubhai Ambani in 1966 as a small textile business. Over the decades, it expanded into petrochemicals, refining, and other industries, and following Dhirubhai’s death in 2002, Mukesh took control of the company and led its transformation into a global powerhouse.

Despite the conglomerate's success, it’s not clear how Reliance will fund the $20 billion to $30 billion the data center will reportedly cost. As Bloomberg notes, “Reliance Industries Ltd., the group’s primary listed entity, has the equivalent of about $26 billion on its balance sheet.”

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A small plane crashed near a shopping center in northeast Philadelphia on Friday night. The aircraft was carrying a child patient who received medical treatment and was returning home to Mexico.

(Image credit: Kyle Mazza)

Rohit Chopra had led the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau since 2021. Consumer groups praised his leadership, while Republicans have frequently attacked the agency.

(Image credit: Andrew Harnik)

Without control of the White House or Congress, the new DNC chair, Minnesota's Ken Martin, will lead a Democratic Party that is still figuring out its future after a bruising election.

(Image credit: Brynn Anderson)