Reeves’s plan to ditch income tax rise prompts government bond sell-off
Posted on Friday November 14, 2025

Switch in budget plan causes cost of UK government borrowing to rise by the most in a single day since early JulyWhat are Reeves’s options after U-turn on income tax rates?UK bond markets took fright on Friday after it emerged that Rachel Reeves had ditched plans for a manifesto-busting increase in income tax at this month’s autumn budget.On a day of choppy trading in the City, the cost of UK government borrowing rose by the most in a single day since early July, when a tearful appearance by Reeves in parliament spooked investors. Continue reading...

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English councils plan to sell off social clubs and sports centres to balance books
Posted on Saturday November 15, 2025

Survey finds 60% of key cities councils are planning to sell assets to meet costs of adult and children’s social careEnglish councils are planning to sell social clubs, sports centres and shopping arcades as they bet on a fire sale of assets to balance the books, according to a survey of local authorities.The key cities group of councils, which represents second-tier cities in England, said 60% of councils were planning to sell assets to meet the escalating costs of adult and children’s social care. Continue reading...

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‘We’re sick of being the story’: what next for the Telegraph after takeover collapses?
Posted on Friday November 14, 2025

Media group’s future is again in limbo – and it faces questions over the asking price as well as regulatory hurdlesRedBird Capital drops £500m Telegraph takeover bidThe withdrawal of the bid for the Telegraph led by RedBird Capital has once again plunged the future of the titles into uncertainty, and raises questions over the dogged refusal of its sellers to drop the eye-watering £500m asking price that had driven away other potential suitors.On Friday, a consortium that also included UAE fund International Media Investments (IMI) as well as the owner of the Daily Mail and the billionaire Sir Leonard Blavatnik, dropped its bid abruptly with no explanation given. Continue reading...

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New AI tool could cut wasted efforts to transplant organs by 60%
Posted on Thursday November 13, 2025

Machine learning model predicts whether donor is likely to die within the timeframe that liver remains viableDoctors have developed an AI tool that could reduce wasted efforts to transplant organs by 60%.Thousands of patients worldwide are waiting for a potentially life-saving donor, and more candidates are stuck on waiting lists than there are available organs. Continue reading...

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AI firm claims it stopped Chinese state-sponsored cyber-attack campaign
Posted on Friday November 14, 2025

Anthropic says financial firms and government agencies were attacked ‘largely without human intervention’A leading artificial intelligence company claims to have stopped a China-backed “cyber espionage” campaign that was able to infiltrate financial firms and government agencies with almost no human oversight.The US-based Anthropic said its coding tool, Claude Code, was “manipulated” by a Chinese state-sponsored group to attack 30 entities around the world in September, achieving a “handful of successful intrusions”. Continue reading...

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The 100 greatest men’s Ashes cricketers of all time
Posted on Friday November 14, 2025

Sport’s famous rivalry began in 1877 and since then 853 men have featured in Australia v England Tests. But who are the very best of the best?Barney Ronay on the No 1 | Video: review the top 10Check how all the judges voted | Our methodologyEvery ball of the Ashes, no spin. Support us today Continue reading...

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England pumped up for chance to end 13-year wait against All Blacks
Posted on Friday November 14, 2025

Maro Itoje and company have talked the talk and are hungry to follow through with a first win at home over New Zealand since 2012For better or worse it has been lashing down in south-west London. Good news for restocking the reservoirs but rather less so for dry-ball rugby. Had England played New Zealand 24 hours earlier it would have resembled a game of outdoor water polo and, although the matchday forecast is less biblical, a decidedly damp, grey afternoon awaits.Is it some kind of celestial clue that England’s on-field drought against the All Blacks might be about to break? It is now 13 years since the last men’s victory over New Zealand at what was once called Twickenham, so long ago that Maro Itoje was still at school. Troublemaker by Olly Murs (featuring Flo Rida) topped the UK charts and the nation was basking in a warm, fuzzy post-London Olympics glow that was supposed to last indefinitely. Continue reading...

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