Burnham dodges questions on Heathrow third runway as project faces four-year delay
Posted on Sunday September 27, 2026

Airport chiefs say 2035 operations deadline unachievable as critics say new delay makes case for project ‘even more dubious’

Plans for a third runway at Heathrow are once again up in the air after the prime minister refused to say whether he backs the “contested” project which is delayed by up to four years.

Over the weekend it emerged that ​Heathrow no longer expects to meet the original 2035 deadline. Instead, the airport hopes to secure planning permission by 2029 and then open the runway “within a decade”, meaning it would not be operational until 2039.

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London’s investment bankers and lawyers make more than £1bn in takeover frenzy
Posted on Sunday September 27, 2026

Bumper fees paid in the year’s mergers and acquisitions spark anger over high City pay during cost of living crisis

London’s investment bankers and lawyers have made more than £1bn from a frenzy of takeover deals this year, sparking anger over high City pay during the cost of living crisis.

The value of mergers and acquisitions of UK stock market listed companies has surged 175% in 2026 to $132.9bn (£100bn), according to the London Stock Exchange, as overseas buyers snap up British companies at record pace.

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Lime bike profits double as rider numbers surge in England
Posted on Sunday September 27, 2026

US-owned firm says average monthly users at UK arm surged to nearly 700,000 with sales up by a third

Love them or hate them, Lime ebikes are an increasingly common sight on England’s roads with new figures showing annual profits more than doubling thanks to a surge in riders.

Lime’s average number of monthly users jumped 31% to approaching 700,000 as it added more than 4,500 ebikes and scooters to its fleet, taking the total to almost 38,000, the company’s UK arm, Lime Technologies, said in accounts filed at Companies House.

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Burnham’s plan for a radical reset collides with economic reality | Heather Stewart
Posted on Sunday September 27, 2026

Surging energy bills, higher borrowing costs and rising inflation have left the PM and his chancellor in a fiscal bind

As Labour heads to Liverpool this week, Andy Burnham has promised to deliver “stability” in the public finances; but the economic backdrop is anything but stable.

The longer the US-Israeli war on Iran persists, the more likely it is that UK consumers will have to swallow higher mortgage rates and energy bills – just as the government is wrestling with its own surging borrowing costs.

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Bill Gates says unchecked AI could ‘cause a billion deaths’ in call for regulation
Posted on Sunday September 27, 2026

Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist speaks with NBC’s Kristen Welker in interview airing on Sunday

Bill Gates has called on the US’s federal legislators and law enforcers to regulate the development of artificial intelligence (AI), saying in an interview airing on Sunday that the technology left unchecked could cause “a billion deaths” and “no one thinks self-regulation is enough”.

“You need law enforcement and the politicians to get into the discussion about what safeguards and monitoring look like,” the Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist said to Kristen Welker, the NBC Meet the Press host. “And that has to be a required thing.”

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Pope Leo warns of AI threat to humanity at start of three-day France visit
Posted on Friday September 25, 2026

Pontiff says artificial intelligence must remain at service of people in first official papal visit to country in 18 years

Pope Leo has warned against losing humanity in a “paradise of machines” as he addressed global concerns over the dangers of artificial intelligence at the start of a three-day visit to France.

“If we are to avoid losing our humanity amid a paradise of machines invading and conditioning our daily lives, there is an urgent need for people to be educated in ethical discernment, capable of seeing what is morally right,” he said in a speech at the Élysée.

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Israel 0-3 Republic of Ireland, Germany 0-1 Greece, Norway 1-2 Portugal: Nations League – live
Posted on Sunday September 27, 2026

• Updates from 7.45pm BST kick-offs in Nations League

• Live scores | Email John | And follow us over on TikTok

The news from that Dutch win, Xavi’s first as coach, is that Cody Gakpo was forced off with an injury just 17 minutes in.

Germany v Greece starting lineups:

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James Trafford’s England dream burns with No 1 spot finally up for grabs again
Posted on Sunday September 27, 2026

The Leeds player was surprise starter against Spain but, after his solid display, Jordan Pickford’s grip may be loosening

James Trafford looks genuinely affronted. The Leeds goalkeeper’s reaction borders on incredulity. Was it a season of frustration for him at Manchester City last time out, he is asked? A wasted year? “I won two trophies,” he says very simply and very firmly.

Defiance is the stock in trade of a goalkeeper and Trafford has a nice line in it, on and off the pitch. Thrust into the England lineup against Spain at Wembley on Saturday for only his third cap, he performed well, particularly during the opening 35 minutes when the world champions threatened to run riot. Trafford made two excellent saves that kept England in contention, laying the groundwork for their surge into a 2-1 half-time lead. They ended up losing 3-2 in the Nations League opener after Harry Kane missed a 54th-minute penalty for 3-1.

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