Rise in UK borrowing costs reverses after cabinet backs Starmer
Posted on Monday February 09, 2026

Investors reassured by support for PM after fears about effect of a more left-leaning replacement on public financesBusiness live – latest updatesUK politics live – latest updatesUK borrowing costs dipped back on Monday after rising earlier in the day, as cabinet ministers voiced support for the embattled Keir Starmer.The yield, or interest rate, on UK benchmark bonds initially increased on Monday as traders reacted to Sunday’s resignation of the prime minister’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, over the decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington. Continue reading...

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Experts sound alarm over UK exports to firm linked to Russian war machine
Posted on Monday February 09, 2026

Exclusive: Multimillion-pound contract raises concerns about controls designed to prevent firms unwittingly aiding destruction of UkraineThe government has been urged to re-examine a British company’s contract to export hi-tech machinery to Armenia, after the Guardian uncovered links to the supply chain for Russia’s war machine.Sanctions experts and the chair of the House of Commons business committee questioned the government’s decision to award an export licence to Cygnet Texkimp. Continue reading...

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‘It’s like two divorcing parents’: how actors’ union Equity fell out with casting directory Spotlight
Posted on Monday February 09, 2026

Union to appeal after losing case against historic talent index in battle that could reshape UK acting landscapeFor almost a century it has been the casting directors’ bible, a shopfront for actors from Laurence Olivier, Olivia Colman and Daniel Craig to the 16-year-old Adolescence star Owen Cooper to help land their next theatre, film or TV role.But now Spotlight is locked in a costly legal battle prompted by Equity, the equally venerable union that represents tens of thousands of performers that rely on the casting directory’s services, in an internecine conflict that could dramatically reshape the UK acting landscape. Continue reading...

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Files cast light on Jeffrey Epstein’s ties to cryptocurrency
Posted on Monday February 09, 2026

Newly released documents detail convicted sex offender’s early backing of bitcoin and Coinbase Millions of files related to Jeffrey Epstein have brought to light his ties to the highest echelons of the cryptocurrency industry.Documents published last week by the US Department of Justice reveal Epstein bankrolled the “principal home and funding source” for bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency, during its nascent stages; he also invested $3m in Coinbase in 2014, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the US, and cut a check that same year to Blockstream, a prominent bitcoin-focused technology firm. Both crypto startups accepted Epstein’s investments in 2014 – six years after his 2008 conviction in Florida for soliciting prostitution from a minor. Continue reading...

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‘I fell into it’: ex-criminal hackers urge Manchester pupils to use web skills for good
Posted on Sunday February 08, 2026

Initiative aims to identify proficient gamers and coders who can help companies identify flaws in their cybersecurity Cybercriminals, the shadowy online figures often depicted in Hollywood movies as hooded villains capable of wiping millions of pounds off the value of businesses at a keystroke, are not usually known for their candour.But in a sixth-form college in Manchester this week, two former hackers gave the young people gathered an honest appraisal of what living a life of internet crime really looks like. Continue reading...

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Winter Olympics 2026: Jutta Leerdam takes speed skating gold but GB medal wait goes on – live
Posted on Monday February 09, 2026

Medal table | Live scores and schedule | Results | BriefingGallery: best pictures from day three | And email GeoffWhich of these events is most terrifying? This a question that reminds me of when a teacher asked five-year-old me which hand I wanted to be caned on, and I kept saying neither – yes, a real man would’ve said either or both – except the other way around, the answer being all of them. But for the less lily-livered, there must be an answer.The slalom section of this competition is tomorrow, which is to say the downhillers go today, then the times of the two team members are added together, with the quickest taking gold. Germany now lead, having gone faster than Switzerland. Continue reading...

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Casemiro proved his doubters wrong. Now Manchester United must try to replace him
Posted on Monday February 09, 2026

The Brazilian was often exposed by the tactics of Ten Hag and Amorim, but was always adaptable and a replacement will be expensive“Leave the football before the football leaves you.” The meme-baiting quote from Jamie Carragher hung heavy over Casemiro for a long while, but it is testament to the Brazilian’s character and durability that he will leave Manchester United this year on his own terms, two years after those infamous words from the former Liverpool player.In fairness to Carragher, context at the time was key. After United were hammered 4-0 by Crystal Palace in May 2024, Casemiro looked spent at the elite level, bypassed too easily in increasingly fast‑tempo matches and left for dead by Erik ten Hag’s high-risk tactics. Continue reading...

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