UK summer bookings jump as Britons put off overseas holidays by travel fears
Posted on Friday July 03, 2026

Reports of ‘stampede’ for stays near water amid concerns over cancelled flights, higher air fares and EU border delays

Summer bookings at Britain’s hotels and holiday parks have jumped, compared with last year, as fears about flight cancellations and long delays at EU borders have prompted many UK holidaymakers to stay closer to home this year.

There has been a surge in last-minute bookings for UK holidays amid warnings that airlines will have to raise their fares because of higher jet fuel bills that have resulted from the war in the Middle East.

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Starling Bank to cut 130 jobs and boost investment in AI to reduce costs
Posted on Friday July 03, 2026

The London-based fintech says restructuring is necessary to reduce ‘duplicate’ roles

• Business live – latest updates

Starling Bank has said it will cut more than 100 jobs as it invests more heavily in artificial intelligence to push down costs.

The digital-only bank told staff that 3% of its workforce, or 130 jobs, would be made redundant, as part of a restructuring of its banking and tech operations.

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A council housebuilding boom is central to Burnham’s vision. Can it be done?
Posted on Friday July 03, 2026

In the third of a series on nationalisation, we look at the huge challenge as 1.5m families wait for social housing

• ‘Commanding heights of the economy’: the postwar blueprint that inspires Burnham

• Will Andy Burnham ‘go big’ in expanding the role of the state?

From the front garden of the red-brick terrace where she has lived for nearly three decades, Coral McKeown, 50, points to the gleaming new council house she was supposed to move into five years ago.

It sits behind heavy metal fences surrounded by building work and an empty construction vehicle. She does not expect it to be ready until next year at the earliest.

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Gymshark founder in talks to buy back part of stake sold to private equity firm
Posted on Friday July 03, 2026

Ben Francis, who started business in parents’ garage, sold 21% stake in deal that created £1.25bn sportswear brand

• Business live – latest updates

The founder of Gymshark is in talks to buy back a portion of the stake he sold to private equity in a deal that created a billion-pound sportswear empire, as the 34-year-old looks to increase his control of the exercise clothing brand.

Ben Francis, who started the business sewing his own gym clothes in his parents’ garage in 2012, sold a 21% stake to the US private equity firm General Atlantic in 2020.

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UK parents warned over posting images of children amid AI sexual abuse fears
Posted on Friday July 03, 2026

Exclusive: National Crime Agency and safety watchdog issue guidance amid rise in explicit material online

• AI prey: why watchdogs are telling parents to protect children from nudification apps

The UK National Crime Agency has recommended parents should not put photos of their children on public display online as part of landmark guidance to tackle the rise of AI-generated sexual abuse material.

Advice issued by the NCA and the child safety watchdog the Internet Watch Foundation suggests parents and guardians make their social media accounts private or share pictures of their children through a “close friends” group.

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3,000% bonuses but a growing wealth divide: South Korea grapples with its AI chip boom
Posted on Friday July 03, 2026

Powered by chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, South Korea is seeing a surge in wealth, but there are questions over who gets to share in the profits

When South Korea’s most high-profile divorce case returned to court last month, the lawyers were arguing not just about the breakdown of a relationship, but also the exact date at which to value shares in one specific company.

The judges’ decision in Seoul could change the value of business tycoon Chey Tae-won’s assets by billions of dollars. The shares were in the holding company behind SK Hynix, the manufacturer of chips powering AI systems around the world.

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Wimbledon 2026: Djokovic and Sinner win; Safiullin stuns Fonseca; Osaka cruises on – live
Posted on Friday July 03, 2026

All the latest news from Friday’s live action at SW19
SW19 diary: birds stop play | Order of play | Mail Tanya

It seems the injury problem for Kalinskaya is to do with her left hamstring, but the treatment seems to have done the trick, because the Russian races to 15-40 on Bencic’s serve, the first break points of the second set. Bencic blocks them both, securing four straight points to hold for 6-4, 4-4.

Safiullin strolls to 0-15, 0-30, 0-40 on Fonseca’s serve; it looks as if the Russian qualifier won’t even have to serve this second set out. Safiullin doesn’t win the first set point but does the second, when he drills deep to Fonseca’s backhand side … and the Brazilian can only net! Safiullin leads 6-3, 6-3. But … Fonseca did come from two sets down to defeat Djokovic a month ago, as the 19-year-old came of age at the French Open, and he’ll be hoping to draw on the spirit of that victory now.

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Australia v Egypt: World Cup 2026 last 32 – live
Posted on Friday July 03, 2026

⚽️ Kick-off time: 1pm local/2pm EDT/7pm BST/4am AEST
⚽️ Player guide | Bracketology | Golden Boot | Mail Scott

… and here’s how Egypt got out of Group G. Undefeated, though they really rode their luck towards the end against Iran.

Here’s how Australia made it through Group D. The hard yards covered in their first game against one of the pre-tournament hipster picks.

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