UK subsidence claims surge after hottest summer on record
Posted on Saturday September 05, 2026

Insurers in England and Wales tell of busy August with one reporting near-140% jump in claims

UK insurers are experiencing a surge in the number of homeowners making claims for subsidence after the hottest summer on record, with Hastings Direct reporting a near 140% jump to an all-time high for August.

Insurance firms have been overrun by calls and online queries, as well as a rise in claims during the five heatwaves that followed the warmest spring ever recorded in England and Wales.

Read more...

Deadly escalation in Black Sea attacks prompts fears of even higher food prices
Posted on Friday September 04, 2026

Russian and Ukrainian strikes in July killed more crew than in whole war to that month, preventing grain exports

A summer of hostilities in the Black Sea proved deadly for seafarers, as Russia and Ukraine attacked each other’s ships and port infrastructure, preventing vital grain exports and prompting concerns that the conflict will push global food prices even higher.

More crew were killed in the Black Sea in July than during the entirety of the war before that month as the conflict has intensified, making the body of water the most dangerous in the world for commercial shipping. This is despite the conflict between the US and Iran, with vessels still being targeted in the strait of Hormuz, Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

Read more...

The two-year trail of financial controversy dogging Reform and Farage
Posted on Saturday September 05, 2026

Six claims the party has faced – from an undisclosed £5m gift to an alleged plot to bypass election laws

As Reform UK’s annual conference unfolded in Birmingham, the party was once again facing heightened scrutiny over its finances.

Two senior officials have been suspended after they were filmed in an undercover investigation appearing to plot to get around electoral laws on foreign donations.

Read more...

Food delivery riders call on platforms to open up AI ‘black box’ they say has cut pay
Posted on Saturday September 05, 2026

Workers who blame algorithms for lowering their earnings are getting help from academics to find out how the system works

Gig economy workers are urging delivery platforms to open up the “black box” of computer-driven algorithms that determine the jobs they are offered and how much they are paid, blaming increased use of AI for lowering wages.

A group of food delivery riders in Edinburgh say their rates of pay have fallen and their working conditions have deteriorated at the same time as Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat, the three dominant gig economy platforms in the UK and Ireland, have increased their use of automation.

Read more...

‘We’re plausibly close to crossing the line’: are warnings of uncontrollable AI coming true?
Posted on Saturday September 05, 2026

A spate of serious safety incidents have increased fears about the power and impenetrability of the most advanced models

Picture humanity in a boat being swept down a raging river, praying there is no Niagara Falls ahead. Or imagine standing with the pioneering physicists in 1942 before they triggered the first self-sustaining nuclear fission chain reaction beneath a Chicago stadium.

These were two of the analogies used this week by Prof Robert Trager, an expert in the nascent field of AI governance, to describe the perilous but potential-filled moment the world stands at with accelerating artificial intelligence.

Read more...

Serbians targeted with spyware in country’s ‘largest documented wave of surveillance’
Posted on Thursday September 03, 2026

Student protesters among those hacked, says digital rights group, though Aleksandar Vučić’s government denies spying

At least 14 people from across Serbian civil society were targeted with advanced spyware earlier this year in what the digital rights group Share Foundation said was the largest documented ​wave of such infection in Serbia to date.

The wave of spyware infections was discovered in August after Apple notified people in 110 ⁠countries that they had probably been victims ⁠of mercenary spyware.

Read more...

Premier League buildup, WSL opening weekend news, and more – matchday live
Posted on Saturday September 05, 2026

• Buildup, news and discussion before Saturday’s games

• This weekend’s fixtures | Mail us with your thoughts

Back to the WSL and here’s Tom Garry with a morning message.

Sonia Bompastor says she expects a competitive, open title race this season, as she prepares to lead her Chelsea side into their home opener against Aston Villa.

Read more...

‘Someone is smoking weed’: Sabalenka halts US Open match due to cannabis smell
Posted on Friday September 04, 2026

• ‘It’s tricky to handle when you’re trying to compete’

• Alcaraz into fourth round after straight sets victory

Aryna Sabalenka briefly stopped her match at the US Open to complain about the strong smell of cannabis on her court as she comfortably reached the fourth round in New York.

Sabalenka, the two-time defending champion, continued her attempts to rebuild her form as she overcame a challenging test from Kamilla Rakhimova before winning 6-3, 6-4.

Read more...