BT to buy broadband supplier TalkTalk in £400m rescue deal, saving 900 jobs
Posted on Monday October 05, 2026

Virgin Media O2 complains of ‘stitch-up’ over rival provider, which has 1.5m customers

• Nils Pratley: BT’s purchase of TalkTalk is cosy – but probably politically sensible

BT has agreed to buy the broadband supplier TalkTalk out of administration in a £400m rescue deal that will save 900 jobs.

The company said it had struck a deal to acquire TalkTalk and its wholesale business PlatformX Communications (PXC) on a debt-free basis, in a move that is expected to cost it £400m.

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Sainsbury’s and Morrisons ‘held talks this year’ on multibillion-pound merger
Posted on Monday October 05, 2026

Deal would have created a supermarket with a market share of 23.6%, still well behind Tesco’s 27.8%

Sainsbury’s held merger talks with rival Morrisons this year to discuss a multibillion-pound deal that would have been the biggest shake-up for UK supermarkets in decades, according to reports.

The two companies held exploratory negotiations, according to the Financial Times and Sky. It is believed they are no longer in live discussions.

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Euro falls to 17-month low against dollar amid French debt fears
Posted on Monday October 05, 2026

France’s Cac 40 index slides as announcement of snap election in Spain also helps fuel eurozone uncertainty

• Business live – latest updates

The euro has slumped to the lowest level against the dollar in 17 months amid growing concern France’s debt position could threaten the stability of the wider single currency bloc.

The single currency fell as much as 0.8% against the dollar in early trading on Monday to below $1.12, its lowest level since May 2025. It has slumped by about 1.2% this month, accelerating a drop of about eight cents against the greenback from a peak of $1.20 in January.

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Average five-year fixed mortgage rate hits 6% for first time in three years
Posted on Monday October 05, 2026

Banks and building societies raise prices as turmoil in bond markets increases expectations of base rate rise

The average cost of a five-year fixed-rate mortgage has hit the 6% barrier for the first time in three years, as jitters in the money markets make the loans more expensive for lenders to offer.

Figures from financial information provider Moneyfacts show the average is now 6.00%, its highest point since September 2023, while the average two-year fixed rate is not far behind at 5.98%, its highest since December of the same year.

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Accept ‘bad things’ in return for benefits of AI, says Sam Altman
Posted on Monday October 05, 2026

Boss of OpenAI calls for a regulatory light touch because of the ‘good stuff’ the technology can deliver

Sam Altman says he believes the world should accept “bad things” happening with AI in exchange for the benefits of the technology.

The chief executive of OpenAI cited hacks, scams and “other bad things that will happen” in an interview that sparked an instant backlash from critics of the big AI companies. His comments came after one of his company’s safety experts resigned, saying at the weekend that its “culture is broken”.

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Apple iPhone 18 Pro review: big changes for small differences
Posted on Monday October 05, 2026

Longer battery life, better screen, upgraded Siri and new variable aperture camera in refreshed design from last year’s model

Apple’s smaller Pro iPhone gets the best kind of spec bump for 2026: longer battery life, faster chips and a fancy new variable aperture for the main camera.

The iPhone 18 Pro is one of a pair of slab phones launched alongside Apple’s first folding phone, the iPhone Duo, and is the cheapest of the new phones, with a regular iPhone 18 yet to be announced.

Screen: 6.3in Super Retina XDR (120Hz OLED) (460ppi)

Processor: Apple A20 Pro

RAM: 12GB

Storage: 256GB, 512GB or 1TB

Operating system: iOS 27

Camera: 48MP + 48MP UW + 48MP 4x, 18MP front-facing

Connectivity: 5G, wifi 7, NFC, Bluetooth 6, Thread, USB-C, Satellite, UWB and GNSS

Water resistance: IP68 (6 metres for 30 mins)

Dimensions: 150 x 71.9 x 8.75mm

Weight: 211g

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How do sports fans end up as aggressive defenders of a nation state’s regime? | Sean Ingle
Posted on Monday October 05, 2026

The Manchester City case is one example of how fandom has warped beyond previous boundaries in online spaces

A video of Liam Gallagher playing in a 1996 charity football match resurfaced on social media recently. Dressed in Manchester City blue and a bucket hat, in truth he appears to be in a fug of cigarettes and alcohol. But then, out of nowhere, he hits a shot into the top corner. Since last week, though, the Oasis singer has preferred to defend the honour of his club with his studs up.

As the fallout from the biggest scandal in British football history headed into a second week, Gallagher was asked what he made of rival fans wanting City to lose all their trophies after being found guilty of all the serious charges against them. “There all NEUROTIC little GIMPS,” came the reply on social media. It was one of dozens of sweary, punchy, and often amusing responses, all built on a solitary article of faith: that City will somehow find a way to wriggle free.

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Jude awakening: how a more fluid England are ‘unlocking’ Bellingham’s full potential
Posted on Monday October 05, 2026

Assistant coach Anthony Barry says new structure means their key attackers are not ‘caged in’ after 7-0 rout of Croatia

Anthony Barry knows the hunt is on. The England assistant coach has been through the debriefs. He has mulled over the minutiae with Thomas Tuchel to such an extent he is allowed to make a joke at the boss’s expense. “He’s doing my head in,” Barry says with a smile. What is the missing piece of the puzzle? After all the emotion of England’s semi-final finish at the World Cup, how can they take the decisive step to glory?

It is early days in the Nations League campaign, which everybody at the Football Association wants to use as a slingshot into Euro 2028 when England will co-host, but Barry can see the genesis of an answer. It comes down to liberation, enabling England’s top players to fully express themselves, and there is a reason why he finds himself talking about Jude Bellingham.

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