Reeves poised to cancel planned fuel duty rise to help with cost of living
Posted on Monday May 18, 2026

Chancellor has been under pressure to extend 5p temporary cut at an estimated cost to government of £2.4bn a year

Rachel Reeves is planning to cancel a rise in fuel duty this week when she unveils a package of measures to reduce the cost of living.

The chancellor will announce she will not put up the tax by 1p as was due to happen in September, government sources said, and she could cancel all of a 5p rise that is due to happen in stages over the subsequent six months.

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Jury hands victory to Sam Altman and OpenAI in battle with Elon Musk
Posted on Monday May 18, 2026

OpenAI CEO and president found not liable for breaking contracts made with Musk when founding the startup

A jury ruled in favor of Sam Altman in the culmination of a long and bitter legal battle that pitted the richest person in the world against a leader of the AI boom.

The federal jury in Oakland, California, found Altman, OpenAI and its president, Greg Brockman, not liable for Elon Musk’s claims that they unjustly enriched themselves and broke a founding contract made with Musk when founding the startup.

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HS2: Heidi Alexander to set out true cost of rail project – and when trains will begin to run
Posted on Monday May 18, 2026

Transport secretary to give budget details of troubled high-speed line, which backers hope will stay well below £100bn

The latest estimate of the cost of HS2 and a timetable to complete construction of the high-speed railway will be set out by the government on Tuesday, including plans to run trains slower to trim costs.

The transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, is expected to give the first official reckoning of the troubled project’s budget in 2026 prices, which HS2’s backers hope will remain substantially below £100bn.

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Andy Burnham’s change in tack on fiscal rules and bond markets is understandable
Posted on Monday May 18, 2026

Bookies’ favourite to replace Keir Starmer tones down stance on government borrowing to assuage City investors

Andy Burnham has always faced a narrow path to replace Keir Starmer as prime minister: a tricky byelection, a leadership contest that is yet to be declared, and a far from constructive bond market backdrop.

In making his pitch, assuaging City investors in particular has led the Greater Manchester mayor to dance on a pin.

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Canvas hack: is it ever a good idea to pay a ransom, and what happens to the data?
Posted on Saturday May 16, 2026

Businesses are advised against paying – but many are prepared to deal to protect users’ privacy

After a week of outages, hundreds of millions of students’ data stolen, delayed assignment due dates and school login pages being defaced by hackers, the US tech firm Instructure – which operates the education platform Canvas, used by education providers worldwide – announced it had “reached an agreement with the unauthorised actor” behind the ransomware attack.

Experts read the careful language as a sign that a ransom has been paid. The company has not confirmed this.

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Nothing Phone 4a Pro review: premium aluminium meets quirky design
Posted on Monday May 18, 2026

Mid-range Android stands out with huge screen, slick software and dot-matrix display, but falls just short of greatness

Nothing’s latest quirky smartphone is a huge aluminium Android with three cameras and a big LED matrix screen on the back that challenges the notion mid-range phones can’t be just a bit more fun.

The Phone 4a Pro is a bit of a departure from UK-based Nothing’s previous glass-clad transparent designs. It still has a touch of those elements but only in the camera island at the top, with the rest of the body now solid aluminium – a rare sight in the world of Android phones.

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Pep Guardiola expected to leave Manchester City at end of the season
Posted on Monday May 18, 2026

• Guardiola has been manager of club for 10 years

• He is set to go with one year left on his contract

Pep Guardiola is expected to leave Manchester City after 10 trophy-filled years as manager.

The club did not confirm reports on Monday night that Guardiola’s last game as City manager will be at home to Aston Villa on Sunday, the final day of the Premier League season. But increasingly figures around the club expect an announcement before the end of the season. Guardiola’s camp has been approached for comment.

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Kai Havertz header edges nervy Arsenal past Burnley and one step from title
Posted on Monday May 18, 2026

It was a night when fervour and hope ran into yet more Arsenal anxiety. This was supposed to be straightforward, wasn’t it? Burnley’s relegation from the Premier League was confirmed on 22 April. They sacked their manager, Scott Parker, shortly afterwards and came here under the caretaker, Michael Jackson. They had avoided defeat only three times in their previous 10 league matches, drawing all three.

It was not straightforward. Arsenal laboured under the spectre of the mother and father of all calamities. It nagged away during a traumatic second half. Everybody knew that with the margins so tight it might take only one flash from Burnley; a bolt from the sky blue. If Arsenal do stagger over the line and win their first title since 2004, they will have done it in nerve-shredding fashion.

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