JP Morgan warns rebound in UK inflation is ‘warning shot for what could come next’; oil prices rise again – business live
Posted on Wednesday August 19, 2026

Inflation rebound driven by biggest jump in gas bills since October 2022; Asian shares slump after Wall Street chip sell-off

OpenAI has said it has slowed down the ⁠pace of ⁠its ​AI development while it overhauled its ⁠research and training systems.

The company’s researchers were ⁠caught unaware last month ​when an ‌AI agent ‌under testing hacked another AI ‌firm, Hugging Face.

We are very far from everything running back to normal.

We now require stronger evidence of aligned behavior throughout all of training, building on research and evaluations already underway. Keeping increasingly capable systems aligned is a challenge the whole field will need to address.

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Trainline, Virgin Atlantic and Red Driving School investigated over hidden fees
Posted on Wednesday August 19, 2026

UK competition watchdog investigation is part of broader clampdown on illegal ‘drip pricing’

• Business live – latest updates

The UK’s competition watchdog has launched investigations into Trainline, Virgin Atlantic and Red Driving School over concerns that all three companies displayed misleadingly low prices to their customers.

The Competition and Markets Authority’s investigations are part of a broader clampdown on “drip pricing”, an illegal practice that makes a product appear cheaper by not including all mandatory fees.

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Shares in humanoid robot firm Unitree surge 600% on Chinese stock market debut
Posted on Wednesday August 19, 2026

Company’s robots have gained global fame via videos of them performing martial arts and as dancers for pop stars

Unitree, the world’s biggest humanoid robot maker, has made a spectacular entry on to China’s stock market, with its shares surging by more than 600%.

The Chinese company’s robots have gained global fame via viral videos of them performing martial arts, running at Olympic speeds and serving as backup dancers for pop stars.

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UK relies on heat-stressed countries for fruit and veg it could grow itself – report
Posted on Wednesday August 19, 2026

Food Foundation sounds alarm over supply risks and price shocks as about 40% of Britain’s food is imported

The UK is vulnerable to food price shocks because of its dependence on imports of fruit and vegetable from countries even more exposed to the climate crisis, researchers say.

Much of Britain has sweltered under a record five heatwaves this year and endured drought and wildfires, with the hot, dry conditions damaging crops and reducing yields of domestic produce.

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OpenAI announces slowing pace of development after hack by rogue agent
Posted on Tuesday August 18, 2026

Amid race with Anthropic, firm plans to overhaul research and training and require more safety parameters after hack

OpenAI on ⁠Tuesday said it had slowed down the ⁠pace of ⁠its ​AI development while it overhauled its ⁠research and training systems.

The company’s researchers were ⁠caught unaware last month ​when an ‌AI agent ‌under testing hacked another AI ‌firm, Hugging Face.

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Social media on trial as $200bn case against Facebook and Instagram begins
Posted on Tuesday August 18, 2026

Twenty-nine US states are seeking huge damages, claiming Meta’s platforms were addictive by design

In 1994, more than 40 US states came together to sue one of the most powerful industries on Earth: big tobacco.

The suits brought together diverse claims centred on tobacco companies’ misleading advertising and contribution to a mounting public health crisis. They ended in a negotiated settlement with the US government, in which the companies agreed to pay more than any industry ever, and the states agreed to drop a large portion of their claims.

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England v Pakistan: first men’s cricket Test, day one – live
Posted on Wednesday August 19, 2026

Updates from Headingley; play starts 11am BST
Ali Martin on ‘El Dysfunctiono’ | The Spin

Warm applause as Joe Root leads England out at the start of his second spell as permanent captain. Are there any precedents for this, an experienced former captain returning to the job on a permanent basis years later? Bob Simpson is the name sitting at the top of my head. I guess Mike Brearley qualifies, though his situation was unique.

Last Friday was a glorious anniversary for Pakistani cricket, 10 years on from a 10-wicket win against England at the Oval. Younis Khan, their greatest run-scorer, hit a double hundred. Yasir Shah, a magical leggie and Lionel Messi lookalike, took a five-fer. Misbah-ul-Haq, their 42-year-old captain, led his men on a victory lap in south London and would have the ultimate reward a few days later. His side, unable to play at home since 2009 because of an attack on Sri Lanka’s team bus, moved up to No 1 in the Test rankings for the first time.

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Nick Kyrgios suspended from tennis after testing positive for cocaine
Posted on Wednesday August 19, 2026

• Australian reveals ‘huge mistake’ in Instagram post

• Kyrgios tested positive at ATP 250 event in June

The former Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios has been suspended from tennis after testing positive for cocaine.

The 31-year-old Australian revealed on an Instagram post on Wednesday that he had “made a huge mistake” before his suspension was confirmed by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) shortly afterwards.

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