UK economy more productive than thought, as Bank of England prepares for interest rate decision – business live
Posted on Thursday September 17, 2026

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news

• Bank of England urged to slow or halt bond-selling to slash UK borrowing costs

• The Guardian view on the Bank of England’s £120bn bill: power without accountability

Newsflash: Britain’s economy has been more productive since Tony Blair’s first election win than previously thought.

A new measure of measuring productivity, just released by the Office for National Statistics, shows that annual productivity growth since 1997 has been stronger than it had estimated in the past.

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Thousands of Barclays staff revolt over return-to-office mandate
Posted on Thursday September 17, 2026

Union calls for payouts to help cover travel costs and exemption for those living more than 40 minutes away

• Business live – latest updates

Barclays is facing a growing backlash over return-to-office plans, with thousands of staff calling for payouts to help cover travel costs and an exemption for those living more than 40 minutes from work.

Unionised staff represented by Unite are pushing back against plans announced by the bank earlier this summer to get staff back into the office at least three days a week from October, with more senior employees expected to come in at least four days a week.

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Next forecasts bigger profits after hot weather lifts sales
Posted on Thursday September 17, 2026

FTSE 100 retailer, which owns UK rights to US brands Gap and Victoria’s Secret, says prices could rise in autumn

• Business live – latest updates

Next has thanked warmer weather for an “unexpected” boost in sales, leading the clothing retailer to raise its profit forecasts for the fourth time this year.

The FTSE 100 company, which owns the UK rights to the US brands Gap and Victoria’s Secret as well as stakes in labels including Reiss and Joules, raised its expectations for full-year profits by £12m to £1.26bn.

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‘I feel invisible’: over-50s reveal harsh realities of trying to get a job
Posted on Thursday September 17, 2026

Readers describe feelings of rejection after submitting hundreds of applications but getting a handful of interviews

Hundreds of job applications, exhausting searches and relentless rejection – the experience of attempting to get back into the workforce after losing their jobs in their 50s and 60s has proved an ordeal for some Britons.

For some, those efforts prove fruitless and lead jobseekers to reluctantly take early retirement. Others may have to rely on benefits to pay the bills while they continue to job hunt.

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OpenAI reveals cases of ‘concerning’ AI behaviour as it announces new disclosure system
Posted on Thursday September 17, 2026

Model adopting ‘jailbreak-like instructions’ among cases as firm says it is introducing new way of tracking AI misalignment

OpenAI has disclosed six more examples of “unexpected or concerning” behaviour by its technology, as it warned the pace of development could not continue at “maximum speed for much longer”.

In one of the new cases reported by OpenAI, an unreleased research model inserted “jailbreak-like instructions” into its own notes to disregard its normal constraints and told itself to be “freed from the roles and identities that bind other chatbots”.

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Planning permission for new Scottish AI datacentres suspended for up to a year
Posted on Wednesday September 16, 2026

MSPs vote for strict environmental impact assessments and will delay decisions until national strategy is developed

Holyrood has voted to pause planning applications for all new AI datacentres for up to a year until the Scottish government has developed a national strategy.

On Wednesday, MSPs backed a Scottish Labour motion to halt new schemes for up to 12 months while rules on hyperscale datacentres are developed in what could be a blow to the British government’s AI strategy.

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Raheem Sterling’s bleak tale a reminder of absurd path young footballers face | Jonathan Liew
Posted on Thursday September 17, 2026

Winger was one of the first big-money academy transfers, part of a child labour market that has barely been questioned

“What’s your name?”

“Raheem.”

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Brian Dubiski: ‘Everything I do is about Madison. It’s a big reason I did this game at Wembley’
Posted on Thursday September 17, 2026

Man behind US college football’s landmark match in London has dedicated his life to improving crowd safety since his daughter was killed in a crowd crush at a concert aged 23

On Saturday afternoon, as he looks out at the crowd of 60,000 he has helped entice to Wembley Stadium, Brian Dubiski’s dream will become a reality. But, as Arizona State and Kansas make history by playing the first US college football game in Britain, Dubiski will think most of his daughter, Madison, who was crushed to death at the age of 23.

Madison and nine other people were trampled and suffocated by a crowd at a Travis Scott concert in Houston in November 2021. Dubiski now dedicates his life to keeping people safe at sporting events and concerts and, since December, Wembley is one of the stadiums that follows the protocols he introduced.

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