Unemployment set to hit 5.3% this year amid ‘worrying’ rise in young jobless
Posted on Tuesday March 03, 2026

OBR raises forecast from 4.9% and downgrades UK’s growth prospects for 2026 – while also warning of war uncertaintyUnemployment in the UK is set to peak this year at a higher rate than previously estimated, with a “worrying” increase in young people being out of work, the government’s official forecaster has said.The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) said unemployment will peak at 5.3% this year, up from its previous forecast in November of 4.9%. Continue reading...

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China calls for vessels in strait of Hormuz to be protected amid soaring shipping costs
Posted on Tuesday March 03, 2026

Beijing’s foreign ministry urges ‘all parties’ to avoid escalation as number of crossings drops 60% in one dayHow escalating Iran conflict is driving up oil and gas prices – a visual guideBusiness live – latest updatesThe Chinese government has called for vessels passing through the strait of Hormuz to be protected by all sides in the escalating Iran conflict, as shipping freight rates soared.Maritime traffic through the strait – a narrow channel on Iran’s southern border that connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman – has effectively been closed since the US and Israel launched missile attacks on Iran at the weekend, prompting a retaliation from Tehran. Continue reading...

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OpenAI amends Pentagon deal as Sam Altman admits it looks ‘sloppy’
Posted on Tuesday March 03, 2026

ChatGPT owner’s CEO says it will bar its technology being used for mass surveillance or by intelligence servicesBusiness live – latest updatesOpenAI is amending its hastily arranged deal to supply artificial intelligence to the US Department of War (DoW) after the ChatGPT owner’s chief executive admitted it looked “opportunistic and sloppy”.The contract prompted fears the San Francisco startup’s AI could be used for domestic mass surveillance but its boss, Sam Altman, said on Monday night the startup would explicitly bar its technology from being used for that purpose or being deployed by defence department intelligence agencies such as the National Security Agency (NSA). Continue reading...

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Teacher v chatbot: my journey into the classroom in the age of AI
Posted on Tuesday March 03, 2026

I was a newcomer, negotiating all of usual classroom difficulties for the first time. Throwing AI into the mix felt like downing a coffee in the middle of a panic attackTwo years ago, at the age of 39, I began training to be a school teacher. I wanted to teach English – to help young people become stronger readers, writers and thinkers, with a deeper connection to literature. After 15 years of working as a freelance writer and as a novelist, I felt confident that I had something to offer. But the further I progressed in my training, the more uncertain I felt. One particular question taunted me for my lack of an answer. What to do about artificial intelligence?The immediate dilemma: what does it mean for English instruction that all pupils now have access to free online chatbots that can produce fluid, fairly complex prose on demand? This question sits atop a teetering pile of timeless pedagogical quandaries: What are we actually trying to do in school? How should we go about doing it? How do we know if we’ve succeeded? I was a newcomer, negotiating all of this for the first time. Throwing AI into the mix felt like downing a coffee in the middle of a panic attack. Continue reading...

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What was really behind Block’s Jack Dorsey laying off nearly half his company’s staff?
Posted on Tuesday March 03, 2026

Dorsey cited AI advances when cutting 4,000 workers, but a weak crypto market and declining stock price may also be behind moveJack Dorsey cited AI as the driving force behind cutting 40% of his company’s employees, but other factors such as a weak crypto market, overstaffing and a declining stock price may also have motivated the move.Last week, the financial technology company Block announced that it would lay off 4,000 of its 10,000 workers. Dorsey, Block’s CEO, said in a letter to shareholders that advances in AI “have changed what it means to build and run a company”. Continue reading...

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Wolves v Liverpool, Leeds v Sunderland, and more: Premier League – live
Posted on Tuesday March 03, 2026

⚽ Premier League updates, kicking off from 7.30pm GMT⚽ Live scores | Tables | Today’s Football Daily | Email NiallIt’s finished Ukraine 1-6 England in the Lionesses’ opening World Cup qualifier.There’s another late midweek kick-off for Everton fans to navigate tonight. Andy Hunter reports on teething problems at their new home … Continue reading...

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Alessia Russo double for England sparks Women’s World Cup qualifying win against Ukraine
Posted on Tuesday March 03, 2026

Ukraine 1-6 EnglandGeorgia Stanway and Jess Park also score twiceStressed, anxious or doubtful after a goalless first half? Not these ­England players, who remained fully confident in their ability and found a flurry of ­second-half goals to begin their ­Women’s World Cup ­qualifying ­campaign with a 6-1 win against Ukraine.It helps when you have players with the firepower of Alessia Russo, Georgia Stanway and Jess Park all thriving and all scoring twice. The European champions may feel they should have won by a greater ­margin: they were profligate in the first half, but eventually opened the floodgates as Park continued her bright ­Manchester United form. Continue reading...

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