Healey appoints Labour manifesto writer, adding to election speculation
Posted on Friday September 25, 2026

Exclusive: Economist Ravinder Athwal, who worked in Keir Starmer’s team, is poached from Flint Global

Ravinder Athwal, the economist who wrote Labour’s 2024 manifesto, is taking on a senior role as an adviser to John Healey, in a move likely to fuel speculation about an early general election.

The chancellor is keen to strengthen his team before the critical budget on 28 October, as the economy is buffeted by high oil prices and rising government borrowing costs.

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Burnham pledges extra £210m towards regenerating boarded-up high streets
Posted on Friday September 25, 2026

Funds to help local people turn empty shops, pubs and clubs into community hubs, shared workspaces and cafes

The UK government has pledged £210m to regenerate high streets by taking boarded-up shops, pubs and clubs and turning them into shared workspaces, cafes and community hubs.

Andy Burnham said the funds would “help put power back into the hands of locals who know their area best” as part of his effort to “restore pride and bring hope back”.

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TalkTalk races to sell consumer and broadband arms as administration looms
Posted on Friday September 25, 2026

Customers and jobs ‘top priority’ as company closes in on deals with Opus Broadband and investment group Octopus

• Business live – latest updates

TalkTalk is scrambling to secure its future amid the threat of administration, closing in on deals to sell its consumer and broadband arms as it seeks to save 900 jobs.

The telecoms company said on Friday it was in the final stages of sealing deals to sell its consumer business as well as its wholesale operation, PXC.

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David Beckham takes £39m dividend as World Cup deals drive record profits
Posted on Friday September 25, 2026

Former footballer appeared in about 12 ad campaigns this summer, pushing holding company’s revenue to $110.5m

David Beckham has taken a $51m (£39m) dividend from his business empire after a series of deals with brands for the Fifa World Cup.

Beckham appeared in about a dozen ad campaigns across this summer’s tournament in the US, working with brands including Lenovo, McDonald’s, Bank of America, Verizon and the PepsiCo crisps brand Lay’s.

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Launch of UK’s ‘largest AI supercomputer’ delayed by power supply problems
Posted on Thursday September 24, 2026

Datacentre hailed by government was supposed to start operating next year but may be held back into mid-2030s

A huge datacentre project hailed by the UK government will miss its launch date next year and could be delayed into the mid-2030s.

The site in Loughton, Essex, was described as the country’s largest AI supercomputer when it was announced in 2025, but power supply problems mean it now faces a lengthy wait before coming online.

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The comedians turning AI anxiety into punchlines: ‘It’s so good, it’ll completely alter our grasp on reality’
Posted on Friday September 25, 2026

Across videos, standup and cartoons, humorists are skewering big tech’s attempt to make AI ubiquitous and inevitable

“Best case scenario, we never have to do any admin again,” says an AI CEO. “Worst case, we all die.”

A young man struggles to the top of a beautiful mountain, words echoing in his ears: “AI will most likely lead to the end of the world, but in the meantime, there will be great companies created.” At the top of the mountain, he triumphantly holds up a sign: “Build a datacenter here.”

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Manchester City found guilty of breaking Premier League’s financial fair play rules
Posted on Friday September 25, 2026

• City face sanctions after more than 100 rule breaches

• Club insist on innocence and are expected to appeal

Manchester City have been found guilty of the vast majority of more than a hundred charges related to breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules, throwing English football into turmoil.

The serial champions now face the possibility of being relegated from the Premier League, or expelled from the competition altogether, after a verdict in the biggest disciplinary case in the history of the sport was finally delivered.

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Turkey 0-1 France, Italy 0-2 Belgium, Georgia 0-1 Northern Ireland: Nations League – as it happened
Posted on Friday September 25, 2026

Zinedine Zidane started his France era with a win in Turkey but Roberto Mancini’s Italy side struggled against Belgium

Before kick-off in Italy, there is a minute’s applause for Sandro Mazzola, the legendary Inter midfielder who won two European Cups and a World Cup runners-up medal. You can read our obituary, by Richard Williams, here.

The teams are out! It’s quite the atmosphere in Izmit as the Turkish fans give the France side a warm welcome. Real Madrid teammates Kylian Mbappé and Arda Güler embrace, both talismen for their countries. Zidane looks typically stoic in the French dugout, dressed head to toe in navy suit, shirt, tie.

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