Welsh munitions factory seen as crucial to boosting UK stockpiles and aiding Ukraine is yet to open
Posted on Sunday February 15, 2026

Exclusive: Delay at Glascoed is latest setback for armed forces and for UK’s capacity to supply shells to UkraineA new factory in Wales seen as crucial to boosting UK munitions production remains unopened more than six months after its planned launch, adding to a string of delays dogging the armed forces.The explosives facility at Glascoed, south Wales, was expected to bring a 16-fold increase in Britain’s capacity to make artillery shells, replenishing dwindling stock and increasing supplies for Ukraine. Continue reading...

Read more...

UK’s gender pay gap ‘won’t close for 30 years’ at current rates
Posted on Sunday February 15, 2026

Trades Union Congress says women have worked a month and a half for nothing this year and legislation is neededWomen in the UK will not be paid the same as men until 2056 at the current rate of progress, according to a Trades Union Congress report.The gender pay gap, which stands at £2,548 a year, means that women have in effect worked for nothing so far this year, the TUC said. Continue reading...

Read more...

Firm that went bust owing £650k to HMRC offers staff Las Vegas trip after being bought by ex-owner
Posted on Sunday February 15, 2026

Acquisition by Premier Group Recruitment boss Andrew Woosnam appears to be example of ‘phoenixism’A recruitment business that went bust owing the tax authorities and other creditors almost £3m has promised to send its staff on an all-expenses paid trip to Las Vegas after being repurchased by its former owner for an initial £10,000.Premier Group Recruitment went into administration in September with debts of £2.9m – including £647,000 owed to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), which had commenced enforcement proceedings against the company. Continue reading...

Read more...

No swiping involved: the AI dating apps promising to find your soulmate
Posted on Sunday February 15, 2026

Agentic AI apps first interview you and then give you limited matches selected for ‘similarity and reciprocity of personality’Dating apps exploit you, dating profiles lie to you, and sex is basically something old people used to do. You might as well consider it: can AI help you find love?For a handful of tech entrepreneurs and a few brave Londoners, the answer is “maybe”. Continue reading...

Read more...

California’s billionaires pour cash into elections as big tech seeks new allies
Posted on Sunday February 15, 2026

As Gavin Newsom departs, ultra-wealthy flex wealth and influence to fight regulation and keep the boom goingTech billionaires are leveraging tens of millions of dollars to influence California politics in a marked uptick from their previous participation in affairs at the state capitol. Behemoths such as Google and Meta are getting involved in campaigns for November’s elections, as are venture capitalists, cryptocurrency entrepreneurs and Palantir’s co-founders. The industry’s goals run the gamut – from fighting a billionaire tax to supporting a techie gubernatorial candidate to firing up new, influential super political action committees (Pacs).The phenomenon squarely fits the moment for the state’s politics – with 2026 being the year that Politico has dubbed “the big tech flex”. Continue reading...

Read more...

Winter Olympics 2026: Weston and Stoecker cap golden day for GB; Strøm wins women’s ski jumping – live
Posted on Sunday February 15, 2026

Medal table | Live scores and schedule | Results | BriefingFollow us over on Bluesky | Get in touch: email GrahamBrignone smashed her leg at the end of last season, fought her way back, and now look!Goodness me, she’s almost perfect as she nears the end, and 1:03.23 is her time! That puts her 0.74 up on Colturi, Hector and Stjernesund, plus a whole 1.02 on Shiffrin! Continue reading...

Read more...

Théo Attissogbe leads imperious France to eight-try romp over sorry Wales
Posted on Sunday February 15, 2026

Wales 12-54 FranceWales slump to 13th consecutive Six Nations defeatWe are running out of ways to describe this. Another match in what used to be rugby’s most passionate cauldron, another dismantling, another humiliation.France are good, really good, but we might as well have been in Paris, so loud was the travelling support, so gaping the rows of empty seats. The official attendance was just shy of 60,000. Maybe, but it looked and felt a good deal less than that. Continue reading...

Read more...