Labour chair of housing committee calls for urgent funds for affordable homes in England 09. October 2026 (11:00) Exclusive: Abena Oppong-Asare urges chancellor to unlock billions of pounds, as housing associations say they could build 41,000 homes in 10 yearsThe Labour chair of the Commons housing committee is urging John Healey to bring forward billions of pounds of planned spending on social and affordable homes in England, after housing associations said they were ready to build tens of thousands more.Abena Oppong-Asare called for the chancellor to allocate money from the £39bn Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP) as soon as possible, rather than after the election as planned. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
OpenAI projected to bring in $20bn less in revenue than expected 09. October 2026 (10:06) Questions raised over AI growth as ChatGPT maker forecasts this year’s revenue at $50bn, way below the $70bn signalled beforeBusiness live – latest updatesOpenAI has revealed that it is making about $20bn less in projected revenue than it had recently indicated to investors, raising questions about the break-neck growth rate in demand for AI.The ChatGPT-maker company has told investors that its revenues for this year would reach $50bn (£37bn), a projection based on sales up to the end of September. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Palantir’s Tom Watson says ‘mob rule’ must not dictate awarding of government contracts 09. October 2026 (09:20) Former Labour deputy leader says tech firm would work with a Reform UK government on immigration crackdownsTom Watson, the former Labour deputy leader who recently joined Palantir, has warned against “mob rule” when it comes to awarding public contracts.Lord Watson, now a senior vice-president at the US tech corporation, said UK ministers could get themselves “in a lot of trouble” as he was questioned about concerns raised about the government working with his new employer. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Please, sir, can I have a walk? Dickens biographer finds likely inspiration for Oliver Twist 09. October 2026 (09:00) Exclusive: Theresa Musgrove unearths newspaper archives showing one Alice Shepherd was severely punished in 1836 for similarly innocent requestCould a consumptive young woman called Alice Shepherd have been the inspiration for Oliver Twist? That is a question now being posed by a historian, who has discovered parallels between the brutality suffered by a real-life pauper incarcerated in one of Victorian London’s notorious workhouses and Charles Dickens’s fictional orphan.In researching a new book on Dickens, Theresa Musgrove unearthed 1836 newspaper reports on Alice Shepherd, who endured starvation and solitary confinement within a workhouse in Hendon, after a magistrate ruled she was to be punished for daring to ask for permission to take a walk. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Holborn and St Pancras byelection loss will disappoint Greens – but there may also be relief 09. October 2026 (08:40) It may sound odd to think Zack Polanski would be happy with second place, but after the most challenging week of his political life it could have been worseHolborn and St Pancras byelection – live updatesLabour’s Abdi-Wali fends off Polanski and Green party to win byelectionParliamentary byelections can generate all sorts of emotional responses, often very strong ones. But for the main contenders in Holborn and St Pancras, the feeling this morning might be more prosaic: relief.For Labour, Sagal Abdi-Wali’s victory with just over 45% of the total vote was widely expected, but it allows the party to credibly claim Andy Burnham as a politician able to reach people in both Reform-leaning areas such as Makerfield, and in Green-friendly inner cities. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Adidas accuses Australian label White Fox of ‘trading off its reputation’ with use of four-stripe branding 09. October 2026 (08:05) Global sportswear brand is suing online retailer in the federal court for selling clothes featuring ‘deceptively similar’ designGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGlobal sportswear brand Adidas claims Australian label White Fox is trying to trade off its reputation by infringing its distinctive three-stripe trademark.Adidas is suing the online fast-fashion retailer in the Federal Court for selling clothes with a four-stripe design, which it argues is deceptively similar to its classic design. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Tories overstate net zero cost by nearly £500bn in apparent spreadsheet error 09. October 2026 (08:00) Exclusive: Badenoch’s flagship conference policy document cites £957bn estimate, twice the total in climate advisers’ dataKemi Badenoch’s flagship party conference policy document overestimated the cost of net zero by nearly £500bn, seemingly after someone accidentally double-counted figures on a spreadsheet.The apparent error appears in a chapter on net zero in The Right Way, a 100-page policy document produced for the Conservative conference in Birmingham. Badenoch repeatedly used the phrase in her main speech. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Virgin unveils its future cross-Channel train as it gears up to take on Eurostar 09. October 2026 (08:00) Group plans to launch services from London in 2030 and hopes to outshine competitor with design inspiration from its airline, cruise and hotel armsFlash interiors, fancy food and maybe even a bar: Virgin has unveiled a mock-up of its future cross-Channel train, with a pledge to create “something genuinely new”.The group is planning to launch rail services from London to the continent in 2030, with Eurostar facing competition for the first time since the opening of the Channel tunnel. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Sydney trader sacked for working from Singapore without permission wins unfair dismissal case 09. October 2026 (07:55) Employee had also been in Bali when he told his manager he was working from home, Fair Work Commission hearsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA Sydney currency trader who was sacked for working from Singapore without approval has won an unfair dismissal case, but failed to be awarded compensation.The Fair Work Commission ruled on Wednesday that Charles Graham had been unfairly dismissed by HIFX Australia, trading as Xe, in December last year. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Second UK health body drops Israeli drug firm after activist pressure 09. October 2026 (07:00) Decision by Royal College of Pharmacy to end sponsorship comes after concerns over Teva Pharmaceuticals’ ‘activities’A second major UK health body has cut ties with an Israeli drug firm after coming under pressure from pro-Palestine campaigners.The Royal College of Pharmacy has dropped Teva UK, the British arm of the global medicines producer Teva Pharmaceuticals, as a sponsor of and exhibitor at its annual conference next month. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
