French billionaire becomes Vodafone’s largest shareholder with £4.4bn stake 10. July 2026 (13:05) Xavier Niel buys 16% through investment vehicle Vega after Emirati telecoms group sells shareholdingThe French telecoms billionaire Xavier Niel has become Vodafone’s largest shareholder after buying a 16% stake for £4.4bn.On Friday, the Emirati telecoms group e&, which first took a stake worth £3.3bn in Vodafone in 2022, announced the sale of its entire shareholding for 112.5p a share. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
New York City to become first in US to ban deceptive subscription practices 10. July 2026 (13:00) Rule from Mamdani administration bans companies from trapping customers into paying recurring charges and also targets ‘junk fees’New York City has adopted a new rule that bans companies from using deceptive subscriptions to trap customers into paying for gym memberships, streaming services and other recurring charges, the city’s consumer protection office said.The new rule, which will start 1 October, promises hefty fines and aggressive enforcement for violators. Companies that do not provide a simple way to cancel could pay $525 per user subscription, back fees and additional fines. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Completely nuts: Dutch gallery covers floor in peanut butter to honour late artist 10. July 2026 (12:48) Wim T Schippers asked that his 800lb sculpture be spread smoothly and without ‘educational purpose’A museum in Rotterdam has paid tribute to the idiosyncratic character of one of the most influential figures in the Dutch arts by spreading 800lb of peanut butter across the floor of one of its galleries.The hexagonal floor installation, called Pindakaasvloer (Peanut Butter Floor), is a recreation of a work by Wim T Schippers conceived of in 1962 and first exhibited in 1969. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Weather tracker: Typhoon leaves people stranded on rooftops in China 10. July 2026 (11:18) Eleven reported dead as flooding also brings danger of snakes, while buildings collapse in Mumbai amid heavy rain As the first typhoon to make landfall in China for the 2026 season, Maysak has caused devastating damage in southern and central regions. The Guangxi region received intense downpours of up to 280mm in 12 hours, causing rivers to swell and dam walls to break. By Monday morning, flooding across the city of Nanning and surrounding areas had resulted in many people being stranded on rooftops.Flood waters pose additional threats in China because of the presence of wild and farmed snakes. On Thursday local media reported that hundreds of snakes, including cobras, had escaped from flooded breeding farms. Typhoon Maysak also aided the development of two destructive tornados that swept across central China later on Monday evening. This occurred when warm air from the south, brought up by Typhoon Maysak, collided with cold air in the north. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘AI accountability agenda’: US senator unveils package of bills to curb tech’s harms 10. July 2026 (11:00) Exclusive: Senator Ed Markey on why he has proposed legislation aimed at curbing datacenters, automated hiring systems and harm to childrenUS senator Ed Markey is worried about the perils of unregulated artificial intelligence.What part? All of it: the costs associated with thirsty, energy-guzzling datacenters, intrusive workplace surveillance, bias in discriminatory algorithms, AI overriding workers’ judgments, and deepening economic inequality – as those who profit most from AI rake in extraordinary windfalls. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Police officer hurt amid violent disorder in London after France beat Morocco 10. July 2026 (10:28) Four arrests after Edgware Road incidents, say policeTeenager dies in France while celebrating team’s winA police officer has been hurt and several people were arrested after disorder in London on Thursday night in the wake of France beating Morocco 2-0 in a World Cup quarter-final in Boston in the United States. Police and fans clashed on Edgware Road.Footage on social media appears to show flares being set off and missiles being thrown at officers in the middle of a London street. The Metropolitan police said four people were arrested for violent disorder and one officer had been taken to hospital with a head injury after being hit by a glass bottle. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Swift nest reportedly thrown in skip during house renovations in South Tyneside 10. July 2026 (10:00) Conservationists fear more nests may have been destroyed during work on Jarrow houses by council-appointed contractorSwift chicks are feared to have been thrown into a skip during house renovations in South Tyneside, despite rules that should stop the destruction of nests.The Northern Swifts Group (NSG) was alerted to the destruction of at least one nest on Tuesday, in a street in Jarrow where houses were being renovated by South Tyneside council. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Telstra must ‘face the music’, Anika Wells says – as it happened 10. July 2026 (09:39) This blog is now closedGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTelstra aware of investigation into death in South Australia during triple zero issuesTelstra said it is aware South Australia police are investigating the death of a person during the company’s network issues. SA police said yesterday they were investigating the death, which occurred at a regional hospital on Wednesday.Our thoughts are with the person’s family and loved ones at this difficult time.We are working closely with South Australia Police to support their investigation and to establish whether there is any connection between this matter and yesterday’s network outage.We are working to get rid of the Labor government, that’s our focus. Our focus isn’t on some kind of coalition or alliance. Our focus is on getting rid of a rotten Labor government. I want us to be in government in our own right.That is not our plan. Our plan is to get rid of the government. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Developing countries spend more repaying foreign debt than on education, UN reveals 10. July 2026 (09:00) Unesco report shows children lost out to servicing debt in 113 countries, with 18 spending five times more on loansMost developing countries spent less on education than they did repaying debt last year, according to the UN, at the same time as global aid to education is predicted to decline by up to 30%.More was spent on servicing foreign debt than on education in 113 developing countries in 2025, according to research by the UN’s culture and education agency, Unesco. In sub-Saharan Africa, countries spent 3.6 times more on debt than education. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US private equity firm Apollo enters bidding war for easyJet with £5.7bn offer 10. July 2026 (08:38) Airline’s board minded to recommend deal – after accepting rival one from Castlelake earlier this weekBusiness live – latest updatesThe board of easyJet has given the green light to a possible £5.7bn offer from the US private equity firm Apollo, as the low-cost airline becomes the subject of a surprise bidding war.The company’s board said on Friday that it was “minded to recommend” the potential all-cash offer, which values the business at £7.15p a share, to shareholders. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
