Financial news

• Only 160 apprenticeship starts in eight months on Labour’s flagship scheme

  21-09-2026 06:00 via theguardian.com
  Exclusive: Government warned ‘skills revolution’ at risk amid slow start to project with target of 30,000 starts by end of parliamentLabour has been warned its “skills revolution” to tackle youth unemployment risks failure, after its flagship apprenticeship scheme enrolled only 160 young people in its first eight months.The shortfall, highlighted in a report by the Fabian Society, leaves the government well off track of achieving its ambition of 30,000 “foundation a
  
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• How the civil war in Yemen could affect global shipping routes – explainer

  22-09-2026 21:19 via theguardian.com
  Houthi militants have made a lightning advance along the Red Sea coast, capturing strategically important territory in Yemen.Hundreds of civilians have been killed and more than 100,000 people have been forced to flee their homes.The Guardian's Oliver Holmes explains why this conflict has world governments on edge Continue reading...
  
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• EU removes two oligarchs from Russia sanctions list as deadline looms

  22-09-2026 20:07 via theguardian.com
  Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman delisted in what Ireland’s EU presidency calls ‘a difficult compromise’ for the blocThe EU has agreed to remove two Russian billionaires, Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman, from its sanctions list, while extending restrictions on nearly 3,000 individuals and companies accused of supporting the war on Ukraine for the next three years.With an end-of-Tuesday deadline looming to preserve the Russia blacklist, the EU’s 27 member states fou
  
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• The Guardian view on Keynes in the West End: James Graham’s latest play captures the zeitgeist | Editorial

  22-09-2026 19:50 via theguardian.com
  As the chancellor, John Healey, ponders options ahead of his first budget, the playwright’s new work offers lessons from the pastStill only 44, James Graham has become a formidable chronicler of our national story. On themes such as the rise of Rupert Murdoch, social upheaval in post-industrial Britain and the neuroses of the England men’s football team, the playwright and screenwriter has made it his vocation to read the signs of our times and write them up for the stage.Graham&rsqu
  
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• Keeping billionaires and the taxman happy | Letters

  22-09-2026 18:58 via theguardian.com
  Stephen Gillian says the super-rich could help guarantee a decent wage for low-paid people in return for some tax benefits. Plus letters from Les Bright and Steve BrownI have a simple solution to help keep the super-rich happy with their tax bills while keeping their enormous wealth safely stored offshore and allowing them possibly to spend more time in the UK (Manchester United Muslim fans group calls on co-owner Jim Ratcliffe to quit, 19 September). They could insist that any company they earn
  
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• Jim Ratcliffe halts production at Hull chemical plants over ‘ridiculous’ gas prices

  22-09-2026 18:18 via theguardian.com
  Billionaire owner of Ineos says company ‘cannot compete’ with global market despite efficiency of Humberside sitesBillionaire industrialist Sir Jim Ratcliffe is pausing production at three chemical plants in Hull, blaming the UK’s “ridiculously high” gas prices.Ratcliffe’s chemicals conglomerate, Ineos, said on Tuesday it would “mothball” three chemical plants because the cost made it difficult to compete in the global market. Continue reading...
  
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• ‘How do you get a result without contacting a newspaper?’: your questions for our consumer champion answered

  22-09-2026 17:19 via theguardian.com
  In her weekly column for the Guardian, Anna Tims solves readers consumer problems – ranging from the devastating to the ridiculous. She answered your questions on AI chat bots, consumer protection and how companies keep getting away with terrible customer serviceTLouis1990 asks: What are your tips for getting the best out of customer service? Are there mistakes we all make that make issues worse?Anna: I like your question; too often we focus on what customer service agents owe us rather th
  
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• European drugmakers say they are ‘losing ground’ to US and Chinese rivals

  22-09-2026 17:04 via theguardian.com
  Some of continent’s biggest pharma firms write to national leaders calling for action to safeguard their futuresSome of Europe’s biggest pharmaceutical companies have said the continent is “losing ground” to rivals including the US and China in developing new drugs and attracting investment.The chairs of nine companies, including Britain’s AstraZeneca, GSK and Denmark’s Novo Nordisk, wrote to Andy Burnham and the national leaders of other European countries on
  
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• Nick Clegg could make £30m windfall from datacentre startup Nscale flotation

  22-09-2026 16:57 via theguardian.com
  The former UK deputy prime minister is a board member of the UK-basedcompany and owns 917,000 sharesNick Clegg could make approximately $40m (£30m) from the planned float of Nscale as the UK-based datacentre company prepares for a US stock market listing.The former UK deputy prime minister owns more than 917,000 shares in the startup, which is reportedly seeking a valuation of up to $35bn in a flotation. Based on Clegg’s stake of 0.12%, that could yield a valuation of about $42m for
  
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• UK borrows £18bn in August, putting pressure on Healey before budget

  22-09-2026 16:04 via theguardian.com
  Some economists say it is now ‘inevitable’ that chancellor will need to raise taxes in the budget next monthThe UK government borrowed a higher-than-expected £18.3bn last month, increasing the pressure on John Healey as he attempts to calm jittery bond markets before next month’s budget.Some economists said it was “inevitable” that the chancellor would need to raise taxes on 28 October if he is to meet demands for extra spending on defence without further borr
  
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• High-mileage electric cars are more reliable than petrol ones, study finds

  22-09-2026 15:37 via theguardian.com
  EVs with 90,000 to 120,000 miles on the clock are more likely to pass MOTs than petrol models of the same ageMotorists buying a secondhand car with a lot of miles on the clock are likely to find an electric vehicle (EV) ultimately more reliable than a petrol vehicle, according to a study.An analysis of 47.4m MOT tests found that after cars were driven 90,000 to 120,000 miles, EVs were about 25% less likely to fail than petrol models of the same age (based on a failure rate of 16.5% versus 22.1%)
  
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• The world freaked out about AI doomsday. Now what?

  22-09-2026 15:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Donald Trump and Xi Jinping will meet each other next week, but it’s unlikely they’ll agree to AI regulationHello, and welcome to TechScape. I’m your host, Blake Montgomery, US tech editor at the Guardian, writing to you while reading and disagreeing with Jenny Odell’s 2019 book How to Do Nothing. I’m pro-screen time. Today in tech, we’re discussing the upcoming meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, in which AI will likely feature prominently. Continue
  
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• EU spends three times more on imports from China than bloc exports there

  22-09-2026 13:54 via theguardian.com
  Days before Xi Jinping’s summit with Donald Trump, new study shows trade deficit ran at more than €1bn daily in JulyConsumers and businesses in the EU are spending three times more on Chinese imports than their counterparts in China are buying from the bloc, a study has shown.Customs data showed the gap between the EU’s imports from China and exports to China, the trade deficit, ran at more than €1bn (£860m) a day in July. Continue reading...
  
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• OpenAI’s George Osborne says datacentre nimbys holding back Britain

  22-09-2026 13:46 via theguardian.com
  Former chancellor, now senior figure at OpenAI, says UK needs datacentres to maintain ‘sovereignty’ over AI techUK politics live – latest updatesDatacentre nimbys are holding Britain back, George Osborne has said in reaction to nationwide protests about the giant water- and energy-guzzling structures.The former Tory chancellor is now the head of AI for countries at OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT. His job is to represent the company to governments around the world and he also
  
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• AI is generating a new wave of US populism. It could be a tipping point | Robert Reich

  22-09-2026 12:00 via theguardian.com
  
  It’s becoming obvious to many Americans that corporations have been raking it in while workers take it on the chinLast week, the unlikely duo of Bernie Sanders and Steve Bannon spoke before a Washington group demanding a stop to AI and its datacenters.Notably, both lambasted the corporate oligarchs behind AI. Continue reading...
  
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• ‘What we have is unique’: the Indian craftsmanship behind global luxury fashion

  22-09-2026 08:30 via theguardian.com
  Generations of artisans from Mumbai to Lucknow have shaped the world’s most coveted designs. Plus, the gen Z memes giving classic Bollywood a new lifeThe zardozi embroidery on a Dior dress, the T-strap leather sandals at a Prada show, the mirror-work technique used on a Fendi bag – for decades, the skill of Indian artisans has been an invisible force behind some of the world’s most coveted fashion.Now, that work is beginning to claim its own place in the spotlight, and the Mumb
  
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• Flixbus left us stranded on the M23 after a police swoop

  22-09-2026 08:00 via theguardian.com
  A 90-minute wait on a motorway hard shoulder was terrifying with lorries thundering pastMy partner and I were among a group of passengers left stranded for 90 minutes on a motorway hard shoulder after our coach driver was arrested for suspected drug driving.We had boarded the Cambridge to Brighton Flixbus service at Gatwick. The coach was an hour late, was visibly damaged on the outside and the driver set off without closing the luggage hatch. Continue reading...
  
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• Britain needs cash and everyone knows we should break the pensions triple lock. Where is the courage? | Gaby Hinsliff

  22-09-2026 07:00 via theguardian.com
  The issue cannot be avoided any longer. Andy Burnham and his chancellor must face the fear of a pensioner backlash, and find a fair solutionThere is always something oddly unreal about party conference season. In theory, everyone is getting away from Westminster to better reflect on the state of the nation. In practice, the whole circus just briefly relocates to the coast, to live off warm white wine and gossip for three days, before coming back with a streaming cold. But this year, reality seem
  
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• The rise of Big Toothbrush: how did our mouths become such a lucrative market?

  22-09-2026 06:00 via theguardian.com
  People in the UK are more interested in oral health than ever - and you can now buy prebiotic toothpastes and brushes that cost up to £600. Yet we remain in the midst of a serious dental crisisA December 1969 report from the consumer magazine Which? explored a relatively new gadget that, it predicted, many people would be giving as Christmas presents: the electric toothbrush. For those who hadn’t yet seen one, the magazine described it as “not that much different in principle f
  
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• Halt super-intelligent AI with non-proliferation treaty, Ed Davey to say

  21-09-2026 23:30 via theguardian.com
  At Lib Dems’ conference in Brighton, leader will accuse Andy Burnham of relying on Donald Trump and ‘tech bros’ to solve problemEd Davey is to call for a global nuclear-style non-proliferation treaty to halt the development of super-intelligent AI when he makes his keynote speech at the Liberal Democrat conference, accusing Andy Burnham of relying on Donald Trump and “tech bros” to solve the problem.When he addresses the faithful on the final day of the gathering in
  
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• Airlines urge action after UK flights delayed and cancelled again

  21-09-2026 22:45 via theguardian.com
  Nats says fault at Prestwick has been ‘fixed’ after airports in Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland are hitAirlines have called for “action and accountability” over the UK’s air traffic control services after a technical issue led to flights being disrupted for the second time in a fortnight.Dozens were cancelled and others severely delayed after a fault on Monday morning at National Air Traffic Services (Nats), this time at its second control centre at
  
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• ‘Half my day’s pay goes to filling up my car now’: diesel crisis ripples across Britain

  21-09-2026 18:29 via theguardian.com
  Small traders and drivers bear the brunt of a refining shortage taking forecourt prices towards £2 a litre as wars wipe out about a fifth of global suppliesThe smoke rising from the Kapotnya oil refinery to the south-east of Moscow marks one of Ukraine’s biggest air raids on the Russian capital since the start of the war, and the latest salvo in an energy crisis that threatens to affect households and businesses across the globe.More than 1,500 miles away, British motorists are brace
  
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• ‘Don’t spend $20 on an acai bowl’: gen Z are shunning private equity’s restaurant takeover

  21-09-2026 15:51 via theguardian.com
  As more PE firms invest in food establishments, people are bemoaning the ‘same-ification’ of NYC’s restaurant sceneLos Tacos No 1 is a classic New York success story. After the Mexican-style taco joint opened in 2013, it quickly became a critic’s pick in the city’s paper of record, drawing long lines and a devoted lunchtime crowd. As word spread about its juicy al pastor and handmade tortillas, it expanded to nine locations. Then, this September, bad news struck: Lo
  
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• Businesses in England: tell us about your experience of taking on apprentices

  21-09-2026 12:51 via theguardian.com
  The government has announced plans to create thousands more apprenticeships. We want to hear from employers about their experiences of recruiting apprenticesOnly 160 young people have enrolled on the government’s flagship foundation apprenticeship scheme in its first eight months, despite an ambition to reach 30,000 starts by the end of this parliament.The figures come amid growing concern about youth unemployment. Research by the Fabian Society also found that many employers had limited k
  
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• All the signs say another financial crisis is coming. Here’s why we need to prepare for it now | Larry Elliott

  21-09-2026 09:00 via theguardian.com
  War, AI disruption and markets in turmoil: the warnings are all there. But lessons from the 2008 crash could help us Continue reading...
  
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• ‘RAMageddon’: tech crunch hikes the price of your next iPhone by £100

  21-09-2026 08:00 via theguardian.com
  Shortage of memory chips and other critical components reverses trend of electronics becoming cheaperApple’s recent product launch caused headlines around the world as it unveiled its first folding phone. But hidden in the slick technology showcase was a nasty surprise: a £100 increase in the price of all iPhones, including older models.It is blamed on “RAMageddon”, which has reversed a decades-long trend of electronics becoming cheaper. It is the fallout from the AI gold
  
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• How Saudi oil scientists ended up working on the world’s most important climate reports

  21-09-2026 07:00 via theguardian.com
  Guardian investigation reveals fossil fuel links of IPCC authors, with experts declaring the body’s conflict of interest policy ‘not fit for purpose’On her first day as an expert author on the world’s most important climate reports, Prof Julia Steinberger knew nobody else, so she sat down at a stranger’s table for breakfast.“Hi, I’m Julia. I’m from the University of Lausanne,” she said. The man across the table replied: “I’m Musta
  
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• ‘It’s unrecognisable’: How being a tax haven has changed Jersey

  21-09-2026 06:00 via theguardian.com
  While global billionaires and multinational companies have been lured to its shores, many islanders feel left behind and priced out, with food bank use increasingOn a late Friday afternoon on the Channel Island of Jersey, tourists and locals are flocking to St Helier’s waterfront where the town’s sprawling beach has emerged at low tide.In one direction, they face the calm waters of St Aubin’s Bay, ringed by a seaside promenade and punctuated with a tidal island hosting the 16th
  
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• Drone attacks damage major Moscow refinery during Russia’s parliamentary elections – video

  20-09-2026 16:30 via theguardian.com
  An oil refinery was damaged in Moscow after Ukraine launched a major attack on the city and other parts of Russia involving hundreds of drones.The mayor of Moscow, Sergey Sobyanin, said more than 1,600 drones had been intercepted and shot down, 450 of which were aimed at Moscow, and accused Ukraine of attempting to interfere with the highly controlled three-day election that is expected to tighten president Vladimir Putin’s 26-year grip on powerHundreds of drones target Moscow on last day
  
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• UK startup snares $20m to recreate gigs with ‘hyper-realistic’ digital avatars

  20-09-2026 15:00 via theguardian.com
  Unit1 hopes to offer lower cost version of shows such as Abba Voyage, showcasing living and dead artists in any venueThe former chief executive of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s entertainment group has obtained a near-£15m investment for his UK music tech startup that hopes to recreate classic concerts by manifesting musicians as digital avatars.Unit1 was set up last year by Barney Wragg, an entertainment executive who ran Lord Lloyd-Webber’s Cats-to-Evita empire for five years from lat
  
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