The Guardian
6 hours ago
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Titan sub: design flaws and company groupthink central to catastrophe, report finds
Canadian officials find structural defects in material used for hull and say firm failed to fully test ‘novel’ designCanadian safety officials have issued a damning report on the catastrophic final voyage of the Titan submersible, finding that the US company behind the expedition was overcome by “groupthink” and “confirmation bias” and failed to understand the profound risks confronting their largely untested craft.The 6.7-metre (22ft) carbon fibre submersible dipped below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean in June 2023 en route to the wreckage of the Titanic ocean liner. But nearly two hours after it departed with five passengers, communications went dark. The disappearance prompted a frantic international search, with Canada and the US marshalling all available resources. Continue reading...
The Guardian
8 hours ago
The Guardian view on Britain and the EU: Ed Davey is right – a changed world changes the argument | Editorial
The Liberal Democrat leader’s call for more ambitious reintegration with Europe brings a necessary focus on economic and strategic realityMembership of the European single market was at stake when the UK voted on Brexit, but it was not the decisive question in the campaign. The leave campaign dishonestly promised a cost-free severance of ties with Britain’s largest trading partner. As immigration came to dominate the debate, the requirement to allow free movement of people as a condition of seamless integration with European markets undermined the remainers’ most compelling argument.Reluctance to advocate a liberal migration regime imposed a taboo on calls to reconsider the Brexit settlement, even as warnings about the cost of rupture were vindicated. Now, after a decade of forsaken growth, the mood is finally changing. Continue reading...
The Guardian
9 hours ago
I once protested against the G7. I feel no need now, because it’s collapsing all by itself | Zoe Williams
You cannot take a rules-based order seriously when only some of the participants are playing by the rulesWhen 200,000 protesters gathered to meet the G8 summit in Genoa, 25 years ago, their point (our point, in fact; I went on a coach, it took two and a half days) was that eight rich nations shouldn’t dictate the rules to the rest of the world. If you accept that power concedes nothing without a demand, this demand probably sounds a bit broad, boiling down to “abnegate your power”. But it was part of a wider anti-globalisation movement, in which many of the precise mechanisms by which the developed world exploited the developing had been nailed down.Many of the protest tactics and networks had been honed at the battle for Seattle in 1999, outside the World Trade Organization summit, along with an agenda that was capacious and versatile. Unfortunately, the authorities had also learned a thing or two, and both the elaborate security of the G8’s red zone and the police brutality outside it were met with some astonishment from the world’s (liberal) media, but not from anyone with a memory exceeding two years. Continue reading...
The Guardian
10 hours ago
Starmer warns against ‘looking backwards’ to Brexit after rivals back UK’s return to EU
Speaking at the G7 summit, prime minister says he stands by Labour’s manifesto pledge not to rejoin blocThe UK and the European Union should not waste time “looking backwards” to Brexit, Keir Starmer said on Wednesday, as he comes under pressure to reconsider rejoining the EU.The prime minister reaffirmed his government’s manifesto commitment to not re-enter the bloc, but said there had been “real progress” with the relationship, which was “slowly but surely building”. Continue reading...
The Guardian
11 hours ago
Legislation proposed to stop lawsuits used to silence journalists and whistleblowers
Private members’ bills to crack down on use of Slapps are likely to attract cross-party supportA coordinated push to protect whistleblowers, journalists and victims of sexual assault from being sued by those who wish to silence them has been launched in both houses of parliament.Two private members’ bills designed to crack down on strategic lawsuits against public participation, known as Slapps, have been introduced by Conservative members within 24 hours of each other, and are likely to attract cross-party support. Continue reading...
The Guardian
12 hours ago
Jaguar Land Rover to make more hybrid cars in US sales push
Drive to appeal to wealthy Americans is part of pivot away from previously announced all-electric strategyJaguar Land Rover has said it will make more hybrid cars as part of an effort to focus on growth in the US, as Britain’s largest carmaker further rowed back on the transition away from fossil fuels.The manufacturer told investors on Wednesday it would offer petrol and hybrid versions of new models, including smaller SUVs that had previously been planned to shift to all-electric sales. Continue reading...
The Guardian
13 hours ago
Protesters to rally against World Cup sponsor Hyundai before Mexico game
Focus on business dealings with mining company Guadalajara rally to highlight fate of ‘disappeared’Hyundai will be targeted by protesters at a rally before the Group A game between Mexico and South Korea in Guadalajara on Thursday, due to the World Cup sponsor’s business dealings with the South American mining company Ternium.A 2025 report from the environmental group Mighty Earth criticised Hyundai’s involvement in what they described as a “dirty steel supply chain”, as the South Korean motor company is a major buyer of iron ore from Ternium for use in steel production. Ternium has faced repeated criticisms for its destructive environmental impact and corporate governance policies from campaign groups, as well as its alleged links to the disappearance of two Mexican activists. Continue reading...
The Guardian
13 hours ago
AO boss blames Labour as it shifts UK call centre roles abroad
About 150 jobs have already been lost in Bolton as the retailer reports 145% rise in profits and hands £20m to shareholdersThe online electrical goods seller AO World has revealed it is outsourcing up to 200 UK call centre roles to South Africa blaming rising labour costs, as it handed £20m to shareholders.As the retailer reported a jump in profits, it said it was shifting the majority of call centre jobs overseas “in response to ongoing inflationary cost pressures, and particularly rising employment costs”. It expects to save about £4m a year as a result of the change. Continue reading...
The Guardian
14 hours ago
Lululemon apologises after Japanese drum row at Great Wall yoga event
Online uproar follows Canadian brand’s use of taiko drum at sponsored festival held to celebrate Chinese cultureThe activewear brand Lululemon has apologised after a promotional event held on the Great Wall of China appeared to mistakenly feature a Japanese drum, prompting an uproar.The Canadian-headquartered company, known for its upmarket leggings, has been growing rapidly in China and arranged for a yoga festival to take place in late May on a section of the wall near Beijing. Continue reading...
The Guardian
16 hours ago
Surprisingly benign UK inflation data signals a softer Iran war hit than feared
Impact of war on UK cost of living more muted than first forecast suggesting fuel price rises have failed to spill out more widely across UK plcUK inflation stays at 2.8% as slowing food prices offset transport costsAs soon as Iran choked off oil supplies through the strait of Hormuz at the start of March, there were dire warnings about rocketing UK inflation and the drastic action the Bank of England might take to rein it in.At one point, investors were expecting as many as three quarter-point rises in interest rates before the end of the year – a sharp turnaround from earlier forecasts of rate cuts. Continue reading...
The Guardian
17 hours ago
UK social media ban ‘likely to cause £1.3bn drop’ in digital advertising spend
TV streamers and family shows set to benefit as brands cease marketing to teenagers on sites such as YouTubeAnalysis: impact of social media ban in UK hinges on how firm it isBrands are expected to cut more than £1bn of digital advertising spending due to the UK’s ban on social media for under-16s, with streaming services tipped to benefit as advertisers try to reach large audiences of teenagers.The ban, due to come into force early next year, will leave UK advertisers scrambling to reassess marketing plans as millions of under-16s effectively disappear as a demographic that can be marketed to on platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube. Continue reading...
The Guardian
19 hours ago
UK inflation stays at 2.8% as slowing food prices offset rising transport costs
May’s figure confounds forecasts of an increase to 3% as Bank of England prepares to set interest ratesAnalysis: benign data signals a softer hit than fearedUK inflation unexpectedly remained at 2.8% in May, as rising energy costs caused by the Iran conflict were offset by slower increases in food prices.The unchanged reading on the consumer price index measure of inflation (CPI) confounded economists’ expectations of a 3% increase as the conflict restricted global energy flows – and raised hopes that the impact of the war on prices might be more muted than feared. Continue reading...
The Guardian
21 hours ago
‘Tax break tart’: hospitality tipped to exploit summer VAT cut on children’s meals
As bosses ridicule the chancellor’s scheme, one venue is offering a £25 ‘kids’ menu of snails and anchovy butter toastRestaurants and pubs are expected to devise “enterprising” schemes to exploit a tax break on meals for under-18s, after one venue launched a menu for “kids” featuring wild burgundy snail salad and anchovy butter toast.Rachel Reeves last month announced a temporary cut in VAT on children’s meals from 20% to 5% between 25 June and 1 September, part of a “Great British summer savings scheme” to support struggling venues and ease pressure on families. Continue reading...
The Guardian
21 hours ago
Capital gains tax: more people have to pay, so here’s what you need to know
The rules have changed and more taxpayers are being pulled into the net, not only the wealthyLess generous rules have turned capital gains tax into a “cash machine” for the government, with income from the levy soaring by almost 80% to £24bn in the last tax year – equivalent to well over £800 a household.A series of changes to the way the charge works means more people are being pulled into the capital gains tax (CGT) net, and not only the wealthy. And, given the scale of the change, this week experts were reminding consumers of legitimate ways to reduce a CGT bill. Continue reading...
The Guardian
21 hours ago
Fashion tycoon Bernard Arnault accused of stranglehold over French business press
Arnault’s addition of leading weekly to stable of publications raises concerns about media ownership in FranceHe is known as the “wolf in cashmere” – the owner of the world’s biggest luxury group whose brands including Louis Vuitton, Dior and Tiffany have made him one of the world’s richest people.But Bernard Arnault, a close friend of Donald Trump, is under fire from journalists’ unions in France for buying up almost all the country’s business and economic press. Continue reading...
The Guardian
22 hours ago
John Lewis injects £20m into Glasgow city centre store in wider branch reboot
Upgrade to Buchanan Galleries part of £50m spend this year and £800m by 2029 to revive appeal of department storesJohn Lewis is to spend £20m on a revamp of its Glasgow store in the city centre’s Buchanan Galleries in a vote of confidence in the shopping mall not long ago scheduled for demolition.It is the largest cash injection within a wider plan to spend £50m this financial year on refreshing its shops, with department stores in Reading, Cambridge, Leicester and Liverpool all earmarked for an upgrade. Continue reading...
The Guardian
22 hours ago
Is it bad that Elon Musk has a trillion dollars? Yes, and here’s why | Ingrid Robeyns
Just as the ‘poverty line’ determines what’s required for basic living, we need a ‘wealth line’ to show when extreme wealth becomes harmfulIt was bound to happen eventually: Elon Musk has become the planet’s first trillionaire. Until recently, economists who spoke about “trillions” were describing the GDP of the largest economies or the accumulated value of bequests on their way to the heirs of today’s billionaires. The term is not often used in daily conversation, let alone to describe the wealth of an individual.But now we have entered a new phase of the oligarchic era. Previously, when we described the wealth of the world’s richest billionaires, it was understood as a few hundred billions. Three years ago, the value of Musk’s total assets was estimated to be about $250bn. The pace at which it has increased is mind-boggling – and so is what it represents. Continue reading...
The Guardian
23 hours ago
The tide is turning on Thames Water: special administration looks best | Nils Pratley
It is still not totally clear what the government wants but the political mood seems to be shifting towards a decisionThames Water nationalisation moves closer as government objects to rescue dealAt last, Emma Reynolds, the environment secretary, has opined on the future of Thames Water. So what’s it to be? A takeover by the company’s creditors? Special administration, which would allow anyone to pitch up with an offer while the state temporarily funds the company? Or even a quick flush to full nationalisation?Well, two years after Thames’s shareholders walked away, and 18 months after the creditors opened talks with regulator Ofwat on the terms on a potential recapitalisation, one still can’t say definitively what the government wants. But we do have a better idea: the political mood seems to be shifting firmly towards administration. Continue reading...
The Guardian
1 day ago
Retail giants join UK government drive to boost ‘plug-in’ balcony solar panels
Asda, Amazon and B&Q among retailers in talks to sell devices that feed into household sockets and can cut electricity bills by 30%Spanish homes save €10 a month via renewables expansionBosses of some of Britain’s biggest retailers are discussing plans with the government to start selling plug-in solar panels as part of a drive to encourage more UK homes to generate their own electricity.Executives from brands including Currys, B&Q and Amazon met Martin McCluskey, the minister for energy consumers, on Tuesday to discuss guidelines for selling “balcony solar panels” to the British public. Continue reading...
The Guardian
1 day ago
Kingsmill owner cleared to create UK’s biggest bread brand with Hovis takeover
ABF’s bakeries arm would be likely to exit the market entirely if the deal did not proceed, CMA findsA £75m deal for the owner of Kingsmill to buy Hovis to create the UK’s biggest bread brand has been cleared by the competition watchdog.The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) ruled that Associated British Foods’ proposed takeover of Hovis did not raise competition concerns because if the deal did not go ahead “the most likely outcome” would be ABF’s bakeries arm leaving the UK market entirely. Continue reading...
The Guardian
1 day ago
Five-star service from mobility equipment firm saved our holiday
Wuva staff’s kindness and empathy means we are able to plan more trips awayMy husband has motor neurone disease (MND). For us to continue going away, we decided to buy a refurbished mobile hoist, which helps to get out of a bed, from the online mobility equipment company, Wuva.It arrived quickly, but had been damaged in transit and didn’t work. I contacted Wuva out of hours via WhatsApp, and within five minutes I received an extensive apology and advised an engineer would call me shortly. Continue reading...
The Guardian
1 day ago
The old ‘warfare v welfare’ arguments are back – but it’s Britain’s real duty to spend on both | Frances Ryan
While we need protecting from foreign enemies, slashing benefits in favour of defence will make millions less, not more, safeAs the row over the military budget grows, Keir Starmer has spent much of the past few days insisting he’s spending huge sums of taxpayer money on defence. Every single government department has made cuts to fund next month’s defence investment plan (Dip), the prime minister promised, resulting in “the biggest sustained increase since the cold war”. On Sunday, the culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, told the BBC that cabinet ministers have been asked to look for further reductions to help fund defence.Now squint and replace the word “defence” with “welfare”. Imagine Starmer – or any prime minister for that matter – boasting they’ve pinched cash from the NHS or schools to boost benefit payments. Indeed, swap “defence” for any sort of progressive cause – think housing, social care or net zero – and you’d be hard-pressed to picture a politician trying to save their career by pledging vast levels of spending, let alone if that spending was lifted from the Ministry of Defence (MoD).Frances Ryan is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...
The Guardian
1 day ago
EV prices in UK and EU not likely to dive due to Chinese rivalry, says Xpeng boss
Brian Gu says he sees Chinese car firms competing on quality rather than launching price war as at homeMotorists in the UK and EU should not expect a sharp drop in the cost of electric vehicles despite increased competition among Chinese manufacturers, one of the country’s biggest electric carmakers has said.Brian Gu, the vice-chair of the manufacturer Xpeng, said that Chinese carmakers could compete on quality to win customers in the EU and UK, rather than unleashing a brutal price war as they have in China. Continue reading...
The Guardian
1 day ago
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