UK ministers lobby Trump to avert backlash against social media ban
Ministers have embarked on a concerted lobbying operation to prevent a backlash from the Trump administration to the under-16s social media ban announced by Keir Starmer.
Crime & Courts
An absurd illustration of Britain’s housing problem | Letters
Grand properties lying empty when we’re in the midst of a housing crisis is ludicrous. Sam Wollaston’s article about a homeless person sleeping in the portico of a £200m palace, which used to be terrace houses, is the m…
If the right wants money for defence, it can start with MoD wastefulness – or even the pensioner triple lock | Polly Toynbee
What’s it to be, warfare or welfare, social or military spending, guns or butter? Hermann Göring coined that phrase calling for re-armament, “Guns will make us powerful, butter will only make us fat.” In her “ Britain a…
The Guardian view on regulating big tech: the UK’s new, tougher approach to child safety is overdue
There is a long way to go before children under 16 in the UK are blocked from the main social media platforms – as Sir Keir Starmer announced on Monday that they will be. He proposed a date of next spring, although whet…
Trump wants to put a $75m coal terminal in this liberal California city. Residents aren’t having it
Residents of West Oakland, which suffers from toxic waste and high pollution rates, rally against a coal export facility
If the UK wants to rejoin the European Union, it first needs to understand it | Timothy Garton Ash
As Britain approaches the 10th anniversary of its vote to leave the EU, the British are beginning to debate rejoining what they call Europe. But, as in most previous British debates about “Europe”, this is Europe with t…
City & Guilds bosses awarded themselves millions in bonuses, investigation finds
The two most senior executives at City & Guilds awarded themselves millions of pounds of bonuses “without authorisation from, or knowledge of” their superiors, an internal investigation into last year’s £166m sale of th…
EU trade deficit with China reaches record €1bn a day, data shows
The EU’s trade deficit with China has reached a record €1bn (£0.8bn) a day, according to official trade data, fuelling concerns over the future of Europe’s “industrial backbone”.
UK’s oldest Indian restaurant takes crown estate to court over theatened eviction
The UK’s oldest Indian restaurant will be taking the crown estate to court this month as it faces eviction.
‘It’s more exciting than ketchup!’ How chilli crisp became the hottest condiment – and how to make your own
Walk down the specialist aisle in most British supermarkets and you will find a red jar with the kindly face of a middle-aged Chinese woman staring back at you. Branded Lao Gan Ma, meaning “old godmother”, these jars co…
Fox strikes $22bn deal for Roku to fuel streaming push
Deal gives network access to more than 100m households using Roku streaming platform
How will the under-16s social media ban work? – podcast
Keir Starmer has announced his social media ban for under-16s. The proposals are tougher than expected, and include a ban on major apps such as TikTok, Instagram, X, Snapchat, YouTube and Facebook.
BBC News braces for major round of job cuts in broadcaster’s £500m cost-saving drive
BBC News is braced for a major round of job cuts to be revealed within days, in an announcement that will kick off a brutal cost-saving drive designed to save £500m across the corporation.
Banknote imagery advisory group minutes – 15 December 2025
Time: 9am to 10am | Location: Bank of England, Threadneedle Street, London, EC2R 8AH and MS teams
Summary of the RTGS CHAPS Industry Forum
The Chair introduced the first RTGS CHAPS Industry Forum. This group will meet regularly to provide industry input on a range of strategic issues relating to both the live operation and change roadmap for the RTGS and C…
AI use by the US government is ballooning. And the lack of transparency is troubling | Nathan E Sanders and Bruce Schneier
The list of government AI use cases has ballooned by 70% since Biden left office and includes many plans to hand over sensitive governmental functions to AI
Banknote imagery expert panel minutes – 15 April 2026
The Chair opened the meeting, thanking members for sending across their wildlife nominations.
Social media to be banned in UK for under-16s, Starmer announces
UK prime minister says move will bring ‘real change for our children’ amid growing concerns over harmful online content
Banknote imagery expert panel minutes – 24 April 2026
Time: 10am to 1pm | Location: Bank of England, Threadneedle Street, London, EC2R 8AH and MS teams
Banknote imagery expert panel minutes – 10 March 2026
The Chair opened the meeting, highlighting the importance of the decisions to be made in selecting a shortlist of wildlife, thanking panel members for their involvement, and asking them to introduce themselves.
Banknote imagery advisory group minutes – 29 April 2026
Time: 4pm to 5pm | Location: Bank of England, Threadneedle Street, London, EC2R 8AH and MS teams
Investment fraud in UK soared to more than £220m lost last year, trade body says
Increasingly elaborate investment scams involving gold, cryptocurrencies and wine have soared in the past year with more than £220m lost to the fraud, according to a report.
Mike Ashley’s Frasers follows Hugo Boss bid with offer for Australia’s Accent
UK billionaire’s fashion group offers £166m for takeover of 77.1% of shares in shoe firm it does not already own
Australia’s Sigma drops out of talks to buy UK’s Boots
The Australian pharmaceutical group Sigma Healthcare has dropped its pursuit of the UK retail chain Boots, abandoning a takeover estimated to be worth $10bn (£7bn).