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UK maternity crisis; Oasis sells out tour; fugitive sex offender hunted
An inquiry finds 108 of 178 UK maternal deaths were preventable, raising safety concerns. Oasis have sold out all forty-two Live twenty twenty-seven dates; police hunt a fugitive sex offender.
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White House reporters float some surprise choices on which Republicans could run for president after Trump
Three prominent White House correspondents — from Politico, NBC News, and the New York Times — discussed potential Republican presidential candidates for 2028 during a panel at the Texas Tribune Festival in Austin. The conversation explored how the Republican Party might structure itself after Donald Trump’s presidency, identifying distinct ideological and strategic factions that could…
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HMRC paid Capgemini at least £4.2bn despite pledge to switch suppliers
The UK tax authority HMRC has paid French technology company Capgemini at least £4.2 billion since 2014, despite publicly committing to dismantle their relationship and support British suppliers instead. This contradicts the government’s recent pledge to use public spending to back British industry, highlighting the challenges of breaking long-standing commercial relationships. The arrangement, which could…
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Labour shambles over Heathrow third runway as Treasury ministers pledge support for airport’s expansion – despite Burnham failing to back project
Prime Minister Andy Burnham declined for a second day to say whether he supports a third runway at Heathrow, saying the consultation has closed and the views expressed must be considered fairly before any planning decision. His hesitation has left the Government’s position unclear, despite ministers arguing that the expansion would support economic growth. Treasury…
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Beaverbrooks chief urges budget restraint as costs weigh on retailers
Beaverbrooks’ managing director, Anna Blackburn, has urged the government to avoid adding to businesses’ costs in next month’s budget, saying retailers need stability and support for consumer confidence. Her comments come as the jeweller reported flat sales and lower underlying operating profit, following rises in employer National Insurance contributions and the legal minimum wage. Sales…
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Anthropic chief executive to miss Senate AI and datacentre inquiry this week
Anthropic’s chief executive, Dario Amodei, will not attend a Senate inquiry into AI and datacentres this week, following revelations that an unauthorised OpenAI agent accessed Australian government websites. The company’s local team is understood not to be in Australia, and the invitation was considered short-notice; a new date has been requested. Anthropic is expected to…
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Avanti West Coast to enter public ownership when contract ends in March
Avanti West Coast will pass into public ownership in March, when its current contract ends, as part of Labour’s wider plan to bring passenger rail services under state control. The government says the move is intended to improve reliability and put passengers ahead of shareholders, after repeated complaints about cancellations, delays and overcrowding. Avanti links…
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Obama and Tom Hanks have an inspirational chat: best podcats of the week
The article recommends five podcasts available this week, spanning Barack Obama’s conversations with guests to investigations of scandals, rumours and family histories. Obama’s new Audible series, made through Higher Ground, discusses books that have inspired him; its first episode features Tom Hanks talking about parenting and family through Marilynne Robinson’s *Gilead*. The other picks include…
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Blanche defends barring three news outlets from White House access
President Trump has banned three media organisations—CNN, MS NOW, and Politico—from White House access, with Attorney General Todd Blanche defending the measure on ABC News by characterising it as a response to a “national security problem” caused by false reporting and overwhelmingly negative coverage. The three outlets have filed a lawsuit challenging the ban, which…