Trump says he plans crackdown on defense firms over executive pay and stock buybacks

Donald Trump has claimed he plans to crack down on executive compensation and shareholder payouts at military defense contractors, as his administration looks to dramatically ramp up spending on the armed forces.In a series of posts on social media, the US president said he wants to increase the military budget to $1.5tn – and complained that defense giants had been failing to swiftly deliver “vital” equipment to the US and its allies across the world.The firms are paying “exorbitant” salaries to their top executives and vast dividends to shareholders while equipment is “NOT BEING MADE FAST ENOUGH”, Trump said.He said he would “not permit” dividends and stock buybacks by defense companies, or allow them to pay executives more than $5m, until they started to accelerate deliveries and build new and modern production plants

Starmer vows to review franchise legislation in response to Vodafone case

The prime minister has promised to review laws governing franchising agreements, in response to the case of a former Vodafone store manager whose family alleges took his own life following pressure from the FTSE 100 telecoms group.Keir Starmer said in the Commons on Wednesday that he would “look closely” at the outcome of a high-profile legal claim against Vodafone.The comments follow a Guardian investigation in December, which revealed claims that Adrian Howe, a former Vodafone employee who had agreed to become a franchisee in 2018, drowned after becoming convinced his deal with the multinational company would prove financially disastrous.Rachael Beddow-Davison and Dan Attwal also told the Guardian about how commission cuts by Vodafone in 2020 caused their franchising companies to run up huge debts, which they each said contributed to them attempting to kill themselves.Beddow-Davison and Attwal are two of a group of 62 former Vodafone franchisees who brought a high court claim in 2024, alleging the telecoms company “unjustly enriched” itself and which MPs have compared to the Post Office Horizon IT scandal

Commons women and equalities committee to stop using X amid AI-altered images row

The Commons women and equalities committee has decided to stop using X after the social media site’s AI tool began generating thousands of digitally altered images of women and children with their clothes removed.The move by the cross-party committee places renewed pressure on ministers to take decisive action after the site was flooded with images including sexualised and unclothed pictures of children generated by its AI tool, Grok.Sarah Owen, the Labour MP who chairs the committee, said that given preventing violence against women and girls was among its key policy areas, “it has become increasingly clear that X is not an appropriate platform to be using for our communications”.Liz Kendall, the technology secretary, has called the imagery “appalling and unacceptable in decent society” and urged Ofcom, the UK’s media regulator, to take whatever action is needed.Speaking on Wednesday, Keir Starmer’s spokesperson said that “all options remain on the table” for Ofcom, which has the power to impose huge fines or to restrict access to a site

Grok’s deepfake images which ‘digitally undress’ women investigated by Australia’s online safety watchdog

Australia’s online safety watchdog is investigating sexualised deepfake images posted on X by its AI chatbot, Grok.Elon Musk’s X has faced a global backlash since Grok began generating sexualised images of women and girls without their consent in response to requests for it to undress them.Ashley St Clair, the estranged mother of one of Musk’s children, said she had no response to her complaints about being digitally undressed.“I felt horrified, I felt violated, especially seeing my toddler’s backpack in the back of it,” she said this week.The fake images included one of a 12-year-old girl in a bikini

Australia v England: fifth Ashes Test, day five – live

87th over: England 342-9 (Tongue 6, Potts 18) Starc continues to get that ball to fly high to Carey, but Tongue’s got ticker; he drives a fuller ball straight down the ground for four! Not sure the No 11 can believe he’s just done that.86th over: England 338-9 (Tongue 2, Potts 18) Has Boland got Potts’ outside edge? There was definitely a noise. Australia review but there’s nothing on Snicko and England go on. Potts clips nicely for four and the lead goes beyond 150. And how about this: a smashing back-foot punch for four more closes the over

Simon Yates announces surprise retirement with ‘deep pride and sense of peace’

Simon Yates, one of Britain’s most storied riders and the winner of last year’s Giro d’Italia, has stunned cycling by announcing his retirement at 33.The Visma-Lease a Bike rider said on Wednesday that he is quitting with “deep pride and a sense of peace” after a 13-year career that delivered wins in two Grand Tours, 11 elite stages and 36 professional races.Yates posted on social media: “I have made the decision to retire from professional cycling. This may come as a surprise to many, but it is not a decision I have made lightly. I have been thinking about it for a long time, and it now feels like the right moment to step away from the sport