Japan and Switzerland’s economies contract as US tariffs hit exports; Alphabet shares jump after Warren Buffett reveals stake – as it happened

Time to recap.Japan and Switzerland have both suffered an economic hit from Donald Trump’s trade wars.Japan’s GDP shrank by 0.4% in July-September, dragged down by a fall in exports.In a double-blow to Tokyo, shares in Japanese tourism and retail firms have fallen sharply after China warned its citizens not to travel to Japan

UK officials ‘working day and night’ to resolve NHS drug pricing row’

The UK science minister has said officials are “working day and night” trying to resolve the standoff with big pharmaceutical companies over drug pricing.Speaking to industry leaders and investors at London life sciences week, Patrick Vallance, a former GSK executive, said the government was “clear eyed about the challenges”.“Recent headlines have not always been favourable, and we are acutely aware of the pressures that companies face in the current commercial environment here in the UK,” he said.“Many of us are working day and night right the way across government to make progress on these issues. And rest assured that we are laser focused on getting that resolved

Jeff Bezos reportedly launches new AI startup with himself as CEO

After stepping down as Amazon’s CEO four years ago, Jeff Bezos, the billionaire founder and former chief executive of the online shopping company, is going to be a CEO again. This time, Bezos has appointed himself co-CEO of an AI startup called Project Prometheus, the New York Times reported, citing anonymous sources.The startup, which will focus on developing AI for engineering and manufacturing in various fields, has already received $6.2bn in funding – more than many companies are able to raise in their lifetimes. Leading the company alongside Bezos is his co-founder and co-CEO Vik Bajaj, a celebrity tech executive in his own right

White nationalist talking points and racial pseudoscience: welcome to Elon Musk’s Grokipedia

Entries in Elon Musk’s new online encyclopedia variously promote white nationalist talking points, praise neo-Nazis and other far-right figures, promote racist ideologies and white supremacist regimes, and attempt to revive concepts and approaches historically associated with scientific racism, a Guardian analysis has found.The tech billionaire and Donald Trump ally recently launched xAI’s AI-generated Grokipedia with a promise that it would “purge out the propaganda” he claims infests Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia that Musk has often attacked but that has long been a key feature of the internet.Grokipedia, now with more than 800,000 entries, is generated and, according to a note on each entry, “factchecked” by Grok, xAI’s large language AI model.The Guardian contacted xAI for comment. Seconds after the request was sent, there was an apparently automated reply that said only: “Legacy Media Lies

Money lured Anthony Joshua to circus fight but he could really hurt Jake Paul | Donald McRae

The unsurprising confirmation of “a colossal global showdown” between Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua arrived on Monday morning with a dull thud. That grand description of an eight-round scrap between a former YouTuber and a former world heavyweight champion was supplied by Paul’s company, Most Valuable Promotions, which also announced that the contest will be screened live on Netflix on 19 December and called Judgment Day.Boxing operates in a netherworld that appears to have sunk far beyond any fear of judgment, while Paul has always had delusions of grandeur as a novice pro. But even boxing may have to consider its own culpability should Paul be badly hurt and end up in hospital after this fully sanctioned bout with regulation 10oz gloves is held in Miami.Paul is a brilliant hustler and, until now, he has chosen his opponents with deliberate care to avoid excessive danger

Bazball faces its ultimate test as England eye golden Ashes chance

Tourists have a clearly defined identity and optimism, but still need to compete in a manner that earns Australia’s respectWhen Rob Key named Brendon McCullum as England’s head coach in 2022, his quote in the official press release told supporters to “buckle up and get ready for the ride”. Now, with this hot-ticket Ashes series a few days from setting off in sun‑drenched Perth, the mix of fear and excitement among them has arguably never been greater.The difference being that rollercoasters tend to stay on the rails, whereas England tours of Australia often career off them. No one is quite certain which way this one will play out, other than a broad agreement that Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood missing the first Test (at least) presents Ben Stokes and his tourists a golden opportunity.Not that many locals are tipping England