State pension on course for inflation-busting 4.7% rise under triple lock; JLR production shutdown extended again – business live

UK pensioners can look forward to a 4.7% increase in their state pensions next year, if the government sticks with the triple-lock.This morning’s labour market data shows that average wage growth (including bonuses) was 4.7% between May to July.That is the figure used in the triple lock formula which dictates that the state pension will increase in line with average wages, inflation or 2

Sky puts 900 roles at risk in shake-up to compete with US streaming services

Sky has put 900 roles at risk as the broadcaster continues to reshape its business in the streaming era.The company, which employs about 23,000 staff in the UK, expects the consultation process to result in about 600 roles being cut, with 300 redeployed.The latest round of cuts – the third in a little over 18 months – follows a series of product launches including the second iteration of the Sky Glass smart TV and budget-friendly Sky Glass Air.The Comcast-owned broadcaster is focused on improving existing services, and the cuts will hit Sky’s technology and product teams and related corporate functions.Sky has cut almost 3,500 roles since the beginning of last year as the broadcaster looks to move away from traditional satellite pay-TV to streaming-based services in the fight against US giants such as Netflix

Top UK artists urge Starmer to protect their work on eve of Trump visit

Leading British artists including Mick Jagger, Kate Bush and Paul McCartney have urged Keir Starmer to stand up for creators’ human rights and protect their work ahead of a UK-US tech deal during Donald Trump’s visit.In a letter to the prime minister, they argued Labour had failed to defend artists’ basic rights by blocking attempts to force artificial intelligence firms to reveal what copyrighted material they have used in their systems.Senior figures in US tech are accompanying the US president on his state visit, where an announcement is expected on a UK-US tech pact covering areas including AI.Elton John, one of the letter’s signatories, said government proposals to let AI companies train their systems on copyright-protected work without permission “leaves the door wide open for an artist’s life work to be stolen”.“We will not accept this,” he added

‘I love you too!’ My family’s creepy, unsettling week with an AI toy

The cuddly chatbot Grem is designed to ‘learn’ your child’s personality, while every conversation they have is recorded, then transcribed by a third party. It wasn’t long before I wanted this experiment to be over ...‘I’m going to throw that thing into a river!” my wife says as she comes down the stairs looking frazzled after putting our four-year-old daughter to bed

World Athletics Championships 2025: women’s 1500m, men’s 110m hurdles and more – live

Oooh, Mason’s winning time of 13.12, the quickest of the round, was a PB. Biggup!Holloway’s dicky knee just didn’t give him the stability he needed to time his jumps. He ended up sixth; the champ is out.Mason wins, Muratake takes second, just, with third and fourth – Tharp of USA and Kwaou-Mathey of France taking both fastest-loser spots

Surrey v Nottinghamshire, Sussex v Yorkshire, and more: county cricket, day two – live

Riverside: Durham v Worcestershire 107-2Taunton: Somerset 83-4 v HampshireThe Oval: Surrey 141-6 v Nottinghamshire 231Hove: Sussex v Yorkshire 87-2Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Essex 90-1The County Ground: Derbyshire v Glamorgan 63-3Bristol: Gloucestershire v Northamptonshire 100-3Old Trafford: Lancashire v Middlesex 13-2Grace Road: Leicestershire 151-2 v KentRyan Patel is going to have grind out some more of what Mark Church calls “dirty” runs this afternoon. As the players go in, the crowds gather on The Oval turf and inspect the wicket. Lunch score to follow.In the five overs possible at Old Trafford before the rain returned, Middlesex have had a dismal start. A wicket for captain Anderson, a wicket for Tom Bailey – Robson and Hollman gone