Pub chain shares rise on reports of government U-turn over business rates – as it happened

Shares in UK pub and hospitality companies have jumped this morning, as the government prepares to announce a climbdown on forthcoming increases to their business rates.Mitchells and Butlers, whose pub brands include All Bar One, Harvester, O’Neills, and Toby Carvery, are up 2.5%, one of the top risers in the FTSE 250 share index today.Rival Marsons, which has more than 1,300 pubs, bars and inns across the country, are up 2%, while JD Wetherspoons have gained 1.2%

Tesco aiming for bumper 2026 after best Christmas market share in decade

Tesco is aiming to grab an even bigger slice of the grocery market this year after winning its best share in more than a decade over Christmas with strong sales of fresh food and its Finest own-label range.The supermarket, which has an almost 29% market share, according to Worldpanel by Numerator, said it had taken the most trade from Asda, the UK’s third-largest supermarket chain that has been struggling to turn around falling sales.However, shares in Tesco dropped by more than 6% on Thursday as analysts said its third-quarter sales performance was behind expectations in all markets including the UK, Ireland, central Europe and at its Booker wholesale chain.Sales in the UK rose 3.2% in the six weeks to 3 January against hopes of 3

Musk lawsuit over OpenAI for-profit conversion can go to trial, US judge says

Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI is to go to trial after a US judge said there is plenty of evidence to support the billionaire’s case.The world’s richest man, who co-founded OpenAI, is suing the ChatGPT developer and its chief executive, Sam Altman, over claims its leaders violated the organisation’s founding mission by shifting to a for-profit model.The US district judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, California, told a hearing there was plenty of evidence that suggested OpenAI’s leaders made assurances that its original nonprofit structure was going to be maintained.She said there were enough disputed facts to let a jury consider the claims at a trial scheduled for March, rather than decide the issues herself. Rogers said she would issue a written order after the hearing that addresses OpenAI’s attempt to throw out the case

AI tool Grok used to create child sexual abuse imagery, watchdog says

Online criminals are claiming to have used Elon Musk’s Grok AI tool to create sexual imagery of children, as a child safety watchdog warned the technology risked bringing such material into the mainstream.The UK-based Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) said users of a dark web forum boasted of using Grok Imagine to create sexualised and topless imagery of girls aged between 11 and 13. IWF analysts said the images would be considered child sexual abuse material (CSAM) under UK law.The UK-based Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) said users of a dark web forum boasted of using Grok Imagine to create sexualised and topless imagery of girls aged between 11 and 13. IWF analysts said the images would be considered child sexual abuse material (CSAM) under UK law

England’s Ashes humbling was more a series of letdowns than ‘series of our lives’ | Ali Martin

It was billed as “the series of our lives” by Brendon McCullum but as he and Ben Stokes looked over towards the podium to watch Steve Smith and Pat Cummins lift the crystal Ashes trophy under an azure sky, the optimism that preceded this failed campaign felt a lifetime ago.They landed in Perth two months ago with what they and many thought was an aggressive, dynamic England side, finally ready to challenge Australia’s ageing champions after three miserable tours. Cue a 4-1 humbling, offset by one maelstrom win in Melbourne but with the Ashes already lost in 11 days.This was the final day of English regret, the last rites only salt in wounds when at 2.30pm, Alex Carey iced the target of 160 with a succulent cover drive, five wickets down

Ashes review launched by ECB as Stokes gives full backing to under-fire McCullum

Ben Stokes has backed Brendon McCullum’s continuation as head coach despite England’s 4-1 Ashes thrashing in Australia. McCullum, in turn, has accepted the need for improvement but will push back if he is told what to do.“If I’m asked my opinion he’ll be getting my full support and backing,” Stokes said after England’s five-wicket defeat at the Sydney Cricket Ground. “I absolutely love working with Baz. He’s a great man and he’s a very, very, very good coach