British Airways to offer free fast onboard wifi to all after Starlink deal

Passengers on British Airways flights will be able to access fast wifi onboard at no cost after the airline’s parent company signed a deal with Elon Musk’s satellite company.The carrier said the free “reliable and lightning-fast” wifi from Starlink would be available to customers flying in economy, business or first class from next month.BA’s owner, International Airlines Group (IAG), said it had reached agreement with Starlink to provide internet connectivity on more than 500 aircraft across its carriers, which also include Aer Lingus, Iberia and Vueling.BA said the rollout of the technology was part of a £7bn “transformation” and would provide lag-free internet access to passengers from boarding to landing, even when they are flying over oceans or remote regions. Passengers will be able to connect multiple devices and they will not need a special login

Ignore the howls around pay-per-mile, chancellor. We can’t afford not to tax electric cars

If you want a document to give you sleepless nights, the Office for Budget Responsibility’s biennial Fiscal Risks and Sustainability report is a go-to publication. This is the one that looks to the horizon and covers everything from demographic trends to state pension promises to the climate crisis.The headline finding in this July’s version was a true jaw-dropper. The UK’s public finances are on an unsustainable long-term trajectory because government debt would rise to a remarkable 270% of GDP by the early 2070s – up from almost 100% today – if current policies were left unchanged.The “if nothing changes” qualification is important because some of the risks to the public finances are so blindingly obvious – and have been for ages – that it is astonishing successive governments have ignored them

Amazon sues AI startup over browser’s automated shopping and buying feature

Amazon sued a prominent artificial intelligence startup on Tuesday over a shopping feature in the company’s browser, which can automate placing orders for users. Amazon accused Perplexity AI of covertly accessing customer accounts and disguising AI activity as human browsing.“Perplexity’s misconduct must end,” Amazon’s lawyers wrote. “Perplexity is not allowed to go where it has been expressly told it cannot; that Perplexity’s trespass involves code rather than a lockpick makes it no less unlawful.”Perplexity, which has grown rapidly amid the boom in AI assistants, has previously rejected the US shopping company’s claims, accusing Amazon of using its market dominance to stifle competition

Google plans to put datacentres in space to meet demand for AI

Google is hatching plans to put artificial intelligence datacentres into space, with its first trial equipment sent into orbit in early 2027.Its scientists and engineers believe tightly packed constellations of about 80 solar-powered satellites could be arranged in orbit about 400 miles above the Earth’s surface equipped with the powerful processors required to meet rising demand for AI.Prices of space launches are falling so quickly that by the middle of the 2030s the running costs of a space-based datacentre could be comparable to one on Earth, according to Google research released on Tuesday.Using satellites could also minimise the impact on the land and water resources needed to cool existing datacentres.Once in orbit, the datacentres would be powered by solar panels that can be up to eight times more productive than those on Earth

WTA Finals tennis: Jessica Pegula beats Jasmine Paolini, Aryna Sabalenka defeats Coco Gauff – as it happened

Jessica Pegula and Aryna Sabalenka delivered excellent performances in seeing off Jasmine Paolini and Coco Gauff respectively, setting up enticing semi-finals against Elena Rybakina and Amanda Anisimova.Pegula, who played superbly in losing to Sabalenka earlier in the week, dominated Paolini – struggling with illness – from start to finish, her forehand particularly effective in 6-2 6-3 victory.In the day’s second match, Gauff began superbly, her serve and forehand looking much improved as she took a 4-2 15-40 lead. But just as she looked poised to seize the first set, Sabalenka found her best self, saving the break points with two service winners, then responding from advantage down with three aces in a row.Gauff, though, stuck with her, holding under pressure to secure a tiebreak and earning its first mini-break

Reece Walsh lives up to star billing to become toast of English rugby league

Australia’s talisman, likened to LeBron James, has left lasting legacy in Ashes series amid gloom of sport’s futureThe debrief is yet to begin over the failure of England’s Ashes campaign both on and off the field, and just how big a missed opportunity the past few weeks could prove to be for the game in this country. But amid all the gloom, there has been an unlikely beacon of hope for the sport’s promoters.As the 52,000-plus crowd filtered away from Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday evening, there was a huge ruckus outside the players’ entrance. Not for any of the home players, who had once again flattered to deceive. Not even for Nathan Cleary, regarded as the world’s biggest star for a number of years and someone with genuine worldwide cut-through