Just two buyers left in race to buy WH Smith high street division – report

There are only two buyers left in the race to buy retailer WH Smith’s ailing high street division, according to a report.The retail group confirmed in January it was seeking a buyer for its 500 UK high street shops, in a shake-up that would leave it free to focus on its more successful travel arm, where it has stores in railway stations, airports and hospitals in the UK and abroad.Restructuring firm Alteri and the Hobbycraft owner Modella Capital, both of which have experience in buying troubled retailers, are the only two parties remaining in talks about a deal, according to Sky News.The owner of HMV, Doug Putman, who was seen as a potential bidder for the chain, is reportedly no longer in talks with bankers at Greenhill about an offer.The Guardian understands that bidders have submitted first-round offers for the chain to WH Smith in the past few weeks, and the sale process is ongoing with the hope of a deal being completed in April

Postcode electricity pricing is a minefield for Ed Miliband

How would you prefer your electricity prices to be set – nationally or locally? There is little middle ground in the bitter lobbying battle over zonal pricing, the proposal that Great Britain’s electricity market should be split into regions with prices set by local supply and demand. The energy secretary, Ed Miliband, must decide in the next few months, in time for this summer’s auction for new wind and solar projects.One camp – led by Greg Jackson, the politically plugged-in founder of Octopus Energy, the UK’s biggest retail energy supplier – argues that customers’ bills will “skyrocket” unless zonal pricing is adopted. It points to the wasted money spent paying windfarms to shut down when, for example, it is blowing a gale in Shetland and the local grid is overloaded with more power than can be transported south.Constraint costs were about £1bn last year, according to figures from the National Energy System Operator (Neso)

Skype shutdown surfaces sweet memories: ‘I proposed marriage’

Microsoft announced on the last day of February that it would sunset Skype. By the time the death knell tolled, the video chatting software that once revolutionized communications had become a ghost of its former self. Experts chimed in with half-hearted eulogies for the platform that Microsoft spent years neglecting, yet few were surprised, and even fewer shed tears.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link

Who bought this smoked salmon? How ‘AI agents’ will change the internet (and shopping lists)

Autonomous digital assistants are being developed that can carry out tasks on behalf of the user – including ordering the groceries. But if you don’t keep an eye on them, dinner might not be quite what you expect …I’m watching artificial intelligence order my groceries. Armed with my shopping list, it types each item into the search bar of a supermarket website, then uses its cursor to click. Watching what appears to be a digital ghost do this usually mundane task is strangely transfixing. “Are you sure it’s not just a person in India?” my husband asks, peering over my shoulder

‘Devastated’ England wait for test results after Ollie Lawrence injury

England stayed in the chase for the Six Nations title with a bonus-point victory against Italy but lost Ollie Lawrence to an achilles injury that threatens his hopes of touring Australia with the British & Irish Lions.Steve Borthwick’s side scored seven tries as they overwhelmed the Azzurri after a close first half in sunny south-west London, with the fly-half Fin Smith orchestrating the attack impressively.The England wing Ollie Sleightholme claimed two tries, with further scores coming from Tom Willis, Tommy Freeman, Marcus Smith, Tom Curry and Ben Earl.But Lawrence went down injured and the Bath centre was taken off after nine minutes, bringing Marcus Smith off the replacements’ bench much earlier than expected.“We’ll know more in the next 48 hours when he has the scans and he sees a specialist,” Borthwick said of Lawrence

Marcus Smith provides the spark England need to showcase their talent | Gerard Meagher

The second half is barely a minute old. If you can’t see the scoreboard you can tell by those swathes of empty seats. It is a hot day after all and refreshments are still being swilled. Italy are not bothered, however. They are on the attack, parked in England’s 22 and when the fly-half Paolo Garbisi finds the outside, a try, and with it the lead, looks a certainty