CATEGORIES

Microsoft to launch AI 'employees' that can perform business tasks

Microsoft is introducing autonomous artificial intelligence agents, or virtual employees, that can perform tasks such as handling client queries and identifying sales leads, as the tech sector strives to show investors that the AI boom can produce indispensable products.

Disabled fans' survey shines critical light on Uefa care

Uefa's communication with disabled supporters has been widely described as \"non-existent\" in a survey that paints a damning picture of accessibility for fans watching their clubs on European away trips.

UK pledges extra £2.26bn for Ukraine to spend on arms

Britain is to lend Ukraine an additional £2.26bn and allow Kyiv to spend the money on weapons to fight off the Russian invasion as part of a wider $50bn (£38.5bn) loan programme expected to be confirmed by G7 members this week.

WH Smith to sell vinyl records amid resurgence

The high street retailer WH Smith is to sell vinyl records for the first time in three decades, stocking them in 80 of its shops across the UK.

John Stapleton diagnosed with Parkinson's

The broadcaster John Stapleton has revealed he has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

House arrest proposals to be considered as part of sentencing overhaul

Judges could get powers to impose a punishment of house arrest on criminals under a comprehensive overhaul of sentences to be launched today.

Chaos in India after 90 hoax bomb threats made to airlines

A reported 90 hoax bomb threats have been made against Indian airlines in the past week, provoking international travel chaos as planes were grounded, diverted and flown to safety by fighter jet escorts.

Conkers champion, 82, cleared of using steel nut to win title

The winner of the World Conker Championships has been cleared of wrongdoing after he was found with a steel nut in his pocket.

Lebanon Fears that bombing will stoke sectarian tensions

Ali Daher first heard the explosion and then he felt the pain. An Israeli aircraft loitering high above had shot two rockets at the building next door, collapsing the top two floors and showering him and his two sons with a deadly spray of concrete and jagged metal.

Black and Chinese women '80% less likely to be given HRT'

Menopausal women of Chinese and black African backgrounds are about 80% less likely to receive hormone replacement therapy than white women, according to a study.

Immigration Revitalised town is latest target for far-right hate

There is one thing about her community that makes Kristin Hopkins-Calcek prouder than anything: her city is one of the few boroughs in Pennsylvania with a growing population.

Ministers to oversee 'dire' HS2 as cost still uncertain

Ministers are to oversee HS2 and have launched a review after the government was unable to ascertain the scale of the ballooning overspend on the long-delayed high-speed rail line.

Dreading the clocks going back? Britons urged to join research

Does the prospect of darker evenings make you feel gloomy, or will you relish the extra hour in bed for one morning? Scientists are launching a study to better understand how the annual switch back to winter time affects people's wellbeing and time perception - and they need your help.

Arts in Scotland face 'managed decline' with funding shortfalls

Arts leaders in Scotland have warned that the sector is facing \"death by slow cuts\" because of a lack of clarity over funding, with delays and funding shortfalls meaning some large institutions face temporary closure within months.

Rayner given a permanent seat on the national security council

Angela Rayner has been given a permanent seat on the government's national security council (NSC) as the rebooted Downing Street operation seeks to smooth over reports of tensions between Keir Starmer and his deputy.

Pressure on PM over reparations as Commonwealth leaders meet

Keir Starmer is under pressure from Labour MPs and Caribbean governments to open the door to reparatory justice when he travels this week to the Pacific island state of Samoa for the Commonwealth heads of government meeting (Chogm).

Mosques awarded a record £3m to boost their security

A record amount of security funding has been issued to mosques in the UK via a government scheme to protect places of worship from hate crime.

Frequent returners 'to send back £6.6bn of products'

Shoppers with a habit of returning goods to retailers will send back £1,400 of products each this year, totalling £6.6bn, a UK report has found.

Health Almost half of workforce get no support from employer

Almost half of the UK workforce lack access to workplace health support including winter flu vaccinations and checks for cardiovascular diseases, a report has found.

"'All they want is fair support' Outcry from restaurateurs in Ireland as 600 close doors"

Blazing Salads, Dillingers, Assassination Custard and Brasserie Sixty Six in Dublin, Church Lane and Sage in County Cork, and Barnacles in Galway.

Number of people with chronic pain to increase by 2m by 2040

Almost 2 million more people will be suffering from sore backs, necks and other body parts by 2040 due to a surge in chronic pain as the UK's population ages, research shows.

Staff who want to work from home should quit, Amazon boss suggests

A senior Amazon executive has suggested staff who do not like a new company policy of working in the office five days a week should quit.

Hamas What next for them after death of its leader Yahya Sinwar?

Hamas is seeking to frame the death of its leader, Yahya Sinwar, in Gaza as a victory. It is emphasising how the 62-year-old veteran died on Thursday fighting on the frontline, armed and wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh, and how the organisation has survived for 37 years despite the assassination by Israel of a series of its leaders.

Girls play outside less than boys even at two years old, study finds

Girls play outside in nature less than boys even at the age of two, according to the first national survey of play among preschool-age children in Britain.

Home Office seeks to clear huge backlog of modern slavery cases

The Home Office has recruited 200 staff to clear a backlog of 23,300 modern slavery cases left by the last government, a minister has told the Guardian.

Landlords 'pose bigger fire risk to Dartmoor than wild campers'

Wild camping is not a significant fire risk on Dartmoor, new data shows, despite claims by a landowner who has been trying to ban the practice.

Italy’s deal to 'offshore' migrants in Albania hampered by court ruling

The last 12 asylum seekers being held at a new Italian migration hub in Albania must be transferred to Italy, a court has ruled, in a heavy blow to a controversial “offshoring” deal between Rome and Tirana aimed at curbing migrant arrivals in the European Union.

Latino voters More back Trump despite his anti-migrant policies

Dan Soza has seen the harsh realities of Donald Trump's immigration policies up close - and he's alarmed that many Latino voters in Saginaw do not take the former president's threats of mass deportations seriously.

UK care home chain sold to US investment company

One of Britain's largest care home chains, Care UK, has been sold to a US property investment company, the Guardian can reveal, in a deal that comes as private providers lobby government for a greater role in the NHS.

Retail sales growth slowed in September despite boost from technology spending

Sales growth in shops in Great Britain slowed last month as an increase in purchases of technology was tempered by the largest monthly fall in spending at supermarkets this year.