Varun Chandra advises Keir Starmer on trade negotiations including AI investment. Varun Chandra advises Keir Starmer on trade negotiations including AI investment. Exclusive: Varun Chandra's talks with Google, Meta, Apple and others raise fears of'lobbying behind closed doors' An influential government adviser close to Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves held 16 undisclosed meetings with top US tech executives, the Guardian can reveal. The No 10 business aide Varun Chandra discussed regulatory changes, AI and Donald Trump's second administration with tech corporations during confidential meetings between October 2024 and October 2025. In one meeting he offered to help a top executive meet the prime minister directly.

OpenAI's Sam Altman, left, is a backer of Rain Neuromophics, one of the companies that received funds from the UK's Aria, the brainchild of Dominic Cummings, right OpenAI's Sam Altman, left, is a backer of Rain Neuromophics, one of the companies that received funds from the UK's Aria, the brainchild of Dominic Cummings, right Exclusive: Brainchild of Dominic Cummings, Aria is aimed at funding'crazy' scientific projects to benefit the UK Britain's "invention agency" has pledged £50m of UK taxpayer money to US tech companies and venture capital projects. Dreamed up by Dominic Cummings to fund "crazy" ideas, the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria) is meant to " restore Britain's place as a scientific superpower ". But a joint investigation by the Guardian and Democracy for Sale, an investigative website, has established that more than an eighth of the agency's £400m in research and development funding over the past two years has gone to 14 US tech companies and venture capital groups, in some cases, with no clear return for the UK or Aria. One of these companies, Rain Neuromorphics, is also backed by the OpenAI chief executive, Sam Altman, and was reported to be near collapse last year, shortly after winning Aria money. It did not respond to a request for comment; two of its founders appear to have left the company.

Detail from Holbein's sketch of an unidentified woman, which it is claimed may depict Anne Boleyn. Detail from Holbein's sketch of an unidentified woman, which it is claimed may depict Anne Boleyn. They are two small sketches by the Renaissance master Hans Holbein: one has long been considered to be a portrait of Henry VIII's doomed second wife, Anne Boleyn, and the other is of an unknown woman whose name was lost to time. Now researchers using AI have discovered that the unnamed woman might be the tragic queen after all, while the other figure could in fact be Boleyn's mother. The works, which belong to the royal collection and are known as the Windsor sketch and the Unidentified Woman respectively, were analysed by a team at the University of Bradford, who found that they might have been incorrectly inscribed in the 1700s, leading to a misunderstanding that has lasted centuries.

Trump reveals'absolutely pathetic' first words he says Bill Maher uttered at fabled White House visit Charles had late-stage ALS and couldn't speak or move. Bigamist pastor's'marriage scam': Five-times-wed author told women God wanted them to be together for twisted ulterior motive, wives say The rat'apocalypse' forcing residents in a northwestern state to catch vermin with their bare hands Kylie Jenner's BFF Stassie reveals dramatic butt reduction in skimpy bikini after cosmetic surgery'regrets' I had agonising acid reflux every day - but then overnight it stopped thanks to something you can buy in any supermarket. With 39 bedrooms, 59 bathrooms and its own X-ray machine, America's most expensive home hits the market for $400million - but will anyone afford to buy it? 'Dog Whisperer' Cesar Millan reveals price of the world's'safest' collar - and it TALKS to your pet Moment'disgruntled former employee' smashed car full of explosives into Portland athletics club caught on camera'She's spiralling badly': How Meghan and Harry have burned ALL their bridges as insiders reveal spectacular fallout with Anna Wintour and Kardashians, money woes - and'problems' that are worse than anyone realises Former FBI deputy director Dan Bongino'living in fear' as he issues astonishing warning after mysteriously leaving intel agency Whether it's a celebration or a bottomless brunch, nothing hits the spot quite like a glass of fizz. But it turns out you've probably been drinking prosecco wrong this entire time.

The Iran war has strengthened Ukraine in surprising ways. Could a ceasefire with Russia be closer? When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, serious-faced and clad in black, strolled down a lilac carpet in Saudi Arabia in March, it marked a moment in the US-Israeli war in Iran. In a post on X, he said his visit was to strengthen the protection of lives. Zelensky, who carries the weight of Ukraine's own war with Russia on his shoulders, has been seizing the moment, flying to the Gulf to publicly showcase the international value and marketability of Kyiv's learned-on-the-battlefield military nous in drone warfare. Ukraine says it has now signed deals with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar - all hit by Iranian missiles and drones in recent weeks - to share drone expertise and technology, tightening alliances and benefitting from business - and it hopes defence deals - with wealthy US-allied countries.

TPUSA issues blistering response to Hollywood nepo baby who called Erika Kirk a'sociopath' and urged Trump to'kill' organization Who's The Boss? star Judith Light, 77, has fans concerned with strange poses on red carpet Shock as Home Depot rival closes all 15 of its stores and declares bankruptcy thanks to consumers' reluctance to spend ROBERT HARDMAN: What Trump told me about the King and William. Men everywhere secretly have the same complaint about their sex lives. It's NOT about looks or frequency... Spirit Airlines prepares to shut down as Trump's rescue deal falls apart I'm the REAL Emily from Devil Wears Prada: Anna Wintour's assistant played by Emily Blunt reveals herself... and cutthroat behind-scenes details that the movie did NOT include The Devil Wears Prada 2 review: Searingly silly, ridiculous sequel is a complete disgrace to fashion... and guilty of the biggest sin of all: JANE TIPPETT The ultimate Ozempic survival kit: Experts reveal cheap drugstore remedies and one miracle food every GLP-1 user needs to ease side effects... meaning you can take a HIGHER dose and lose MORE weight Mom stunned to discover she is pregnant with twins just WEEKS after giving birth: 'I was in denial' Alleged JPMorgan sex slave unmasked as crisis sparks drama at America's biggest bank: 'Everyone's wondering what Jamie thinks' Time machines may seem better suited to science fiction than the physics lab, but experts say this futuristic technology could become a reality. Researchers have revealed how time travel could really work by using the laws of quantum physics. While their method won't let you hop back to the time of the dinosaurs, scientists say it could be possible to send messages into the past.

Chery sold 10,064 of its Jaecoo 7 crossover SUVs in March. Chery sold 10,064 of its Jaecoo 7 crossover SUVs in March. 'Temu Range Rover': what the bestselling Jaecoo 7 says about China's electric car ascendancy T he UK is no stranger to foreign cars. The bestseller lists in recent years have been dominated by the US's Ford Puma, Japan's Nissan Qashqai, Korea's Kia Sportage and occasionally even Tesla's Model Y. But in March the top 10 provided a shock: a Chinese car leapt into the lead.

NHS England is hurriedly withdrawing all the software it has written from public view because of the perceived risk of hacking from cutting-edge artificial intelligence. Security experts say the move is unnecessary and counterproductive. Software produced by the National Health Service has previously been made open-source and listed on GitHub because it is created with public money. This allows other organisations to build upon it and make better services more cheaply without duplicating effort. But NHS England has issued new guidance to staff, which has been shared with, that demands existing and future software be pulled from public view and kept behind closed doors.

Spotify adds'Verified' badges to distinguish human artists from AI Spotify is introducing a'Verified' badge to help users identify when artists on its platform are human, not AI-generated. The world's most-used music streaming service said the'Verified by Spotify' text and green checkmark icon would appear next to artist names when they meet defined standards demonstrating authenticity. This could include having linked social accounts on their artist profile, consistent listener activity or other signals of a real artist behind the profile, the company said, such as merchandise or concert dates. In its blog post, Spotify said more than 99% of the artists listeners actively search for will be verified, representing hundreds of thousands of artists. It said the process would prioritise acts with important contributions to music culture and history, rather than content farms, with the platform rolling out verification and badges over the coming weeks.

On the 31st March, our editorial team headed to the Royal Society for AI for Science . This day-long conference explored how AI is changing the nature of scientific discovery, and was hosted by the Fundamental Research team from the Alan Turing Institute. Nestled in a terrace of 19th century townhouses along the banks of the Thames, the Royal Society looks as grand as the names who have passed through its doors throughout the years. Prof Jason McEwen, Chief Scientist for the Turing Institute, opened the event with an insightful talk on the nature of scientific revolution, and how the bidirectional relationship between AI and science could spark the next one. Then, Prof Anna Scaife from the University of Manchester spoke on the use of foundation models for astronomical discovery.