'Culture shift' needed in how UK does business, PM urges The UK needs a culture shift in how it does business, Andy Burnham has said ahead of a meeting with some of the UK's biggest bosses. The prime minister said those who take risks in business should be backed by government and local leaders should have the power to work with businesses. The current Labour government has been criticised for increasing costs for businesses, such as with the employer national insurance and minimum wage changes under Burnham's predecessor Sir Keir Starmer. Downing Street said Burnham will meet with the chief executives of BP, Shell, HSBC, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, BT, Vodafone, Rolls-Royce, and several others at Number 10. Ahead of the meeting, Burnham said he would give people the confidence that if they have a great idea, they'll get all the support they need to bring it to life.

Uber launches UK's first robotaxis with a driver - here's what it's like to ride in one Londoners are able to hail the UK's first robotaxis - as Uber today becomes the first company to launch a self-driving minicab. Initially, it only has 15 autonomous vehicles with a licence to operate in the city, and each one must have a human safety driver behind the wheel ready to take control if anything goes wrong. Uber said it surveyed London-based customers via the app and more than 100,000 said they would choose a self-driving taxi if one was available, despite incidents of driverless rides malfunctioning in US cities where they already operate. As I found out when I became the first UK journalist to hail one, it was mostly smooth but the safety driver did intervene on one occasion. At the moment the UK fare for a robotaxi ride will be the same fare as a standard UberX, Uber Electric, or Uber Comfort journey, with upfront fares shown in the app.

Almost half of people in Britain live in areas where economic growth does not translate into a better quality of life with a stark North-South divide in the spending power of households, a new report finds. Researchers at consultancy firm PwC said every region the north of England, midlands and Wales had a lower spending power than the country's average, with London and the South East comfortably above. The findings come as Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged to tackle the cost of living and regional inequalities in order to boost living standards. But questions remain over the new PM's economic policies with surges in UK government borrowing costs set to impact public spending choices. The report released on Thursday said the equivalent of 12.5 million households - 46% - lived in parts of the country where economic growth, often seen through increased business investment and job opportunities, were not leading to better living standards.

DIY store B&Q and the fast food chain Five Guys are among hundreds of UK businesses named by the government for paying staff below the minimum wage. More than 600 employers were ordered to pay affected workers the outstanding wages, with £4m returned to workers, according to the Department for Business and Trade. The firms have also been issued penalties worth £7m. B&Q said the underpayments were unintentional and the result of calculations involving geographical allowances, while Five Guys blamed technical differences in how payroll regulations were applied. The list of 658 businesses includes shops, restaurants, nurseries, social care providers and a handful of NHS trusts.

A group of peers is calling for the British government to be able to deactivate powerful AI systems and switch off the country's data centres in the event of the tech posing a threat to national security. It is led by the Liberal Democrats' Lord Tim Clement-Jones, who has proposed the measure as an amendment to the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill which is currently making its way through Parliament. He said it would enable the building of a vital safety net and provide a democratically accountable means to halt a runaway system before it can compromise our critical national infrastructure. He added the tool would only ever be used as a last resort. It is one of 65 amendments to the same bill that was debated this week.

EU and Nato vow to step up pressure on Russia after'new escalation' in Germany The heads of Nato and the European Commission have warned that Russia is growing increasingly reckless and vowed to respond to a new normal. Leipzig marks a new escalation on European Union soil directly attributed to Russia, said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, a day after Germany blamed Russia for a failed drone attack last month on Leipzig airport. We have to step up and that means being ready to respond to Russia's recklessness faster and better, von der Leyen said. Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte said the whole alliance, which includes the US, stood in full solidarity with Germany. Russia has rejected German accusations that a drone carrying explosives deliberately targeted a Ukrainian cargo plane on 4 August.

In today's newsletter: Communities from Scotland to India are pushing back against datacentres, warning they threaten energy supplies and the climate This summer, datacentres have become targets of resistance across the world. Ever since the arrival of ChatGPT, big tech has been lobbying for the creation of enormous new facilities. Many governments claim they're essential in any country that wants to cash in on AI. Campaigners argue datacentres drain resources and exacerbate the climate crisis. The Scottish National Party has backed a moratorium on new developments; so has the Greens.

'We'll find way to save Jodrell Bank,' Burnham says Prime Minister Andy Burnham has vowed to save the UK's largest telescope at the Jodrell Bank Observatory. The Lovell telescope, which has stood in Cheshire since 1957, is the world's third-largest steerable radio telescope. But in July this year, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) said the site would not be prioritised for further funding after its current agreement ended in March 2028. Burnham said: Every one of my generation went on a school trip to Jodrell Bank, and there is no way that we can see its demise, and it won't happen under my government. UKRI said its decision for the site was the result of a comprehensive, evidence-based prioritisation process.

Long-term government borrowing costs have risen to a 28-year high, putting further pressure on Prime Minister Andy Burnham ahead of his first Budget next month. The yield on a 30-year gilt -- a loan to the British government -- rose to 5.89%, the highest since 1998. The effective cost of borrowing for governments across the globe has continued to rise this morning with new multi-decade highs in market interest rates. The moves reflect concerns about inflation arising from the ongoing Iran war, competition from major tech firms for long-term borrowing, and concerns about state borrowing levels. All of those factors will make the Budget process trickier for Burnham, who will face MPs on Tuesday for the first time as prime minister, and his Chancellor John Healey. Higher borrowing costs will reduce the amount of headroom the government has against its self-imposed fiscal rules, limiting the amount Healey can spend on consumer-friendly measures to ease the cost of living.

Investigators specialising in rape and sex offences will be introduced to every police force in England and Wales by the end of 2027, the government has said. Ministers are speeding up the rollout of the scheme, previously announced by Sir Keir Starmer's government, by 18 months as part of efforts to tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG). They are also offering more money for some forces to boost protection orders. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the previous plans were too slow and ministers should be laser focused on tackling such crimes. One charity has welcomed the measures, but says they represent only a small portion of what is needed for victims. The Home Office initially announced the plans last year and was due to have teams in place by summer 2029.