Can ex-Tesco boss Drastic Dave refresh the fortunes of drinks giant Diageo?

On landing a new job, nothing puts a spring in the step like knowing that news of your appointment has inflated the stock market value of your employer by more than £2bn.Dave Lewis could be forgiven for keeping that confidence-boosting figure front of mind as he faces up to the challenge of reviving Diageo.The London-based alcoholic drinks business runs a sprawling global empire upon which the sun never sets but whose glory has been on the wane.News that Diageo had not only ended an uncomfortably long four-month recruitment drive – but had sent for the man widely credited with saving Tesco – boosted the misfiring booze group’s shares by as much as 7% on Monday.When Lewis formally starts work in earnest, on 1 January, many customers will be recovering from an overindulgence in Diageo brands such as Johnnie Walker and Guinness

FTSE 100 hits record high as US shutdown breakthrough sparks market rally – as it happened

And finally, Britain’s blue-chip stock index has ended the day at a new closing high.The FTSE 100 has closed at 9,787 points, a rise of 104.5 points or 1.08% today. That’s its highest ever closing level, and only slightly below the new intraday high of 9,800 points set this afternoon

Can OpenAI keep pace with industry’s soaring costs?

It is the $1.4tn (£1.1tn) question. How can a loss-making startup such as OpenAI afford such a staggering spending commitment?Answer that positively and it will go a long way to easing investor concerns over bubble warnings in the artificial intelligence boom, from lofty tech company valuations to a mooted $3tn global spend on datacentres.The company behind ChatGPT needs a vast amount of computing power – or compute, in tech jargon – to train its models, produce their responses and build even more powerful systems in the future

Tech giants vow to defend users in US as spyware companies make inroads with Trump administration

Apple and WhatsApp have vowed to keep warning users if their mobile phones are targeted by governments using hacking software against them, including in the US, as two spyware makers seek to make inroads with the Trump administration.The two technology giants made their statements in response to queries from the Guardian as the two cyberweapons makers – both founded in Israel and now owned by American investors – are aggressively pursuing access to the US market.Paragon Solutions, which makes a spyware called Graphite, already cemented a deal with the Trump administration in September to give US immigration agents access to one of the world’s most sophisticated hacking tools, after the Department of Homeland lifted a freeze on a $2m contract with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement).Paragon did not respond to requests for comment.Another company, NSO Group, which was accused by the Biden administration in 2021 of engaging in business that was “contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the US”, announced this weekend that David Friedman, the US ambassador to Israel during Donald Trump’s first term, had agreed to become executive chairman of the holding company that owns NSO

ATP Finals tennis: Jannik Sinner v Félix Auger-Aliassime – live

*Sinner 3-2 Auger-Aliassime Out of nothing, Auger-Aliassime ups the pace on the backhand, going corner to corner and making 0-15; he really fancies this. But a serve out wide, supported by a clean-up forehand, levels the game, a service-winner follows, and shortly afterwards, so does the game.Sinner 2-2 Auger-Aliassime* I say that, but it’s been a decent start from Auger-Aliassime, but up 15-0, he works Sinner wide only to overhit having opened the space to attack. Still, the tactic was right even if the execution wasn’t quite and, when Sinner goes long, he has 30-15, then again attacks the forehand from the middle of the baseline to raise two game points, taking the second. Often, these matches are close until they’re not, but so far this is an engrossing contest

‘Focus on driving and talk less’: Ferrari president hits back at Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton has been told to “focus on driving and talk less” in a rebuke from the Ferrari president, John Elkann, which was almost certainly a reaction to Hamilton’s outspoken description of his first season with the team as a “nightmare”.Hamilton has endured a ­difficult debut year with Ferrari, with the team underperforming and the seven‑time champion having a trying time ­adapting to a new environment and practices.After another disappointing race at the São Paulo Grand Prix on Sunday, when forced to retire the car on lap 37, Hamilton was unusually blunt, stating: “This is a nightmare and I’ve been living it for a while. The flip between the dream of driving for this amazing team and then the nightmare of the results that we’ve had.”Elkann, who was instrumental in persuading Hamilton to join Ferrari and with whom the British driver is friends, gave an equally forthright response, speaking in Milan