UK borrowing reaches five-year high for September at £20.2bn

UK government borrowing was the highest for five years in September after rising debt interest costs and higher welfare payments pushed the public finances deeper into the red.Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed public sector net borrowing – the difference between public spending and income – hit £20.2bn last month, up £1.6bn from the same month last year and the highest September borrowing since 2020.The ONS said a rise in tax receipts was unable to offset the jump in debt interest costs this year and a rise in welfare costs, which have mostly increased in response to rising inflation

Reeves has mountain to climb in budget after borrowing rise

Rachel Reeves has already seen the most significant numbers setting the backdrop for next month’s budget – the Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) forecasts for five years’ time, when her fiscal rules are judged.But September’s public finances data, published on Tuesday, will hardly have lightened the mood in No 11 as she draws up plans for tax rises and spending cuts.Even before the impact of the U-turns on winter fuel payments and disability benefits hits, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found that the deficit in the first six months of the fiscal year was £7.2bn higher than the OBR predicted at its last forecast in March, at £99.8bn

Garmin Fenix 8 Pro review: built-in LTE and satellite for phone-free messaging

The latest update to Garmin’s class-leading Fenix adventure watch adds something that could save your life: phone-free communications and emergency messaging on 4G or via satellite.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.The Fenix 8 Pro takes the already fantastic Fenix 8 and adds in the new cellular tech, plus the option of a cutting-edge microLED screen in a special edition of the watch

Bryan Cranston thanks OpenAI for cracking down on Sora 2 deepfakes

Bryan Cranston has said he is “grateful” to OpenAI for cracking down on deepfakes of himself on the company’s generative AI video platform Sora 2, after users were able to generate his voice and likeness without his consent.The Breaking Bad star approached the actors’ union Sag-Aftra with his concerns after Sora 2 users were able to generate his likeness during the video app’s recent launch phase. On 11 October, the LA Times described a Sora 2 video in which “a synthetic Michael Jackson takes a selfie video with an image of Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston”.Living people must ostensibly give their consent, or opt in, to feature on Sora 2, with OpenAI stating since launch that it takes “measures to block depictions of public figures” and that it has “guardrails intended to ensure that your audio and image likeness are used with your consent”.But when Sora 2 launched, several publications including the Wall Street Journal, the Hollywood Reporter and the LA Times reported widespread anger in Hollywood after OpenAI allegedly told multiple talent agencies and studios that if they didn’t want their clients or copyrighted material replicated on Sora 2, they would have to opt out – rather than opt in

The Breakdown | Caluori conundrum adds to Borthwick’s England selection headaches

The lobby of the Pennyhill Park hotel on a Monday evening provides a neat snapshot of English rugby’s fast-changing world. First to amble into view is Noah Caluori, Saracens’s new whiz-kid who has just announced himself with five tries on his first Prem start. He nods a polite greeting and looks every inch a sporting thoroughbred that any national coach would covet.A couple of minutes later a more familiar face appears. It feels faintly bizarre to be bumping into Joe Marler when, on your television, he is sitting in a Scottish castle with Claudia Winkleman but, hey presto, that’s the magic of showbiz right there

NBA 2025-26 predictions: Wemby for MVP? And will Thunder strike twice?

Our writers give their verdicts on the new season, which tips off Tuesday. Can New York or Houston thwart an OKC repeat? And which youngster will make the superstar leap?If we’re lucky, a fully healthy campaign from Victor Wembanyama. He’s already shown flashes of his insane ceiling in his previous two seasons. He’s such a difficult matchup with the ball in his hands, and on defense, he changes the entire calculus of opposing teams’ schemes with his length. Jakub FrankowiczFrom Wembanyama’s looming superstardom (he’s 7ft 5in now?!) to 18-year-old Cooper Flagg’s rookie spark, this season feels like a generational crossroads