Property tax threat is slowing down housing market, say UK agents

Speculation that the chancellor could announce new property taxes in her autumn budget is likely to slow down an already price-sensitive housing market, estate agents have said.Rachel Reeves is reportedly considering a tax on the sale of homes over £500,000 and the removal of the capital gains tax exemption on primary residences above £1.5m as ways to boost income for the government.The property website Zoopla said changes to the taxation of homes over £500,000 “may make some buyers consider a wait-and-see strategy. This covers those who may possibly save money on purchases under £500,000 and concern those buying over this level as well

Octopus Energy founder appointed as UK government adviser

Keir Starmer has appointed the outspoken founder of Octopus Energy as an adviser, with a remit to challenge government thinking.Greg Jackson has joined the Cabinet Office board, an influential core of government advisers, as a non-executive member.The announcement comes weeks after ministers ruled out his plan to split the national energy market into regional zones, which would have meant users in different areas would pay different rates for their electricity.The tech entrepreneur, who has long had links to the Labour party, responded to that decision by saying he would “respectfully disagree”.Jackson failed to win over ministers after a long and controversial campaign, in part because zonal pricing would have meant higher energy prices in the south-east of England and lower prices in Scotland

Nvidia sets fresh sales record amid fears of an AI bubble and Trump’s trade wars

Chipmaker Nvidia set a fresh sales record in the second quarter, surpassing Wall Street expectations for its artificial intelligence chips. But shares of the chip giant still dropped 2.3% in after hours trading, in a sign that investors’ worries of an AI bubble and the repercussions of Donald Trump’s trade wars are not quelled.Nvidia’s financial report was the first test of investor appetite since last week’s mass AI-stock selloff, when several tech stocks saw shares tumble last week amid growing questions over whether AI-driven companies are being overvalued.On Wednesday, Nvidia reported an adjusted earnings per share of $1

Teen killed himself after ‘months of encouragement from ChatGPT’, lawsuit claims

The makers of ChatGPT are changing the way it responds to users who show mental and emotional distress after legal action from the family of 16-year-old Adam Raine, who killed himself after months of conversations with the chatbot.Open AI admitted its systems could “fall short” and said it would install “stronger guardrails around sensitive content and risky behaviors” for users under 18.The $500bn (£372bn) San Francisco AI company said it would also introduce parental controls to allow parents “options to gain more insight into, and shape, how their teens use ChatGPT”, but has yet to provide details about how these would work.Adam, from California, killed himself in April after what his family’s lawyer called “months of encouragement from ChatGPT”. The teenager’s family is suing Open AI and its chief executive and co-founder, Sam Altman, alleging that the version of ChatGPT at that time, known as 4o, was “rushed to market … despite clear safety issues”

Olympic champion Jess Fox recovering after surgery to remove tumour in kidney

Australia’s three-time Olympic slalom canoe champion Jess Fox says she has had to deal with a “whirlwind” few weeks after undergoing surgery to remove a tumour from her kidney.The 31-year-old went under the knife last week in a successful procedure but she suffered some post-surgery complications and issued a statement on Thursday to say she was now recovering well.“It’s been a whirlwind over the last few weeks, but I’m all good – just a couple of gnarly new scars, a bit less kidney, and a whole lot more toughness,” Fox said. “I’m feeling positive and looking forward to heading home, focusing on recovery, and then building towards being back on the water again.”This article includes content provided by Instagram

Ostapenko and Townsend confront each other after US Open match: ‘She said I had no education’

Taylor Townsend and Jelena Ostapenko were involved in a heated exchange at the end of their second-round match on Wednesday at the US Open.The two met at the net for post-match handshakes after Townsend had completed a 7-5, 6-1 victory. But instead of heading to the locker rooms, they exchanged words and Ostapenko wagged her finger at her American opponent. The home crowd appeared to get behind Townsend and she approached the stands spurring them on as the noise rose on Court 11.After the match, Ostapenko said in an Instagram story that she had been unhappy with Townsend’s conduct before and during her victory