A Neet way to help youth in Dudley | Brief letters
Regarding Dudley having the highest rate of young people not in education, employment or training (How Dudley became centre of UK’s youth jobs crisis, 8 November), this doesn’t surprise me, having taught for 24 years in the Black Country.The area has a large proportion of working‑class communities that value technical education, but the national curriculum makes little provision for this.Investment in technical education from an early age would equip these young people with the skills that would attract employers to the area.Kartar UppalSutton Coldfield, West Midlands In response to Bill Onwusah’s winter fuel payment query (Letters, 6 November), the Department for Work and Pensions calculates it based on your circumstances in the “qualifying week”, principally your age in September this year and if you were living in England or Wales, whereas your actual entitlement to the payment depends on your income in the 2025-26 tax year, which HMRC won’t know until April next year at the earliest.Godfrey KellerDepartment of economics, University of Oxford Regarding the issue of changing the name of Epstein Road in Thamesmead (Letters, 7 November), this could be solved by adding “Jacob” to the beginning.
Similarly, any “Andrew” street or place name is solved by changing “Prince” to “Saint”,John StarbuckHuddersfield, West Yorkshire I suspect Guardian letter writers are old (Letters, 9 November),I had my first letter published nearly 40 years ago,My letters were longer then,Like many aspects of my life, my letters are shorter now.
Lynn FotheringhamOver Kellet, Lancashire Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
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
Troubled drinks giant Diageo names former Tesco boss to lead turnaround push
The executive credited with steering Tesco out of the worst financial crisis in its history has been handed the top job at the struggling Guinness maker Diageo.On 1 January, Sir Dave Lewis will become chief executive of the FTSE 100 drinks company, whose shares have fallen by a third this year.Lewis ran Tesco from 2014 to 2020 and previously spent nearly three decades at the Marmite maker Unilever. He revived Britain’s biggest supermarket chain after revealing an accounting scandal, which threatened the future of the business.His appointment marks a significant coup for the drinks maker, which owns more than 200 brands including Johnnie Walker whisky, Smirnoff vodka, Baileys Irish Cream and Don Julio tequila
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
Elon Musk makes himself far-right fixture after White House departure
The Tesla CEO once hinted he was done with politics – but he’s been leaning further into the international far rightWhen the far-right activist Tommy Robinson emerged from a London courtroom this week after a judge cleared him of a terrorism charge, he gave thanks to the man he said had bankrolled his defense.“Elon Musk, I’m forever grateful. If you didn’t step in and fund my legal fight I’d probably be in jail,” Robinson said. “Thank you, Elon.”In the period immediately after Musk’s messy departure from the White House, the Tesla CEO repeatedly suggested that he was done with politics
New York Giants fire head coach Brian Daboll after another lost season
The New York Giants have fired head coach Brian Daboll after Sunday’s defeat left the team with a 2-8 record and staring at another lost season.“The past few seasons have been nothing short of disappointing, and we have not met our expectations for this franchise,” Giants co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch said Monday in a joint statement. “We understand the frustrations of our fans, and we will work to deliver a significantly improved product.”Assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka will take control on an interim bases as the Giants search for Daboll’s permanent replacement.The Giants fired Daboll the day after the Giants blew a double-digit lead in their defeat to the Chicago Bears
Chessum and Freeman serious doubts to face All Blacks in blow to England
Ollie Chessum and Tommy Freeman are serious injury doubts for England’s game with New Zealand at Twickenham on Saturday. The two British & Irish Lions players sat out training on Monday and their participation against the All Blacks is in jeopardy.Chessum is struggling with a foot injury and was seen on crutches at England’s training base in Bagshot. He was replaced after 70 minutes of the 38-18 win against Fiji on Saturday and in the likely event he is ruled out Maro Itoje’s expected second‑row partner would be Alex Coles.Freeman was also replaced in the later stages of the victory and it is understood he is nursing a hamstring injury
UK retail sales growth slows as shoppers await Black Friday and budget
Can ex-Tesco boss Drastic Dave refresh the fortunes of drinks giant Diageo?
Data centers meet resistance over environmental concerns as AI boom spreads in Latin America
Can OpenAI keep pace with industry’s soaring costs?
ATP Finals tennis: Jannik Sinner beats injured Félix Auger-Aliassime – as it happened
‘Focus on driving and talk less’: Ferrari president hits back at Lewis Hamilton