UK government plays down reports of plan to bring EV sales target review forward
The government has played down reports that it is planning to bring forward the publication of a review of electric vehicle sales targets from 2027 to next year amid concerns from the car industry.The government had said in April it would weaken its zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate – which was brought in to force carmakers to sell more electric cars every year or face the prospect of steep fines – after lobbying from the car industry, and planned to review the targets.“The ZEV mandate review starts next year … and of course we’d want to complete that review as quickly as we can,” the industry minister, Chris McDonald, told the Financial Times.However, a government spokesperson later said that only “preparatory work” would begin next year, with the review itself due to be published in 2027.Carmakers had argued the rules were economically unsustainable, leading the UK to introduce “flexibilities”, which allowed them to earn “credits” by selling hybrid cars, which combine a smaller battery with a petrol engine.
The loopholes allow carmakers to sell more hybrids, which are more profitable for them, amid fierce competition from rivals, including from China.Referring to the changes to the rules introduced in the spring, McDonald said: “We’ve got to be responsible to the industry, and we’ve also got to be responsive to where the market is as well.”The government spokesperson said: “We have not brought forward the ZEV Mandate review.As previously committed, we will publish the review in early 2027 which means preparatory work will begin next year so stakeholders can be properly engaged.“Zero-emission vehicles are good for family finances and good for the environment – saving typical drivers as much as £1,500 a year on fuel and the transition to EVs is crucial to delivering jobs and growth, improved air quality, energy security, as well as quieter cleaner towns and cities.
”McDonald was speaking as he visited Nissan’s factory in Sunderland, where the Japanese carmaker has begun production of its latest electric car.The launch of the third-generation Leaf, which was the first mass-market battery electric car to be built in the UK, is seen as a crucial step in the British car industry’s move away from petrol and diesel.Nissan has already produced more than 280,000 Leaf models at the plant in north-east England, which is Britain’s largest car factory.Electric car sales have increased rapidly in recent years.They represented more than a fifth of the UK market in July.
However, carmakers previously overestimated demand for EVs, meaning they have had to lower their prices to attract buyers.Ministers said they would not weaken plans to ban the sale of new petrol or diesel cars from 2035, after the EU announced plans to water down the timing of the phaseout of new combustion engine vehicles.The EU confirmed on Tuesday it would no longer require carmakers to ensure that 100% of cars and vans produced had zero emissions from 2035.After heavy pressure from the car industry and leaders of several EU member states including Germany and Italy, the European Commission has promised to reduce this requirement to 90%.This will allow 10% of production after 2035 to be plug-in hybrid electric cars, or even pure combustion engine vehicles.
In a trade-off with industry, carmakers will have to compensate with other green measures on the factory floor, including the use of green steel made in Europe or use of biofuels in non-electric vehicles.
US date rape survivors file lawsuit accusing Hinge and Tinder of ‘accommodating rapists’
The Dating Apps Reporting Project produced this story in partnership with the Pulitzer Center’s AI Accountability Network and The Markup, now a part of CalMatters, and copublished with The Guardian and The 19th.Six women who were drugged and raped or sexually assaulted by the same Denver cardiologist filed a lawsuit against Match Group on Tuesday, accusing the world’s largest dating app company of “accommodating rapists across its products” through “negligence” and a “defective” product.The women, backed by four law firms, said that by allowing known abusers like Stephen Matthews to remain on its apps, Tinder and Hinge, even after they are reported for rape, the company fostered a breeding ground for “sexual predators”.“Even when Match Group receives reports about rapists, they continue to welcome them, fail to warn users about the general and specific risks, and affirmatively recommend known predators to members,” the complaint said. “Rapists know each Match Group platform offers a catalog of available victims
Water levels across the Great Lakes are falling – just as US data centers move in
The sign outside Tom Hermes’s farmyard in Perkins Township in Ohio, a short drive south of the shores of Lake Erie, proudly claims that his family have farmed the land here since 1900. Today, he raises 130 head of cattle and grows corn, wheat, grass and soybeans on 1,200 acres of land.For his family, his animals and wider business, water is life.So when, in May 2024, the Texas-based Aligned Data Centers broke ground on its NEO-01, four-building, 200,000 sq ft data center on a brownfield site that abuts farmland that Hermes rents, he was concerned.“We have city water here
Boost for artists in AI copyright battle as only 3% back UK active opt-out plan
A campaign fronted by popstars including Elton John and Dua Lipa to protect artists’ works from being mined to train AI models without consent has received a boost after almost every respondent to a government consultation backed their case.Ninety-five per cent of the more than 10,000 people who had their say over how music, novels, films and other works should be protected from copyright infringements by tech companies called for copyright to be strengthened and a requirement for licensing in all cases or no change to copyright law.By contrast, only 3% of people backed the government’s initial preferred tech company-friendly option, which was to require artists and copyright holders to actively opt out of having their material fed into data-hungry AI systems.Ministers subsequently dropped that preference in the face of a backlash. Artists who have opposed any dilution of their copyright include Sam Fender, Kate Bush and the Pet Shop Boys
Google AI summaries are ruining the livelihoods of recipe writers: ‘It’s an extinction event’
This past March, when Google began rolling out its AI Mode search capability, it began offering AI-generated recipes. The recipes were not all that intelligent. The AI had taken elements of similar recipes from multiple creators and Frankensteined them into something barely recognizable. In one memorable case, the Google AI failed to distinguish comments on a Reddit thread from legitimate recipe sites and advised users to cook with non-toxic glue.Over the past few years, bloggers who have not secured their sites behind a paywall have seen their carefully developed and tested recipes show up, often without attribution and in a bastardized form, in ChatGPT replies
UK Treasury drawing up new rules to police cryptocurrency markets
Cryptocurrencies will be regulated in a similar way to other financial products under legislation coming into force in 2027.The Treasury is drawing up rules that will require crypto companies to meet a set of standards overseen by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).Ministers have sought to overhaul the crypto market, which has ballooned in popularity as a way of investing money and making payments.Cryptocurrencies have not been subject to the same regulation as traditional financial products such as stocks and shares, which means that in many cases consumers do not enjoy the same level of protection.The government said the new rules would make the crypto industry more transparent, boost consumer confidence and make it easier to detect suspicious activity, impose sanctions and hold companies accountable
YouTube channels spreading fake, anti-Labour videos viewed 1.2bn times in 2025
YouTube channels spreading fake, anti-Labour videos have amassed more than a billion views this year, as opportunists attempt to use AI-generated content to profit from political division in the UK.More than 150 channels have been detected in the last year that promote anti-Labour narratives, as well as outright fake and inflammatory accusations about Keir Starmer.A study seen by the Guardian has found the channels have accumulated 5.3m subscribers and have created more than 56,000 videos, with a total of almost 1.2bn views in 2025
If he never returns, Terence Crawford’s legacy as one of boxing’s greats is secure | Bryan Armen Graham
Miami Dolphins to bench QB Tua Tagovailoa after missing playoffs
Curse of Spoty? Rory McIlroy and golf could miss out again to Kelly or Norris
The Knicks have a trophy and Wembanyama has a chip on his shoulder: Five NBA Cup takeaways
Khawaja and Carey rise up to fill the gaps as England squander Australia’s gifts | Geoff Lemon
Jofra Archer steps up to show his true value lies beyond pundits’ stereotypes | Barney Ronay