UK banks face lawsuits over mortgages that left people with huge debts

Two of Britain’s biggest banks face being sued over “unfair” mortgages that have left some people owing up to 20 times the sum they originally borrowed.The law firm Teacher Stern is bringing group actions against Barclays and Bank of Scotland in an attempt, it said, to win justice for two new groups of claimants comprising current and former customers and their next of kin.One of those affected, Annie Galbraith, borrowed £33,000 from Barclays in 1998, but her debt to the bank is now estimated at about £660,000 and could rise further.The cases involve a controversial type of mortgage on sale between late 1996 and mid-1998 and only available from the two banks.The shared appreciation mortgages (Sams) were ostensibly aimed at helping “asset-rich, cash-poor” older people release some of the value locked up in their homes

Tube strike: Downing Street says Londoners ‘fed up’ as it urges RMT union and TfL to negotiate – as it happened

Downing Street has called on the RMT union and Transport for London to get back to the negotiating table to end this week’s tube strikes, which are due to run until 8am on Friday.The prime minister’s official spokesman said:I think Londoners will rightly be fed-up with the disruption from Tube strikes this morning - as parents try and drop their kids off at school, get to hospital appointments, get to work - and RMT and TfL need to get back around the table, work together to resolve this dispute in the interests of passengers.Strikes by the RMT union have closed the London Underground, with people crowding on to other transport and roads congested at the start of four days of commuter misery. The TfL website crashed earlier this morning but is back to normal.Rides on Uber were quoted at multiples of normal levels, with some journeys costing about £50 for a five-mile trip in the capital

Ex-WhatsApp cybersecurity head says Meta endangered billions of users in new suit

A former top cybersecurity executive at WhatsApp filed a lawsuit on Monday alleging that parent company Meta disregarded internal flaws in the app’s digital defenses and exposed billions of its users. He says the company systematically violated cybersecurity regulations and retaliated against him for reporting the failures.Attaullah Baig, who served as head of security for WhatsApp from 2021 to 2025, claims that approximately 1,500 engineers had unrestricted access to user data without proper oversight, potentially violating a US government order that imposed a $5bn penalty on the company in 2020.He also claimed the company failed to remedy the hacking and takeover of more than 100,000 accounts each day, ignoring his pleas and proposed fixes and choosing instead to prioritize user growth. The lawsuit, filed in US federal court in San Francisco, alleges Facebook-owner Meta failed to implement basic cybersecurity measures, including adequate data handling and breach detection capabilities

Impact of chatbots on mental health is warning over future of AI, expert says

The unforeseen impact of chatbots on mental health should be viewed as a warning over the existential threat posed by super-intelligent artificial intelligence systems, according to a prominent voice in AI safety.Nate Soares, a co-author of a new book on highly advanced AI titled If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies, said the example of Adam Raine, a US teenager who killed himself after months of conversations with the ChatGPT chatbot, underlined fundamental problems with controlling the technology.“These AIs, when they’re engaging with teenagers in this way that drives them to suicide – that is not a behaviour the creators wanted. That is not a behaviour the creators intended,” he said.He added: “Adam Raine’s case illustrates the seed of a problem that would grow catastrophic if these AIs grow smarter

Jack Draper ruled out for rest of the season with arm injury

Jack Draper, the British No 1, has been ruled out for the rest of the season with the arm injury that forced him to withdraw from the US Open.Draper said: “Unfortunately, the injury to my arm is something I have to rest and means I’ll be sitting out the rest of 2025. It is very difficult for me to accept as I was building some incredible momentum this year and playing some great stuff.“However I’ve been through this before and I always come back stronger as I’m so motivated to fulfil my potential as a player. Huge thanks to everyone who backs me to do well and supports me on my journey

Sinner’s reaction to US Open defeat shows why he and Alcaraz will tower over the tour for years to come

In the 90 minutes between Jannik Sinner’s defeat by Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open final and his post-match debrief, his mind had already shifted. Rather than dwelling on the pain of losing his US Open title and No 1 ranking, he was thinking about the future.Sinner felt his game was too predictable, even one-dimensional, compared with Alcaraz, whose deep toolbox of shots left him uncomfortable and unable to find rhythm on the court. As a result of that discomfort, Sinner made a decision. The 24-year-old resolved to make significant changes to his game in pursuit of becoming a better, more complete tennis player and keeping up with his rival, even if he might suffer in the short term