Rolls-Royce shares soar to new record high; anger over Shell $4.3bn profits – business live

Vying with Rolls-Royce at the top of the FTSE 100 is pest control company Rentokil Initial. (It does what it says on the tin…)The company kept its full-year outlook unchanged, reported half-year revenue growth of 3.1%, and expects annual results in line with market expectations. But that hasn’t stopped its market value soaring by 11% this morning. Investors may have welcomed its strong free cash flow guidance

Co-op expands its ‘food on the go’ offering with 15 new bitesize stores

The Co-op is to challenge takeaway outlets such as Greggs, Pret a Manger and Subway with plans for hundreds of small food shops selling hot pizza, fried chicken and sandwiches.The first Co-op On The Go store opens in Solihull, near Birmingham, on Thursday and 14 more are planned this year, including five in London.They will sell ready meals, such as pizzas and lasagne to heat up at home, alcoholic and soft drinks, and essentials such as toothpaste and loo roll alongside staffed hot food counters and food in heated cabinets.At between 600 sq ft and 1,000 sq ft, the stores will be about a quarter of the size of a typical Co-op but unlike many convenience stores they will not sell cigarettes or vapes. However, the company has developed 35 new products for the new format, such as all day-breakfast meal pots and smoked salmon, egg and spinach pots

Met police to more than double use of live facial recognition

Britain’s biggest police force is to more than double its use of live facial recognition to up to 10 deployments a week.The move by the Metropolitan police comes as it restructures to cover the loss of 1,400 officers and 300 staff amid budget shortages.Live facial recognition – which involves the matching of faces caught on surveillance camera footage against a police watchlist in real time – will now be used up to 10 times a week across five days, up from the current four times a week across two days.The tactic will be deployed at the Notting Hill carnival over the August bank holiday.An older form of the technology was trialled at the event in 2016 and 2017

Zuckerberg claims ‘superintelligence is now in sight’ as Meta lavishes billions on AI

Whether it’s poaching top talent away from competitors, acquiring AI startups or proclaiming that it will build data centers the size of Manhattan, Meta has been on a spending spree to boost its artificial intelligence capabilities for months now.The massive splurge is paying off, according to Meta’s chief executive. In a new memo posted on Wednesday ahead of the company’s quarterly earnings report, Mark Zuckerberg, describes his ambitions for developing what he calls “superintelligence”.“Over the last few months we have begun to see glimpses of our AI systems improving themselves,” Zuckerberg wrote. “The improvement is slow for now, but undeniable

Blair Kinghorn and James Ryan to start in final Lions Test against Australia

Blair Kinghorn and James Ryan have been named to start for the British & Irish Lions in their third Test against the Wallabies in Sydney on Saturday as Andy Farrell’s side seek to wrap up a series whitewash.Kinghorn is selected on the left wing with James Lowe dropping out of the 23 while Ryan replaces Ollie Chessum, who has been named on the bench. Kinghorn impressed as a replacement in the last-gasp victory in Melbourne last week and though he is a fullback by trade, he often appears on the wing for Toulouse.Ryan also caught the eye off the bench at the MCG and comes into the starting XV alongside Maro Itoje, who continues as captain. Ryan is one of nine Ireland players selected along with Tadhg Furlong who will equal Alun Wyn Jones in starting nine consecutive Tests for the Lions

Nic White called on to inspire Australia for third Lions Test in Sydney

The Wallabies will take inspiration from retiring scrum-half Nic White as they seek to avoid a series whitewash in the third Test against the British & Irish Lions in Sydney on Saturday.The veteran announced on Thursday he would retire from international rugby after Saturday’s Test and coach Joe Schmidt has handed him the No 9 jersey for his 73rd Wallabies cap in a nod to his long contribution to Australian rugby.White said it was the right time to “pass on the baton” to players like Jake Gordon and Tate McDermott, who have played ahead of him in the first two Tests.“Pulling on the gold jersey was a dream of mine when I was a young boy in Scone and to say I’ve done it 72 times, with one last crack on Saturday night, is something I’m incredibly proud of and a privilege I’ve never taken for granted,” White said.“Rugby has given me so much to be grateful for