The return of ‘Tescopoly’? How Britain’s biggest retailer dominates everyday life

Supermarket chain has quietly got its groove back to grab even more of shoppers’ spending this yearReach into your pocket and you will probably find evidence of Tesco. Whether it is a Clubcard, mobile phone or just a receipt from one of its 3,000 stores, the UK’s biggest retailer is engrained in everyday British life.As its chief executive, Ken Murphy, proudly proclaimed this month, the supermarket chain has grabbed even more of our spending this year, landing almost a third of all grocery sales and receiving more than £1 in every £10 spent in UK retail. Data released this week showed Tesco’s sales growth outgunning its traditional rivals.The retailer’s resurgence represents a remarkable turnaround for a business whose relentless growth across Britain through the 1990s and early 2000s was abruptly curtailed as management became too focused on overseas expansion and profits over service

Ed Miliband needs a plan now to help industry weather UK transition to net zero | Phillip Inman

Ed Miliband may want his political legacy to be a transition to net zero, but he could find his eventual political epitaph includes words on how he helped bury UK industry under the weight of high electricity charges.Industrial ovens are being switched off and turbines spun for the last time as businesses add up the cost of powering their factories and decide it’s not worth the time and trouble.It would be harsh to blame the energy secretary for a crisis he inherited and a decline in manufacturing that has been going on for four decades. But the way the transition to renewables was managed under the Tories, and now under Miliband can only be described as a disaster that will see much of UK industry depart for an easier life elsewhere.The decline is not new

Inside San Francisco’s new AI school: is this the future of US education?

In the world’s tech innovation epicenter, an “AI-powered” private school has made headlines for unabashedly embracing the technology.Alpha School San Francisco, which opened its doors to K-8 students this fall, is the newest outpost of a network of 14 nationwide private schools. Its learning model entails just two hours of focused academic work per day, during which the school says students can learn twice as fast as their counterparts in traditional schools – with the help of artificial intelligence.AI, Alpha says, is central to the school’s learning philosophy, brand and impact on students.Alpha is not alone in its efforts to incorporate AI into the classroom

The platform exposing exactly how much copyrighted art is used by AI tools

Ask Google’s AI video tool to create a film of a time-travelling doctor who flies around in a blue British phone booth and the result, unsurprisingly, resembles Doctor Who.And if you ask OpenAI’s technology to do the same, a similar thing happens. What’s wrong with that, you may think?The answer could be one of the biggest issues AI chiefs face as their era-defining technology becomes ever more ubiquitous in our lives.Google and OpenAI’s generative artificial intelligence is supposed to be just that – generative, meaning it develops novel answers to our questions. Ask it for a time-travelling doctor, you get one that their systems have created

England invite Noah Caluori to training after sparkling five-try Prem debut

Noah Caluori, the 19-year-old ­Saracens wing, has been invited to train with England by the head coach, Steve Borthwick, after an incredible five-try barrage against Sale in his first start in the Prem on Saturday.A 36-man training squad has been named to prepare for the upcoming autumn internationals, with Jack Willis the most notable omission by Borthwick after the No 8’s decision to return to play in France.The supremely talented Caluori, however, was the 37th name on Borthwick’s list as his players gathered at Pennyhill Park on Sunday night to prepare for Australia’s visit to Twickenham on 1 November. “As part of a development agreement with Saracens Noah Caluori will join the squad for training,” the RFU said.Forwards Fin Baxter (Harlequins), Ollie Chessum (Leicester),Alex Coles (Northampton), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale), Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins), Theo Dan (Saracens), Ben Earl (Saracens),Ellis Genge (Bristol), Jamie George (Saracens), Joe Heyes (Leicester), Emeka Ilione (Leicester), Maro Itoje (Saracens), Nick Isiekwe (Saracens), Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale), Guy Pepper (Bath), Henry Pollock (Northampton), Bevan Rodd (Sale), Will Stuart (Bath), Sam Underhill (Bath)

England hold nerve to beat India and seal Women’s Cricket World Cup semi-final spot

England won a last-over thriller against India at Indore on Sunday to seal their place in the World Cup semi-finals, holding two crucial catches at the death to defend 288 and win by just four runs. Earlier Heather Knight’s third ODI century in her 300th international set up the exciting finale.India were left needing 27 off 18 but, defying England’s recent ­reputation of falling to pieces under pressure, Linsey Smith conceded just four runs from the 48th over and then defended 14 off the last to ensure ­England came out on top.Smith had earlier taken the crucial wicket of Smriti Mandhana, whose 88 from 94 balls looked to be taking India to a straightforward victory until, hobbling with cramp caused by the sweltering humidity, the Indian vice-captain sent a catch into the hands of long-off with 55 runs still needed.Still, with six wickets in hand, the match was India’s to lose, and their clutch all-rounder Deepti Sharma hit just enough boundaries to keep them in touch, bringing up her half-century in the 46th over