Tuesday briefing: How the UK’s military spending row exposes Starmer’s defence dilemma
In today’s newsletter: An argument about money has also spotlighted questions about Britain’s place in the world and the changing face of warfareGood ...
New defence secretary to ‘reprioritise’ UK plan for military spending, say sources
Starmer ‘can’t sack him or let him resign’, says ally of Dan Jarvis after predecessor’s resignation The new defence secretary is to revisit a controve...
Cabinet ministers asked to look for cuts to fund UK defence spending increase
Lisa Nandy says discussions are taking place about how to ‘keep this country safe’ after John Healey’s resignationUK politics live – latest updatesCab...
John Healey resigns as defence secretary over military spending
Minister accuses Starmer of being ‘unable to commit the resources to defend the country at this time of rising threats’• UK politics live – latest upd...
Australians are spending less to consume more nicotine as illegal tobacco trade explodes
Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates nicotine consumption rose 40%, with illicit sources accounting for 80% of all tobaccoFollow our Australia ne...
Google owner Alphabet to sell $80bn in stock to fund AI spending spree
One of largest equity fundraisings ever includes $10bn share sale to US investment group Berkshire HathawayBusiness live – latest updatesGoogle’s pare...
Hegseth urges Asian leaders to boost military spending against China
The U.S. defense secretary said there is "rightful alarm" of China's military build up. But he also struck a more moderate tone on U.S.-China relation...
Reform UK spending on Facebook ads surged before May elections
Party spent £252,000 in last two weeks of campaign on its main Facebook pages compared with Labour’s £276,000UK politics live – latest updatesReform U...
ICE is spending millions of dollars on iris scanners, expanding its arsenal of tech tools
ICE is expanding its use of iris recognition technology, with plans to deploy hundreds of scanning devices across the country. The practice raises con...
Uber president says AI spending is getting ‘harder to justify’
After reportedly exhausting its annual AI budget just four months into 2026, Uber is now questioning whether it's actually seeing meaningful returns o...
xAI burned $6.4B last year. SpaceX’s IPO filing shows why the spending is far from over
SpaceX's IPO filing reveals xAI lost $6.4 billion in 2025 while planning a massive Grok expansion — offering the first public look at Elon Musk's AI f...
Spending watchdog warns £38bn cost of Sizewell C nuclear plant is ‘risky’
National Audit Office says potential benefits are ‘considerable but uncertain’ while risks are ‘immediate and substantial’The cost of the government’s...
In Georgia primary, Republicans dominate spending and Democrats drive record turnout
Tuesday's primary in Georgia features contentious Republican contests for governor and U.S. Senate while Democrats hope an enthusiasm advantage is eno...
