Is London really the most-taxed city? Banks accused of cherrypicking data

Lobby group’s figures, shared with John Healey, are misleading as they do not include major rival Paris, say campaigners

A banking lobby group has been accused of cherrypicking data and trying to mislead the British government by claiming a tax rise for banks at next week’s budget would leave London less competitive than rival financial hubs.

UK Finance, which represents banks including Lloyds, JP Morgan and Revolut, commissions an annual report tallying up all the taxes shouldered by a large bank, including corporation tax, social security, VAT and bank-specific levies.

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No unions, low taxes: why some of Britain’s top chefs are opening outposts in Gulf states

Leading restaurateur says Gulf countries actively help businesses set up, while east Asia has a better work ethic

Some of London’s top restaurants are opening branches in Dubai because of a “tax tsunami” in the UK and better work ethic abroad, according to a leading restaurateur.

James Robson, a co-owner of Fallow in St James’s Market, regarded as the capital’s hottest restaurant, serving 1,000 people a day, has just signed a deal to open an outpost in the Gulf.

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Medical experts shocked by Tennessee team’s ‘malpractice’ in Christa Pike’s failed execution

New details of IV team’s attempts to find a vein shared by Pike’s lawyer ‘shocked and disturbed’ practitioners

Medical experts have expressed shock at the apparent incompetence shown by Tennessee’s execution team during the failed lethal injection of Christa Pike, the prisoner who survived a normally fatal dose of pentobarbital, which they say would be considered medical malpractice in any other setting.

New details emerged on Thursday of how Tennessee’s intravenous (IV) team struggled for almost an hour to set up a line into Pike’s arms through which she would be administered the fatal dose of sedative. A blow-by-blow account was released in legal proceedings from Pike’s lawyer, Randy Spivey, who was present inside the death chamber at her 30 September failed execution.

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Alberta’s Referendum Was Clear, Unlike Danielle Smith’s Future – The New York Times

  1. Alberta’s Referendum Was Clear, Unlike Danielle Smith’s Future  The New York Times
  2. Analysis: Canada won’t see Alberta seceding anytime soon. But what to do with the people who wanted to leave?  CNN
  3. Alberta’s vote has softened the rhetoric, but peace and quiet are not guaranteed  The Globe and Mail
  4. Resign, Danielle Smith. Resign  The Tyee
  5. Alberta welcomed migrant workers. Now, it wants to restrict their rights  The Guardian
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Ukraine and Russia eye new peace talks — and Melania Trump’s mission — but steep obstacles remain – AP News

  1. Ukraine and Russia eye new peace talks — and Melania Trump's mission — but steep obstacles remain  AP News
  2. Why Trump Is Furious at Ukraine  The Atlantic
  3. Opinion | The world will soon know who is stalling the Ukraine peace talks  The Washington Post
  4. At the negotiating table and on the battlefield, Russia and Ukraine are at an impasse  CNN
  5. The Ukraine peace talks are important, but not for the reason you think  The Telegraph
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British woman dies trying to save sons on Bahamas snorkelling trip

Mother, 36, died after current off North Bimini reportedly swept away two boys, who were later rescued, police say

A British woman has died in the Bahamas while trying to rescue her two sons after a current swept them away as they were snorkelling.

The Royal Bahamas police force said it had launched an investigation after the death of a 36-year-old woman on Tuesday.

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Secretive Ukrainian Deep-Strike Unit Behind Rapid Expansion of Deep-Strike Campaign – Bloomberg.com

  1. Secretive Ukrainian Deep-Strike Unit Behind Rapid Expansion of Deep-Strike Campaign  Bloomberg.com
  2. Ukraine Might Have Found Putin's Weakness and Won't Stop Hitting It With Drones and Missiles  National Security Journal
  3. Kairos Battalion transformed into 7th Separate USF Center — The Japan Times  UA.NEWS
  4. How the battle for Ukraine’s skies changed in 2026. INFOGRAPHICS  Цензор.НЕТ
  5. Ukraine gets better at striking targets deep inside Russia, Bloomberg reports  RBC-Ukraine
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Ukraine Confirms Hits on Proton Plant, Tolyatti and Yeysk Airfield – Kyiv Post

  1. Ukraine Confirms Hits on Proton Plant, Tolyatti and Yeysk Airfield  Kyiv Post
  2. General Staff: Ukraine strikes Tolyattikauchuk plant, missile component manufacturer and aircraft in Yeysk  Українська правда
  3. Russia Says Drone Attack Damages Tolyatti Facilities, Ukraine Says Petrochemical Plant Hit  The Moscow Times
  4. Drones attack Russia's Tolyattikauchuk plant producing components for rocket fuel – media  Ukrinform
  5. Ukraine blows up Russian missile-parts plant as drones ground flights in Moscow  New York Post
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Dónal Lunny, ‘colossus of Irish music’, dies aged 79

Founding member of Planxty, Lunny went on to play for bands such as Moving Hearts, the Bothy Band and Coolfin

The Irish traditional musician Dónal Lunny has died at the age of 79 from cancer.

Lunny rose to prominence in the trio Rakes of Kildare alongside his brother Frank and Christy Moore. He went on to play in bands such as Planxty, Moving Hearts, the Bothy Band and Coolfin among others and toured the world.

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Iran trying harder to target US personnel in Middle East, intelligence chief warns – BBC

  1. Iran trying harder to target US personnel in Middle East, intelligence chief warns  BBC
  2. Iran in ‘Advanced Stages’ of Planning Attacks Against Americans, Officials Say  The New York Times
  3. Scoop: U.S. intel memo warns of "advanced" Iranian plots to kill officials abroad  Axios
  4. US discreetly moves diplomats and families from multiple Middle Eastern countries as escalation fears grow  CNN
  5. World in Brief: Iran’s “advanced” plans to kill Americans; Trump to cut more Canada tariffs  The Economist
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Paris shuts museums and police deploy in big numbers for new protests across France – AP News

  1. Paris shuts museums and police deploy in big numbers for new protests across France  AP News
  2. Ruins of Limoges city hall a symbol of France divided by national protests  BBC
  3. Looting Left Damage and Fear on Paradise Street in Marseille  The New York Times
  4. France's Macron tightens curbs on protests, blaming hard left for unrest  Reuters
  5. Live: France braces for fresh wave of protests amid high tensions  France 24
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Drinking water supplies dwindle in Yemeni city besieged by Houthi rebels – NPR

  1. Drinking water supplies dwindle in Yemeni city besieged by Houthi rebels  NPR
  2. Hospital in Yemen’s Taiz warns of collapse in days because of Houthi siege  Al Jazeera
  3. Saudi Arabia Executes Bangladeshi Man and Woman in Mecca  Democracy Now!
  4. Houthis attack besieged city in Yemen that UN says is at ‘grave risk’  AP News
  5. Water rationing, rubbish pile-up raise disease fears in Yemen's besieged Taiz  Reuters
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Google illegally cut down 250K trees in Finland for data center, driving wolves into villages and infuriating locals: report – New York Post

  1. Google illegally cut down 250K trees in Finland for data center, driving wolves into villages and infuriating locals: report  New York Post
  2. Google told to halt work on Finnish data centers after clearing an estimated 250,000 trees  Fortune
  3. Wolves Descend on Finnish Villages After Google Hacked Down 1,300 Acres of Habitat to Make Room for AI Data Centers  Futurism
  4. Finns Are Seething After Google Illegally Toppled 250,000 Trees for a Data Center  Mother Jones
  5. If Google Fells 250,000 Trees In Finland, Does It Make A Sound?  CleanTechnica
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Suspect arrested after fire “completely engulfed” Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest mountain retreat in Germany – CBS News

  1. Suspect arrested after fire "completely engulfed" Hitler's Eagle's Nest mountain retreat in Germany  CBS News
  2. Arrest made after fire at Hitler's Eagle's Nest retreat  BBC
  3. Fire breaks out at Alpine retreat built for Hitler in Germany. A person is detained  SFGATE
  4. Suspect arrested as fire engulfs Nazi guest house 'Eagle's Nest', German police say  Reuters
  5. Blaze engulfs Hitler’s ‘Eagle’s Nest’ mountain retreat in Bavaria  The Guardian
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