Everyone hates Oxford Street. Will pedestrianisation save it? – podcast

Experts predict a baptism of fire for GBR in 2027, with likely issues ranging from clapped-out trains and track to extreme weather-related stress The glad tidings brought by the minister were that the wait was almost over: the establishment of Great British Railways could be wrapped up by Christmas, at least in law. But with a renationalised industry facing fresh storms in 2027, some in the railway world are wondering if they should be careful what they wish for. The legislation that will rip up

Democrat James Talarico won a Senate seat in Texas, breaking a 38-year drought for his party in the Republican stronghold and delivering a stunning blow to Donald Trump. The race became one of the most expensive Senate contests in US history, with advertising spending topping $500m, according to estimates. GOP-aligned groups poured hundreds of millions of dollars into efforts to elect Ken Paxton, including substantial funding linked to multibillionaire Elon Musk, whom Talarico accused of trying

‘Fan’ mail | Lessons from history | Natural fabrics | Perthshire pirate Thank you, Joe Dunthorne, for your dogged investigation of the book club scam (Like many authors, I’m bombarded by scam fanmail. I wasn’t prepared for what would happen when I wrote back, 1 November). I get two or three emails like this a month, promising me attentive reading of one or other of my books from 500 members. Then will follow a request for a modest fee, for “distribution” of my text. I know this, because I once r

Freshways lowers price paid to producers by 7p a litre, prompting warnings confidence in the sector is ‘at rock bottom’ “Milk is leaving the farm at a loss,” says dairy farmer Ian Harvey, as he warns confidence in the sector is “at rock bottom”. Most of the UK’s dairy producers were already being paid less for their milk than it costs to produce it after a year of volatile farmgate milk prices, combined with the impact of the summer’s drought and soaring costs of vital fuel and fertiliser trigge