UK grocery inflation picks up to 2.3%; unemployment rises while regular wage growth slows – as it happened

Consumers started their Christmas shopping early, Kantar says; UK jobless rate rises to 4.3% while wage growth excluding bonuses is at a two-year low

French news titles sue X over allegedly running their content without payment

Social media site accused of violating law that requires platforms to pay media when republishing articles

Union review – fighting for your rights under the Amazon corporate jackboot

This documentary follows the formation of the Amazon Labor Union, showing how difficult it is for workers working for a company determined to efface their rights

TechScape: Will Elon Musk fire a third of the US government?

This week in tech news, Elon Musk and Donald Trump propose a “Department of Government Efficiency”, crypto wins big in every single election, and a modern equivalent of Lysistrata takes hold on TikTok.

Musk’s influence on Trump could lead to tougher AI standards, says scientist

Tycoon might help president-elect realise that race for artificial general intelligence is a ‘suicide race’, says Max Tegmark

Bitcoin price tops $87,000 for first time amid ‘Trump pump’

Price has more than doubled in a year as traders hope Trump will favour crypto when he returns to White House

Billionaires like Elon Musk don’t just think they’re better than the rest of us – they hate us

The ultra-wealthy talk about solving the climate crisis or ending inequality. But what they’re really interested in is outliving or escaping anyone poorer than them, writes Zoe Williams

Bitcoin breaks $83,000 for first time on Trump trades; UK government sells £1bn of NatWest shares – as it happened

Cryptocurrency more than doubles since January on hopes of lighter regulation; latest share sale takes UK Treasury’s holding in NatWest to 11.4%

First came the bots, then came the bosses – we’re entering Musk and Zuck’s new era of disinformation

Tech leaders’ politics are encoded into their platforms – and with Trump’s ascent, they have direct access to the Oval Office

PlayStation 5 Pro: is Sony’s console upgrade worth £700?

Four years after the PS5’s release, Sony has now put out a more powerful version. But the asking price is steep

‘It gets more and more confused’: can AI replace translators?

A Dutch publisher has announced that it will use AI to translate some of its books – but those in the industry are worried about the consequences if this becomes the norm

Australia to pursue AI and social media regulation despite any Trump administration opposition, MP says

When asked about Elon Musk’s objection to regulation, Ed Husic says government will ‘do what we have to do’

‘AI’ tool could influence Home Office immigration decisions, critics say

Campaigners call for end of ‘robo-caseworkers’ amid fears officials will bow to automated enforcement proposals

How a second Trump term could further enrich Elon Musk: ‘There will be some quid pro quo’

Experts say new government could blunt regulation and appoint officials sympathetic to Musk’s brood of companies

A new era dawns. America’s tech bros now strut their stuff in the corridors of power

The era that began with the Great Disruptor’s first term is over. Beware the emerging elite