Afternoon.

It’s Thursday 22nd October: Barclays is cutting thousands of jobs while profits rise, a major security flaw has put websites on alert and the government is promising to tackle antisemitism in schools.

Kettle on.

📅 On this day: In 1962, US President John F. Kennedy announced a naval blockade of Cuba after Soviet nuclear missiles were discovered on the island. It was one of the most dangerous moments of the Cold War, bringing the United States and Soviet Union dangerously close to nuclear conflict.

Barclays is cutting around 5,000 jobs this year, roughly 5% of its workforce, as the British bank increasingly turns to artificial intelligence and other technology to reduce costs.

About 1,000 of those jobs have already gone, with another 4,000 expected to disappear by the end of the year. AI can automate tasks that previously required staff, although Barclays hasn't said that every job being cut is being directly replaced by the technology.

The announcement comes alongside rather healthy profits. The bank made £2.3 billion in pre-tax profit between July and September, up 12% on a year earlier, and announced another £500 million share buyback. That's when a company purchases shares from investors, potentially increasing the value of those that remain.

The wider question is what happens as AI becomes capable of doing more office work. Barclays is hardly the only large employer looking for savings, and today's announcement offers a fairly substantial example of how that shift could affect jobs.

Governments around the world are warning businesses to urgently update their websites after two serious security flaws were discovered in PHP, a programming language used to run a huge number of websites and online services.

The vulnerabilities could allow hackers to take control of affected servers without needing a password. A server is essentially a computer that runs a website or online service, often handling information behind the scenes.

Emergency security updates were released yesterday, and organisations are being urged to install them immediately. Several websites, including Dutch government services, were temporarily taken offline as a precaution. That doesn't necessarily mean they were hacked.

For most people, there's no immediate action required. This is primarily a problem for the businesses and organisations running affected systems. But because PHP is so widely used, the potential consequences extend well beyond the technology industry.

The government has accepted all 27 recommendations from a major review into antisemitism in schools and colleges across England.

The independent investigation, led by former schools inspector Sir David Bell, found that three in five Jewish pupils aged 16 to 19 had experienced or witnessed antisemitism. It identified problems ranging from harassment and offensive stereotypes to incidents that weren't properly reported or addressed.

Ministers are promising better training for teachers, clearer guidance on dealing with incidents and improved reporting systems. The review also addresses how schools handle discussions about Israel and the Middle East, distinguishing legitimate political criticism from prejudice against Jewish people.

The government has accepted the recommendations, but putting them into practice will take time. A group has been established to oversee the changes, with Bell returning in a year's time to assess progress.

Children in care in Guernsey are set to receive £10 a week in savings until they turn 18, under a new scheme designed to help them become financially independent.

Around 40 children are expected to benefit initially. The money will be held in accounts they can access when they reach adulthood, potentially helping with education, housing or setting up their first home.

Stratford International station in east London could finally start welcoming trains from Europe, 17 years after it opened.

Despite its rather ambitious name, the station currently only handles domestic services. Plans to upgrade its facilities could receive financial backing in next week's Budget, allowing international trains to stop there in future. It would need passport checks, security facilities and other improvements first.

Britain has serious gaps in its ability to defend the Arctic and North Atlantic, according to a new report from MPs.

The Defence Committee warns that shortages of ships and submarine-detection equipment could leave important underwater cables and energy pipelines vulnerable to Russian interference. It wants the government to strengthen Britain's military capabilities in the region, which is becoming increasingly important as Arctic ice retreats.

Storm Austen is expected to bring strong winds and heavy rain to southern Britain from tonight into Friday. The Met Office has issued an amber wind warning for Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly and parts of west Devon, with gusts of 60–70mph and potentially 80mph on exposed headlands.

Travel disruption and power cuts are possible, particularly in exposed coastal areas. Anyone travelling should check the latest warnings, as the areas and timings may change.

A German submarine that sunk during the Second World War has been identified off Devon, 82 years after it disappeared.

The U-672 was attacked by a Royal Navy ship in July 1944. Its crew managed to bring the damaged submarine to the surface before deliberately sinking it and escaping in life rafts. All 52 survived and were later captured.

Divers have now identified the wreck around 20 miles off Salcombe, sitting roughly 70 metres below the surface.

So why did it take 82 years to find? Apparently, a mistake in the original naval records placed the submarine in the wrong location, sending searches in the wrong direction.

Eight decades of searching, complicated by what was essentially a rather unfortunate bit of admin.

Enjoy your day.

See you tomorrow.

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