As the exam regulator consults about introducing onscreen exams amid complaints of hand fatigue, a young aspiring journalist goes head-to-head with a self-professed expert

This week it was reported that students could soon be sitting their end-of-year exams on laptops after pupils complained of hand fatigue, saying their muscles “are not strong enough”.

With Ofqual preparing to launch a public consultation on the introduction of onscreen exams, we decided to conduct a test of our own, pitting the Guardian columnist Zoe Williams, a seasoned hack of the pen-and-paper generation, against George Francis Lee, our gen-Z journalist in training.

The City expects a cut in interest rates on Thursday but the economic prospects for 2026 complicate the picture

In the economic gloom of Labour’s first year in power, Rachel Reeves has had a reliable shred of comfort to cling to: five times since the general election, the Bank of England has cut interest rates.

This week, in all likelihood, the chancellor will get a sixth to shout about, as Threadneedle Street prepares to reduce borrowing costs in an early Christmas present that will be seized upon by the Treasury.

Last time the fierce enmity between Mozart and Salieri was adapted for the screen, it won a best picture Oscar. Now a new TV version turns up the temperature several notches – but will its stars develop a rivalry of their own?

“A prodigal son story with God as the father,” is how actor Paul Bettany describes Amadeus, the Peter Shaffer play that became a celebrated film in 1984. Both depict the rivalry between Austrian court composer Antonio Salieri and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a former child phenomenon whose towering talent exposes Salieri as mediocre and stuck in his ways. Salieri, who believes a composer’s gift to be divine, is so affronted by this upstart that he renounces God and sets about destroying Mozart.

Now Amadeus has been remade for TV, with Will Sharpe in the title role and Bettany as Salieri. The series, which begins with Mozart arriving in Vienna in a rickety carriage and promptly throwing up in the street, is written by Joe Barton, the Black Doves and Giri/Haji writer known for his leftfield approach to genre TV. Little surprise, then, that Amadeus takes liberties with the classic period drama, injecting it with modern-day dialogue and gloriously anarchic flourishes. While I won’t divulge the details of an early sex scene between Mozart and a young soprano, safe to say you won’t look at a macaron the same way again.

An author and a tech coach had a heated debate about refugees, loud phones in public spaces, and our reliance on cars. Did they part with a smile?

Andy, 62, Stevenage

Occupation Agile coach in technology

Impress your guests with interiors experts’ top tips for a stylish sleepover

When guests feel that they’ve been looked after with care, it sets the tone for a harmonious visit. Whether you have the luxury of a guest room, or a space that is somewhere between a home office and a laundry graveyard, there are lots of simple, thoughtful ways to give guests a genuinely warm welcome.

When friends and family are staying for just one night, it’s all about making their room comfortable and convenient – think cosy bedding, chargers by the bed, space for an overnight bag, etc. But if it’s a few days or more, it’s worth putting more effort in because, however close you are, you don’t want to be on top of each other. Create a space where they’re happy to relax, and everyone will be able to enjoy some time to decompress.

Her delivery might be stilted – but Truss’ new YouTube show has grand ambitions: a ‘Trump revolution’ in Britain with the help of an influential US conservative ecosystem

Liz Truss, Britain’s shortest-serving prime minister, began the first edition of her YouTube show with a vow to unmask “the evil-doers” attempting to bring down Britain, the US and Europe. She would, she explained, reveal how an “international network of leftists work to subvert democracy and the will of the people”.

Despite her bleak monologue, Truss pointed to hope from across the Atlantic. “We’re going to look at the Trump revolution and see how this can be achieved in Britain,” she said. “We’ll be talking to the leading lights of the Maga movement.”

A further 29 people are in hospital in Australia, with paramedics treating more at the scene near where a Hanukah event was taking place in Sydney. Follow updates live

• Bondi beach terror attack: 12 people killed after gunshots fired at park in Australia

• What we know so far about the Bondi beach attack

The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, just released a statement. He said:

The scenes in Bondi are shocking and distressing. Police and emergency responders are on the ground working to save lives. My thoughts are with every person affected.

I just have spoken to the AFP Commissioner and the NSW Premier. We are working with NSW Police and will provide further updates as more information is confirmed.

I urge people in the vicinity to follow information from the NSW Police.

Footage posted on social media shows one of the alleged gunmen at Bondi beach being tackled by a bystander, who wrestles the rifle from him.

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• Bondi beach shooting live updates

• What we know so far about the Bondi beach attack

Exclusive: Catherine Howard’s exit comes amid disagreements at top of government about how far to push deregulation agenda

Rachel Reeves’s attempts to overhaul Britain’s planning laws have been dealt a blow after a senior lawyer whom she appointed as an adviser decided to leave the government after just four months.

Catherine Howard will leave the Treasury when her contract ends on 1 January, despite having been asked informally to stay on indefinitely.

The HCDA, which sought to expose police corruption and violence, was secretly monitored for a decade

Undercover officers secretly monitored a community organisation that sought to expose wrongdoing and corruption in the Metropolitan police, the spycops public inquiry has heard.

Previously secret reports show that the Hackney Community Defence Association (HCDA) in east London and its key organiser were monitored by police spies for a decade.