Gong Cha: Bubble tea chain plans huge UK expansion and 2,000 new jobs March 17, 2025 Bubble tea chain Gong Cha has revealed plans to open more than 225 stores across the UK and create nearly 2,000 jobs after signing a franchise agreement with a Costa Coffee giant. The London-headquartered business, which was founded in Taiwan in 2006, said the deal with Jinziex forms part of its wider strategy to reach [...]
Central London’s office market outperforms New York and Hong Kong March 17, 2025 London’s office market has outperformed global peers after a fall in availability of new stock pushed prices to record highs last year. The City of London and the West End achieved prime rental growth of 11.6 per cent and 9 per cent last year, respectively, helped by a city-wide vacancy rate of 6.6 per cent. [...]
Reeves ramps up pressure on regulators in plan to slash red tape March 17, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has summoned regulators to Downing Street today as part of the government’s plan to slash red tape. At the meeting, Reeves will announce further detail on how the government will be cutting regulations, while setting out plans to slim down or abolish regulators. “Today we are taking further action to free businesses [...]
‘Nothing is off the table’ as Badenoch set to renew policy offer March 16, 2025 The Conservatives will begin the process of formulating new policies this week as Kemi Badenoch seeks to rebuild her party after its defeat last year. A Conservative source said “nothing is off the table” in a process that starts on Tuesday and will see Badenoch task her shadow cabinet with coming up with proposals they [...]
Russian confrontation with peacekeepers ‘would be an extraordinary escalation’ March 16, 2025 Russian soldiers confronting British troops in Ukraine would be an “extraordinary escalation”, a minister has said as talks continue on a possible Western peacekeeping operation. Wes Streeting suggested on Sunday morning that the prospect of such a confrontation would be sufficient to deter Russia from breaching any ceasefire agreement reached with Ukraine. He told Sky [...]
What Apple’s fight over encryption means for your data March 16, 2025 Your iPhone holds some of your most private information – messages, photos and personal data secured by encryption, that even Apple itself cannot access. But a legal battle between the tech giant and the UK government is now testing the limits of that security. The company has been locked in the legal and political showdown [...]
MHA to target retail investors in £350m London Stock Exchange IPO March 16, 2025 Accountancy firm MHA is set to launch an IPO on London's junior stock market AIM, with a plan to bring in £6m from retail investors.
Health Secretary declines to be drawn on benefit freeze ‘speculation’ March 16, 2025 A senior minister has declined to be drawn on whether the government will freeze personal independence payment (PIP) as uncertainty continues to surround Labour’s upcoming benefits reforms. Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall is expected to announce reforms on Tuesday aimed at cutting a welfare bill that ministers have described as “unsustainable”. Ahead of the [...]
Wetherspoons set for profit spike as it braces for Budget tax hit March 16, 2025 JD Wetherspoon is expected to reveal soaring sales this week, as experts tip the pub group to seize more market share from smaller competitors amid tax rises coming in April. The London-listed firm, which has around 800 pubs across the UK, is set to report its half-year results on 21 March. In a January trading [...]
Carabao Cup prize money: How does it compare to the FA Cup? March 16, 2025 On Sunday at Wembley Stadium one of Liverpool or Newcastle United will pick up the first major trophy of the English football season: the Carabao Cup. Liverpool have won the League Cup on 10 occasions, two more than any other team, while Newcastle’s best finishes came in both 1976 and 2023 when they finished second. [...]