Tories: Reeves gambling with lives over mooted betting tax October 6, 2025 Rachel Reeves has been accused of “gambling with lives” ahead of a mulled tax rise on the gambling sector in November’s Budget. The Chancellor is tipped to hike the levy on bookies from 15 per cent to 21 per cent, in line with online casinos, in a move critics say could decimate horse racing and [...]
David Kogan: Chair of football regulator appointed despite ongoing inquiry October 6, 2025 Media rights advisor David Kogan OBE has been confirmed as the first chair of the Independent Football Regulator despite an inquiry into his appointment remaining ongoing. Kogan was named preferred candidate by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport earlier this year but questions about his suitability were raised after he revealed he had donated [...]
Open AI and AMD challenge Nvidia with multibillion chip deal October 6, 2025 OpenAI has announced a multi-billion dollar deal with chip giant AMD to build large scale AI data centres – one of the most direct challenges to Nvidia’s dominance in the AI market to date. Under the partnership, OpenAI will buy six gigawatts of AMD’s next generation processors, starting with the MI450 chip launching in 2026. [...]
Deloitte refunds Australian government after AI ‘made up citations’ in report October 6, 2025 Big Four firm Deloitte is set to issue a partial refund to the Australian federal government after a report it issued contained several errors caused by the use of AI. Deloitte was commissioned by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) to review a targeted compliance framework and its IT system in December 2024. [...]
Chiltern Firehouse: Reopening date revealed after major fire October 6, 2025 A luxury London hotel popular with celebrities won’t reopen until April 2027 after a large fire earlier this year, it has been confirmed for the first time. Chiltern Firehouse in Chiltern Street, Marylebone, closed on 14 February after flames ripped through the Victorian four-storey building. The fire damaged parts of the ground floor, half of [...]
Reform in poll surge as Starmer’s approval rating remains worst in UK October 6, 2025 Reform UK has extended its lead over Labour in the polls as Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s approval ratings remained the worst of any top British political figure despite rallying calls for voters to back the government in defeating Nigel Farage. The latest monthly City AM/Freshwater Strategy poll shows Nigel Farage’s Reform UK gaining two points [...]
Sales of central London properties suffer as buyers head to outer boroughs October 6, 2025 Overall demand for prime property steadied in the third quarter of the year on sales of mansions in south west boroughs, while central London sales fell. Prices have slumped by around a fifth in the past decade due to low demand, while an exodus of high net worth individuals and uncertainty around property taxes has [...]
Reform UK: Kent local authority poised to hike council tax October 6, 2025 Reform UK-run Kent County Council is likely to raise council tax next year, with a cabinet member suggesting that a five per cent hike is on the cards. Diane Morton, the council lead for adult social care, told the Financial Times: “We’ve got more demand than ever before and it’s growing.” “We just want more [...]
Tories vow to ease IR35 rules and cut red tape for small businesses October 6, 2025 Identification checks for small businesses would be eased under a new Tory pledge to slash red tape and allow entrepreneurs to open bank accounts at a quicker pace. Andrew Griffith, the shadow business secretary, will tell party members that the Tories would make growth among small businesses central to wider economic plans as they would [...]
China spying case collapse leads to ‘interference’ accusations October 6, 2025 Senior officials have pointed fingers at the Labour government over the decision by the Crown Prosecution Service to drop the espionage case against two men accused of spying for China. Senior UK government figures told the Financial Times that the government fatally undermined the Chinese spying case in order to protect the UK’s commercial and [...]