UK defence tech pivots from taboo to City darling August 28, 2025 The UK’s deep tech sector is navigating a seismic shift in investor sentiment toward defence technology. Once a frowned-upon sector, defence is now shedding its taboo, driven primarily by global instability and recent geopolitical headwinds. This transformation, while opening the doors to new investment opportunities, also reveals underlying issues in the UK’s approach to technology [...]
Hard-up Irish FA savaged after announcing plans to slash workforce August 27, 2025 The debt-ridden Football Association of Ireland has been accused of showing its staff “utter contempt” after it announced it would be making compulsory redundancies. The FAI, which has around 230 employees, said jobs would have to go as part of “a significant transformation programme to modernise how football is developed and delivered in Ireland”. It [...]
Mass hallucinations: How I caught a rogue AI reporter August 27, 2025 The ‘customer’ in the fried chicken shop didn’t touch his meal. Instead, he photographed the kitchen door’s keypad and left. ‘Corporate spy,’ muttered the cashier before showing me three identical incidents caught on his security cameras. This is the opening line of a pitch I received from a writer called Joseph Wales, entitled “London’s Fried [...]
M&S takes on Vinted and Depop with eBay tie-up August 27, 2025 Marks & Spencer has announced it will launch a new resale platform on eBay as it looks to evolve with the changing face of high street shopping. Customers will be able to trade in their clothing, footwear and accessories through M&S’s first online takeback scheme, while pre-loved items will be available to buy on the [...]
Inaccurate AI submissions strain overloaded Employment Tribunal August 27, 2025 A growing number of people are using AI platforms such as ChatGPT to draft grievances when bringing claims against their employers at the Employment Tribunal. Travers Smith employment partner Ailie Murray told City AM that the team is increasingly seeing employees use AI to draft grievances, employment claims, and submissions against their employers. “While this [...]
Retailers’ woes stretch into second day after bearish Deutsche note August 27, 2025 A sell-off affecting some of the UK’s largest retailers has extended into a second day, after an analyst warned the spectre of higher taxes in the Autumn Budget, a softening labour market and sticky inflation will dent consumers’ spending habits. Shares in AB Foods, Wickes and B&Q-owner Kingfisher all shed between one and 1.5 per [...]
EU Commissioner: Overseas football matches a betrayal of fans August 27, 2025 A top EU figure has described plans to play European football matches in other continents as a “betrayal” of fans. The European Commissioner for Sport Glenn Micallef said plans to play Serie A and LaLiga matches abroad should not be described as “innovation”. Both the Italian and Spanish top flight leagues are looking to play [...]
Premier League fans prepare to rack up air miles in Champions League August 27, 2025 Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur fans could be racking up the air miles this season in the Champions League after far-flung Kairat Almaty and Bodo/Glimt booked their spots in the league phase. The same applies to supporters of Liverpool, Manchester City and Newcastle United as the Premier League will have an unprecedented six clubs in [...]
England’s fertility rate drops to record low August 27, 2025 The fertility rate across England and Wales has fallen to a record low, according to official figures, which is likely to fuel clashes between policymakers and economists over immigration controls. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed that the total fertility rate, which is measured by the number of children women would expect to [...]
NDA ban and bereavement leave add extra £80m to UK Employment Bill August 27, 2025 The new amendment to the Employment Rights Bill, including banning the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), will add an additional £80m a year in costs to UK businesses. According to the employment team at TWM Solicitors, the new clauses introduced in July are expected to increase the existing government forecast of £5bn by at least [...]