Spotify says UK music industry ‘in really strong position’ March 3, 2026 A year ago, the UK music industry was in a bout of slipping global chart shares and fewer breakthrough stars. Yet following this weekend’s Brit Awards, Spotify claims that export growth and rising royalty payments are pointing to an industry revival. In 2025, the streaming giant paid out £860m to UK artists and their rights [...]
UK considers social media curfew as under-16 ban looms March 2, 2026 The government is considering overnight curfews on social media and tighter restrictions on children’s access to AI chatbots as it prepares to launch what it describes as a “national conversation” on online safety. From Monday, parents and young people will be invited to take part in a consultation exploring measures that could include an Australia-style [...]
Rail fares frozen in first pause for 30 years March 2, 2026 A long-trailed freeze on regulated rail fares has come into effect across England, with ministers claiming the move will save passengers around £600m over the coming year. The move marks the first halt to annual increases in three decades. From this week, peak commuter returns and off-peak returns between major cities will not rise in [...]
Blair think tank turns fire on Labour over wage hikes and tax squeeze March 1, 2026 Tony Blair’s think tank has published a critique of Labour’s economic strategy, warning that higher minimum wages, rising employers’ National Insurance and tougher workers’ rights risk choking off growth and pricing young people out of jobs. In a striking intervention from the former Labour prime minister’s own policy institute, the report deems the government’s labour [...]
£9bn in housing funds sit idle in council accounts March 1, 2026 More than £9bn in developer contributions earmarked for schools, transport, healthcare and affordable housing is sitting unspent in council bank accounts, according to new research. A freedom of information survey by the Home Builders Federation (HBF) estimates that £6.6bn in Section 106 payments and £2.2bn raised through the community infrastructure levy (CIL) remain unspent. Of [...]
Sunak pushes deregulation as North Sea pressure grows March 1, 2026 Rishi Sunak has urged Rachel Reeves to go further and faster on deregulation to revive growth, as eight former UK energy ministers call on the government to rethink its stance on North Sea oil and gas. The former prime minister wrote in a Sunday Times column that Reeves deserved credit for delivering a Spring Statement [...]
Defence secretary defends UK stance on Iran as Starmer faces backlash March 1, 2026 Keir Starmer is facing mounting criticism from senior Conservatives over Britain’s response to the escalating conflict with Iran, as defence secretary John Healey confirmed UK forces are actively intercepting Iranian drones and reinforcing regional defences. Speaking on Sky News, Healey said “few people will mourn the Ayatollah’s death”. He described the Iranian regime as a [...]
Block slashes 4,000 jobs in latest AI warning February 27, 2026 Payments giant Block will slash nearly half its workforce, cutting more than 4,000 roles as it pivots towards a business model built around AI and leaner teams. In a message to staff, the company confirmed it will reduce headcount from more than 10,000 employees to just under 6,000, with affected workers either leaving immediately or [...]
AI safety row deepens as Anthropic risks losing Pentagon deal February 27, 2026 Anthropic has refused to relax its safety limits on its AI tools, despite threats from the US Department of Defence to scrap a $200m contract and remove the company entirely from its supply chain. Chief executive Dario Amodei said the booming AI firm would rather stop working with the Pentagon than allow its AI model, [...]
Flutter shares tumble as Paddy Power owner misses forecasts February 27, 2026 Shares in Flutter Entertainment fell sharply after the Paddy Power parent missed expectations across key measures and issued softer-than-expected guidance, adding to concerns about the outlook for the US sports betting market. The New York-listed group saw its stock drop almost seven per cent in extended trading after reporting fourth-quarter revenue of $4.74bn (£3.52bn), below [...]
