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 [...]
AI anxiety grips UK as TUC pushes for ‘worker-first’ strategy August 27, 2025 The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has unveiled a new ‘worker-first’ AI strategy, urging the government to prioritise employees and unions at the centre of its AI policy. This move follows recent findings from the same union, which revealed that half of UK adults are concerned that AI will either take or significantly alter their jobs. The [...]
Microsoft negotiations threaten to delay OpenAI’s restructuring August 27, 2025 OpenAI’s plan to restructure its business and raise billions in new funding is being stalled as it remains locked in complex negotiations with its largest investor, Microsoft. The ongoing talks, which could extend beyond the end of the year, as reported by the Financial Times, centre on key points of contention that could impact the [...]
US-style tipping hits UK pubs amid mass closures August 26, 2025 The UK pub industry is facing a new challenge as a controversial trend of implementing US-style tipping gains traction, coinciding with a period of widespread pub closures. A nationwide debate has been sparked by the Well and Boot pub in Waterloo, London, which has introduced an optional four per cent service charge on every drink. [...]
Is the UK’s digital services tax at risk from a US tariff threat? August 26, 2025 The Digital Services Tax (DST), a two per cent levy on the revenues of major tech firms, has become a key point of friction in the UK’s transatlantic relationship with the US. The tax, which came into force in 2020, was designed to address an imbalance where global tech giants generate significant revenue from British [...]
Trump’s tariff salvo blindsides UK manufacturers August 24, 2025 Donald Trump has blindsided UK manufacturers by slapping fresh tariffs of up to 25 per cent on more than 400 categories of British goods, from shampoo and children’s highchairs to motorcycles and diggers. Conservative shadow trade secretary Andrew Griffith accused ministers of failing to protect exporters, saying: “When it comes to protecting UK businesses from [...]
New Look owners line up Rothschild as high street chain prepares for possible sale August 24, 2025 The owners of New Look have appointed Rothschild to oversee a strategic review that could see the high street fashion chain change hands next year. Alcentra and Brait, which have controlled the retailer since 2020, tapped the investment bank after receiving unsolicited approaches from potential buyers, Sky News reported. No timeline has been set for [...]
Inside Elon Musk and Sam Altman’s high-stakes feud August 22, 2025 The long-simmering rivalry between tech titans Elon Musk and Sam Altman has erupted into a full-blown public and legal battle, revealing a high-stakes struggle for the future of artificial intelligence. What began as a partnership to build and scale AI has devolved into a bitter feud marked by lawsuits, public taunts, and a brazen takeover [...]
Will Nvidia’s earnings justify its valuation August 22, 2025 Nvidia’s upcoming earnings report on 27 August will be a pivotal moment for a company that has become a proxy for the entire AI investment boom. While analysts are forecasting another quarter of exponential growth, the question remains whether the numbers can live up to a valuation has swelled to $4.4 trillion (£3.28 trillion), making [...]
TikTok sheds London staff in major AI push August 22, 2025 TikTok is set to lay off hundreds of staff in its content moderation and security team in London, a decision that has sparked concern just as the UK’s Online Safety Act comes into force. The company, owned by ByteDance, is centralising its “trust and safety” operations globally and plans to increasingly rely on artificial intelligence [...]
