Glencore and Rio Tinto strike gold on high commodity prices July 29, 2026 Rio Tinto and Glencore have posted near-record updates thanks to this year’s sky-high commodity prices and the uncertainty wrought by the Middle East conflict. Mining juggernaut Rio Tinto notched a 43 per cent jump in profit over the first six months of the year, pointing to persistently elevated metals prices and the ambitious efficiency programme [...]
Ofgem targets speculative AI data centres to free up Britain’s energy grid July 29, 2026 Ofgem has announced plans to stop speculative AI data centre projects clogging up Britain’s electricity grid, after applications for new power connections more than tripled in less than a year. The energy regulator is consulting on a new upfront commitment fee for large data centre developers, alongside tougher rules requiring projects to prove they are [...]
ustwo brings AI governance to the boardroom with appointment of Google DeepMind executive Simon Bouton July 29, 2026 ustwo, the global employee-owned B Corp digital product studio, today announced the appointment of Simon Bouton, Chief Experience Officer at Google DeepMind, as its first AI Non-Executive Director. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260728923967/en/ Bouton joins the board to provide independent oversight of ustwo’s AI strategy, reflecting the studio’s conviction [...]
For Albarino in the City, head to Humble Grape July 29, 2026 Not satisfied with one isolated national grape day, Albarino (or Alvarinho in Portugal) is about to kick off a week’s worth of celebrations from 1 August. This annual event began in the 1950s in Spain as a wine-tasting competition between local winemakers and was later made official, spreading internationally to highlight what makes this grape [...]
The debate: should voting be compulsory? July 29, 2026 Andy Burnham is said to be considering voting reform. Two writers go head to head on whether Britain should introduce Australian-style compulsory voting YES: Everyone’s vote should count, not just those who turn up British politics has a turnout problem. Just three in five registered voters went to the polls in the 2024 general election. [...]
Silly season is upon us but politics will get serious soon enough July 29, 2026 In May, Reform MP Danny Kruger unveiled a substantial piece of work “setting out Reform’s plans for the centre of government, shaped by the research of the Preparation for Government team.” His 5,000 word article went into huge detail about the structural changes his party intends to make to Whitehall and the machinery of government. [...]
John Healey returns to a City that has outgrown his mid-2000s rulebook July 29, 2026 As Chancellor John Healey returns to the Treasury, he must recognise that the City’s competitive landscape has fundamentally shifted from the exchange-focused concerns of the mid-2000s toward a modern model where investment banks increasingly rely on shared, industrialised infrastructure, says Joe Channer As John Healey arrives at the Treasury – this time, to everyone’s surprise, [...]
Second time lucky for Lucy Rigby? July 29, 2026 The Square Mile has welcomed its fifth City minister in two years and a familiar face is back in the hot seat- but can she deliver? Few tears were shed in the City when it became clear that Rachel Reeves would be out of Number 11 Downing Street. Yet the surprise return of her erstwhile [...]
Lloyd’s of London allows staff to work from home as heatwave hits the capital July 28, 2026 Lloyd’s of London is allowing its staff to stay away from the historic City building as yet another heatwave threatens to hit London. The home of the world’s leading specialist insurance and reinsurance marketplace has told staff they are able to use their judgement and work from home this week with temperatures in the Square [...]
Nobel Peace Prize maker’s UK arm seeks administrator July 28, 2026 The London Mint Office, one of the largest numismatic distributors, is lining up administrators after 20 years in business. Founded in 2006, the company is part of Europe’s largest coin company, the Samlerhuset Group, based in the Netherlands. The UK entity acts as a major retailer for collectors, including specially minted items celebrating British royalty [...]