UK firms eye AI spending in 2026, but skills gap threatens rollout December 30, 2025 A third of British businesses plan to invest in AI in 2026, yet new data suggests the bigger challenge may be readying staff for the technology, rather than rolling it out at speed. Research from Lloyds Bank’s recent business barometer revealed that 33 per cent of firms intend to invest in AI tools next year, [...]
The best London theatre 2026 from musicals to West End transfers December 30, 2025 One of the great joys of living in London is the abundance of incredible theatre that exists on your doorstep – if you’re not taking advantage, why are you paying the London tax? Here’s a list of the London theatre 2026 we’re most looking forward to, from the biggest blockbuster musicals to the most hotly [...]
Why Apple’s Formula 1 deal is setting the trends into 2026 December 29, 2025 In late 2025 streaming player Apple announced it would be ditching its Stateside MLS deal early. The platform confirmed, however, that it would pick up the rights to Formula 1 in the United States. The deal could be worth $140m a year, but what does it mean for sport? On first appraisal, the new agreement [...]
UK investors plan to boost portfolios in 2026 December 29, 2025 Nearly two-thirds (62 per cent) of investors with at least £100,000 in assets plan to increase the amounts they put away in 2026 despite market uncertainties, a survey indicates. More than a fifth (23 per cent) said they will look to bolster their portfolio significantly, according to the research for Scottish Widows. Despite market challenges, [...]
Pizza Hut, Poundland and WH Smith: The high street brands that closed stores in 2025 December 29, 2025 A raft of major UK retail and hospitality brands shut down stores across the UK this year, with other high street mainstays closing their doors for good. It came amid a backdrop of pressure on consumer finances, rising inflation for most of the year and increased costs for businesses. As a result, numerous businesses launched [...]
Could this be 2026’s hottest stock market? December 29, 2025 Global equity markets were dominated by US tech stocks this year, with indices whipsawing as investors either piled money into markets or abruptly pulled out depending on the strength of AI sentiment. The Nasdaq rocketed up 19.5 per cent, hitting its peak of $23,958.47 (£17,949.09) in October, while Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ caused the index to hit [...]
OpenAI, SpaceX, Anthropic: the tech giants lining up blockbuster IPOs December 28, 2025 For more than a decade, Silicon Valley’s most powerful companies have stayed private for longer than ever before, buoyed by deep pools of capital and sovereign wealth funding. But, as interest rates remain higher, AI infrastructure costs balloon and some of the world’s largest private firms mature into businesses of national, and increasingly geopolitical, importance, [...]
Why Snap thinks 2026 will be Sport’s most connected and branded year yet December 28, 2025 Snap’s Kahlen Macaulay looks at why 2026 will be the year where sport is most watched, connected and branded. Pulitzer-winning US playwright Neil Simon was once asked why humans find sport so captivating. His reply? “It’s the only entertainment where, no matter how many times you go back, you never know the ending.” Simply, sport is [...]
Starmer’s future hinges on May election reckoning, polling expert says December 27, 2025 The future of Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership hinges on the forthcoming May elections where the Labour party is expected to take a bruising, a polling expert has said. Conservative peer Lord Robert Hayward said: “A few months ago it looked as if May 7 would be decisive for the leaderships of both Labour and Conservatives. [...]
Why mascots are the next branding opportunity for sports teams December 26, 2025 Mascots aren’t just tacky costumes anymore, they’re the next frontier in the world of sport branding, writes Mike Perry. Surveying today’s sports brand landscape, one striking fact stands out. Teams aren’t just competing on the pitch anymore, they’re competing for hearts, thumb-scrolls and wardrobe space. For younger fans the experience of fandom is increasingly about [...]