How thriving, free-market Hong Kong came under the boot of communist China June 26, 2025 What began on this day in 1843 ended in a strange form of decolonisation. The UK handed over a territory to China, not by popular demand, but to abide by international treaties, knowing that to the other side such agreements were worthless, says Eliot Wilson If you have any real memory of the handover of [...]
Have we crossed the AI event horizon? June 26, 2025 Despite Sam Altman’s claims that we’ve crossed the AI “event horizon,” the reality is that today’s models remain far behind human intelligence in scale, flexibility, efficiency and learning, says Lewis Liu Sam Altman is currently peddling the “gentle singularity“, claiming we are already “past the event horizon” for AI – at the point where the [...]
City sends an SOS to fix London markets ‘before it’s too late’ June 26, 2025 Fears over the health of the City’s stock market have been laid bare after trading platform IG became the latest firm to sound the alarm over the “crisis unfolding” on the London bourse. The FTSE 250 firm has launched a “Save our Stock market” initiative – aptly dubbed the SOS campaign – which serves as [...]
No Glasto? No problemo! Here are the top things to do in London June 25, 2025 With thousands of Londoners trading the concrete jungle for the fields of Glastonbury, you could be forgiven for thinking the world’s greatest music festival is the only thing in the calendar this weekend. But London continues to knock it out of the park, and with the temperatures rising to a positively Mediterranean 31 degrees, here [...]
From Oasis to Pulp, Britpop is back, baby! But why? June 25, 2025 Tonight, we’re gonna party like it’s 1995. Oasis have smashed box office records. Pulp have a new album out. Suede just announced one, too. Supergrass, Sleeper, Cast, Ocean Colour Scene – even Kula Shaker – are all on the road again. Britpop is back – the question is: why? Britpop’s blend of swagger, cynicism and [...]
‘Bold’ new plans for Barbican area submitted June 25, 2025 Plans have been submitted to redevelop 1 Silk Street, featuring a public plaza at the Barbican Centre’s main entrance and a retail arcade. The proposal seeks to turn the existing building, which is currently occupied by Linklaters but set to become unlettable due to tightening energy efficiency standards, into a “long-term, sustainable” site. “We’re pleased [...]
BGF: Profit almost doubles at major UK investor June 25, 2025 Profit at the Business Growth Fund (BGF) has almost doubled thanks to a series of successful exits in 2024, it has been revealed. The organisation, which is one of the UK’s most prominent equity investors, has reported a pre-tax profit of £131.1m for its latest financial year, up from the £67.9m it achieved in 2023. [...]
How effective procurement technology can improve employee retention June 25, 2025 With many organisations facing a battle to attract and retain talented staff, it’s important that they are not frustrated in their ability to do their jobs by cumbersome procurement technology. Unemployment in the UK remains low, standing at 4.4 per cent in the three months to February 2025, according to government data. But this only [...]
Babcock shares soar as FTSE 100 giant hails ‘new era’ for defence June 25, 2025 Engineering giant Babcock posted a jump in profit for the latest financial year as the firm’s boss hailed a “new era for defence”. The FTSE 100 company – which plays a significant role in supporting the UK’s nuclear submarine program – recorded an 11 per cent increase in revenue to £4.8bn. Meanwhile, operating profit surged [...]
Net zero levy cuts are just tinkering at the edges June 25, 2025 The Industrial Strategy contains bold ambitions for cutting energy prices. Yet, for all the glossy presentation, the underlying thinking remains the same: a conviction that Whitehall can shape markets more effectively than the market itself, says Emmanuel Igwe We have learned through history that real progress emerges not from the bureaucratic designs of government but [...]