Abrdn changes name back to Aberdeen and swings back to profit March 4, 2025 Abrdn has rounded out a bumper year with a return to profit and a total revamp of its brand. The company announced it will change its name back to Aberdeen as it begins the search for its next chairman, who will succeed Sir Douglas Flint. Group chief executive Jason Windsor said: “We are changing our [...]
The 13 skyscrapers set to redefine the City of London’s skyline March 4, 2025 The City of London Corporation has released new images visualising how the Square Mile’s skyline will look.
Will western brands return to pariah state Russia? March 4, 2025 It was the sight that heralded a new geopolitical era. Hundreds of Russian punters standing in a disorderly queue and braving the bitter Moscow air to sample their first bite of the latest big import from America. The iron curtain – having been chipped away slowly for years – had fully fallen just two months [...]
Higher executive pay is not a silver bullet for UK competitiveness March 4, 2025 Whilst competitive pay is undoubtedly a factor in attracting and retaining talent, it is rarely the sole, or even a major, determinant of a company’s decision to list in a particular market, says Paul Arathoon The recent moves by some of the FTSE 100’s largest companies, such as British American Tobacco and Compass Group, to [...]
AI-men: How Gen Z will join religions created by algorithms March 4, 2025 Bespoke belief systems like tarot and astrology are already gaining popularity with Gen Z – AI will take it further, offering bespoke doctrines, machine-learning-driven prophecies and virtual deities that evolve based on user data, says Paul Armstrong Spirituality is evolving, and Gen Z is leading the charge. Traditional religious affiliation is in freefall (43 out [...]
Freddie Flintoff firm in the red after Top Gear horror crash March 3, 2025 The company Freddie Flintoff runs to manage his post-cricket business activities, such as media appearances, has fallen into the red after he took time off after a horror crash filming Top Gear for the BBC. Freddie Flintoff Enterprises, which is run by the former England star and his wife, Rachael, has reported a £646,823 loss [...]
Pukka Pies: Price rises ‘inevitable’ at chip shop favourite March 3, 2025 Chip shop favourite Pukka Pies has warned prices rises are “inevitable” as it battles “significant levels of power and labour inflation”. The Leicester-headquartered company said it delayed increasing its prices during its latest financial year “assess the mid to long-term implications from the underlying inflation” but has since concluded that rises should be introduced. The [...]
Oxford Street: Mayor wants ideas on pedestrianising iconic shopping area February 28, 2025 Sadiq Khan is asking Londoners for their ideas on pedestrianising Oxford Street in a bid to transform the iconic shopping district into a “world-class, accessible, clean, avenue”. The Mayor today launched a public consultation on the proposed transformation of the central London road which will run until 2 May 2025. Sir Sadiq is proposing to [...]
Dazn’s French football row ‘a warning signal’ for other leagues February 27, 2025 European football leagues have been warned off selling their media rights to sports streaming platform Dazn by credit rating agency Morningstar DBRS. It comes amid a legal row between Dazn and French football chiefs over the rights to Ligue 1 due to lower than expected take-up of its subscriptions from consumers. Morningstar DBRS said partnering [...]
What makes a great corporate mascot? February 27, 2025 As Duolingo retires then resurrects its owl, it’s clear that mascots are serious business, says Charlie Skinner First Duolingo retired its owl, then it brought it back from the dead. Publicity stunt? Well yes. And arguably quite an effective one. What’s for certain, though, is that brand mascots mean serious business. Used for millennia by [...]