Private sector bounces back but Reeves leaves hospitality reeling January 23, 2026 The UK’s private sector expanded at the fastest rate in nearly two years in the first month of 2026 but the reeling hospitality sector was still feeling the crunch from Labour policy. The latest Flash Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) from S&P Global showed a major uptick in the all-important services sector, which is often seen [...]
On this day 1571: The Royal Exchange is opened January 23, 2026 The Royal Exchange was opened by Elizabeth I 455 years ago on this day. Eliot Wilson traces the origins of its success.
LoungePair Brings on Former LoungeBuddy CEO, Enters Agreements with Vietnam Airlines, Auckland Airport January 22, 2026 Travel-tech company LoungePair has brought on LoungeBuddy founder and former American Express executive Tyler Dikman as a key advisor. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260122515067/en/ The company has also signed a key partnership with Vietnam Airlines to power its new Lotusmiles Lounges platform and has added Auckland Airport’s Strata Lounge [...]
Wes Streeting: Progress on NHS delays as private insurance soars January 22, 2026 Employer-provided health insurance coverage has reached a 30-year high, with 4.8m people now covered, as businesses ramped up employment benefits amid the NHS backlog. UK health insurers paid out a record £4bn in 2024, averaging £11m every day, according to new figures by the ABI. Despite NHS data showing that the waiting list fell by [...]
Otto Group Enables AI-driven Intelligent Robot Coordination With the Digital Twin Developed by Roboverse Reply January 22, 2026 Reply [EXM, STAR: REY] is supporting the global retailer Otto Group in implementing a central, AI-driven virtual control system for intelligent robotic orchestration. Developed as part of a strategic collaboration between Otto Group, Reply, and NVIDIA, the “Robotic Coordination Layer” enables the training, simulation, and orchestration of autonomous mobile robots and stationary systems, accelerating delivery [...]
Lloyd’s of London’s Beazley again rejects Zurich’s £7.7bn takeover bid January 22, 2026 Beazley, the prominent Lloyd’s of London underwriter, has unanimously rejected a 1,280p per share cash proposal from Zurich Insurance Group, which it says “materially undervalues” the firm’s future prospects. The board noted that this latest offer is actually lower than a 1,315p proposal Zurich made in June last year, which valued the firm at approximately [...]
IGI to Release Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial Results on February 24, 2026 January 20, 2026 International General Insurance Holdings Ltd. (“IGI” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: IGIC) today announced that it expects to release financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2025, on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, after the close of the U.S. financial markets. The results, along with an accompanying slide presentation, will be posted in the Investors [...]
Financial services are not prepared for AI risks January 20, 2026 The Bank of England, the FCA and the Treasury must be proactive in protecting the system against this rapidly developing technology’s potential worst-case scenarios. If not, they are exposing the stability of the UK’s financial system to significant risks, says Meg Hillier It feels like discussion and debates about the AI revolution have reached fever [...]
Small businesses ditch green agenda as ‘survival’ becomes priority January 20, 2026 Small businesses are ditching green finance initiatives as “ensuring survival” becomes a bigger focus for firms amid the pressures of rising costs. The latest business growth tracker from Natwest showed prioritising of sustainability was at an all time low among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by the end of 2025. Just 30 per cent of [...]
Zurich makes £7.7bn play for Beazley after FTSE 100 firm rejected first offer January 19, 2026 Zurich Insurance Group has launched its second public pursuit of Lloyd’s of London prominent underwriter Beazley with a revised proposal at 1.280 pence per share, valuing the firm at just under £8bn. At the start of the month, Zurich privately submitted a proposal to the Beazley board to acquire 100 per cent of the company [...]