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 [...]
Profit surges at Richard Desmond’s empire ahead of UK lottery court battle June 25, 2025 Profit at Richard Desmond’s Northern & Shell has surged ahead of a battle starting in the High Court over the UK’s National Lottery. The media tycoon is taking the Gambling Commission to court in October after missing out on winning the licence to run the National Lottery in 2022. Richard Desmond’s empire is seeking for [...]
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 [...]
A non-dom tax U-turn could revive prime London property June 25, 2025 Prime property in areas like Mayfair and Belgravia is currently going for as little as £1,800 per square foot, but reversing inheritance tax on global assets could re-establish London’s appeal to the world’s rich, says Edward Matthews Reports that Rachel Reeves is considering reversing the requirement for overseas high net worth individuals (HNWI) to pay [...]
FCA reviewing bank risk appetite to boost home ownership June 24, 2025 The Financial Conduct Authority has said it will review lenders’ risk-taking in its bid to boost home ownership. The City watchdog said it was seeking a “public conversation” on the “future of the mortgage market” as it looks to support economic growth through an overhaul on mortgage rules. An update to “responding lending rules” was [...]
One twist left in the PHP and KKR bidding war for Assura June 23, 2025 The Assura bidding war between KKR and PHP looked to be sealing its final chapter on Monday – but analysts warn there could be one more twist in the saga. Assura said on Monday it had recommended its board to accept a fresh cash offer from PHP, which valued the firm at £1.79bn. The deal [...]
‘Way too cheap’ – Tax experts question Reform’s £250K non-dom plan June 23, 2025 Reform UK’s new ‘Robin Hood’-style non-dom policy has been given a cool reception by top UK tax experts, who have branded it as “too cheap” and warned it could even cost the UK £34bn in lost tax revenue. Nigel Farage’s party, which currently tops the opinion polls, unveiled plans for a £250,000 flat tax regime [...]
PPHE unveils £90m plan to turn lap dancing club into luxury London hotel June 23, 2025 Hotel giant PPHE has unveiled plans to turn an east London lap dancing club into a huge new hotel as it continues its expansion in the capital. The London-listed firm today unveiled a £90m proposal to construct a 21-story tower on Leman Street in Whitechapel, which will feature 182 rooms, a restaurant, bar, gym and [...]
Premier Inn owner Whitbread sees UK sales falter amid shake-up of pub business June 19, 2025 Hospitality giant Whitbread has reported a downturn in UK sales amid a “challenging market backdrop” and a restructure of its pub and restaurant business. The Premier Inn-owner told markets this morning that overall sales in the UK fell five per cent in the first quarter of the financial year, driven by a 16 per cent [...]