Starmer to U-turn on mandatory digital ID Politics Sir Keir Starmer is expected to perform another U-turn by scrapping plans to make a national digital ID compulsory for all Brits. After backtracking on a number of policies, from the farm tax to the end of winter fuel payments, the Prime Minister is set to reveal that the government will no longer make all [...]
After Grok, should the UK opt for an Australia-style social media ban? Tech When, in December, Australia enacted a nationwide ban of social media platforms for under-16s, critics called it heavy-handed, and easy to bypass. This week, as Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok flooded the social media platform, X, with AI-generated explicit photos of women and girls, some even involving minors, that argument begins to lose its legs. [...]
VAT-free shopping debacle has sent tourists packing Opinion Five years on from the demise of VAT-free shopping, retail and hospitality chiefs say the impact is still causing pain as the industry seeks change, writes Joanna Hodgson Five years ago this month a change came in that might, on the surface , have prompted the average British shopper to get their smallest violins out: [...]
Labour talked big, but London housing starts are worst since WW2 January 13, 2026 Labour may have talked big on housing and planning reform, but the figures don't lie, writes Emma Revell.
Uber drivers plot exodus as platform swerves ‘taxi tax’ January 13, 2026 Uber is staring down the barrel of a potential driver exodus as members of its fleet threaten to jump ship to rival apps or return to black cabs, following a new year contractual overhaul designed to swerve a huge VAT bill. Documents seen by City AM show a wave of fury in private messaging groups, [...]
The tax return deadline is looming. Here’s how to avoid fines January 12, 2026 Many of us are guilty of putting our personal finance admin on the back burner, opting to leave paying our bills, planning the monthly budget and checking insurance policies until the last minute. But with the deadline of the 31st inching ever closer, leaving your self-assessment tax return until the final days of January, leaves [...]
Inside the new White Lotus season 4 hotel – as show axes Four Seasons January 12, 2026 Inside the new White Lotus hotel in St Tropez It is common for travel journalists to be gifted a bottle of champagne or a box of chocolates when they check into a room. But when I checked into my room at Les Airelles Courchevel, I found a feather-lined ski coat, woolly hat, neck warmer, socks, [...]
LA is the future of sport and coming for London’s crown as global capital January 11, 2026 LA offers a glimpse into the future for the sports industry as the city prepares for a starring role at the 2026 Fifa World Cup and 2028 Olympics, finds Frank Dalleres. Arriving at the Intuit Dome by driverless taxi and then using facial recognition technology to enter the home of the NBA’s LA Clippers (mobile [...]
Premier League stadiums: Inside football’s grandstand revolution January 10, 2026 The Premier League is going through a revolution, and it is not in the form of playing formations. Stadiums – new and old – are second homes for fans, the community centre of their weekend. And England’s top flight is ever-changing. Three teams may get promoted each year and three may get relegated, but the [...]
TITAN Expands its North American Footprint with Agreement to Acquire Keystone Cement Plant, Advancing TITAN Forward 2029 Strategy January 9, 2026 Regulatory News: Titan SA (Euronext Brussels, ATHEX and Euronext Paris, TITC) announces that its subsidiary, Titan America SA (“Titan America”), listed on the NYSE, has entered into an agreement to acquire Keystone Cement Company, a Pennsylvania-based cement manufacturer and aggregates producer. The transaction includes modern and high-quality assets such as an integrated cement plant, operating [...]