Jia Xu is a computer scientist and AI researcher with a global academic career spanning Europe, Asia, and the United States. She is currently where her work focuses on natural language processing and large language models. Xu began her academic journey in Germany. She completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at TU Berlin, studying and working entirely in German. She later earned her PhD from RWTH Aachen University under Professor Hermann Ney, a leading figure...
We have been experiencing a real boom in IT field for some time now. Recent years have brought a rapid growth of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. More and more things we once saw only in movies are now becoming reality. AI has entered many areas of our lives — from medicine and business to education, finance and everyday digital tools. As a result, the demand for skilled IT professionals continues to grow. Taking the...
Private equity investment in the UK is showing renewed signs of life, as dealmakers adapt to higher interest rates, tighter lending conditions and growing pressure from investors for more control and lower fees. While mega-buyouts remain subdued, a quieter but significant shift is under way: the rise of co-investments in private markets. After two years of muted activity, UK-focused private equity firms are increasingly targeting mid-market opportunities, platform acquisitions and bolt-on deals, particularly in sectors...
UK government borrowing has climbed to its second-highest level on record for the first eight months of the financial year, underlining the scale of the challenge facing Rachel Reeves despite stronger tax receipts. Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that the government borrowed £132.3 billion between April and November, £10 billion more than over the same period last year. The only higher total for that stretch of the year was recorded in...
Tom Pellereau, the first winner of The Apprentice to secure an equity investment from Lord Sugar, has regained full ownership of his business after buying out Lord Sugar’s 50 per cent stake. The deal, agreed 14 years after the original investment, returns Styl Pro to 100 per cent founder ownership and marks the end of one of the show’s longest-running business partnerships. Financial terms of the buyout have not been disclosed. Pellereau founded Styl Pro...
The strategy behind goZeal’s movement to transform talent and the future of work In 2025, when “flexibility” is marketed as a perk and “diversity” is measured as a KPI, goZeal is taking a different approach. Founded by Sanghamithra (Sangha) Penesetti, the company is not following the traditional rules of recruitment and workforce development. Instead, it is rewriting them. goZeal’s mission is simple: “You employ us. We employ change.” This phrase reflects more than a tagline....
Millions of people could soon be able to spend more than £100 with a single tap of their bank card, after the financial regulator confirmed plans to lift the current contactless payment limit. From March, banks and card providers will be allowed to set their own maximum limits for contactless payments, including the option of removing the cap altogether, without requiring customers to enter their PIN. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has also encouraged firms...
Trump Media & Technology Group, the company behind President Donald Trump’s Truth Social platform, is set to merge with fusion energy company TAE Technologies in a deal valuing the combined business at more than $6bn (£4.4bn). The tie-up, announced by the two companies on Thursday, marks a striking strategic pivot for Trump Media, taking it beyond social media and financial products into the fast-developing world of next-generation energy. The firms said the transaction would create...
The UK has named veteran diplomat Christian Turner as its new ambassador to the United States, replacing Lord Peter Mandelson, Downing Street has confirmed. Turner, a career Foreign Office official with nearly three decades of experience across Whitehall and overseas postings, will take up one of Britain’s most senior diplomatic roles at a pivotal moment in the transatlantic relationship. His appointment follows the departure of Mandelson, who was removed by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer...
TikTok has taken a decisive step towards securing its future in the United States after its Chinese owner, ByteDance, signed binding agreements with a group of US and international investors to operate the app’s American business. In a memo to staff on Thursday, TikTok’s chief executive, Shou Zi Chew, confirmed that the deal will see a new joint venture take control of the platform’s US operations, bringing to an end years of political uncertainty and...
