Business

Innovate UK has launched a new £1 million competition to fast-track breakthroughs in agentic artificial intelligence (AI) across three of the UK’s highest-growth sectors: advanced manufacturing, health and life sciences, and the creative industries. The Agentic AI Pioneers Prize aims to support AI systems capable of taking initiative, collaborating with humans, co-creating new ideas and coordinating complex tasks—capabilities that are expected to reshape productivity and innovation across multiple industries. Agentic AI differs from traditional AI...

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has suggested the government is considering cutting the 5% rate of VAT on household energy bills, as ministers prepare measures to tackle the deepening cost-of-living crisis ahead of next month’s Budget. Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Mr Miliband refused to confirm whether a VAT cut was being actively pursued but acknowledged that households were struggling under high energy costs and that “all of these issues” were under review....

Weak consumer confidence has emerged as a growing threat to corporate performance, with a rising number of listed UK companies issuing profit warnings ahead of next month’s autumn Budget. According to a new report from EY, 64 UK-listed firms issued profit warnings in the third quarter of 2025 — and one in five cited deteriorating consumer sentiment as a key factor. This marks the highest proportion of warnings linked to consumer confidence since late 2022,...

In today’s digital-first world, your website serves as the cornerstone of your business identity. It’s often the first impression potential customers have of your brand, making professional web design more crucial than ever. Understanding the fundamental elements that drive successful web design can transform your online presence from merely functional to truly compelling. The Foundation of Effective Web Design Modern web design extends far beyond aesthetic appeal. It encompasses user experience, functionality, and strategic thinking...

Former Chancellor George Osborne has warned that Reform UK “cannot be trusted to run the economy”, accusing Nigel Farage’s party of lacking fiscal credibility at a time when economic stewardship is likely to define the next general election. Speaking amid growing scrutiny of Reform’s costed plans, Mr Osborne dismissed the party as economically unreliable, pointing to its proposals to lift the two-child benefit cap and nationalise water companies — policies that have already been branded...

The Chancellor has been warned she is “flying blind” into November’s Budget after fresh analysis suggested far more non-domiciled residents have left the UK than the Government anticipated, with billions in expected tax revenues now at risk. In a report published today, economics consultancy ChamberlainWalker says early evidence points to a significantly larger exodus of non-doms following the abolition of non-dom status in April 2025. The firm argues that Treasury assurances—based on HMRC payroll returns—that...

The Government has unveiled a national plan to create 400,000 green energy jobs within the next five years, in what ministers say will be one of the most significant workforce transitions in modern British history. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said the programme aims to double the number of people working in the UK’s low-carbon sector by 2030, with a sharp focus on equipping tradespeople, school leavers, ex-service personnel and workers leaving fossil fuel industries with...

Sir David Attenborough has become the oldest person ever to win a Daytime Emmy, marking another extraordinary milestone in a broadcasting career that has spanned more than seven decades. The 99-year-old naturalist and filmmaker took home the award for Outstanding Daytime Personality – Nondaily for his narration of Netflix’s Secret Lives of Orangutans, beating fellow nominees including Martha Stewart and Anthony Mackie. Attenborough’s win, announced at the 52nd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards in Pasadena, California,...

Britain’s second-largest bookmaker has warned it will close all its 1,300 betting shops and cut 7,000 jobs if the government presses ahead with plans to double gambling taxes in next month’s budget. Joanne Whittaker, chief executive of Betfred, said the measures being considered by chancellor Rachel Reeves would “wipe out the high-street betting shop”, threatening the future of Britain’s traditional gaming sector. “The most frightening element is we’re going to lose the whole retail business,”...