Business

Do you recall the days when the only thing discussed at corporate sustainability meetings was recycling bins, followed by a round of nods? Those times have long since passed. Carbon targets and net-zero deadlines, which looked unattainable only a few years ago, are already causing CEOs to lose sleep. There is pressure everywhere. Real action, not simply heartwarming press releases, is what shareholders want to see. Consumers are becoming more inquisitive about the origins and...

As more Bank of England (BoE) interest rate cuts are expected to take place over the second half of 2025, it’s time to assess whether it’s time to take a fresh look at your investment strategy. Following a period where the BoE began hiking rates in late 2021 as a result of rising inflation, a series of cuts began in August last year. Since then, four rate cuts have brought the UK base rate down...

Between them, the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council – namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE – are the main hub of business and tourism in the Middle East region. Yet, despite their close ties and geographical proximity, each has maintained separate visa systems for travellers up till now. That is set to change, though, with the imminent launch of the Unified GCC visa in December 2024. This legislation will...

Alright, so here’s the thing — even if you don’t watch Premier League every weekend, this season’s title race is worth paying attention to. Especially if you’re into systems, strategy, or watching people push limits under pressure. Because what’s happening right now isn’t just sports — it’s basically a live case study in optimization, resilience, and failure points. You’ve got Liverpool, Manchester City, and Arsenal all neck and neck. No one’s pulling away. And that...

At the surface, it sounds simple: virtual reality meets gambling. But a proper VR casino isn’t just a reskin of a desktop game. It’s a fully immersive, 3D environment where players walk around, interact, and gamble with the kind of presence that flat screens just can’t offer. Think blackjack tables where you can glance at someone’s avatar. Poker games where body language (or at least, hand motion) plays a role. Roulettes that feel real because...

Risk management. Sounds boring, right? Sounds like a thing some consultant in a navy suit says over a PowerPoint full of pie charts. But here’s a little secret they don’t tell you in business school: the people who really understand risk — they’re not always in corner offices. Sometimes, they’re in hoodies, staring at stacks of chips, quietly folding a hand you’d sell your soul to play. Poker, at its core, isn’t about cards. It’s...

The Lionesses’ historic Euro 2025 victory is set to deliver a significant windfall not just for the players, but also for the UK taxman, with HMRC expected to receive £788,900 from the team’s prize money, according to analysis by tax and advisory firm Blick Rothenberg. Each player is expected to receive an average bonus of £73,000, which pushes their earnings above the £125,140 threshold where the highest effective marginal tax rate of 47% applies. That...

Adidas has confirmed it will raise prices for customers in the United States after warning that new tariffs imposed by the Trump administration will add an additional €200 million (£173 million) to its costs this year. The German sportswear giant said nearly half its products are manufactured in Vietnam and Indonesia, which were both recently targeted in new trade agreements that impose 20% and 19% tariffs respectively on goods shipped to the US. The company...

Robey Warshaw, the elite London advisory boutique that counts former chancellor George Osborne among its five partners, has been acquired by Evercore, the US investment banking giant, in a £146 million cash and shares deal. The acquisition marks a significant payday for Osborne and his fellow partners at the firm’s Mayfair headquarters, though the precise distribution of proceeds among them has not been disclosed. The deal is expected to bring windfalls for the partners and...

Businessman Richard Desmond has withdrawn part of his £1.3 billion legal challenge against the Gambling Commission over the awarding of the fourth National Lottery licence, just months before the case heads to trial in October. Desmond’s companies, Northern & Shell and The New Lottery Company, are suing the Commission over claims that the bidding process for the lucrative ten-year contract was unfair. The contract was awarded to Allwyn, the lottery operator owned by Czech billionaire...