The cyberattack that forced Jaguar Land Rover to shut down its factories is expected to have cost the carmaker more than £3 billion in lost sales over the final quarter of the year. The West Midlands-based group, owned by Tata Motors, revealed that vehicle shipments from its factories plunged by 43 per cent in the three months to December after hackers crippled its IT systems. Wholesale volumes, the point at which vehicles leave the production...
UK media regulator Ofcom has made “urgent contact” with xAI, the artificial intelligence business owned by Elon Musk, following reports that its Grok chatbot can be used to generate sexualised images of children and non-consensual explicit images of women. The intervention follows widespread concern over Grok’s image-generation capabilities on X, where users have posted examples of the AI being prompted to digitally “undress” women or place them into sexualised scenarios without consent. Ofcom confirmed it...
The UK government has unveiled a £210 million Cyber Action Plan aimed at strengthening the security and resilience of online public services, as cyber threats against the public sector continue to intensify. Announced in London on 6 January, the plan is designed to safeguard critical digital services used by millions of citizens every day, including benefits, tax systems and healthcare platforms. It will be overseen by a new Government Cyber Unit, tasked with coordinating defences...
Gary Neville has sold a majority stake in his fast-growing media business The Overlap to radio giant Global, in a deal designed to turn the platform into a world-leading sports network. The former Manchester United and England defender will continue to co-chair the business alongside Global Group chief executive Simon Pitts, after Global acquired the stake from previous investors Miroma Group. The deal paves the way for a significant expansion in output, with The Overlap...
A Salvation Army employee responsible for supporting refugees was lawfully dismissed after making inflammatory remarks suggesting migrants should be sent back “on a boat”, an employment tribunal has ruled. The tribunal found that the charity was justified in dismissing Charles Markie, 56, after comments he made while working at Strathmore Lodge, a Salvation Army–run hostel in Dundee that housed refugees and migrants. Mr Markie, who had worked for the organisation for almost 20 years, was...
Entrepreneurship is being used as a tool for rehabilitation at HMP Chelmsford, where inmates approaching release have taken part in a practical business start-up workshop delivered by NEEB Link. The session focused on helping participants see self-employment as a realistic and positive route back into society, equipping them with the confidence, knowledge and practical skills needed to start and run a small business after release. Designed to be accessible and hands-on, the workshop covered the...
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) are often seen as “big company” issues – tied to boardroom pledges, large HR teams or investor reporting. But the reality is quite different. For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), building a more inclusive culture is not just possible; it’s essential for sustainable growth. At Chubb Fire & Security UK&I, diversity, equity and inclusion are embedded into the way we work. One of our core values is to “Win with...
Britons turned to their credit cards at the fastest pace in almost two years in the run-up to Christmas and November’s Budget, even as signs emerged that households were becoming more cautious elsewhere. Data from the Bank of England shows that outstanding credit card balances rose to nearly £78bn in November, up 12.1 per cent on the same month last year. It marked the sharpest annual increase since early 2024 and underlined the pressure many...
The West End’s post-pandemic revival has delivered a multimillion-pound boost to one of Britain’s biggest theatre groups, with the return of Oliver! helping Sir Cameron Mackintosh’s company rebound to, and surpass, pre-Covid trading levels. Cameron Mackintosh Limited reported an 18 per cent jump in revenues to £234 million last year, overtaking its 2019 performance as audiences returned in force and demand for major productions recovered. The strong financial year paved the way for a £10.2...
Nearly a quarter of British workers say their job is actively making them unhappy, with one in ten planning to resign this month, according to new research that will intensify concerns about productivity, retention and morale across the UK workforce. The survey, conducted by international education group ACS, found that 9 per cent of employees expect to hand in their notice in January alone, with more than a third of those planning to quit intending...
