Business

Nearly 500 companies have been mistakenly charged multiple times under the government’s new packaging compliance scheme, after a “technical issue” triggered duplicate direct-debit withdrawals during one of the busiest trading periods of the year. PackUK, the body created to administer Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) charges, confirmed that 484 producers, around 11 per cent of those registered, saw their packaging-waste payments taken repeatedly without warning. Industry figures estimate the error resulted in hundreds of thousands of...

Jamie Oliver is returning to the UK high street, six years after his restaurant empire fell into administration, with plans to relaunch Jamie’s Italian in London’s Leicester Square next spring. The TV chef and entrepreneur, now 50, has struck a partnership with Brava Hospitality Group, the operator behind Prezzo, to revive the mid-market Italian chain, which once boasted around 40 UK sites before collapsing in 2019 with hundreds of job losses. While the brand survived...

Piers Morgan is edging closer to a £100 million valuation for his YouTube-driven media venture, Uncensored, after securing a major round of investment from some of the most influential figures in global media and finance. Sky News has revealed that Morgan is finalising a fundraising of about $30 million (£22.5 million), giving Uncensored a pre-money valuation of roughly $130 million (£97 million),  a remarkable leap for a business built around a single, high-profile presenter less...

Infographics are among the most potent tools for digital marketing, education, and business communication. They convert complex information into visually engaging content that is easy to comprehend and communicate. Nevertheless, manual preparation of infographics may need graphic design skills, specialized software, and a lot of time. CapCut’s AI Image Generator is a breakthrough that lets users create high-quality images with a simple text prompt. The visual graphics created by marketers, educators, and business professionals are...

Many drivers assume that familiar routes are inherently safe. Daily commutes or local errands rarely inspire caution, yet ordinary roads can hide hazards that are easy to overlook. Potholes, worn road markings, and unexpected debris contribute to accidents that seem sudden but are often preventable. Awareness alone does not always guarantee safety, but recognizing that routine does not equal harmlessness is a first step in protecting yourself and others. Unexpected events can arise in the...

Choosing the right traditional radiators can feel a bit tricky at times. Many of us spend hours researching to figure out what sets budget-friendly options apart from high-end boutique designs. In this guide, we’ll look at materials, styles, heat output, and more to help you make an informed choice. Read on to see which option suits your home best! Key Takeaways Budget radiators are affordable and practical, using basic materials like steel, with limited designs...

A global race for AI supremacy may now hit consumers squarely in the wallet, with experts warning that laptops, consoles and even everyday business tech could rise in price by £300 or more after OpenAI tied up a vast share of the world’s memory chip supply. Over the summer, a 32GB memory kit retailing at around £100 jumped to more than £400, after OpenAI quietly secured agreements giving it priority access to 40% of global...

A Labour minister has delivered a startlingly candid assessment of life for young people in Britain, declaring that for many, “life is s**t”. Josh Simons, the parliamentary secretary for the Cabinet Office and co-founder of the Labour Growth Group, made the frank remark on X in response to new analysis highlighting the soaring costs of housing and raising a family. Reacting to a report from The Times showing that bringing up a child now costs...

British businesses shed staff at the sharpest rate in more than three years in the run-up to Rachel Reeves’s second budget, as months of swirling tax speculation paralysed hiring decisions and pushed employers into contraction mode. New figures from the Bank of England show private-sector employment fell by 1.8% in November – the steepest monthly drop since July 2021. Finance directors told the Bank they also expect to reduce their workforces by an average of...

One of Britain’s biggest DIY investment platforms has warned that prolonged budget speculation inflicted real financial damage, after savers rushed to drain about £600 million from their pensions amid fears Rachel Reeves would slash tax-free lump sum rules. Michael Summersgill, chief executive of AJ Bell, said months of rolling briefings and hints of a tax raid had prompted thousands of customers to make precautionary withdrawals in September and October, convinced the Treasury was preparing to...