The decline in UK hiring may be beginning to stabilise after new data showed a slowdown in falling job vacancies and a rebound in activity across the country’s crucial services sector. An index tracking permanent hiring, produced by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation and KPMG, rose to 49.2 in February, up from 46.9 in January. Although the reading remains just below the 50-point threshold that separates expansion from contraction, it marks the strongest result since...
A growing number of businesses are paying cybercriminals after ransomware attacks, as hackers deploy artificial intelligence to make their tactics more targeted, sophisticated and damaging. New research from cybersecurity consultancy S-RM and advisory firm FGS Global shows that 24.3 per cent of companies targeted by ransomware attacks paid the demanded ransom in 2025, marking a sharp increase from 14.4 per cent in 2024. The figures represent the first significant rise in ransom payments after two...
China’s exports surged in the first two months of 2026 despite escalating trade tensions with the United States, highlighting the resilience of the world’s second-largest economy even as tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump continue to reshape global trade flows. Official trade data released by Chinese authorities shows that exports rose by more than 20 per cent in January and February compared with the same period last year, far exceeding economists’ expectations. Analysts had...
Artificial intelligence company Anthropic has filed an unprecedented lawsuit against the United States government after being formally labelled a “supply chain risk”, escalating a bitter dispute over the military use of advanced AI technology. The legal action, filed in a federal court in California, challenges a directive issued by the administration of Donald Trump that effectively barred US government agencies from using Anthropic’s AI systems. The company argues the move was politically motivated retaliation after...
Fifty government-funded mobile mast upgrades have now been activated across Wales as part of the UK’s Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme, marking a significant milestone in efforts to improve digital connectivity in some of the country’s most remote communities. The newly upgraded masts form part of a wider national rollout designed to expand reliable 4G coverage to rural areas that have historically struggled with weak or inconsistent mobile signals. Across the UK, a total of...
Small business owners across the United States have expressed scepticism that they will ever see refunds following the landmark ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States striking down large parts of Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff regime. The court’s decision potentially unlocks as much as $175 billion (£137 billion) in repayments to companies that paid import duties under the controversial policy. However, many entrepreneurs say the legal and administrative complexity involved in claiming those...
OpenAI has confirmed it is postponing the launch of an “adult mode” for ChatGPT, saying the company will instead prioritise improving the platform’s core capabilities and user experience. The move marks a shift from earlier plans outlined by Sam Altman, who indicated last year that the artificial intelligence developer would allow certain forms of adult content on its flagship chatbot once robust age-verification systems had been introduced. However, OpenAI has now said that development resources...
Royal Mail is facing renewed scrutiny over the reliability of Britain’s postal service after figures revealed that around 219 million letters could arrive late this year, raising concerns about service standards even as stamp prices continue to rise. Analysis of delivery data shows that approximately 126 million First Class letters are on course to miss their next-day delivery target during the current year. At the same time, a further 93 million Second Class letters are...
President Donald Trump said he wants to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, saying it would be an ‘honor’ to do so in an effort to help other nations that rely on the vital Middle East waterway. Trump was speaking with reporters in Florida on Monday, when he was asked about the global energy choke point, which has been disrupted amid back-and-forth attacks between Iran and Israel and the United States. At about 21 miles...
The UK Gambling Commission’s annual report for the financial year ending March 2025 recorded a total gross gambling yield of sixteen point eight billion pounds, a seven point three percent increase on the previous year. Remote gambling, which covers every form of betting and gaming conducted online, accounted for seven point eight billion of that total, up thirteen point one percent year-on-year. Nearly half the industry’s revenue now originates from screens rather than premises, and...
