Currency traders are increasing their bets against sterling ahead of Wednesday’s Budget, fearing that Rachel Reeves’ tax and spending plans could further weaken the UK’s already fragile economic outlook. Data from CME Group shows trading volumes in put options — contracts that profit from a fall in the pound — have outpaced bullish call options by more than four to one over the past week. The surge suggests investors are bracing for a Budget that...
Artificial intelligence and robotics could automate more than half of all work carried out in the United States — with existing technology — according to a new report from the McKinsey Global Institute. The research finds that 57% of US work hours could be automated today if organisations redesigned workflows around the capabilities of AI agents and robots. The analysis suggests that nearly half of American jobs sit within occupations facing significant disruption from automation....
Clean-energy installation specialist Installio has raised £1.5 million in an oversubscribed Seed round led by Verb Ventures, as the fast-growing London-based company prepares to scale nationally amid surging demand for heat pumps and home-energy retrofits. Founded to tackle the biggest bottleneck in the UK’s clean-heating transition — inconsistent, low-quality installations — Installio combines specialist engineering expertise with a technology platform that streamlines complex heat-pump projects from end to end. The company provides real-time project visibility,...
A leading solicitor involved in the Supreme Court victory that shielded regional taxi firms from blanket VAT charges has warned that Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ proposed “taxi tax” could have damaging consequences for small operators and vulnerable passengers. Layla Barke-Jones, Dispute Resolution Partner at law firm Aaron & Partners, represented Delta Taxis in the landmark case that confirmed private hire operators outside London are not automatically required to charge VAT on all fares. The ruling provided...
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is being urged to seize the moment and use artificial intelligence to “Make Britain Great Again”, as business leaders and technology experts warn that AI may be the only route to growth in a Budget constrained by Labour’s tax promises. The calls come as the government prepares to announce thousands of new AI-related jobs and billions of pounds of investment in a bid to boost productivity and reboot the stalled UK economy....
A new British venture capital fund has secured major backing from Qatar to accelerate investment into quantum computing start-ups, marking a significant vote of confidence in one of the UK’s fastest-growing deep-tech sectors. Firgun Ventures, co-founded by academic and former Culture Trip founder Kris Naudts and ex-Goldman Sachs banker Zeynep Koruturk, has closed its first investment round at $70 million (£53 million). The largest contribution came from the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), with further backing...
The Justice Department asked a federal judge to unseal grand jury materials and lift protective orders in the Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell cases after President Donald Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Signed by Trump on Nov. 19, 2025, the law requires Attorney General Pam Bondi to release all unclassified records, communications and investigative materials related to Epstein within 30 days. The order allows limited redactions for victim privacy or to protect active...
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday aimed at bolstering U.S. artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives as it unveiled its new ‘Genesis Mission’ to accelerate AI use for scientific purposes. The ‘Genesis Mission’ will direct the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and their national labs to work with private companies to share federal data sets, advanced supercomputing capabilities, and scientific facilities. ‘The private sector has launched artificial...
One Senate Republican proved that it’s still possible to bridge the chasm between the aisles after brokering an end to the longest government shutdown in history. The 43-day impasse in Congress may have ended in the House, but it was in the Senate that Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., worked to build an old-fashioned bipartisan coalition to jump-start the stalled chamber. It took several weeks, numerous conversations and reconstructing broken trust between Senate Republicans and Democrats...
The campaign firm that helped Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani spread his message in New York City is now turning its focus to vulnerable Republicans across the country. Among other races, the firm has set its sights on defeating two vulnerable House Republicans in Pennsylvania: Reps. Rob Bresnahan and Ryan Mackenzie. Fight Agency — a six-man crew with experience in over 300 winning elections — focuses on many of the issues Mamdani made a fixture of his...
