News

Britain is on the cusp of an entrepreneurship surge that could reshape the workforce and inject billions into the economy, according to new research revealing that one in ten adults plans to start a business within the next year, the equivalent of more than 5 million people. The findings, published in the Entrepreneurship Revolution report from Block and Public First, paint a picture of a UK increasingly powered by independent enterprise, side-hustles and digital-first microbusinesses....

Two of London’s oldest and most storied food markets, Smithfield and Billingsgate, are set to begin a new chapter in the Docklands after the City of London Corporation confirmed Albert Island as their future home. The decision marks a dramatic turnaround after both markets appeared destined for closure last year when rising costs forced the Corporation to abandon a £740 million relocation plan to Dagenham. At the time, traders feared the historic meat and fish...

Mercedes-Benz has placed a significant vote of confidence in the UK’s advanced manufacturing sector after confirming a £20 million partnership to develop high-performance electric vehicle technology, creating 150 skilled jobs across Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire. The German manufacturer will invest £10 million of its own capital, matched by a further £10 million from the UK government, to develop next-generation high-power drive systems for electrified and hybrid performance cars. Crucially, the work will draw on Formula 1...

The Bank of England has warned that the global race to build artificial intelligence infrastructure is increasingly being fuelled by debt, creating a growing risk to financial stability if the current AI boom turns into a market correction. Governor Andrew Bailey said valuations of AI-driven technology companies were now approaching levels last seen during the dotcom bubble in the US, and levels not seen since the financial crisis in the UK and EU. The Bank’s...

Selling beyond your home market sounds simple until real customers start paying in currencies your system barely understands. A smooth global checkout relies on more than showing the right symbol or converting a total at the last second. It depends on tools that read regional habits, manage shifting rates and keep the payment step feeling familiar no matter where the shopper sits. When those pieces line up, the process feels effortless. When they do not,...