Pret A Manger has introduced body-worn cameras for its staff in a bid to combat the sharp rise in shoplifting and attacks on retail workers. The coffee shop chain has begun a trial in six of its London outlets, where team leaders and managers will wear the cameras. Signs have been placed in these locations […]
The BBC has officially requested that Huw Edwards return more than £200,000 of his salary, following his arrest and subsequent guilty plea to charges related to child abuse images. The corporation’s board stated that Edwards “behaved in bad faith” by continuing to accept payments after his arrest, which took place in November last year. Edwards, […]
Footfall on UK high streets has plummeted by an average of 4.8% between Sunday and Wednesday, as recent rioting across England and Belfast deterred shoppers, leading to widespread vandalism and looting. This decline, reported by real estate software firm MRI Software, significantly outpaces the 2.7% drop seen across all UK retail destinations, including shopping centres […]
British Airways (BA) has announced the suspension of its direct flights between London Heathrow and Beijing, effective from 26 October. This decision comes little more than a year after the UK’s national carrier restored the route in June 2023, following a three-year hiatus due to Covid-related travel restrictions. The airline did not provide a detailed […]
Wage growth in the UK slowed last month while demand for workers remained steady, potentially setting the stage for further interest rate cuts by the Bank of England. Research from KPMG and the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) reveals that the growth rate of salaries for both permanent and part-time staff decreased in July. The […]
The British Business Bank, the government’s economic development agency, has reported a loss of £122 million for the year ending March, marking its second consecutive year in the red due to declining valuations in private equity markets. Chief Executive Louis Taylor attributed the loss to “short-term falls in the book valuation of long-term investments,” stressing […]
The Royal Mint has launched an innovative factory in south Wales to recover gold from electronic waste, marking a significant step towards sustainable precious metal sourcing for its luxury jewellery line. This facility, under construction since March 2022, will extract gold from up to 4,000 tonnes of UK-sourced circuit boards from devices such as phones, […]
The UK government has unveiled a £32 million investment into artificial intelligence (AI) innovations designed to transform public services and enhance productivity. This initiative targets critical areas such as reducing train delays, accelerating NHS prescription deliveries, and providing training for construction workers. A total of 98 projects have been selected to receive a share of […]
The delayed arrival of warm summer weather led to a rebound in UK retail sales in July, according to industry data, even as shoppers continued to avoid large purchases amid the ongoing cost of living crisis. Data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) indicated a 0.5% year-on-year increase in total UK retail sales for July. […]
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has left open the possibility of altering a key measure of the UK’s debt, a move that could potentially release £17 billion for her upcoming autumn budget. During a trip to New York and Toronto, Reeves indicated she would clarify her fiscal rules in her maiden budget, amidst speculation that the government […]