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HSBC’s first-half profit rose as buybacks returned after restructuring costs. Wealth income, transaction banking, and interest earnings lifted performance, although capital levels fell after the Hang Seng Bank privatisation.
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Government procurement reforms will prioritise jobs, skills, and domestic opportunity. The planned model would double their weighting on major contracts while reducing requirements affecting smaller suppliers.
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BP’s quarterly profit doubled as Meg O’Neill tightened strategic priorities. The group is accelerating disposals, reducing liabilities, and applying stricter return tests to investment decisions.
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Prologis has agreed a landmark takeover of warehouse group Segro. The £14bn transaction would expand its European logistics estate by 47% and give Segro shareholders a stake in a global property platform.
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RWS will acquire Acolad’s parent to expand European AI services. The £22.4 million enterprise-value transaction adds 1,200 employees, regulated-industry customers, and annual revenue exceeding £180 million.
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National Grid has launched a £5m fund tackling youth worklessness. The five-year programme will provide training, qualifications, mentoring, and routes into energy and infrastructure employment for 5,000 young people.
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Ofcom’s new chair has launched a wide-ranging organisational review today. Sir Ian Cheshire will examine its structure, resources, and powers as online-safety enforcement expands the regulator’s workload.
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Aston Martin creditors are threatening action over contested financing arrangements. Bondholders argue that elements of a £550 million package and proposed brand-rights transaction could weaken their existing protections.
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UK vacancies fell while employer demand for AI skills surged. Indeed recorded an 11% decline in postings this year, alongside record technology requirements and the weakest graduate market since 2020.
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Sovereign AI has backed British chip developer OLIX with equity. The investment forms part of a nine-figure fundraising round supporting specialist processors for cheaper and less energy-intensive AI inference.
