Business
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AI is not yet reshaping jobs, but leaders must prepare. The New York Fed reports rising adoption of artificial intelligence without widespread layoffs, with most firms retraining staff. History suggests disruption lags adoption, leaving leaders a crucial window to redesign roles, embed trust, and invest in future skills.
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Merck cancels £1bn London drug centre, impacting UK growth. The pharmaceutical giant will lay off 127 employees, citing an unfavourable UK investment climate. This follows AstraZeneca’s similar decision, highlighting industry frustration with current government policies.
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UK fintech activity remains robust despite investment decline in 2025. The first half of 2025 saw significant acquisitions and partnerships in UK fintech, though investment fell by five per cent. Threats from emerging financial hubs continue to challenge the sector.
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The Online Safety Act faces significant evasion challenges. Nearly one-third of UK consumers bypass adult content checks, while VPN usage soars. Despite public support for age verification, concerns about censorship and the act’s effectiveness persist.
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Hybrid working is proving to be more than a perk. CIPD and ONS data show flexible models cut absence, aid retention, and support productivity — but also risk digital presenteeism and deepening workforce divides if not well managed.
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Starmer forms a “budget board” to mend business relations. The board will meet weekly to coordinate growth policies before the Autumn Budget on 26 November. It aims to maintain strong ties with business leaders and the City.
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Cloud demand is soaring across industries amid AI-enabled infrastructure transformation. Oracle’s remaining performance obligations jumped to $455 billion, reflecting the speed of adoption and investor confidence. AI workloads, multicloud strategies and hyperscale build-outs are reshaping cloud from optional service into critical corporate infrastructure.
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US holiday sales growth is projected to slow sharply this season. Deloitte forecasts a 2.9 % to 3.4 % increase for 2025, marking the weakest rate since the pandemic. In-store sales are losing momentum, while e-commerce continues to grow steadily despite inflationary pressure.
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Todd Davison wanted SMEs to borrow without risking everything. His insurance venture has grown steadily, offering protection for directors against personal guarantee liabilities, and is now preparing for international expansion into other markets where guarantees are common.
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DNB deploys AI to accelerate Malaysia’s 5G service management. Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB), Malaysia’s national 5G infrastructure provider, has implemented BMC Helix to streamline service operations, reduce incident response times, and support national connectivity innovation.