
Labour MPs urge halt to business rates hike for venues. Nearly 50 Labour MPs have written to the chancellor, calling for an immediate halt to a planned rise in business rates for music venues, warning that the revaluation could push many spaces to the brink of closure.

Waymo prepares for UK launch amid US safety scrutiny. The Alphabet-owned self-driving vehicle firm is testing its robotaxis in London ahead of a planned passenger launch this year, while facing regulatory investigations in the US following incidents involving its vehicles.

UK organisations face mounting operational technology cyber threats this year. More than half expect their OT systems to be prime targets for attacks, according to new research from e2e-assure. The company has launched a 24/7 monitoring platform to strengthen defences across industrial and critical infrastructure networks.

The world has failed to learn key lessons from COVID-19. New research in The Lancet Psychiatry warns that governments must embed mental health into pandemic preparedness, after evidence showed inequalities deepened and vulnerable communities were left behind.

Calling someone “old” for IT struggles isn’t age discrimination. The tribunal ruled on Farah Janjua’s case against Harvey Jones Ltd, where a colleague’s comment about her IT skills didn’t meet the legal threshold for age discrimination.

A think tank urges Labour to limit early pension access. The Resolution Foundation recommends restricting private pension access before state pension age to deter early retirement. The UK faces rising unemployment and labour shortages, impacting public finances.

Zanskar secures $115 million to boost geothermal energy initiatives. The funding will enhance its AI-powered discovery platform and support geothermal power plant development, aiming to advance gigawatt-scale projects and expand exploration efforts across the Western U.S. by 2030.

Halo Corporate Finance earns triple recognition at the 2026 Business Moneyfacts Awards. The nominations follow a landmark 20th anniversary year and mark the company’s continued rise in the UK’s corporate finance landscape.

GoodData’s new MCP Server allows AI to execute analytics end-to-end. The San Francisco company’s launch integrates the Model Context Protocol (MCP) to let AI agents create, run and manage analytics directly under governance, aiming for up to 50x faster time to value.

Flexible working hours and pay are now the top drivers of job satisfaction. A new Avilio study of UK workers finds flexibility on when people work matters more than hybrid working arrangements.