• MHRA clarifies UK route for microbiome medicines

    UK regulators have clarified the licensing route for microbiome medicines. The MHRA says emerging therapies can use existing medicines frameworks, while developers must address manufacturing consistency, safety, antimicrobial-resistance risks, and robust clinical evidence.


  • AI job creation drives UK skills investment

    UK businesses report AI creating jobs while skills investment rises. Lloyds research finds 54% say AI has generated new roles, while 58% plan to increase workforce training spending over the next year.


  • Workplace friendships diverge along gender lines, study finds

    Workplace friendships develop differently between women and men, researchers find. A longitudinal study published in Social Networks found women formed denser same-gender groups, while men were less likely to develop the same friend-of-friend ties.


  • Business context gap slows enterprise AI execution

    Enterprise AI spending is rising faster than organisational readiness worldwide. Alteryx research finds 53% of technology leaders struggle to translate business context into AI workflows, while only 18% report fully self-service cloud-data access.


  • Tax adviser registration enters second mandatory phase

    Tax advisers face a new mandatory registration deadline this autumn. HMRC’s second rollout phase covers advisers with Self Assessment or Corporation Tax accounts but without an agent services account, with registration required by 18 November.


  • CMA keeps fuel retailer margins under scrutiny

    Fuel retailers remain under scrutiny as competitive pressure stays weak. The CMA found no evidence of deliberate crisis exploitation but remains concerned about high margins, slow wholesale-price pass-through, and local price differences.


  • £13m satellite fund targets UK connectivity gaps

    UK satellite funding is targeting persistent connectivity gaps across industries. Sixteen projects will share £13m for rail broadband, agricultural sensors, optical communications, ground infrastructure, and other next-generation satellite technologies.


  • Frasers raises Hugo Boss stake towards 48%

    Frasers has lifted its Hugo Boss stake towards 48% today. The increase deepens its exposure to the German fashion group while its €38-a-share takeover offer remains opposed by Hugo Boss management.


  • £300m financing accelerates Lanarkshire AI data centre build

    Lanarkshire’s AI infrastructure build has secured a £300m financing package. A £202m National Wealth Fund guarantee is supporting DataVita’s expansion, while Dell Technologies will establish its Scottish team at the developing AI Innovation Park.


  • UK vacancies deepen signs of labour market cooling

    UK vacancies have fallen as private-sector wage growth loses momentum. Unemployment remains at 4.9%, while payroll employment and private-sector earnings data point to a cooler labour market despite continuing shortages in specialist roles.