Business

The proportion of people in Britain holding cryptocurrencies has fallen sharply, according to new research published by the Financial Conduct Authority, as the regulator unveils long-awaited plans to bring digital assets under formal supervision. Research commissioned by the FCA found that just 8 per cent of UK adults now own cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin or ethereum, down from a peak …

Britain can “without a doubt” compete with the United States to become a global hub for cryptoassets, the City minister has said, as the government sets out long-awaited legislation to regulate the fast-growing digital assets market. Lucy Rigby said the proposed framework showed the UK’s intention to “lead the world in digital assets adoption”, amid mounting concern from the crypto …

The employment tribunal system is facing unprecedented strain, with a backlog of more than half a million claims raising serious doubts over its ability to cope with an expected surge in cases under Labour’s proposed expansion of workers’ rights. Latest tribunal statistics for the second quarter of the year, covering July to September 2025, show that active claims — including …

McKinsey is drawing up plans that could see thousands of jobs cut over the next two years, as the global consultancy responds to rapid advances in artificial intelligence and a prolonged slowdown in client demand. Senior partners at the firm are understood to have held early discussions with leaders of non-client-facing departments about reducing team sizes by as much as …

First-time buyers, the self-employed and older borrowers could soon find it easier to secure a mortgage under a package of reforms proposed by the Financial Conduct Authority, as the regulator moves to modernise lending rules to reflect changing working lives and demographics. The FCA said it plans to simplify mortgage regulations and loosen restrictions on lenders to allow more flexible …

McKinsey to make thousands of layoffs as AI advancesGlobal consultancy firm takes its own advice and sets out to cut one in ten roles in some teams in response to improvements in artificial intelligence McKinsey, the consultancy that regularly advises companies on cutting costs, is taking its own advice and drawing up plans that could result in it shedding thousands …

Virgin Media O2 has officially opened its new multi-million-pound North West headquarters in central Manchester, marking a significant expansion of its long-term commitment to the city and the wider region. The new office, located on John Dalton Street just off Deansgate, will be home to around 1,100 employees and forms part of a broader strategy to invest in people, digital …

A veteran nightclub operator has called on the government to introduce a Covid-style loan guarantee scheme to unlock investment in what he described as a “logjammed” hospitality sector struggling with poor access to finance and rising costs. Peter Marks, whose career spans more than four decades in bars, clubs and leisure, said the market for hospitality finance is effectively broken, …

Introduction Artificial Intelligence has moved far beyond simple automation and predictive analytics. A new paradigm—Agentic AI—is redefining how machines interact with the world, make decisions, and pursue goals with minimal human intervention. Unlike traditional AI systems that respond to predefined inputs, Agentic AI operates as an autonomous agent, capable of planning, reasoning, adapting, and acting independently to achieve specific objectives. …

A Firsthand Witness to History Paul Eliacin remembers the smoke first. Thick. Dark. Unnatural. It filled the air long before the news made it clear what was happening. Three days after the September 11, 2001, attack, Paul wasn’t watching the tragedy unfold from a TV screen. He was there at Ground Zero as a First Responder. With his camera in …