Business

Lloyds Banking Group is handing more than £3.1 billion back to shareholders after delivering stronger-than-expected annual profits, underlining the financial firepower of Britain’s biggest domestic lender. The FTSE 100 bank reported full-year pre-tax profits of £6.66 billion, up 12 per cent on 2024 and comfortably ahead of the £6.38 billion forecast by City analysts. The performance was supported by lower-than-expected …

Octopus Energy Group has unveiled a major joint venture with PCG Power to trade renewable electricity in China, marking a significant expansion into the world’s largest clean energy market. The deal was announced during Keir Starmer’s official visit to China, with Octopus founder and chief executive Greg Jackson joining the UK business delegation in Beijing. The new venture, called Bitong …

Driverless taxis could begin operating in the UK as soon as September, according to Waymo, the US self-driving car firm owned by Alphabet. Waymo said it plans to launch a pilot robotaxi service in London in April, with the ambition of carrying paying passengers later in the year once regulations allow. The UK government has said it intends to introduce …

The UK’s advertising watchdog has banned a series of adverts by Coinbase, ruling that they implied cryptocurrency could help ease cost-of-living pressures and downplayed the risks associated with crypto investing. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld complaints from members of the public after the adverts ran in August, depicting Britain in various states of decline alongside a satirical slogan and …

Apple has reported its strongest-ever quarterly iPhone sales, helping to lift overall revenues despite weaker performance in other parts of the business. In results published on Thursday, the US technology giant said total revenue rose to $144bn (£82.5bn) in the final three months of last year, driven by record sales of the iPhone. Apple said iPhone demand reached an all-time …

Tesla has reported its first annual fall in revenue as the electric carmaker accelerates a strategic shift away from legacy vehicle models and towards artificial intelligence and robotics. The company said total revenues fell 3 per cent in 2025, marking the first year-on-year decline in its history, while profits plunged 61 per cent in the final three months of the …

It is a Saturday afternoon. Your potential customer, let’s call him Mark, finally sits down with a cup of coffee. He has been meaning to make a photo book of his daughter’s first year for months. He has 1,200 photos scattered across his iPhone, his wife’s Instagram, and a random folder on his laptop. He lands on your website. He …

Gary Mazin is the owner and principal lawyer of Mazin & Associates, a Canadian personal injury law firm known for its steady, client-focused approach. His career reflects a mix of discipline, long-term thinking, and practical leadership. Born in the former Soviet Union, Mazin moved to Canada with his family at the age of four. He grew up in humble beginnings, …

China has agreed in principle to allow British citizens to travel to the country for up to 30 days without a visa, Downing Street has confirmed, following high-level talks in Beijing aimed at resetting relations and boosting economic ties. The announcement came after Keir Starmer met Xi Jinping in the Chinese capital, making him the first UK prime minister to …

The Employment Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 18 December 2025, and the Act will be implemented on a phased basis, through to 2027. There are, however, two specific implementation dates to be aware of this year: 6 April 2026 and 1 October 2026. April 2026 Paternity leave and Parental leave From 6 April, there will be a day-one …