Business

Diamonds have long symbolized wealth, prestige, and timeless beauty, but among the millions of stones mined throughout history, only a handful rise to the status of global treasures. These are the diamonds that shape royal histories, break auction records, and become icons of human fascination. Their astonishing prices reflect not only their size and color, but also their stories — …

The government must overhaul its “damaging” Employment Rights Bill or risk choking off growth, the head of Britain’s biggest business lobby group will warn on Monday — just two days before Rachel Reeves delivers her second Budget. Rain Newton-Smith, chief executive of the CBI, will use the group’s annual conference in London to caution that ministers have failed to listen …

When Britain’s adopted steel king Lakshmi Mittal, gala-favourite philanthropist and one of the country’s most visible billionaire residents, quietly announced he was shifting his tax residency to Switzerland, it barely caused a ripple in Westminster. Another wealthy non-dom heading for more forgiving fiscal pastures, shrugged the commentariat. But for anyone paying attention to Britain’s charitable sector, Mittal’s departure is more …

Immigrant founders are the driving force behind Britain’s most dynamic young companies, according to new research showing that more than half of the UK’s fastest-growing start-ups were founded by entrepreneurs born overseas. The study by The Entrepreneurs Network analysed 100 early-stage companies that saw the sharpest rise in their valuations in the year to May, based on investment rounds disclosed …

Capital Business Media Group, the privately owned international media company behind the UK’s largest SME title Business Matters, today announces it has renewed its commitment to the Carbon Neutral programme for another two years, extending a sustainability accreditation the company has proudly held for over a decade. This renewed certification underscores Capital Business Media Group’s long-standing pledge to operate responsibly …

Baboo Gelato, the award-winning artisan ice cream brand founded on the Dorset coast, has launched a £300,000 crowdfunding campaign as it prepares to scale from a regional favourite to a national name. The business, known for its small-batch gelato, fruit sorbets and its hugely popular dog-friendly frozen treat Doggy Doggy Yum Yum, has opened its campaign on Crowdcube. The raise …

Lakshmi Mittal, the steel magnate who dominated The Sunday Times Rich List for more than a decade, has left the UK after nearly 30 years, becoming the latest billionaire to relocate following Labour’s tax reforms. The ArcelorMittal founder, once the UK’s wealthiest resident and still worth £15.4 billion, has moved his tax residency to Switzerland and plans to spend much …

Women across the EU symbolically begin “working for free” from today, as the bloc marks the point in the calendar when pay inequality means women, on average, stop earning relative to men. With the EU gender pay gap standing at 12%, 22 November represents the date after which women’s work is, in effect, unpaid compared with their male colleagues. The …

The Government has unveiled a sweeping new Critical Minerals Strategy designed to end the UK’s overreliance on foreign suppliers of vital materials used in smartphones, electric vehicles, wind turbines and household electronics. The plan aims to produce 10% of the UK’s critical mineral needs domestically and recover 20% through recycling by 2035, backed by up to £50 million in new …

The British Business Bank has published a new five-year strategic plan designed to deliver a step change in how smaller businesses across the UK access finance, following an expanded mandate and increased government backing. The plan, unveiled today, responds to the Government’s decision earlier this year to increase the Bank’s permanent financial capacity to £25.6 billion and give it greater …