US alternatives giant leads £150m refinancing at debt-laden Very February 16, 2026 The credit giant that took control of Very from the Barclay family has arranged a £150m funding package for the online retailer ahead of a potential £2bn sale. Carlyle helped arrange an extension and renewal of debt-laden Very’s key credit lines, in a move it said helps secure the group’s long-term funding until 2029. The [...]
UK under-16s social media ban could land before year end February 16, 2026 Sir Keir Starmer is considering banning under-16s from social media within months, as ministers crack down on children’s online activity following a deepfake scandal on Elon Musk’s Grok. The prime minister has insisted that “no platform gets a free pass” on child safety, with a formal consultation on tougher social media protections launching in March. [...]
Babcock shares surge as Starmer calls for Europe to ‘step up’ on defence February 16, 2026 Shares in Britain’s defence giants rallied on Monday morning as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called for Europe to “step up” on defence spending. Babcock – which plays a key role in the UK’s nuclear submarine fleet as well as naval, land and air operations – surged nearly four per cent in early trading to [...]
KPMG partner fined for using AI to cheat on internal training February 16, 2026 A partner at the Big Four firm KPMG has been fined $10,000 (£7,200) for using AI to cheat in an internal training course meant to test knowledge of the technology. KPMG Australia has forced an unnamed audit partner to redo a test after they uploaded training materials to an AI platform to help answer AI-related [...]
Gloomy Brits’ sluggish spending set to drag on economic growth February 16, 2026 Brits continued to tighten their pockets in January as economists warned sluggish spend from consumers could trigger a “sustained drag on economic growth“. S&P Global’s latest Consumer Sentiment Index (CSI) showed a reading of 44.8, indicating further deterioration across household confidence with the figure remaining below the 50.0 mark that indicates neutrality. Whilst it crept [...]
Starmer closes chatbot loophole in Online Safety Act February 16, 2026 Sir Keir Starmer is set to target AI chatbots with the UK’s Online Safety Act, warning tech titans that “no platform gets a free pass” following a deepfake scandal involving Elon Musk’s Grok. In a speech on Monday, the Prime Minister is expected to confirm plans to amend the Crime and Policing Bill, so that [...]
Why the UK is losing the AI skills race February 16, 2026 What's the use in being the third largest AI market in the world if our workforce doesn't know how to use it, asks IBM's Leon Butler.
Youri Djorkaeff on investing, SailGP and buying an English football club February 16, 2026 French football legend Youri Djorkaeff and his son Sacha on their investment vehicle Playmaker, backing SailGP and buying an English club. Two years after helping his country to win a home World Cup in 1998, Youri Djorkaeff was ticking off another life goal in France colours. Only this time it was on the waters around [...]
Fans negative towards Samsung and Virgin Atlantic Six Nations in-game adverts February 16, 2026 The majority of Six Nations fans have reacted negatively to in-game adverts during the rugby tournament. UK broadcaster ITV’s coverage has been broken up with adverts during scrum resets across the opening two weekends of the tournament, which involves England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France and Italy. Samsung and Virgin Atlantic both saw an increase in [...]
Nigel Farage’s war on working from home is vibes-based politics February 16, 2026 Nigel Farage's attack on working from home is designed to increase headlines, not productivity, writes Eliot Wilson.
