Microsoft offers ‘pay-as-you-go’ software concession to cloud rivals after bowing to pressure July 18, 2025 Microsoft will allow its cloud rivals to offer ‘pay-as-you-go’ software to their customers after bowing to pressure over its licensing practices. The US tech giant attracted criticism for the way it offered exclusive software deals to customers of its Azure cloud platform, which rivals said made it difficult for them to compete. But in a [...]
Insolvencies ease in signs of UK businesses’ resilience July 18, 2025 Insolvencies declined slightly in June in signs UK businesses under pressure from higher costs have weathered through tax rises and low national spirits. In new data published by the Insolvency Service, company insolvencies fell by eight per cent in June compared to the month before. The number of insolvencies – 2,043 – was also 16 [...]
World Matchplay: Darts event extends deal with sponsor Betfred July 18, 2025 Betting giant Betfred and darts’s World Matchplay have extended their title partnership though until the decade. The deal covers the Professional Darts Corporation competition until 2030 with the partnership between the two organisations reaching a decade by the agreement’s conclusion date. The World Matchplay gets underway at Winter Gardens on Saturday with the winner taking [...]
Game over for Tomb Raider composer after Covid loan fraud conviction July 18, 2025 A video game composer and sound designer best know for his work on the Tomb Raider series has been jailed for fraudulently applying for a Covid loan. Peter Connelly, who is based in Durham, overstated his company’s turnover to obtain a second Bounce Back Loan of £37,500 in 2020 when businesses were only entitled to [...]
Snoop Dogg joins Luka Modric as co-owner of Swansea City July 18, 2025 Drop It Like It’s Hot rapper Snoop Dogg has joined Luka Modric as a co-owner of Championship club Swansea. The Welsh club announced Croatian footballer Modric as a part-owner of Swansea City earlier this year and have added Snoop as a co-owner and investor. Snoop Dogg’s sporting associations of late have included the Fifa video [...]
Old Pulteney unveils its oldest-ever whisky July 18, 2025 Old Pulteney has revealed Polaris, a one-of-a-kind 47-year-old single malt whisky, ahead of the distillery’s bicentennial in 2026. The whisky will be exclusively available through the Distillers One of One Charity Auction in October 2025. Polaris stands as the oldest expression ever released by the coastal distillery based in Wick, Scotland. It has been matured [...]
Can British and Irish Lions tour save rugby in Australia? July 18, 2025 It is a crying shame to see rugby union drop so far behind Aussie Rules, the NRL and football Down Under, even as the British and Irish Lions get set to take on the Wallabies in the first of three Tests this weekend. But I am not surprised, given the state of Australian rugby at [...]
Reckitt sells majority stake in Air Wick and Cillit Bang arm July 18, 2025 Reckitt Benckiser has agreed to sell its Essential Home business to private equity investor Advent International for $4.8bn (£3.6bn). Essential Home includes the brands Air Wick, Calgon, Woolite and Cillit Bang. The FTSE 100 giant, which will retain a 30 per cent equity stake in the business, has been reshaping its business to focus on “11 high-growth, high-margin [...]
Burberry: Early signs of turnaround take shape July 18, 2025 Burberry reported a smaller-than-expected dip in sales this morning as new chief executive Joshua Schulman’s early efforts to revive the luxury label begin to take hold. In a trading update for the 13 weeks to 28 June, the British fashion house said retail revenue fell six per cent to £433m, with comparable store sales down [...]
UK’s mid-sized firms at fastest growth since Labour elected July 18, 2025 Middle-market businesses are growing at their fastest rate since Labour was elected last July, fresh research has suggested, as UK bosses shake off cost increases in taxes and utility bills. Labour has made economic growth a central mission in government, with small and medium-sized firms highlighted as key to driving national income. Fresh research by [...]
