Annabel’s owner sells Mayfair empire in £1.4bn Abu Dhabi deal April 12, 2026 Richard Caring has sold a majority stake in the business behind Annabel’s, the Ivy and a string of London’s most exclusive restaurants to an Abu Dhabi-backed investor in a deal valuing the group at around £1.4bn. The buyer, Diafa, is a luxury hospitality platform linked to International Holding Company (IHC), chaired by Sheikh Tahnoon bin [...]
IBM: AI adoption stalls as UK businesses lack clear strategy April 10, 2026 UK businesses are adopting AI at a pace, but many are still struggling to convert that momentum into real, meaningful financial returns. According to IBM’s Race for ROI study, 66 per cent of British enterprises report significant productivity improvements from AI, with 63 per cent of senior leaders citing noticeable efficiency gains post-adoption. There seems [...]
Wall Street chiefs summoned over ‘nightmare’ Anthropic cyber threat April 10, 2026 US regulators have summoned top Wall Street bosses to an urgent meeting over fears that a powerful new AI tool could turbocharge a haunting new wave of cyber attacks. Scott Bessent, the US Treasury Secretary, and Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell urged top banking chiefs to be prudent risks raised by Anthropic’s Mythos. The hastily [...]
Google partners with Opentable with AI that books your dinner April 10, 2026 Google has taken a swipe at the restaurant booking market, rolling out AI in the UK that can line up your next reservation directly from search. The new feature, launched on Friday, lets users describe exactly what they want, with Google’s AI then scanning the web for real-time availability and serving up bookable options in [...]
Peter Kyle touts US opportunities as OpenAI pauses UK investment April 10, 2026 Business secretary Peter Kyle has insisted Britain’s economic ties with the US are strong despite political tensions, in what he dubbed a “really great economic set of opportunities” between the two countries. Speaking ahead of a major trade mission to California, Kyle was optimistic about transatlantic relations, despite rhetoric from Trump straining diplomatic ties. “The [...]
16 hours on social media is an ‘addiction’ – but you’re not far off April 10, 2026 A young woman in the US stood up in court and said she spent 16 hours a day on Instagram. It’s a hefty figure, yes, but a closer look at the platform’s own research into algorithmic design and just how routinely it is used, shows it sits less at the margins than one might assume. [...]
OpenAI pauses Stargate UK project over energy costs and regulation April 9, 2026 OpenAI has paused plans to develop a major AI data centre project in the UK, citing high energy costs and regulatory uncertainty. The US firm confirmed that its ‘Stargate UK’ infrastructure initiative, first announced in September, has been put on hold as it reassesses the conditions needed for long-term investment. “We see huge potential for [...]
Tech stocks regain safe haven status amid Iran ceasefire April 9, 2026 American tech stocks have reasserted their role as a market safe haven, as easing tensions between Washington and Tehran trigger a sharp rebound across beaten-down AI and software names. A two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran, alongside a potential reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, has already sparked a relief rally. The Nasdaq jumped [...]
Space stocks lift off as investors eye Space X moment April 8, 2026 Retail investors are increasingly backing the space economy, with new data showing the sector moving to a more established part of long-term portfolios. Figures from Hargreaves Lansdown show Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) investors remained broadly bullish through the first quarter of the year, despite a wobble in March following tensions in the Middle East. Among the [...]
British firm Stellanor snaps up data centre amid scramble for AI capacity April 8, 2026 Stellanor Datacenters has expanded its UK footprint with the acquisition of a specialist facility from Imagination Technologies, as demand for AI infrastructure continues to surge. The deal, structured as a ‘sale-and-service-back’ agreement, will see Imagination remain in the Hemel Hempstead site as a customer, while Stellanor takes ownership and integrates the facility into its growing [...]
