Author: bibhuti

Businesses in the UK are facing higher levels of “economic strain” than their European neighbours, according to new research from tax and accounting firm Wolters Kluwer.The revelation comes just days before the new business rates take effect across the UK, with a warning from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) that 340,000 ventures could close entirely. 56% of UK SMEs surveyed listed challenging economic conditions and rising costs among are their biggest challenges in the year to come, compared to an average of 40% among SMEs based in the other seven European nations featured in the survey.  Challenging conditionsWolters Kluwer’s 2026…

Ripple has added digital asset capabilities to its treasury management platform, allowing corporate finance teams to hold, track and manage cryptocurrencies and fiat balances within a single system, the company said.According to a company announcement, the update introduces Digital Asset Accounts and a unified dashboard that aggregates balances across bank accounts, custody providers and onchain wallets, giving treasury teams real-time visibility into both cash and digital assets.The system supports assets including XRP (XRP) and Ripple USD (RLUSD), with balances updated in real time and recorded alongside fiat transactions. APIs connect external custodians and sync activity into the platform, according to…

Brighton and Hove Independent councillors Mark Earthey and Bridget Fishleigh called for a report on the surface material that has proved popular for all-weather pitches. The Labour group that runs Brighton and Hove City Council broadly backed the proposal although it said there were no proven alternatives. They also suggested that a formal report should consider whether planning policy could influence the choice of materials. At the meeting of the full council last Thursday (March 26), Cllr Earthey said rubber crumb was a serious public health issue as well as an environment concern. In Rottingdean, he said, the issue was…

Gillingham’s losing run was extended after conceding twice in stoppage-time at troubled Crawley Town.Two out-of-form teams played out an uneventful first half, and it looked to be heading for a stalemate before Taylor Richards and Tobi Adeyemo struck in added-on time.Gillingham manager Gareth Ainsworth Picture: @Julian_KPIThe Gills had lost their previous four games prior to their trip to Crawley Town, and it’s now five in a row.Relegation-threatened Crawley had a new man at the helm following Scott Lindsey’s sacking following a 10-game winless run.They turned to former Turkish international striker Colin Kazim-Richards to try and keep them above the League…

Investors are pouring money feverishly into solving this challenge, spending over $6 billion on humanoid robots in 2025. And at-home data recording is becoming a booming gig economy around the world. Data companies like Scale AI and Encord are recruiting their own armies of data recorders, while DoorDash pays delivery drivers to film themselves doing chores. And in China, workers in dozens of state-owned robot training centers wear virtual-reality headsets and exoskeletons to teach humanoid robots how to open a microwave and wipe down the table.  “There is a lot of demand, and it’s increasing really fast,” says Ali Ansari,…

Vote for your star man in KentOnline’s team of the week.Congratulations to Margate midfielder Henry Young, who won last week’s poll with 28 per cent of the vote after his goal against Three Bridges.Have a look at today’s XI and pick your favourite at the bottom of the page.Nathan Harvey made a brilliant save at the death to secure a goalless draw for Chatham at Isthmian Premier play-off rivals Brentwood.Kevin Diomande scored one and made another in a fine performance at right-back as Sevenoaks beat Herne Bay 5-2 in Isthmian South East.Will Moses excelled as Ashford ended AFC Croydon’s seven-match…

Anthropic has built its public identity around the winning idea that it’s the careful AI company. It publishes detailed work on AI risk, employs some of the best researchers in the field, and has been vocal about the responsibilities that come with building such powerful technology — so vocal, of course, that it’s right now battling it out with the Department of Defense. On Tuesday, alas, someone there forgot to check a box. It is, notably, the second time in a week. Last Thursday, Fortune reported that Anthropic had accidentally made nearly 3,000 internal files publicly available, including a draft…

Wednesday 01 April 2026 1:08 pm  |  Updated:  Wednesday 01 April 2026 1:09 pm British hotels are defying business rate burdens by attracting huge investment UK hotels attracted more than £1bn investment in the first quarter of this year, as the sector defies business rate rises and market uncertainty caused by the Iran war.Hotel investment volume surpassed £1.1bn in the first three months of the year, marking a 63 per cent increase on the £680m recorded in the same period last year, City AM can reveal.The huge investment comes as many hotels brace for higher business rate bills, due to property…

3D Trading is recalling M&M’s Pipoca (popcorn) because the product poses a potential safety risk. The product, manufactured for the Brazilian market, contains allergens including peanuts, gluten, barley, rye and wheat which are not mentioned on the UK label. Only M&M’s Pipoca with a 3D Trading ingredients label is being recalled. Food Recalls Explained The affected packets of chocolate come in 35g bags, and all batch codes and best before dates with the 3D Trading ingredients label are included. A spokesman for the Food Standards Agency (FSA) said: “3D Trading is recalling the above product from customers and has been…

Braniff told the Judge that as he was subject to a five-year order to “stay away” from the complainant, he said “I will have no contact with her whatsoever” then added “I won’t let you down”Stock image of Belfast’s Laganside Courts.(Image: Justin Kernoghan/Belfast Live)A west Belfast man awaiting trial for charges including domestic abuse and assaulting his partner was granted bail today.As part of the conditions for his release, Robert Martin Braniff has been banned from contacting the complainant either directly or indirectly.The application to release the 41-year old, from Norglen Road, was made and granted at Belfast Crown Court…