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More than 1,900 small high street businesses including mini-marts, vape shops and car washes are licensed to sponsor foreign workers under a specialist scheme intended for high-earning individuals despite visa rules being tightened, BBC Verify has found.The Home Office scheme allows registered employers to recruit workers from overseas who meet a certain skill level. The rules were tightened in July 2025 to restrict the scheme mostly to graduate-level employees who would be earning at least £41,700.But a year on from the rule change, BBC Verify has found more than 1,500 grocery and convenience stores, 150 taxi operators, 100 barber shops,…
Rheinmetall on Thursday trimmed its 2026 guidance after a cancelled project to make large warships for the German government fell through earlier this year. The defense company now sees full-year in the range of 13.7 billion euros to 14.2 billion euros ($15.8 billion to $15.4 billion), 300 million euros lower than previous guidance.It came as the company’s sales grew 39% and profits grew 74% in the first half of the year.Shares were volatile during early trading, with the stock initially opening about 3% lower. It then reversed course to last trade 1.4% higher.Stock Chart IconStock chart iconDefense stocks over the…
“Unless Starlink can secure an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) agreement from one of the carriers, which would provide a baseline of coverage, it’s extraordinarily challenging to imagine a direct-to-consumer service from Starlink that could be competitive with carrier services in the next five years,” telecom analyst Craig Moffett said, according to Reuters. T-Mobile has already partnered with SpaceX, while AT&T and Verizon have deals with satellite company AST SpaceMobile. But all three big carriers seem to want non-SpaceX satellite providers to help fill in dead spots in their networks. AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon recently announced a joint venture to…
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “Nobody should be left to struggle with their mental health alone. But every day, thousands of people are waiting months for help, then finding the only door open to them is a busy A&E.”These new centres will be a lifeline for so many,” he said.”They will bring NHS services closer to home, making it easier to get support before problems get worse and ensuring those in crisis get the right care in the right place.”Health Secretary Yvette Cooper added: “This is how we can turn the tide on mental ill health – preventing more people…
SoftBank on Thursday reported profit for its fiscal first quarter that beat market expectations, driven by a huge gain on its stake in Intel, while a rise in ByteDance’s value helped its Vision Fund division.The Japanese giant said net profit for the June quarter totaled 347.3 billion Japanese yen ($2.2 billion). That beat the 120.23 billion expected by analysts, according to LSEG estimates. However, that was a nearly 18% year-on-year decline.SoftBank saw a 1.3 trillion yen gain on the shares it owns of U.S. chipmaker Intel. SoftBank had announced a roughly $2 billion investment in Intel last year. This helped…
Former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, the Wales Office and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) used misleading figures about how much the country would spend on defence, a watchdog has said.In March Sir Keir told MPs that ministers were increasing defence spending by £270bn. The two other departments later repeated similar claims in June.But the UK Statistics Authority say that is wrong, as the figure is the proposed overall amount the government plans to spend between 2025 and 2029. The Wales Office deleted a post on X that had contained the claim.A UK government spokesperson said: “We have previously acknowledged…
Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.The decision to stage Olivier Messiaen’s vast Saint François d’Assise is as much a spiritual commitment as it is a logistical challenge. This year’s new production for the Salzburg Festival runs to a gruelling six and a quarter hours (including intervals), which, however much you love the music of Messiaen, is a long sit. Add a huge orchestra, a battery of percussion, an enormous chorus, demanding solo roles, and the fact that the story contains little action, and you end up with…
YouTube currently requires that content creators let viewers know “when they use AI to meaningfully alter or generate photorealistic content.” The policy draws some strange boundaries. It applies to “AI-generated music” (not photorealistic) but not to “riding a unicorn through a fantastical world” (this could be photorealistic, though it is not plausible). YouTube then summarizes the policy in a different way: “Realistic AI content and meaningful changes require disclosure, while non-realistic or minor edits don’t.” But AI uses that require no disclosure can include everything from “idea generation” up through “production assistance, like using generative AI tools to create or…
Devon is bracing itself for a council shake-up, made up of four new authorities responsible for everything from leisure centres and planning to recycling. The plan, set to kick-in in 2028, is expected to cost about £70m, with those behind it saying it will save £400m over 10 years. Critics, however, say that is unlikely – and residents will have to wait and see what the impact on their council tax bills will be. You can check how the changes will affect you with Devon County Council’s postcode checker on their website. Source link
Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.BP’s planned sale of its Aberdeen-based North Sea business, ending its six-decade pioneering history in the mature basin, has delivered yet another wake-up call to a city down on its luck. The oil major last week argued that other countries offer greater value and opportunity as it streamlines its portfolio and seeks to reduce debt.“BP leaving is an iconic moment — others will need to step up if we are going to make the most of the national asset which is the…