Business & Tech
The latest stories from independent business & tech media.
UK spending watchdog opens investigation into Capita's pension fiasco
Outsourcer admits service remains below expectations after missed recovery deadline
Fortinet sounds the alarm over actively exploited FortiMail zero-day
No login required, exploitation underway, and some admins are still waiting for patches
US pressures Europe to release diesel reserves as Trump weighs export ban
The US is pressing European countries to prepare to release diesel reserves as President Donald Trump considers restricting US fuel exports, amid record diesel prices in the UK.
Met Police suspends use of phone-hacking software over Russian links
Scotland Yard hits pause after US prosecutors trace supposedly American tech back to Moscow
Nike plots further job cuts as China sales plunge 26%
Nike is planning a fresh round of job cuts following a sharp fall in sales in China and a weaker-than-expected first quarter. The company confirmed that it would restructure its global operations and reduce roles from 2027, although it has not yet disclosed how many jobs will be…
Oliver Bonas launches first store in Tees Valley
Oliver Bonas is opening its first Tees Valley store at Teesside Park on 3 October, as the brand continues to expand its presence across the UK.
The protocol proliferation problem: Making sense of the open agent stack
Between MCP, A2A, and ARD, WTF: How should companies think about the protocols at the heart of agentic AI?
Hargreaves doubles transfer cashback in asset consolidation drive
Hargreaves Lansdown has launched its largest-ever cashback offer, doubling the maximum payment available to £10,000 per account as it seeks to encourage existing clients to consolidate more of their assets on the platform.
Third of advice profession working more than 40 hours a week
Almost a third of people in the financial advice profession put in more than 40 hours a week, with longer hours linked to a deterioration in work-life balance, research from intelliflo has found. Its 2026 Adviser Lifestyle Index found 31.5% of advice professionals exceed a
Accenture to spend another $5bn on acquisitions as revenue grows
Plus, CEO Julie Sweet hopes an Anthropic deal is the first of many AI lab contracts.
Columbia Sportswear offers hikers free foot rubs and pedicures
Columbia Sportswear is offering hikers free post-hike foot rubs and pedicures to mark the launch of its Peakfreak collection. The retailer has taken over an East London salon and transformed it into a pamper spot for hikers.
Advised retirees twice as likely to be satisfied with income
Retired households receiving financial advice are almost twice as likely to be satisfied with their retirement income as those who have never sought advice, research from Quilter has found.
Google launches first datacenter satellite and research that finds orbiting bit barns can work
If SpaceX can launch 1,800 Starships, and researchers nail gnarly networking, design and formation flying problems...
Fidelity International expands active ETF lineup with enhanced yield range
Fidelity International has bolstered its active exchange-traded fund offering with the launch of a new Equity Enhanced Yield range, combining fundamental research with a systematic options overlay.
Greg Moss: One may smile and smile and be an adviser
It was cruelly observed by one of my friends the other day that my entire professional life consists of swimming, drinking absurdly named beers (Orthogonal Diagonalizer, anyone?), posting endlessly about my surgical rehab 'journey' (I’m boring myself by this point, if it makes…
Pi coding agent pulls a 180 and adds MCP support
To maintain minimalism, a new harness layer has been folded into a separate component
AWS turns its best practice framework into an agent that recommends cloudy reconfigs
Possesses powers equivalent to an 'experienced architect' and will happily make cost-saving suggestions
Morrisons launches UK ‘supermarket-first’ grocery collection lockers
Morrisons has launched a new multi-temperature Click & Collect locker system in what it claims is a UK supermarket first. The company is piloting StrongPoint’s grocery locker technology at its Skipton store in North Yorkshire, where all Click & Collect orders will now be…
Aldi to open 24 new stores before Christmas in expansion push
Aldi is set to open 24 new stores before Christmas as part of its rapid UK expansion programme. The company, which currently operates 1,092 stores, is planning to open or relocate almost 30 locations over the next 10 weeks to extend its reach into more communities.
The Week in Brief – 28 Sept to 02 Oct
’s must-reads: Top 10 stories of the week Mounting policy anxiety and evolving state pension debates dominate discussions across the UK wealth management sector this week.
Australia's WeMoney launches AI and open banking-powered lending assessment service
Australia's WeMoney has launched an AI-powered lending assessment service built on the country's Consumer Data Right.
The Morning Briefing: Fidelity International expands active ETF lineup with enhanced yield range
Good morning and welcome to your Morning Briefing for Friday 2 October 2026. To get this in your inbox every morning
Techie was stung by a wasp, held overnight by Chinese police, then trapped in a 13-hour meeting
Sales calls can be even nastier than support calls
Ted Baker returns to standalone retail with new London store
Ted Baker’s new ‘Tailored’ concept store launches today (02 October), dedicated to menswear, the store is the brand’s return to standalone retail.
Co-op brings back £1 Costa Express deal every Friday in October
Co-op is bringing back its £1 Costa Express drinks offer, with the promotion set to run every Friday throughout October. From 2 to 30 October, shoppers will be able to pick up any regular Costa Express drink for £1 across 1,694 Co-op stores fitted with a Costa Express machine.
Why Asda is turning 500 shopping trolleys pink this October
Asda is rolling out 500 bright pink shopping trolleys across selected stores this month as part of a new breast cancer awareness initiative. It said the trolleys will appear in 10 stores across regions where chest-checking rates are among the lowest in the UK, including the West…
Gen Z turns to ChatGPT over Google for product research
Gen Z shoppers are increasingly turning to ChatGPT over Google when researching products, according to new research. Almost a third of Gen Z consumers named ChatGPT as their most trusted source for product research, compared with just 12 per cent who selected Google Search…
Alex Dower appointed MD of Co-op Retail
Convenience retailer Co-op has appointed former Holland & Barrett CEO Alex Dower as managing director of its retail business. Dower has more than two decades of senior leadership experience spanning food retail, convenience, hospitality and FMCG.
