News
Great British Railways rebrand costs pass £30,000 as rollout gathers pace
The government has spent more than £30,000 rebranding England’s railways under Great British Railways, with full costs still unclear.
Sunday 18 October 2026
The latest news affecting small and medium sized (SME) businesses in the UK
The government has spent more than £30,000 rebranding England’s railways under Great British Railways, with full costs still unclear.
Ministers are expected to reverse planned business rates hikes for pubs after warnings of closures, while hotels and restaurants remain exposed.
Berkshire Hathaway has ended Warren Buffett’s $100,000 CEO salary, paying successor Greg Abel $25m as the conglomerate enters a new era.
Donald Trump has warned US defence contractors he will block dividends and share buybacks unless weapons production speeds up, ahead of a $1.5tn defence budget.
easyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou has launched the 2026 Stelios Awards for Young Entrepreneurs, offering £150,000 in cash funding.
Elon Musk’s AI firm xAI has raised $20bn even as its Grok chatbot faces global backlash over sexualised deepfake images and regulatory scrutiny.
UK housebuilding fell at its fastest rate since 2020 in December, as fragile confidence and delayed investment hit construction activity.
Donald Trump says Venezuela will transfer up to 50m barrels of oil to the US, but analysts warn production recovery could take years.
Ofcom has contacted X and xAI after reports Grok AI generates sexualised images of children and non-consensual deepfakes.
Jaguar Land Rover faces an estimated £3bn hit to sales after a cyberattack halted production and slashed vehicle shipments.
The UK government has unveiled a £210m Cyber Action Plan to strengthen public sector defences and protect vital digital services.
The boss of CES has accused the UK government of failing to support British tech firms, warning the country is falling behind European rivals.
UK business confidence rose slightly in December, but firms continue to freeze hiring and delay investment, the Institute of Directors warns.
UK pubs and restaurants have cut shift hours by 30% since 2022 as rising wages, taxes and weak demand hit hospitality in 2025.
Farmers block Tesco and Sainsbury’s distribution centres overnight in protest over low farmgate prices and rising production costs.