[New] This week, the UK announced a wide-ranging ban on social media that will soon block users from communicating or accessing information on apps such as X, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok and Snapchat unless they prove that they are over the age of 16.
The Guardian
[New] The UK Government has announced that it plans to introduce a total ban on access to social media for children under 16.Mishcon de Reya LLP
[New] Power demand could soon be even greater than predicted by DESNZ because of the growth of AI. / UK
Electricity Info
[New] The UK could store enough green hydrogen in depleted North Sea oil and gas fields to meet future electricity demand for up to seven years.Electricity Info
[New] Regulatory dossiers are advancing in the UK, Canada, and Australia/New Zealand, with first authorization expected in the UK later in 2026.CNS Media
[New] Net present value is just one part of the overall picture - crucially, an expanded Heathrow could support over 60,000 new local jobs and deliver £40bn of benefits to the UK.City AM
[New] Heathrow's third runway could boost the UK economy by just 0.05%, a 90% loss of the economic benefit that had been previously forecast.
City AM
[New] The asset class plays an important role in channelling capital towards UK growth companies and the change risks dampening investor appetite at a time when there is an attractive pipeline of growth companies seeking investment.GlobeNewswire
[New] A higher VAT threshold for sole traders, hospitality businesses are warning that current taxes are unsustainable, and small firms are pushing back against new Companies House reporting requirements. / UK
CPA | The Credit Protection Association
[New] If the UK fails to build domestic strengths in the AI value chain, even the high-productivity sectors will see profits flow overseas, leaving the UK as a net importer of AI services and exporter of lower value labour.GOV.UK
[New] The opportunity for UK businesses to benefit from AI deployment is substantial, and AI-enabled gains are expected to become the main source of the UK's continued productivity growth.GOV.UK
[New] The Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB), which represents delivery workers and others, expressed concerns that robots may reduce job opportunities.The Asia Business Daily
[New] The UK's failure to effectively deal with complex, high-end money laundering - the kind of sophisticated dirty money flows facilitated by professional enablers - will no doubt be a major focus of the Financial Action Task Force when it reviews the UK in the coming months.
Spotlight on Corruption
[New] With fraud becoming an increasing area of focus for the Financial Action Task Force, which the UK will hold the Presidency of from July, the UK government is clearly starting to take the threat of fraud more seriously.Spotlight on Corruption
[New] In the UK, the University of Liverpool's £100 million AI Materials Hub for Innovation project plan might serve a similar purpose.
Chemistry World
[New] Amazon has secured Civil Aviation Authority permission to begin same-day drone parcel deliveries in Britain, and the CAA's Future of Flight roadmap targets routine Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations by 2027 - the regulatory key to UK deliveries and long-range inspections over towns and villages.
North London Drone Surveys
[New] Prolonged disruption in trade could pose severe consequences for the UK economy, with one Bank of England scenario suggesting that inflation could race past 6% and interest rates could be hiked to 5.25%.
City AM
[New] The UK and EU have agreed to link emissions trading systems, which will streamline regulatory barriers.
GOV.UK
[New] The UK has the potential to store 78 gigatons of CO2, equal to about a quarter of Europe's total storage potential.
Insurance Journal
[New] The UK is well placed to capitalize on the opportunity thanks to the CO2 transport infrastructure being developed, including on Teesside, and the favorable geology of the East Irish Sea and the North Sea.
Insurance Journal
The CBI now forecasts UK GDP growth of 1.1% in 2026 and 0.9% in 2027, down from its previous projections of 1.3% and 1.5%.
CBI
The latest Economic Forecast from the Confederation of British Industry has revised down its expectations for UK growth, warning that geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and higher energy costs are set to weigh on households and businesses through 2027.
CBI
