Investment firm backed by Alibaba co-founder raises first private equity fund
Blue Pool Capital has set a $750mn target as it expands into external asset management
National/regional news and analysis
How Cinven came to be haunted by a decade-old pharma deal
Scandal over price gouging threatens to upset UK private equity firm’s leadership and reputation
Scottish kilts set to enter the bond market
Scotland handed same credit rating as UK ahead of debut ‘kilts’ sale
The shutdown has ended – but this economist isn’t rejoicing quite yet
After 43 days, the U.S. government shutdown finally came to an end late on Nov. 12, 2025, when Congress voted through a long-overdue funding bill, which President Donald Trump promptly signed.
But the prolonged gap in government-as-usual has come at a cost to the economy.
Japan’s insurers are staying at home for better returns
With local yields rising, domestic investments are becoming more attractive than some international alternatives
Trump’s tariffs threaten the future of innovation – and UK tech could be collateral damage
Gorodenkoff/ShutterstockUS president Donald Trump’s 15% baseline tariffs on EU imports may read like a throwback to old-school protectionism, designed to safeguard American jobs and manufacturing. But in today’s globalised and digitally driven economy, the risk isn’t just to steel or car factories, it’s to innovation itself.
No time to recover: Hurricane Melissa and the Caribbean’s compounding disaster trap as the storms keep coming
Hurricane Melissa tore off roofs and stripped trees of their leaves, including in many parts of Jamaica hit by Hurricane Beryl a year earlier.
New technologies like AI come with big claims – borrowing the scientific concept of validity can help cut through the hype
Closely examining the claims companies make about a product can help you separate hype from reality. Flavio Coelho/Moment via Getty ImagesTechnological innovations can seem relentless. In computing, some have proclaimed that “a year in machine learning is a century in any other field.” But how do you know whether those advancements are hype or reality?
Turn shopping stress into purposeful gift giving by cultivating ‘consumer wisdom’ during the holidays
The most meaningful gifts reflect the recipient’s values and identity – and the giver’s, too. Halfpoint images/Moment via Getty ImagesEvery fall I anticipate the winter holidays with almost childlike joy. I look forward to familiar traditions with friends and family, eggnog in my coffee, and the sense that everyone is feeling a little lighter and more connected.
Exhausted employees don’t want it – so why has Greece introduced a 13-hour work day?
Hospitality workers are likely to be hit hard by the law. Mulevich/ShutterstockThe Greek government has passed a law allowing private employers to extend shifts to 13 hours per day in their main job, framed in terms of “flexibility” and “growth”. It’s marketed as voluntary and fairly paid, but effectively it dismantles the standard eight-hour day, despite survey data showing workers overwhelmingly oppose it.
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