Economy
UK Orders Tech Platforms to Remove Intimate Images Within 48 Hours or Face Blocking
UK amends Crime and Policing Bill to force 48-hour takedown of intimate images or face 10% revenue fines, after Grok's AI produced 3 million sexualised images in 11 days.
Europe
Sterling Slides Below $1.36 as UK Unemployment Hits Five-Year High of 5.2%
Sterling slides to $1.353 as UK unemployment hits 5.2% — a five-year high — with private sector wages at their slowest in five years and markets pricing a 76% chance of a March BoE cut.
Commodities
Qatar’s LNG Dominance Grows as EU Regulations Threaten Supply
Qatar targets 160 million tonnes of LNG output as five energy CEOs unite against EU supply chain rules at LNG2026. With Qatar's EU share down to 6% and Asia absorbing volumes, Brussels' CSDDD retreat and looming methane regulations expose Europe's weakening energy position.
Central-banks
UK Job Seekers Face Brutal Competition for Minimum-Wage Positions
UK unemployment hits 5.2% post-pandemic high as inflation cools to 3.0%. Vacancies fall 9.2% below pre-pandemic levels with 2.6 jobless per opening — worst since 2015. March rate cut probability rises to 81.5%.
Crypto
European Crypto Traders Face Sharp Bitcoin Retreat: Open Interest Hits 2024 Lows
Bitcoin open interest drops to $34 billion, its lowest since November 2024, as weak US jobs data and lack of institutional demand worry European traders
Europe
FedEx-Led Consortium Strikes €7.8 Billion Deal for InPost — Below Its 2021 IPO Valuation
A consortium led by FedEx and private equity firm Advent International has agreed to acquire Polish parcel locker giant InPost for €7.8 billion ($9.2...
Crypto
Kraken Moves Beyond Trading with Protocol Launch Platform
Kraken introduces Kraken 360, an integrated platform for protocol launches, available through its European operations regulated by Central Bank of Ireland
Stocks
UK Recruitment Firm Collapses Owing £650k to Tax Office, Then Repurchased for £10k
UK recruitment firm that collapsed owing £2.9m including £647k to HMRC has been repurchased by its former owner for just £10k
