Business

Business · 23 October 2026

Meta Turns Hyperlinks into a Premium Feature, Limiting Free Pages to Two per Month

Helen Pell, Washington desk

Meta now requires a subscription for Facebook Pages that want to share more than two external links in a month, turning outbound traffic into a paid feature and highlighting the platform’s focus on keeping users inside…

Business · 23 October 2026

Lights Stay On This Winter, Engineers Still Worried About Supply

Iris Quay, London desk

The National Energy System Operator says lights will remain on throughout the winter, despite engineers expressing concerns about the grid’s ability to maintain adequate supply.

Business · 23 October 2026

Monet’s ‘Iris’ Sells for $56 Million in France, Leaving Collectors Seeing Double

Noor Hale, World desk

Monet’s late‑period painting “Iris” was sold in France for $56 million, highlighting the ongoing appetite of wealthy collectors for the artist’s later works.

Business · 23 October 2026

AI‑driven romance scams turn Europe into a continent of digital heartbreakers

Etienne Marlow, Brussels desk

A quarter of Europeans have been duped by online scams ranging from identity theft to AI‑powered fake romances, prompting security firm Entrust to warn that both platforms and governments need to step up.

Business · 23 October 2026

Barclays to Cut 5,000 Jobs in AI‑Driven Push to Lower Costs

Helen Pell, Washington desk

Barclays announced a plan to eliminate 5,000 positions as part of an artificial‑intelligence‑driven effort to reduce operating costs and create a leaner organisation.

Business · 23 October 2026

Treasury’s ‘Trillion‑Pound’ Mirage: North Sea Profits That Never Met the Bank

Iris Quay, London desk

The Treasury ran a pure‑play calculation showing that, had the proceeds from North Sea oil been invested instead of spent, Britain could have built a trillion‑pound fund – a figure that exists only on a spreadsheet…

Business · 22 October 2026

Iowa’s Diesel Dilemma Threatens Its ‘Red’ Reputation

Noor Hale, World desk

Iowa, a reliably Republican state, is feeling the squeeze of soaring diesel prices and trade‑policy uncertainty. The Trump administration’s policies are adding to the economic strain, raising questions about whether…

Business · 22 October 2026

Global Markets Shake as Trump, Putin, and China Mix a Toxic Cocktail

Noor Hale, World desk

In a swirl of political drama, rising debt, and soaring living costs, global markets wobble as investors try to keep their heads above water.

Business · 22 October 2026

Barclays Cuts 5,000 Jobs, Blames AI for the Math

Iris Quay, London desk

Barclays announced a 5% workforce reduction—about 5,000 jobs—citing artificial intelligence as the driver of its efficiency drive. The move, part of an AI‑led restructuring, has sparked jokes about robots doing the…