Iran has reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping, sending crude below $92 and driving UK 10-year gilt yields to a week’s low. Here’s what it means for British SMEs. Read more: Hormuz reopens: what Iran’s climbdown means for British SMEs
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Chongqing-based EV manufacturer Seres has patented a voice-controlled in-vehicle toilet, as Chinese carmakers pile on novel features to survive a brutal price war. Read more: Seres files patent for voice-activated in-car toilet as china’s EV makers battle for attention
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The UK government is inviting EdTech firms and AI labs to bid for £300,000 grants to co-design safe, curriculum-aligned AI tutoring tools for up to 450,000 disadvantaged pupils a year, with classroom trials starting this summer. Read more: Government calls on EdTech firms to build safe AI tutors for disadvantaged pupils
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A Manhattan jury has found Live Nation and Ticketmaster operated an unlawful monopoly over major concert venues, overcharging fans by $1.72 per ticket. Live Nation plans to appeal. Read more: Live Nation and Ticketmaster ruled an illegal monopoly as US jury sides with States
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Ceramics and brickmakers left out in the cold as GMB rounds on Whitehall’s flagship industrial package Read more: GMB union attacks government for ‘disgracefully ignoring’ UK’s gas-intensive manufacturers
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UK Google searches for electric vans rocketed 143% in March as diesel prices bit into SME margins, new data from The Van Insurer reveals. Read more: Diesel drivers drive electric van searches up 143% as fuel costs bite
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Whitehall drafts emergency plans as the ongoing Iran conflict threatens UK carbon dioxide supplies, with potential knock-on effects for meat producers, brewers and SME food businesses this summer. Read more: Supermarket shelves face summer gaps as Iran war threatens UK’s CO2 lifeline
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Chancellor Rachel Reeves expands the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme by 40%, cutting electricity bills by up to 25% for 10,000 UK manufacturers from April 2027. Read more: Reeves unveils 25% electricity bill cut for 10,000 manufacturers as energy costs bite
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Thousands of importers face an open-ended wait for US tariff refunds as CBP’s new CAPE portal covers only 63% of claims. UK SMEs trading transatlantically could be owed a share of up to $166bn. Read more: US tariff refund backlog leaves UK exporters in limbo as Washington scrambles to process billions in claims
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Disney’s new CEO Josh D’Amaro is cutting around 1,000 jobs across its studio, television, ESPN and marketing divisions as the entertainment giant battles shrinking box office returns and streaming pressures. Read more: Disney to axe 1,000 jobs as new chief D’Amaro moves to streamline empire
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