How working from home took over

📍Top line: Four in ten employees work from home at least part-time, according to recent Office for National Statistics (ONS) data. While 28% of workers are on a hybrid schedule, 13% work entirely from home, showing that flexible arrangements are here to stay for many sectors and demographics.

Key Points:

• Stable Remote Working: Hybrid work arrangements have slightly increased, while full-time remote work has held steady over the past two years. Currently, 44% of the workforce commutes daily, including essential roles like retail, healthcare, and construction.

• Workforce Profile: Hybrid working is more common among older, educated employees, especially those with children. For instance, 29% of workers over 30 use a hybrid schedule, compared to 19% of younger employees.

• Industry and Role: Sectors like IT and professional services are most likely to support hybrid working, with nearly half of senior roles such as managers and directors choosing a mixed model.

• Health and Productivity Impact: People working from home get an average of 24 more minutes of rest and 15 minutes more exercise each day but work about 10 minutes less than office-goers.

Jaguar pauses UK sales to go electric only

📍Top line: The historic British automaker Jaguar has quietly paused UK sales of new vehicles as it prepares for a major transition to an all-electric lineup by 2026. The brand, long associated with British prime ministers and royalty, will resume sales with a luxury electric range set to debut in three years. Until then, remaining UK inventory will be classified as pre-owned, regardless of mileage.

Key Points:

• EV-Only Future: Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) announced plans to transition Jaguar to a high-end electric vehicle (EV) brand in 2021, in line with the UK’s move to phase out petrol and diesel cars.

• Compliance Challenges: JLR, like other automakers, is facing difficulties meeting the UK's zero-emission mandate, which now requires 22% of new cars to be zero-emission. Just 18% of new registrations this year were battery-electric, below target.

• Strategic Hold: Unlike other manufacturers, JLR opted to delay launching EV models, aiming to ensure its vehicles meet high standards for success in the luxury EV market, according to CEO Adrian Mardell.

Elsewhere in business:

💄 Beauty retailer Space NK is set to open ten new stores across the UK next year, signalling a strong commitment to brick-and-mortar retail amid rising sales and profits. The firm saw a 34% increase in turnover, reaching £196.5 million for the year ending in March. Pre-tax profit also surged to £7.5 million, up from £1.5 million the previous year.

🛒 The UK is experiencing a national shortage of taramasalata due to strikes at Bakkavor, a major supplier of fresh foods. Workers at Bakkavor’s Spalding facility in the Midlands have been on strike for six weeks, pushing for higher pay. The supply issues have left popular grocery chains like Waitrose, Marks and Spencer, and Tesco out of stock.

New pill to help smokers quit

📍 Top line: The NHS is set to launch a major anti-smoking initiative, offering hundreds of thousands of smokers in England access to a daily pill, varenicline, designed to significantly boost their chances of quitting. Health leaders believe this rollout will help save thousands of lives by reducing smoking-related illnesses and easing healthcare costs.

Key points:

• Effective Anti-Smoking Aid: Varenicline, which helps reduce nicotine cravings and withdrawal symptoms, was used until 2021 when it was withdrawn due to regulatory concerns. With recent approval of a new generic version, it will be available once more.

• Projected Health Benefits: The NHS expects varenicline could prevent 9,500 smoking-related deaths over the next five years and offer cost savings in healthcare, according to University College London.

• Supporting Research: Experts advocate for varenicline's return, highlighting its success in combination with behavioral support for quitting. However, some, including Action on Smoking and Health, urge the NHS to bolster additional quit-smoking resources.

Elsewhere in the economy:

🪩 Britain’s nightlife is facing a crisis as 40% of pubs, bars, and clubs warn they may close due to soaring costs from the recent Budget. The Night Time Industries Association has called the hike in National Insurance and the minimum wage a “death sentence” for the sector, with relentless cost increases pushing many venues toward closure.

🚄 Passengers will soon see train punctuality performance displayed on station screens, under new plans by Transport Secretary Louise Haigh. The initiative aims to increase transparency, showing how often services are delayed or cancelled. Haigh has committed to giving the public access to real-time data, allowing them to hold operators accountable for their punctuality and track improvements over time.

Meta has opened applications for its 2025 Network Production Engineer Internship in London. Successful applicants will work alongside some of the best engineers in the industry to manage and maintain datacenter networks and develop optimised network monitoring and automation systems. The scheme is open to candidates who have achieved or are in the process of obtaining a Bachelor’s degree or higher in Computer Science. Apply now here.

Amazon developing smart glasses for drivers

📍Top line: Amazon may soon introduce smart glasses for delivery drivers to optimise the “last 100 yards” of deliveries, aiming to improve efficiency and reduce costs. According to insider sources, the glasses would guide drivers through complex delivery routes, cutting valuable seconds off each delivery and replacing handheld GPS devices with a heads-up display.

Key Points:

• Turn-by-Turn Guidance: The smart glasses would provide turn-by-turn navigation, directing drivers on specific paths around obstacles like gates or even dogs, potentially saving seconds per delivery.

• Enhanced Efficiency: By freeing drivers from handheld GPS devices, the glasses allow for hands-free operation, enabling drivers to carry more packages and increase delivery volume.

• Challenges Ahead: Amazon faces hurdles including battery life limitations, user comfort, and the time needed to gather detailed location data. The project, known as Amelia, is still in development, with potential delays or adjustments possible based on outcomes.

Elsewhere in tech:

🎮 Heading into the holiday season, Nintendo and Sony are contending with challenges as they rely on aging hardware and high-priced products, which may limit appeal to general consumers. Sony's recent launch of the $700 PlayStation 5 Pro has received mixed reviews, while Nintendo, facing waning demand for its seven-year-old Switch console, recently lowered its annual sales projection from 13.5 million to 12.5 million units.

🐈 A seemingly innocent Google search for "Are Bengal cats legal in Australia" has become a target for cybercriminals, according to cybersecurity experts. Hackers have manipulated search results so that the top links lead to fake websites designed to infect users’ devices with malware. The malicious sites can install software that steals sensitive information, such as personal data, financial details, and login credentials.

⚽️ Broadcaster Gary Lineker will step down from Match of the Day after 25 years. The former England striker, who has hosted the show since 1999, will leave at the end of the current football season. Lineker will reportedly remain at the BBC until the 2026 World Cup.

🚨 Three years after the hit BBC police drama Line of Duty concluded, Adrian Dunbar, who starred as Superintendent Ted Hastings, has hinted that a revival could be on the cards. In an interview with Times Radio, Dunbar, 66, suggested the show’s return is possible: “All the signals and everything is [positive], but until the script hits the desk, you can’t be 100 percent sure.”

⛪ The Bishop of Newcastle has urged the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, to resign, stating that his role is now “untenable” in light of a scathing report on a prolific child abuser linked to the Church. The pressure on Welby has intensified after revelations that he did not pursue reports with sufficient rigor regarding the abuse perpetrated by John Smyth QC, who reportedly harmed over 100 boys and young men.