Rise of the Pips is a reminder to employees that no one is irreplaceable

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about large, corporate customers is that trying to get anything done with their employees between 15 December and 15 January is impossible. Nearly everyone’s on vacation. And, c’mon, let’s all agree: the ones who aren’t on vacation aren’t working very hard.You can’t blame them. They’re getting their paychecks

From Trump tariffs to AI: the big economic questions facing governments in 2025

January is always a time for new beginnings and fresh thinking. But with Donald Trump heading for the White House and a new(ish) Labour government in charge of a faltering UK economy, the onset of 2025 seems especially portentous.Forecasting is a mug’s game, as former Bank of England governor Mervyn King used to say about predicting exchange rates; but here are some of the big economic questions to ponder, as the new year gets under way:Far from signalling recovery, the latest data showed UK GDP flatlining, with confidence weak, as businesses brace themselves for April’s £25bn increase in employer national insurance contributions (NICs).Given that Labour had ruled out every other big revenue-raiser, it was one of the few places Rachel Reeves could turn to fund public services. But it has fuelled a furious backlash – and set up a narrative that Labour has clobbered the economy

Why Elon Musk’s Starship rocket is beating Nasa in the space race

It was one of the most striking technological events of the year. On 13 October, Starship, the world’s largest and most powerful rocket, blasted into space from a launchpad in Texas. Its main booster reached an altitude of more than 65km before it began to hurtle back to Earth at a velocity greater than the speed of sound.A crash was averted when the rocket – built by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company – reignited its engines and slowed down until it hovered tantilisingly over the tower from which it had been fired aloft only seven minutes earlier. Pincer claws grasped the giant launcher and held it firmly in their grip, ready for refurbishment and relaunch

How Elon Musk’s X became the global right’s supercharged front page

As a business proposition, Elon Musk’s ownership of X, formerly known as Twitter, has so far been a disaster: since he acquired it in late 2022, the social media company, according to one estimate, has lost nearly 80% of its value.As a political proposition, however, Musk’s purchase may turn out to be one of the shrewdest investments of all time. Every week, the platform seems to supercharge a news issue that comes to dominate conservative discourse – and often mainstream discourse, as well – with real political repercussions.Sometimes these topics are inflammatory conspiracy theories, like a false rumor that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, had been eating cats and dogs, which became a talking point in the final days of the US presidential election and led to bomb threats and harassment against Springfield residents.Other times, X, often aided by Musk’s own posts, elevates fact-based but contentious stories – about illegal immigration, government waste, visa fraud, population decline, youth gender transition or government crackdowns on social media speech – that the mainstream media is perceived to have ignored or downplayed

Fin Smith shows England class to sink Bath at the last and save Saints’ season

The referee’s whistle blew and Northampton’s director of rugby, Phil Dowson, flashed up on the big screen, allowing himself a smile. With the clock in the red and Northampton trailing by two points, they had just been awarded a penalty, within range, and such is Dowson’s faith in Fin Smith, he knew his outstanding fly-half would not miss this one.Perhaps it is time for Steve Borthwick to show a little more faith in Smith because here was another demonstration of the 22-year-old’s talents. He had missed a couple of kicks, needed the help of a post for another but there was little doubt he would secure the victory Northampton so desperately sought, inflicting a first league defeat in seven matches on Bath in the process.Smith also had a hand in all four of Northampton’s tries and produced arguably the tackle of the match on Miles Reid

Ilona Maher draws record crowd on Bristol bow but Gloucester spoil party

Premiership Women’s Rugby has never seen a debut like Ilona Maher’s for Bristol Bears. The club more than doubled their record attendance with the 9,240 supporters also breaking the crowd record for a standalone PWR regular-season match. Maher’s presence was the cause of the influx of fans with the fixture against Gloucester-Hartpury moved to Ashton Gate from Shaftesbury Park after the USA international’s signing was announced in December.Such is the Maher effect that the game was broadcast across the world, including the US and New Zealand. Supporters had to wait to see the 28-year-old in action as she started from the bench but she entered the fray in the 61st minute to a deafening roar