4 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting My Franchise Journey

The UK government is considering weakening community rights to object to new energy projects in a push to decarbonize by 2030, aiming for low-carbon sources to supply the majority of electricity. Plans include streamlining the process for legal challenges to infrastructure projects to prevent delays. The government also plans to boost renewable energy with offshore wind capacity and solar power, requiring significant investment and potentially longer subsidy contracts funded by consumer energy bills. Full Article

Meta donated $1 million to President-elect Donald Trump's inaugural fund, marking a first for the company. The donation follows a recent dinner between Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Trump, where Zuckerberg showcased Meta's smart glasses. Despite past tensions, the relationship between Trump and Zuckerberg has improved, with Zuckerberg apologizing to Trump and congratulating him on his recent victory. Full Article

Oil prices fell on Thursday as the International Energy Agency revised down its global oil-demand growth estimate for this year. The market is expected to be "comfortably supplied" until 2025, leading to a decrease in oil prices after a three-session streak of gains. Full Article

Ofgem is considering requiring energy providers to offer tariffs with low or zero standing charges to increase customer choice and reduce bills for low-usage households. Despite some customers benefiting from standing charges, the regulator aims to introduce more consistency and options in the market. In addition to addressing standing charges, Ofgem plans to standardize support for customers struggling with energy debt, which has reached almost £4 billion and requires a bespoke solution to tackle. Full...

Shares in Google's parent company Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) surged 5.5% following the announcement of Gemini 2.0, a new family of AI large language models. This launch signals Google's entrance into the "agentic era" of AI, with promises of improved multitasking, reasoning, and problem-solving capabilities across various services. Market optimism and potential regulatory changes make now a favorable time to consider investing in Google shares. Full Article

In Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free, Roula Khalaf selects her favorite stories, including Dominic Cummings' vindication by Keir Starmer's alignment with Tory predecessors on civil service failures and planning reforms, highlighting areas of consensus between Labour and the Tories. Despite shared goals, the challenge lies in delivering reforms effectively, as seen in the slow progress and lack of confidence in Starmer's ability to take on the political machine and drive change through, potentially leading...