Business
People lacking good public transport more likely to feel lonely, UK study finds | Public transport

People who depend on cars to get around are more likely to feel lonely and disconnected than those who have access to good public transport, a UK study has found.
Analysing official statistics on loneliness and transport usage, researchers said there was a clear correlation between people without decent transport alternatives and those who describe themselves as feeling left out or without companionship.
According to the findings from the Social Market Foundation (SMF), based on Department for Transport data, the trend appeared across Britain and was statistically significant in all but one region.
Car dependency had the highest impact on loneliness in rural towns, the thinktank found, and the least in cities, where people are more likely to have reliable alternatives in terms of train, buses, trams, walking or cycling.
A report last year for the DfT concluded that most people were “no more or less likely to be lonely if they used public transport or not”, with an exception for those with health conditions that stopped them driving.
However, by cross-referencing the data with that from another major study, the DfT’s national travel survey, the SMF concluded that when people were dissatisfied with their public transport, they were more likely to also be lonely.
The thinktank said: “Our first-of-its-kind analysis shows a very clear and statistically significant link between car dependency and loneliness, with results indicating that loneliness increases by 5% for every 20% fall in satisfaction with public transport and active travel. Put another way, failing to provide alternatives to cars is making people more lonely and more isolated.”
The report says the correlation was found across every region of the country, but car dependency was shown to have the highest impact on loneliness in rural towns.
Gideon Salutin, a senior researcher at the SMF, said the study showed that people in car-dependent areas were lonelier even if they were able to drive. Among possible explanation for the link was that people had “fewer ways to reach others, cutting them off from job sites, pubs and other social spaces”.
“It might also be that the infrastructure we build to support motoring builds more barriers in what might have been walkable neighbourhoods and green spaces,” he said. “Given that driving tends to poorly affect stress and health, it’s also possible that it leaves people more vulnerable to loneliness and isolation. Driving also means you can’t drink, which can be an exclusionary factor in many social settings.”
Salutin said that while the data did not show that cars themselves caused loneliness, a recent US academic study had found that relying on a car more than 50% of the time was associated with a decrease in life satisfaction.
A number of UK thinktanks and charities have expressed concern about increased car dependency in new housing estates, as well as the decline in rural bus routes.
A report by the New Economics Foundation in 2024 said newbuilds across Britain were leading to ever more car dependency, relative to existing homes.
Steve Chambers, the director of Transport for New Homes, said: “It’s not surprising to learn that people are lonely. When we visit housing estates, it’s very rare that we see many people outside at all. When they leave the house, they have to get in their car – there are very few trips that are possible on foot.”
He said examples such as Derwenthorpe, on the edge of York, built around walking and cycling with open spaces and people interacting, were few. “That vibrancy of life is in really stark contrast to many places where people have no reason to set foot outside their home, bar maybe to wash their car.”
Business
Start Your AI Agency Launches 90-Day Global AI Training Program to Build Lucrative AI Service Businesses

Start Your AI Agency, under the leadership of CEO Greg Squibbs, has announced the 90-Day global AI training program that enables individuals to build lucrative, location-independent businesses by using artificial intelligence.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates–(Newsfile Corp. – August 31, 2025) – Start Your AI Agency has launched a 90-Day global AI training program to build lucrative AI service businesses. The company’s core offering is a free training program that introduces the proprietary AI Layering Strategy – a system inspired by proven practices from leading global tech innovators. This model allows entrepreneurs to streamline their outreach, automate service delivery, and operate businesses 24/7 from anywhere in the world without the need for complex software or large teams.
CEO Greg Squibbs
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For digital entrepreneurs looking to launch and scale AI-powered service businesses, Start Your AI Agency 90-Day training program focuses on actionable steps and replicable systems that are accessible to them with no prior experience in AI or coding. By simplifying advanced AI technologies and integrating them into everyday business operations, the program helps to bridge the gap between innovation and execution.
The program supports a wide range of professionals, including freelancers, consultants, and business owners, who are seeking to modernize their services using AI.
Greg Squibbs, a long-time advocate for technological innovation, emphasizes the importance of AI education for long-term success. As he has stated, “Artificial intelligence, automation, team building – if you don’t understand it – learn it. Because otherwise, you’re going to be a dinosaur within three years.”
Furthermore, Start Your AI Agency’s program helps individuals seeking to transition from traditional employment, entrepreneurs aiming to scale digital operations, and professionals interested in integrating automation into their service-based businesses.
About Start Your AI Agency:
Start Your AI Agency is a global training platform dedicated to helping individuals build and scale AI-powered service businesses. Founded with the vision to democratize access to artificial intelligence, the company provides step-by-step training, tools, and automation systems that enable entrepreneurs to launch high-profit, location-independent agencies. With a focus on simplicity, scalability, and real-world application, Start Your AI Agency has become a trusted launchpad for thousands of digital entrepreneurs worldwide. Under the leadership of CEO Greg Squibbs, the company continues to drive innovation and empower the next generation of AI-focused business owners.
For more information, visit at https://www.startyouraiagency.com.
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To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/262414
Business
Norway signs £10bn deal for anti-submarine warships built in UK | BAE Systems

Norway has agreed a £10bn deal for anti-submarine warships that will be built in the UK, as the two countries plan joint operations in northern Europe to deal with increased Russian activity.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the agreement to build Type 26 frigates was the UK’s biggest ever warship export deal by value, and Norway’s biggest defence procurement deal.
It said that overall it would provide a £10bn boost to the UK economy and support 4,000 jobs across the UK “well into the 2030s”.
The Type 26 frigates will be built at the BAE Systems shipyards in the Govan area of Glasgow, which employ 2,000 staff and are already constructing eight of the warships for the Royal Navy.
“This £10bn deal is what our plan for change is about,” said the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer. “Creating jobs, driving growth and protecting national security for working people. The export of our world-leading Type 26 frigates will do exactly that, supporting well-paid jobs up and down the United Kingdom, from apprentices to engineers.”
It is estimated that the shipbuilding programme will support 432 businesses, including 103 in Scotland, 47 in the north-west of England and 35 in the West Midlands.
The deal also signals a strengthening of a long-term strategic relationship with Norway, as part of which a combined fleet of 13 frigates will operate jointly in northern Europe.
Eight of the frigates will be British and “at least” five will be Norwegian, with the joint operation designed to “significantly strengthen Nato’s northern flank”.
“This historic defence deal deepens our strategic partnership,” said John Healey, the defence secretary. “With Norway, we will train, operate, deter and – if necessary – fight together. Our navies will work as one, leading the way in Nato, with this deal putting more world-class warships in the north Atlantic to hunt Russian submarines, protect our critical infrastructure and keep both our nations secure.”
Concerns over critical infrastructure around Europe have been raised on multiple occasions in the last year, after the alleged sabotage of the Baltic gas pipeline and undersea internet cables between Finland and Estonia.
Norway was the only other country to participate in the UK carrier strike group’s full deployment this year, and it also collaborates with the UK and Nato partners to safeguard critical undersea infrastructure in northern Europe.
“Norway and the United Kingdom are close allies with common interests and strong bilateral ties,” said Jonas Gahr Støre, Norway’s prime minister. “I am confident that the strategic partnership with the UK for purchasing, developing and operating frigates is the right decision.”
The Scottish secretary, Ian Murray, said the decision showed the “tremendous success” of Scotland’s shipbuilding industry and was an example of another “defence dividend” for the country.
The Type 26 frigate features sophisticated weapons, and advanced sensors and communications. Its design enables the warship to be upgraded to “counter emerging threats”, according to the MoD’s statement announcing the deal.
Charles Woodburn, the chief executive of BAE Systems, said: “The Norwegian government’s decision reflects its confidence in British industry’s ability to deliver a superior anti-submarine warfare platform, together with systems and equipment, that will support its future maritime security and reinforce its position within Nato.”
Business
UK agrees £10bn deal to supply Norway with warships

The UK and Norway have agreed a £10bn deal under which Britain will supply the Norwegian navy with at least five new warships.
The agreement involving Type 26 frigates will be the UK’s “biggest ever warship export deal by value”, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said, while Norway said it would be its largest “defence capability investment” to date.
The government said the deal would support 4,000 UK jobs “well into the 2030s”, including more than 2,000 at BAE Systems’ Glasgow shipyards where the frigates will be built.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the agreement would “drive growth and protect national security for working people”.
“This success is testament to the thousands of people across the country who are not just delivering this next generation capabilities for our Armed Forces but also national security for the UK, our Norwegian partners and Nato for years to come,” he added.
The deal is also expected to support more than 400 British businesses, including 103 in Scotland, the MoD said.
The agreement represents a victory for the British government and defence industry over France, Germany and the United States – which were also being considered by Norway as possible vendors.
It will create a combined UK-Norwegian fleet of 13 anti-submarine frigates – eight British and five Norwegian vessels – to operate jointly in northern Europe, significantly strengthening Nato’s northern flank.
The warships will be constructed at the BAE systems yard in the Govan area of Glasgow, where frigates for the Royal Navy are currently being built.
Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said the choice of the UK “demonstrates the tremendous success of our shipbuilding industry and showcases the world-class skills and expertise of our workforce on the Clyde”.
Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, who informed Sir Keir of the decision to select the UK in a phone call on Saturday night, said the partnership “represents a historic strengthening of the defence cooperation between our two countries”.
Støre said the government had weighed two questions in its decision: “Who is our most strategic partner? And who has delivered the best frigates?… The answer to both is the United Kingdom.”
The Type 26 frigates purchased by the Royal Norwegian Navy will be as similar as possible to those used by their British counterparts, and have the same technical specifications.
They are specifically designed to detect and track enemy submarines and engage them in combat if necessary, with deliveries are expected to begin in 2030.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey said: “For over 75 years, Britain and Norway have stood together on Nato’s northern and north-eastern frontiers, keeping the UK and Europe safe. This historic defence deal deepens our strategic partnership.
“With Norway, we will train, operate, deter, and – if necessary – fight together.
“Our navies will work as one, leading the way in Nato, with this deal putting more world-class warships in the North Atlantic to hunt Russian submarines, protect our critical infrastructure, and keep both our nations secure.”
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