March was quite the month for UK business confidence, rising to a solid 55%. This uplift was mainly thanks to our scrappy smaller firms, as the latest Lloyds Business Barometer reports.

Over half of businesses, a confident 66%, are psyched about their trading prospects for the next year. This is a four-point jump from before. Only 6% are feeling the blues, a tad lower than February. So overall, we’ve got a net balance of 60%. Not too shabby!

While small guys saw a five-point bump, the big fish weren’t as lucky. Their confidence dipped, whereas SMEs just edged up one wee point in March.

The optimism isn’t just limited to who’s running the shops. Ten out of twelve UK regions are feeling the buzz. The West Midlands is particularly giddy, pumped by strong customer demand and a hunger for more capacity. Yorkshire & the Humber and the East Midlands aren’t far behind either.

And why’s everyone feeling so upbeat? It’s all about stronger customer demand, more investment, and smoother supply chains. But for some, it’s not all sunshine. Rising costs, global jitters, and fierce competition are dragging them down.

Taking a broader view, we’ve got a glow-up in economic optimism for the second month in a row. A neat 65% of firms are more positive about the economy, while a shrinking 15% are on the down slope. That’s a net balance increase of 14 points to 50%. It’s as if spring really has sprung.

Yet, it’s not all roses for everyone. Both SMEs and big players feel the heat from those pesky rising costs and global uncertainties. But let’s not forget, our smaller businesses are still hopeful, banking on that sweet customer demand.

Amanda Murphy, the big cheese at Lloyds Business and Commercial Banking, assured us: “The survey was mostly wrapped up before any Middle East ripples could shake our smaller businesses.”

So, even with all the challenges, it’s clear the UK’s got a skip in its economic step — at least for now.

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Eight Lives Lost as Karachi Building Collapses, Highlighting Housing Crisis

KARACHI: In Lyari, Karachi, a five-story building toppled over on Friday. It claimed at least eight lives and trapped many more. This tragic incident once again shines a light on the rampant issue of unsafe, aging buildings in the city.

You know, it wasn’t long before rescue workers and locals were in a mad scramble, pulling the living and the dead from the rubble of Fotan Mansion. The collapse hit at 10:30 a.m., shaking the whole neighborhood to its core.

“I suddenly woke up—it felt like an earthquake,” said Salman Ahmed. He was in a nearby building, dreaming the morning away, only to end up pulling two kids from the wreckage later.

“When the building came down, it was chaos,” he recalled. “Dust and smoke everywhere. Voices crying out from under the debris.”

It’s murky how many families occupied this death trap, but around 40 souls were likely inside. Many belonged to low-income Hindu communities.

By Friday evening, cranes were moving debris, rescuers racing against time to reach anyone still buried. Mayor Murtaza Wahab confirmed six fatalities and eight rescues. This building, imagine, had been flagged as a hazard long before today.

“This was on the danger list for ages,” Wahab told Arab News. “Warnings were ignored by the folks living there.”

Karachi, home to over 20 million, crawls with dilapidated buildings. Nearly 588 structures tagged ‘dangerous’ lurk in the city, mostly in the congested Old City zones.

According to the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), Fotan Mansion was deemed risky way back in 2012. “Warnings have fallen on deaf ears for years,” SBCA rep Shakeel Dogar told Arab News.

He emphasized it’s on the district administration to enforce evacuations.

The tragic part? This isn’t new. Karachi’s seen too many collapses like this. In February 2020, Rizvia Society lost 27 to a similar disaster. More followed in Gulbahar, Malir, and Korangi, all costly in human lives.

Experts lament the city’s poor building code enforcement. The head of the Association of Builders and Developers of Pakistan (ABAD), Muhammad Hassan Bakhshi, expressed his grief. “The SBCA must evacuate dangerous buildings,” he urged.

Authorities worry about evicting folks from similar time bombs. Mayor Wahab, when pressed on accountability, insists laws need following. “The political leadership has a role, too.”

Yet, getting people to abandon their homes isn’t easy. “But we’ve got to learn from this,” Wahab noted. “We must prevent repeat tragedies.”

The SBCA continues to urge modernization in rescue gear and tech. Given the hundreds of buildings waiting to collapse, how much longer can Karachi risk it?

Here’s hoping they listen this time. Here’s hoping they act.

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