Reeves claims UK listing reforms set to ‘reinvigorate’ IPO market Rachel Reeves has hailed new UK listing rules as “reinvigorating” the City of London, citing early signs of a revival in equity market activity and renewed investor appetite. Speaking at an event in the Square Mile on Monday, Reeves said: “Two years ago, some said the City’s best days were behind it. They were wrong”. [...]
Regional stadiums: the infrastructure solution for WSL and women’s football? Sport Business Women’s football is one of the fastest growing sports and investment opportunities in the UK right now – think Michelle Kang’s cash injection at London City Lionesses or Alexis Ohanian’s £20m investment in Chelsea Women. In the 2023/24 season Deloitte reported that the 12 Women’s Super League (WSL) football clubs generated an aggregate revenue of £65m [...]
Close Brothers: How the motor finance scandal reshaped one of ‘Europe’s least cost-efficient lenders’ Nearly two years ago Close Brothers chief executive said the bank would take “decisive actions” to strengthen its financial standing. The bold overhaul of the lender’s capital structure came amid the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) review into the motor finance industry – a sector which made up 20 per cent of its £9.5bn loan book [...]
Kemi Badenoch joins protesters calling for Government to stop China mega-embassy January 17, 2026 Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch called for the Government to stop China’s proposed central London “mega-embassy” when she spoke at a protest on Saturday. The Government is facing mounting calls to reject Beijing’s plans for the embassy at Royal Mint Court over security concerns. Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the site on Saturday afternoon, some [...]
UK ready to mirror US with female athletes becoming investors January 17, 2026 For three consecutive years, not a single female athlete has appeared among the world’s 100 highest-paid athletes. The bar keeps rising. In 2025, the threshold jumped to $53.6m, up 19 per cent year on year. Coco Gauff, the highest-earning female athlete in the world, made $34.4m and still fell nearly $20m short. Meanwhile the global [...]
Musk-Altman rift widens as judge approves court battle January 16, 2026 OpenAI and Microsoft have lost their final bid to avoid a courtroom battle with Elon Musk, with a US judge ruling that the Tesla and xAI founder can proceed to trial over claims that the start-up breached its original charitable mission. The case, set for a jury trial in late April at the District Court [...]
Sally Clarke’s Notting Hill bakery put up for sale after suffering losses January 16, 2026 A bakery business owned by seasoned restaurateur Sally Clarke has been put up for sale on an insolvency marketplace after suffering losses, City AM can reveal. The Notting Hill Bakery, which employs dozens of staff and makes nearly £6m per year selling artisan breads, cakes and cookies, is seeking buyers for all or part of [...]
Why Battle of the Sexes tennis match fell short of One Point Slam January 16, 2026 Tennis recently revived the “Battle of the Sexes” concept as a way to generate attention, attract headlines and spark debate. In doing so, however, the sport risks overlooking a simple truth: women’s tennis no longer needs comparison to prove its value. Women’s tennis is a strong product in its own right, with four of the [...]
Purton to Patch up competitive handicap with Cosmo January 16, 2026 Serious-minded bettors will have spied champion jockey Zac Purton rides Manfred Man’s prolific winner PATCH OF COSMO for the first time in the Tennis 1600m Handicap (9:50am) over a mile. The Purton and Man combination have been one of the go-to partnerships this season, with an impressive 26 percent win strike-rate, and were successful last [...]
Urban Pubs & Bars launches acquisition spree after strong Christmas sales January 16, 2026 Urban Pubs & Bars has embarked on an aggressive acquisition spree as the London-based hospitality group toasted strong demand over the Christmas season. This week the company announced it had acquired The Birdcage in East London from Brewdog, marking its sixth acquisition of 2026. The deal follows the recent completion of five premium hospitality venues [...]