Ex-Battersea Power Station boss takes owners to court over dismissal March 19, 2026 The former boss of Battersea Power Station has launched legal action against the owners of the iconic London landmark after being dismissed from his role in May. A £9bn project has transformed Battersea Power Station from a disused, decommissioned site to a 42-acre estate with 2,000 homes and 60 companies in under a decade. Don O’Sullivan, formerly [...]
Natwest and Lloyds shares sink as Iran tensions drag FTSE 100 into red March 19, 2026 The FTSE 100 was treading slightly above the 10,000 mark on Thursday as fears grew that the index could slip underneath the milestone. London’s blue-chip index fell 2.7 per cent by the afternoon to lows of 10,002.30p. It came as shares in a number of the City’s banking giants led the FTSE 100’s downturn this [...]
Investec signals modest earnings growth March 19, 2026 South African investment and wealth management group Investec has signalled modest earnings growth in its latest update, after diverse revenue streams and ongoing investment offset macroeconomic challenges. The group expects a three to six per cent increase in earnings per share from the prior year, ranging from 81.6p to 84p. Headline earnings per share are [...]
Why Winter Olympic growth opportunity sports like skating cannot stand still March 19, 2026 Major competition is the lifeblood of all sport, where firmly laid foundations and high-class athleticism combine to deliver champions. Skating’s global stars have performed in front of massive audiences at the Olympics in Milan recently but for the sport as a whole, the Games are only the start of the story, meaning the opportunity for [...]
Lloyd’s profits surge as Tiernan charts course for ‘efficiency’ era March 19, 2026 Lloyd’s of London has reported a pre-tax profit of £10.6bn, over a 10 per cent increase from the previous year, as its chief executive launches its new five-year strategy. Its gross written premiums climb to £57.9bn, up over 4 per cent. This was driven by volume growth as new syndicates joined the market; however, for [...]
Sadiq Khan urges Labour to back return to EU March 19, 2026 Sadiq Khan has called for Labour to campaign for the UK to rejoin the European Union, days after Rachel Reeves delivered one of the most Europhile speeches since Brexit. The London Mayor said his party should move beyond discussions about access to the single market or joining the customs union by 2030, and instead move [...]
UK risks ‘jobless generation’ as retail hiring plummets March 19, 2026 A leading industry body has warned the UK faces a “jobless generation” as the number of jobs in retail fell to a record low. There were 2.8m retail jobs in 2025, according to the Office for National Statistics’ four-quarter average, which smooths out seasonal variations in hiring, which is 383,000 fewer than in 2015. The [...]
Oil and gas prices surge after Trump threatens to ‘blow up’ Iran energy site March 19, 2026 The surging price of oil and gas rocked markets this morning as tensions across the Middle East continued to spike fears of an energy crisis. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil – hit $113 this morning, one of the highest levels since the conflict broke out three weeks ago. Meanwhile the price of [...]
DFS defies wet weather to double profit March 19, 2026 Furniture retailer DFS almost doubled its half-year profit despite recording lower shop footfall as wet weather dampens sales across retail. The London-listed company recorded a £30m profit in the first half of this year, almost double the £16m recorded the year prior, as revenue grew by nine per cent to £548m. The wet weather has [...]
UK job market weakens as economy set to worsen March 19, 2026 The jobs market failed to provide more positive signs for the UK economy as official data suggested that fewer postings were available for job seekers. An estimate published on Thursday showed that the number of payrolled employees dropped by 49,000 in February while data showed a small rise in January. The Office for National Statistics [...]