Vulnerable bank customers could face ‘higher barriers’ to redress in Treasury overhaul May 26, 2026 Warnings are being raised over a planned Treasury shake-up of financial services rules after an impact assessment revealed vulnerable customers could be excluded from receiving compensation when wronged. The government unveiled its Enhancing Financial Services Bill at the King’s Speech, which paved the way for reform to consumer redress protections through changes in the Consumer Credit [...]
Fifa World Cup under drone terrorism threat, security experts warn May 26, 2026 Fifa World Cup organisers will be on alert amid fears domestic terror cells could surface at next month’s tournament, security experts have warned. The quadrennial tournament heads to North America next month for its next iteration – spanning 104 matches in the United States, Canada and Mexico – and keeping the millions of attending fans [...]
BP chair ousted over ‘volcanic’ behaviour after less than a year May 26, 2026 The chair of BP has been fired after less than a year, after “serious concerns” about his conduct were lodged with the energy major’s board. Albert Manifold was stripped of his roles as chair and director of the London-listed petrochemicals giant having only taken the reins last July, with director Amanda Blanc saying the board [...]
Wes Streeting’s capital gains tax plan risks ‘disrupting’ growth May 26, 2026 Wes Streeting’s plans to align capital gains taxes while introducing an investment allowance could be “disruptive” for growth as City advisers have become divided over the benefits of sweeping reforms. Streeting told the BBC last week that he backed a plan, first proposed by the Centre for the Analysis of Taxation (Centax) and later adopted [...]
Starmer confirms teen rape case sent to Court of Appeal after public outcry May 26, 2026 The Attorney General has sent a rape case, which saw two teenage boys spared jail, to the Court of Appeal following a political backlash over the weekend against the judge’s ruling. Two teenage boys raped two girls in separate attacks in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, in 2024 and 2025. The third boy, who aided and abetted the [...]
Petrol prices hit Iran war high as oil tops $100 again May 26, 2026 Petrol prices in the UK have hit a new high since the Iran war began, as the price of oil jumped back up to $100 per barrel following fresh US strikes. The average price of a litre of petrol is now 159.43p in the UK, according to motoring services firm the RAC. This petrol price [...]
B&Q owner eyes warm weather boost as sales fall May 26, 2026 B&Q’s FTSE 100 owner will be hoping for a heatwave boost after it blamed poor weather for falling sales at the start of the year. Kingfisher, which also owns Screwfix and home improvement retailers in France and Poland, saw total like-for-like sales dip by 0.9 per cent to £3.3bn in the first quarter of the [...]
‘Delighted to be wrong’ – Sam Altman changes tune on AI job apocalypse fears May 26, 2026 OpenAI boss Sam Altman has softened his warnings over AI wiping out white-collar work, saying the feared “jobs apocalypse” has so far failed to materialise despite the tech rapidly reshaping business decisions and operations. Speaking on Tuesday, Altman admitted he had expected AI to eliminate far more entry-level office jobs by now following the launch [...]
London makes up more than a third of UK corporation tax receipts May 26, 2026 London accounts for more than a third of total corporation tax receipts across the UK, new data analysed by City AM has shown. Data shared by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has shown that London makes up around 36 per cent of total corporation tax income generated each year, highlighting the capital city’s dominance [...]
David Lammy rejects higher pay rise for judges amid recruitment crisis May 26, 2026 David Lammy turned down an independent recommendation for a higher judicial pay increase, instead approving a 3.5 per cent rise amid government efforts to tackle recruitment challenges for senior judges. The Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) report, published last week, recommended a 3.8 per cent pay increase across the judiciary, estimated to cost taxpayers around [...]