Reeves’ £1.2bn consultancy savings plan in doubt, watchdog warns March 11, 2026 Despite Rachel Reeves’ focus on cutting government spending on external consultancy services, a damning report stated that the government is unable to set meaningful targets to reduce its reliance on external firms. The UK government has said it wants to put an immediate stop to all non-essential consultancy spending and halve consultancy spending in future [...]
Wizz Air pounced on by short sellers as Iran war knocks profits March 11, 2026 Budget airline Wizz Air has been hit by a flurry of short-selling after it issued a profit warning over disruption caused by the Iran war, making it the UK’s most shorted company. The Hungarian airline, which is listed on the FTSE 250, had 9.59 per cent short interest last month but this has soared to [...]
JP Morgan marks down private credit loans amid AI jitters March 11, 2026 JP Morgan has marked down the value of specific loans held by private-credit groups, tightening its grip on the sector as boss Jamie Dimon warns of a looming AI reckoning. The bank’s move specifically targets software companies, which it now views as highly vulnerable to being replaced by artificial intelligence. By devaluing these assets, JP [...]
Will you lose your job to AI? This tool could give you a clue March 11, 2026 A new online tool promises to show workers how exposed their job is to AI, as debate intensifies over how the technology will reshape the labour market. The platform, launched by career intelligence startup Somethingelse, allows users to test their role against an analysis of more than 5,000 jobs. It measures how much of each [...]
How universities became a marketplace for academic slop March 11, 2026 Pressure to publish papers mean universities have become awash with fake papers and scientific fraud, writes Paul Ormerod.
Ask the expert: Can I afford a gap year in my 40s? March 11, 2026 Do you have a personal finance question that you’re struggling to find an answer to? Email askthexpert@cityam.com Questions will be published anonymously. Fidelity personal finance specialist Marianna Hunt is back to advise a reader who wishes to take a year off for travel but worries about disrupting long term savings plans. Q: I’m in my [...]
2026 Fifa World Cup: Iran ‘welcome’ despite US military attacks, Trump March 11, 2026 Fifa president Gianni Infantino says he has received assurances from President Trump that Iran are welcome at this summer’s World Cup despite ongoing US strikes on the country. Iran have qualified for this summer’s tournament in the US, Canada and Mexico but their participation has been in doubt since an American-Israeli offensive began last month. [...]
Legal & General shares slide after profit disappoints March 11, 2026 Legal & General share price tumbled in early morning trading, after the asset management and insurance giant’s reshape was overshadowed by lower-than-expected profit. Shares fell 5.5 per cent to 244p on Wednesday, after core operating profit of £1.62bn fell short of analyst’s £1.65bn expectation, creating a “source of disappointment for investors”, despite it rising six [...]
Global energy body to release 400m oil barrels in emergency boost March 11, 2026 The global energy body has announced it will release a record 400 million barrels from emergency oil reserves in a bid to contain spiking prices. The International Energy Agency’s (IEA) executive director Faith Birol said on Wednesday the market “challenges we are facing are unprecedented in scale”. “IEA member countries have responded with an emergency [...]
Gym Group profit doubles as fitness firm flexes its muscles March 11, 2026 The Gym Group more than doubled its profit as it bulks up its low-cost fitness offering and opens new sites. The low-cost fitness group posted pre-tax profit of £10.6m in the year to December 2025, up 194 per cent from last year, as revenue nudged up eight per cent to £245m. London’s only listed gym [...]