Bank of Ireland’s UK arm hit with £3.8m fine for fraud failures February 19, 2026 The Bank of Ireland’s UK arm has been slapped with a hefty fine after failing to hit the deadline by over a year to implement an anti-fraud service. The lender was hit with a £3.7m fine from the Payments Systems Regulator (PSR) for missing the deadline by 14 months for a “vital” service that would [...]
I went to the Winter Olympics but I found Milan shrugging its shoulders February 19, 2026 Milan is parading its beauty at the Winter Olympics. The sun is out, the centuries-old streets are majestic and pristine. Prada, Gucci and Ralph Lauren logos plaster every corner, and there is no shortage of Michelin Guide restaurants. It’s no surprise that London has been haemorrhaging non-doms and wealthy investors to this glorious metropolis. But [...]
Surinder Arora: Hotels should not be excluded from tax relief February 19, 2026 Hotel tycoon Surinder Arora has said he “fails to see” why the government has offered emergency tax support only to pubs, as hotels battle with “unprecedented” business rate hikes. This comes after Wednesday’s Consumer Prices Index (CPI) figures revealed that hotels and restaurants are facing far quicker price rises than the headline inflation rate. The [...]
Ex-Deepmind executive adds to wave of stark AI warnings February 19, 2026 A former senior executive at Google’s AI branch has warned that the global economy is heading towards a concerning divide between those who control AI and those displaced by it, arguing that governments are unprepared for the scale of change ahead. Dex Hunter-Torricke, who previously led communications at Google Deepmind and has worked for both [...]
Antonia Romeo appointed civil service boss February 19, 2026 Sir Keir Starmer has appointed Dame Antonia Romeo to be the first female cabinet secretary to lead the civil service, as part of a reshuffle of the government’s top team. The new civil service chief is currently the most senior civil servant at the Home Office, and was a leading contender for the role when [...]
Six London bars and pubs to watch the Six Nations at in 2026 February 19, 2026 The Six Nations is here, and it is time to scramble to book a table for the best fixtures throughout February and March. City AM has listed some of our favourites to try across the tournament. Take a look. Brigadiers The City’s favourite Indian grill, Brigadiers, is going all out for the Six Nations this [...]
eBay snaps up second-hand fashion app Depop in $1.2bn deal February 19, 2026 Online seller eBay has struck a deal to purchase online fashion marketplace Depop for $1.2bn (£890m). The cash deal, expected to be completed by the middle of this year, comes just five years after the second-hand clothing app was acquired by craft marketplace Etsy for $1.6bn (£1.18bn). Peter Semple, Depop’s chief executive, hailed the sale [...]
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested on suspicion of misconduct February 19, 2026 Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in a public office, the BBC has reported. It comes after increasing pressure on the former Prince after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer this morning said “nobody was under the law”. Police were understood to be weighing up allegations that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein had [...]
Here’s what the Square Mile skyline will look like in six years February 19, 2026 The City of London Corporation has revealed a new CGI skyline showcasing the Square Mile skyscrapers set to be completed in the next six years. The computer-generated images were released to mark a record set of planning permission deals in 2025, which have included the decision to green-light what will be the City’s tallest building, [...]
British Gas owner shares tumble after buyback was paused February 19, 2026 London-listed energy giant Centrica shares plunged nine per cent on Thursday morning after the group paused its share buyback programme in the face of a major earnings hit. The owners of British Gas reported lower 2025 earnings than in the previous year, but the group says it was resilient in a challenging market. The group’s [...]