Welsh Rugby missed out on £45m in previous Principality Stadium deal January 31, 2026 The Welsh Rugby Union lost £45m from underselling the naming rights to the Principality Stadium, according to a new report. A 10-year deal with insurer Principality is expected to conclude this year, with the decade-long cost of sponsoring Wales’ biggest stadium widely reported to be £1m per season. That’s despite research from The Sponsor shared [...]
Drinks firms ‘have no choice’ but to increase prices, say industry bosses January 31, 2026 Top drinks businesses “have no choice” but to increase prices after facing steep cost hikes from rising alcohol duty, industry leaders have warned. In November’s autumn budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed that alcohol duty would increase in line with Retail Prices Index (RPI) inflation. It means that the tax charged on alcoholic drinks will increase [...]
Ballad Lines review: A muddled musical with moments of brilliance January 30, 2026 A Jacobean vicar’s wife, a pregnant Presbyterian teen and a 21st-century New York lesbian walk into a bar – Ballad Lines is the result.
Crystal Palace owner and F1 driver Gasly back Drive to Survive star’s MotoGP takeover January 30, 2026 Crystal Palace owner David Blitzer, Burnley owner ALK Capital and Formula 1 driver Pierre Gasly have emerged as part of Drive to Survive star Guenther Steiner’s takeover of MotoGP team Tech3. Former Haas F1 team principal Steiner spearheaded a buyout that was announced four months ago and has seen the Italian installed as CEO of [...]
Schroders signs deal with leading Chinese battery maker January 30, 2026 Leading asset management firm Schroders has signed a deal with a Chinese battery making giant, amid chief executive Richard Oldfield’s trip to China, led by prime minister Keir Starmer. The group’s Schroders Greencoat business, which invests in renewable energy infrastructure, signed the deal with Contemporary Amperex Techology (CATL) and Hong Kong based private equity firm [...]
London house prices ‘need’ to fall amid supply increase, housing minister says January 30, 2026 House prices “probably need” to fall in London, the housing minister has said, after insisting that the government’s 1.5m home building target could still be met. Matthew Pennycook said Labour wants to encourage developers to compete on volume in order to ramp up housing supply and make homes more affordable. There are “people in London [...]
US tech stocks slide as Microsoft rout sharpens AI spending doubts January 30, 2026 US technology stocks sold off sharply on Thursday, as a bruising slump in Microsoft sparked investor unease over how long it will take for mass AI investments to pay off. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite closed down 0.72 per cent at 23,685, weighed down by heavy losses across software giants. The S&P 500 slipped 0.13 per [...]
Don’t blame universities for the graduate crisis January 30, 2026 Blaming universities for the graduate crisis is convenient, but it isn't true, writes Eliza Filby. Here's what's actually gone wrong.
Williams F1 adds banking giant to partner roster ahead of pivotal season January 30, 2026 Banking giant BNY has joined Williams F1’s suite of blue-chip sponsors as the team steps up preparations for the 2026 season. As part of the partnership, BNY’s branding will be emblazoned on the kit of drivers Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz, and the bargeboards, chassis top and halo of the team’s FW48 car. The New [...]
Is Starmer’s China visit a lose-lose trip? January 30, 2026 Starmer was looking for win-win, Golden Era opportunities from his China visit, but the reality has yielded few tangible outcomes.