FTSE 100 Live: Stocks fall as Trump ramps up pressure; Unemployment at four-year high January 20, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Thousands more Brits exited the jobs market in November as the estimated number of payrolled employees fell by 33,000. New figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed the UK unemployment rate for people aged 16 years and hit 5.1 per cent in September [...]
Starmer is right to play it cool with Trump January 20, 2026 There was a time, really not that long ago, when Davos concerned itself mostly with feel-good sessions on sustainability, inclusive growth, the promise of net zero and various other progressive causes. Who can forget Bono chatting away on stage with Rwanda’s president on the importance of transparency and good governance? Or 2020’s inspiring theme of [...]
UK businesses should prepare for ChatGPT ads now January 20, 2026 ChatGPT ads have not reached the UK yet, but your business should act like they have, writes Paul Armstrong.
NBA’s European show dazzles on and off court but new league is no slam dunk January 20, 2026 No one disputes that NBA Europe represents a big opportunity but the lack of detail around 18 months from launch is tempering excitement. The mascots for the Memphis Grizzlies and Orlando Magic descended from the O2’s ceiling, celebrities dotted the courtside seats, and the NBA reported a sell-out for its first game in London for [...]
FTSE 250 housebuilder Taylor Wimpey strikes fresh deal with Zoopla January 20, 2026 One of the UK’s biggest housebuilders has signed a new contract with top property website Zoopla as it seeks to boost conversion rates for its new developments. FTSE 250 constituent Taylor Wimpey said the fresh agreement would support the company with further market data and insights to enable it to obtain the best return on [...]
Water firms to get ‘MOT checks’ in regulatory overhaul January 20, 2026 Water companies are set to receive “MOT checks” on the quality of their infrastructure in a fresh regulatory overhaul aimed at preventing crumbling pipes, mishandled sewage and unreliable services. Utilities businesses will receive “health checks” to assess the quality of pumps and pipes by a new water regulator set to be introduced under the government’s [...]
UK financial system exposed to ‘serious harm’ from AI risks January 20, 2026 The Treasury, the financial watchdog and the Bank of England have been handed a stiff warning that the nation’s financial system is not adequately prepared for an AI shock. A group of influential MPs sat on the Treasury Select Committee took aim at the institutions for “not doing enough to manage the risks presented by [...]
Small businesses ditch green agenda as ‘survival’ becomes priority January 20, 2026 Small businesses are ditching green finance initiatives as “ensuring survival” becomes a bigger focus for firms amid the pressures of rising costs. The latest business growth tracker from Natwest showed prioritising of sustainability was at an all time low among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by the end of 2025. Just 30 per cent of [...]
House affordability offers first time buyers boost but Londoners lag behind January 20, 2026 Improved house affordability has sparked an uptick in first time buyer activity over the last year, but those on lower incomes remain shut out of the housing market. Affordability constraints eased slightly, due to declining mortgage rates and wage growth surpassing house price growth, bolstering buyer demand, particularly among those taking the first step onto [...]
Independent Football Regulator will use statutory powers to open club books January 20, 2026 The Independent Football Regulator says it will use statutory powers to open the books and assess the balance sheets of clubs across the English pyramid. The government quango, which has been up and running in its own right since November, has today published the proposed scope of its first in-depth analysis of men’s professional football [...]