Urban Pubs & Bars launches acquisition spree after strong Christmas sales January 16, 2026 Urban Pubs & Bars has embarked on an aggressive acquisition spree as the London-based hospitality group toasted strong demand over the Christmas season. This week the company announced it had acquired The Birdcage in East London from Brewdog, marking its sixth acquisition of 2026. The deal follows the recent completion of five premium hospitality venues [...]
Sadiq Khan’s AI fearmongering will set London back January 16, 2026 Sadiq Khan's warnings about AI has made London look like a city anxious, rather than ambitious, about AI, and investors will take note.
AI investment set to accelerate UK transport upgrades January 16, 2026 Artificial intelligence (AI) is set to play a bigger role in the day-to-day running of Britain’s transport networks, with ministers and industry figures saying that digital investment will now move from pilot projects to country-wide deployment. Transport Select Committee chair Ruth Cadbury told transport and tech leaders on Thursday that the government remains committed to [...]
London’s ‘record low confidence’ blamed on Labour workers’ rights bill January 16, 2026 London is suffering from record low business confidence due to Labour government’s Employment Rights Bill, an industry group has warned. The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry said it recorded the lowest ever level of business confidence in its quarterly economic survey of 500 business chiefs across the capital. The group warned that the “punitive” [...]
UK economy grows more than expected but remains ‘fundamentally weak’ January 16, 2026 The UK economy grew more than expected in November last year but remained “fundamentally weak”, official data has shown, reflecting businesses’ nerves about Rachel Reeves’ Budget measures. New Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures showed growth in the UK economy inching up. Business analysts warned over several months that pre-Budget speculation had dampened spending and [...]
Goldman Sachs leads Wall St boom amid trading frenzy and deal-making January 16, 2026 Wall Street giants were riding high following this week’s round of earnings updates after months market volatility and deal-making helped take trading revenue to record highs. Goldman Sachs led the surge pocketing $4.3bn in equities trading revenue in the last three months of the year – a record for Wall Street banks. Meanwhile, the banks [...]
Michelin-starred chef Phil Howard opens new pasta venue in Broadgate January 16, 2026 Michelin-starred chef Phil Howard has opened a new fast-casual branch of his pasta brand NOTTO in Broadgate, marking the first step in the brand’s expansion beyond its original Pasta Bars. The Broadgate site opened in late December 2025, targeting London’s office workers with a high-quality, quick-service experience. Howard is one of the UK’s most respected [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks fall as oil takes hit; YouTube, BBC strike deal January 16, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. How big of a win was yesterday for Rachel Reeves? The economy grew 0.3 per cent in November – faster than expected – as Jaguar Land Rover roared back to life following a costly cyberattack that halted supply chains across the UK. But while this [...]
London hosts over half of Britain’s fastest growing tech January 16, 2026 Over half of Britain’s fastest-growing private tech firms are based in London, according to a new ranking by The Sunday Times, despite growing concern over the UK’s political and economic support of the sector. The list of Britain’s 100 fastest-growing tech firms shows that 57 of the 100 companies on the list are headquartered in [...]
English Investec Champions Cup winner good for franchise investment January 16, 2026 Despite Northampton Saints’ loss at the weekend to tournament favourites Bordeaux Begles, the Investec Champions Cup could see its first English winner in over five years. Phil Dowson’s team, as well as Bristol Bears and Bath Rugby, are flying high in the European competition while Harlequins and others have qualified for the next round with [...]