Fifa World Cup brand value trebles to £4bn thanks to sponsorship and media rights Sport Business The Fifa World Cup brand has grown in value to over $5bn after more than trebling in value in recent years, according to a new industry report. Consultancy Brand Finance estimates the World Cup brand is now worth $5.2bn (£4bn) – a 244 per cent increase on its value when the 2010 tournament was held [...]
London Tech Week was ‘complacency in conference form’ Tech London Tech Week has been accused of masking some of the biggest structural problems facing Britain’s tech sector and of offering “complacency in conference form”. Adam French, partner at global venture capital firm Antler, said the flagship event highlighted a widening gap between the public narrative around UK tech and the realities facing founders trying [...]
Liz Kendall hails ‘Brit-maxxing’ as Labour bets £1.1bn on AI chip race Tech Britain must stop listening to the “doubters, doom-mongers and naysayers” and double down on its strengths in AI, Liz Kendall said as she unveiled a £1.1bn package aimed to turn the UK into a global AI hardware powerhouse. Addressing London Tech Week attendees on Tuesday, the tech secretary embraced the conference’s now-familiar “London maxxing” mantra, [...]
Visa data leak piles pressure on Britain’s digital ID push May 28, 2026 The leak of more than 100,000 passport scans and biometric selfies linked to a third-party visa website has renewed concerns over the security risks surrounding Britain’s growing shift towards digital ID systems. A site operating under the name UK Visa Portal – which is not affiliated with the UK government – was found on Wednesday [...]
City watchdog probes Mastercard, Visa, Paypal for alleged anti-competitive conduct May 6, 2026 The City watchdog has confirmed it is investigating a trio of payments giants over alleged anti-competitive conduct. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will probe Mastercard, Paypal and Visa under the Competition Act 1998 regarding its suspected conduct related to the “funding and usage” of Paypal’s digital wallet. Paypal’s digital wallet is an app-based system that [...]
Government risks British Grand Prix jeopardy over F1 visa issues April 28, 2026 Formula 1 has said the government risks jeopardising the British Grand Prix and damaging the country’s soft power by dragging its feet over visa issues. The Home Office has been accused of being slow to adapt to visa requirements specific to hundreds of Formula 1 workers, where delays force employees used across the entire calendar [...]
Aer Lingus slashes Summer schedule as Hormuz blockade bites April 23, 2026 Irish commercial darling Aer Lingus has cancelled hundreds of flights from its summer schedule amid growing jet fuel fears stemming from the blockade at the Strait of Hormuz. The airline is axing scheduled transatlantic, European, and local flights on various days over the coming weeks, according to the Irish Independent. Services set to be affected [...]
Hybrid working overtakes pay in race for UK tech talent April 14, 2026 Hybrid working has overtaken salary as the main way UK firms are competing for tech talent, according to new research seen by City AM, as skills shortages intensify across the sector. Data from International Workplace Group found 37 per cent of businesses now cite hybrid working as their primary strategy to attract talent, ahead of [...]
Blackrock mulls a move to HSBC’s Canary Wharf tower March 31, 2026 Blackrock is mulling a move to HSBC’s Canary Wharf skyscraper with the site one of a number of locations viewed by the firm as it scouts for a new London headquarters. The world’s largest asset manager has taken a look at the 8 Canada Square tower, which HSBC is set to vacate next year. But [...]
Family visas plummet as Mahmood targets migrant dependants February 26, 2026 The number of family-related visas plummeted over 2025 as the government clamped down on dependants joining migrant workers and students. In fresh data published by the Home Office on Thursday, it was revealed that just 67,000 visas were offered to spouses, children and other dependants of migrants. It represented a sharp 22 per cent drop [...]