Britain needs a Marshall Plan for civic life July 31, 2026 The “Marshall Plan for Civic Life” proposes a multi-billion pound, multi-year investment fund, supported by a collaborative effort between citizens, the state, philanthropy, and the private sector, say Polly Curtis and James Plunkett Andy Burnham needs to find money for defence. He needs to find money for social care. He needs to find money for [...]
AngloGold Ashanti Q2 30 June 2026 Earnings Release and Dividend Declaration July 31, 2026 Q2 2026 EBITDA*(5) +46% to $2.0bn • Q2 2026 free cash flow* +36% to $727m • YTD free cash flow* $1.9bn • Q2 2026 interim dividend of $364m, or 72 cps • Proposed $2.0bn share repurchase programme approved • Net cash*(5) of $991m after debt buyback
‘It’s going to impact work’: Lloyds to cut £2bn in costs with AI July 30, 2026 The boss of Lloyds Banking Group is preparing to wield the axe on its cost base as the bank doubles down on AI ambitions. Charlie Nunn, the chief executive of the financial services giant, said AI is “going to impact work” and “require us to reskill people and hire new people” as he revealed a [...]
Currys hands outgoing boss Alex Baldock £2m pay rise July 30, 2026 FTSE 250 giant Currys has handed its outgoing boss Alex Baldock a more-than-£2 m pay rise, capping off the chief executive’s successful turnaround of the business. The electrical retailer handed Baldock a £6.3m total pay package this year, marking a 54 per cent hike from last year’s £4.1m. Baldock joined Currys in 2018 and is [...]
Hammerson boss mad for Manchester as firm snaps up Arndale shopping centre July 30, 2026 Hammerson has snapped up a stake in one of the UK’s biggest shopping centres as the retail real estate firm expands its UK footprint. The FTSE 250 property company has paid £218m to acquire a 50 per cent stake in the Manchester Arndale shopping centre, marking the company’s first major external acquisition in over a [...]
Rolls-Royce share jump as profit beats expectations July 30, 2026 Rolls-Royce shares jumped on Thursday after the company hiked its targets and posted a near 50 per cent jump in operating profits in the first half of the year, as it reaps the rewards of a boom in defence spending. The FTSE 100 engineering firm said rising profitability across all of its divisions resulted in [...]
Hélène Darroze à la carte is the ultimate lunchtime luxury July 30, 2026 When it comes to fine dining, who says we shouldn’t have a choice, writes Carys Sharkey There is a continual grumble in fine dining, a tedious debate that flares up every now and again when a critic complains about a sore arse from sitting through a tasting menu. I love tasting menus. I should get [...]
Greggs eyes 3,500 sites – but its plans could prove to be flaky July 30, 2026 Sausage roll titan Greggs is already a fixture of almost every British high street, but it’s not done yet. Felix Armstrong chews through its latest expansion plans As Brits jet off to Spain for their summer holidays this year, they will be met with a familiar sight as they touch down at Tenerife airport. Beloved [...]
Martin Williams: My top picks for the Toast the City Awards 2026 July 29, 2026 The Toast the City Awards 2026, for which I am honoured to be a judge, is down to its final stage – the public vote! Now in its second year, the awards give you the chance to celebrate the most amazing places in the Square Mile (and slightly beyond). So to help inspire you to [...]
On a roll: Greggs shares soar as it doubles down on aggressive expansion July 29, 2026 Shares in Greggs soared on Wednesday as the bakery chain said it plans to reach at least 3,500 stores in the UK after a jump in profit in the first half of the year. The sausage roll purveyor reported a 20 per cent boost in pre-tax profit to £76m in the six months to June, [...]