Ofcom launches probe into Telegram over child safety failures April 21, 2026 The UK’s communications regulator has launched a probe into Telegram after evidence emerged that child sexual abuse material was being shared on the platform. Ofcom announced on Tuesday that it has also opened investigations into teen chat sites Teen Chat and Chat Avenue, assessing whether the platforms are meeting their legal duties to protect children [...]
Associated British Foods shares slide as £10bn Primark spin-off confirmed April 21, 2026 FTSE 100 titan Associated British Foods has confirmed plans to spin off clothes retailer Primark, signalling a dramatic change in direction for the food and retail firm. Shares in the firm slid more than six per cent on Tuesday’s open, leaving the stock down 16 per cent in the year so far. The market had [...]
Starmer would have blocked Mandelson ambassador role, says Lammy April 19, 2026 Keir Starmer would have stopped Lord Mandelson becoming UK ambassador to the US if he had known about security concerns, deputy prime minister David Lammy has said, as the political fallout intensifies. Speaking to the Guardian, Lammy said the prime minister would “never, ever” have approved the appointment had he been aware Mandelson failed the [...]
‘Thrown under the bus’: Robbins to defend himself over Mandelson vetting April 18, 2026 Sir Olly Robbins is set to mount a defence of his decision to approve Mandelson’s appointment to Washington after allies accused Starmer of scapegoating him and throwing him “under the bus”. The prime minister sacked the head of the Foreign Office on Thursday night before accusing him of an “unforgivable” failure to warn him that [...]
Next boss Simon Wolfson takes record £7.4m pay packet April 17, 2026 Next boss Simon Wolfson took home a bumper £7.4m pay packet last year, as his best-ever pay day could be beaten by next year’s £9.3m – if the firm meets growth targets. Wolfson’s total pay soared from £4.9m the year before, as he took £967k in basic pay and more than £6m in bonuses. The [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks jittery as Starmer makes play to reopen Strait of Hormuz April 17, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. The UK and France are set to co-chair a meeting with allies later today in a bid to strum up ways to re-open the Strait of Hormuz. The vital waterway, which sits off Iran’s coast, sees around a fifth of the world’s oil supply flow [...]
Original Factory Shop closes all stores amid collapse April 16, 2026 The Original Factory Shop has closed all 137 stores and its head office, after the retailer collapsed into administration amid growing industry fears over weak consumer confidence and high taxes. The discount department store was put into administration along with Claire’s Accessories earlier this year, as private equity firm Modella Capital said government policy was [...]
Hermès and Gucci shares tank in ‘dismal’ week for luxury brands April 16, 2026 Investors have fled from leading luxury stocks like Hermès and Gucci this week after they revealed tumbling sales as a result of the Iran war. The market was quick to respond to the poor results from several top fashion houses, as doubts swirl around the Middle East’s role as a key market for luxury brands. [...]
Octopus CMO Rebecca Dibb-Simkin: I was warned against joining an energy startup April 16, 2026 Octopus CMO Rebecca Dibb-Simkin takes us through her career, from being warned off energy startups to her love of Greggs chicken bakes.
Starmer targets social media giants as Kendall faces AI legal threat April 16, 2026 Sir Keir Starmer has called senior executives from Snap, Tiktok, Snap and Meta into Downing Street, as ministers double crack down on Big Tech’s effects on child safety. The meeting comes as tech secretary Liz Kendall faces mounting scrutiny over the government’s use of AI in the same consultation process. Starmer will tell the firms [...]