Roblox rival Rec Room to shut down after losses March 31, 2026 A major rival to Roblox is shutting down after failing to turn its large user base into a profitable business, 10 years after its launch. Rec Room said it will close on June 1, despite having attracted more than 150 million players and creators and reaching a valuation of $3.5bn (£2.65bn) at its peak. In [...]
Awful April: brace for a wave of stealth tax rises March 31, 2026 April is upon us and the new tax year will usher in a range of tax hikes, despite the absence of any headline rate rises, with frozen thresholds, shrinking allowances and tighter reliefs set to hit families, workers and savers. The harsh impact will also be felt as Brits are hit with a wave of [...]
Marmite maker Unilever creates food empire in $45bn merger March 31, 2026 Unilever has sealed a $45bn merger of its food brands with US spice and seasoning giant McCormick, forging a $60bn food empire in which the London-based firm holds a majority stake. Unilever and its shareholders will own 65 per cent in the new body, with the firm receiving $15.7bn (£11.6bn) in cash and the equivalent [...]
Michele Kang committed to funding London City Lionesses after £10.6m loss March 31, 2026 London City Lionesses chiefs insist Michele Kang will continue to fund the club’s growth after they posted a £10.6m loss for the 2024-25 season, when they won promotion to the Women’s Super League. US billionaire Kang, who also owns French side OL Lyonnes and NWSL team Washington Spirit, injected £12.5m into London City Lionesses via [...]
How VCL is modernising the whisky cask market March 31, 2026 In the world of alternative investments, few assets carry the allure of a Scotch whisky cask. For centuries, this liquid gold has aged in the quiet shadows of Scottish warehouses, governed by tradition, family lineages, and a “gentleman’s agreement” style of business. However, this charm masked a systemic problem that Benjamin Lancaster, Founder and Partner [...]
German backers of Olympia redevelopment add new £500m investment March 31, 2026 The German investors behind the redevelopment of Kensington’s Olympia exhibition centre have committed an additional £500m as the consortium refinances the project. Deutsche Bank AG will hand a £900m loan to the consortium behind the project, which includes German pension fund Bayerische Versorgungskammer and insurer Versorgungskammer Bayern. The project is one of London’s biggest regeneration [...]
Deutsche Bank hit with £700m lawsuit in London by former executives March 31, 2026 Four former Deutsche Bank executives have filed a £700m legal action in the High Court alleging the bank conspired to injure them by “unlawful means.” The history of the claim stems from a decade-long saga that began with the Monte dei Paschi di Siena (MPS) scandal, which led to criminal convictions that have now been [...]
Softr Unveils an AI-Native Platform, Ushering in a New Era of Business Software Creation Without Code March 31, 2026 New AI-platform enables non-tech teams to build fully functional, secure applications for real business operations, not just prototypes
Motor finance compensation to ‘to fire starting gun’ on banking M&A March 31, 2026 The financial watchdog’s long-awaited motor finance redress scheme is predicted to “fire the starting gun” on a wave of deals throughout the banking sector. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) launched the final rules for its redress programme on Monday, with the bill for lenders expected to come in at just north of £9bn, down from [...]
Energy price cap set to jump as consumers brace for soaring bills March 31, 2026 The Ofgem energy price cap is expected to leap by 18 per cent after June as households brace for the impact of spiralling oil and gas prices. Energy consultancy firm Cornwall Insight has forecast the average annual energy bill to be set by the regulator Ofgem at £1,929 in July. It would represent a £288 [...]