KBRA Assigns Preliminary Ratings and Publishes Ratings for DFMG Holding GmbH October 5, 2026 KBRA Europe (KBRA) assigns its BBB+ preliminary ratings to DFMG Holding GmbH’s EUR [•] senior secured notes. KBRA also publishes the issuer rating of BBB and senior secured ratings of BBB+ for DFMG Holding GmbH. These ratings were assigned on an unpublished basis on 2 December 2025. The Outlook is Stable. GD Towers Holding GmbH [...]
Jeremy Clarkson at Tory conference: ‘Why would anybody set up a business in this country?’ October 5, 2026 Jeremy Clarkson hit out at the Labour government over its decision in 2024 to impose higher inheritance taxes on farming land two days before Tory leader Kemi Badenoch is expected to call for a cut. Clarkson said government officials failed to understand the impact of changes facing family farms as some owners had to sell [...]
UK bank bosses and John Healey set for tax showdown October 5, 2026 When banking lobbyists geared up for an offensive ahead of the 2025 Budget, a tax cut barely made the wishlist. Modest in their ambitions, advocates were preparing to settle for anything that didn’t see their already eye-wateringly high tax bill rise. That is until, City AM understands, officials advised them to make a cut a [...]
Sainsbury’s and Morrisons held talks over blockbuster merger October 5, 2026 Sainsbury’s walked away from talks over a merger with smaller rival Morrisons earlier this year, shelving what would have been the biggest shake-up of the UK’s grocery market in decades. The UK’s second-largest supermarket chain held preliminary talks with its private-equity-owned rival over a merger of the two firms between November 2025 and February this [...]
Shock boardroom shake-up as Sunderland chief exits October 5, 2026 Sunderland have parted company with interim chief executive Tom Burwell in a shock move after just five months as the Black Cats’ top man. The club said their majority owner, 29-year-old Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, will take charge of day-to-day operations at Sunderland, who this year are playing in the Europa League. Burwell’s abrupt departure comes 24 [...]
The search for Nigel Farage’s elusive wristwatch October 5, 2026 We investigate the mystery of Nigel Farage’s wristwatch. Could the so-called man of the people really wear a £40,000 Patek Philippe Calatrava? Andy Blackmore starts digging and finds a surprising answer… Sometimes the watch we wear tells more about us than we would care to admit, far more than any session with a psychologist. With that [...]
Britain loses over half its billionaire wealth in two years October 5, 2026 Britain has shed more than half its billionaire wealth in the past two years, fresh research has shown, reviving fears over the scale of the UK’s wealth exodus just days after it emerged that one of the country’s richest men has moved to Monaco. According to an analysis of the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, super-rich UK [...]
New car smell: Taking the fragrant new Omoda 7 for a spin October 5, 2026 Can you bottle that new car smell? Adam Hay-Nicholls goes on a scent tour of the Cotswolds in the new Omoda 7 hybrid electric vehicle Could you bottle that ‘new car smell’, you’d be on to a winner. That’s the bracing odour of a bold financial decision. That odour is a cocktail of volatile organic [...]
Virgin Media takes aim at ‘stitch up’ BT rescue of Talktalk October 5, 2026 Virgin Media has hit out at BT’s rescue of Talktalk as a “stitch up”, warning the deal could further strengthen its rival’s grip on Britain’s broadband market. BT agreed on Monday to acquire debt-laden Talktalk and its wholesale arm PlatformX Communications out of administration, safeguarding services for 1.5 million retail customers and one million wholesale [...]
Lidl doubles down on loyalty pricing despite Aldi attacks October 5, 2026 Lidl grew its profit and revenue last year after pulling in an additional 43m shopping trips, as the discount grocer doubled down on its loyalty price scheme. The German firm and rival Aldi have swept to dominance of the budget grocer market in recent decades, but Aldi has hit out at its competitors for allegedly [...]