CMA launches antitrust probe into Hollywood’s mega merger June 9, 2026 The UK’s competition watchdog has launched a formal merger enquiry into Paramount Skydance’s anticipated $110bn (£86bn) acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery, escalating the regulatory hurdles facing a deal that has already triggered a fierce, multi-front corporate war over Hollywood jobs and executive payouts. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced Tuesday it has commenced its [...]
‘Reason to be optimistic’: Hospitality bosses say World Cup a lifeline for pubs June 9, 2026 Pub bosses are hoping for a much-needed boost from the World Cup this summer, as the hospitality industry warns of a crushing tax and cost burden. Leading pub chains Greene King and JD Wetherspoon have told City AM they are hoping for a “useful boost” to counteract the “layering of costs” they have faced in [...]
Government to invest £3m in five new cricket domes June 9, 2026 The Government is investing £3m into the construction of five new cricket domes as plans to increase participation in the sport ramp up. The state contribution will help communities in Birmingham, Derby, Newcastle, Bolton and Nottingham after an initial three domes were opened in the West Midlands, Bradford and Lancashire. A further £1.5m was committed [...]
Lloyds taps $160bn fintech giant to boost small business tech June 9, 2026 Lloyds Bank has sealed a partnership with a $160bn (£119bn) fintech giant to ramp up its payments tech for small-business clients. The blue-chip banking giant has agreed a tie-up with Stripe that will see Lloyds leverage the fintech’s payment infrastructure to provide a suite of tools for its small-business customers. The new offering, named Lloyds Accept, [...]
Molten Ventures shares surge as it offloads Revolut stake June 9, 2026 Shares in Molten Ventures surged on Tuesday morning after the startup investor confirmed it had sold down its stake in Revolut. The FTSE 250 firm said it made £63m from the share sale, adding that it still had a stake in the company worth more than £100m following the disposal. Molten was an early investor [...]
Palantir to sue Khan over blocked Met police contract June 9, 2026 Palantir is set to sue Sadiq Khan after the London Mayor blocked a £50m contract with the Metropolitan Police, claiming the tech giant does not reflect the City’s values. In May, Khan vetoed the deal in which Palantir would have supported Scotland Yard with AI technology, over concerns about the Met’s procurement process, claiming they had failed [...]
Banks ‘not ready’ for motor finance scheme, says City watchdog June 9, 2026 The City watchdog has warned that motor finance lenders are “not as ready as we would expect” for the introduction of its long-awaited redress scheme. Nikhil Rathi, chief executive of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), has written to the Treasury Committee following inquiries around the legal challenges to its car mis-selling scheme. The regulator published [...]
Regulator opens probe into PwC over WH Smith audit debacle June 9, 2026 The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has launched an investigation into PwC over its audit of WH Smith that resulted in delayed annual results last year. Last August, WH Smith shares plummeted by up to 40 per cent after it admitted to an accounting error that overstated expected headline trading profit in its North American business [...]
Platini sues Fifa and president Infantino over alleged plot to topple him June 9, 2026 Former Uefa president Michel Platini is suing Fifa boss Gianni Infantino, accusing him and two others of plotting against him and ending his chances of landing football’s top job. Platini’s lawyers have announced that they are bringing legal action in Paris against Infantino and two former Fifa officials, legal director Marco Villiger and audit chair [...]
Alumni Ventures Expands to UK with new London Office and Launches Global Alumni Syndicate June 9, 2026 Leading US venture capital firm opens first office outside North America in London, launches a new UK affiliate, and opens new community for internationally-minded qualified investors