The remote Maldives island blending local culture with luxury September 18, 2025 We all do the same thing when we arrive in paradise. Snap-happy eager beavers, scrambling to photograph the first swinging hammock, the first lopsided shell, the welcome coconut drink raised towards the sea, held out like a newborn Simba over Pride Rock. Arriving at Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru in the Maldives, you will undoubtedly do this. [...]
Mercury13 acquires Bristol City as fund expands into English football September 18, 2025 Women’s football investment fund Mercury13 has entered the English market, acquiring a majority stake in second tier Bristol City Women. The Juan Mata and Giorgio Chiellini-backed investment vehicle is adding to its portfolio, which counts FC Como Women as its crown jewel, by forging a presence in the West Country. The deal, subject to league [...]
Next share price slumps on gloomy prediction for UK economy September 18, 2025 Next shares sunk on Thursday morning after the retailer issued a stark warning that the UK faces ‘anaemic’ growth due to a combination of technological and regulatory changes. Despite reporting a 10 per cent rise in half-year sales, the FTSE100 company flagged “strong evidence” of a material squeeze on wider UK employment levels due to [...]
Was Trump right about “horrible” and “lousy” Battersea? September 18, 2025 Donald Trump may well swing by the new US Embassy in Nine Elms during the state visit, so does he still hate it? President Trump, on his September U.K. visit, will possibly swing by the US Embassy, the imposing glass block located in Nine Elms, between Vauxhall and Battersea Power Station. What would be interesting [...]
Greg Jackson spins off Kraken from Octopus Energy September 18, 2025 Greg Jackson’s Octopus Energy has announced the spin-off of its technology arm Kraken to become a standalone business. The group said the move is aimed at “speeding up the platform’s expansion across the globe” and allowing Kraken to “fast-track investments into its technology, expand into new energy markets and regions, and drive innovation”. Kraken has [...]
Aon’s tech startup approach is redefining life insurance September 18, 2025 When Michelle Lister joined Aon to startup a life consulting practice, she didn’t expect to find a high-performing GPU based life actuarial software ready to use for her projects. But that’s exactly what happened. “The draw was the excitement of having this startup of a business within a global corporate,” says Lister, now UK/EMEA head [...]
Ben Proud’s Enhanced Games switch puts pressure IOC to use its $5bn September 18, 2025 Rather than wondering why Ben Proud would sign up for the Enhanced Games, it is better to ask why he wouldn’t. The British swimmer’s commitment to the competition with an “anything goes” attitude to performance-enhancing drugs is a wake-up call for the Olympic movement. Money, as ever, lies at the heart of the matter. Proud [...]
What the US tech investments tell us about the UK’s public markets September 18, 2025 There was some debate in the City AM newsroom on Tuesday over which story should grace the front page yesterday. On the one hand, news of £30bn worth of tech investment offered the kind of optimism we’re always looking out for, but on the other hand news came that global fund managers were pulling out [...]
Labour warned Employment Rights Bill will damage jobs market September 17, 2025 Labour’s Employment Rights Bill must be changed immediately to prevent the UK’s jobs market crisis from worsening, top business groups have warned Peter Kyle in a last-ditch attempt to secure growth-focused changes. The government’s workers’ rights reforms have faced strong opposition from thousands of businesses across the UK, with bodies representing their interests claiming changes [...]
A French city break with amazing food, wine and hotels September 17, 2025 Our food columnist and restaurateur Martin Williams takes a city break to Limoges in south-west France Famous for its AOP-protected cattle, veal and lamb, along with the only apple to enjoy AOP status, the city is of Limoges is not just known for its food: it is renowned for producing some of the finest porcelain [...]