Championship play-offs: More clubs to get shot at football’s richest game March 5, 2026 English clubs have been given an extra chance to win the richest game in football after teams in the EFL approved a change to the format of the Championship play-offs. From next season, the play-offs will expand from four teams to six – meaning clubs will only have to finish in the top eight of [...]
Less magic, more panic in Disney’s AI deal March 5, 2026 It was always going to happen, wasn’t it? The moment AI video tools became proficient enough to conjure something that looked vaguely like a princess, or a Jedi, Disney would ultimately have to choose: spend the next decade playing a game of Whac-A-Mole in court, or license its assets in-house. The House of Mouse, it [...]
Watch: War brings Reeves’ failures into focus March 5, 2026 War in the Middle East rendered the Chancellor’s Spring Statement “irrelevant” according to City analysts as the economic impacts of the Iran conflict become frighteningly clear. Rachel Reeves made just a passing mention of the Iran war when she addressed MPs on Tuesday, referring briefly to global instability while trying to paint a picture of [...]
Exclusive: Frasers Group acquires stake in athletic giant Puma March 5, 2026 Frasers Group has taken a stake in athletic giant Puma, City AM can reveal. Retail giant Frasers has acquired 246,000 shares in the athletic group, according to German filings published on Thursday. Puma’s share price currently stands at €22.50, meaning this 5.77 per cent stake is worth more than €5.5m. Frasers Group, founded by British [...]
Estate agency Foxtons says ‘government-driven’ costs harming bottom line March 5, 2026 Leading estate agency Foxtons has hit out at the “strain” caused by national insurance and minimum wage hikes as it contends with a “challenging” market. The firm said “government-driven” pressures are harming its bottom line, as revenue growth was “offset” by increased external costs. The Labour government is facing increasing pressure from business to address [...]
Double-digit profits at Admiral as dividends rise for shareholders March 5, 2026 FTSE 100 listed insurer Admiral reported double-digit profit growth over the last financial year, as the group pivots itself toward high-tech commercial insurance. The group profit before tax rose 16 per cent to £958m – up from £827m in 2024 – as its UK motor division surpassed the £1bn profit mark. Its other UK personal [...]
Entain losses deepen as Budget gambling tax bites March 5, 2026 Britain’s new gambling tax regime has delivered an early sting for Entain, pushing the Ladbrokes owner to a wider annual loss even as its core betting business continued to grow. The FTSE-listed bookmaker said it swung to a loss of £681m for 2025, compared with £461m a year earlier, after booking a £488m impairment linked to [...]
BearingPoint delivers over €1 billion in revenue for the third year running March 5, 2026 BearingPoint reports strong revenue of €1.026 billion ($1.160 billion) The management and technology consultancy added more than 320 new clients and delivered over 2,200 projects in 26 countries More than 1,000 new colleagues joined the firm, strengthening its global capabilities New products gained significant market traction Strategy 2030 continues to drive future growth and international expansion
English rugby is on brink of seismic change. It mustn’t fumble at the try line March 5, 2026 Ed Warner was part of the group that has recommended major changes to the way English rugby is governed. He explains why this is a generational opportunity. This is news overload time for English rugby. The men’s national team wilting twice in the Six Nations under weighty expectations, debate about the possible impact of head [...]
How sectarian is London’s politics? March 5, 2026 If the by-election in Gorton and Denton is a seismic event, then the aftershocks will be felt by Londoners in borough elections across the capital in May, writes James Ford By-elections are often exceptional, aberrant outliers from normal politics. The full attention of party campaign strategists and the national press are ruthlessly trained on a [...]