Special relationship: Americans snub champagne in favour of English fizz April 29, 2026 Americans are flocking to English wine and snubbing champagne, the boss of England’s biggest winemaker has said. Kent-based Chapel Down said consumers across the Atlantic are fuelling record demand for English sparkling wine, as the AIM-listed firm bets big on the US market. Chief executive James Pennefather told City AM: “Americans are really embracing Chapel [...]
Number of top rate taxpayers surges as frozen thresholds squeeze Brits April 29, 2026 The number of higher and additional rate taxpayers in the UK has soared since the start of the decade as frozen thresholds have dragged nearly two million into paying higher rates of tax despite not being classified as traditional high-paid professionals. According to the latest personal income statistics from HMRC covering the 2023/24 tax year, [...]
Newcastle United’s Saudi owners in town for stadium discussions April 29, 2026 Newcastle United’s Saudi Arabian owners are on Tyneside this week to discuss the future of St James’ Park and plans for a £100m boost. Whether the Premier League club redevelop their famous ground or build a new one in the adjacent Leazes Park remains a contentious point for the club’s ownership and fanbase. But a [...]
Lloyds fires bank tax warning shot as industry ‘ripe for cash grab’ April 29, 2026 Lloyds Banking Group has warned the Treasury not to look at the banks for a tax raid as the industry sets its sights on booming profits in 2026. The FTSE 100 giant beat profit expectations by a cool £200m in the first-quarter after booking £2bn. This was also followed up by an upgrade to its [...]
Citadel founder questions understanding of private credit risks April 29, 2026 Hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin has questioned whether wealthy individuals understand the risks that come with investing in private credit, as the industry wobbles under pressure from investors looking to pull money out. Griffin, who founded $67bn hedge fund Citadel and trading firm Citadel Securities, is the latest in a string of high-profile financial leaders [...]
The Jury Has Been Announced for the Third Edition of the Reply AI Film Festival, Dedicated to the Best Short Films Generated With Artificial Intelligence April 29, 2026 Gabriele Salvatores, together with Rob Minkoff, Catherine Hardwicke, Jed Weintrob, Christina Lee Storm, Nils Hartmann, Guillem Martinez Roura, Filippo Rizzante, Giacomo Mineo, Brian Welk and Denise Negri, will judge the short films in competition based on creativity, production quality and the use of Artificial Intelligence.
FICO UK Credit Card Market Report: February 2026 April 29, 2026 Balances show signs of stabilising as payment rates trend down, with missed payment balance levels remaining higher than in 2025
AI could trigger a PPI level scandal in ‘two weeks’ April 29, 2026 A multi-billion pound scandal like PPI could happen within just “two weeks” as UK finance firms plough ahead with deploying AI despite uncertainty around governance standards, a fresh report has claimed. The UK’s financial services sector faces a “capability gap” when deploying AI, according to a report from regulatory compliance firm Zango. The research pulled [...]
Everton line up CMC Markets as shirt sponsor in £30m deal April 28, 2026 Everton have struck a shirt-sponsorship deal with CMC Markets that will see the London-listed company replace crypto casino Stake.com as the club’s main partner next season. The agreement comes ahead of an imminent Premier League ban on gambling companies appearing on the front of their shirts and was first reported by Mark Kleinman of Sky [...]
Lloyds hit with highest FCA complaints as finance firms fork out £240m April 28, 2026 Lloyds Banking Group led the pack as the most complained about financial services group in the second half of 2025 as the industry forked out a near-quarter of a billion pounds to dissatisfied customers. Across its subsidiaries, the FTSE 100 giant was hit with a storm of 187,516 grievances to the UK’s financial watchdog in [...]