‘Downfall’: Home REIT faces SFO probe into suspected bribery and fraud January 14, 2026 The UK’s top financial crime unit has unveiled a major probe into the past management of Home REIT after identifying as much as £300m in suspected fraud and bribery. The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) said it has carried out raids and arrests into the former London-listed social housing company, including searches at homes in Altrincham, [...]
Big Tech steps up energy hiring as grid creaks under AI pressure January 14, 2026 Big Tech is increasingly recruiting energy specialists as access to electricity becomes a central constraint on the expansion of AI infrastructure. Energy-related hiring at tech firms rose 34 per cent year on year in 2024, according to Workforce.ai data, and has remained around 30 per cent above pre-2022 levels. The increase reflects growing demand for [...]
Mayfair-based The Arts Club plunges to £4m loss after wellness venture sours January 14, 2026 One of the swankiest private members clubs in central London has bemoaned a “challenging economic backdrop” after it suffered a loss of nearly £4m. Mayfair-based The Arts Club, which was founded in the 1860s by Charles Dickens and Anthony Trollope and has been frequented by the likes of Beyoncé, Jessie J and Pippa Middleton, incurred [...]
How Exclusive Collection’s Danny Pecorelli built the top luxury corporate hotel group in the land January 13, 2026 As managing director of Exclusive Collection, Danny Pecorelli oversees one of the country’s most distinctive luxury hotel groups, with a portfolio that spans country house hotels, a gastro pub, destination spas, Michelin-starred dining, golf, cookery schools and some of the most sought-after corporate meeting spaces in the UK. Born into the business his father founded [...]
Turtle Bay: Founder criticises ‘unhelpful’ Reeves’ tax raid after huge loss January 13, 2026 Caribbean restaurant and bar chain Turtle Bay has hit out at the “unhelpful” Labour government whose tax “raid” contributed to it slumping into the red. The Bristol-headquartered business, which was set up in 2010 by Ajith Jaya-Wickrema and Stephen Entwistle, cited Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ increase in employers’ National Insurance as a reason for it falling to [...]
Data centre planning applications rocketed more than 60 per cent in 2025 January 13, 2026 Data centre planning applications hit an all-time high in the UK in 2025, City AM can reveal, as investors rushed to gain a foothold in the burgeoning AI market. More than 60 separate planning applications for the construction of new data centres were filed in England and Wales over the course of the year, according [...]
Inside the new White Lotus season 4 hotel – as show axes Four Seasons January 12, 2026 Inside the new White Lotus hotel in St Tropez It is common for travel journalists to be gifted a bottle of champagne or a box of chocolates when they check into a room. But when I checked into my room at Les Airelles Courchevel, I found a feather-lined ski coat, woolly hat, neck warmer, socks, [...]
AI and defence demand for chips sends IQE shares soaring January 12, 2026 Shares in semiconductor giant IQE surged 25 per cent to 9.18p on Monday morning, after the wafer supplier said it expects its full year results to hit the upper end of its guidance, thanks to a recovery in AI and defence-related demand. The Cardiff-based company now forecasts 2025 revenue of around £97m, and adjusted earnings [...]
London homeowners most likely to make a loss upon selling their home January 12, 2026 London homeowners are most likely to make a loss upon selling their house as prices in the capital continue to drop. In 2025, nearly 15 per cent of Londoners sold their home for less than they bought it, the highest proportion in England and Wales, according to analysis from real estate agent Hamptons, well above [...]
On this day 1799: Britain’s first income tax January 9, 2026 On this day, 9 January 1799, Britain introduced its first 'temporary' income tax. Workers have been vexed ever since, writes Eliot Wilson.