Judge casts doubt on future of WH Smith replacement TG Jones
Mr Justice Hildyard, who approved rescue plan in July, said turnaround plan came with ‘very considerable’ risks
Crime & Courts
‘Leicester Square, please guv’: Self-driving taxis cleared for London streets ‘later this summer’
The taxi app company Uber and the autonomous technology developer Wayve have been granted the first minicab licences in London, allowing them to offer self-driving taxi rides to paying customers – but with a human safet…
Sweltering summer lifts Next sales as profit outlook upgraded again
Next has raised hopes that UK shoppers are still willing to spend despite pressures on household budgets, after the hot summer boosted its clothing sales.
Artificial Intelligence Consortium minutes – June 2026
Co-chair David Geale welcomed attendees to the AI Consortium’s (AIC) fourth quarterly meeting, held at the FCA’s offices. Co-chair Sarah Breeden noted that the rapid pace of AI development in financial services undersco…
Gulf oil exports steady in July despite fighting, still below pre-war levels
The International Monetary Fund released its July 2026 World Economic Outlook Update on Tuesday — and within 24 hours, the single most important assumption the entire report rests on had begun to collapse. The fund's pr…
FCA simplifies IPO rules to support UK listings
Companies will benefit from easier initial public offering (IPO) listings thanks to changes to the rules from the FCA.
Houthis say they struck Saudi ship in Red Sea, denting Mideast peace hopes
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday, July 8, an interim agreement to end the war with Iran was “over” after Tehran carried out new attacks on US bases in the Gulf.
AI models shock UK testers by using stolen identities to trick developers
AI Security Institute says models by Open AI and Anthropic went rogue during a cybersecurity test and showed a new type of risk
Video game maker EA bought by Saudi-led group for $55bn
Electronic Arts, the maker of video games such as The Sims, Madden NFL and Battlefield, has been bought by Saudi Arabia’s wealth fund and a group of investors for $55bn (£41bn).
Mideast deal hopes; SpaceX, AMD earnings in focus - what’s moving markets
August 5, 2026, 3:53 AM EDT.IPOs such as SpaceX and ChangXin Memory Technologies have generated worldwide interest, particularly across the tech and AI sectors. Still, with founders trying to maximize returns and invest…
Palantir paid just £2m corporation tax in UK in 2024 despite lucrative public sector contracts
Software group benefits from global systems and accounting practices ‘that enable tax to be shirked’, says union boss
Bank battle: history suggests Burnham faces fight if he opts for windfall tax
It has been a stellar week for UK banks. Fuelled by high interest rates and market turbulence rippling out from the US war on Iran, major lenders have revealed soaring half-year profits that allowed bosses to boost bonu…
Federal Reserve Board announces approval of the application by FS Bancorp, Inc.
Circle Internet Group received final approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency on Friday to establish First National Digital Currency Bank, N.A. — a federally chartered national trust bank that will op…
Trump administration reportedly drafting ban on Chinese datacenter components
Trump’s FCC is developing a measure to bar US imports of new models of Chinese datacenter devices, sources say
Federal Reserve Board announces approval of the application by Coastal Bend Bancshares, Inc.
The Federal Reserve Board on Tuesday announced its approval of the application by Coastal Bend Bancshares, Inc., of Corpus Christi, Texas, to acquire First National Bank in Port Lavaca, of Port Lavaca, Texas.
Revealed: major oil firms make $93bn profits amid war and climate crisis
Eight of the biggest oil companies amassed profits of more than $90bn (£67bn) in just three months as the Iran conflict sent energy prices soaring and the emissions-fuelled climate crisis caused deadly heatwaves.
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey gives UK poetry sales an epic boost
Poetry sales surpassed £8m in the first 30 weeks of 2026 and are expected to reach a record high this year thanks to blockbuster adaptation of Homer’s 2,700-year-old poem
David Ellison claims opposition to his mega-merger stems from potential CNN control
With his $111bn deal to acquire the cable network’s parent company stalled in the courts, Ellison took to courting the public
Bessent says U.S. could have deal with Iran "today or tomorrow"
Oil prices turn lower as Bessent says U.S. may have Iran deal "today or tomorrow"
Gatwick airport to open second runway after legal challenge fails
Gatwick airport is to start development of its second runway after campaigners lost a legal challenge to the plans.
Calls for UK bank tax to fund cost of living help as HSBC profits hit £7.5bn
Campaigners have renewed calls for a windfall tax on UK banks that could raise £19bn towards Andy Burnham’s cost of living agenda, after HSBC raked in $10.1bn (£7.5bn) worth of profits in the second quarter of the year.
UK plastic ‘waste colonialism’ found to be polluting Turkey’s farming heartland
A Guardian investigation finds irrigation canals polluted with microplastics in Turkey, a major destination for UK waste
Tribunal upholds FCA ban on pair involved in pension transfer advice and reduces fines
The Upper Tribunal upheld the FCA's decision to ban Richard Fenech and Heather Dunne from working in financial services.
Secondhand EV leasing hits the fast lane as more UK drivers explore ways to cut motoring costs
Numbers using finance rises 170% in a year as leasing firms boom alongside leapin secondhand vehicle supply and surging fuel prices