CMA launches antitrust probe into Hollywood’s mega merger June 9, 2026 The UK’s competition watchdog has launched a formal merger enquiry into Paramount Skydance’s anticipated $110bn (£86bn) acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery, escalating the regulatory hurdles facing a deal that has already triggered a fierce, multi-front corporate war over Hollywood jobs and executive payouts. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced Tuesday it has commenced its [...]
‘Reason to be optimistic’: Hospitality bosses say World Cup a lifeline for pubs June 9, 2026 Pub bosses are hoping for a much-needed boost from the World Cup this summer, as the hospitality industry warns of a crushing tax and cost burden. Leading pub chains Greene King and JD Wetherspoon have told Morning Wire they are hoping for a “useful boost” to counteract the “layering of costs” they have faced in [...]
‘Course correction’: UK economy to contract as ‘energy shock catches up’ June 9, 2026 The UK economy is expected to contract despite a boost at the start of the year, with economists warning that the war in Iran’s energy price shock will now show up in fresh data. Economists believe that the UK economy declined by 0.1 per cent in April. Official figures will be published on Friday. The [...]
Government to invest £3m in five new cricket domes June 9, 2026 The Government is investing £3m into the construction of five new cricket domes as plans to increase participation in the sport ramp up. The state contribution will help communities in Birmingham, Derby, Newcastle, Bolton and Nottingham after an initial three domes were opened in the West Midlands, Bradford and Lancashire. A further £1.5m was committed [...]
Nail your hospitality package this summer with Exact Lifestyle June 9, 2026 A hospitality package can make or break a trip to a summer sporting event. Exact Lifestyle can make sure everything goes according to plan With Exact Lifestyle, I have spent years arranging access to some of the UK’s most sought-after events, from sporting finals to sold out stadium gigs. Over the years, I’ve learnt that the [...]
Lloyds taps $160bn fintech giant to boost small business tech June 9, 2026 Lloyds Bank has sealed a partnership with a $160bn (£119bn) fintech giant to ramp up its payments tech for small-business clients. The blue-chip banking giant has agreed a tie-up with Stripe that will see Lloyds leverage the fintech’s payment infrastructure to provide a suite of tools for its small-business customers. The new offering, named Lloyds Accept, [...]
Fifa charging World Cup fans £59 for ‘shoutouts’ in new money-making scheme June 9, 2026 Fifa is charging football fans £59 to have their name announced before matches at the 2026 World Cup, which starts this week. For $79 (£59), supporters can buy a “Super Shoutout” to have their name read out and appear on the stadium scoreboard before any fixture at the World Cup. It is the latest money-making [...]
Britain to offer visa refunds to woo tech scale-ups June 9, 2026 The government will reimburse visa fees for high-growth firms hiring overseas talent as ministers step up efforts to turn Britain’s most promising scale-ups into global tech champions. Business secretary Peter Kyle is set to unveil a package of measures aimed at helping fast-growing companies “start, scale and stay” in the UK, including a new concierge-style [...]
‘Novel and extreme’: Analysts calls out SpaceX governance days before IPO June 9, 2026 Analysts and major institutional investors have expressed alarm over the corporate governance of SpaceX as its Wall Street debut creeps closer. The concerns from institutional investors, in particular public pension funds, over corporate governance at Elon Musk’s space tech company “run deep”, with firms in New York and California deeming the structure “novel and extreme”. [...]
Molten Ventures shares surge as it offloads Revolut stake June 9, 2026 Shares in Molten Ventures surged on Tuesday morning after the startup investor confirmed it had sold down its stake in Revolut. The FTSE 250 firm said it made £63m from the share sale, adding that it still had a stake in the company worth more than £100m following the disposal. Molten was an early investor [...]