Chelsea hit with £11m fine and Premier League transfer ban March 16, 2026 Chelsea have been slapped with a £11m fine and a transfer ban for breaching Premier League rules under their previous ownership. An investigation into the London club found “undisclosed payments by third parties associated with the club were made to players, unregistered agents and other third parties” between 2011 and 2018, when the club was [...]
‘We can only hold back the tide for so long’: Edinburgh trust urges investors to back exit plan March 16, 2026 The chair of one of Britain’s oldest investment trusts has urged its shareholders to back its proposed exit plan, saying the board had “exhausted all other options” in its bid to prevent a US activist investor from seizing control of the trust. Jonathan Simpson-Dent told investors that Edinburgh Worldwide Investment Trust (Ewit) remained under “persistent [...]
Alcohol-free beer and hummus: Trendy food transforms inflation basket March 16, 2026 Healthy food and personal security products have dominated the list of additions to the Office for National Statistics’ basket of goods, which is used to calculate CPI inflation each month. Alcohol-free beer, hummus and baby food are among the new entries in the inflation basket of goods, it has been revealed. The revisions to the [...]
Carabao Cup: Energy drink’s lager set for UK after deal extension March 16, 2026 Energy drink Carabao has extended its sponsorship of the League Cup through until the end of the decade in a deal that will see the UK launch of Carabao Lager. Manchester City and Arsenal clash in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final at Wembley with the match’s title sponsor agreeing a further two-year deal with the EFL [...]
Labour’s inheritance tax reforms face legal test as farmers argue unlawful consultation March 16, 2026 The UK government is set to defend its inheritance tax raid on agricultural assets and family firms in the High Court this week. The proposed changes to agricultural property relief (APR) and business property relief (BPR) represent one of the biggest shifts in UK inheritance tax (IHT) policy in decades. After a year of protests [...]
Chinese online retailer takes on Amazon March 16, 2026 Chinese retail giant JD.com has mounted a challenge to Amazon’s control of the home-delivery market with its UK launch of online shop Joybuy. The platform will offer big-name brands including Apple, Samsung and Lego and is taking on Amazon’s reputation for speedy delivery with its “Double 11” promise – meaning orders placed before 11am will [...]
Starmer: ‘Viable plan’ needed for Trump’s Strait of Hormuz request March 16, 2026 Sir Keir Starmer has said he is still in discussions to draw up a “viable, collective plan” with European allies in response to President Trump’s call for help in the Strait of Hormuz. In a press conference on Monday, the Prime Minister insisted that the country would “not be drawn into the wider war” in [...]
Rooftop hospitality at Cheltenham Festival after £100m Jockey Club deal March 16, 2026 The Jockey Club has agreed a £100m investment deal with Levy in a move that will see major upgrades to the Cheltenham Festival and Epsom Derby. The agreement, with the sport division of Compass Group, will span 20 years and see the Jockey Club seek to enhance the “spectator experience across their UK racecourses”. Chief [...]
Government overhauls FOS to curb ‘quasi-regulator’ role March 16, 2026 The government has announced the most significant overhaul of the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) since its inception. Following a public consultation held last year that sought views on how to address concerns, it was found that in a small but significant minority of cases, the FOS has acted as a ‘quasi-regulator’. As part of the [...]
Dragons Den star steps in to save Robert Dyas March 16, 2026 A former Dragons Den star has stepped in to “steady the ship” at a beloved high street hardware store as losses climb. Theo Paphitis, who owns a string of retailers, has installed himself as interim chief executive at Robert Dyas, as the home improvement and electrical appliance seller battles “testing times”. Paphitis bought the retailer [...]