UK–GCC Strategic Dialogue 2026 Gains Momentum Under GCC Secretariat Patronage Ahead of Guildhall Forum February 10, 2026 UK–GCC Strategic Dialogue 2026 Gains New Momentum Under GCC Secretariat Patronage Expanded partnership base and growing roster of senior participants reinforce initiative ahead of Guildhall forum in April 2026. London, February 2026—The Business Year (TBY) today announced significant new developments for its UK–GCC Strategic Dialogue, including formal patronage from the GCC Secretariat and a strengthened [...]
American hedge fund relaunches campaign against Scottish investment trust February 10, 2026 The American hedge fund tycoon behind a years-long assault on Britain’s investment trust industry has revived his campaign against a Baillie Gifford-run fund less than a month after being resoundingly defeated by shareholders at a crunch meeting. Saba Capital founder Boaz Weinstein shared an open letter to investors in the Edinburgh Worldwide Investment Trust (Ewit), [...]
Defence and AI drive Europe’s venture capital rebound February 10, 2026 European venture capital (VC) investment rose to €66bn (£57bn) in 2025, up five per cent year on year, as funding flowed into AI and defence tech, according to PitchBook data. The increase marks a post-pandemic high for the region, but reflects a narrowing of investor focus rather than a broad-based recovery. Large late-stage rounds in [...]
Keir Starmer must find ‘more inclusive way’ to run Labour, says Andy Burnham February 10, 2026 Andy Burnham gave Sir Keir Starmer a lukewarm endorsement on Tuesday, urging the Prime Minister to lead a stronger and more united government amid continued questions about his leadership. The Mayor of Greater Manchester called for stability, but argued that this could only be secured through “a more inclusive way of running the party”. “We [...]
Paramount woos Warner Bros investors with regulatory delay payout February 10, 2026 Paramount has upped the ante in its bid for Warner Bros Discovery, adding a so-called ticking fee to its $108bn (£78bn) takeover offer. The move comes as the streaming giant seeks to reassure shareholders amid heightened antitrust scrutiny. Under the revised terms, Paramount Skydance will pay Warner Bros. Discovery investors an additional $0.25 per share [...]
Services sector rebound expected to help economy limp towards growth February 10, 2026 Rachel Reeves is set to breathe a minor sigh of relief at the sight of new economic data this week with the UK economy expected to have limped towards growth in December. A survey of City economists by Bloomberg had projected a 0.1 per cent expansion in December and 0.2 per cent for the fourth-quarter. [...]
Jonathan Barnett: Gareth Bale’s former agent denies ‘sex slave’ claims in full February 10, 2026 The British football super-agent who negotiated Gareth Bale’s world record transfer to Real Madrid, Jonathan Barnett, has denied any wrongdoing after a woman alleged he kept her as a “sex slave” and threatened to kill her. Barnett, 76, is the subject of a range of serious allegations made by an Australian woman in a US [...]
Law Society slams Labour’s ‘crude’ stealth tax on legal clients February 10, 2026 The Law Society issued a blistering response to the government’s proposal to take the interest law firms earn on money sitting in their client accounts, branding it a “fundamentally flawed” sector-specific tax that threatens the stability of the wider UK legal economy. Last month, the Ministry of Justice opened a consultation on a proposal to [...]
Spotify proves raising fees won’t stop listeners February 10, 2026 Spotify’s latest results show that despite prices rising and costs climbing, users are not leaving. The Swedish group added a record number of users in the final quarter of 2025, pushing monthly active users to 751 million and paid subscribers to 290 million. Revenue rose 13 per cent year on year on a constant-currency basis [...]
Should you consider Junior ISAs for your kids? February 10, 2026 The end of the tax year is creeping closer, concentrating the minds of UK savers and investors on the hunt for the best deal. While most of the noise surrounding the 5 April deadline centres on securing the most favourable interest rates on cash ISAs and finding stocks and shares ISA with the lowest fees, [...]