Netflix has agreed an $83bn takeover of Warner Bros, combining major film and TV assets to form a global entertainment giant. The deal will proceed alongside a spin-off of cable operations. Regulators will review the merger; both sides expect cost savings and stronger streaming scale.
Owners of high-value homes are trimming asking prices to slip just below new thresholds dubbed a “mansion tax” from the Budget. Agents say the practice is widespread and will cut stamp duty receipts, challenging Treasury forecasts, though some analysts expect the overall impact to be modest.
Economists have warned the Chancellor that raising the higher income tax rate would affect millions of workers, including teachers and police officers. Reeves is reportedly considering breaking Labour’s manifesto pledge to ease spending pressures.
Greater Manchester Police has admitted that officers shot and killed a man they believed to be the lone attacker in Heaton Park.
The US and UK are racing to seal high-value pacts on nuclear power, technology and Scotch whisky ahead of Mr Trump’s state visit, with ministers negotiating data-sovereignty terms for a new OpenAI centre, weighing billions in investment and managing the fallout from Peter Mandelson’s ambassadorship dispute.
Shares in Britain’s biggest banks tumbled on speculation that the chancellor may impose a profits surcharge to bolster strained public finances, extending a four-day FTSE 100 slide even as Labour sought to play down prospects of an extra levy.
Powell’s remarks at Jackson Hole signalled that the Fed will likely cut interest rates next month, prompting Western equity markets to rise as the dollar softened amid growing trade tensions.
By overturning a Court of Appeal decision, the Supreme Court has sharply reduced lenders’ exposure to billions of pounds in compensation claims over undisclosed commissions on car finance arrangements, though regulators may yet pursue narrower redress.
Global cryptocurrency valuations have surged to a record $4tn, buoyed by fresh US legislation promising clearer rules, Bitcoin’s climb past $125,000 and Donald Trump’s vow to expose pension savings to digital assets, while critics caution that wider adoption could amplify systemic risks.
Brussels is preparing an annual levy for large corporations to help fund a €1tn EU budget, prompting debate over the potential economic impact on businesses.