Standard Life has agreed to acquire Aegon UK in a £2 billion deal that will create the UK's largest retirement savings and income business, with approximately 16 million customers and around £480bn in assets under administration. The FTSE 100 group, which was formerly known as Phoenix Gr
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Uganda's chief of defence forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, son of President Yoweri Museveni, has issued a striking ultimatum to Turkey via social media, demanding $1 billion and "the most beautiful woman in that country" as his wife. The posts, published on X on 11 April 2026, gave Ankara a 30-d
Financial regulators and top UK banks are holding urgent talks over cybersecurity risks posed by Claude Mythos Preview, a new AI model from Anthropic capable of detecting vulnerabilities in critical systems that have gone undetected for decades. Officials from the Bank of England, the Financial Cond
A Bellshill-based IT services provider has been sold out of administration, with the transfer of the business and all 49 employees to the buyer, Aspire Technology Solutions. Founded in 1988, NVT Group Limited provided IT managed services and consultancy to a broad client base across multiple sectors
Lloyds Banking Group has become what is believed to be the first FTSE 100 company to deploy a specialist artificial intelligence "board bot" in its boardroom, as the 260-year-old bank accelerates its transformation into what it describes as "the UK's biggest fintech". Executives and board members ha
A new joint report from Forbes and market research firm Statista has named Nationwide Building Society as the UK's top banking institution. The report, which surveyed over 54,000 people across 34 countries in 17 languages between October and November 2025, assessed institutions on five key criteria:
SNP leader John Swinney has promised that private tenants will be given the right of first refusal when a landlord decides to sell their home, if his party wins the upcoming Scottish elections. Under the proposal, renters would be granted an exclusive period in which to purchase the property at a fa
Significant numbers of people in the UK have the money but lack knowledge, confidence or time to invest, new analysis from Rathbones Group suggests. The wealth and asset management firm's survey of 3,092 UK adults reveals three in ten (30%) UK adults say they lack the knowledge to manage their
Commercial property consultancy Ryden has announced a series of internal promotions and a key strategic hire in Aberdeen. Daniel Stalker has been promoted to partner in the investment team, while Cameron Whyte becomes partner in the agency team in Edinburgh.
Around 300,000 people working from home in the UK will lose their annual home working allowance from this Monday (April 6th). Research by Azets, which has offices in Aberdeen, Ayr, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Perth, shows that HMRC estimates the abolition measure for homeworkers will save &pou
Mortgage Advice Bureau's (MAB) network partner in Scotland has announced the appointment of Mark Collender as later life adviser, strengthening its specialist capability in later life lending and equity release advice. With 34 years’ experience in financial services, Mr Collender has held both
The accountancy regulator has issued what it describes as the world's first guidance on the use of artificial intelligence in auditing, making clear that firms cannot hold the technology responsible when things go wrong. Mark Babington, executive director of regulatory standards at the Financial Rep
Continued collaboration is needed at Aberdeenshire Council to address an £81 million budget gap over the coming years, the Accounts Commission has warned. The council has clear priorities, but it must address current and future financial challenges, including undelivered savings.
Nine Edge Wealth, a recently launched wealth management firm, has made its first acquisition with Edinburgh-based RMS Financial Ltd. Nine Edge Wealth was inaugurated on Monday, March 16, with founders Derek Miles, CEO, and Jo Blake, CMDO, announcing its establishment alongside Kyle Augustin, COO, an
Pinsent Masons has completed its relocation to new offices at the Aurora development in Glasgow. The international law firm has taken possession of more than 31,000 sq ft of Grade A office space at 120 Bothwell Street in the city’s business district, which will accommodate around 260 lawyers a
