NEW: Hinge CEO Jackie Jantos tells the @financialtimes.com why Hinge has continued to grow; how their algorithm works; and whether dating apps really are a force for good. More free below. as.ft.com/r/6370f7c0-b...

Hinge CEO: Our algorithm doesn’t judge on attractiveness

[FREE TO READ] Jackie Jantos defies dating app decline with focus on serious relationships: ‘It’s not TikTok, you need to put in effort’

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Thanks to @tobyn.bsky.social for his eyes on this one… Let me introduce you to Octopus’ £3.5bn trading group which . . .  values itself?

Toby Nangle@tobyn.bsky.social · 6mo ago

In which @kieranjsmith.bsky.social dives into the opaque world of one firm's private market valuation and UK IHT planning service. www.ft.com/content/af0c...

EXC: Forecasts from the OBR for both the November 2025 Budget and March Spring Statement were accessed more times than originally thought, raising questions about security processes and if anyone benefitted financially. as.ft.com/r/6aff037c-5...

Reeves’ fiscal statements accessed far more than thought, review will say

[FREE TO READ] Report into leaks by Office for Budget Responsibility set to raise fresh questions about fiscal watchdog’s processes

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EXC: Virgin Media O2’s owners are set to lead a roughly £2bn acquisition of UK broadband rival Netomnia, in the first major step to consolidate the UK fibre market. as.ft.com/r/5780cb35-1...

Virgin Media O2 owners to seal £2bn acquisition of UK broadband rival

[FREE TO READ] Telefónica and Liberty Global are leading a takeover of Netomnia in a deal to close gap with BT’s Openreach

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NEW: Nokia - the company best known for its “brick” phone - has undergone not one, but two reinventions in the last decade (and a bit). The Finnish group is now aiming to build and connect the infrastructure needed for the rollout of AI. Free here: as.ft.com/r/2bf1eada-6...

How Nokia went from iPhone victim to $1bn Nvidia deal

[FREE TO READ] Finnish company that brought the world the 3310 has reinvented itself for the AI revolution

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NEW: AI is changing the way we date -- from practising flirting with ChatGPT to letting dating app algorithms do the work for you. But is it actually a force for good? @melissahei.bsky.social and I dig into that here in the @financialtimes.com as.ft.com/r/c29950a0-9...

Can AI really help us find love?

[FREE TO READ] The technology is changing the way many people meet and form relationships but some experts believe it may do more harm than good

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Scoop: Virgin Media O2 is in talks for what could be a £2bn takeover of broadband rival, Netomnia, in a potentially landmark deal for U.K. altnet consolidation. Rival CityFibre are also in the bidding, but a deal with neither party has yet been agreed. as.ft.com/r/a1d36eeb-a...

Virgin Media O2 in talks for £2bn takeover of broadband rival

[FREE TO READ] Deal for Netomnia would signal start of consolidation in UK fibre broadband market

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EXC: ‘Cable cowboy’ John Malone is to step down from his media and telecoms empire today, in an era-ending step for the American pioneer. Malone will step down as chair of both Liberty Global and Liberty Media. With @danielthomasldn.bsky.social on.ft.com/430i2sn

‘Cable cowboy’ John Malone to step down from media and telecoms empire

[FREE TO READ] Tycoon is relinquishing board roles at Liberty Media and Liberty Global after buccaneering 50-year career

on.ft.com

‘It’s a safe place for an American nutter’ Safe to say, JD Vance’s visit to the Cotswolds has evoked some emotions among the locals… My dispatch from Chipping Norton here: on.ft.com/47nYQHN

Vance’s Cotswolds getaway disturbs rural idyll

[FREE TO READ] US vice-president’s holiday upends life in a quiet corner of Oxfordshire that is no stranger to famous visitors

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SCOOP: Liberty Global has offered voluntary redundancy to over a third of its direct employees and plans to sell one of its two private jets, in an escalation of long running restructuring efforts at the telecoms group built by “cable cowboy” John Malone. on.ft.com/4ocM3hF

Liberty Global to slash jobs and sell private jet in restructuring

[FREE TO READ] Telecoms group offers voluntary redundancy to 800 staff and plans to offload Dassault Falcon aircraft

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SCOOP: BT Group are set to appoint Virgin Media O2 Patricia Cobian to replace Simon Lowth as the company’s new CFO. More in Financial Times Due Diligence newsletter tomorrow.

SCOOP: CityFibre is set to announce its long-awaited £2.3bn refinancing later today or Monday, in a crucial move for the UK's third largest broadband network. More here free: on.ft.com/44qHWGT

CityFibre closes in on £2.3bn refinancing

[FREE TO READ] Altnet set to secure £500mn equity from shareholders including Goldman Sachs and almost £1.8bn fresh debt

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NEW: The surprising success story of British fibre broadband — the FT takes a deep dive into how the U.K. went from laggard to leader in providing faster and more reliable internet services to millions of households. W/ Alan Smith Free here: on.ft.com/4kBX5tS

The surprising success story of British fibre broadband

[FREE TO READ] Ofcom’s decision to boost competition in the sector is credited with driving the rollout of a faster, more reliable internet connection

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🚨: DragonForce, the ransomware group linked to the recent cyber attacks M&S, Harrods and the Co-Op has begun a turf war with its rivals. Experts say the move could trigger a battle within the industry that could bring more hacks and further fallout for corporate victims… on.ft.com/4l7Cb6K ‘

‘No honour among thieves’: M&S hacking group starts turf war

[FREE TO READ] A clash between rival criminal ransomware groups could result in corporate victims being extorted twice, cyber experts warn

on.ft.com

NEW: Tony Blair's staff took part in a BCG project for the redevelopment of Gaza along the lines of the 'Trump Riviera' plan www.ft.com/content/0b1b...

Tony Blair’s staff took part in ‘Gaza Riviera’ project with BCG

Former UK prime minister’s institute participated in meetings on plan to turn shattered enclave into trading hub

ft.com

EXC: The CEO of dating app Bumble has criticised staff in London for "freaking out" after she cut 30% of jobs at the company. Whitney Wolfe Herd said the "centre of gravity" was now the US, as that was "where the talent pool is right now." w/ @costasmourselas.bsky.social on.ft.com/4khBM0g

Bumble chief criticises staff for ‘freaking out’ over London job cuts

[FREE TO READ] CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd warns ‘dating apps are feeling like a thing of the past’

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🚨NEW: The boss of BT has said that advances in AI could mean more job cuts at the company beyond the 40k already announced, while opening the door to a possible future spin-off of Openreach. FREE HERE: on.ft.com/4kBwf5G

BT chief eyes deeper job cuts as AI becomes more powerful

[FREE TO READ] Allison Kirkby says telecoms group could be ‘even smaller’ by 2030

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The CEO of Liberty Global has claimed business secretary Jonathan Reynolds is “anxious” for large telecoms companies to buy the UK’s struggling “altnet” broadband providers over fears many could collapse and leave customers without internet… More here: on.ft.com/4jLfeVu

UK government ‘anxious’ altnets could collapse, Liberty Global boss says

[FREE TO READ] Mike Fries claims business secretary Jonathan Reynolds wants big telecoms companies to rescue struggling altnets

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EXC: BT’s Openreach has threatened to block new TalkTalk customers in an escalating dispute over unpaid bills. The UK’s largest broadband provider issued the warning this week, which could derail the struggling telecoms operator’s turnaround efforts. on.ft.com/445qYNV

BT’s Openreach threatens to block new TalkTalk customers over unpaid bills

[FREE TO READ] UK’s largest broadband network is turning the screw over the struggling telecoms provider’s failure to pay on time

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NEW: TalkTalk has been late making payments worth millions of pounds to its suppliers, including Openreach and CityFibre, as the company struggles with cash flow issues. This comes just months after sharesholders injected a further £235mn into the company. on.ft.com/4jtor4z

TalkTalk late paying suppliers because of cash flow woes

[FREE TO READ] Broadband group misses several bill deadlines despite recent refinancing

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NEW: Vodafone has pledged £1.5bn towards improving its UK mobile network this year upon the completion of the merger with Three. However, the company's 2025 results were dampened by its German operation, which shed over 50% of its TV customers last year. www.ft.com/content/ab9c...

Vodafone pledges £1.5bn UK network investment this year

Chief executive Margherita Della Valle details investment plans ahead of company’s merger with rival Three

ft.com

carp-ing from the sidelines

EXC: BT’s involvement in TNT Sports is set to be no more… A deal to sell the company’s remaining 50% stake to Warner Bros is set to close as soon as next week, putting an end to the telecoms giant’s decade-long experiment in sports broadcasting. W/ @danielthomasldn.bsky.social on.ft.com/4mlkJws

BT nears deal to sell TNT Sports stake to Warner Bros Discovery

[FREE TO READ] Deal could be announced as early as next week that would bring telecoms group’s involvement in sports rights to a close

on.ft.com

NEW: BT to carve out new ‘international’ unit with over 8,000 staff as the company refocuses on it’s U.K. operations. The company is open to a deal for its international wing, whether that be a sale or a tie-up with another operator. on.ft.com/3GQnmGD

BT to carve out new ‘international’ unit as group refocuses on UK

[FREE TO READ] FTSE 100 telecoms company considers potential sale of non-UK operations

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Great to speak on the FT News Briefing about Doordash’s deal to buy UK food delivery company Deliveroo this morning. Listen here! t.co/KRlvvLDrQC

EXC: TalkTalk shed over 400,000 customers last year as the heavily indebted company battled the rise of alternative broadband providers. Story here: on.ft.com/4k5kgwC

TalkTalk sheds customers as indebted telecoms group battles altnets

Sales and profits decline at UK broadband provider as it faces intensifying competition

ft.com

SCOOP: BT has agreed a deal to sell the remainder of its Italian business to local provider Retelit, as CEO Allison Kirkby continues to refocus the company on its UK operations. Read free here: on.ft.com/4jnxJjz

BT agrees deal to sell remainder of its Italian business

[FREE TO READ] UK telecoms group enters preliminary agreement to sell stake in BT Italia to Retelit

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European telecom groups line up deals in hope of looser merger rules. One veteran telecoms M&A lawyer said that: “Once the commission green lights one major deal, we’ll see a wave of consolidation.” With @kieranjsmith.bsky.social www.ft.com/content/0834...

European telecom groups line up deals in hope of looser merger rules

Executives believe new competition chief and bloc’s push for growth will lead to change

ft.com

NEW: A top Trump official has told Europe its time to choose between US or Chinese communications tech. FCC Chair Brendan Carr told those concerned about signing deals with Elon Musk’s Starlink to “wait for the CCP alternative, then you’ll be really worried.” on.ft.com/42J1gOt

NEW: UK start-ups are increasingly considering switching their headquarters to US in a search for growth as funding for British businesses falls to a post-pandemic low. Experts warn the U.K. could lose its brightest talent if more isn’t done to encourage them to stay. on.ft.com/3GiRh9S

UK start-ups consider switch to US as funding falls to post-pandemic low

[FREE TO READ] Leading British tech groups explore moving headquarters in effort to tap deep-pocketed American investors

on.ft.com