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Friday newspaper round-up: Gambling sector, FOS, Amazon

(Sharecast News) - The gambling regulator has accidentally handed over more than 4,000 sensitive documents to lawyers acting for the media tycoon Richard Desmond, in an "unprecedented" blunder during its legal battle over the £6.4bn national lottery contract, the Guardian understands. Northern & Shell (N&S), the investment group owned by Desmond, is suing the Gambling Commission for £200m in damages over its handling of the lottery licence award process. - Guardian Two former senior figures at bankrupt Woking council are to be investigated by the UK's accounting watchdog after it racked up more than £2bn in debt on a failed investment spree. The Surrey council declared itself effectively bankrupt in 2023 after ploughing vast sums of borrowed money into skyscrapers, a luxury hotel and other risky commercial investments, in what was one of the biggest financial failures in local government history. - Guardian

Sir Keir Starmer has signalled plans to approve a major oil development in the North Sea despite opposition within his Cabinet. The Prime Minister on Thursday suggested he would not stand in the way of the Rosebank oil field as a license had previously been granted. The future of Rosebank, which is backed by Norway's Equinor, has been in doubt after a court overturned its permit by ruling the previous government had failed to take into account climate concerns. - Telegraph

The head of a leading consumer watchdog has been ousted amid Rachel Reeves's push to spur growth. Abby Thomas unexpectedly quit as chief executive of the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) on Thursday, which is responsible for resolving disputes between City firms and their customers. - Telegraph

Amazon missed sales expectations for its cloud computing business, fuelling concerns about the tens of billions of dollars it has invested in artificial intelligence infrastructure. Amazon Web Services, the cloud computing business, reported fourth-quarter revenue of $28.79 billion, below Wall Street estimates of $28.84 billion. - The Times

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Tuesday newspaper round-up: Zipcar, BP, Volvo/Polestar
(Sharecast News) - As the battle lines harden amid Germany's intensifying pressure on the European Commission to scrap the 2035 ban on production of new petrol and diesel cars, two Swedish car companies, Volvo and Polestar, are leading the campaign to persuade Brussels to stick to the date. They argue such a move is a desperate attempt to paper over the cracks in the German car industry, adding that it will not just prolong take up of electric vehicles but inadvertently hand the advantage to China. - Guardian
Monday newspaper round-up: Black Friday, Gail's, Evri, Amazon
(Sharecast News) - Shoppers held back from visiting high streets over Black Friday, data shows, amid fears weak consumer spending will put the brakes on economic growth in 2026. Visitors to all UK shopping destinations were down 2% on Friday and 7.2% compared with the equivalent days last year, according to the monitoring company MRI Software, with locations near central London offices among the few to experience a lift in visits. - Guardian
Monday newspaper round-up: Black Friday, Gail's, Evri, Amazon
(Sharecast News) - Shoppers held back from visiting high streets over Black Friday, data shows, amid fears weak consumer spending will put the brakes on economic growth in 2026. Visitors to all UK shopping destinations were down 2% on Friday and 7.2% compared with the equivalent days last year, according to the monitoring company MRI Software, with locations near central London offices among the few to experience a lift in visits. - Guardian
Monday newspaper round-up: Black Friday, Gail's, Evri, Amazon
(Sharecast News) - Shoppers held back from visiting high streets over Black Friday, data shows, amid fears weak consumer spending will put the brakes on economic growth in 2026. Visitors to all UK shopping destinations were down 2% on Friday and 7.2% compared with the equivalent days last year, according to the monitoring company MRI Software, with locations near central London offices among the few to experience a lift in visits. - Guardian

Important information: This information is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment you should speak to one of Fidelity’s advisers or an authorised financial adviser of your choice. When you are thinking about investing in shares, it’s generally a good idea to consider holding them alongside other investments in a diversified portfolio of assets. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.

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