UK to allow foreign states to own a 15% stake in newspapers
The government will also expand its powers to scrutinise media mergers to include news websites and news magazines.
"These important, modernising reforms are about protecting media plurality and reflect the changing ways in which people are consuming news," Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said.
"We are fully upholding the need to safeguard our news media from foreign state control whilst recognising that news organisations must be able to raise vital funding."
The ownership of the Telegraph, one of Britain's best known newspapers, has raised questions about the independence of the media and foreign states buying political influence.
The government said "targeted exceptions" allowing certain sovereign wealth funds or pension funds to invest up to 15% in British newspaper and periodicals would help sustain the titles while also limiting any foreign influence in media.
Britain's previous Conservative government last year banned foreign state investment in British newspapers, blocking RedBird IMI, run by former CNN boss Jeff Zucker and with the majority of its funding from Abu Dhabi, from owning the Telegraph.
Abu Dhabi-backed RedBird IMI took control of the Telegraph titles and the Spectator magazine in 2023 when it helped repay the Barclay family's 1.2 billion pound ($1.6 billion) debt to Lloyds Bank.
It put the titles up for sale nearly a year ago. The Spectator was sold to hedge fund founder Paul Marshall in September, but the Telegraph has not found a buyer.
The 15% cap would allow Abu Dhabi to retain some ownership of the paper. ($1 = 0.7523 pounds) (Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar; editing by William James)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
TECHx
5 hours ago
- TECHx
DEWA Wins 3G Award for Digital Transformation 2025
Home » Smart Sectors » DEWA Wins 3G Award for Digital Transformation 2025 Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has announced that it won the '3G Championship Award for Digital Transformation 2025'. The award recognises the achievements of DEWA's Internal Audit Department. The accolade was revealed during the 10th annual Global Good Governance (3G) Awards ceremony held in Brunei Darussalam. The event was organised by UK-based financial services firm Cambridge IFA. Cambridge IFA conducted a detailed auditing process before selecting DEWA. The authority was found to meet the highest international standards in governance and digital transformation. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA, received the award at DEWA's head office. He was joined by Ahmed Hassan Mohammad Noor, Vice President – Internal Audit, and members of the department. Al Tayer stated that the award reflects DEWA's commitment to transparency, integrity, and institutional governance. He added that the Internal Audit team uses advanced analytics and AI tools to improve audit efficiency. DEWA was praised for its use of innovation across all operations. The award reinforces DEWA's status as a global leader in utilities and governance. The 3G Awards, supervised by Cambridge IFA, honour organisations that prioritise governance and sustainability.
Khaleej Times
6 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Air India to partially resume international flights from August 1 after Ahmedabad crash
Air India announced on July 15 that it will begin gradually restoring its flight schedules, which were reduced following the tragic crash of flight AI171 on June 12. The airline had implemented a 'Safety Pause' to conduct additional precautionary checks on its Boeing 787 aircraft and to accommodate longer flight times due to airspace closures over Pakistan and the Middle East. The partial schedule restoration will begin on August 1, 2025, with plans for full recovery by October 1, 2025. The key changes are as follows: 1. New route: Ahmedabad – London (Heathrow): From August 1 to September 30, Air India will operate three weekly flights between Ahmedabad and London Heathrow, replacing the existing five weekly flights between Ahmedabad and London Gatwick. 2. Reinstated flights, increased frequencies: Europe: Delhi – London (Heathrow): Two weekly flights have been reinstated, bringing the total to 24 weekly flights starting July 16. Delhi – Zurich: Increased from four to five weekly flights, effective August 1. Far East: Delhi – Tokyo (Haneda): Two weekly flights reinstated, now operating daily from August 1. Delhi – Seoul (Incheon): Two weekly flights reinstated, with a full five weekly flights from September 1. 3. Routes with reduced frequencies Europe: Bengaluru – London (Heathrow): Reduced from seven to six weekly flights; further reduced to four from August 1. Amritsar – Birmingham: Reduced from three to two weekly flights until August 31, then returning to three weekly flights on September 1. Delhi – Paris: Reduced from 12 to 7 weekly flights from August 1. Delhi – Milan: Reduced from four to three weekly flights starting July 16. Delhi – Copenhagen: Reduced from five to three weekly flights. Delhi – Vienna: Reduced from four to three weekly flights. Delhi – Amsterdam: Reduced from seven to five weekly flights; will return to daily service from August 1. North America: Delhi – Washington (Dulles): Remains reduced from five to three weekly flights. Delhi – Chicago: Still reduced from seven to three weekly flights (four weekly in August). Delhi – San Francisco: Reduced from 10 to seven weekly flights. Delhi – Toronto: Reduced from 13 to seven weekly flights. Delhi – Vancouver: Reduced from seven to four weekly flights. Delhi – New York (JFK): Reduced from seven to six weekly flights from July 16. Mumbai – New York (JFK): Reduced from seven to six weekly flights from August 1. Delhi – New York (Newark Liberty): Reduced from five to four weekly flights from July 16. Australia: Delhi – Melbourne: Reduced from seven to five weekly flights. Delhi – Sydney: Reduced from seven to five weekly flights. Africa: Delhi – Nairobi: Service reinstated with three weekly flights until August 31, but to be suspended from September 1–30. 4. Temporary suspensions: Several routes will remain temporarily suspended until September 30, including: As the airline gradually resumes its full schedule, some services initially planned between August 1 and September 30, 2025, will be removed. Affected passengers will be contacted for rebooking options or refunds. With these partial restorations, Air India will operate over 525 international flights weekly across 63 routes, including short, long, and ultra-long-haul destinations.
Gulf Today
6 hours ago
- Gulf Today
Israel strikes military tanks in Syria, where government forces clash with Druze militias
Israel's army said on Monday it struck military tanks in southern Syria, where government forces and Bedouin tribes clashed with Druze militias in the latest escalation in the Middle East country struggling for stability after a 13-year civil war. Dozens of people have been killed in the fighting between local militias and clans in Syria's Sweida province. Government security forces that were sent to restore order on Monday also clashed with local armed groups. Syria's Interior Ministry has said more than 30 people have died and nearly 100 others have been injured. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, reported at least 99 dead, including two children, two women and 14 members of the security forces. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a statement that the Israeli military "attacked targets in Syria as a message and a clear warning to the Syrian regime -- we will not allow harm to the Druze in Syria.' In Israel, the Druze are seen as a loyal minority and often serve in the armed forces. While many Druze in Syria have said they do not want Israel to intervene on their behalf, factions from the Druze minority have also been suspicious of the new authorities in Damascus after former President Bashar Assad fled the country in December during a rebel offensive led by Sunni Islamist insurgent groups. On several occasions, Druze groups have clashed with security forces from the new government or allied factions. Members of Syria's security forces load a rocket launcher near the predominantly Druze city of Sweida on Monday. AFP In May, Israeli forces struck a site near the presidential palace in Damascus, in what was seen as a warning to Syrian interim President Ahmad Al Sharaa. The strike came after dozens were killed in fighting between pro-government gunmen and Druze fighters in the town of Sahnaya and the Druze-majority Damascus suburb of Jaramana. Over half of the roughly 1 million Druze worldwide live in Syria. Most other Druze live in Lebanon and Israel, including in the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Mideast War and annexed in 1981. A group led by Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri, a Druze spiritual leader who has been opposed to the new government in Damascus, on Monday issued a statement calling for "international protection' and accused government forces and General Security agency of "supporting takfiri gangs' -- using a term for extremist Sunni militants. The Druze developed their own militias during the country's nearly 14-year civil war, during which they sometimes faced attacks by the Islamic State group and other militant groups. Israel has taken an aggressive stance toward Syria's new leaders since Assad's fall, saying it does not want Islamic militants near its borders. Israeli forces earlier seized a UN-patrolled buffer zone on Syrian territory along the border with the Golan Heights and have launched hundreds of airstrikes on military sites in Syria. The Trump administration has been pushing for the new Syrian government to move toward normalization with Israel. Syrian officials have acknowledged holding indirect talks with Israel to attempt to defuse tensions, but have not responded to reports that the two sides have also held direct talks. US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack told The Associated Press last week that he believes normalizing ties will happen "like unwrapping an onion, slowly.' Associated Press
