6:30 am, May 14, 2026
Wayve agrees partnership with government to boost self-driving car tech in UK
Self-driving car company Wayve has reached an agreement with the government to development the technology in the UK.
Business secretary Peter Kyle said the partnership demonstrates that the government is ‘backing high-growth British scale-ups’.
The Memorandum of Understanding with Wayve focuses on sharing research to ‘bring forward responsible deployment of self-driving cars,’ the Department for Business and Trade said. It comes as the company prepares to launch self-driving taxis in London later this year as part of a partnership with ride-hailing platform Uber.
EBay rejects £41.4bn GameStop takeover offer
EBay has turned down a 56 billion US dollar (£41.4bn) takeover move from GameStop, labelling the proposal as ‘neither credible or attractive’.
GameStop boss Ryan Cohen launched an unsolicited offer of 125 dollars (£92.40) per share – half in cash and half in GameStop stock – to eBay shareholders last week.
However, the online marketplace’s board confirmed on Tuesday that it had now rejected the move.
New Trialmaster X arrives as flagship for Ineos Grenadier range
Ineos has broadened its Grenadier line-up with a new range-topping trim level.
Called the Trialmaster X, it brings the ‘ultimate specification’ to the tough off-roader, adding elements of both Trialmaster and Fieldmaster packs. It gets front and rear locking differentials, chunky BF Goodrich All-Terrain tyres and a raised air intake all included as standard.
Priced from £75,195 in Station Wagon form or £75,010 for the Quartermaster pick-up, the new Ineos Grenadier Trialmaster X is now available to order.
The markets
The FTSE 100 rallied on Wednesday, led by mining stocks, while gilts steadied as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer kept a precarious grip on power.
The FTSE 100 closed up 60.03 points, 0.6%, at 10,325.35. The FTSE 250 ended up 62.17 points, 0.3%, at 22,528.37, and the AIM All-Share rose 6.55 points, 0.8%, at 817.21.
The pound nudged up to 1.3520 US dollars on Wednesday afternoon from 1.3505 dollars on Tuesday. Against the euro, sterling was higher at 1.1542 euros from 1.1517 euros on Tuesday. The yield on UK 10-year gilts traded at 5.07%, cooling from 5.10% the day before.
Labour turmoil continues as Streeting mulls leadership challenge
Sir Keir Starmer faces another day of questions over his future as Wes Streeting mulls whether to mount a challenge for the premiership.
The health secretary is believed to have told allies he is preparing to resign on Thursday and announce a bid for the top job after Labour descended into open division at the start of the week.
Efforts to lever Sir Keir out of Downing Street appeared to stall on Wednesday, with no further ministerial resignations or backbench calls for his resignation as Westminster turned its attention to the King’s Speech.
Trump offers friendly words in Beijing
US president Donald Trump began his trip to Beijing on Thursday by telling Xi Jinping ‘it’s an honour to be your friend,’ even as his Chinese counterpart offered a cautionary warning about avoiding a possible clash between the two nations.
The stark contrast in tone underscored just how far apart the leaders remain on thorny issues, including the war in Iran, trade disputes and Washington’s relationship with Taiwan — and suggested their meetings are likely to be longer on pageantry and symbolism than major breakthroughs.
In remarks before their meeting at the Great Hall of the People, which moved behind closed doors, Trump was full of platitudes, telling Xi: ‘You’re a great leader. Sometimes people don’t like me saying it, but I say it anyway, because it’s true.’
Wednesday on Car Dealer
Vertu profits drop despite strong used car and aftersales performance
Vertu Motors has said the government’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate is continuing to distort the new car market after it posted a strong rise in revenue, used car and aftersales performance, but saw a slip in annual profits.
Used car supermarket Available Car sees profit surge in 2025
Used car supermarket Available Car saw its profits surge in 2025 as it increased the number of used cars it sold over the previous year.
Arnold Clark opens refreshed ‘Retail.Next’ BMW showroom in Kirkcaldy
Dealer group Arnold Clark has opened a refurbished BMW showroom in Kirkcaldy.
Jaguar reveals Type 01 name for forthcoming all-electric four-door GT
Jaguar has revealed the name for its much-awaited electric four-door GT – ‘Type 01’.
Weather
Breezy and cool conditions will continue today with variable cloud and frequent showers, some turning heavy and thundery during the afternoon, reports BBC Weather. Northern and western coasts will be particularly windy.
Tonight becomes drier with clearer spells developing, although showers and cloud will linger in northern areas, the south-west, Northern Ireland and North Sea coasts.
