Top Financial Times Stories: SoftBank's AI Acquisition, Canal+ London Listing Consideration, and More

SoftBank acquires UK's Graphcore. Vivendi eyes London listing for Canal+. UK may ban new North Sea drilling licenses. Axel Springer and KKR consider media empire breakup.

Japan's SoftBank Group has acquired the UK-based AI chipmaker Graphcore, marking a significant move in the realm of artificial intelligence. The financial details of the acquisition remain undisclosed.

French media giant Vivendi is contemplating a London listing for its streaming service Canal+, potentially revitalizing the UK's capital markets. This development comes as a strategic consideration for the expansion of their brand.

In the UK, the newly elected government is expected to ban new North Sea drilling licenses amidst environmental concerns. At the same time, Axel Springer CEO Mathias Doepfner and private equity firm KKR are in discussions to dismantle the media conglomerate, further shaking the media industry landscape.