Tuesday newspaper round-up: FCA, housebuilders, Panmure Liberum

(Sharecast News) - A top UK regulator has launched an investigation into how it handled a whistleblower - who highlighted alleged ties between the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and the US commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick - after he took his own life. The British banker Simon Andriesz died late last month aged 57, the campaign group Transparency Task Force, of which he was a member, confirmed over the weekend. - Guardian

Housebuilders are all too aware that London is ground zero when it comes to Britain's housebuilding crisis. "Nothing is viable in London at the moment," says Andy Hill, the chief executive of housebuilder The Hill Group. The number of new houses under way plummeted by 72pc year-on-year in the capital in 2024-25, with London on track for its lowest delivery rates since the Second World War. "We're building at the slowest rate we've ever developed at," says Hill. - Telegraph

A major Gulf bank is eyeing a 20pc stake in Panmure Liberum, the City stockbroker, raising hopes of a renewed influx of Middle Eastern investment onto London equity markets. The Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait (BBK) is in talks to secure a fifth of the UK-based investment bank, valuing it at around £70m. It would be the latest change in ownership for Panmure Liberum, which was formed in 2024 from the merger of two City brokers, Panmure Gordon and Liberum. The merger made it the biggest broker by volume to London-listed companies at the time. - Telegraph

Hundreds of thousands of victims of Brazil's worst environmental disaster could face a £2bn bill if they ditch their London law firm, a judge has heard. Pogust Goodhead, the firm that has been representing more than 400,000 villagers in the aftermath of the Mariana dam disaster in 2015, has accused a rival practice of failing to explain to the claimants the ramifications of changing lawyers. - The Times

BP has adjusted its refinery output to maximise diesel production, its boss has said, as the world scrambles to replace Middle Eastern shipments. Diesel supplies have been particularly affected by the US-Iran conflict as refining capacity in the region has been shut down and export routes blocked. Prices at the pump in Britain have hit record highs of more than £2 a litre. - The Times