Business

It’s likely millions of people risked getting ill by not switching their heating on during cold weather because of the rising cost of energy bills, a survey has found. Almost nine in 10 households tried to cut back on their energy usage, while almost half of all British households, or equivalent to 13 million homes,

A technology platform specialising in regulatory compliance will this week outline plans to join the London stock market in a welcome, and rare, boost to the City. Sky News understands that RTOP, which works with clients in the financial services sector, is to announce that it is pursuing a direct listing in London – a

Ben Stokes, the England Test cricket captain, and former team-mate Stuart Broad are among a group of leading sportsmen backing a new venture capital fund targeting a distinctive position in the crowded arena of early-stage investments. Sky News can reveal that two of the pivotal figures in England’s recent Ashes series recovery to draw the

Chinese authorities have unveiled fresh measures aimed at propping up investor confidence in the country’s stock market. The main securities regulator, the China Securities Regulatory Commission, said it would introduce a number of measures aimed making it easier to trade. These include cuts in the cost of trading, via a reduction in the handling fees

The energy price cap is set to fall again resulting in cheaper electricity and gas bills, according to a closely-watched forecast. Energy bills in the final three months of 2023 are projected to drop before increasing in 2024, according to research firm Cornwall Insight, as they expect strikes at Australian gas facilities will bring up

Russia’s central bank has hiked interest rates by 3.5 percentage points to 12% in an emergency move after the rouble plunged in value. It comes after the currency fell to an almost 17-month low of 101 roubles to one US dollar on Monday – a loss of more than a third of its value since

DAZN Group, the streaming service owned by Sir Len Blavatnik, is buying a women’s football content platform amid burgeoning global interest in the sport. Sky News has learnt that DAZN has struck a deal to acquire ata football, which is backed by the Miami-based sports investment firm 777 Partners. City sources said the deal could

There was no prior suggestion that today’s set of economic data would be any different in make up than previous months; indeed figures for retail sales, industrial production and employment were all there as expected. But there was one set of data notably missing, and it was one that many observers had been specifically looking

The owner of the Daily Mail is in talks with prospective backers of a bid for The Daily Telegraph  - a deal that would underline its proprietor’s status among the most powerful figures in British media. Sky News has learned that Lord Rothermere, chairman of both DMGT and its consumer division dmg media, is courting

Elon Musk has suggested his planned cage fight with Meta co-founder Mark Zuckerberg will take place in an “epic location”. In a series of posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, the company’s controversial owner said he has been in contact with the Italian prime minister and minister of culture about hosting the event. He

News Corporation has reported a 75% fall in profits – but says it is optimistic about the future thanks to the “remarkable opportunity” of AI. The media giant said it achieved net income of $187m (£147m) to the year ended 30 June, down sharply on $760m (£598m) the previous year. But chief executive Robert Thomson

Food prices may not fall at all, the chief economist at the Bank of England has said. The cost of sustenance “could still remain higher than it was” before the invasion of Ukraine caused the rate of food price rises to accelerate. “Unfortunately the days of seeing food prices fall, that does seem to be

Consumers spent less in shops as wet weather dampened demand for typical seasonal goods in July, latest figures show. Total UK retail sales increased 1.5%, according to the retail sales monitor from retail representative British Retail Consortium (BRC) and big four accountancy firm KPMG. But at the same time official figures showed the rate of

The BBC faces scrutiny over the sale of one of its historic London studios after the emergence of a rival – and possibly higher – bid from a consortium including the Hollywood film producer Matthew Vaughn. Sky News has learnt that a syndicate comprising Mr Vaughn, Sir Len Blavatnik, the billionaire investor in Warner Music

A final decision is in sight for Microsoft’s protracted bid to acquire the maker of Call Of Duty now that the UK’s competition regulator has closed its public consultation on the matter. The Competition and Markets Authority will consider comments from the public – which were submitted over the past week – and Microsoft’s amended

UK car sales have grown all year, despite borrowing becoming more expensive and a cost of living crisis creating difficult financial conditions for consumers. The number of new cars registered grew 28% in July, compared to a year earlier, in the seventh month of growth this year, according to data from the Society of Motor

UK energy chiefs will gather in Downing Street today to discuss net zero as a debate rages in both main parties about the future of green policies. Industry leaders from EDF, SSE, Shell and BP will meet Grant Shapps, the energy security secretary, just days after the government announced it would grant more than 100

Uber has recorded the first operating profit in its history, after trips rose by more than a fifth in the last year. The American company, best known for its ride-hailing app, recorded pre-tax earnings of $326m (£255m) from its operations after a rise in demand led to 22% more trips booked on the platform in

Wine and gin drinkers will have to shell out more from today as alcohol taxes rise. The shake-up aims to encourage drinkers to cut back by taxing all alcohol based on its strength, rather than the previous categories of wine, beer, spirits and ciders. The increase will see duty rise by 44p on a bottle

San Francisco’s Department of Building Inspection has said it is investigating a giant flashing X on top of Twitter’s headquarters, amid a series of complaints. People based in the area complained about intrusive lights, with video circulating on social media showing the X sign emitting a blinding white pulsing light, particularly affecting a high-rise building