Business

Pubs, clubs and bars in England and Wales could be allowed to open for longer to celebrate the King’s coronation. The government has said it will consult on extending licensing hours from 11pm until 1am on 5, 6, and 7 May across the Bank Holiday weekend. The Home Office said the move will provide “an

Rishi Sunak has abandoned his predecessor’s plan to intervene in global energy markets by spending billions of pounds on foreign gas imports. Sky News has learnt that Liz Truss’s Energy Supply Taskforce (EST), which was launched in September, is being scrapped. Headed by Madelaine McTernan, who was director-general of the government’s COVID-19 Vaccine Taskforce, the

Rail workers have entered the second half of their latest 48-hour strike – as the business secretary says he is hopeful that a resolution can be found “sooner rather than later”. Grant Shapps was speaking to Sky News as members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union prepared for another day of industrial action in

There was a surprise fall in retail sales last month as shoppers remained cautious given the squeeze on budgets from inflation in the run-up to Christmas. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported a fall in sales volumes of 0.3% compared to October when the effects of fuel sales were excluded. Economists had expected to

Workers at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars’ Goodwood factory are to receive a pay award worth up to 17.6% after negotiations between the luxury automaker and Unite the union. In all, 1,200 production workers at the West Sussex plant are to receive a salary boost of 10% and a one-off payment of £2,000 from January, avoiding the

The Bank of England has revealed a 0.5 percentage point interest rate increase – its ninth consecutive rise as it maintains its battle against inflation. The decision, by its monetary policy committee (MPC), took the bank rate to 3.5% – a fresh high not seen since the 2008 financial crisis. The move, however, represented a

The rules limiting the volume of liquids allowed on planes and requiring electronics to be taken out of hand luggage in security are to change. The government has set a deadline of June 2024 for major UK airports to install new security technology, which will make obsolete the rule to bring no more than 100ml

An investigation has been launched by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) following rocketing prices of antibiotics in the wake of Strep A cases. Drug companies have been accused of hiking prices after some pharmacies said they were being charged up to £19 for a box of drugs that normally costs a few pounds. Pharmacies

The rate of inflation eased to 10.7% from 11.1% last month, according to official figures showing that food and the cost of a night out continue to rise in price ahead of Christmas. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said falling motor fuel prices led the decline in the core consumer prices index (CPI) measure

Money stolen by the former boss of one of the world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchanges was being sent to political candidates to gain influence and impact policy in Washington DC, it has been alleged. Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of FTX, was charged by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The US attorney leading the investigation,

The UK recorded its second largest fall in real wage growth since records began in 2001 during October while the unemployment rate also rose, according to the latest official jobs figures. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that wage growth was 4.2% weaker when the effects of CPI inflation were included – following a

Rail strikes will go ahead this week after union members voted to reject an offer from Network Rail. Members of the RMT union will walk out on 13, 14 and 16 and 17 December. More strikes are planned from 6pm on Christmas Eve to 5.59am on 27 December. It was expected that the offer would

The economy returned to growth in October, according to early official figures which experts suggest could be the last to show expansion for some time. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported growth of 0.5% – following a contraction of 0.6% in September which was largely put down to disruption to usual activity because of

Britain’s biggest retailer is preparing to kick off a search for a new chairman, firing the starting gun on a race to fill one of the FTSE-100’s most prestigious boardroom posts. Sky News has learnt that Tesco is drawing up plans to begin identifying a replacement for John Allan, who will step down in 2024.

It can feel like all the money is flying straight out of your bank account this month, but payday isn’t quite as far away as you may think. There is also a range of extra benefits available in December which could ease some pressures amid the cost of living crisis. Here are some key money

The cost of antibiotics needed to treat Strep A has skyrocketed – as industry professionals claim prices have been hiked up to take advantage of “unprecedented” demand. Multiple pharmacies have warned they cannot obtain the necessary medications to treat Strep A as a 16th child died in Sussex with a suspected infection on Friday –

Twitter has been accused of secretly “blacklisting” prominent right-wing figures in the US in order to ensure they reached a smaller audience. High-profile right-wing individuals – such as talk show host Dan Bongino, conservative activist Charlie Kirk and anti-lockdown campaigner Dr Jay Bhattacharya – were apparently demoted by Twitter staff before it was taken over

Depending on your point of view, Jeremy Hunt’s proposed reform of financial regulations represents a potentially significant boost to the competitiveness of the UK’s financial services sector or a potentially dangerous watering-down of rules put in place to prevent a re-run of the financial crisis. The truth, as ever, is that it is probably somewhere

A striking Royal Mail worker has voiced fears up to 25,000 staff could be sacked and new working conditions imposed on those left after the core Christmas season has finished. The man, who usually delivers letters and parcels in the London area and is being identified as ‘Derek’ because he wished to remain anonymous, was

Germany’s biggest fraud case gets underway as the former executives of payments company Wirecard stand trial after a scandal that rocked the German establishment. In a new, bomb-proof court built 5m (16ft) underground to try terror suspects, CEO Markus Braun will appear. He, and two other Wirecard managers, Oliver Bellenhaus and Stephan von Erffa, stand