Business

Wholesale gas costs have risen sharply while Bitcoin and stock market values have plunged further as tensions over Russia’s intentions concerning Ukraine add to the cocktail of concerns being juggled by global investors. The market volatility builds on heavy sell-offs that saw the US Nasdaq index come under particular pressure and endure its worst week

Banknote printer De La Rue says a pronounced leap in “COVID headwinds” in recent months has knocked its profit expectations and warned of further efficiencies and cost reductions ahead. The company, which has been fighting back from uncertainty over its financial future since 2019, said on Monday that its turnaround plan had been hit by

The quoted bid vehicle pursuing a takeover of M&C Saatchi has tabled a fresh offer which includes a partial cash alternative for investors in the London-listed advertising group. Sky News has learnt that AdvancedAdvT, which is backed by the technology entrepreneur Vin Murria and serial dealmaking group Marwyn, submitted a revised bid to the board

There is no winter sport resort quite like Chamonix. Nestled in the shadow of Mont Blanc, it has a glittering history and a reputation for challenging even the best skiers. People travel from all around the world to try their luck on these slopes. And now, the British can join them once again. For nearly

Dame Carolyn Fairbairn has joined the race to head Channel 4, the state-owned broadcaster, two years after leaving the CBI after a period of fractious ties between Britain’s biggest employers’ group and Boris Johnson’s administration. Sky News has learnt that Dame Carolyn is among a handful of contenders shortlisted to become Channel 4’s next chairman

People should “get back to work” after Plan B rules were eased, the business secretary has said. Kwasi Kwarteng extolled the benefits of office-based staff interacting directly as he called for a return to “some degree of normality”. The comments came after the government this week dropped working from home guidance that was reintroduced late

The FTSE 100 has joined a global markets sell-off as it followed Wall Street into the red amid jitters over rate rises and the outlook for tech stocks. London’s leading share index fell by more than 100 points, or about 1.5%, while Germany’s Dax and France’s Cac 40 were each down by around 2%. The

Plans for a new British-owned battery gigaplant in Northumberland have been boosted by the commitment of around £100m of government funds to the £3.8bn scheme. The Britishvolt project intends to manufacture power cells for 300,000 electric vehicle battery packs a year at a new factory on the site of the former Blyth Power Station. The

One of the only facilities in the world that uses carbon capture and storage technology to reduce the emissions of hydrogen production has the same carbon footprint as 1.2 million petrol cars, according to a new report seen exclusively by Sky News. In a first-of-its-kind investigation into the plant, which is owned and operated by

Sky News analysis of new data shows that it is becoming increasingly difficult to buy a home, especially for people in the parts of the country on the lowest incomes. Rents are also rising, albeit at a more moderate pace, with the exception of London where prices are actually falling. The price of the average

The governor of the Bank of England has voiced “concern” that inflationary pressures in the UK economy could prove more stubborn than it expected. Andrew Bailey told a committee of MPs a key element of this was market forecasts since Christmas of higher than normal natural gas costs through 2023 as households and businesses grapple

An advert that shows two girls hanging upside down while eating Dairylea cheese triangles has been banned after people complained it could encourage dangerous behaviour. The video on demand ad, broadcast on ITV Hub, All 4 and My 5 in August, featured the pair hanging upside down from a football goal before one opened the

Households in Britain could soon be spending more of their money on energy than any previous generation, including during the oil shocks of the 1970s and ’80s, according to Sky News analysis. If the energy price cap rises in line with current wholesale prices, by the end of the year the share of family expenditure

The poorest families will be hit disproportionately hard when the Energy Price Cap rises in April – according to analysis by the charity The Joseph Rowntree Foundation.  They say some of those earning the least could end up spending 54% of their household income on energy bills when the price cap goes up, leaving them

Amazon has announced that it will not stop accepting Visa credit cards for UK payments later this week as had been planned. In an email to customers, the online retailer said it was “working closely with Visa on a potential solution”. The move had been due to take effect on 19 January with Amazon blaming

With lots of focus on the current cost of living crisis, new data for Sky News reveals which professions have been most affected. UK wage data from hiring website Indeed shows that only a few jobs have experienced wage increases far higher than inflation since the start of the pandemic. Those with the highest pay