Jobs growth in the US exceeded expectations last month while unemployment fell in a further sign the economy continues to bounce back from the turmoil of the coronavirus pandemic. So-called nonfarm payrolls increased by 943,000 in July, official employment figures showed, which was above the 860,000 forecasted by economists. Hotels and restaurants reopening for business
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Football Manager players will no longer be able to manage ‘Manchester United’, following a settlement between the club and the games developer Sports Interactive. Instead, from FM22 onwards, the Manchester United football club will be renamed “Manchester UFC” or “Man UFC”, the games maker announced on Friday. Fans of the game and the club have
Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Atlantic Airways is plotting a surprise flotation on the London Stock Exchange as it pins its hopes on a rapid rebound in transatlantic travel. Sky News has learnt that Virgin Atlantic has been holding talks with institutional investors about making its public market debut just five months after landing a fresh
A takeover bid for the supermarket chain Morrisons by a private equity-backed consortium has been increased to £6.7bn following speculation of a rival offer. The group led by Fortress Investment Group has increased its previous financial pitch for the Bradford-based grocer, which had been agreed by management, by £400m. It said it upped the offer
Around 15 million families will see their energy bills soar by up to £139 after the regulator hiked the price cap by the biggest increase yet. The sharp rise, which will impact half the population, is driven by a rise of more than 50% in wholesale fuel costs over the last six months with gas
The Bank of England has warned inflation will increase further this year to double the target rate, but insisted rising prices will only be temporary as it kept interest rates on hold. The monetary policy committee (MPC) also kept in place measures to support the economy, despite some calls for them to be cut to cool
Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley is to step down as head of his retail empire and hand the baton to his prospective son-in-law, it has been announced. The tycoon confirmed plans he will leave his role as chief executive of Frasers Group next year, as the business revealed its latest full-year trading figures. Mr Ashley
Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak will on Thursday challenge UK-based investors to invest in more “British success stories” in order to fuel the economy’s post-pandemic recovery. Sky News has learnt that the prime minister and chancellor will issue a joint rallying cry aimed at “igniting an Investment Big Bang” that would “unlock the hundreds of
Millions of motorists are being hit in the pocket as petrol prices reach an eight year high after nine successive months of hikes, latest RAC figures show. And the cost at the pump is only set to rise further, warns the motoring organisation, with demand for oil outstripping supply amid the continuing global recovery from
A UK businessman with precious stock on the container ship Ever Given has spoken of his relief that the ship has finally arrived in the UK, four months later than scheduled. The vessel, one of the largest of its kind in the world, docked at Felixstowe to offload cargo following one of the most extraordinary
Young people benefit from being in the office, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has said, as he highlighted its positive influence on his own early career. Stressing the value of being physically in the workplace, the cabinet minister doubted he would have forged the links with mentors who had helped him if he had relied on Teams
Fewer contacts of people with coronavirus will be told to isolate by the NHS COVID-19 app after an update today. The “logic” which underpins how close contacts are identified and notified will be changed following a review into the NHS COVID-19 app by the health secretary, the Department for Health and Social Care says. Live
Defence and aerospace technology firm Meggitt has agreed a £6.3bn takeover deal by US firm Parker-Hannifin. The FTSE 250 company confirmed an offer from the US engineering technology giant valuing Meggitt at 800p per share. It said the move represents a 70% premium on the share value of the company at the end of trading
A former Unilever executive is being lined up to take the helm of the Whitehall agency which oversees taxpayers’ interests in businesses including the Post Office, NatWest Group and Channel 4. Sky News has learnt that Vindi Banga, who sits on the board of GlaxoSmithKline and chairs the cancer charity Marie Curie, is expected to
Rishi Sunak has written to Boris Johnson warning that the UK’s travel restrictions are “out of step” in comparison to other countries, reports suggest. According to the Sunday Times newspaper, the chancellor has raised concerns with the prime minister about the damage that the current border controls are doing to the UK’s economy and has
British employers have been warned that forcing staff to have the coronavirus vaccination could amount to a criminal offence, amid concerns over “no jab, no job” policies emerging. Only care home staff in England will need to have both vaccine doses to work under current legislation, with a consultation taking place on whether to extend