Business

Woodbridge is the place to be for residents wanting to live the happiest life, according to new research. The market town in Suffolk topped Rightmove’s annual list of the happiest places to live in Britain for the first time after knocking London’s Richmond upon Thames off the top spot. Residents of Woodbridge gave high scores

Check out the companies making headlines in extended trading. Salesforce — The software stock advanced 6% after the company posted a revenue beat in the third quarter. Revenue of $9.44 billion topped consensus forecasts calling for $9.35 billion, according to LSEG. Meanwhile, adjusted earnings of $2.41 per share slightly missed estimates for $2.44 per share.

The sleepy Jaguar has had a sudden awakening. After months of gentle provocation, the British carmaker has unveiled its latest model: a fully electric “concept with bold forms and exuberant proportions to inspire future Jaguars”. As to be expected we’ve been bombarded with marketing speak alongside the launch of the Type 00, the biggest rebrand

Lawyers acting for British motorists who were charged inflated prices to deliver vehicles to the UK have agreed settlements worth £38m after a years-long battle alleging that they were ripped off by a cartel of shipping firms. Sky News understands that Mark McLaren, the class representative who brought the claim, and Scott+Scott, the US-based dispute

The Treasury is close to finalising Rachel Reeves’s first visit to China as chancellor just days before Donald Trump is sworn in for a second time as US president. Sky News understands that Whitehall officials have pencilled in a mid-January resumption of the UK-China Economic and Financial Dialogue after a six-year hiatus. Sources said preparations

It is one of the most popular times of the year to propose – according to Bridebook, a popular wedding planning app, more than 100,000 engagements happen during the festive period. But with Britons feeling the pinch after years of high inflation, how much are people spending, what cuts are they going for, and what

People from all parts of the UK, representing all age groups including a significant majority of Labour voters, believe the rate of inflation will increase in the next year across a range of categories, from bills and shopping to going out. Almost three quarters (71%) of those surveyed between 22 and 25 November expect the

The BBC licence fee will increase in line with inflation each year until 2027, the government has announced. It will mean bills will rise by £5, or an extra 42p a month, from April next year – bringing the total cost of a TV licence to £174.50. The hike comes after a £10.50 rise brought

HSBC Holdings, one of Britain’s biggest high street banks and Europe’s largest lender by market value, is preparing to kick off a hunt for its next chairman. Sky News has learnt that HSBC’s board has appointed headhunters to orchestrate the recruitment of a successor to Mark Tucker, who has held the post since 2017. City

Former Harry Potter star Rupert Grint has been ordered to pay £1.8m in tax. The Ron Weasley actor lost a legal battle with HM Revenue and Customs in 2019 and was ordered to pay the sum following an investigation into his tax return from the 2011-12 tax year. Grint had received a £4.5m sum from

A British insurance company which covers contractors when they undertake work in multiple countries has raised more than £3.5m in funding to help accelerate its expansion. Sky News understands that Jove Insurance has secured the backing in a seed round led by Explorer Investment, a Portuguese-based fund. Investors including Love Ventures, Portfolio Ventures, Start Ventures,

Qatar’s leading state-backed fund will on Friday confirm the purchase of a large minority stake in the Audi Formula One (F1) team, marking the latest major global sporting investment by a sovereign investor. Sky News has learnt that the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) has struck a deal to acquire roughly 30% of the F1 outfit,

Marks & Spencer (M&S) and the owner of B&Q have expressed an interest in taking over dozens of stores operated by Homebase, the DIY chain which fell into administration this month. Sky News has learnt M&S and Kingfisher are among the retailers which are circling the remaining Homebase estate of close to 50 outlets, ahead

A UK pension scheme has been branded “deeply irresponsible” after investing in Bitcoin. The unnamed defined-benefit scheme became the first in the UK to make the plunge, using 3% of its assets to buy into the cryptocurrency last month. Pension specialist Cartwright acted as an adviser to the scheme and said the allocation was a

Britain’s biggest airports are joining the growing private sector backlash against Rachel Reeves’s budget, warning that a £1bn business rates bill for the industry will trigger the cancellation of routes to and from the UK and higher costs for passengers. Sky News has obtained a draft letter from Airports UK, which represents more than 50

London’s Smithfield meat market is set to close after more than 800 years, with trading expected to cease for good after 2028. The City of London Corporation, which runs the site, said on Tuesday its council voted to stop operating Smithfield and Billingsgate fish market. The original plan had been to relocate the markets to