Business

Stock markets in Asia have seen sharp falls while a recent easing in oil prices gained new momentum on Monday in reaction to growing COVID lockdowns and public protests against them in China. Brent crude futures were 3% down on the day at $81 a barrel as investors fretted over demand in the world’s second-largest

Qatar is reviewing its investments in London after the organisation running the capital’s transport system banned the Middle East country’s advertisements on the Tube, buses and taxis. A source with knowledge of the review has told Sky News the decision by Transport for London (TfL) is “another blatant example of double standards and virtue signalling

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has received a £400m private equity approach that would see it relinquish majority ownership of The Hundred while raising funds to inject into the sport’s cash-strapped counties. Sky News has learnt that the governing body has in recent weeks been handed an offer from Bridgepoint Group, the London-listed

An extra £118m, at least, will be spent this year on temporary accommodation, such as hotels and B&Bs, by councils, a Sky News investigation has found. If trends continue, local authorities in England will spend nearly a quarter more (24%) this financial year than pre-COVID-19. Outside London, expenditure is on track to increase by 55%.

A pubs industry veteran is drinking to his biggest shareholder after it injected new funding into his business amid talks with lenders. Sky News understands that Oaktree Capital has in recent weeks committed millions of pounds to RedCat Pub Company, set up by Rooney Anand, which trades from roughly 120 venues. An industry source said

Primark has announced a £140m investment leading to the opening of four new shops and the creation of at least 850 jobs. Parent company Associated British Food said it plans to make the investment over the next two years in its UK operations. As part of that investment the company said “at least” four news

The gas and electricity watchdog has announced a series of new rules for energy companies, including requiring firms to hold more capital, similar to the regulations placed on the banks in the wake of the financial crisis. Ofgem has proposed the regulations to protect customers and make firms more resilient after a number of electricity

UK car production has returned to growth, although it is still well below pre-pandemic levels, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders says. Some 69,524 cars were built in October, up 7.4% on the same month a year ago. September had seen a fall in numbers, after four consecutive months of growth, illustrating how supply

The UK is facing a wave of strikes this winter, with at least one walkout a day ahead of Christmas, as workers from different industries seek better pay. From transport to the NHS, education to delivery drivers, tens of thousands of people from various industries are expected to take industrial action as recession grips the

The amount energy companies can charge for electricity and gas will rise from January but households will be protected from the increase. Ofgem, the energy regulator which limits the amount suppliers can charge for each unit of electricity and gas, increased its cap for the first three months of next year to 67 pence per

Students in England have been skipping meals, attending lectures remotely and taking on more debt in a bid to cope with the rising cost of living, new data shows. The Office for National Statistics found the rate students at English universities are being impacted by the crisis is similar to that of other adults across

Pay growth has only kept up with inflation in one industry, official figures show. According to data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), regular wages – wages excluding bonuses – have only risen as fast as prices in the professional and scientific industry. Jobs in the sector include legal services, management, engineering and scientific

A fresh round of rail strikes in the run-up to Christmas and in the New Year have been announced. Workers are to stage a series of 48-hour strikes in December and January in the long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions, the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) union said. Over 40,000 members across Network

The UK economy is to suffer the biggest hit of all the G7 nations next year, a report has forecast. The economy is to contract more than any of the other six countries that form the group of the world’s largest industrialised democracies, according to forecasts from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Shell will review £25bn of investments in British projects after the chancellor extended the windfall tax on energy companies, its UK chairman has told Sky News. David Bunch said the oil giant would re-examine each of its projects on a “case-by-case basis” after Jeremy Hunt increased the levy on “excess” oil and gas profits from

UK firms should be “looking to the British workforce” rather than relying on immigrants to fill jobs post-Brexit, a minister has said. At its annual conference, the director general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), Tony Danker, called on the government to use immigration to solve worker shortages in the UK, saying it must

A venture capital fund backed by the advertising mogul Sir Martin Sorrell will this week unveil its first public investment in a US digital asset management platform. Sky News understands that S4S Ventures, which was set up this year by Sir Martin and Stanhope Capital Group, are jointly leading a $10m Series B fundraising by

Climate change activists have occupied Gordon Ramsay’s three-star Michelin restaurant in London. Members of Animal Rebellion entered Restaurant Gordon Ramsay on Hospital Road, Chelsea, at around 6pm on Saturday. Wearing smart casual clothing, they sat at tables reserved for guests of the high-end restaurant. They held mock menus outlining the environmental costs of items served

A multimillion-pound payout to Jacob Rees-Mogg, the former business secretary, is in jeopardy amid faltering talks about a sale of the asset management business he cofounded. Sky News has learnt that negotiations between Somerset Capital Management, in which Mr Rees-Mogg is a substantial shareholder, and prospective buyer Emso Asset Management have stalled in recent weeks.

Elon Musk has posted a poll on Twitter asking users to vote on whether former US President Donald Trump, who was banned from the social media site by its previous owners, should be reinstated. The Twitter boss accompanied it with the words: “Vox Populi, Vox Dei” – a Latin phrase meaning “the voice of the