Business

Mortgage approvals hit their highest level in six months near the end of last year, official data has revealed – as more lenders announce rate cuts. New figures from the Bank of England (BoE), published on Thursday, show that more than 50,000 loans for home purchases were rubber-stamped in November – the highest number since

Ian King talks to Patrick Farrell from Charles Stanley about business confidence. Rightmove’s property expert, Tim Bannister, discusses house prices. Paddy Power, from Paddy Power, and Matt Hobbs, director of research at Prostate Cancer UK join Ian to discuss the real winner of last night’s World Darts Championship. :: Listen and subscribe to The Ian

Two of the world’s largest container ship operators have extended diversions from the Red Sea following an attack on a vessel at the weekend that has been blamed for a renewed oil price volatility. Maersk had suspended, on Sunday, sailings near or via the Suez Canal after one of its giant carriers, the Maersk Hangzou,

House prices are expected to remain static or fall again next year after a drop of 1.8% since the end of 2022, according to one of the UK’s largest mortgage lenders. Nationwide building society has said a rapid rebound in prices is “unlikely” in 2024 after the fall recorded from December 2022 to 2023. “It

A Tesla engineer was injured by a robot that pinned him to the wall at the company’s giant factory in Texas, according to reports. The 2021 incident came to light through an injury record filed to regulators. It noted the injury type as “laceration, cut, open wound” and recorded the “cause object” as a robot.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s acquisition of a 25% stake in Manchester United Football Club will be announced today, 13 months after the launch of a review initiated by the Glazer family. Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos Sport will take control of the football side of the club. This breaking news story is being updated and more details

The cost of train travel is set to rise by almost 5% next year, according to the government. In England, regulated rail fares will increase by up to 4.9% from 3 March 2024, the Department for Transport has said. The government says the new 4.9% cap is lower than the equivalent in Scotland, where prices

The Home Office has rowed back on plans to increase the salary threshold for family members of migrants in the UK following a backlash Home Secretary James Cleverly told the Commons earlier this month that the threshold for a family visa would rise from £18,600 to £38,700 by “next spring” in a bid to reduce

The website and phone app for Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) appear to have been restored after going down. Earlier, users were still able to open the service but were faced with a message reading “welcome to your timeline”, instead of the usual feed of posts. Spaces, where people can take part in voice chat

A proposed new nuclear power station in Suffolk has cleared a legal hurdle after the Court of Appeal ruled the government’s decision to approve the site was lawful. Protest group Together Against Sizewell C argues the nuclear site will cause irreparable damage to the Suffolk Coast and brought the challenge, which was dismissed on Wednesday

Spring energy bills are projected to ease as energy markets stabilise, according to a closely-watched forecast. Energy bills in the three months from April to June are projected to fall 16% to £1,660 a year for the average user, according to research firm Cornwall Insight. It’s a £268 drop from the energy cap from next

Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund is gaining full ownership of McLaren Group, one of the most revered names in British premium manufacturing, as part of long-term plans to secure a partnership with a global industry giant. Sky News has learnt that Mumtalakat, the Gulf state’s investment fund, is on the brink of a deal with McLaren’s

Google will pay out $700m (£550m) and allow more competition on its Play Store after it was accused of using illegal restrictions and overcharging consumers when they buy items in apps. It forms part of an antitrust settlement in the US, ahead of a legal battle with Fortnite maker Epic Games, which accused Google of

Elon Musk’s X is being investigated by the EU over its efforts to combat disinformation and harmful content. The social media platform, formerly known as Twitter, is the first to be probed under the bloc’s Digital Services Act. It came into force in November 2022 and requires large online companies to do more to tackle

There’s a sharp easterly wind blowing but Harrison Webster’s Norfolk home is warm in every room. What’s going on here is a world first: polluting companies are paying for a domestic makeover to ditch the carbon. His mum is happy, his cats are happy, there are no fossil fuels and lower bills. A great home

The energy price cap could be lifted for a set period to help suppliers recover a record £3bn of bad debt accrued through unpaid bills, the industry regulator has announced. Ofgem said on Friday it was consulting on proposals for a one-off cap adjustment of £16 – equivalent to around £1.33 a month – to

Fast-fashion giant Shein has been accused of “Mafia-style intimidation” of suppliers in a lawsuit filed by rival online retailer Temu. The campaign of threats formed part of a “desperate plan” by the company to fight off its competitor in the US, according to the lawsuit filed in Washington DC on Wednesday. Among the claims is

The Federal Reserve has again held interest rates – ahead of a Bank of England announcement on Thursday in which it is widely expected to do the same. The US central bank said there was no immediate need for a hike because inflation had “eased over the past year,” as it also suggested borrowing costs

Tesla is recalling more than two million vehicles in the US over concerns about its Autopilot advanced driver-assistance system. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said the system’s method of making sure drivers are paying attention can be inadequate and can lead to “foreseeable misuse of the system”. The NHTSA has been investigating Elon

Around eight million eligible households across the UK will receive a £299 cost of living payment in February, the government has announced. The payment will be made to people on eligible means-tested benefits between 6 and 22 February and is part of a wider support package for households. It is one of three means-tested cost