Shops were given a surprisingly big boost in January as official figures showed retail sales rose by 1.7%. Only a 0.3% rise had been forecast by economists polled by Reuters. It's the first growth after four consecutive months of contraction and follows a fall of 0.6% in the key shopping month of December , according

Creative control of the long-running James Bond franchise has been handed to Amazon MGM Studios, in a joint venture with the current owners. Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson - who are the daughter and stepson of film producer Albert "Cubby" Broccoli, the man responsible for developing the Bond franchise into the success it is

Nigel Farage has given up sole control of Reform UK, with the party's members now being "handed over ownership" following a vote last year, according to its chairman. The party, led by Mr Farage , was previously controlled by the Clacton MP as he held a majority of shares in the company. According to the

What happens when you put a boyhood fan in charge of their club? They discover it's not so simple to run after all. And the fans you sat with many years ago are as impatient as ever. Anger reverberates exactly a year since Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS organisation gained day-to-day control of football

KFC is leaving Kentucky. The fast food giant, once known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is relocating its corporate office to Texas in a shake-up announced earlier this week. Started by Colonel Harland Sanders, KFC will be based in Plano, Texas, moving forward. Around 100 corporate employees will be relocated in the next six months, Yum

Hundreds more high street jobs will be lost this week after Quiz Clothing, the troubled fashion retailer, called in administrators. Sky News understands that the company, which was listed until recently on the London Stock Exchange, will see the closure of 23 of its shops, with about 200 employees expected to be made redundant. Quiz

Inflation is rising faster than expected but the latest data is unlikely to shift the Bank of England's stance on interest rates. The headline rate of inflation hit 3% in January , up from 2.5% the previous month and higher than the 2.8% forecast by economists and the Bank of England . It's expected to

"They were a little bit arrogant to start with... I think they are learning on the job." The obvious frustration of Sir Tim Martin, founder of Wetherspoons, at the government and its handling of the economy. And he's not alone. I've spoken to dozens of business leaders in recent months, many angry about tax increases

"They were a little bit arrogant to start with... I think they are learning on the job." The obvious frustration of Sir Tim Martin, founder of Wetherspoons, at the government and its handling of the economy. And he's not alone. I've spoken to dozens of business leaders in recent months, many angry about tax increases

Most councils are set to increase council tax by the maximum amount of at least 4.99% from April. Government figures released on Wednesday show 85% of the 139 top-tier authorities in England that have proposed or confirmed rises so far are planning to do so by 4.99%. If local authorities want to raise council tax