Average water bills in England and Wales will increase by 36% over the next five years, water regulator Ofwat has said. The rise is equivalent to an average extra of £31 per year. Water companies had asked for an average rise of 40%. The regulator's draft determinations issued in July said the bills would rise

The US central bank has announced an interest rate cut, just hours before the Bank of England is tipped to refrain from following suit. The Federal Reserve cut its main funding rate by a quarter point to a new target range of 4.25%-4.5%, as markets had expected, but signalled that future reductions would happen more

An adult incontinence nappy, designed for concertgoers to avoid long queues at toilets, has gone on sale. The limited-editor Pit Diaper, specifically for mosh pits at music gigs, was available for $75 (£59) before selling out. It was sold by US firm Liquid Death, a sparkling water brand known for its unusual heavy metal-style images

English rent prices have reached another record high, growing by close to 10% in the past year, official figures show. The typical private rental price in England rose 9.3% in the year up to November, costing £116 more than 12 months earlier, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). English renters paid an average

Rachel Reeves has repeatedly told us that Labour will not play "fast and loose" with the public finances but is the government playing fast and loose with inflation? At 2.6% , the inflation rate is nowhere near the double-digit highs we saw in 2022 but it is still above target and is likely to stay

The Observer is to fall under the ownership of Tortoise Media, a fledgling digital start-up, in a binding deal signed after weeks of controversy about the fate of the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. Guardian Media Group (GMG) and the Scott Trust announced on Wednesday morning that the title will be acquired by Tortoise, even as

Wages are rising far faster than expected after a year of slowing, official figures show. Average pay rose sharply, by 5.2%, in the three months to October, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). A month earlier wages had been growing by 4.4% including bonuses and 4.9% excluding bonuses. The increase comes

Avanti West Coast staff are set to strike after rejecting a deal aimed at resolving a dispute over rest day working. Train managers will strike on New Year's Eve, 2 January and Sundays between 12 January and 25 May, the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said. An RMT spokesperson said: "Our members have resoundingly

Inflation has risen for the second month in a row, according to official figures. The overall rate of price rises - as measured by the consumer price index (CPI) - grew by 2.6% in November, a significant rise. It's a further move away from the Bank of England 's target 2% inflation rate after the

Harland & Wolff (H&W), the stricken Titanic shipbuilder, is on the brink of a £70m government-backed rescue deal that will include guarantees of job security for the company's workforce. Sky News has learnt that ministers hope to announce as soon as Thursday that H&W and its four UK shipyards are being acquired by Navantia, the