Business

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has agreed to pay almost $9bn (£7.2bn) to settle tens of thousands of lawsuits alleging its talc caused cancer. The new offer massively outstrips its past offering of $2bn. The company faces about 40,000 lawsuits from people claiming its talc products caused cancer due to contamination with asbestos, a known carcinogen. J&J

Full-size self-driving buses will hit the road next month in what is believed to be a world first. Stagecoach has announced the ground-breaking service over Scotland’s Forth Road Bridge will start on May 15. It will cover a 14-mile route between the Ferrytoll park and ride in Fife and the Edinburgh Park train and tram

One of Britain’s biggest online jewellery retailers has hired bankers to explore a sale after a string of unsolicited takeover approaches. Sky News understands that The Diamond Store, which was founded in 2006, has appointed finnCap Cavendish to oversee talks with prospective buyers. City sources said financial and strategic buyers were expected to look at

Tesla saw its sales rise by 36% in the first financial quarter, after two price cuts aimed at boosting demand. The electric car, SUV and heavy truck manufacturer said it delivered 422,875 vehicles worldwide between January and March – up from just over 310,000 a year ago. Over the same period it produced 44,808 vehicles

Tesla saw its sales rise by 36% in the first financial quarter, after two price cuts aimed at boosting demand. The electric car, SUV and heavy truck manufacturer said it delivered 422,875 vehicles worldwide between January and March – up from just over 310,000 a year ago. Over the same period it produced 440,808 vehicles

Oil prices are up almost 5% after Saudi Arabia and other major producers vowed to cut production. Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, was up 4.85% early on Monday to $83.77 per barrel after it was announced that production would be cut by 1.15 million barrels per day from May until the end of the

House prices fell by 3.1% year-on-year in March, marking the biggest annual decline since July 2009, Nationwide Building Society said. The figures also showed a monthly price fall of 0.8% – the seventh consecutive fall – which leaves prices 4.6% below their August peak. Robert Gardner, Nationwide’s chief economist, said: “The housing market reached a

Three energy suppliers have lost a High Court challenge over the government’s handling of the sale of rival Bulb. Bulb was placed in special administration in November 2021 and, almost a year later, Octopus Energy announced it had reached a deal to buy the firm and take on its 1.6 million customers. It was later

The grocery chain Planet Organic has put insolvency practitioners on standby as it races to find new backers in a bid to secure its future. Sky News has learnt that the company filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators on Thursday – a move which provides it with breathing space from creditors as it

Ian King is joined by Steve Scrimshaw, vice president of Siemens Energy UK & Ireland, to discuss the government’s plans to drive what it hopes will be a revolution in the UK’s energy sector. The chief executive and co-founder of BrewDog James Watt speaks to Ian about an investment competition being launched. And Jeremy de

UK car production was up 13.1% year-on-year in February, driven by an uplift in export numbers. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said that 69,707 cars were made last month, with 81.2% of those destined for overseas markets. Almost 60% of those exported went to the European Union, by far the biggest market

Quantexa, a British data analytics company, is bucking the recent trend of technology company valuations by raising a new round of funding that will hand it coveted ‘unicorn’ status. Sky News has learnt that Quantexa has secured backing from a syndicate of investors including a Singaporean sovereign wealth fund. An industry source said the fundraising

TalkTalk, the broadband provider, has hired bankers to oversee a sale of its business-to-business division in a deal that analysts believe could fetch more than £200m. Sky News has learnt that the company, which is privately owned, is in the early stages of a process to sell TalkTalk Business Direct, which serves more than 80,000

Manchester United received a fresh Qatari bid overnight – as the battle to purchase the Premier League giants intensifies. Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani made the offer after asking for a deadline extension on Wednesday. He joins Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS, who made his own second formal bid for the club, and comes after

Britain’s competition watchdog has provisionally dropped concerns that Microsoft’s proposed takeover of Activision Blizzard would damage the UK console gaming market. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) last month warned the £56.7bn deal could result in higher prices, fewer choices or less innovation for UK gamers. However, it said its latest findings have now indicated

Many verified Twitter users are set to lose their blue ticks at the beginning of next month. The social media platform has said that on 1 April it will start removing its “legacy” verified checkmarks. These cover most blue-tick accounts that are not government officials or organisations – meaning many musicians, actors, journalists, authors, among

Millions of mobile phone and internet users are facing a price increase of 17.3% on their bills in just a week’s time. Every April, many broadband and mobile firms raise their prices in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) plus an additional 3-3.9%. As these price rises are often applied mid-contract, people either have

Ziglu, a British cryptocurrency business, is exploring a cut-price sale nearly a year after agreeing an ultimately aborted takeover by Robinhood, the American fintech giant. Sky News has learnt that Ziglu, which offers crypto trading to thousands of customers, is in the process of hiring investment bankers to oversee a sale. City sources said the

A national strike is taking place in France after President Emmanuel Macron’s circumvention of parliament to pass the divisive pension bill which would raise the retirement age by two years. The co-ordinated strikes are expected to cause widespread national chaos, as well as travel disruption to and from France. French airports will be hit, with

Cenkos Securities and finnCap Group, the London-listed brokers, are in advanced talks to merge in an all-share deal that will create the City’s biggest dedicated investment bank serving small-cap growth companies. Sky News has learnt that Cenkos and finnCap are close to agreeing a tie-up. An announcement from both companies is likely as soon as