Author: SKYNEWS

A second child in Texas with measles has died as the outbreak of the childhood disease reached nearly 500 cases in the state, officials have said.The unvaccinated schoolgirl, who had no underlying health conditions, died on Thursday in hospital from measles pulmonary failure, the Texas Department of State Health Services said. She was being treated for complications from the illness, a spokesperson for University Medical Center Children’s Hospital in Lubbock said in an email. Image: US health and human services secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr (right) at the girl’s funeral. Pic: AP The girl was recently diagnosed with the viral…

From today, drivers using London’s Blackwall Tunnel will have to pay a toll.The charge is being implemented the same day the new Silvertown Tunnel – which will link east London to southeast London – also opens to drivers. For car drivers, a return journey at peak times will cost £8, jumping up to £13 for large vans.Here is everything you need to know about the new tunnel, the tolls and the decision behind its implementation.What is the Silvertown Tunnel? The 1.4km (just under one mile) long tunnel stretches from Silvertown in Newham, east London, to the Greenwich Peninsula in southeast…

Despite The Who’s Quadrophenia being set over 60 years ago, Pete Townshend’s themes of identity, mental health, and modern masculinity are just as relevant today.The album is having a renaissance as Pete Townshend’s Quadrophenia A Mod ballet is being brought to life via dance at Sadler’s Wells East, and Sky News has an exclusive first look. As Townshend puts it, the album he wrote is “perfect” for the stage. Image: Pete Townshend “My wife Rachel did the orchestration for me, and as soon as I heard it I said to her it would make a fabulous ballet and we never…

Four space tourists have safely arrived back on Earth after completing a novel space route on board one of Elon Musk’s SpaceX capsules.Bitcoin tycoon Chun Wang, who chartered the SpaceX flight, and three others splashed down off the Southern California coast on Friday, pumping their fists in celebration of the successful voyage. After taking off on Monday, it became the first human spaceflight to circle the globe above both the North Pole and South Pole – and the first Pacific splashdown for a space crew in 50 years.The crew passed over the icy masses roughly every 40 minutes from 270…

Sir Keir Starmer has said his government stands ready to use industrial policy to “shelter British business from the storm” after Donald Trump’s new 10% tariff kicked in.The UK was among a number of countries hit with the lowest import duty rate following the president’s announcement on 2 April – which he called ‘Liberation Day’, while other nations, such as Vietnam, Cambodia and China face much higher US levies. But a global trade war will hurt the UK’s open economy.The prime minister said “these new times demand a new mentality”, after the 10% tax on British imports into America came…

Ed Sheeran has wowed fans, onlookers and commuters by playing in a London street.The British singer and songwriter, 34, performed with his acoustic guitar outside King’s Cross station on Friday. Sheeran, wearing a bright pink t-shirt, sang his new track Azizam as well as hits including Perfect, Bad Habits and Shivers.The Shape of You and Thinking Out Loud singer shared an Instagram post after his performance and described the atmosphere as “awesome”.One onlooker who had time to spare between changing trains said she “struck gold” and felt “lucky” after witnessing the star play in an intimate setting. Legal secretary Olivia…

Donald Trump has delayed a potential ban on TikTok for a second time – after China reportedly stalled on a deal to sell its US operations in response to his “Liberation Day” tariffs.The short-form video app was set to be banned in the US the day before Mr Trump returned to the White House in January unless its Chinese owner ByteDance agreed to sell its US operations to a non-Chinese buyer. Trump’s 10% tariffs kick in worldwide – follow latestBut on his inauguration on 20 January Mr Trump signed an executive order delaying the deadline.On Friday, Mr Trump announced he…

Sir Tom Scholar, the former top Treasury civil servant sacked by Liz Truss during her premiership, is being lined up as the next chairman of Santander UK, Britain’s fifth-biggest high street bank.Sky News has learnt that Sir Tom, who played a pivotal role in the UK’s response to the 2008 financial crisis, is the leading candidate to replace William Vereker. The appointment, which is subject to regulatory approval, could be announced later in the spring, according to insiders.Sir Tom’s prospective recruitment comes amid a period of intense speculation about the future of Santander UK, which bulked up rapidly during the…

Tom Cruise has paid tribute to Val Kilmer, wishing his Top Gun co-star “well on the next journey”.Cruise, speaking at the CinemaCon film event in Las Vegas on Thursday, asked for a moment’s silence to reflect on the “wonderful” times shared with the star, whom he called a “dear friend”.Kilmer, who died of pneumonia on Tuesday aged 65, rocketed to fame starring alongside Cruise in the 1986 blockbuster Top Gun, playing Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky, a rival fighter pilot to Cruise’s character Maverick. Image: Tom Cruise said ‘I wish you well on the next journey’. Pic: AP Image: Val Kilmer in…

Sir Keir Starmer needs to choose between parents who want stronger action to tackle harmful content on children’s phones, or the “tech bros” who are resisting changes to their platforms, Baroness Harriet Harman has said.Speaking to Beth Rigby on Sky News’ Electoral Dysfunction podcast, the Labour peer noted that the prime minister met with the creators of hit Netflix drama Adolescence to discuss safety on social media, but she questioned if he is going to take action to “stop the tech companies allowing this sort of stuff” on their platforms where children can access it. Sir Keir hosted a roundtable…