Author: SKYNEWS

Qatar’s leading state-backed fund will on Friday confirm the purchase of a large minority stake in the Audi Formula One (F1) team, marking the latest major global sporting investment by a sovereign investor.Sky News has learnt that the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) has struck a deal to acquire roughly 30% of the F1 outfit, which currently races as Sauber but which will be rebranded under the Audi name in time for the 2026 season. F1 insiders said the deal would be officially announced on Friday, ahead of this weekend’s Grand Prix in the tiny Gulf state.The investment is expected to…

Gregg Wallace will step away from presenting MasterChef while complaints made to the BBC from individuals about historical allegations of misconduct are investigated, the show’s production company said.Banijay UK said the complaints were made to the BBC this week by “individuals in relation to historical allegations of misconduct while working with Gregg Wallace on one of our shows”. The company said the 60-year-old, who has been a co-presenter and judge of the popular cooking show since 2005, was “committed to fully cooperating throughout the process”.”Whilst these complainants have not raised the allegations directly with our show producers or parent company…

At least 27 have died after flash floods and landslides hit the north of Indonesia’s Sumatra island.Torrential rain started striking North Sumatra province last week, causing flash floods and landslides in four districts, with extreme weather expected through to the end of the year. As of Thursday morning, at least 27 have died as a result of the conditions.Hadi Wahyudi, a North Sumatra police spokesperson, said a landslide in Deli Serdang on Wednesday killed seven and injured 20.Rescuers found 20 people dead in other locations during a search that started over the weekend. Image: Torrential rainfall started hitting Sumatra island…

UK car production has slowed, according to industry figures, in the latest sign of a struggling sector. For the eighth month in a row UK car manufacturing fell, according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). October saw 15.3% fewer cars roll off factory lines than the same month a year ago, meaning 14,037 fewer cars were made last month compared to October 2023.The impact of this reduced production could be visible in the last week from the announcement of 800 job cuts from Ford UK and Vauxhall’s Luton plant closure.Part of the blame for the…

Davina McCall has said she is feeling “stronger and stronger” every day after having brain tumour surgery.In an update posted to Instagram, the TV presenter emphasised the importance of sleep during her recovery after having a benign brain tumour, known as a colloid cyst, removed. Sporting a bruised left eye, McCall said she is being “brilliantly” looked after by her boyfriend, hairdresser Michael Douglas, and stepmum Gabby and is “just trying to sleep a lot” and “get better”.Earlier this week, the star said she was suffering from short-term memory problems due to the operation.But on Wednesday, she said her memory…

The alliance between Donald Trump and Elon Musk framed the 2024 election and their bond has only deepened since.Musk has been a regular fixture at the president-elect’s Florida mansion and the pair have introduced their families. He has been privy to phone conversations with world leaders, consulted with Trump on his cabinet picks and even hosted him at Space X for the launch of the Starship rocket.Musk will co-chair the new Department of Government Efficiency, charged with cutting government spending.But how might the entrepreneur’s other views affect Trump policy? Image: Elon Musk secured the confidence of Donald Trump during his…

Supermarket loyalty schemes offer genuine savings for shoppers, according to the competition regulator following an investigation into claims of price manipulation.The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said its review of 50,000 loyalty priced products showed that 92% offered genuine savings against the usual price. That was despite 55% of shoppers thinking “usual” prices were raised to make loyalty deals more appealing, it said.Money latest: UK pension scheme slammed over Bitcoin investmentThe watchdog’s report found “very little evidence” of supermarkets inflating their ‘usual’ prices to make loyalty promotions seem like a better deal but it did call on firms to bolster…

Sir Elton John says he has not been able to see out of his right eye for four months, and his left eye “is not the greatest”, following a severe infection.The 77-year-old singer said he has been unable to finish his new album due to his limited eyesight, and had been left feeling “stuck”. Speaking about his new album with his long-time collaborator Bernie Taupin, which was announced last year, the Rocketman star told ABC News’ Good Morning America: “It’s been a while since I’ve done anything, and well, I just have to get off my backside.”I unfortunately lost my…

A so-called “mini moon” that has been floating round Earth for two months will soon disappear. The harmless space rock, which scientists say could be a boulder that was blasted off the actual moon, was first spotted in August. Known as 2024 PT5, the rock began to partially circle Earth in a horseshoe-shaped path in September, but NASA has clarified that it never fully entered orbit.Astrophysicist brothers, Raul and Carlos de la Fuente Marcos, from Complutense University of Madrid, first identified the asteroid’s “mini moon behaviour”.It is expected to peel away from the Earth on Monday as it is overcome by…

Donald Trump has threatened sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China on his first day in office.The president-elect, who takes office on 20 January next year, said he would introduce a 25% tax on all products entering the country from Canada and Mexico. Posting on his Truth Social platform he also threatened an additional 10% tariff on goods from China on top of any he might impose as one of his first executive orders.What Trump’s tariffs could mean for UK, EU, China and the worldIf implemented, the tariffs could raise prices for ordinary American consumers on everything from petrol…