Author: SKYNEWS

Liam Payne’s sister has paid an emotional tribute to her “best friend” as she spoke for the first time about his death.The singer died aged 31 on Wednesday after falling from a balcony on the third floor of the Casa Sur hotel in Argentina.Ruth Gibbins posted on social media: “I don’t believe this is happening. Many times have I poured my heart out publicly with pride about Liam but never much about life as his sister.”Liam is my best friend, no one could ever make me laugh as much as him, doing his impressions always had me creasing and he…

A company was hacked after it hired a North Korean cyber criminal posing as an IT contractor.The unnamed company fell victim to a new North Korean hacking tactic, according to cybersecurity company Secureworks, which investigated the incident. A North Korean cyber criminal posing as an IT contractor was hired for a fixed-term contract by the firm, which is based either in the UK, US or Australia.Secureworks is keeping the company’s location general in order to protect the company.Within days of starting work, the criminal “accessed and exfiltrated company data”, according to Rafe Pilling, who is the director of threat intelligence…

Niall Horan has paid tribute to his former One Direction bandmate Liam Payne, saying he is “absolutely devastated” by his death.The 31-year-old pop star suffered “extremely serious injuries” after landing in the courtyard of the CasaSur Hotel in the Argentinian capital Buenos Aires, police said. Image: Liam Payne in 2023. Pic: AP Payne had flown to Buenos Aires to attend the Horan’s concert at the Movistar Arena earlier this month.Paying tribute to Payne, Horan shared a photo of the pair as teenagers at the start of their One Direction journey, with his bandmate on his back and both smiling for…

A collection of bondholders in Thames Water are mobilising to protect their interests amid an intensifying battle to avert the company’s nationalisation.Sky News has learnt that Class B bondholders were notified on Thursday they would no longer be part of the same group as the Class A noteholders represented by Jefferies, the investment bank, and law firm Akin Gump. One bondholder source said a potential clash of interests between the two groups of lenders was the reason for the split.The Class B bondholders are said to account for hundreds of millions of pounds of Thames Water’s debt – a small…

Jabs used for weight loss and treating type 2 diabetes could help people with alcohol abuse problems, according to a study.The injections led to a 50% lower rate of alcohol intoxication in people taking them compared to those who had not been prescribed them, researchers found. They also found off-label use of the drugs could help people addicted to opioids.In a study published in the journal Addiction, the researchers looked at glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA), which they said included the drug Ozempic, and/or glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) drugs, which they said include brand name Mounjaro.Such drugs may help…

The case of two brothers who were convicted of killing their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989 has been thrust back into the spotlight thanks to a Netflix drama telling their story.Lyle Menendez, 56, and his 53-year-old brother Erik are serving life in prison without parole for the shotgun murders of their father and mother – Jose and Kitty Menendez. But weeks after the release of a Netflix drama about the brothers called Monsters and a new documentary, their family has called for their release.But what is the case for the brothers’ freedom? Is there new evidence, and…

Britain’s new National Wealth Fund has struck a £1bn deal with two of Britain’s biggest high street lenders to retrofit thousands of homes to upgrade their energy-efficiency.Sky News has learnt that the government-backed vehicle has agreed with Barclays and Lloyds Banking Group to provide partial guarantees on loans to housing associations across Britain. An industry source said the deal, one of the first to be unveiled since the National Wealth Fund’s (NWF) creation, would be announced within days.One banking insider said the partnership between the NWF and the two high street lenders would enable a substantial number of homes to…

A new rule that will force businesses to make it easier for customers to cancel unwanted subscriptions and memberships is to be introduced in the US.The “click-to-cancel” rule will ban retailers and businesses from misleading consumers about subscriptions and require them to obtain people’s consent before charging for memberships, auto-renewals, and programmes linked to free trials. In the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) last major rulemaking before the 5 November election, the agency also said that businesses must let customers end subscriptions as easily as they start them. X This content is provided by X, which may be using cookies and…

Kate Moss has made her Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show debut, following her daughter on the catwalk – as the US lingerie brand brought its famous show back after six years.Some of the world’s most famous models and musicians took part in the fashion show in New York, including sisters Gigi and Bella Hadid, Tyra Banks, and Adriana Lima. Valentina Sampaio and Alex Consani also made history as they became the first transgender models to walk the famous Victoria’s Secret runway. Image: Gigi Hadid (pictured) and her model sister Bella both took part. Pic: Reuters/Andrew Kelly Image: Alex Consani is one…

UK inflation has eased to 1.7%, dipping well below the Bank of England target for the first time since 2021.It’s a drop from the 2.2% recorded in last month’s Consumer Prices Index (CPI). Analysts had expected a fall, but only to 1.9%. The Bank of England (BoE) has been trying to bring inflation down to its target of 2% by keeping interest rates higher.Money blog: Shock fall puts inflation below target for first time in three yearsIt recently trimmed the base rate to 5% and today’s inflation figure is expected to increase the likelihood of further cuts – welcome news…