Author: SKYNEWS

The investment giant lined up to rescue Thames Water abandoned its offer days after talks took place involving one of its co-founders and Downing Street officials.Sky News has learnt that Henry Kravis, one of the architects of KKR’s ascent to becoming one of the world’s most powerful investors, discussed its plan to bail out Britain’s biggest water company with Varun Chandra, Sir Keir Starmer’s top business adviser, over the weekend. Sources close to the now-abandoned deal said the call between the pair had been organised following a request from Thames Water and its advisers at Rothschild.Money latest: Capital gains tax…

The UK has had its warmest spring on record – and its driest for 50 years, the Met Office has said.Provisional figures showed spring temperatures surpassed the long-term average by 1.4C – with a mean temperature of 9.5C (49.1F). That beat the previous warmest spring recorded in 2024. Temperature records were broken in all four nations in the UK – with 1.64C above the long-term average in Northern Ireland, 1.56C above average in Scotland, 1.39C in Wales and 1.35C in England.In records dating back to 1884, the Met Office said eight of the 10 warmest springs had occurred since 2000…

Race Across The World contestant Sam Gardiner has died at the age of 24 in a car crash, his family has said.In a statement, his mother Jo – who appeared on the 2019 series with him – and his father Andrew said: “We are devastated by the loss of our beloved son Sam in a terrible accident.”Sam left us far too soon, and whilst words will never fully capture the light, joy and energy he brought into our lives, we hold on to the memories that made him so special.”Sam was adored by his family. As a son, brother and…

A federal appeals court has ruled that Donald Trump’s sweeping international tariffs can remain in place for now, a day after three judges ruled the president exceeded his authority.The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) has allowed the president to temporarily continue collecting tariffs under emergency legislation while it considers the government’s appeal. It comes after the Court of International Trade blocked the additional taxes on foreign-made goods after its three-judge panel ruled that the Constitution gives Congress the power to levy taxes and tariffs – not the president.The judges also ruled Mr Trump exceeded his authority by…

More than 25,000 people across central Canada have been forced to leave their homes to escape dozens of wildfires that have reduced air quality and visibility there and in some US states along the border.Around 17,000 people living in Manitoba, a province in central Canada, which declared a state of emergency last week, were relocated, along with about 8,000 in neighbouring Saskatchewan and roughly 1,300 from Alberta. However, officials have warned that more could follow. Saskatchewan’s Public Safety Agency said air quality and visibility due to wildfire smoke “can fluctuate over short distances and can vary considerably from hour to…

Taylor Swift has bought back all the rights to her master recordings – but has suggested she won’t be re-releasing her Reputation album. “All the music I’ve ever made now belongs to me,” the star announced on her official website. “I’ve been bursting tears of joy… ever since I found out this is really happening.”The pop star had originally lost the rights to her first six albums in 2019 when her first record label, Big Machine, sold them to music executive Scooter Braun.After she learned Braun had acquired her musical catalogue, she opened up about it in a lengthy Tumblr…

Glastonbury ticket holders have been left thousands of pounds out of pocket after a luxury glamping company went bust. Festival-goers who booked their tickets and accommodation with Yurtel have been told the company can no longer fulfil its orders and has ceased trading with immediate effect. Money: Read all the latest news hereSome had spent more than £16,500 through Yurtel, with hospitality packages starting at £10,000.In an email, Yurtel said it was unable to provide customers with any refunds, advising them to go through a third party to claim back the money once the liquidation process had started. To add…

Forty hectares of greenhouses, heated by the burning of rubbish, are set to be built in Essex – making it the largest low-carbon horticulture site in Europe.These greenhouses will be the first of their kind and could provide around 6% of the tomatoes consumed in the UK. It should begin operating in 2027, when almost all the county’s household rubbish will come to the Rivenhall site, where it will then be burnt in an incinerator. Image: What the Riverhall site will look like when finished. Pic: Indaver Gareth Jones works for waste company Indaver, which is building the facility.He said:…

Loretta Swit, who won Emmy Awards for her role on the comedy series M*A*S*H, has died aged 87.Her publicist, Harlan Boll, said the actress passed away at her home in New York City just after midday on Friday, likely from natural causes. She was best known for her star turn as Major Margaret Houlihan on CBS’ M*A*S*H, which aired for 11 years from 1972 to 1983. Image: Wayne Rogers, Loretta Swit, McLean Stevenson and Alan Alda on the set of M*A*S*H* in 1973. Pic: Rex Features Based on Robert Altman’s 1970 film of the same name, M*A*S*H has been ranked…

Ministers are to kick off the hunt for a new chair of the communications regulator as Lord Grade of Yarmouth prepares to bow out after a single term at the helm.Sky News has learnt that the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) – which now leads oversight of Ofcom in Whitehall – is drawing up proposals to launch a recruitment process in the coming months. Lord Grade, the veteran broadcast executive who held senior posts at the BBC, ITV and Channel 4, has served as Ofcom chair since May 2022.His four-year term is not due to end for another…