Author: SKYNEWS

A massive asteroid will skim past Earth in 2029 in an “extremely rare natural phenomenon” – and a spacecraft will be sent to track it.It’s hoped the findings from the European Space Agency (ESA) mission will help defend our planet from any similar objects on a collision course in the future. The asteroid 99942 Apophis will make an “exceptionally close flyby” of Earth on 13 April 2029, passing within 19,900 miles (32,000km) of its surface.Around 2 billion people across much of Europe and Africa and parts of Asia will be able to see it with the naked eye if the…

Jack Black has cancelled Tenacious D’s tour after his bandmate said “don’t miss Trump next time” in the wake of the former president’s attempted assassination.The School of Rock star said he was “blindsided” by Kyle Gass’s remarks on stage, adding that “all future creative plans” for the duo are on hold. The comedy rock group were on stage in Sydney, Australia, on Sunday when Gass was presented with a birthday cake and asked to make a wish. Image: Kyle Gass, left, and Jack Black of Tenacious D performing in 2022. Pic: Amy Harris/Invision/AP Gass sparked controversy when he replied “don’t…

The International Monetary Fund has confirmed that it is expecting the UK economy to grow faster than previously expected this year.The Washington-based fund, which was predicting only last October the UK would be the slowest of all the G7 nations this year, now expects it to be firmly in the middle of the pack. Money latest: What happens when you go bankrupt?The upgrade – which takes expected growth this year from 0.5% to 0.7% – does not reflect the recent change of government, since it was first announced in May, when the IMF conducted its annual assessment of the UK…

An Australian computer scientist who falsely claimed to have invented Bitcoin has been referred to UK prosecutors for alleged perjury. A judge at London’s High Court found Dr Craig Wright lied “extensively and repeatedly” to support his claim that he was “Satoshi Nakamoto”, the pseudonym attributed to the person widely credited with creating the cryptocurrency. Dr Wright was sued by the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (Copa), a non-profit group that includes cryptocurrency firms, to stop him suing Bitcoin developers.Money latest: How to make most out of Amazon Prime dayJudge James Mellor ruled in March that the evidence Dr Wright was…

Cineworld has opened talks with some of Britain’s biggest commercial landlords about its plans to axe up to a quarter of its British cinema estate.Sky News understands that property-owners including Landsec and Legal & General, which between them own about 30 Cineworld multiplexes, are engaged in active discussions with the company about a looming restructuring plan. City sources said a date had been set for a hearing at which a majority of creditors would need to approve the cinema operator’s proposals to close about 25 sites, with rent reductions being sought at a further 50.A number of landlords are said…

Reality star and presenter Zara McDermott has said she “wrestled with the fear” of speaking out about her time on Strictly Come Dancing, following her former professional partner Graziano Di Prima’s exit from the show.The 27-year-old appeared on the show last year and was partnered with Di Prima. In a statement shared on social media, McDermott said she had dreamed of appearing on Strictly since she was a child and most of her experience was “amazing” – but “inside the training room was very different”. Image: McDermott was partnered with Graziano Di Prima, who has now left the show. Pic:…

The water regulator is now investigating every wastewater company in England and Wales over fears that some may not be meeting their obligation to minimise pollution.Ofwat announced it has opened enforcement cases into four more firms as part of its investigation into utilities’ management of wastewater treatment works. The investigations have been opened following a “detailed analysis” of companies’ environmental performance and how often they spill wastewater from storm overflows.It was this analysis that “heightened Ofwat’s concerns” that the four utilities may not be fulfilling environmental protection and pollution-minimising obligations.The firms newly subject to this inspection are Dwr Cymru Welsh…

An underground cave stretching tens of metres below an open pit on the moon has been discovered which could be a potential base for future astronauts, say scientists.This is the first lunar tunnel to be found which could be accessible to humans, according to researchers. The hollowed passage lies beneath a pit about 100 metres wide in the Sea Of Tranquillity, a dark region on the near side of the moon which is visible with the naked eye.The region is also where the first humans on the moon, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, touched down in 1969.The cave is estimated…

Shares in the company behind Donald Trump’s Truth Social platform have surged by a third amid a wider bounce on investor hopes he returns to the Oval Office.The Trump Media & Technology Group was one of the most actively traded stocks on Wall Street during Monday’s session. It was the first chance investors had to give their reaction to his assassination scare on Saturday night.The show of support saw Trump Media gain 30% at the open.Money latest:Huge shipment of fake olive oil seized A wider US stock market rally was attributed to a “Trump trade”.Market commentators credited the prospect of…

Two of the original stars of the hit film Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory will appear at the Edinburgh Fringe as part of a musical parody based on a Glasgow event that left parents fuming and children in tears.Julie Dawn Cole and Paris Themmen, who played Veruca Salt and Mike Teevee in the 1971 movie starring Gene Wilder, will co-narrate the stage reading of Willy’s Candy Spectacular: A Musical Parody. The show is based on the doomed Willy’s Chocolate Experience, which sparked headlines across the globe after being advertised as a “chocolate fantasy” where “dreams become reality” – but…