Author: SKYNEWS

One pound now buys more dollars than at any point in almost a year. Sterling’s value rose against the dollar on Thursday afternoon with a pound equalling $1.29 for the first time since late July 2023. It’s good news for any Britons travelling to the US – their pound will now go further than it had done in the past 11 and a half months.Consumers generally may benefit if the rate remains good for sterling, as the price of importing goods bought with dollars could come down.Money latest – Tesco to close stores early on Sunday If costs remain lower…

Women’s brains, blood, hormones and bones change drastically during pregnancy, research suggests.We are only just discovering the full extent of what is going on with women’s bodies during pregnancy and beyond after decades of only studying male bodies, say scientists. BonesBiologists have revealed that a new hormone protects bone density during breast-feeding.The new research, which studied mice, solves a long-standing puzzle over how the bones of breastfeeding women stay strong even as they lose calcium to milk, say researchers at the University of California San Francisco and UC Davis. The hormone, CCN3, works by blocking certain oestrogen receptors in the…

Shelley Duvall, the actress best known for her performance in psychological horror The Shining, has died at the age of 75.It is her screaming face that makes up half of the film’s most iconic image, as an axe wielded by co-star Jack Nicholson smashes through the door next to her. She also starred in films including Popeye, alongside Robin Williams, and Woody Allen’s Annie Hall, and worked frequently with the filmmaker Robert Altman.The actress died in her sleep at her home in Blanco, Texas, overnight, her partner told Sky News’ US partner network NBC News. She had been receiving hospice…

Water bills are to rise by an average of 21% over the next five years, the industry regulator Ofwat has ruled.But with the impact of the cost of living, water companies spilling record amounts of sewage into our waters, and controversial bonuses for senior leaders, do we need a complete overhaul of the industry? On this episode, Niall Paterson hears from our business correspondent Paul Kelso in Henley, on the impact for consumers, providers and our waterways.Niall also speaks to Stuart Colville, deputy CEO of Water UK, which represents the water companies, asking why they disagree with Ofwat’s plans.Plus, Feargal…

Pregnant women have been advised to get vaccinated against whooping cough after nine young babies died as cases of the illness surged in England.Whooping cough, which affects the lungs and breathing tubes and spreads very easily, according to the NHS, is responsible for the deaths of nine babies between November and the end of May. In January, there were 555 confirmed cases but by May it was 2,591, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said.From January to May there were 7,599 cases, while in the whole of last year, there were only 858, the UKHSA said. Please use Chrome browser…

A prominent financial technology company part-owned by Legal & General (L&G) is in talks about a merger that would create one of Britain’s biggest non-bank consumer lenders.Sky News has learnt that Salary Finance, which advances employees’ wages to them, and Oakbrook, a tech-enabled lending platform, are expected to be combined following talks between their largest shareholders. Salary Finance is jointly owned by L&G and Blenheim Chalcot, a leading London-based digital ventures builder whose portfolio includes the fintechs Liberis and Modulr and which sold its remaining stake in Clearscore last year.Sources said that Blenheim Chalcot and L&G had been discussing combining…

A fibre broadband network which has connected hundreds of thousands of Central London premises is exploring a sale after approaches from potential buyers.Sky News has learnt that G Network, whose investors include Britain’s university lecturers’ pension scheme, is working with bankers to field takeover interest. City sources said on Thursday that G Network, which has raised hundreds of millions of pounds in debt and equity, had engaged Nomura and Jefferies as advisers.Money latest:Policy tweak could save you £295 on car insuranceCityFibre Holdings and Community Fibre are among the parties which are said to have expressed interest in buying the company.…

Former child star Benji Gregory – the actor best known for his role in the hit 1980s sitcom ALF – has died at the age of 46.His sister, Rebecca Pfaffinger, said in a social media post he was found dead in his car alongside his assistance dog last month. Image: Benji Gregory as Brian Tanner in ALF. Pic: NBC She told celebrity news site TMZ he had fallen asleep in the vehicle in a car park in Arizona and had died of heatstroke. His dog, Hans, also died.”It is with a heavy heart my family has suffered a loss way…

Ross Kemp led celebrity celebrations over England’s 2-1 victory against the Netherlands in a nail-biting semi-final which saw a last gasp goal from substitute Ollie Watkins secure the side’s place in Sunday’s Euro 2024 final against Spain.Three years on from losing the continental showpiece to Italy on penalties, Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2020 runners-up earned another shot at glory in Berlin this weekend. Former EastEnders star Kemp, who played Grant Mitchell in the soap and has become well known for his enthusiastic celebrations of England’s sporting successes, shared his joy in two videos on X.In the first, in his England shirt,…

Night owls may be sharper than morning people, according to a new study, with those most active and alert in the evening performing better in cognitive tests.Researchers led by academics at Imperial College London examined data on thousands of people taking part in the UK Biobank study to investigate sleep patterns and cognition. They looked at the link between sleep duration, quality and chronotype – categorised as “morningness”, “eveningness” or “intermediate” for those who don’t align with either.People who reported between seven and nine hours of sleep each night appeared to perform best on tests examining intelligence, reasoning skills, reaction…