Author: SKYNEWS

Nick Read is to end his torrid tenure as chief executive of the Post Office as he prepares to give evidence to the inquiry into the Horizon IT scandal.Sky News has learnt that Mr Read, who took over five years ago, has decided to resign from the government-owned company. He initially stepped back temporarily from the post to focus on his evidence to the inquiry into the IT debacle that affected hundreds of sub-postmasters.In a statement confirming his departure after Sky News reported that it was imminent, Mr Read said: “It has been a great privilege to work with colleagues…

A partial lunar eclipse of a supermoon was visible across the UK and other parts of the world in the early hours of Tuesday morning.A supermoon occurs when a full moon is at its closest point to Earth during its orbit, with the Met Office saying this makes it appear 30% brighter and 14% bigger in the sky. The partial lunar eclipse – when the Earth’s shadow covers part of the moon – took place between 1.41am and 5.47am UK time.Ahead of the event, Becky Mitchell, Met Office meteorologist, said around 4% of the moon would be covered during the…

The BBC director-general has condemned Huw Edwards’ crimes as “appalling” and said the corporation is still having conversations about recovering part of his salary paid following his arrest.Tim Davie addressed the scandal following Edwards’ sentencing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London on Monday. Speaking at the Royal Television Society (RTS) annual convention, Mr Davie said he could not see the former presenter ever working at the BBC again “for obvious reasons”.”This man has just been convicted of appalling crimes and it’s pretty straightforward in my mind,” he said. Image: Huw Edwards was sentenced at Westminster Magistrates’ Court. Pic: PA Edwards…

A start-up which targets Pilates enthusiasts with digitally connected equipment has secured a £3.5m funding boost aimed at fuelling its expansion.Sky News understands that Belfast-based Reform RX has secured $5.1m in a round led by Clarendon Fund Managers, the equity fund manager for the Investment Fund for Northern Ireland. Founded in 2018, Reform RX is designed to augment users’ Pilates activity by tracking their movement to within a thousandth of a second, providing them with real-time biometric data.The company was established by Yvette McGaffin, a functional movement specialist, and Pilates expert Neal McGaffin.After running a boutique Pilates studio business, they…

The UK government has procured 150,000 doses of additional mpox vaccine in preparation for anticipated cases of a new potentially deadlier strain causing a growing outbreak in Africa and isolated cases in Europe and Asia detected in recent weeks.The UK has yet to identify a case of the Clade 1b strain of mpox, and health officials say the risk to the UK remains “low”. However, its spread outside Africa led the World Health Organization (WHO) last month to declare the resurgence of mpox a “public health emergency of international concern”.Despite precautions at UK borders, the long incubation time of mpox…

From “childless cat lady” jokes to calls to vote, the upcoming US presidential election loomed large at this year’s Emmy Awards.Following Taylor Swift’s public endorsement of Kamala Harris, which mocked Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance’s now infamous “childless cat ladies” comment, both Selena Gomez and Candice Bergen also joked about the remarks on stage at the Emmys. However, despite the political references running throughout the ceremony, there was no reference made on stage to the latest apparent assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump. Image: (L-R) Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez on stage at the Emmys. Pic:…

Financial market participants are increasingly of the opinion the US central bank will impose a bigger than expected interest rate cut this week, with the Bank of England holding off on a fresh reduction.At the start of a major week for central bank announcements and economic data, the focus of attention is firmly on the United States as the Federal Reserve prepares for its first rate cut since early 2020. It has been held at its 5.25%-5.5% target range since July last year, but will be reduced when the Federal Open Market Committee concludes its latest policy meeting on Wednesday.Money…

Warning: This story contains offensive language, including antisemitic content.The rant by Adolf Hitler is full of antisemitic vitriol, saying that Jewish people are working to undermine peace in Europe.What’s unusual is the fast-paced music laid on top, and the fact that the combined audio is available on more than 100 posts on TikTok – and is attracting likes.Sky News has found Nazi speeches and marching music have been turned into popular ‘sounds’ (audio used as the basis for multiple videos) on TikTok and are being used as soundtracks on at least 72,534 posts.Videos using these sounds have attracted high levels…

Strictly Come Dancing has returned for its 20th anniversary series – launching with pizazz as usual, despite the controversy surrounding the show in recent months.Hosted by Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly, the opening show saw this year’s celebrities – including former England footballer Paul Merson, TV presenter Nick Knowles, JLS star JB Gill, singer Toyah Willcox and Olympic hockey gold medallist Sam Quek – paired with their dancing partners. It also marked the return of professional dancer Amy Dowden, who underwent a mastectomy and chemotherapy after being diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2023. Dressed in hot pink, the 34-year-old…

The number of second homes being put up for sale in one part of Wales has increased by more than 250% – as homeowners and businesses criticise the Welsh government’s council tax premium.Many councils in Wales now charge an inflated tax rate for second homes, up to 300%, with the aim of freeing up rarely used housing stock for locals and generating income. In Pembrokeshire, the council tax premium increased to 200% in April, trebling the cost for homeowners and leading to many selling up. Image: Many suspect properties are being listed in a loophole to temporarily avoid the upped…