Author: SKYNEWS

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…

Water companies have been asked by the information watchdog to proactively release data on the sewage they discharge into waterways.The UK information commissioner John Edwards wrote to the utility firms in England, Wales and Northern Ireland asking them to publish information on the number and duration of sewage outflows every month, instead of waiting for members of the public to request information. At present, data is often requested through environmental information regulations. It would be quicker and easier for the statistics just to be released, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said.Money latest: Fake olive oil worth more than £757,000 seizedPollution…

A takeover bid for The Daily Telegraph from Sir Paul Marshall, the hedge fund tycoon, is in growing doubt days before a deadline for offers for the influential broadsheet newspaper.Sky News understands that Sir Paul, a major shareholder in the television news channel GB News, has been considering in recent weeks whether to drop his interest in bidding for the Telegraph titles on a standalone basis. Sources cautioned on Monday that the situation was fluid and that Sir Paul could yet decide to table an offer ahead of a Friday evening deadline imposed by RedBird IMI, the Abu Dhabi-backed vehicle…