Author: SKYNEWS

A security guard has been jailed for plotting to kidnap, rape and murder TV presenter Holly Willoughby.Gavin Plumb, 37, was obsessed with then This Morning host Willoughby, 43, who left the ITV show after 14 years last October following his arrest.Mr Justice Edward Murray told Plumb he had intended to carry out a “sadistic, brutal and degrading” attack on Willoughby and “harm her husband and children”.He said Plumb hatched a plot so “horrifying, shocking and graphic” that many details of the plans were not shared in open court.”You are dangerous,” he told him, as he sentenced Plumb to life imprisonment…

One of the UK’s biggest floorings retailers is just one step away from a collapse that would place 1,852 jobs at risk.Cash-strapped Carpetright confirmed it had filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators. The loss-making firm said in a statement however that it was still working towards a reprieve.Parent firm Nestware Holdings stated it was trying to “finalise additional investment to secure Carpetright’s long-term future.This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.Please refresh the page for the fullest version.You can receive Breaking News alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News…

A three-legged lion survived crocodile-infested waters in what scientists believe is the longest swim ever made by the animal – all to find a lioness.Jacob, a 10-year-old lion whose leg was amputated after getting caught in a poacher’s trap four years ago, swam 1.5km across Uganda’s Kazinga Channel with brother Tibu. The waterway is home to one of the densest populations of crocodiles in Africa, with hippos also lurking in the deep at Queen Elizabeth National Park.The pair were filmed aborting two attempts to cross as they tried to shake a suspected crocodile or hippo from their trail, before finally…

VIPs from around the world are invited to an Indian wedding so extravagant it will shut down the heart of the country’s financial capital.Boris Johnson, Tony Blair and David Beckham are reportedly among the guests at the wedding of the son of Mukesh Ambani, Asia’s richest man, in Mumbai. The four-day extravaganza kicks off on Friday, but Anant Ambani’s marriage to longtime girlfriend Radhika Merchant, both 29, is the culmination of celebrations throughout the year.Rihanna sang at a three-day event in March, while Katy Perry and Pitbull performed on a European cruise with 800 guests in May, local media reported,…

The FTSE 100 mining giant Rio Tinto is wargaming its biggest takeover swoop for years after the collapse of rival BHP’s £39bn (£24.7bn) bid for Anglo American. Sky News has learnt that Rio, which is listed in London and Sydney, is studying a refreshed list of potentially industry-reshaping takeover targets including Teck Resources, the Canadian group. City sources said Rio had drawn up detailed proposals for a potential bid for Teck which included approaching banks about financing a deal.Money latest:Could best mortgage rates soon dip below 4%?Teck Resources would be valued at well over $30bn (£23.2bn) in any credible approach,…

Post Office chief executive Nick Read is reportedly “stepping back” from the role temporarily to prepare for the next stage of the Horizon scandal inquiry.Mr Read, who succeeded the heavily-criticised Paula Vennells after she stepped down in 2019, told staff in a note that he wanted to give his “entire attention” to the stage of the hearings in September that will examine current practice at the Post Office. His deputy, Owen Woodley, would run the day-to-day business until the end of August in his absence, it revealed.Money latest:Could best mortgage rates soon dip below 4%?Mr Read’s note, first reported by…

Water companies in England and Wales have been told they will not be allowed to impose the hikes to bills they have demanded, the industry regulator has said in an interim verdict on their business plans for the next five years.Ofwat declared that it was minded to slash, by a third, the combined increases that the 16 companies had submitted. It left the average bill, the watchdog said, set to rise by £19 a year or 21% over the period.Ofwat chief executive David Black said: “Customers want to see radical change in the way water companies care for the environment.Money…

The appearance of finer weather helped the economy recover some lost ground in May, according to official figures that were better than expected.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) recorded gross domestic product growth of 0.4% in the month following zero growth during April. A poll of economists by Reuters had pointed to a 0.2% increase in May.In April, conditions more akin to a monsoon than April showers dented consumer sentiment and hurt construction.Money latest:Policy tweak could save you £295 on car insurance ONS director of economic statistics, Liz McKeown, said: “The economy grew strongly in May with all the main…

Ofwat’s determination that customer bills must rise 21% on average to keep the water industry afloat amounts to an admission of a torrent of failures; of regulation, of foresight, and the management of regional monopolies that at times appear to be competing only to prove that the 35-year privatisation regime has been a mistake.The fact that bills will increase is not the problem. It is unrealistic for consumers to expect a complex utility to expand to meet the demands of climate change without its primary customers contributing.Money latest:Policy tweak could save you £295 on car insuranceIt’s equally delusional however not…

Ryan Reynolds says it’s a dream come true to finally get the chance to work alongside best friend Hugh Jackman as Wolverine.The Deadpool actor penned multiple scripts and versions of the film and pitched them to Marvel Studios chief executive Kevin Feige. On his last attempt of getting it over the line and a phone call from Jackman, Deadpool & Wolverine was created.”It’s a dream come true for me. I mean, it’s something, right? Since day one of playing this character in this way, I want it to be, you know, standing next to this guy. And for so long,…