Author: SKYNEWS

In 1996, US hip-hop stars Cypress Hill sent themselves up in an episode of The Simpsons, accidentally booking a gig with the London Symphony Orchestra “possibly while high”.While it might have seemed an unlikely collaboration at the time, The Simpsons has gained a reputation for being eerily good at predicting the future, and the rappers have long had classical influences and the drive to push boundaries with their music. So now, after much demand from fans and talk on social media over the years, it’s finally happening – Cypress Hill will perform with the world famous orchestra tonight at the…

Europe’s newest rocket Ariane 6 has launched from French Guiana on the northern coast of South America.If the full launch is a success, it will give the European Space Agency (ESA) the ability to launch satellites again by itself. Ariane 6 took off from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, just after 8pm BST after having a four-hour launch window from 7pm to 11pm.Its inaugural flight is expected to take just under three hours.Just before 9pm BST ESA director general Josef Aschbacher posted on X to say the rocket was in circular orbit. Image: Ariane 6 launches. Pic: ESA/AP A short…

The boss of Hakluyt, the corporate intelligence firm, is being lined up for a top business role in Sir Keir Starmer’s fledgling Labour administration.Sky News has learnt that Varun Chandra, who has been Hakluyt’s managing partner since 2019, is in advanced talks to join the government. Sources said on Tuesday that he was likely to take on a senior business liaison role in 10 Downing Street – a role occupied by Lord Petitgas, the former Morgan Stanley banker, in Rishi Sunak’s administration.Like Lord Petitgas, Mr Chandra is an ex-Lehman Brothers banker who went on to establish the regulated business operations…

Harvey Weinstein is facing an investigation over “additional violent sexual assaults,” prosecutors in New York say.Speaking at a hearing in New York state criminal court in Manhattan on Tuesday, prosecutor Nicole Blumberg said they will seek a new indictment, adding the additional assaults allegedly committed in Manhattan were still within the statute of limitations to be charged as crimes.The 72-year-old film producer’s landmark 2020 New York conviction saw him handed a 23-year prison sentence and kickstarted a global #MeToo movement – but in April it was overturned by the state’s highest court.A retrial is yet to be announced.It was ruled…

Business presenter Ian King has answered 21 questions from readers of the Sky News Money blog on what a Labour government means for your personal finances.How will a Labour government affect benefits?Marie-Kate Ian King says…The expectation is that the UK’s principal disability benefit, Personal Independence Payments or PIP, will change.Labour has promised an overhaul of the welfare system, taking in Universal Credit as well as PIP, although details are currently scant. The thrust of Labour’s policy, though, will be to try and reduce economic inactivity and get more people of working age into the labour force. The party’s manifesto said…

Paul Mescal is transformed in his latest role as a Roman warrior fighting for his life, in Gladiator II, the follow-up to Ridley Scott’s Oscar-winning film.Coming 24 years after the first movie, the official trailer for the sequel reveals footage of deadly sword fights and a rampaging rhinoceros in the Roman Colosseum in front of tens of thousands of blood-hungry spectators. Image: (R-L) Mescal and Pedro Pascal fight it out. Pic: Paramount Pictures It’s a world away from Mescal’s breakout role playing Connell Waldron in Sally Rooney’s hit romantic drama Normal People, which launched him to stardom in 2020.Playing Gaelic…

These should be good times for Nike. This is an Olympics year, providing a global showcase for its products, while the sports pages are filled daily with any number of stars – among them Jude Bellingham, Emma Raducanu and, next week, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy – pictured wearing its garb. And yet the business is in the doldrums. ‘It does seem like a hopeless situation’Nike shares, which have fallen by 59% from the highs they hit at the end of 2021, currently languish at levels last seen when the world went into lockdown in March 2020.The latest results, published…

Radio 2 DJ Steve Wright died from a ruptured ulcer in his stomach, according to his death certificate.The veteran BBC radio broadcaster, who was one of the most familiar voices on the airwaves in the UK, died at the age of 69 in February.The causes of death were acute peritonitis and a perforated gastric peptic ulcer, the certificate obtained by the BBC says. Image: Sir Elton John on The Steve Wright Show on BBC Radio 2 in 2010. Pic: AP Peritonitis is an infection of the lining of the stomach, according to the NHS, while a perforated ulcer is a…

Dyson has revealed plans for 1,000 job losses in the UK.The manufacturer of innovative vacuum cleaners and other products said the cuts, which amount to more than a quarter of its UK workforce of 3,500, followed a review of its global needs. It is understood that the decision is not linked to the UK general election, as the process had begun beforehand.The company’s founder Sir James Dyson had previously been critical of the Conservative government’s approach to economic growth and science. Labour’s plans had also come under fire.Money latest: US fast food chain to open 60 sites in UK Chief…

A Glasgow hotel is looking to hire a “banter merchant” to entertain guests throughout Edinburgh Festival Fringe.AC Hotel by Marriott Glasgow said it is seeking a “breakfast roaster” to leave its guests “in stitches” during the famous event. The paid gig – which would suit someone performing at the Fringe – includes free accommodation and travel expenses to and from Scotland’s capital for the festival.Bosses at the hotel said the business has been experiencing a “significant spike in demand” during the festival, amid reports that performers and visitors are being priced out of staying in Edinburgh throughout the run.Comedian Jason…