Author: SKYNEWS

Thames Water is drowning in debt while its customers frequently swim in effluent, a toxic combination for a company seeking to avoid becoming the greatest failure of privatisation. Thames admitted today it is running out of money as well as time, with enough cash to see it through to next May unless it can attract fresh equity, and for that it needs a favourable deal from water regulator Ofwat. On Thursday, Ofwat will publish its verdict on Thames’ business plan for the next five years, as well as every other water company in England and Wales. In its so-called “draft…

Police leaders have criticised the title of new ITV comedy Piglets, calling it “highly offensive” and “a disgusting choice of language”.Set in a fictional police training college, the programme’s name is an apparent reference to the term “pig” which has long been used as a derogatory slang word for police officers. Tiffany Lynch, acting national chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, which represents more than 145,000 rank and file officers, said the title “is highly offensive to police officers risking their lives to protect the public every day providing an emergency service”.”It is a disgusting choice of…

Sir Keir Starmer will set out Labour’s pitch to global investment giants at a conference in early October as his new government seeks to draw tens of billions of pounds of foreign capital.Sky News has learnt that ministers have pencilled in a date of on or around 8 October for a Global Investment Summit, which would meet Labour’s campaign pledge to stage the event within 100 days of coming to power. Sources said the date was expected to be finalised this month, with invitations being issued shortly afterward.Money latest:Cheapest supermarket rankings now include loyalty prices Image: Rishi Sunak delivers the…

Toxic metals have been found in tampons, scientists say, which could put women at greater risk of potentially fatal health conditions.Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley examined 30 tampons from 14 different brands and found all 16 metals they were testing for in each type. The metals found included arsenic, lead, mercury, nickel, copper, and iron, among others.Findings of metal levels varied depending on whether the tampons were sold in the US, UK, or EU, whether they were organic or not, and whether they were branded or supermarket lines.According to the study, between 52% and 86% of women in…

Publicans have expressed their outrage at Co-op for a “disgraceful” television advert encouraging people to stay at home to watch the football rather than go to the pub.The 10-second advert suggests people “stay in with two pizzas and four beers” purchased as part of a deal during EURO 2024 rather than go to the pub where, the advert says, it is “hard to see the screen”. Read all the latest Money news hereIn a letter to Co-op’s chief executive Shirine Khoury-Haq, the Campaign for Pubs accused the supermarket of “openly and deliberately undermining pubs and publicans’ livelihoods”.It added it was…

Crisis-hit Thames Water has warned its cash remains on track to run dry by the end May next year due to a lack of new investment, forcing it to prepare a plan for its lenders.The country’s biggest water company, which serves almost a quarter of the population, previously said it had £2.4bn of liquidity as of the end of March. The company said on Tuesday that the sum had fallen to £1.8bn by the end of June.Cash-strapped Thames Water has been struggling to secure fresh funds from existing shareholders after they withdrew promised investment of £500m amid a funding row…

The high-profile trial of Hollywood star Alec Baldwin over the fatal shooting on the set of the Western film Rust is due to get under way in the US today.It has been almost three years since Halyna Hutchins died after a gun held by the actor went off during a rehearsal in a church on set in New Mexico in October 2021.Baldwin, 66, is charged with involuntary manslaughter and faces up to 18 months in prison if convicted.He has pleaded not guilty and said he was unaware the gun contained a live round. He has always maintained he pulled back…

Card spending fell last month for the first time in more than three years, according to Barclays. It’s the first time there’s been a drop in card spending values since February 2021, the bank’s June data showed. Money blog: What will happen to tax under Labour?The figures cover nearly 40% of the nation’s credit and debit card transactions and combine it with consumer research.It’s due to a combination of prices rising less than before, as inflation weakened, and wet weather dampening clothes, pub and garden centre sales early in the month. Falls were also seen in supermarket card spending, which…

Spice Girl Melanie Brown is set to receive an honorary doctorate for her campaigning efforts – as she revealed she has completed an “intense” trauma care course.The singer, also known as Mel B and Scary Spice, will be given the award from Leeds Beckett University in recognition of her work advocating for domestic abuse victims. The 49-year-old said she was “so honoured” and “proud” that she completed the course and is being awarded a doctorate. Instagram This content is provided by Instagram, which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to…

Not three weeks after Britvic turned down a takeover approach from Carlsberg as “significantly” undervaluing it and its prospects, the storied British soft drinks maker has decided to sell itself to the Danish brewing giant after all.A couple of things have happened to ensure the deal went through. Firstly, Carlsberg raised its terms from 1250p per Britvic share to 1315p-a-share – comprising 1290p in cash and a 25p-a-share special dividend. The ‘bump’ appears to have convinced Britvic’s board – which will undoubtedly have taken soundings from shareholders on what might constitute an acceptable price.The second development was that PepsiCo, with…