Author: SKYNEWS

Ocado is to cut around 1,000 jobs as part of a plan to slash costs and restructure its operations.The company, which provides automated technology for distribution centres and runs its own UK online grocery business through a joint venture with Marks & Spencer, said two thirds of the job losses would be in the UK. The majority of those affected have roles at its headquarters in Hatfield.Money latest: The kitchen towels offering the best valueNo-one connected to the retail side of the business is under threat. Ocado chief executive Tim Steiner said of the shake-up: “Regrettably, this means a significant…

The UK could be set for an “explosion of colour” as warmer conditions bring flowers rapidly into bloom over the next two weeks – but not before temperatures drop following the hottest day of the year so far.Temperatures at Kew Gardens in London reached 18.6C on Wednesday – the hottest February day since 2019 – with parts of Kent and Suffolk topping 18C. Some areas experienced higher temperatures than in Spain and Malta – a pleasant change for many after an incredibly wet start to the year. Image: The highest temperature of 2026 so far was recorded at Kew Gardens…

Paramount Skydance has offered even more money for Warner Bros Discovery (WBD), adding pressure on the media giant to accept a bid it has so far rejected. The entertainment conglomerate behind film production company Paramount Pictures and TV network CBS, announced a revised, best and final offer of $31 per WBD share and additional fees – an improvement on its initial $30 tender. Such a share bid has led WBD to say it could beat the existing Netflix offer, hotting up the fight for control of WBD, which counts comic book filmmakers DC Studios, TV network HBO and news channel…

This week has seen the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.That’s four years of war and continuous suffering for the people of Ukraine. The ramifications have been felt far and wide and it would appear crass to moan from these shores about higher energy bills since. The link, however, can not be dismissed and neither can the impact in the UK.The war triggered unprecedented spikes in gas and electricity prices and millions have faced choices over heating and eating to this day, four years on.We learned on Wednesday that the energy price cap – the variable tariff set by…

It’s hard to believe the London Borough of Brent was once covered in even more rubbish than it is now. Although the gleaming arch of Wembley Stadium is sometimes just a few steps away, its residential streets are a patchwork of filth. Whether it’s a sea of bottles right by the very sign for the recycling centre, a hollowed-out sofa sagging against a brick wall or a TV just feet from (but not in) the communal dustbin, Brent is covered in, well, crap.”It’s like a dump,” says Robert Hall, who has lived there all the 60-odd years of his life.His neighbourhood…

The UK’s biggest video-on-demand services will have to follow the same rules on content and accessibility as traditional broadcasters, under new legislation being implemented.Streaming giants including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+, and catch-up services like ITV X and Channel 4, are being brought under enhanced regulation by Ofcom. This means they’ll have to follow the media watchdog’s rules around impartial news reporting, and harmful and offensive content.The legislation will impact streaming services with more than 500,000 UK users, giving Ofcom the power to accept viewer complaints and investigate streaming platforms, as it currently does with broadcast television.This will also…

UK businesses are facing uncertainty and higher costs as Donald Trump’s new global tariff shift takes effect.Governments worldwide have been scrambling for information since Friday when the US Supreme Court struck down his “Liberation Day” tariffs policy, and the president announced a temporary tax of 15% on imports into the US from all countries. Money blog: ‘Sporadic shortages’ of four items on supermarket shelves as supply hit You need javascript enabled to view this content Enable javascript to share Share Tariffs: “There’s a lot of confusion’ That kicked in early on Tuesday morning according to the Reuters news agency, though…

A baby boy has become the first child in Britain to be born to a mother with a womb transplanted from a deceased donor. Hugo Powell was delivered by caesarean section in December, weighing 6lb 13oz (3.1kg), at the Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital, part of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, in London. Only two other such cases have been reported elsewhere in Europe, while a baby was born from a womb transplanted from a living donor for the first time in the UK last year.Hugo’s mother, Grace Bell, an IT programme manager, was born with Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser (MRKH), a rare…

Rob Reiner’s son Nick has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of the actor-director and his wife Michele Singer Reiner.Reiner’s lawyer, deputy public defender Kimberly Greene, entered the plea on his behalf as he appeared behind glass in court in Los Angeles. The 32-year-old, the third of Rob Reiner’s four children, has been held without bail since his arrest hours after the 78-year-old director and his wife were found dead at their home in the Brentwood area of LA on 14 December. You need javascript enabled to view this content Enable javascript to…

If you’ve ever spent your morning commute daydreaming about starting afresh with your career, this feature is for you. Each Monday, we speak to someone from a different profession to discover what it’s really like. Today we speak to Alistair McFarlane, chief operating officer of game design company Facepunch Studios and the executive producer of survival game Rust…We let staff work whatever hours and days suit them… as long as the work gets done. If you want to mow your grass at 2pm, go for it. Facepunch definitely isn’t typical for the industry. For the most part, it’s a normal…