Author: SKYNEWS

Government borrowing was less than expected in May, new figures have revealed.Net borrowing – the difference between public sector spending and income – was £15bn, an increase of £0.8bn on the same time last year, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported on Friday. The amount is below the £15.7bn forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) and less than expected by economists.However, it was still the highest amount for the month of May since the COVID-19 pandemic.The ONS also said that public sector net debt, excluding public sector banks, was provisionally estimated at 99.8% of gross domestic product…

Some of the UK’s most popular sunscreens have failed safety tests – but cheaper alternatives from Aldi and Lidl passed with flying colours.Which? examined the SPF and UVA protection offered by products on supermarket shelves, and warned three in particular fell short: • Asda Protect Moisturising Sun Lotion SPF 30 High• Calypso Press & Protect Sun Lotion SPF 30• Bondi Sands SPF 50+ Fragrance Free Face Sunscreen Lotion Follow Sky News on WhatsApp Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News Tap here The consumer watchdog tested face-specific sunscreens for…

Retail sales rose by a better-than-expected 2.9% in May as increased footfall, better weather and deals saw shoppers return to high streets, according to officials.It comes following a poor performance during the previous month as days of heavy rain dampened demand in much of the country. Non-food shops reported strong monthly growth in May, with a rebound in clothes and furniture sales in particular, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported on Friday.Money latest: Three major brands fail sunscreen testsFootwear, sports equipment, games and toys outlets also experienced an improvement in their quantity of sales. Economists polled by news agency…

Drugs used to treat HIV are to be trialled in people with incurable multiple brain tumours.Scientists think ritonavir and lopinavir could shrink tumours in patients with neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2), a genetic condition where tumours grow along nerves. The tumours are normally non-cancerous but can cause symptoms such as balance problems, hearing loss and ringing in the ears.If they are in the brain and spinal cord or along the nerves of the arms and legs, sufferers can get persistent headaches and limb weakness.About one in 25,000 to 40,000 people have NF2 but there are no treatments apart from surgery. A trial…

One of the stars of the hit game show The Traitors has said he wishes he could “say sorry” to the women he “hurt over the years”.Andrew Jenkins was one of the contestants on the second series of the show, hosted by Claudia Winkleman. In 1999, at 21 years old, Mr Jenkins, from Talbot Green, in Wales, was involved in a serious car accident which left him in a coma for four weeks.”For years and years I bottled things up, I didn’t talk about [the accident],” he said in a discussion with son Morgan, released as part of a new…

Microsoft has regained the title of the world’s most valuable public company just days after it was overtaken by one of its rivals.Computer chip maker Nvidia lost its hold on the top spot after its shares slipped by 3.5% in the US on Thursday, leaving the company valued at $3.2trn (£2.5trn). Microsoft’s shares also dipped slightly, but it still ended the day’s trading worth $3.3trn (£2.6trn).Nvidia, Microsoft and Apple are now in a three-horse race for the top spot, while they are also battling to become the world’s first $4trn (£3.2trn) firm, analysts say.Nvidia has experienced a rapid rise in…

Tributes have poured in for actor Donald Sutherland after he died following a long illness.The 88-year-old was best known for his roles in Ordinary People, The Hunger Games franchise and M*A*S*H. His son, Kiefer Sutherland, confirmed the news “with a heavy heart” as Oscar-winner Jane Fonda and other stars of the big screen led tributes to the Canadian actor.”With a heavy heart, I tell you that my father, Donald Sutherland, has passed away.”I personally think one of the most important actors in the history of film. “Never daunted by a role, good, bad or ugly. He loved what he did…

A care home operator which once ranked among the largest in Britain is being put up for sale in a move expected to fetch about £300m.Sky News has learnt Four Seasons Health Care Group has appointed CBRE, the property agent, to oversee an auction in the coming months. The process will be launched after a protracted period in which Four Seasons was reshaped and slimmed-down through a string of asset sales.While far smaller than it was before the pandemic, the company still employs more than 4,000 people and operates more than 45 freehold care homes.It looks after thousands of residents,…

Justin Timberlake’s lawyer has said he is “looking forward to vigorously defending” the US singer after he was arrested and charged with drink-driving.Timberlake, 43, had reportedly been having dinner with friends on Long Island, New York, before his arrest in the early hours of Tuesday. The Grammy winner was held overnight and formally charged with a DWI (driving while intoxicated) misdemeanour at Sag Harbor Village Justice Court on Tuesday morning before being released.Lawyer Edward Burke Jr said: “I look forward to vigorously defending Mr Timberlake on these allegations.”I will have a lot to say at the appropriate time but am…

We need to talk about the main parties’ plans for housebuilding, but before we get to that there’s something important we need to discuss. Everything you thought you knew about the housebuilding numbers in this country is wrong. Quite dramatically wrong. And that has a bearing on, well, rather a lot when it comes to this topic. I realise this is probably the last thing you need to process, with only a few weeks left until the election and rather a lot going on besides, but bear with me, because this is rather important. Let’s start with the conventional picture…