Author: SKYNEWS

Geri Halliwell has ditched her married name in a video for fashion house Christian Dior, several months after her husband Christian Horner was accused of inappropriate behaviour.In February, grievances made against Red Bull team principal Christian Horner by a female Red Bull employee were dismissed. After being cleared of wrongdoing, Horner – who has always denied the claims made against him – continued in his role.The female employee, who was suspended from her role, appealed the decision to clear Horner with the Formula One team’s Austrian parent company Red Bull GmbH.The Spice Girl introduces herself at the start of the…

Pro-Palestinian activists say they have attacked 20 Barclays bank branches across England and Scotland as part of a campaign aimed at damaging Israel’s war machine.The Palestine Action group, which has previously focused its campaign on Israel-based defence contractor Elbit’s UK operations, said its members were responsible for the vandalism. Images posted on X showed windows smashed and widespread use of graffiti on several bank branch entrances.The locations targeted included branches in London, Birmingham, Bristol and Edinburgh.Israel-Hamas war latest:Blinken back in Middle East today – with two clear objectives The campaigners also included members of the environment-focused protest group Shut the…

A 64-year-old man has been charged with alleged voyeurism during one of Taylor Swift’s shows in Edinburgh.The American superstar brought The Eras Tour to the UK and performed at Murrayfield in the Scottish capital on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Police Scotland confirmed one arrest was made at the stadium during the three dates. Image: Pic: PA Image: Pic: PA Superintendent David Happs said: “A 64-year-old man was arrested and charged in connection with a voyeurism offence committed within Murrayfield during the event on Saturday, 8 June.”He was released on an undertaking to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court at a later…

There has been much soul-searching and agonising during recent years over the valuation of the UK stock market – intertwined with a debate over London’s ability to attract world-class businesses to list here.Even though the FTSE-100 has hit several record highs so far in 2024, the UK’s premier stock index is still trading at a significant discount to its global peers. The FTSE-100 is currently trading on a price/earnings ratio – a valuation measure widely used by equity investors – of 14.78 times, according to Refinitiv data, compared with one of 15.71 for the pan-European Stoxx 600 and one of…

Glastonbury Festival will likely take a fallow year in 2026 in order to allow for the land to rest, organiser Emily Eavis said.The festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset usually takes place four out of every five years, with the fifth year reserved for rehabilitation of the land. Ms Eavis told the BBC’s Sidetracked podcast the gap year would allow “everyone time to switch off” and also give the Somerset farm’s cows a “chance to be out for longer and reclaim their land”.The last official fallow year was 2018, but the festival was also cancelled in 2020 and 2021 because…

Barclays is on the brink of renewing its long-standing link to the Premier League with a £75m deal which easily eclipses the value of its existing tie-up.Sky News has learnt that the British high street bank’s proposed four-year agreement with English football’s top flight was presented to its 20 clubs at a shareholder meeting last week. Sources said the deal, which would last an additional season than the current partnership, was worth roughly 60% more each year.Barclays has had a lengthy connection with the top flight, having been its title sponsor for years under both its name and that of…

A joint investigation into a data breach at DNA testing company has been launched by UK and Canadian watchdogs.The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) announced the investigation into the October 2023 incident. US-based genetics company 23andMe analyses its customers’ DNA through home saliva collection kits to provide insights on factors such as health and ancestry.According to the company’s website, it has sold more than 12 million DNA testing kits since 2006.The UK and Canadian data protection regulators said they will combine their expertise and resources to jointly conduct the investigation. It…

Giovanni Pernice will not return for the new series of Strictly Come Dancing, the BBC has confirmed.The 33-year-old Italian dancer has performed on the BBC One primetime show for nine years. Image: Pernice with actress Amanda Abbington in 2023. Pic: BBC He was not announced as part of the show’s line-up of professional dancers for 2024 following reports he would not compete.Pernice has rejected allegations he displayed “abusive or threatening behaviour” while working as a professional dancer on the show, following complaints about his conduct.A legal firm acting on behalf of the complainants said the broadcaster is “evidence gathering” -…

The price of shipping has reached an 18-month high – threatening to impact the falling inflation rate.It is now more expensive to ship a typical container on a key shipping route than when Houthi militants first started attacking boats in the Red Sea late last year to prevent ships docking in and exporting from Israel. An index that measures the average cost of a 20ft container being shipped from Shanghai to Europe – and is the most widely used measure of freight cost – has reached $3,949 (£3,102).The Shanghai Containerised Freight Index (SCFI) has risen sharply in the last month…

Conservationist and TV presenter Simon Cowell, who hosted the show Wildlife SOS, has died at the age of 72.Cowell “passed away peacefully” on Sunday surrounded by his daughters, his partners and his dogs after a “brave battle with cancer”, said the Wildlife Aid Foundation, which he founded.Paying tribute, the charity called him “one of the UK’s respected conservationists” who was a “passionate advocate for wildlife protection and environmental causes”.It said he “dedicated his life to British wildlife” and “worked tirelessly” to make sure injured and orphaned animals were given a second chance in the wild through rescue, clinical treatment, and…