Author: SKYNEWS

Fuel retailers have been accused of using the “distraction” of the general election to keep petrol and diesel prices “persistently high”.The RAC said the cost of filling up at the pumps was “far higher” than would normally be expected as wholesale costs had fallen since the end of April. The average price of a litre of petrol across the UK is currently 146.3p, which is “5p more expensive than it should be”, according to the motoring firm.It said the average price for the same product was 141.1p in Northern Ireland.Meanwhile, a litre of diesel in the UK costs an average…

Sir Paul McCartney has announced his first UK tour dates in six years, with The Beatles star back on stage just before Christmas.His Got Back tour will stop in Manchester and London, in what will be his first UK tour dates since 2018, and first live show of any kind in the UK since headlining Glastonbury two years ago. Tickets will go on sale on Friday at 10am.”I’m excited to be ending my year and 2024 tour dates in the UK. It’s always such a special feeling to play shows on our home soil,” Sir Paul said.”It’s going to be…

House prices have been flat in recent weeks but the market overall remains “steady”, according to new figures from a leading property website.Rightmove said there was 0% growth in the four weeks to 8 June, compared with the previous month. The average price of a property coming to the market was £375,110 during the period – a statistically insignificant drop of £21 from May’s record high of £375,131.It said year-on-year prices were up 0.6%.Despite the stagnant figures, Rightmove said market activity had “remained largely steady”. The property website also said the upcoming general election appeared to have had a limited…

Jennifer Aniston has wished Courteney Cox a happy 60th birthday, saying it is one of the “great honours to call her one of my best friends for life”.Cox and Aniston rose to fame as Monica Geller and Rachel Green in the hit sitcom Friends. In an Instagram post, Aniston shared images of her and Cox, including a clip from a scene on the show that made them household names, and a photo from a FaceTime call, blowing each other kisses. Image: Clockwise from top left: Friends stars Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry, Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox.…

A third company has begun a recall over fears of possible E.coli contamination – with customers being urged to avoid eating a specific product.Vegan chicken and bacon wraps sold only at WHSmith have been pulled from the shelves, and anyone who purchased them can return to the store for a full refund. THIS – the food manufacturer that makes it – said the recall applies to all wraps bought up to and including Tuesday 18 June. Image: Pic: THIS! While no E.coli has been found in the product, the company explained this is a “precautionary measure” in case ingredients are…

The England team are taking no chances ahead of Euro 2024 as they sport titanium health rings worn by some of the world’s biggest celebrities.As the team trained for their first Euro 2024 against Serbia on Sunday, manager Gareth Southgate was spotted wearing an Oura tracking ring. Midfielder Conor Gallagher was spotted wearing one too and defender John Stones once described his as “addictive”.”We’re beaming with pride when we see these elite athletes choose Oura, that’s really cool,” said Dorothy Kilroy, the company’s chief commercial officer, to Sky News. Image: The OURA ring. Pic: OURA So what is it? Wearable…

Sir Rod Stewart appeared to be booed as photos of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy were shown at a concert in Germany.The 79-year-old singer, who has spoken out against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, was playing at Leipzig’s Quarterback Immobilien Arena on Friday. Before performing his 1991 hit Rhythm Of My Heart – which he calls a war song and has dedicated to Kyiv in recent shows – the Ukrainian flag was projected on screen behind Sir Rod.Images of Mr Zelenskyy were then shown, prompting loud boos, shouts, and whistles from the crowd.Videos from social media show the crowd appearing to jeer…

Tariffs are rarely a good idea. The imposition – or raising of tariffs – invariably invites retaliation from the country or countries whose goods or services you are targeting. They also, invariably, hurt consumers.Donald Trump’s trade wars with China made for populist politics but ultimately pushed up prices for ordinary Americans. Worse still, they tended to hit poorest Americans the most.Economic impact They also have a damaging effect on the wider economy.As Martin Wolf, the chief economics commentator of the Financial Times, pointed out in a column this week, tariffs hurt imports, which in turn hits demand for the currency…

A Tory social media campaign suggests the party fears a Labour landslide in the upcoming general election, as minister Grant Shapps says they are fighting to avoid a Labour “supermajority”.The Conservatives’ latest advertising campaign appears to target potential Reform voters, warning them that the Tories could be reduced to just 57 seats in the next parliament, even if Reform picked up no seats. It urges them not to risk handing Labour the keys to Number 10 with a majority that may surpass even the 1997 landslide under Tony Blair.Follow latest updates on general electionThe advert is an admission of Labour’s…

An upmarket interiors retailer founded by the mother-in-law of Lord Cameron, the foreign secretary, is to launch a restructuring aimed at securing its survival.Sky News has learnt that OKA, which was founded in 1999 by Lady Astor, went to court on Friday to seek approval for a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) that would involve closing one of its 13 UK stores. Money blog: Cadbury’s relaunches popular chocolate barThe proposal, which will require the approval of creditors, comes weeks after Lady Astor – the mother of Samantha Cameron – stepped back from the company’s board.She is thought to retain a financial…