Author: SKYNEWS

The current Miss USA has said she is relinquishing her title to prioritise her mental health.Noelia Voigt, 24, won the beauty pageant last year and represented the US at the Miss Universe competition in El Salvador in November. Image: Voigt said it was a ‘very tough’ decision to quit. Pic: AP Posting on Instagram, she said: “In life, I strongly value the importance of making decisions that feel best for you and your mental health.”As individuals, we grow through experiencing different things in life that lead us to learning more about ourselves.”My journey as Miss USA has been incredibly meaningful,…

Federal air safety regulators have opened a fresh investigation into the Boeing 787 Dreamliner – after the firm said several employees had committed “misconduct” by falsely claiming tests had been completed.The probe will look into whether Boeing completed inspections to confirm adequate bonding and grounding where the wings of certain 787 Dreamliner planes join the fuselage, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said. The investigation will also look at “whether company employees may have falsified aircraft records”, the US federal government agency added.The FAA said Boeing is “reinspecting all 787 airplanes still within the production system and must also create a…

A Scottish singer plucked from obscurity at the last minute to replace Olly Murs as the opening act for Take That in Glasgow has told Sky News he thought the life-changing opportunity was a “joke”.Daniel Rooney, 26, was playing at the Radisson Red hotel opposite the OVO Hydro when news broke that Murs was forced to cancel his support act on Friday due to transport issues. TV presenter Ross King, who was enjoying a family dinner at the hotel, was impressed with Mr Rooney’s vocals and recommended the singer to his friend and Take That frontman Gary Barlow.With 30 minutes…

An estate agency group backed by the private equity arm of Lloyds Banking Group is being put up for sale in the latest sign of corporate activity in the sector.Sky News understands that LDC has hired bankers from Clearwater International to oversee a sale of Lomond Group. A process is expected to kick off in the coming months, and should value Lomond at well over £100m, according to industry sources.Lomond Group was created from the merger of Lomond Capital and Linley & Simpson in 2021, a deal which established a business with 22,000 properties under management.The company has a particularly…

The 68th Eurovision Song Contest is taking place in Malmo, Sweden, this year.It’s a spiritual homecoming of sorts with Sweden’s supergroup Abba – who are the most famous band ever to come out of the contest – crowned the winners 50 years ago. Loved and loathed in equal measure for its euro pop earworms, evocative power ballads, and eye-watering novelty acts, there’s no clear frontrunner for this year’s show – meaning it’s all to play for.The political elephant in the room is of course Israel’s participation in light of the ongoing Gaza war, with many artists encouraged to boycott the…

Elijah Wood and other Lord Of The Rings cast members have paid tribute to their co-star Bernard Hill, who died on Sunday aged 79.Hill played King Theoden in the Oscar-winning fantasy franchise directed by Sir Peter Jackson.Wood, who played Frodo Baggins, said on X: “So long to our friend, our king. We will never forget you.”He also shared a quote from JRR Tolkien’s novel, on which the films are based, writing: “For he was a gentle heart and a great king and kept his oaths; and he rose out of the shadows to a last fair morning.” X This content…

Kris Hallenga, the founder of breast cancer charity CoppaFeel!, has died aged 38.She was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 23 and lived with the illness for 15 years, tirelessly campaigning for breast cancer awareness in that time.A statement on the charity’s website said: “She hasn’t lost a battle, she wasn’t in a fight and she certainly wouldn’t want you to see her death as tragic.”She was simply living. She was 38 and died with fulfilment and a heart full of love.”Ms Hallenga’s breast cancer was terminal by the time it was diagnosed in 2009.”Kris’ ambition was for no…

Heineken is investing £39m in more than 600 of its pubs in the UK – in a move it says will bring 62 back from the dead.The Dutch brewer said the cash injection into its Star Pubs operation will create more than 1,000 jobs. According to Star Pubs, 612 pubs are set to benefit, with refurbishments focusing on “transforming tired pubs in suburban areas into premium locals” as people commute less to city centres.This will include “subtle zoning” work to cater for various customer activities, such as watching sport and dining.Two pubs in Essex have already reopened after works costing…

Single-sex toilets are set to become a legal requirement for all new bars, restaurants, offices and shopping centres under new laws proposed by the government.Self-contained toilets for both sexes may be provided in addition to single-sex toilets, or if there isn’t enough space. Care homes, hotels, schools, cells in custodial facilities, and buildings used for early years provision are all exempt from the proposed legislation.The law would affect England only and applies to new buildings as well as existing premises that undergo a material change of use.The government said that in a consultation on the proposals, 81% of respondents agreed…

Prehistoric plant DNA is being dug up from deep below the Arctic to see if it can help modern-day crops cope with the effects of climate change.Researchers from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh are working with European scientists to analyse microbes from the palaeolithic period, when, like today, the planet was becoming warmer. The university team has been awarded £500,000 by Horizon Europe, a European Union scientific research initiative, to spend four years examining ancient soil samples extracted from deep below the Arctic under a project named Tolerate.Dr Ross Alexander, a plant molecular biologist at Heriot-Watt, said researchers were “using samples…