Author: SKYNEWS

Whoever wins the general election, one potential headache for the new administration will be Thames Water.The current government has already drawn up contingency plans, known as Project Timber, for the possible collapse of a company currently saddled with debt of £15.4bn. A possible collapse of Thames also features strongly on a dossier of potential crises compiled by Sue Gray, Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, that an incoming Labour government would face.Money latest:Man Utd staff ‘given week to resign’ in WFH crackdownTalk of a possible collapse has moved up the agenda because Thames Water’s owners, which include the Canadian pensions…

Around one in five professional football players currently use snus, tobacco-free nicotine pouches or both, according to a study.The research, covering both male and female players, said the actual number was likely to be higher as some may not want to admit using them. Snus, pronounced ‘snoose’, is a smokeless, moist tobacco pouch that’s put under the top lip.Its supporters say it can help people quit smoking, but it still contains high levels of nicotine and evidence suggests a higher risk of oesophagus and pancreatic cancer – as well as cardiovascular disease.There’s also evidence of a link to mouth lesions…

Blackstone, the world’s most prolific private equity investor in real estate, has roared into the £850m auction of Village Hotels, the mid-market hotel chain.Sky News has learnt that Blackstone, which owns property assets in Britain worth billions of pounds, has tabled an offer to buy Village. City sources said on Wednesday that Sixth Street, another US-based investment firm, was also in contention for the deal.Earlier this month, Sky News revealed that Aermont, the majority backer of Pinewood Studios, was among the suitors vying to buy Village.The chain, which operates more than 30 sites, is owned by KSL Capital Partners. Follow…

If you’re on Instagram, it’s an image you will likely have seen: orderly lines of tents stretching into the distance on dusty ground, white structures in the centre spelling out the words “All eyes on Rafah”. On Instagram, a call to action to share the image also clocks the number of people who have added it to their stories: more than 37 million as of Wednesday morning. On Sunday, an Israeli strike on the southern Gazan city of Rafah hit an area housing displaced Palestinians, setting their tents alight, according to Palestinian medics.At least 45 people were killed, and footage verified…

A theatre in the US has apologised after actor Richard Dreyfuss was accused of making offensive remarks during a question-and-answer session before a screening of Jaws, the movie that made him a massive star.Dreyfuss appeared at the Cabot Theatre in the Massachusetts town of Beverly on Saturday. Casey Soward, the theatre’s executive director, said in a statement that Dreyfuss’s remarks – which allegedly included comments about Barbra Streisand, the transgender community and women in film – used words that “do not reflect the values of inclusivity and respect that we uphold as an organisation”.He added: “We deeply regret the distress…

For anyone who cares about newspapers, the announcement that London’s Evening Standard is to close its daily print edition and replace it with a weekly freesheet is heartbreaking – and not just because half of the editorial staff look set to lose their jobs.People outside London may not care very much. But this supposed regional title punches well above its weight and, to this day, influences what they read.Money latest:Man Utd staff ‘given week to resign’ in WFH crackdownPeople think the term ‘rolling news’ only applies to TV channels like Sky News. At the height of its powers, though, the…

Crowds gathered in New York on Tuesday evening as onlookers tried to catch a glimpse of ‘Manhattanhenge’.The solar event that brings New Yorkers to the streets twice a year will continue tonight before disappearing from the skies once again. So what is ‘Manhattanhenge’?New York City is built on a grid. It’s a practical way of city planning, but also means that in May and July some of its long, straight streets become filled with light equally on both sides. Image: The setting sun perfectly lines up with Manhattan’s grid. Pic: Reuters It gets its name from Stonehenge, the prehistoric monument…

Millie Bobby Brown has married Jake Bongiovi in a “small family wedding”, his father has confirmed.Jon Bon Jovi revealed the news after recent speculation around British actress Brown, 20 – star of Netflix sci-fi series Stranger things – and his son, 22-year-old model Jake Bongiovi. The couple got engaged in April 2023, when Brown shared a photo on Instagram of them hugging while she wears an engagement ring.Referencing a lyric from Taylor Swift song Lover, Brown wrote alongside the post: “I’ve loved you three summers now, honey, I want ’em all.”Read moreMillie Bobby Brown appears to show off engagement ring…

The owners of Royal Mail have agreed to a £3.6bn takeover bid by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky.The company’s parent firm International Distribution Services (IDS) said its board of directors had approved the deal after a formal offer was made earlier this month. It said the agreement included a series of “contractual commitments” to protect public service aspects of the Royal Mail – such as its universal service obligation to “one-price-goes-anywhere” first-class post six days a week.The deal values the company at £5.2bn, including debt.Mr Kretinsky’s EP Group already owns 27.6% of the business. Shareholders will vote on the deal at…

Time is running out for regulators to tackle the threats posed by artificial intelligence (AI) to the democratic process ahead of July’s election, researchers have warned.However, the idea of deepfakes swinging the election should not be overblown as there is no clear evidence of an election result being affected by AI, they said. In a new report published by the Alan Turing Institute thinktank, researchers argued there are early signs of damage to the democratic system from AI-generated content.There has been a wave of material claiming to depict politicians in recent months.Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, said deepfake audio…