Author: SKYNEWS

Representatives of Thames Water’s multinational syndicate of shareholders are poised to quit as directors of its corporate entities after refusing to inject the billions of pounds of funding required to bail it out.Sky News has learnt that a number of board members at companies connected to Kemble Water Finance, Thames’s parent, are expected to resign in the coming days. City sources described the move as “the logical next step” after the owners of Britain’s biggest water utility said they would not commit more than £3bn to help upgrade its ageing infrastructure and shore up its debt-laden balance sheet.A default on…

Astronomers have identified a planet as light and fluffy as candy floss – despite being far bigger than our solar system’s gas giant Jupiter.Scientists said WASP-193b is “basically super fluffy” because it has remarkably low density for its size. It’s thought to consist mostly of hydrogen and helium, according to a study published in Nature Astronomy.WASP-193b is the second least dense planet discovered by astronomers – but is proving a mystery to experts due to its size, which is around 50 per cent bigger than Jupiter.”The planet is basically super fluffy” because it’s made mostly of light gases rather than…

If you know the first cardinal rule of perm maintenance and the importance of a scented resumé, you’re going to be excited about Reese Witherspoon’s latest news.The Hollywood star has announced a prequel series to her hit 2001 film, Legally Blonde, which will premiere in 2025. Wearing a hot pink suit and pale pink stilettos (because whoever said orange was the new pink was seriously disturbed), Witherspoon shared details on her social media channels.The TV series will follow her character, Elle Woods, as a schoolgirl in the 1990s, before the events of Legally Blonde and its 2003 sequel.In a video…

Britain has a chance to compete in the green industrial revolution, but only if the government takes rapid steps to help shore up its industry, according to an important new report.The analysis from The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) thinktank reveals that while the UK has deindustrialised faster than any other comparable nation in the developed world, it still has a chance to rebuild its manufacturing base and compete on the green technologies needed to reach net zero. The new report comes as countries around the world compete to dominate green technologies such as electric cars, solar panels and…

Scientists have identified proteins in the blood which could warn people of cancer more than seven years before it is diagnosed.Researchers found 618 proteins linked to 19 types of the disease, including bowel, prostate and breast cancers. Some 107 of the proteins were found in a group of people whose blood was collected at least seven years before diagnosis.It is hoped that the findings could help efforts to stop cancer before it starts and be a “crucial first step” towards offering preventative therapies.The two Cancer Research UK-funded studies from Oxford Population Health suggest the proteins could be involved at the…

The weapons supervisor for the Western film Rust is appealing against her conviction for involuntary manslaughter over the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on set, according to court documents.Hannah Gutierrez was jailed in April after being found guilty by jurors following a trial in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in the US. She was in charge of weapons during the production of the film in October 2021, when a Colt 45 revolver fired by actor and co-producer Alec Baldwin went off during a rehearsal. Image: Alec Baldwin, pictured on the Rust set, faces a separate trial Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins died, while…

A new twist in the safety crisis engulfing Boeing could see the airline prosecuted over the 737 MAX 8 crashes in 2018 and 2019 that left 346 people dead.It was revealed late on Tuesday that the US Department of Justice (DOJ) had filed a case accusing the planemaker of breaching its obligations in a 2021 agreement that shielded Boeing from criminal prosecution over the crashes. Then, Boeing agreed to pay $2.5bn to resolve the investigation into its conduct, compensate victims’ relatives and overhaul its compliance practices.The terms of that deal – known as a deferred prosecution agreement – were due…

Greta Gerwig, Meryl Streep and Lea Seydoux led the way on the Cannes Film Festival red carpet on Tuesday night as Hollywood’s annual trip to the French Riviera got under way. The two-week long festival will see premieres, parties and news conferences take place as some of the most hotly-anticipated films of 2024 are debuted.Barbie writer and director Gerwig is president of this year’s Cannes jury – who will decide which movie wins the prestigious Palme d’Or.Read more: The Cannes 2024 films to look out for Be the first to get Breaking News Install the Sky News app for free…

Sir Keir Starmer has moved to reassure trade union bosses about his party’s plans to strengthen workers’ rights, after he was accused of watering them down.The party has promised a radical shake-up for workers if they win office – including banning zero hours contracts, employment rights from day one, and ending the practice of “fire and rehire”. The new deal for working people was billed as the biggest advance in workers’ rights for decades when first unveiled by Angela Rayner in 2021.The party made some changes last summer, but union bosses claimed a new document circulated to them last week…

Ant McPartlin and his wife Anne-Marie Corbett have welcomed their first child.The TV presenter, one half of entertainment duo Ant and Dec, announced the news on the joint Instagram account he has with his co-presenter. The 48-year-old shared a black and white photo showing him holding the newborn, and revealed the baby’s name. Image: The baby’s name is Wilder Patrick McPartlin. Pic: Instagram/@antanddec He wrote: “Welcome to the family. Wilder Patrick Mcpartlin.”Born, 14/05/24 at 8.54am.”Baby is beautiful, Mummy’s a legend, Sisters are over the moon. Dad’s a mess!” Image: Ant McPartlin and Anne-Marie Corbett got married in 2021. Pic: PA…