Author: SKYNEWS

The approach of business to general elections is not what it was.Not that long ago, it was common for big corporates to make donations to political parties, including big FTSE 100 names such as SmithKline Beecham, United Biscuits, General Accident and Whitbread. Most of these donations would go to the Conservatives but there were some companies, such as Marks & Spencer and Pearson, which also made donations to other parties.Some, such as Hanson – whose founder Lord Hanson was a loyal supporter of Margaret Thatcher – continued to do so even after the 1992 Cadbury Report recommended companies stop making…

The surprise election announcement made for a sluggish start to the campaign in most ways. But the speed of digital meant the online campaign was up and running in minutes – in fact, as we’ll see, the shadow campaign was already being waged. Every election, we talk about it being the biggest digital election. That’s not untrue. With five years between each vote, platforms move on – last time, TikTok was not the behemoth it is now, for example.But this is different, for a very old-fashioned reason: money. Lots of it. X This content is provided by X, which may be…

Jennifer Lopez has deflected questions that her marriage to Ben Affleck is heading for divorce amid swirling rumours.The 54-year-old actress and singer hit out a reporter who asked if there was any truth to the rumours during a press conference for her new Netflix film Atlas. Social media footage of the event in Mexico City shows a journalist ask: “Is your divorce with Ben Affleck real? These rumours?”What is the truth? Para le press le Mexicana [for the Mexican press], what is the truth of the situation?”Lopez’s co-star Simu Liu, best known for playing Shang-Chi in Marvel’s 2021 film Shang-Chi…

The search for an inaugural chairman for a new English football regulator is being put on hold amid expectations that legislation to introduce it will not make the pre-election cut.Sky News understands that Whitehall officials had begun sifting through applicants to become chair of the Independent Football Regulator (IFR) when Rishi Sunak announced on Wednesday that Britain would go to the polls on July 4. The Football Governance Bill, which is in the intermediate stages of the legislative process, could be rushed through given that it has broad support from both major parties.However, one Whitehall insider said on Thursday morning…

A judge has blocked the auction of Elvis Presley’s former home, by a company that claimed his estate failed to repay a loan which used the property as collateral.Shelby County Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins issued a temporary injunction against the proposed auction of Graceland that had been scheduled for Thursday. Mr Jenkins’ injunction essentially keeps in place a previous restraining order he had issued after the singer’s granddaughter Riley Keough filed a lawsuit to fight what she claimed was a fraudulent scheme.A public notice for a foreclosure sale of the 13-acre estate in Memphis, Tennessee, posted earlier in May said Promenade…

“It’s the economy stupid”. So, famously, went the maxim of Bill Clinton’s campaign team in 1992.The point being that for all the sound and fury and politicking during an election campaign, most people end up voting with their wallets. And indeed, in pretty much every election campaign in recent history, the winning candidate has tended to be the one most trusted on the economy.Money latest: The nine ways the election result could affect your cashPrime ministers and, for that matter, US presidents, struggle to win re-election when the economy is doing badly – they tend to win when everything is…

Charlie Colin, a founding member of 90s pop rock band Train, has died after slipping over in a shower, according to reports.The incident is understood to have happened in Belgium, where the 58-year-old had been house-sitting for a friend in Brussels. According to TMZ, the star’s mother confirmed what had happened – but could not confirm exactly when he died. His sister also confirmed the musician’s death to US entertainment site, Variety.The band, formed in San Francisco in 1993, released a statement on Instagram saying: “When I met Charlie Colin, front left, I fell in love with him. Image: Colin,…

Mark Thurston, the former boss of the controversial HS2 high-speed rail link, will on Thursday be named as the next chief executive of one of Britain’s biggest water companies.Sky News has learnt that Anglian Water Group, which has more than seven million customers, has recruited Mr Thurston to steer it through, and beyond, a crucial period of negotiations with the industry regulator, Ofwat. Mr Thurston resigned as the boss of HS2, Europe’s biggest infrastructure project, in July 2023 after more than six years in the role.A former delivery executive involved with the 2012 Olympic Games in London and in the…

Paula Vennells arrived at the Post Office Inquiry a former chief executive, a former Church of England lay preacher and an ex-CBE, with only her reputation, and perhaps her liberty, left to defend.After more than five hours of questioning she has done very little to restore the former, with the latter still very much a live issue. While she was giving evidence her nemesis Alan Bates was meeting the Metropolitan Police to discuss their ongoing investigation.Post Office inquiry: Paula Vennells’s evidence as it happenedThe day went horribly for Ms Vennells from the moment she stepped from her car in torrential…

A new Microsoft feature that screenshots users’ laptops every two seconds is being investigated by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). The Recall feature will be installed on new Microsoft laptops and is part of their artificial intelligence (AI) programme Copilot+. The feature will record everything a user does by taking screenshots every few seconds. It then allows the user to scroll back through their activity and search.However, after security concerns were raised around the feature, the ICO said: “We are making enquiries with Microsoft to understand the safeguards in place to protect user privacy.”Recall is designed to “help you easily find…