Author: SKYNEWS

Henry Birch, the former boss of Rank Group, is among the candidates vying to run Entain, the FTSE-100 owner of Ladbrokes.Sky News has learnt that Mr Birch is one of a small number of candidates being considered by Entain to replace Jette Nygaard-Andersen as its permanent chief executive. The recruitment process comes at a challenging time for Entain, which has been beset by boardroom upheaval and regulatory difficulties in various international markets.Its stock has halved in the last year, leaving it with a market capitalisation of just under £5bn.This weekend, sources close to the company confirmed that Mr Birch was…

The beleaguered Co-op Live arena in Manchester has confirmed it will open on 14 May with rock band Elbow.The UK’s largest indoor entertainment venue postponed its opening show for the third time last week after part of its ventilation and air conditioning system fell to the ground from the ceiling during a soundcheck. In a statement on Friday, Co-op Live said it was “satisfied” after an inspection found the issue was an “isolated manufacturing default”.It read: “In consultation with Manchester City Council, responsible authorities, and wider stakeholders, we are satisfied with the process and outcome of the investigation identifying the…

The UK economy is no longer in recession, according to official figures.Gross domestic product (GDP) grew by a better-than-expected 0.6% between January and March, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. Economists had predicted the figure would be 0.4%.Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said it showed the economy had “turned a corner”.He told Sky News’s Ed Conway: “I am pleased that while there’s more work to do, today’s figures show that the economy now has real momentum, and I’m confident that with time, people will start to feel the benefits of that. “We’ve had multiple months now where wages are rising,…

Skies over the UK were turned shades of pink and green as the Northern Lights produced incredible displays for skygazers.The impressive Aurora Borealis, usually only visible from northern parts of the British Isles, was visible across large parts of the UK overnight, including Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and, unusually, southern England. The display was triggered after America’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued its first severe solar storm warning since 2005 yesterday as a huge geomagnetic storm raced towards Earth.The NOAA said the G5 geomagnetic storm, which is considered extreme and is the strongest level of geomagnetic storm, hit…

Dearest gentle reader, it has been a while since our last visit to the ton and this time around, our wallflower Penelope Fetherington is about to bloom.Played by Derry Girls’ Nicola Coughlan, the close friend of the Bridgerton family just so happens to be the anonymous writer of high society’s gossip column, Lady Whistledown. Season three focuses on the love story between her and Colin Bridgerton, played by Luke Newton.”I really do feel parallels between what our characters go through and how we felt as actors on the show,” says Newton about taking on the leading role with Coughlan by…

The owner of British Airways has reported a sharp rise in profits amid soaring demand for trips and a fall in the cost of fuel.International Airlines Group (IAG) said its operating profit for the first three months of the year was €68m (£58.5m) – above expectations and up from €9m (£7.7m) during the same period in 2023. The company, which also owns Aer Lingus, Iberia and Vueling, said earnings had soared thanks to strong demand, particularly over the Easter holidays.It said fuel costs had also dropped almost 5% – compared to the same period last year – due to lower…

The skies over the UK were lit up in a brilliant pink and green from the Northern Lights last night due to a severe solar storm.The impressive Aurora Borealis, usually only visible from northern parts of the British Isles, was visible across large parts of the UK overnight, including Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and, unusually, southern England. Scroll down to see some of the pictures from across the UK…It comes after America’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued its first severe solar storm warning since 2005 yesterday as a huge geomagnetic storm raced towards Earth.Fears were also raised that…

A cut in VAT and a new levy on arena and stadium tickets are urgently needed to stop grassroots music venues from closing, MPs have said. A report by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee said artists are facing a “cost-of-touring crisis”, with venues stopping live music or closing entirely at a rate of two per week. The cross-party inquiry heard from the Music Venues Trust (MVT), which said 2023 has been the most challenging year for the sector since the organisation was founded in 2014, while Creative UK said the grassroots music sector took a “battering”.In total the number…

A privately owned used-car platform is circling Cazoo Group, its stricken US-listed rival which is on the brink of administration.Sky News has learnt that Motors.co.uk is a leading contender to acquire Cazoo’s marketplace operation, which would include its brand and intellectual property assets. The process to auction the used-car platform’s constituent parts comes after it spent tens of millions of pounds on sponsorship deals in football, snooker and darts in a rapid attempt to gain market share.Earlier this week, Cazoo filed a notice of intention to appoint Teneo as administrator, just three years after it floated in New York with…

Ireland’s Eurovision entry, Bambie Thug, has called on the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to “gain some conscience” and “humanity,” as the contest bosses struggle to keep politics off the stage at the annual competition.The 31-year-old, who is non-binary and uses the pronouns “they” and “them”, also said “they cried with their team” when they found out Israel had got through to the grand final of the contest. Image: Eden Golan. Pic: Reuters Bambie is currently fifth favourite to win the competition with “ouija pop” song Doomsday Blue.Israel’s act, Eden Golan, will compete with her song Hurricane which was reworked after…