Author: SKYNEWS

As wages continue to rise more rapidly than expected Ian is joined by James Reed, chairman of the employment agency Reed Group, to discuss how hopes of an imminent cut in interest rates have been dampened. Erin Platts, from HSBC Innovation Banking, tells Ian that UK start-ups raised less money from venture capital during the first three months of this year than in any quarter since the early days of the pandemic.And Jonathan Satchell, CEO of Learning Technologies Group, talks to Ian about ensuring employers get the best out of their workforce.:: Listen and subscribe to The Ian King Business…

A mystery object that fell from the sky before crashing into a home in Florida last month was a piece of space junk, NASA has said.The space agency said on Monday the cylindrical chunk of metal, which weighed 0.7kg (1.6lbs) and was 10cm (four inches) tall and around 4cm (1.5 inches) wide had been discarded from the International Space Centre in 2021. It landed on the roof, smashing through the building and onto the floor of Alejandro Otero’s home in the city of Naples on Florida’s southwest coast on 8 March and was taken to the Kennedy Space Centre in…

Getir, the grocery app which expanded at breakneck speed to become of the world’s most valuable fast-delivery platforms, is weighing a string of asset sales as part of crunch restructuring talks.Sky News has learnt that Getir, which was founded in Turkey and has a big presence in Britain, is examining possible disposals including FreshDirect, a US-based online grocer it only acquired late last year. The company, which has gained brand awareness by sponsoring Tottenham Hotspur’s training kit in a three-year deal, is also said to be considering a sale of BiTaksi, a ride-hailing service in Turkey.Money latest: The easy ways…

Creating fake sexual images of another person will become a criminal offence, under a new law announced on Tuesday. Those convicted could face prosecution and fines, and if the image is shared widely, offenders could be sent to jail. Even if someone creates a sexually explicit fake image, called a ‘deepfake’, without intending to share it, they will be committing an offence if they want to cause “alarm, humiliation or distress to the victim”, according to the Ministry of Justice.Cally Jane Beech, a campaigner and former Love Island contestant, said: “This new offence is a huge step in further strengthening of…

Johnny Depp has said he tried to talk the director of his new film out of casting him in one of the lead roles.The Hollywood star plays France’s King Louis XV in historical drama Jeanne Du Barry, and attended the UK premiere in London on Monday evening. Depp, 60, made his return to the red carpet for what is his first feature film since the conclusion of his high-profile defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard in the US in 2022.The film follows the life of Jeanne, a working-class woman who uses her intelligence and allure to climb the social hierarchy,…

A weaker than expected easing in the pace of pay rises means real earnings growth, when inflation is taken into account, is at its highest rate in almost two and a half years, according to the latest official figures.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said average regular pay, excluding bonuses, stood at 6% in the three months to February compared with a year earlier. In real terms, when the rate of inflation is reflected, pay growth by the same measure was 2.4% – its highest level since July 2021, the report said.The base figure was above the 5.8% expected by…

Astronomers have discovered the Milky Way’s “most massive” stellar black hole yet.The newly discovered black hole is 33 times bigger than the sun and 2,000 light years away from us. A stellar black hole is formed when a star collapses – and so far, the ones found in the Milky Way have been about 10 times as big as the sun in terms of mass. Image: Artist’s impression shows the orbits of both the star and the black hole. Pic: ESO/L. Calçada Scientists from the European Southern Observatory’s Gaia mission noticed the black hole after a star was spotted wobbling…

Michael Douglas has won Oscars for both acting and producing, but says he has become more selective about his acting roles in recent years.The 79-year-old is a renowned figure in the film industry having produced and starred in a selection of award-winning films. He has two Academy Awards to his name – Best Picture for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Best Actor for Wall Street – but says it is roles like Franklin that make him want to continue acting.”At this point, acting, it’s if I just want to do it. If I find something really, really good,…

It started with a gentle “I need your participation, please”, as Blur frontman Damon Albarn sought an audience singalong during a Coachella performance. But as the British rock band were consistently met with near-silence, an increasingly frustrated Albarn eventually remarked: “You’ll never see us again”. The English band have released nine albums since its formation in 1988, seven of which reached No 1 in the charts, including their latest record, The Ballad of Darren, which was produced following an eight-year break.But some of their hits did not seem to resonate with audiences at the world-famous Coachella festival, held at the…

The weapons supervisor for the film Rust has been jailed for 18 months following the fatal shooting of the film’s cinematographer on set.Hannah Gutierrez, 26, was sentenced today after being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter by jurors in Santa Fe, New Mexico, following a trial. She was in charge of weapons during the production of the western film in October 2021, when a Colt 45 revolver fired by actor and co-producer Alec Baldwin went off during a rehearsal.Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins died following the incident, while director Joel Souza was injured. Image: Hannah Gutierrez during her sentencing hearing. Pic: Eddie Moore/Reuters…