Author: SKYNEWS

Sam Bankman-Fried was breathlessly described as a wunderkind – a boy wonder transforming the world of finance.Renowned for his messy hair and unkempt appearance, he graced the covers of Forbes and Fortune, who pondered whether he could become the next Warren Buffett. The 32-year-old was the founder of FTX, which had quickly become the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange – a place where investors could buy and sell digital assets like Bitcoin. Image: Larry David appeared in an advert for FTX during the Super Bowl in 2022 Star-studded adverts featuring the tennis player Naomi Osaka and the comedian Larry David added…

The war between Mickey Mouse and Ron DeSantis appears to be over.Allies of the outspoken Florida governor and Disney have reached a settlement in their court battle over how Walt Disney World in the Orlando area is developed in the future. The agreement brings to an end almost two years of litigation sparked after Mr DeSantis’ takeover of a special tourism district from Disney supporters following the company’s opposition to Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law. Image: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Pic: AP The controversial 2022 law bans classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades and…

Speaking with Chris Weston this morning, it was striking just how confident the Thames Water chief executive seems to be that a deal will eventually be struck between his shareholders and Ofwat, the industry regulator.The former are refusing to go ahead with what was a planned injection of fresh equity to the tune of £500m which was due by the end of the month because of the latter’s imposition of conditions which, they say, makes the business uninvestable. It is difficult to see why Mr Weston, a turnaround specialist who only took on the role in January, is quite as…

Disgraced crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried has been sentenced to 25 years in prison after being convicted of stealing billions of dollars from his customers. He was the chief executive of FTX, which suddenly went bankrupt in November 2022 – leaving millions of users frozen out of their accounts and unable to make withdrawals. The 32-year-old could have faced up to 100 years behind bars – but last month, his lawyers argued such a sentence would have been “barbaric” and a five-year term would be more appropriate.Initial reports said he had been sentenced to 20 years – but this has since…

A man in his 40s has been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the death of Gogglebox star George Gilbey.Essex Police say the 40-year-old is thought to have died after a fall at work. Gilbey appeared on the Channel 4 series alongside his mother Linda McGarry and stepfather Pete McGarry, who died in 2021 aged 71.The reality star also appeared on the 14th series of Celebrity Big Brother in 2014, reaching the final.An Essex Police spokesperson said: “As part of our ongoing investigation into the death of a man in Campfield Road, Shoebury, we have arrested…

Ian King’s been speaking in detail with Thames Water’s chief executive Chris Weston about the company’s financial status, after shareholders refused to inject new funds into the company.Jo Boydell, CEO of Travelodge, discusses their record annual sales which topped £1bn.And Lloyd’s of London has also reported strong results – Ian talks to chief executive, John Neal.Plus there’s a roundup of the markets with Rachel Winter, Partner at Killik & Co.Listen and subscribe to The Ian King Business Podcast here. Source link

Elon Musk has announced further changes to social media platform X that will see certain accounts get premium features for free.The tech billionaire, writing on the platform formerly known as Twitter, said all accounts with more than 2,500 verified subscriber followers would be able to access features that usually cost $8 (£6.30) a month. Premium features include the ability to edit and write longer posts, as well as reducing the number of adverts seen by the user. It also gives the account holder a blue tick next to their display name.The Tesla owner, who took over the website for $44bn…

Nick Cave has said he has “feelings of culpability” over the deaths of his sons.The Bad Seeds singer, 66, made the comments after losing two of his children in the space of seven years. His son Arthur died aged 15 after he fell from a cliff near his home in Brighton in 2015. It came after he took the drug LSD for the first time, an inquest heard.Then in 2022 his 31-year-old son Jethro, who had schizophrenia, died in Melbourne.The 66-year-old, speaking during an interview with The Guardian, said it was “against nature” for a parent to bury their child.…

The chairman of Heathrow Airport is returning to Goldman Sachs, the Wall Street bank where he spent more than 20 years, in a key international role.Sky News has learnt that Lord Deighton, who played a key part in the 2012 Olympic Games in London, is to become chairman of Goldman Sachs International (GSI), its main holding company outside the US. The appointment of Lord Deighton, who also chairs The Economist Group, was announced in an internal memo by David Solomon, Goldman’s boss, on Thursday.In the note, seen by Sky News, Mr Solomon said Lord Deighton would succeed Sir Bradley Fried…

Hormonal contraception used by millions of women worldwide has been linked to an increased risk of developing a rare type of brain tumour.Prolonged use of certain drugs containing the hormone progestogen can increase the risk of meningioma – a tumour which is mostly non-cancerous – by up to five-fold, a study found. However, experts are warning women not to stop using their birth control without consulting their doctor.Of the progestogens included in the study, the only one used in the UK linked to a higher tumour risk was medroxyprogesterone acetate, a contraceptive injection available under the brand name Depo-Provera.NHS data…