Author: SKYNEWS

Footballer Wayne Rooney has said he believes he would be dead if it wasn’t for his wife Coleen’s help with his alcohol issues.The former England and Manchester United star told his friend and former teammate Rio Ferdinand he would “drink for two days straight” at the peak of his career. Recalling that period on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, he said he would “come training and at the weekend I’d score two goals and then I’d go back and go and drink for two days straight again”.But the 39-year-old said his wife “helped me control that massively” and “managed me…

A cyber attack in April delivered an £80m hit to half-year operating profits at the Co-operative Group, it has been revealed.The results showed an underlying pre-tax loss of £75m over the six months to 5 July compared with a profit of £3m over the same period a year ago. The £80m figure included a £20m hit from one-off costs. The impact of the attack on sales revenue was estimated at £206m.Money latest: Rich Britons reveal the taxes they hate most While the mutual had insurance cover for operational disruption, it did not have a policy to meet full losses arising…

There is something peculiar about the Chinese government that makes its targets very different to those in countries like Britain.That quirk gives analysts some hope after it’s “timid” announcement on the green transition – and as Donald Trump yesterday condemned climate change as a “hoax”. The good news is that China has, for the first time, made a commitment to cut its greenhouse gas emissions. It’s a landmark moment.In a video statement to the UN in New York, President Xi Jinping vowed China would cut emissions by 7-10% by 2035, while “striving to do better”.But it is still “critically short”…

Jimmy Kimmel has said it was “never my intention to make light of” Charlie Kirk’s death.The presenter appeared almost tearful as he opened his first show since being taken off-air last week over comments about the assassination of the conservative influencer. “I don’t think there’s anything funny about it,” he said as he choked up.”Nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for the actions of what was obviously a deeply disturbed individual. That was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make”.Kimmel was accused of being “offensive and insensitive” after using his programme, Jimmy…

A former British Olympic medallist has raised millions of pounds for his digital advertising venture from a prolific backer of UK-based SMEs.Sky News understands that Navigator, which was founded by Steve Rowbotham, who won bronze at the Beijing Games in 2008, will this week announce a £4m funding injection from IW Capital. The deal is expected to be formally announced later this week.Navigator works with brands including Formula One, HSBC and L’Oreal to help them target consumers more effectively online.Money latest: Energy standing charges reform faces criticism It connects advertisers to data collected through airline and travel booking platforms at…

Scientists have discovered the remains of a new dinosaur – feasting on an ancient crocodile bone.The new find in Argentina hails from a mysterious group of dinosaurs called megaraptorans – and was thought to be 23ft long. It probably lived between 66 and 70 million years ago – close to the time dinosaurs went extinct – and was at least 19 years old when it died, although scientists do not know what killed it. Image: An artist’s illustration of the newly discovered dinosaur. Pic: Andrew McAfee, Carnegie Museum of Natural History via AP Researchers said they uncovered part of a…

Sean “Diddy” Combs’s lawyers have called for the music mogul to be given no more than 14 months in prison when he is sentenced next month – meaning he would walk free almost immediately.In a new written legal submission, the defence team also detailed “inhumane” conditions at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York – saying food sometimes contains maggots, that the rapper is routinely subjected to violence, and that he has “not breathed fresh air in nearly 13 months”. Combs, 55, was found guilty of two prostitution-related charges following his high-profile trial in the summer, but cleared of…

Britain’s largest car manufacturer, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), faces a prolonged shutdown of its global operations after the company announced an extension of the current closure, which began on 31 August, to at least 1 October.The extension will cost JLR tens of millions of pounds a day in lost revenue, raise major concerns about companies and jobs in the supply chain, and raise further questions about the vulnerability of UK industry to cyber assaults. A spokesperson said of the move: “We have made this decision to give clarity for the coming week as we build the timeline for the phased…

Energy regulator Ofgem has selected a shortlist of long-duration electricity storage projects it says are vital to maximise renewable energy and reduce the cost of paying wind farms to switch off because the excess power cannot be managed.A total of 77 projects designed to capture excess renewable power for later use, including lithium-ion, flow and sugar-based “super batteries”, as well as pumped-hydro electricity storage, will be considered for inclusion in a bill-payer-backed funding scheme intended to promote innovation and spread risk. There were 171 applications in total.The long-duration energy storage (LDES) program is intended to address the problem of intermittent…

Graham Linehan has told Sky News he believes satire is “dying” and that it would be “impossible” to make his hit shows Father Ted or The IT Crowd today.The comedy writer, who has faced accusations of transphobic hate speech and the harassment of transgender people, was arrested at Heathrow Airport earlier this month over social media posts sharing his views on trans rights. Appearing on Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, he said he is planning to sue the Metropolitan Police over his arrest, on grounds of “false imprisonment”, and also addressed US talk show host Jimmy Kimmel being…