Author: SKYNEWS

The founders of a business telecoms and IT services provider are on the brink of toasting a nine-figure windfall after entering advanced talks to sell it to one of Britain’s leading private equity firms.Sky News has learnt that Focus Group is close to signing a deal to sell a majority stake to Hg Capital, the investor known for its successful bets on software and technology companies. City sources said on Wednesday that the transaction would value Focus Group at just under £800m including debt, making it the latest addition to the ranks of Britain’s private company unicorns – a reference…

Zendaya says her new film Challengers has gifted her the “most unapologetically cruel and direct” character she has ever played.The Spider-Man actress attended the UK premiere of the Luca Guadagnino movie in London on Wednesday. Speaking to Sky News, she says it is a joy to have added Tashi Donaldson to her acting portfolio.”She is so complex, complicated and messy, and I appreciate that about a character,” explains the 27-year-old.”I don’t think you always love her. I don’t think you always hate her either and that was my challenge, to make sure that she has fragility and sensitivity as well…

The investor trying to take control of Everton Football Club has pushed back its target date for completing the deal as it scrambles to raise hundreds of millions of pounds to fund it.Sky News has learnt that 777 Partners has told stakeholders, including the Premier League and prospective lenders, that it now expects its takeover of the Toffees to be finalised late next month. It had been seeking to close the deal by the end of this week.City sources said on Wednesday that 777 had also requested in recent days an extension to a repayment deadline for a loan of…

On today’s show, Tesco has reported a sharp rise in annual profits. It posted an adjusted operating profit of £2.83bn for the year to the end of February – up 11% on the previous year.Ian King speaks to Andrew Gossage, chief executive of homewares supplier Ultimate Products, about shipping costs in light of recent attacks in the Red Sea by Houthi fighters.Plus, British parking app JustPark is to launch in the United States and Canada after merging with a leading US provider. The app’s founder Anthony Eskinazi explains the significance of the deal.:: Listen and subscribe to The Ian King…

Artificial intelligence can be a “sword and a shield” against misinformation as billions of people head to the polls, Sir Nick Clegg has said.During a year in which more than half of the world’s population elects their leaders, “we should be vigilant but we should also think of AI as a tool to navigate that landscape,” he said during an AI panel hosted by Meta at its London office. The former UK deputy prime minister joined Meta in 2018 and is now head of global affairs at the company, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.Of the major elections that have…

For the last four months, one of the biggest talking points in the betting and gaming industry has been who will become the next chief executive of Entain, the FTSE-100 combine whose businesses include Ladbrokes, Coral, Gala Bingo, Bwin and BetMGM.The post was vacated when, 11 days before Christmas, the former incumbent Jette Nygaard-Andersen unexpectedly resigned with immediate effect. Since then, the job has been done on an interim basis by Stella David, former chief executive of William Grant & Sons, the Scotch whisky group behind brands such as The Balvenie and Glenfiddich – but the hunt remains ongoing for…

Millions of people were mesmerised by a total solar eclipse in Mexico, the US and Canada on Monday which briefly plunged large parts into darkness.So, where you can see the next one? You will be able to witness the rare phenomenon in Spain and Portugal on 12 August 2026. It will also be visible in Greenland, Iceland, and Russia.This will be Europe’s first total eclipse for 27 years. Image: Pic: Reuters One year later, on 2 August 2027, another total solar eclipse will be visible in Spain and across North Africa. If you’re in southern Africa, on a ship in…

Renee Zellweger and Hugh Grant are set to return for a fourth Bridget Jones film.Two-time Oscar winner Zellweger is back in Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, while Grant reprises his role as rapscallion Daniel Cleaver. Emma Thompson, who starred in the third film as Bridget’s despairing obstetrician, also returns, with 12 Years A Slave star Chiwetel Ejiofor and One Day actor Leo Woodall joining the cast.Mark Darcy, played by Colin Firth, will not be back this time. Image: Colin Firth, who plays Mark Darcy, will not be in the new film. Pic: Alamy British author Helen Fielding previously said…

Ted Baker’s American licensing partner is a leading contender to take control of the fashion brand’s British operation weeks after it collapsed into administration.Sky News has learnt that OSL, which was appointed to run Ted Baker’s US retail business just over a year ago, is a frontrunner to take over the European business, which includes dozens of UK shops. The news comes two days after administrators at Teneo confirmed that 15 Ted Baker stores in the UK would close permanently with the loss of more than 200 jobs.The closures are understood to have been necessary in order to assist the…

Some frogs scream at an ear-splitting volume for other animals but its frequency is inaudible to humans, scientists have discovered.While out in the Amazonian jungle studying frogs, researchers in Brazil noticed something strange. Small leaf litter frogs were arching their backs, throwing back their heads and opening their mouths wide.They looked like they were screaming but the scientists could hear nothing.When they recorded the frogs using high-frequency audio recorders, the scientists captured the first documented case of “defensive ultrasound” being used by amphibians. The scream is a response to predators, according to researchers from Brazil’s State University of Campinas.It could…