Author: SKYNEWS

Britain’s biggest high street lenders have pledged to upgrade dozens of shared banking hubs and commit to more than 100 new locations amid a growing political row over access to cash.Sky News has learnt that Bim Afolami, the City minister, convened a group of industry stakeholders and MPs on Monday to discuss urgent improvements to roughly 40 existing hubs across the country. The banks have now pledged to identify 225 locations for hubs by the end of the year, up from 11.The facilities are designed to enable continued consumer access to cash amid a deluge of bank branch closures across…

Aaron Taylor-Johnson is set to be the next James Bond, according to reports.Famous for roles in films such as Kick-Ass and Avengers: Age Of Ultron, the 33-year-old actor is apparently yet to officially accept the iconic part, but a source told The Sun: “Bond is Aaron’s job, should he wish to accept it.” The source added: “The formal offer is on the table and they are waiting to hear back.”Eon Productions, which produces the Bond films, is also said to be preparing to shoot a new 007 movie, with a script now being worked on.The Sun’s source added: “As far…

EasyJet has opened its first new UK base in 12 years, claiming that additional competition could help bring down fares for passengers.The no-frills carrier is basing aircraft at Birmingham Airport for the first time, creating 140 jobs for pilots and crew. The three planes there will operate on 16 new routes from this summer.Destinations will include Antalya in Turkey, the Greek island of Kos, and Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt.Money latest: Primark adding stickers to bags to clamp down on theft The airline said it would also increase frequencies on its existing network, which includes flights to and from Birmingham…

Liz Hurley’s son has said there is nothing “controversial” about the bikini shots he takes for his mother’s beachwear line, insisting it is all just part of being in showbusiness.Speaking alongside his mother in an interview with Access Hollywood, 21-year-old model Damian Hurley said: “People find this really controversial. Showbusiness has been a fundamental part of my entire life. “So, to us, it’s not a thing, it’s just part of business. She takes my photos, I take hers.”On the combined family effort involved in her fashion brand, Elizabeth Hurley Beach, the 58-year-old model and actress said: “Who likes being photographed…

Ian King speaks to Fhaheen Khan from Make UK about new research that’s shown manufacturers are facing the prospect of two years of “anaemic growth”. And Tim Bannister from Rightmove joins the show to talk about new evidence of a revival in the housing market.Listen and subscribe to The Ian King Business Podcast here. Source link

You can now get breaking news right there in your WhatsApp – plus all the latest updates on UK, foreign and entertainment stories and much more all in one place.It’s really easy. All you need to do is click this link here from your phone or tablet and tap follow.Alternatively, follow these simple steps:1. Open WhatsApp as normal2. Tap on the Updates option – it’s at the bottom if you’re on an iPhone, at the top on Android3. Type Sky News into the search bar – then tap the plus sign to give us a follow!Sky News is one of…

New Star Wars coins have been unveiled by the Royal Mint, with the latest collection including the Millennium Falcon and Death Star.The famous sci-fi ship may be coming to a wallet or purse near you as it lands on a 50p coin. It follows on from the initial success of the first Star Wars coin series, with the new one dedicated to the franchise’s vehicles.The first series of coins featured some of Star Wars’ most famous characters, including Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader.The Millennium Falcon, the TIE Fighter, X-Wing, and Death Star II will all make it onto the new…

Legal & General (L&G) is drawing up plans to sell Cala Group, one of Britain’s biggest housebuilders, marking the first significant strategic move by its new chief executive.Sky News has learnt that L&G is lining up bankers at Rothschild to oversee a sale of the company. City insiders said that Cala was likely to be valued at up to £750m in a sale.The move comes just weeks after Antonio Simoes, a former HSBC and Santander executive, replaced Sir Nigel Wilson, one of Britain’s most prominent business leaders, as L&G’s chief executive.Money latest: Primark adding stickers to bags to clamp down…

Five episodes of GB News programmes that were presented by Tory MPs have been found by Ofcom to have breached impartiality rules.The watchdog’s probe examined two shows presented by former House of Commons leader Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, and three jointly hosted by former pensions secretary Esther McVey and her husband – backbencher Philip Davies. Politics Live: Rishi Sunak ‘aims to steady Tory nerves’ with speechOfcom said that under the Broadcasting Code, news must be presented with due impartiality and “a politician cannot be a newsreader, news interviewer or news reporter unless, exceptionally, there is editorial justification”.It found there was no…

Every household must be engaged by the government in the shift to clean heating as uptake of heat pumps to replace boilers is running at less than half of expected levels, the public spending watchdog has warned.A report by the National Audit Office (NAO) described assumptions on consumer demand for heat pumps, which use electricity to draw heat from the ground, air or water for heating buildings, as “optimistic”. It also called into question public awareness of the availability of boiler upgrade grants to help smooth the transition from oil and gas-fired boilers amid the battle against climate change.Money latest:…