Author: SKYNEWS

Ed Sheeran has wowed fans, onlookers and commuters by playing in a London street.The British singer and songwriter, 34, performed with his acoustic guitar outside King’s Cross station on Friday. Sheeran, wearing a bright pink t-shirt, sang his new track Azizam as well as hits including Perfect, Bad Habits and Shivers.The Shape of You and Thinking Out Loud singer shared an Instagram post after his performance and described the atmosphere as “awesome”.One onlooker who had time to spare between changing trains said she “struck gold” and felt “lucky” after witnessing the star play in an intimate setting. Legal secretary Olivia…

Donald Trump has delayed a potential ban on TikTok for a second time – after China reportedly stalled on a deal to sell its US operations in response to his “Liberation Day” tariffs.The short-form video app was set to be banned in the US the day before Mr Trump returned to the White House in January unless its Chinese owner ByteDance agreed to sell its US operations to a non-Chinese buyer. Trump’s 10% tariffs kick in worldwide – follow latestBut on his inauguration on 20 January Mr Trump signed an executive order delaying the deadline.On Friday, Mr Trump announced he…

Sir Tom Scholar, the former top Treasury civil servant sacked by Liz Truss during her premiership, is being lined up as the next chairman of Santander UK, Britain’s fifth-biggest high street bank.Sky News has learnt that Sir Tom, who played a pivotal role in the UK’s response to the 2008 financial crisis, is the leading candidate to replace William Vereker. The appointment, which is subject to regulatory approval, could be announced later in the spring, according to insiders.Sir Tom’s prospective recruitment comes amid a period of intense speculation about the future of Santander UK, which bulked up rapidly during the…

Tom Cruise has paid tribute to Val Kilmer, wishing his Top Gun co-star “well on the next journey”.Cruise, speaking at the CinemaCon film event in Las Vegas on Thursday, asked for a moment’s silence to reflect on the “wonderful” times shared with the star, whom he called a “dear friend”.Kilmer, who died of pneumonia on Tuesday aged 65, rocketed to fame starring alongside Cruise in the 1986 blockbuster Top Gun, playing Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky, a rival fighter pilot to Cruise’s character Maverick. Image: Tom Cruise said ‘I wish you well on the next journey’. Pic: AP Image: Val Kilmer in…

Sir Keir Starmer needs to choose between parents who want stronger action to tackle harmful content on children’s phones, or the “tech bros” who are resisting changes to their platforms, Baroness Harriet Harman has said.Speaking to Beth Rigby on Sky News’ Electoral Dysfunction podcast, the Labour peer noted that the prime minister met with the creators of hit Netflix drama Adolescence to discuss safety on social media, but she questioned if he is going to take action to “stop the tech companies allowing this sort of stuff” on their platforms where children can access it. Sir Keir hosted a roundtable…

​​​​​​​The last blast furnaces left operating in Britain could see their fate sealed within days, after their Chinese owners took the decision to cut off the crucial supply of ingredients keeping them running.Jingye, the owner of British Steel in Scunthorpe, has, according to union representatives, cancelled future orders for the iron ore, coal and other raw materials needed to keep the furnaces running. The upshot is that they may have to close next month – even sooner than the earliest date suggested for its closure.Read more: Thousands of jobs at risk as British Steel consults unions over closure Image: One…

Actors, directors and celebrity friends have paid tribute to Val Kilmer, after he died aged 65.The California-born star of Top Gun, Batman and Heat died of pneumonia on Tuesday night in Los Angeles, his daughter Mercedes told the Associated Press. She said Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 but later recovered.Tributes flooded in after reports broke of the actor’s death, with No Country For Old Men star Josh Brolin among the first to share their memories. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:49 Watch: Val Kilmer in his most iconic roles He wrote on…

Conservation experts are urging homeowners not to mow their lawns over the coming months to help boost butterfly numbers, with more than half of UK species now in long-term decline.Last year was one of the worst on record for butterflies, with 51 of the UK’s 59 butterfly species showing a decline in numbers compared with figures for 2023. The fall is being driven by human activity, the use of pesticides and climate change, experts have said. Image: Human activity has destroyed many habitats for butterflies, experts say. Pic: PA The UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme, run by a coalition of conservation…

World leaders and governments have begun reacting to Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs.The president imposed a 10% baseline tariff on all imports – but many of America’s biggest trading partners have been hit by a far higher rate. Speaking at an event he called “Make America Wealthy Again”, Mr Trump criticised foreign “cheaters” and held a chart detailing who would be paying what.Here is some of the latest reaction. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 6:39 Trump’s tariffs explained China, facing a 34% tax, said it would “resolutely” hit back and “take countermeasures to safeguard its own…

Val Kilmer, the actor who starred in Top Gun and Batman while earning a reputation as a Hollywood bad boy, has died aged 65.His daughter Mercedes told the Associated Press he died of pneumonia on Tuesday night in Los Angeles surrounded by family and friends.California-born Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 but later recovered, she said.The actor, who played Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky in Top Gun alongside Tom Cruise in 1986, previously admitted he didn’t want the role which made him famous.But he said he begged to be part of the sequel, Top Gun: Maverick in 2022, even going…