Author: SKYNEWS

The Dutch banking giant ING has been thrust into a pivotal role in determining the future of stricken Thames Water’s parent company amid growing expectations that lenders will agree a loan extension ahead of a repayment deadline this month.Sky News has learnt that ING is among the lenders due to be repaid £190m by Kemble Water Finance at the end of April. A large Chinese bank is also said to have a significant position in the loan facility, according to banking sources.The identity of the lenders has not previously been disclosed.If the loan is not repaid and Kemble Water Finance…

Lara Croft has beaten the likes of Mario and Sonic to be named the most iconic video games character ever.The star of the Tomb Raider series came out on top in a Bafta poll of more than 4,000 gamers from around the world. Croft beat Nintendo’s legendary Mario into second, with Agent 47 from the Hitman series third.Others making the top 10 included Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog, Link from the Zelda games, Master Chief from Xbox’s Halo series, and classic dot-chomping character Pac-Man.Croft first appeared in Tomb Raider in 1996 on the original PlayStation, PC and the Sega Saturn console.…

Jay-Z’s music festival has been cancelled for the second year in a row – with organisers not explicitly giving the reasons why.Made In America festival, which usually takes place in Philadelphia in September, announced in a vague statement on social media that the event would not be held in 2024. “Since its inception, this groundbreaking festival has celebrated music and community – from creating a space for fans to connect, to uplifting local small businesses & shining a light on important causes,” organisers said in a statement.”It has strived for accessibility, eliminating barriers through affordable tickets and location. X This…

A planned merger between Vodafone and Three is in doubt after the competition watchdog said it would launch a major investigation into the deal.The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said the move was being taken after the firms failed to offer any measures to ease its concerns that mobile phone users could face higher prices and reduced quality of service if the plans went ahead. The proposed £15bn merger, announced last year, would bring 27 million customers together under a single provider and create the UK’s largest mobile network.However, fears have been raised that it will reduce rivalry between operators,…

School closures, pet care and fake glasses are just three of the things that have prompted warnings ahead of Monday’s total solar eclipse. Residents in multiple US states, as well as parts of Mexico and Canada, will be able to witness the natural phenomenon on Monday 8 April. The first place to experience ‘totality’ – the moment when the face of the sun is completely blocked by the moon – will be Mexico’s Pacific Coast at around 11.07am local time.The eclipse’s path will then enter the US where it will be visible across states from Texas all the way up…

Peter Andre and his wife Emily MacDonagh have welcomed their third child together.The Mysterious Girl singer, 51, shared images of his newborn daughter at “just minutes old” on Instagram. His baby girl is “very healthy” after she was born on Tuesday, as Andre wrote: “We feel so overwhelmed right now. So happy to welcome our beautiful girl to the family.”Mum and daughter are doing amazing.”Andre married doctor MacDonagh in 2015 and one of the pictures was of her and the newborn. The singer said the baby had been “spoilt with cuddles” from his seven-year-old son, Theo, and daughter, Amelia, 10,…

Tens of thousands of people are facing crippling tax demands from HMRC for tax their employers failed to pay. It’s an injustice that has been compared with the Horizon scandal.At least 23 victims have taken – or attempted to take – their own lives. For the first time, two of those who tried to end their lives have shared their story with Sky News.This story contains references to suicide that readers may find distressing.”I went for a drink. And I don’t remember – I know why I did it – but I don’t remember making the decision to do it.…

Google is considering charging users for “premium” internet search results powered by artificial intelligence (AI), according to a report.The tech giant is said to be exploring several ideas about how to use the technology, including incorporating enhanced search tools as part of its premium subscription services. Google’s main search engine would remain free to use under the proposals, with additional content available to those who pay a fee, sources told the Financial Times.Adverts would continue to appear alongside search results, even for subscribers, according to the report.More than a billion people use the search tool every month, according to estimates.…

Singer Ian ‘H’ Watkins, better known as ‘H from Steps’, is to be honoured with an 8ft statue.The statue of the 47-year-old has been announced by a community group in his hometown of Cowbridge. Funded through private donations and designed by a local artist, it will be erected at the heart of the town, outside The Bear Hotel.The aim is to unveil the statue at Cowbridge Pride in June, an event founded by ‘H’ two years ago.’H’ – one-fifth of the Brit award-winning group Steps – also hosts a weekly show on Radio Wales and sits on his local town…

The former pensions arm of KPMG, the big four accountant, is to be put up for sale, netting a potential bonanza for its private equity backer.Sky News has learnt that Exponent, the buyout firm, has hired investment bankers at Evercore to sell Isio. City sources said on Wednesday that a deal was not imminent but that an auction was likely to get underway this year.It could see Isio changing hands for several hundred million pounds, they added.Isio, which provides pensions and wealth advice to thousands of clients, was created when Exponent backed a buyout from KPMG in 2020. The business…