Author: SKYNEWS

Actor and comedian Ewen MacIntosh, best known for playing Keith in The Office, has died at the age of 50.The star died on Monday, his management company Just Right confirmed. His cause of death has not been disclosed, but he had been unwell for the past two years.”Ewen was a wonderful actor and an even better human being,” they said in a statement. “He made people laugh and possessed such a kind heart. He touched the lives of all who came into contact with him.”Just Right said MacIntosh’s family had been “heartened by” and appreciative of “all the outpouring of…

On today’s episode, Ian King discusses the government’s record financial surplus last month with economist Simon French.He also speaks to the chief executive of Heathrow Airport about their latest figures.And optimism among British businesses is on the up – Ian chats to the Boston Consulting Group about their annual survey.:: Listen and subscribe to The Ian King Business Podcast here. Source link

Thousands of patients could benefit from the first ever alopecia treatment approved for the NHS.Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease, where the body’s immune system attacks the hair follicles and causes hair to fall out. Alopecia UK hailed the decision as a “monumental day” for people with the condition, with patients going “far too long” without NHS treatment.”For far too long, patients with alopecia areata have gone without a licensed treatment option available via NHS pathways,” the charity’s chief executive, Sue Schilling, said.”If new treatments are only available privately, it becomes a case of the ‘haves and the have nots’,…

TV presenter Dan Wootton will face no further police action after a five-month investigation into allegations made against him, the Metropolitan Police has said.The broadcaster, 40, said in a statement that he had been “completely cleared” after the investigations by the Metropolitan Police, and Police Scotland. At the time the allegations surfaced, in articles in The Byline Times, the presenter admitted making some “errors of judgement” but always denied any criminality.In a statement issued by his lawyer, he said: “I have now been completely cleared in two investigations by the Metropolitan and Scottish police, who have confirmed they will be…

Channel 4’s outgoing marketing chief is the leading candidate to become the next boss of M&C Saatchi Group, the London-listed advertising agency.Sky News has learnt that Zaid Al-Qassab, whose exit from the state-owned broadcaster was announced last month, is close to agreeing to become M&C Saatchi’s new chief executive. An advertising industry source said on Wednesday that Mr Al-Qassab had seen off competition from rival candidates in recent weeks, with an announcement possible within days.Mr Al-Qassab has worked for Channel 4, which recently confirmed plans to cut hundreds of jobs as it grapples with a sharp downturn in ad spending,…

A criminal trial involving allegedly ill-gotten handwritten lyrics to the classic rock song Hotel California, as well as other favourites by the Eagles, has begun in New York.The unusual case concerns about 100 pages of drafts featuring the words to songs from the Hotel California album, which was released in 1976 and is the third-biggest selling album ever in the US. Rare books dealer Glenn Horowitz, former Rock and Roll Hall of Fame curator Craig Inciardi, and memorabilia seller Edward Kosinski are accused of scheming to thwart Eagles co-founder Don Henley’s efforts to reclaim the documents, and face charges including…

The former chair of the Post Office, Henry Staunton, who was dismissed last month, claims he was told by a top civil servant to “hobble into the election” and delay payouts to sub-postmasters, in a newly-released memo.But Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch told MPs there’s “no evidence whatsoever that this is true”, and called his allegations “a disgrace”. The row comes as only 5% of sub-postmaster claimants have received compensation for the Horizon IT scandal so far.Late on Wednesday evening, the government published a letter from Sarah Munby, the former permanent secretary to Kemi Badenoch, responding to claims in The Times…

The trial of a former gang leader accused of killing rapper Tupac Shakur has been pushed back by several months.Duane “Keffe D” Davis had been due to stand trial in June after being arrested last year – some 27 years after the hip-hop star’s death. He is said to be the only person still alive who was in the vehicle from which shots were fired in Las Vegas, Nevada, on 7 September 1996. Tupac died from his injuries six days later. Image: Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis pictured at his latest court hearing. Pic: Bizuayehu Tesfaye/ Las Vegas Review-Journal/ AP After…

The owner of Brentford, the Premier League football club, has engaged advisers to canvas offers of investment that could value one of the sport’s biggest recent success stories at more than £400m.Sky News has learnt that Matthew Benham, who initially invested in the Bees in 2007, has hired Rothschild to oversee a process that could involve the sale of a controlling stake. Rothschild is expected to kick off a formal process in the near future, with football industry experts anticipating that Brentford will become the latest in a string of top-flight clubs to draw interest from US-based investors.Under Mr Benham’s…

It’s something that every iPhone user dreads: drenching their device in tea after an unfortunate spill… or dropping it in the bath.For years, the common advice given after clumsy mishaps has been to leave the iPhone in a bag of rice to soak up any excess moisture. But, according to recent advice from Apple, this technique is nothing more than an old wives’ tale – and can actually do more harm than good. Image: Apple has advised against putting wet phones in a bowl of rice. Pic: iStock The tech giant says small particles of rice can end up damaging…