Author: SKYNEWS

The energy regulator has warned suppliers over their conduct as a temporary ban on the forced installation of prepayment meters ends.Ofgem said on Monday that it was allowing EDF, Octopus and Scottish Power to resume “involuntary” ‘Pay as you Go’ meter installations. That was because the three firms had met conditions to restart the controversial practice.It was outlawed by the watchdog industry-wide in February last year following an investigation that revealed how debt collectors had forced their way into the homes of vulnerable customers to install prepayment meters.They can be fitted when a household is in debt and mean that…

Oppenheimer and Succession have been crowned the big winners at this year’s Golden Globes – with Barbie’s box office domination celebrated too.In the film categories, Emma Stone’s Poor Things, Paul Giamatti’s The Holdovers, and the French thriller Anatomy Of A Fall were also successful, while road-rage thriller Beef and frenetic kitchen drama The Bear took home big prizes in the TV categories. This year’s Golden Globes ceremony introduced the first award for cinematic achievement – and with Barbie grossing more than $1.4bn worldwide, there could only be one winner (despite tough competition from Taylor Swift). Star and producer Margot Robbie,…

Spending in the run up to Christmas was weak, latest retailer and payments card data showed, further illustrating the cost of living pressures affecting purchasing power.When inflation was factored in, both retail sales and card payment data showed spending rose below the rate of price rises. While the official measure of inflation was 3.9% in November, spending rose at a slower pace – UK retail sales, as calculated by retail representative British Retail Consortium (BRC) and big four accountancy firm KPMG, increased by 3.6% from 2022.Similarly, consumer card spending was outpaced by price rises and grew just 2.3% in December…

Who won what at this year’s Golden Globe Awards?The ceremony in LA kicked off the 2024 awards season, honouring the best films and TV series of the past year. In the film categories, Oppenheimer, Anatomy Of A Fall, The Holdovers and Poor Things were the big winners, while Succession, The Bear and Beef dominated the TV awards.Here are the films, shows and stars that took home prizes at this year’s Golden Globes, along with the other nominees.Best film (drama) – OppenheimerAnatomy Of A FallKillers Of The Flower MoonMaestroPast LivesThe Zone Of Interest Best film (musical or comedy) – Poor ThingsAirAmerican…

Employed Scots are being urged to check if they are eligible for Scottish government benefits.Following the festive break, those in full-time and part-time work are being reminded they could qualify for payments administered by Social Security Scotland. The Job Start Payment – a one-off lump sum of £294.70 or £471.50 for the main carer of one or more children – aims to help cover the costs of starting a new job such as travel, work clothes or childcare.It’s available to those aged between 16 and 24 who are already receiving benefits and have been out of paid work for six…

For most of the Golden Globe Awards, the focus was on the winners on stage – but many viewers will have noticed the cameras falling on one couple in the audience in particular.It seems the ceremony was the first official public appearance for actor Timothee Chalamet and reality star and cosmetics entrepreneur Kylie Jenner as a couple, who were first spotted together at a Beyonce show in September. While Chalamet, who was nominated for best actor in a musical or comedy for his portrayal of Willy Wonka in Wonka, was not pictured with Jenner on the Golden Globes red carpet…

Rishi Sunak has added to the pressure on the former head of the Post Office to have her CBE removed in the wake of the Horizon scandal.The prime minister’s spokesman said he would “strongly support” the Honours Forfeiture Committee if it were to look at taking away Paula Vennells’s award. There are growing calls for Ms Vennells’s CBE to be rescinded or handed back, after ITV drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office brought the issue back to the fore.Politics latest: Ministers meeting over Post Office scandal Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge Sky News Monday to Thursday at 7pm. Watch…

A$AP Rocky has pleaded not guilty to allegations he fired a gun at a former friend and collaborator outside a Hollywood hotel in 2021.A Los Angeles judge had previously found there was enough evidence for the rapper to stand trial after hearing testimony at a preliminary hearing. Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm.He allegedly pointed a handgun at Terell Ephron in November 2021 and allegedly fired the weapon in his direction in a subsequent confrontation.After the musician entered his plea, Superior Court Judge Karla Kerlin set…

Not for the first time, Boeing is again the subject of unwanted attention from regulators and customers over safety issues.The shocking scenes on Friday night, in which a Boeing 737 MAX 9 operated by Alaska Airlines suffered a mid-air blow-out, has again raised questions over the safety of the jet. Boeing shares fell by 8% in pre-market trading today while shares of Spirit AeroSystems, which made and installed the fuselage part on the jet, were down by as much as 20%.Cause for concernThere are several reasons for investors and management at Boeing to be worried. The first is that the…

How much do we really know about Mark Zuckerberg?The creator of Facebook. One of the world’s richest men. A 39-year-old father-of-three. But is he a force for good? One man has made it his mission to try to help us answer that question.For more than a decade, university professor and privacy expert Dr Michael Zimmer has been recording “every single thing” the Facebook founder says in public, in an archive known as “The Zuckerberg Files”.Covering a period from 2004 to the present day, it features more than 1,500 transcripts of Zuckerberg’s remarks, including Facebook posts, media interviews and hundreds of…