Author: SKYNEWS

Rupert Murdoch is engaged again at the age of 92.The former Fox and News Corp chairman, and Sky News founder, plans to marry his girlfriend Elena Zhukova, a retired molecular biologist. The wedding will be held in California, at Mr Murdoch’s vineyard and estate, Moraga, a spokesman for the media mogul said on Thursday.The New York Times, which first reported the news, said Ms Zhukova, who is from Moscow, is 67.Last year, he called off an engagement to former San Francisco police chaplain Ann Lesley Smith. Mr Murdoch, who turns 93 next week, divorced his fourth wife Jerry Hall in…

The founder of AJ Bell, one of Britain’s biggest funds supermarkets, has criticised Jeremy Hunt’s proposed British ISA as “a white elephant” that will fail to support UK-based companies.Speaking to Sky News, Andy Bell, who still owns a big stake in the company he took public in 2018, said the chancellor’s plan “would confuse the ISA landscape” – and said he could not guarantee that AJ Bell would offer British ISA products. The initiative was one of the flagship measures unveiled in Mr Hunt’s budget this week, offering savers the chance to increase their tax-free savings pot each year from…

BBC Radio Scotland presenter Nick Sheridan has died aged 32, the broadcaster has announced.Confirming his death, head of news and current affairs at BBC Scotland Gary Smith paid tribute to him, calling him “wonderful” and “hugely talented”. He wrote on X: “We’re devastated to hear news our colleague and friend, Nick Sheridan, has died.”Nick has been a wonderful colleague. He was a hugely talented journalist, presenter and author – and one of those rare people who light up the lives of everyone around them.”Funny, clever, kind. A lovely man. “Our hearts go out to his parents, to his partner and…

The chancellor has unveiled the budget for 2024. Here are the key points: • National insurance contributions for employees are being cut from 10% to 8% from April – impacting about 27 million workers – with savings of up to £450 a year.• Self-employed NI rates will drop by two percentage points as well.• Higher rate of property capital gains tax will be reduced from 28% to 24%.• The non-dom tax status has been abolished. It means foreign nationals who live in the UK, but are officially domiciled overseas, will no longer be able to avoid paying UK tax on…

This budget was delivered just 105 days after the autumn statement and it showed.The overwhelming message was that, politically and economically, not enough has changed since November to give the chancellor the means or motivation to deliver a truly significant moment. Monthly pay calculator shows if you’re really getting a tax cutJeremy Hunt’s speech was a rabbit-free zone, a series of pre-briefed tweaks and extensions to existing policy, most notably the 2p cut to employees’ national insurance, and a couple of shameless land-grabs of Labour policy to cover the £10bn price tag, including reform of “non-dom” status and an extension…

The Princess of Wales’s uncle, who is currently appearing on ITV’s Celebrity Big Brother, has said she is getting the “best care in the world”.But Gary Goldsmith declined to talk further about Kate’s health due to a “code of etiquette”. There has been huge speculation on social media about the princess’s health after she underwent abdominal surgery earlier this year and has been absent from royal duties.Love Island winner Ekin-Su Culculoglu asked Goldsmith in footage shown on Wednesday’s edition of the show: “Where’s Kate?”He replied: “Because she doesn’t want to talk about… The last thing I’m going to do is……

Labour is demanding the Tories spell out how they will pay for a “reckless” plan to abolish national insurance contributions. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said in his budget it was his long-term ambition to “end this unfairness”, while an email sent to Tory members said “we’ll be able to make progress towards that goal in the next parliament”. Politics Live: Braverman joins Tory critics of budget announcementsTreasury minister Bim Afolami also confirmed the plan to Sky News on Wednesday, telling the Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge: “We want to eliminate that double tax on work.”Labour said the move would cost £46bn…

Rust armourer Hannah Gutierrez has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter following the fatal shooting of the film’s cinematographer on set.She was found not guilty of evidence tampering. Gutierrez was in charge of weapons during production of the Western film in New Mexico in October 2021, when a gun fired by star and co-producer Alec Baldwin went off during a rehearsal.Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins died following the incident, while director Joel Souza was injured.Involuntary manslaughter means causing someone’s death due to negligence, without intending to. Image: Halyna Hutchins, pictured in 2017 Jurors sitting on Gutierrez’s trial in Santa Fe reached their…

Perhaps the most telling thing to say about this budget is that it was just… a little bit thin.Indeed, in terms of its impact on the public finances, it was significantly smaller than the autumn statement. Back in November, the chancellor delivered £20bn worth of tax cuts, roughly split between the 2p cut to national insurance and the introduction of “full expensing” on business investment.Today’s budget was essentially half the size of the autumn statement, amounting to around £10bn of tax cuts – essentially a further national insurance cut and a few other bits and pieces. The chancellor spent much…

Katie Bickerstaffe, the joint chief executive of Marks & Spencer (M&S), is to leave the company after just two years in the role.Sky News can exclusively reveal that Ms Bickerstaffe is to leave M&S this year, handing over the sole reins to Stuart Machin. Ms Bickerstaffe is leaving to focus on a portfolio career and has lined up a role as a non-executive director of Kingfisher, the DIY retailer which owns B&Q, a source close to it said on Wednesday evening.Announcements are likely from both companies in the coming days.She will depart M&S with the company in the best shape…