Author: SKYNEWS

Bosses of water companies responsible for illegal sewage spills are to face a ban on their bonuses after years of campaigns and public outrage.  Environment Secretary Steve Barclay announced payouts would be blocked to chiefs who oversee the polluting of rivers, lakes, and seas – starting with bonuses in the financial year starting this April. It was revealed bosses received more than £26m in bonuses, benefits, and incentives over the last four years.Analysis by the Labour Party found nine water chief executives were paid £10m in bonuses, £14m in incentives and £603,580 in benefits since 2019.Senior executives from five of…

NatWest Group is preparing to pay out about £350m in staff bonuses as the government draws up plans for a retail share offer that could drastically reduce the state’s remaining stake in the bailed-out lender.Sky News has learnt NatWest is finalising proposals for the bonus pot ahead of annual results this week that are expected to reveal its most profitable year since its rescue by British taxpayers. The payouts will be slightly below last year’s figure of £367m despite City forecasts of higher profits buoyed by rising interest rates.The announcement of NatWest’s results, which will be overseen by interim chief…

Directed by Sean Durkin, The Iron Claw takes inspiration from the lives of the Von Erichs – a renowned professional wrestling family in the US.The A24 film centres on wrestling, of course, but also takes a deep dive into the impact of toxic masculinity and the refusal to examine emotions. “That’s one of the things that Sean spoke about early on in this process that drew me to the story”, Zac Efron says.The 36-year-old actor plays Kevin in the film – the oldest of the Von Erich siblings who has dedicated his life to professional wrestling under his father’s wing.Efron…

When Ella* gets up in the morning, she often starts her day with a Class A drug before breakfast. A cup of tea and a small capsule of magic mushroom “dust”, before taking her three children to school and carrying on with her day.The 36-year-old, who lives in Buckinghamshire, says she is not tripping as she waves them goodbye. Rather, she is one of a number of parents microdosing hallucinogens, which she believes eases the stresses of modern life. “I’m a better parent,” Ella claims of her psychedelic use. She says she feels calmer, happier, less anxious, less likely to…

Taylor Swift has begun her journey back to the US from Tokyo to see her boyfriend Travis Kelce play in the Super Bowl.Swift, 34, told fans at the Tokyo Dome on Saturday: “We’re all gonna go on a great adventure.” She was likely referring to her rush to get from Japan to Las Vegas with less than 24 hours to spare before the biggest NFL game of the season. Image: Umbrellas block the view of Taylor Swift as she departs Tokyo. Pic: AP Self-proclaimed ‘Swifties’ across the globe have been speculating about the potential strain on her time schedule for…

Ozzy Osbourne has said he refused Kanye West permission to use a Black Sabbath sample because he’s an “antisemite” – but claims the rapper used it anyway.The rocker said West had asked to use an excerpt from a 1983 live performance of Iron Man.But, writing on X, Osbourne said he “refused permission because he is an antisemite and has caused untold heartache to many”.Osbourne, 75, added: “He went ahead and used the sample anyway at his album listening party last night. I want no association with this man!” X This content is provided by X, which may be using cookies…

A new report has suggested the state retirement age may need to rise to 71 to maintain the number of people who financially support the pension system – and it adds that it might need to happen as soon as 2040.On this Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson explores what effect this would have with pensions expert and Conservative peer, Baroness Ros Altmann.Plus, economist and co-author of The 100-Year Life, Andrew Scott, discusses why our outlook on retirement might need to change sooner than we think.Click to subscribe to the Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcastsSenior podcast producer: Annie…

Adnams, one of the most historic names in British brewing, has drafted in City advisers to raise new funding amid a deluge of insolvencies across the sector.Sky News has learnt that Adnams is working with Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) on a range of options to shore up its finances. People close to the situation said these were likely to include an injection of private capital from a high net worth investor or family office.The sale of some of Adnams’ freehold assets from its estate of pubs and inns would also be considered, they added.The objective of the plan is understood…

The Duke of Sussex’s court case against the Daily Mirror publisher Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) began in May 2023.The joint lawsuit, over accusations of historical phone hacking, started just a few days after his father was crowned King. Read more:Mirror Group apologises to Prince HarryWhat Prince Harry won and lost at trialPrince Harry gave evidence in person last June.Mirror Group denied the allegations, some of which related to when Piers Morgan was the Mirror’s editor. The journalist and presenter has since become a vocal critic of the prince and his wife, the Duchess of Sussex. It was one of multiple…

The new owners of The Body Shop are lining up administrators for its British arm just weeks after taking control of the cosmetics retailer, in a move which could threaten significant numbers of shops and jobs.Sky News has learnt that the company founded by Anita Roddick and her husband Gordon nearly half a century ago is preparing to appoint FRP Advisory to handle an insolvency process for its UK operation, which trades from around 200 stores. City sources said on Friday that the administrators were ultimately likely to consider closing a significant chunk of The Body Shop’s UK outlets, although…