Author: SKYNEWS

The right-to-buy scheme must be reformed to ensure those most in need have access to secure accommodation, councils have warned.The Local Government Association (LGA) said the scheme, that enables social tenants to purchase their homes with big discounts, meant that 7,449 social homes were lost on a net basis during the last financial year. Its figures showed that of 10,896 social homes sold through right-to-buy in 2022/23, only 3,447 had been replaced since, in breach of government commitments.The cross-party body said the budget, due on 6 March, was an opportunity to address a number of flaws that were exacerbating shortages.The…

A hospital has apologised to more than 100 women after their eggs and embryos were likely damaged during the freezing process.Guy’s Hospital in London contacted the 136 women after discovering its NHS-operated clinic may have inadvertently used some bottles of a faulty freezing solution in September and October 2022. The clinic said it did not know the liquid was defective at the time.A Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said the manufacturing issue may adversely impact the chance of frozen egg or embryo surviving during thawing.”We were made aware of a manufacturing issue with some bottles of a…

Shoplifting has hit a record high with 16.7 million incidents recorded last year – more than double compared to 2022. The spate cost retailers around £1.8bn, a record sum, and the first time it has surpassed the £1bn mark, according to an annual survey by the British Retail Consortium (BRC). Violence and abuse against shop workers also spiked last year with about 1,300 incidents daily, a rise of 50% from 870 the year before, the trade association reported.About 8,800 of the total across the year resulted in injury.Retail staff faced a range of incidents including physical violence, threats with weapons,…

The UK arm of The Body Shop has entered administration, threatening stores and more than 2,000 jobs.As first reported by Sky News, FRP Advisory has been brought in to handle a restructuring process just weeks after the new owners took control of the cosmetics retailer. The Body Shop has roughly 200 outlets across the UK, and it’s understood up to 100 of them could be closed to bring the number of shops in line with competitors, such as Lush, which trades from 104 premises in the UK and Ireland.Inflation to rise on Wednesday, experts say – here’s what it could…

Remember the days of lining up alongside your classmates for school photos, teachers smoothing your collar down as a frazzled photographer desperately tried to ensure dozens of little faces were all smiling for the camera at the same time?Well, exactly the same thing happens ahead of the Oscars each year – just replace the teachers with stylists and the scruffy children with nominated A-listers with fancier wardrobes, and you have your Academy Awards class photo. It’s the one chance to capture all the stars, including some of the most famous people in the world, in one place – no pressure,…

Housing minister Lee Rowley has insisted the government has “got to have targets” for building homes – despite ministers dropping the ambition.In its 2019 manifesto, the Conservative Party pledged to build 300,000 new houses each year by the mid-2020s if it got into power. But the figure has never been achieved, and in December 2022, Housing Secretary Michael Gove confirmed it had been watered down after a backbench backlash – which saw Tory MPs threaten to vote against their own party’s pledge in the Commons.Politics live: Labour withdraws support for Rochdale by-election candidateLast summer, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak defended the…

Love was in the air for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce during this year’s Super Bowl – but they’re not the only couple who are head over heels. Usher and his partner Jenn Goicoechea got married in Las Vegas just hours after the R&B superstar’s headline appearance at the Super Bowl half-time show. According to their marriage certificate, which was released publicly on Monday, the couple tied the knot at Vegas Weddings with Usher’s mother Jonnetta Patton being one of the witnesses. Image: Usher during his Super Bowl half-time show. Pic: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports/Reuters Image: Vegas Weddings, where Usher and…

Delivery drivers for food-ordering platforms including Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat are striking on Valentine’s Day to call for better pay and conditions.Wednesday’s five-hour walkout is being organised by Delivery Job UK, an umbrella organisation, many of whose members are Brazilian and which claims to have more than 3,000 supporters in London and several other UK cities, according to The Guardian. The group said on X on Sunday that the industrial action “highlights the growing tensions between gig economy workers and the platforms they work for. As consumers, it’s crucial to consider the conditions under which our conveniences are…

Serena Williams has posted a bikini photo of herself six months after giving birth and highlighted the need for “self-love”.The tennis legend posted a photo of herself on Monday in swimwear and holding her second daughter, Adira, who she gave birth to in August. The 42-year-old American started the post’s caption by saying “loving yourself is essential”, adding that she loved that her body “is not picture perfect”.”I find that I have to remind myself of that self-love through all different stages in my life,” she wrote.”Right now I love that my body is not picture perfect. I love that…

The Body Shop was an innovative, fiercely ethical and thriving part of the British high street for almost five decades.To enter a store was an assault on the senses from colour to exotic names and fragrances. We had never seen the like before. Though confirmation on Tuesday that the UK arm had been placed in the hands of administrators came as no surprise.Money latest: Inflation to rise on Wednesday, experts say – here’s what it could mean for interest rates Sky News revealed on Saturday how the group’s latest owners were preparing the ground for an insolvency process of the…