Author: SKYNEWS

Kylie Minogue is set to receive the global icon prize at this year’s Brit Awards, organisers have revealed.The multimillion-selling star, who had viral success with Padam Padam after reinventing herself once again in 2023, is being recognised as a “pop phenomenon” and “one of the world’s most successful and iconic music stars”, thanks to a career spanning five decades. Minogue, who is also nominated for international artist of the year, will perform at the ceremony next month, joining the previously announced Dua Lipa and Raye. Image: Raye has a record seven nominations. Pic: Callum Walker Hutchinson/Brit Awards She follows stars…

Wages rises were higher than expected in December while the unemployment rate fell slightly, official figures show.Average weekly earnings rose more than expected, by 6.2% compared to the 6% forecast by economists and worker purchasing power was at its highest since July 2021 as, when compared against inflation, pay packets grew 1.9%. Wages, however, rose at a slower pace than the 6.5% increase recorded in the three months to November but remain above the rate of overall price rises. When bonuses are factored in, pay grew 5.8%.The figures may still be of concern to the interest rate setters at the…

The collapse of Yodel, one of Britain’s biggest parcel delivery groups, has been averted after an overnight rescue deal led by the founder of Shift, a rival operator.Sky News has learnt that a newly formed company called YDLGP, which is backed by Shift executives and Solano Partners, a merchant bank, struck a deal early on Tuesday morning to buy Yodel. The deal was struck on a solvent basis and without Yodel calling in administrators, as had looked increasingly likely in recent days, according to insiders.It will be announced later on Tuesday, and is likely to safeguard thousands of jobs.Yodel delivers…

Taylor Swift’s appearance at the Super Bowl helped it become the most-watched broadcast in US television history since the 1969 moon landing.Roughly 123.4 million people watched the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers on TV and streaming platforms, according to Nielsen ratings released by CBS. Only the Apollo 11 moon landing had more viewers, estimated to be up to 150 million in the US.Nielsen said a record 202.4 million people watched at least part of the game across all networks. The data does not include people who watched in places such as bars. Image: Swift and Kelce celebrate…

An artist has defended plans to destroy masterpieces by the likes of Pablo Picasso, Rembrandt and Andy Warhol with acid if Julian Assange dies in prison.Andrei Molodkin says he has gathered 16 works of art – which he estimates are collectively worth more than $45m (£42.77m) – in a 29-tonne safe with an “extremely corrosive” substance. Inside the vault are boxes containing the art and a pneumatic pump connecting two white barrels – one with acid powder and the other with an accelerator that could cause a chemical reaction strong enough to turn the safe’s contents to debris, Molodkin claims.…

A ban on the sale of energy drinks to under-16s is being considered by the Labour Party if it wins power, Sky News understands.The proposal has been submitted for the party’s election manifesto, amid growing evidence of the health risks to young people from the high-caffeine products. Up to a third of children in the UK consume at least one energy drink every week, particularly boys, according to a government-commissioned study.A large bottle can contain twice as much caffeine as a cup of coffee, as well as high levels of sugar.Many supermarkets have introduced a voluntary ban on the sale…

Rishi Sunak has promised to reward hard work with tax cuts as he struck an optimistic note over the UK’s economic prospects. Official figures next week may show the UK slipped into a technical recession at the end of last year, while the prime minister is facing a heavy opinion poll deficit against Labour and criticism from within his own party. But in an interview with The Times this weekend, Mr Sunak told Tory rebels he was “totally up for the fight” as he looked to paint a rosier picture of the country’s economic future.”Because economic conditions have improved, because…

Bitcoin has returned to the $50,000 level for the first time since December 2021, riding on the coat tails of a wider rally for US stocks.The world’s largest cryptocurrency, which hit one-month highs last Friday, maintained its momentum on Monday by rising almost 5%. Rivals, such as ether, saw similar percentage moves.Analysts credited several factors for recent crypto gains, saying that wider market sentiment was benefiting from growing expectations of central bank interest rate cuts.The prospect of cheaper borrowing costs ahead helped the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average to record intraday highs earlier in the day. The tech-focused…

The ex-boyfriend of reality TV star Lauren Goodger has been cleared of assaulting her after she withdrew her support for the prosecution.Charles Drury, 26, was charged with inflicting actual bodily harm on the former The Only Way Is Essex star on 4 August 2022. He was also said to have left the 37-year-old fearing violence would be used against her through “controlling and coercive behaviour” during their relationship on at least two occasions between 1 August 2020 and 5 August 2022.It emerged Goodger had withdrawn her support for the prosecution during a pre-trial review hearing at Snaresbrook Crown Court in…

Fujitsu is set to have received more than £3.4bn through contracts from Treasury-linked organisations since 2019, despite its role in the Post Office scandal, MPs have found.The international tech firm, which is under intense scrutiny, was awarded around £1.4bn worth of deals since a 2019 High Court ruling concluding there had been numerous bugs and errors in its Horizon IT system. More than £2bn worth of contracts were agreed before 2019 and remained active in the following period, the Commons Treasury Committee said.The committee – which examines Treasury expenditure and policy – wrote to organisations last month including HM Revenue…