Author: SKYNEWS

Marks and Spencer’s retail boss has warned crime is getting “more brazen, more organised and more aggressive” after a week plagued by antisocial behaviour.Retail director Thinus Keeve hit out at the government and London mayor Sadiq Khan in a letter posted to the supermarket’s website. “Without a government seriously cracking down on crime and a mayor that prioritises effective policing, we are powerless,” he said.Following unrest on Saturday, about 100 officers responded to antisocial behaviour in Clapham, south London, on Tuesday, four of whom were assaulted, along with one member of the public.Scores of teenagers and young adults were participating…

The island of Crete, known for its blue skies, is seeing red – thanks to a cloud of Saharan dust.A powerful storm has carried the dust from Africa, and the popular holiday destination has turned an apocalyptic shade of red ahead of the Easter break. Dramatic photographs showed the impact the dust was having on life on the Greek island. Image: A view of the port in Heraklion, Crete, which is cloaked by red dust from Africa. Pic: Reuters Image: A woman in the port city wearing a face mask. Pic: Reuters The island has also been battered by extreme…

Scott Mills was sacked by the BBC after bosses discovered the alleged victim in the police investigation into the DJ was under the age of 16, the broadcaster has reported.The 53-year-old, who hosted the Radio 2 breakfast show, had his contract terminated last Friday over an allegation relating to his “personal conduct”.It emerged the Metropolitan Police had launched an investigation into Mills in December 2016 over “allegations of serious sexual offences against a teenage boy”, said to have taken place between 1997 and 2000.However, the Crown Prosecution Service ultimately decided “the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges”,…

The latest attempt by Donald Trump to ease uncertainty over the US and Israel’s war on Iran has only heightened investor concerns. The US president’s primetime address, saying American forces could leave Iran in two to three weeks, while threatening to strike Iranian electric plants “extremely hard”, has caused the fallen oil price to jump again. Money blog: Top chef shares most underrated ingredientA barrel of benchmark Brent crude oil is now up more than 7% at $107.50 since his comments, having fallen below $100 yesterday. Oil prices impact the cost of petrol and diesel, home heating oil and prices…

A mother left blind after the birth of her first child has had her sight restored following a plasma donation.Jessica Kent-Hazledine, 33, woke up two weeks after giving birth to her son with little vision in her left eye. She put that down to tiredness but then lost vision in her right eye, leaving her fearing “the worst”.But a year on, she said her sight is “so much better”.’I thought I’d never see my son again’ Ms Kent-Hazledine, from Cornwall, said: “I was a new mum, not getting much sleep.”But I thought I should probably get it checked out, and…

Scott Mills has released a statement after his sacking by the BBC as he addressed the police investigation into him.The 53-year-old DJ, who hosted the Radio 2 breakfast show, had his contract terminated last Friday following an allegation relating to his “personal conduct”.It emerged the Metropolitan Police had launched an investigation into Mills in December 2016 over “allegations of serious sexual offences against a teenage boy” who was under 16, said to have taken place between 1997 and 2000.However, the Crown Prosecution Service ultimately decided “the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges” and the case was closed…

For months businesses have been anticipating the impact of a range of tax and regulatory measures announced by the government in the budget and in the weeks since.They will start to apply to companies, employees and ultimately consumers from April. Money blog: Follow latestHere we take a look at the various measures imposed either from 1 April, or the start of the new financial year on 6 April.Business rates The controversial new business rates regime applies from 1 April.Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the changes would deliver “permanently lower” rates for retail, hospitality and leisure, paid for by the largest properties,…

Ever since Australia banned its young people from social media, governments across the globe have been considering following suit.It comes amid mounting concerns over the impact of social media on children’s health and safety. It’s been four months since under-16s in Australia were banned from using platforms including Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram. While only one other country has since implemented a straight blanket ban, many have taken steps to regulate online platforms.Here is a summary of which countries already have rules in place for social media, as well as those proposing a stricter ban.Australia Australia’s landmark law came into…

Millions of motorists who were mis-sold car finance agreements are due to receive £829 on average in compensation, it has been announced.But why is this happening, and who can make a claim? Sky News explains… The scandalWhen you buy a car on finance, you are effectively loaned the money for the vehicle, which you pay off in monthly instalments. These loans carry interest, organised by brokers (the people who sell you the finance plan).These brokers earn money in the form of a commission (which is a percentage of the interest payments).Before January 2021, some car finance lenders had what was…

The countdown has begun for the launch of NASA’s Artemis II mission around the moon.