Author: SKYNEWS

Several bands have pulled out from the Victorious music festival just hours before their scheduled performances, following claims by Irish folk group The Mary Wallopers that they were “cut off” for displaying a Palestinian flag.The Last Dinner Party, Cliffords, and The Academic announced on Saturday that they would no longer be performing at the annual music festival in Portsmouth following Friday’s incident. The organisers, who said the band’s set was cut short for using a “discriminatory” chant, have since apologised and promised to make “a substantial donation to humanitarian relief efforts for the Palestinian people”.Rock band The Last Dinner Party said…

The number of people whose lives or property are at risk from wildfires has surged by almost 40% in just two decades, according to new research.Analysis by an international team of scientists showed that 440 million people were threatened by fire encroaching on their homes between 2002 and 2021. And while the area affected decreased over the study period, the number of people affected each year rose by 7.7 million. Image: Structures surrounded by scorched land in the aftermath of a wildfire in Unhais da Serra, Covilha area, Portugal. Pic: Reuters Dr Matthew Jones, from the University of East Anglia,…

Sanjeev Gupta, the metals tycoon who saw his main UK business forced into insolvency this week, is facing a struggle to secure the funding required for a competitive bid to regain control of it.Sky News understands that an asset-based loan from BlackRock, the world’s biggest asset manager, would be expensive for Mr Gupta, with one source suggesting a similar arrangement struck in his other international operations came at an interest rate of approximately 15%. Mr Gupta also claimed in a witness statement presented in court this week that Fidera, a London-based investment firm, was in “advanced” discussions to back his…

Bridgerton creator Shonda Rhimes says filming the drama and its spin-off Queen Charlotte in England has prompted her to consider relocating to the UK.The US producer, who is behind some of the most popular TV dramas of the past two decades, told Sky News working in Britain had been a “really welcoming experience”, adding: “I’ve been spending a little bit more time over here and I’m going to try to spend even more if I can swap my kids into a British school. “I’m trying to figure that part out, but I do really love being here and it’s always…

TikTok is putting hundreds of jobs at risk in the UK, as it turns to artificial intelligence to assess problematic content.The video-sharing app said a global restructuring is taking place that means it is “concentrating operations in fewer locations”. Layoffs are set to affect those working in its trust and safety departments, who focus on content moderation.Money latest: Big day for US stocks – as FTSE 100 hits record high Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 5:23 Why do people want to repeal the Online Safety Act? Unions have reacted angrily to the move – and…

The Coca-Cola Company is brewing up a sale of Costa, Britain’s biggest high street coffee chain, more than six years after acquiring the business in a move aimed at helping it reduce its reliance on sugary soft drinks.Sky News can exclusively reveal that Coca-Cola is working with bankers to hold exploratory talks about a sale of Costa. Initial talks have already been held with a small number of potential bidders, including private equity firms, City sources said on Saturday.Lazard, the investment bank, is understood to have been engaged by Coca-Cola to review options for the business and gauge interest from…

Actor Noel Clarke has lost his High Court libel case against the publisher of The Guardian, over a series of news articles which featured claims from a number of women.The first article, published in April 2021, said some 20 women who knew Clarke in a professional capacity had come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct. The 49-year-old actor, writer and director, best known for his 2006 film Kidulthood and starring in Doctor Who, sued the publisher and vehemently denied “any sexual misconduct or wrongdoing” – but the court has found Guardian News and Media (GNM) successfully defended the legal action…

Dust scooped up from an asteroid by a NASA spacecraft 200 million miles from Earth has been found to contain material that is older than our sun.The first major study of the chemistry of the asteroid Bennu identified “presolar grains” – stardust that condensed around dying stars billions of years ago. An international team of scientists, including some from London’s Natural History Museum, say the samples are a snapshot of the early Solar System, more pristine than any meteorite on Earth. Image: Pic: Trustees of the Natural History Museum In one of NASA’s most audacious missions the spacecraft Osiris Rex…

The British-based bank Shawbrook is in talks to buy ThinCats, a lender to medium-sized businesses, in a deal worth about £180m.Sky News has learnt that the two companies are in exclusive discussions about a deal following an auction of ThinCats conducted by bankers at Fenchurch Advisory Partners. Sources said the exclusivity period was due to end shortly.A deal to buy ThinCats would strengthen Shawbrook’s alternative financing capabilities as it prepares for a £2bn flotation on the London Stock Exchange.Shawbrook’s plans to go public were revealed by Sky News at the start of this year, although the timing of a flotation…

Thirteen unreleased Beatles tracks are set to feature on a new Anthology compilation – almost 30 years since the last.The announcement comes following a big hint from Paul McCartney and the other official Beatles social media channels, which all shared a carousel of images containing the numbers one to four on Instagram the day before the announcement. Rarities including demos, outtakes and live performances featured in the three previous Anthology albums, which were released between 1995 and 1996. Instagram This content is provided by Instagram, which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need…