Author: SKYNEWS

Martin Lewis says motorists who were mis-sold car finance are likely to receive “hundreds, not thousands of pounds” – with regulators launching a consultation on a new compensation scheme.The founder of MoneySavingExpert.com believes it is “very likely” that about 40% of Britons who entered personal contact purchase or hire purchase agreements between 2007 and 2021 will be eligible for payouts. “Discretionary commission arrangements” saw brokers and dealers charge higher levels of interest so they could receive more commission, without telling consumers. Image: Pics: PA Speaking to Sky News Radio’s Faye Rowlands, Lewis said: “Very rarely will it be thousands of…

The NHS will start rolling out a “world-first” vaccination programme against gonorrhoea in England today.Earlier this year, NHS England announced that eligible patients would start to be offered the vaccine from early August amid a record number of gonorrhoea cases and increasingly antibiotic-resistant strains. Now, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has said sexual health clinics will be able to offer a free vaccine against the sexually transmitted infection from today.Ashley Dalton, minister for public health and prevention, said in a statement that the rollout “represents a major breakthrough in preventing an infection that has reached record levels”.She…

The BBC has responded after it was reported that two Strictly Come Dancing stars have been accused of taking cocaine.The broadcaster is said to have hired an external law firm to probe the drug-taking allegations, which a source said were “well-known” on the show, The Sun on Sunday reports. The claims were reportedly made on behalf of celebrity contestant Wynne Evans in a legal submission to the BBC in March.In response, a BBC spokesperson told Sky News: “We have clear protocols and policies in place for dealing with any serious complaint raised with us. We would always encourage people to…

The London-listed investment group ICG is closing in on a £200m deal to buy three of Britain’s biggest regional airports.Sky News has learnt that ICG is expected to sign a formal agreement to buy Bournemouth, Exeter and Norwich airports later this month. The trio of sites collectively serve just over 2 million passengers annually.ICG is buying the airports from Rigby Group, a privately owned conglomerate which has interests in the hotels, software and technology sectors.Exeter acted as the hub for Flybe, the regional carrier which collapsed in the aftermath of the pandemic. The deal will come amid a frenzy of…

Child vaccination uptake is the lowest it has been in more than a decade, with a death from measles in Liverpool reigniting calls for increased awareness of the dangers of not getting jabs.A report from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) this month reiterated that none of the routine child vaccinations have met the World Health Organisation’s recommended target of 95% since 2021. Uptake in some local authorities is as low as 60%, while the England-wide rate for the final quarter of 2024/25 for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) was 88.8%, down from 92.7% 10 years ago.The…

Fans attending this month’s Coldplay concerts in Hull could find themselves going viral thanks to the band’s kiss cam.Dr Paul Sewell, chairman of rugby league team Hull Kingston Rovers, has confirmed that the famous kiss cam – which caught a US tech boss embracing one of his employees – will make an appearance at the British band’s shows at Craven Park stadium. In a post on X, Dr Sewell wrote: “To those business sorts bringing their PAs – the ‘Big Kiss Cam’ will feature!!”It comes after the internet was sent into a frenzy over a clip of the chief executive…

British banks and lenders have been spared a huge bill as the Supreme Court has overturned a ruling that could have meant millions of motorists were due compensation for mis-sold car finance.However the court sided with one of the claimants, Marcus Johnson, and awarded him individual compensation due to the circumstances in his case – but on other points the court overturned a Court of Appeal ruling that the customers had a case. The judgment is likely to significantly limit the scope of potential payouts to motorists after the Court of Appeal last year ruled “secret” commission payments to car…

Some of the world’s leading tech companies are betting big on very small innovations.Last week, Samsung released its Galaxy Z Fold 7 which – when open – has a thickness of just 4.2mm, one of the slimmest folding phones ever to hit the market. And Honor, a spin-off from Chinese smartphone company Huawei, will soon ship its latest foldable – the slimmest in the world. Its new Honor Magic V5 model is only 8.8mm thick when folded, and a mere 4.1mm when open.Apple is also expected to release a foldable in the second half of next year, according to a…

Andrew Flintoff has praised the “love and compassion” of “superhero” staff in a visit to the hospital that treated him after his crash.The cricket legend was seriously injured during the incident on the Top Gear track in Surrey in December 2022. He was airlifted to St George’s in Tooting, with a surgeon calling Flintoff’s injuries some of the most complex he’s seen.”I just want to say a massive thank you to all the staff at St George’s,” Flintoff said, as he returned to the London hospital.”I came here probably the lowest I’ve ever been, in need of help and the…

The UK’s Supreme Court is set to deliver a landmark ruling today that could have billion-pound consequences for banks and impact millions of motorists.The essential question that the country’s top court has been asked to answer is this: should customers be fully informed about the commission dealers earn on their purchase? However, the Supreme Court is only considering one of two cases running in parallel regarding the mis-selling of car finance.Here is everything you need to know about both cases, and how the ruling this afternoon may (or may not) affect any future compensation scheme. Image: PA file pic What…