Author: SKYNEWS

More than 25,000 people across central Canada have been forced to leave their homes to escape dozens of wildfires that have reduced air quality and visibility there and in some US states along the border.Around 17,000 people living in Manitoba, a province in central Canada, which declared a state of emergency last week, were relocated, along with about 8,000 in neighbouring Saskatchewan and roughly 1,300 from Alberta. However, officials have warned that more could follow. Saskatchewan’s Public Safety Agency said air quality and visibility due to wildfire smoke “can fluctuate over short distances and can vary considerably from hour to…

Taylor Swift has bought back all the rights to her master recordings – but has suggested she won’t be re-releasing her Reputation album. “All the music I’ve ever made now belongs to me,” the star announced on her official website. “I’ve been bursting tears of joy… ever since I found out this is really happening.”The pop star had originally lost the rights to her first six albums in 2019 when her first record label, Big Machine, sold them to music executive Scooter Braun.After she learned Braun had acquired her musical catalogue, she opened up about it in a lengthy Tumblr…

Glastonbury ticket holders have been left thousands of pounds out of pocket after a luxury glamping company went bust. Festival-goers who booked their tickets and accommodation with Yurtel have been told the company can no longer fulfil its orders and has ceased trading with immediate effect. Money: Read all the latest news hereSome had spent more than £16,500 through Yurtel, with hospitality packages starting at £10,000.In an email, Yurtel said it was unable to provide customers with any refunds, advising them to go through a third party to claim back the money once the liquidation process had started. To add…

Forty hectares of greenhouses, heated by the burning of rubbish, are set to be built in Essex – making it the largest low-carbon horticulture site in Europe.These greenhouses will be the first of their kind and could provide around 6% of the tomatoes consumed in the UK. It should begin operating in 2027, when almost all the county’s household rubbish will come to the Rivenhall site, where it will then be burnt in an incinerator. Image: What the Riverhall site will look like when finished. Pic: Indaver Gareth Jones works for waste company Indaver, which is building the facility.He said:…

Loretta Swit, who won Emmy Awards for her role on the comedy series M*A*S*H, has died aged 87.Her publicist, Harlan Boll, said the actress passed away at her home in New York City just after midday on Friday, likely from natural causes. She was best known for her star turn as Major Margaret Houlihan on CBS’ M*A*S*H, which aired for 11 years from 1972 to 1983. Image: Wayne Rogers, Loretta Swit, McLean Stevenson and Alan Alda on the set of M*A*S*H* in 1973. Pic: Rex Features Based on Robert Altman’s 1970 film of the same name, M*A*S*H has been ranked…

Ministers are to kick off the hunt for a new chair of the communications regulator as Lord Grade of Yarmouth prepares to bow out after a single term at the helm.Sky News has learnt that the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) – which now leads oversight of Ofcom in Whitehall – is drawing up proposals to launch a recruitment process in the coming months. Lord Grade, the veteran broadcast executive who held senior posts at the BBC, ITV and Channel 4, has served as Ofcom chair since May 2022.His four-year term is not due to end for another…

Dozens of enormous wildfires have erupted across Canada, already forcing 21,000 evacuations and spewing toxic smoke into the air.The provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan have both declared a state of emergency, as several separate blazes raged out of control. Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney is sending in the military to help move residents and fight fires in Manitoba, where 17,000 people have been forced to evacuate.Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew called it the province’s largest such exodus in living memory.In Saskatchewan, where 4,000 people have fled their homes, the conditions are “as severe” as “anything that we have faced for quite…

Russell Brand has pleaded not guilty to rape and sexual assault charges as he appeared in court in London.The British comedian and actor, from Hambleden in Buckinghamshire, was charged by post last month with one count each of rape, indecent assault and oral rape as well as two counts of sexual assault. The charges relate to alleged incidents involving four separate women between 1999 and 2005.The 49-year-old, who has been living in the US, was flanked by two officers as he pleaded not guilty to all the charges at Southwark Crown Court today. Image: Russell Brand appears at Southwark Crown…

Dame Elizabeth Corley, the chair of asset management giant Schroders, is joining the board of London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) – a move which puts her in a strong position to take the helm there in the coming years.Sky News has learnt that LSEG plans to announce later on Friday that Dame Elizabeth will become a non-executive director of the company. While there is no process under way to find a successor to Don Robert, who has chaired LSEG since May 2019, people close to the exchange-owner speculated that she would be an obvious candidate to do so.Money blog: Glastonbury…

The name Elon Musk is perhaps one of the most recognisable in the modern day.The richest man in the world is known for being the owner of various companies including electric vehicle maker Tesla and Space X, his takeover of social media company Twitter – which he renamed X – and, until most recently, his work within the US government. After nearly 130 days as head of the Department of Government Efficiency – known as DOGE for short – Musk announced he is leaving his role within Donald Trump’s administration.His work within the department and his close relationship with Mr…