Author: SKYNEWS

The East and West Midlands are officially in drought after the driest start to a year since 1976.The two regions join the North West of England and Yorkshire, which have had drought status for several weeks. The decision by the government’s National Drought Group makes it more likely that people in the areas will be affected by hosepipe bans. Image: A dry section of the Woodhead Reservoir in Derbyshire. Pic: Reuters Check the latest weather forecast hereCurrently, eight million people have restrictions on water use, or will do so in the next week. Experts from the government, water companies and…

BBC director-general Tim Davie has said MasterChef can survive its current scandal as it is “much bigger than individuals” – but the corporation must “make sure we’re in the right place in terms of the culture of the show”.He praised the popular cooking contest, which has been beset by scandal in recent months, as “a great programme that’s loved by audiences.” The production’s current deal with the corporation runs out in 2028. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:50 Main points in BBC’s annual report Speaking as the BBC unveiled its annual report, and following a…

Crisis-hit Thames Water has reported a £1.65bn annual loss, rising debts, and warned that it will take “at least a decade” to turn around its fortunes if it swerves the threat of nationalisation.The UK’s largest water provider, which is still scrambling to secure a restructuring of its debts and injection of new funds to avert a possible collapse, suffered a series of hits to its bottom line in the year to the end of March. Within its loss for the period, compared with a £157m profit over the previous 12 months, Thames recorded a £1.27bn provision against a loan from…

A jury will decide whether Tesla is partly to blame for the death of a young woman who was hit by an electric car on autopilot.Naibel Benavides was stargazing at the time of the collision, which sent her flying 22m (75ft) through the air in Florida. Her boyfriend was seriously injured in the 2019 incident, while her body was discovered in a wooded area.George McGee, the Tesla’s driver, is not a plaintiff – and reached a separate settlement with the victims’ families.Lawyers argue that the car’s driver assistance feature should have warned the driver and braked before the collision. It…

The BBC has said it breached its editorial guidelines by failing to disclose that the child narrator of a Gaza documentary was the son of a Hamas official.A report into the controversial programme said three members of the independent production company knew about the role of the boy’s father – but no one within the BBC was aware. The review called the failure to bring the information to the BBC’s attention a “significant oversight by the production company”.The independent report – commissioned by the corporation – criticised the BBC team involved in the documentary for not being “sufficiently proactive” with…

Bitcoin has surged past the $120,000 (£89,000) level for the first time, with its new record value being attributed to progress in cryptocurrency regulation under Donald Trump.It was trading at $121,207 early on Monday morning – having doubled in value over the past year on the back of support for digital assets from the president during his second term. Bitcoin’s token rivals have also seen a boost on the back of Mr Trump’s support for the sector. While new products on Wall Street have made it easier to invest, a lack of global regulation has held back ownership and continued…

Britain’s climate is changing rapidly, with records regularly being smashed and extremes of heat and rainfall becoming the norm, the Met Office has warned.In an updated assessment of the UK’s climate, the forecaster says heatwaves and periods of flood or drought are becoming more frequent and more intense. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband called the findings “a stark warning” to take action on climate and nature.”Our British way of life is under threat,” Mr Miliband told the PA news agency.”Whether it is extreme heat, droughts, flooding, we can see it actually with our own eyes, that it’s already happening, and we…

Donald Trump has said he is considering “taking away” the US citizenship of actress and comedian Rosie O’Donnell, despite a Supreme Court ruling that expressly prohibits a government from doing so.In a post on Truth Social on Saturday, the US president said: “Because of the fact that Rosie O’Donnell is not in the best interests of our Great Country, I am giving serious consideration to taking away her Citizenship.” He also labelled O’Donnell, who has moved to Ireland, as a “threat to humanity” and said she should “remain in the wonderful country of Ireland, if they want her”.O’Donnell responded on…

The private equity firm which took control of Cote, the French restaurant chain, at the height of the pandemic is kicking off an auction of the businessSky News has learnt that Partners Group is working with Interpath Advisory on a search for new investors in Cote. Cote was bought out of administration by Partners Group in the autumn of 2020 in a deal reportedly worth £55m.Sources close to the sale process said that Interpath was marketing the company based on last year’s turnover of over £150m.Read more from Sky News:Trump to hit Canada with 35% tariffUK economy figures not as…

The first fan started queuing before 8am on Friday.Heaton Park, just north of Manchester City centre, is hosting 80,000 fans who’ve come to see the Gallaghers’ homecoming. “I would honestly say it’s a real cultural moment of the 21st century,” says Sam, who’s from Manchester and has come here with a group of friends – including one who has travelled from Australia for the gig. Image: Oasis fans wear band T-shirts with the almost obligatory bucket hats. Pic: Reuters This will be the fourth time Sam has seen Oasis play, although obviously not for many years, and he says he…