Author: SKYNEWS

The new owner of WH Smith’s high street chain has effectively been barred from launching a wave of mass store closures for at least 12 months amid plans for rapid restructurings at two other retailers it owns.Sky News has learnt that WH Smith would have the right to cancel a year-long transitional services agreement (TSA) put in place with Modella Capital – which struck a deal to acquire the business in March – if it launched a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) before the first anniversary of the transaction’s completion. The clause in the TSA, which enables Modella Capital to continue…

Millions of cancer patients are set to benefit from faster diagnosis as their analogue NHS records are gathered in one place in a new digital platform.Cancer 360, a new tool to be rolled out across the service soon, brings cancer patients’ data into one central system, so clinicians can prioritise those most in need and see patients quicker, the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) said. The £26bn technology upgrade will benefit millions of patients in the next five to 10 years by transferring existing analogue systems and the data they hold into a digital one.It means staff will…

Lady Gaga has performed in front of an estimated 2.1 million people at a free show on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana beach.Some 500,000 tourists travelled to watch the concert, which was paid for by the city in an attempt to boost the struggling economy. Image: Lady Gaga performing at the huge open-air concert. Pic: Reuters Saturday night’s two-hour show, which marked Gaga’s biggest ever, marked the first time she had played in Brazil since 2012, having cancelled an appearance at the Rock in Rio festival in 2017 over health issues.Gaga, who released her seventh studio album, Mayhem, in March, opened…

The Co-op has apologised after hackers managed to access the data of a “significant number” of past and current members.The firm said the compromised data included names and contact details but not passwords or bank and credit card details. It said it was “continuing to experience sustained malicious attempts”.The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the National Crime Agency (NCA) are helping the company investigate. Spreaker This content is provided by Spreaker, which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend…

TikTok has been fined €530m (£452m) because it was illegally sending user data to China, Ireland’s privacy watchdog said on Friday.Ireland’s Data Protection Commission found the social media app’s data transfers to China broke strict data privacy rules in the EU. It also fined the company for not being transparent with users about how their data was being processed.TikTok has been ordered to comply with the rules within six months.The Data Protection Commission is TikTok’s powerful lead regulator in the EU because TikTok’s European headquarters are based in Dublin. “TikTok failed to verify, guarantee and demonstrate that the personal data…

One of Harvey Weinstein’s accusers broke down in tears and swore on the witness stand as a sexual abuse trial continues. Warning: This article contains references to sexual assaultMiriam Haley claims the former Hollywood mogul forced oral sex on her in July 2006.The case is being retried after the appeals court overturned his conviction last year.She was working as a production assistant at the time.Weinstein has strenuously denied all allegations, and Ms Haley also testified at Weinstein’s initial trial. Image: Miriam Haley. AP file pic Image: Harvey Weinstein on Wednesday as he appeared for his retrial. Pic: AP The 48-year-old…

The owners of Hovis and Kingsmill, two of Britain’s leading bread producers, are in talks about a historic merger amid a decades-long decline in the sale of supermarket loaves.Sky News has learnt that Associated British Foods (ABF), the London-listed company which owns Kingsmill’s immediate parent, Allied Bakeries, and Hovis, which is owned by investment firm Endless, have been involved in prolonged discussions about a combination of the two businesses. City sources said this weekend that the talks were ongoing, but that there was no certainty that a deal would be finalised.Bankers are said to be working with both sides on…

Grand Theft Auto VI, the most hotly anticipated title in gaming history, has been delayed.Take-Two Interactive pushed the release of the blockbuster title to May 2026 on Friday. The video game was previously expected to be released in autumn this year and is expected to be an instant hit with billions in sales every year, according to analysts.Its predecessor, Grand Theft Auto V, is one of the best-selling video games of all time, selling more than 200 million copies since its release in 2013.”With every game we have released, the goal has always been to try and exceed your expectations,…

Russell Brand has been granted bail after appearing in court charged with sexual offences including rape.During the brief hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, the 49-year-old spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth, and address, also confirming to the judge that he understood his bail conditions. Image: Russell Brand outside Westminster Magistrates’ Court. Pic: Reuters Brand, who has been living in the US, 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 – in connection with incidents involving four separate women between…

NatWest Group has revealed its first quarter profit rose by 36% – as the British lender prepares to return fully to private ownership for the first time since its 2008 financial crisis bailout.The high-street lender delivered £1.8bn in operating profit before tax, beating market forecasts of £1.6bn. The results come as the government’s stake in NatWest fell below 2% on Thursday, having reduced its shareholding from nearly 40% in December 2023 – described as an “inflection point” by the bank’s boss.NatWest’s return on tangible equity – a key measure of banking profitability – reached a robust 18.5%, prompting executives to…