Author: SKYNEWS

The UK economy grew by 0.1% between July and September, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).However, despite the small positive GDP growth recorded in the third quarter, the economy shrank by 0.1% in September, dragging down overall growth for the quarter. The growth was also slower than what had been expected by experts and a drop from the 0.5% growth between April and June, the ONS said.Economists polled by Reuters and the Bank of England had forecast an expansion of 0.2%, slowing from the rapid growth seen over the first half of 2024 when the economy was rebounding…

Consumer rights group Which? is suing Apple for £3bn over the way it deploys the iCloud. If the lawsuit succeeds, around 40 million Apple customers in the UK could be entitled to a payout. The lawsuit claims Apple, which controls iOS operating systems, has breached UK competition law by giving its iCloud storage preferential treatment, effectively “trapping” customers with Apple devices into using it.It also claims the company overcharged those customers by stifling competition.The rights group alleges Apple encouraged users to sign up to iCloud for storage of photos, videos and other data while simultaneously making it difficult to use…

The government is calling on the music industry to introduce a voluntary levy on tickets for concerts at stadiums and arenas to help fund grassroots venues.Ministers expect the music industry to push through their proposals “as soon as possible” for shows next year, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said. The government argues that an “industry-led” levy “within the price of a ticket” would be the quickest and most effective way for revenues from the biggest shows to help the grassroots sector.”Ministers have made clear that they want to see a voluntary levy come into effect as soon…

The government is set to introduce a voluntary levy on tickets for concerts at stadiums and arenas to help fund grassroots venues.Ministers expect the music industry to push through their proposals “as soon as possible” for shows next year, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said. The government argues that an “industry-led” levy “within the price of a ticket” would be the quickest and most effective way for revenues from the biggest shows to help the grassroots sector.”Ministers have made clear that they want to see a voluntary levy come into effect as soon as possible for concerts…

A video showing a “white orb” UFO coming out of the ocean off Kuwait has been found on the US Department of Defense’s own network, a congressional hearing has heard.Giving evidence to House representatives on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs), the now-preferred term for UFOs, journalist Michael Shellenberger said he had been told of the footage by a source in recent weeks. Image: Journalist Michael Shellenberger As it happened: Latest updates from the hearingMr Shellenberger, the founder of the Public news service, said the 13-minute-long high-definition, colour video was of the “orb” 20 miles off the Kuwait coast and was filmed…

Actor Timothy West has died peacefully in his sleep aged 90, “with his friends and family at the end”.He was known for many roles in television and the theatre, including popular soaps Coronation Street and EastEnders. Husband to 92-year-old Prunella Scales – who played Sybil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers – the pair travelled together on UK and overseas canals in the Channel 4 series Great Canal Journeys.His children Juliet, Samuel and Joseph West, said in a statement issued by his agent: “After a long and extraordinary life on and off the stage, our darling father Timothy West died peacefully in…

P&O Ferries spent more than £47m summarily sacking hundreds of seafarers in 2022, helping it cut losses by more than £125m and putting it on a path to profitability, according to accounts due to be published in the coming days.The dismissal of 786 mainly British seafarers, and their replacement with largely non-European agency staff earning as little as £4.87 an hour, was hugely controversial, drawing criticism from across the political spectrum and threats of a consumer boycott. The controversy was rekindled last month when Sky News revealed that DP World, P&O’s Dubai-based parent, considered withdrawing a £1bn investment at its…

Coleen Rooney, McFly singer Danny Jones, and boxer Barry McGuigan are among the stars getting ready to enter the I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! jungle, producers have confirmed.After much speculation about the line-up for the latest series, the celebrities have been announced with less than a week until the show begins. N-Dubz singer and former X Factor judge Tulisa Contostavlos, Coronation Street actor Alan Halsall, and Strictly Come Dancing star Oti Mabuse are also among the famous faces taking part. Image: Tulisa Contostavlos, N-Dubz star and former X Factor judge, is also heading to the jungle. Pic:…

Social media platform Bluesky says it has gained 700,000 new users in the week following the US election.Bluesky, which was originally conceived as part of Twitter by its former chief executive Jack Dorsey, says the new sign-ups are largely from the US and UK. The company has increased its membership from 9 million people in September to 14.5 million in the week and to 12 November.”We’re excited to welcome all of these new people, ranging from Swifties to wrestlers to city planners,” Bluesky spokesperson Emily Liu said. Follow Sky News on WhatsApp Keep up with all the latest news from…

Struggling Metro Bank has been fined £16m for poor money laundering controls.The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said the challenger bank failed to have the right systems and controls to adequately monitor more than 60 million transactions, with a value of over £51bn, for money laundering risks. The regulator identified failings between June 2016 and December 2020 and said they occurred despite concerns being raised by junior staff as early as 2017.Money latest: I’ve earned thousands spotting abandoned homes – this is how you do itMetro, which was rescued in a recapitalisation deal just over a year ago, had since put…