Author: SKYNEWS

A £15bn merger between two of the UK’s biggest mobile networks could get the green light – if they stick to their commitments to invest in the country’s infrastructure, the competition watchdog has said.The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said the merger of Vodafone and Three had “the potential to be pro-competitive for the UK mobile sector”. Announced last year, the proposed £15bn merger would bring 27 million customers together under a single provider.The watchdog previously warned that tens of millions of mobile phone users could end up paying more if the merger went ahead.However, the two groups recently set…

People who are unmarried may be around 80% more likely to be experiencing depression than those who are married, new research suggests.The study found the risk of depression for unmarried people could be higher in men and those who had more education. Scientists suggest the findings may help with the identification of people who are at higher risk of the condition.The authors suggest the lower rates of depression among married people could be because couples are able to socially support one another, have better access to economic resources and have a positive influence on each other’s well-being.They analysed data from…

Quincy Jones, one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century, was a titan of the music industry who worked with many of the world’s biggest stars.He produced and collaborated with hundreds of recording artists during his seven-decade career, and kept company with presidents and foreign leaders, movie stars and musicians, philanthropists and business leaders. His genius was recognised with 28 Grammys and an Oscar.Following his death aged 91, we have a look at some of his most notable collaborations.Michael Jackson Jones helped turn Michael Jackson from a child star into the King of Pop – producing his…

There’s fear in some quarters of another Donald Trump presidency but will the economics be that bad?Not a single vote has been counted but the policies of a possible second Trump presidency have already influenced financial markets. The cost of US and UK borrowing – measured through 10-year revenue-raising instruments called bonds – has been upped as traders eyed the price-rising impact a Trump presidency could have on the world’s biggest economy.If Trump clinches victory could we see global economic repercussions?US election latest: Shock poll puts Harris ahead in Iowa A signature policy of his – tariffs – could make…

It’s 13 December 2023. Excited reports of a “landmark” global climate agreement reverberate around the world from the COP28 climate summit in Dubai.At around 11am, weary diplomats with circles under their eyes from fierce, all-night negotiations cheer, cry and hug. The US’s climate envoy John Kerry throws his arms around German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock. There’s a round of applause for Tina Stege, a fierce representative from the Marshall Islands who had fought among the hardest for the pledge.They and more than 190 other countries have just agreed to “transition away from fossil fuels” – the culmination of a fraught…

Margot Robbie has reportedly given birth to her first child.The Australian actress has welcomed a baby boy with her husband, British actor and film producer Tom Ackerley, according to People magazine. The couple have not publicly announced the arrival or revealed the baby’s name.The 34-year-old actress went into labour two weeks ago, shortly before her due date, according to the Mail On Sunday. Image: (L-R) Tom Ackerley, film producer Bronte Payne, Robbie and Josey McNamara. Pic: Reuters Robbie’s pregnancy became public in July, when the couple were pictured on holiday in Italy, followed by several red carpet appearances. Robbie and…

Restaurant chain TGI Fridays has filed for bankruptcy protection in the US.The bankruptcy protection filing was made by TGI Fridays Inc, a Dallas-based American arm of the casual dining brand, which operates 39 restaurants in the US. It comes after the company faced financial challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic and after a deal for it to be sold to its UK arm collapsed.The firm has said its 39 branches would stay open after it secured a financing commitment to support operations.In its filing with the US bankruptcy court for the Northern District of Texas, TGI Fridays Inc listed both…

Scottish comedian Janey Godley has died a month after she moved to a hospice for end-of-life care, her agent has said. The 63-year-old, who found viral fame with her dubbed imitations of Nicola Sturgeon’s COVID-19 news briefings during the pandemic, had announced last month that she was receiving end-of-life care for terminal cancer. “It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our client Doctor Janey Godley on 2nd November,” her agent said on Saturday.”Janey died peacefully in the wonderful Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice in Glasgow surrounded by her loved ones. She will be hugely missed…

The NHS has begun trialling a new iPhone adapter which can check whether someone has throat cancer.It is hoped the device will allow thousands of patients to be given the all-clear from the disease within hours – rather than days or weeks – as well as helping to detect cases early. People suspected of having throat cancer are usually given an endoscopy, which involves a long, thin tube with a camera inside being passed through their mouth or nose to look inside their body.The endoscope-i adapter, which can be attached to one of Apple’s smart phones, includes a 32mm lens…

Blur drummer Dave Rowntree has called the UK’s current assisted dying law “psychopathic” after his terminally ill ex-wife travelled to Dignitas in Switzerland to die alone.The 60-year-old supported former music industry and charity sector worker Paola Marra – who he married in the 1990s – as she battled breast and bowel cancer before she flew alone to Zurich in March following a terminal diagnosis. She made the decision because the “pain and suffering can become unbearable”, she said in a film released after her death at the age of 53 called The Last Request. Please use Chrome browser for a…