Boris Johnson has narrowly avoided a rebellion by some of his own Conservative Party MPs over cuts to the foreign aid budget. Thirty Tories, including former prime minister Theresa May and four other cabinet ministers, had backed a rebellion against the £4bn reduction and had hoped to force a vote on the matter. But Commons
Jeff Bezos takes a look at the New Shepard rocket booster on the landing pad after a successful NS-15 flight and landing in April 2021. Blue Origin Jeff Bezos will fly on the first passenger flight of his space company Blue Origin, which the company plans to launch on July 20, the billionaire announced on
There was much excitement when, in April, the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, announced the launch of a new taskforce between the Treasury and the Bank of England to co-ordinate exploratory work on a potential central bank digital currency. The currency was immediately nicknamed ‘Britcoin‘ although it is unlikely to take that name if or when it
People aged 25 to 29 in England will be able to book their coronavirus vaccination from tomorrow morning. Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced the extension to the country’s COVID-19 vaccination programme in a statement to MPs in the Commons. Will England’s ‘freedom day’ go ahead? Live updates on the COVID-19 pandemic A total of 40,333,231
“You’re nothing. You’re a ghost, a fat ghost,” says the critical inner voice of disillusioned housewife Sheila Rubin, who spends her days booking rooms in cheap motels to binge on fast food. Beautiful, thin, privileged; on the outside, her life appears perfect. But inside, Sheila, played by Rose Byrne, is battling a complex eating disorder
Cruella, the prequel to Disney’s 101 Dalmatians is reportedly getting a sequel, after its runaway box office success. The film, which stars Emma Stone as the puppy-skinning villain, debuted in cinemas and on Disney+ last month, earning a healthy $48.5m (£34.2m) at the box office. Its hybrid release marks the start of a new way
Downing Street has urged football fans to be respectful of England players who choose to take the knee in a stand against racial injustice. Boris Johnson‘s official spokesperson called on football fans to “get behind” the team at the upcoming European Football Championships which kick off on Friday and to support “individuals’ rights to protest”.
A paedophile who exploited and blackmailed nearly 2,000 victims globally has admitted to 158 charges, in what has been described as “industrial-scale” offending. Abdul Elahi previously admitted a majority of the offences but pleaded guilty to the final allegations at Birmingham Crown Court last month. The National Crime Agency (NCA) said Elahi admitted to what
Jeff Bezos has announced he will be flying to space with his brother on July 20. The former Amazon CEO will be among the travellers on the first passenger flight of Blue Origin. Blue Origin’s reusable suborbital rocket system named New Shepard will take its first astronaut crew to space along with Bezos and his
Conservatives rebels have been among those calling on the government to reverse its plan to cut foreign aid. Since 2015, it has been enshrined in UK law for the country to give at least 0.7% of Gross National Income (GNI) to lower and middle-income countries to aid their development. The plan to reduce the UK’s
The former owner of Formula One motor racing is in talks about a $600m deal that could transform the face of global tennis by combining the organisers of the men’s and women’s tours under a single commercial entity. Sky News has learnt that CVC Capital Partners is in detailed negotiations about an investment in the
A man who raped and killed two schoolgirls can be freed, the Parole Board has ruled. Colin Pitchfork, who was the first man convicted of murder on the basis of DNA evidence, was jailed in 1988 for life after strangling 15-year-olds Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth in Leicestershire in 1983 and 1986. A document detailing
One Direction star Liam Payne has called off his engagement to US model Maya Henry, less than a year after they announced it. He confirmed the split while appearing on The Diary Of A CEO podcast, revealing it had happened during lockdown. Payne said he is “disappointed” in himself for “hurting people”, and that he
Workspace provider IWG has said people are not going back to the office as quickly as they had hoped, warning the trend may impact its profits this year. The company, which owns the Regus brand and competes with brands like WeWork that also offer flexible working spaces, said its profits would be “well below” what
Jeff Bezos – one of the world’s richest men and the chief executive of Amazon – has said he will travel into space next month. The US business tycoon has invited his brother along for the journey, with the winner of an auction set up by his aerospace company Blue Origin. In a video posted
India is easing lockdown in several states after COVID case levels dropped to their lowest in two months. Shops, restaurants and other businesses are allowed to reopen with limited hours in New Delhi and Mumbai, with some restrictions also lifted in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. The Delhi metro, which serves the city
Double the usual number of flights to the UK are due to leave Portugal as holidaymakers scramble to leave on the last day before the country moves to the amber travel list. Thirty-nine flights were due to depart from Faro Airport in the Algarve for the UK on Monday, nearly twice as many as are
Australia’s most decorated living war veteran is suing three newspapers for libel over claims about his time fighting in Afghanistan. Ben Roberts-Smith, 42, has begun legal proceedings against The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and The Canberra Times over articles they published in 2018. The defamation trial against Nine Entertainment, who owned all three papers
A 34-year-old father who has spent nearly five months in hospital after he almost died with COVID has told of his “blind panic” after the virus left him “gasping for air” - and he is urging the government to be cautious over the lifting of all restrictions. Graham Horsfall has been a patient at Warrington Hospital since 16
Clarence Williams III, who starred in films such as Purple Rain, Sugar Hill and Reindeer Games, has died at the age of 81. The actor passed away at his home in Los Angeles on Friday after a bout of colon cancer, his manager said on Sunday. He was born in New York in 1939, the