A former commander of Russia’s notorious mercenary Wagner Group who is seeking asylum in Norway has apologised for fighting in Ukraine. Andrei Medvedev said he wanted to speak out about his experiences in the war – and within the private group owned by millionaire Yevgeny Prigozhin, who has ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin –
Month: February 2023
Shell has announced annual profits of $39.9bn (£32.2bn), doubling from a year earlier and far exceeding the previous record of $31bn in 2008. The London-listed company also posted record fourth-quarter earnings of $9.8bn (£7.9bn). The profits – which were even higher than the $38.17bn (£30.8bn) analysts had expected – came thanks to bumper gas prices
Australia is removing the British monarchy from its banknotes and will feature an indigenous design rather than an image of King Charles on its new $5 note. The nation’s central bank said the new note would honour “the culture and history of the First Australians” – replacing the current portrait of the Queen, who died
British Gas has suspended the use of court warrants to force-fit prepayment meters after a report alleged it sent debt collectors to break into customers’ homes to install them – ignoring their vulnerabilities. Centrica, the owner of British Gas, said in a statement that “all warrant activity” had been suspended and that protecting vulnerable customers
Channel 4 has said its showing of a Simpsons episode centred on workers’ rights on the biggest day of strike action in a decade was a coincidence. The broadcaster received praise online for showing the episode, which sees Homer Simpson challenge Mr Burns over the employees’ dental plan, which culminates in a strike at the
Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin will make his first appearance in a US court on 24 February over the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Baldwin, 64, faces two counts of involuntary manslaughter stemming from the incident on the set of the Rust movie in October 2021. He was formally charged with the offences by the
US vice president Kamala Harris praised the “courage and strength” of Tyre Nichols’s family at the 29-year-old’s funeral. Speaking after being invited to the pulpit by Rev Al Sharpton, she said: “We mourn with you and the people of this country mourn with you. “Mothers around the world when their babies are born pray to
Facebook’s parent firm recorded a 55% drop in profits during the final quarter of 2022 – the result of a $4.2bn restructuring charge that included the cost of thousands of job cuts. Meta Platforms, which also includes WhatsApp and Instagram in its stable, said its net income profit measure slumped to $4.65bn between October and
The head of markets at the National Grid Electricity System Operator has told Sky News that its new energy saving scheme “is likely how we’re all going to operate in the future.” The new Demand Flexibility Service, which allows consumers to volunteer to use less electricity at times of peak demand to help avoid blackouts,
Labour is demanding the government publishes its promised progress report on “levelling up”, saying there is “no excuse for dodging scrutiny by both parliament and the public”. Shadow levelling up secretary Lisa Nandy has written to her government counterpart, Michael Gove, pointing to the pledge he made when launching the levelling up white paper one
The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has struck Delilah off its choir playlist at the Principality Stadium. The Tom Jones song will no longer be sung at Wales national ground, which holds more than 70,000 spectators. A Principality Stadium spokesperson said: “Delilah will not feature on the playlist for choirs for rugby internationals at Principality Stadium.”
It’s fair to say this is an opportunity that doesn’t come around very often. For the first time in some 50,000 years, a green comet has this month been making a fly-by past Earth – and your best chance to spot it has now arrived. Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) has been already visible through binoculars
The US Justice Department is conducting a search of a beach house owned by President Joe Biden in Delaware. A statement from Bob Bauer, personal attorney for the President, read: “Today, with the President’s full support and cooperation, the DOJ is conducting a planned search of his home in Rehoboth, Delaware. “Under DOJ’s standard procedures,
Singer Cheryl says she has a “healthy amount of nerves” about making her West End debut. Speaking to Sky News ahead of her opening night in 2:22 – A Ghost Story, the Girls Aloud star said she has been baffled by how people have been shocked to hear she acts. “To me it’s like another
2022 was the biggest year ever for cryptocurrency hacking, with more than £3.2bn stolen worldwide, according to new research. October alone saw £629m taken – the most recorded in a single month. It helped the overall year dwarf 2021’s previous high of £2.7bn, although the total number of hacks fell slightly. The annual report by
The US central bank has slowed the pace of interest rate hikes further but indicated more rises are likely despite official figures suggesting price pressures have peaked in the world’s largest economy. The Federal Reserve revealed its verdict hours before counterparts in the UK and Europe reveal their next moves in the battle against inflation