The UK and Australia have agreed a free trade deal, the first agreement negotiated from scratch after Brexit. Boris Johnson said the tariff-free deal, which will see British cars, Scotch whisky and confectionery become cheaper to sell, marked a “new dawn in the UK’s relationship with Australia, underpinned by our shared history and common values”.
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EXCLUSIVE: Jessica McNamee (Mortal Kombat, Sirens) has signed with Hyperion for agency representation. The Australian actress was most recently seen playing Sonya Blade in Warner Bros.’ Mortal Kombat, directed by Simon McQuoid, which rebooted the martial arts fantasy film series, based on the popular video game franchise of the same name. She previously co-starred opposite
The number of people in payrolled employment remains 553,000 down on its pre-pandemic level despite a widespread easing in coronavirus restrictions, according to official figures. But the early data from the taxman, published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), showed 197,000 more people were on Pay As You Earn (PAYE) in May compared with
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is out of town this week on what his office on Monday called a “personal trip.” The mayor’s trip comes just as local and state officials are set to lift the vast majority of Covid-19 restrictions tomorrow. The reopening process has not been a smooth one and many are confused
Business groups have reacted with dismay after Boris Johnson confirmed the end of lockdown restrictions would be delayed. It will mean some businesses such as pubs and restaurants still having to operate at limited capacity and others such as nightclubs remaining closed with the roadmap for reopening delayed from 21 June to 19 July. The
Disney’s ad sales group said it has closed its 2021-22 upfront, with double-digit increases in CPMs and revenue thanks to powerful interest in live sports. The rate gains spanned all broadcast day parts, cable and all major sports, including college football, NFL and the NBA. Disney said more than 40% of total upfront dollars committed
A US special forces veteran and his son have admitted illegally helping ex-Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn flee Japan ahead of his trial on financial misconduct charges, according to a Tokyo-based news agency. Kyodo newswire said Michael and Peter Taylor, who were extradited to Japan in March at the request of the Japanese authorities, admitted a
UPDATE, 4:52 PM: After almost three years, Marvin Peart’s multi-million dollar lawsuit over the acquisition of The Weinstein Company’s assets now has a trial date. Originally looking for $110 million, the Mob Wives executive producer looks set to face off with Lantern Capitol Partners on December 1 in Los Angeles Superior Court, according to a
Passenger numbers plummeted by 223 million last year, as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, new figures show. Only around 74 million people travelled through UK airports in 2020 – less than a quarter of the 297 million from the year before, data from the Civil Aviation Authority reveals. The airport which saw the largest
When White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre first stood before the media in the White House briefing room last month, the moment made history: She was the first African-American woman to do so in 30 years and the first LGBTQ woman to do so, period. While the briefing itself played out as many
Aer Lingus has announced a number of regional flights have been cancelled after one of its operators ceased trading. The Irish airline was forced to cancel several flights from Dublin and Belfast City airports to UK cities after Stobart Air collapsed on Friday night. Those who have booked flights are advised not to go to
On Saturday, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported 4 new deaths from Covid-19 and 196 new positive cases. While data showed that hospitalizations are continuing to decrease, case numbers and deaths announced today may reflect delays in weekend reporting. With the addition of today’s numbers, L.A. County comes to a total of 24,415
Sir Richard Branson is in advanced talks about a multibillion dollar merger to take Virgin Orbit, his satellite launch company, on to the US public markets. Sky News can reveal that Virgin Orbit is close to finalising a deal to combine with NextGen Acquisition II, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) set up by George
After four weeks of bargaining, IATSE’s negotiations with management’s AMPTP for a new film and TV contract have broken off with no deal and “very little progress” toward reaching one, union officials said on Friday. The talks got underway May 17 and aren’t scheduled to resume until July 6. The contract, which covers the union’s
Dominic Raab has said “the ball is very much in the EU’s court” with regards to the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol , as French president Emmanuel Macron has warned Britain that the Brexit deal is not renegotiable. The foreign secretary told Sky News the EU must be “less purist, more pragmatic and more
UPDATE: Digital Underground founding member Shock G, best known as his alter ego, MC Humpty Hump, died from an accidental overdose, medical examiners said today. The initial case summary released by the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s office in Florida said Shock G (real name: Gregory Jacobs) died from an accidental overdose of fentanyl, ethanol and
The government should revoke a series of steel quotas on cheap imports despite warnings it will damage domestic producers, trade advisers have recommended. The recommendation, described as a “hammer blow” by industry bodies, was made by the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA), an arms-length body charged with protecting UK industry from unfair competition. It has advised
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on Friday announced a merger between the mayor’s Evolve Entertainment Fund and Group Effort Initiative, an initiative created by Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, to offer more people from under-represented communities employment, training and mentorship opportunities in the entertainment industry. The merger of Evolve and GEI will expand the reach
Britain’s economy grew by 2.3% in April as the high street and hospitality sector reopened, official figures show. The GDP data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) covers a period when non-essential retail as well as outdoor drinking and dining were allowed to resume. It followed a subdued start to the year when latest
Netflix’s one-and-done superhero drama Jupiter’s Legacy topped Nielsen’s U.S. streaming rankings for May 10 to 16. The show’s eight episodes racked up a bit more than 1 billion total minutes of viewing, easily outpacing Startup, whose three seasons yielded 760 million minutes of viewing. Nielsen measures only viewing on a TV screen of shows from