Business

Ulta Beauty on Thursday beat Wall Street's fiscal third-quarter expectations, fending off fears of fiercer competition and slowing demand for makeup and skincare.The retailer hiked its full-year outlook slightly to reflect the better-than-expected results. For the fiscal year, it said it now expects net sales to range from $11.1 billion to $11.2 billion, compared with its previous guidance for $11 billion to $11.2 billion.It said it now expects full-year earnings per year to range from $23.20 to $23.75, up from $22.60 to $23.50. For the full year, the comparable sales forecast ranges from a decline of 1% to flat. The comparable sales metric tracks sales at Ulta stores open at least 14 months along with online sales,Despite the raised outlook, the company expects holiday-quarter comparable ...

Israel has dismissed allegations it is committing genocide in Gaza, saying the claims from Amnesty International are "no surprise".Government spokesman David Mencer called it "fake news" and told Sky's Mark Austin the human rights group's "raison d'etre is to criticise Israel - they do that at every opportunity and this is sadly just another example". Amnesty accused Israel of trying to deliberately destroy Palestinians by launching deadly attacks, demolishing infrastructure and preventing food, medicine and aid deliveries.It said such actions met the legal threshold for genocide and was not justified as a response to last year's Hamas terror attack - which killed around 1,200 Israelis and saw about 250 taken hostage. X This content i...

French Prime Minister Michel Barnier has resigned after losing a vote of no confidence just three months into the job.Mr Barnier visited President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee on Thursday to give his resignation after far-right and left-wing politicians joined forces to back a no-confidence motion in him and his government. The vote took place after Mr Barnier, formerly the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, used special powers to force a social security budget through the country's lower house of parliament without a final vote.Barnier latest: Emmanuel Macron to give national address Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:37 ...

A former soil scientist, who rose to prominence on TikTok, looks set to be elected Romania's president this weekend.Populist candidate Calin Georgescu - who doesn't believe in COVID or man-made climate change, and wants to pursue peace in Ukraine - tells Sky News accusations his sudden rise to success had been orchestrated by Russia are not true. His critics allege links with Vladimir Putin - but he tells me "no, nothing zero", and says the Russian leader "is a patriot and a leader but I am not a fan of Mr Putin".He says he is happy for Romania to be a member of both the European Union and NATO, but says he would not support Romania going to war. "We are all for peace," he says.Before politics, the 62-year-old - who holds a doctorate in pedology, a branch of soil science - worked in Romani...

Syrian rebels have captured the central city of Hama in the latest blow to President Bashar al Assad.The Syrian army said it had withdrawn and taken up positions outside the city to protect civilians, hours after opposition fighters said they were marching towards its centre. The insurgents said they had entered Syria's fourth-largest city on Thursday after days of intense fighting with government forces on its outskirts. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:51 Air strikes hit Hama as rebels advance The fall of Hama...

A nun has been arrested in Italy on suspicion of colluding with the mafia.Sister Anna Donelli, a volunteer in Milan's San Vittore prison, is suspected of acting as a go-between with the criminal group and its jailed gang members. The 57-year-old was among 25 people detained as part of an investigation into the 'Ndrangheta mafia in the northern city of Brescia, three sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters news agency.Donelli is also well-known for her service in Milan's rundown districts, and received the city's annual "Golden Panettone" civic award earlier this year. Image: Donelli is known for her work in Milan's San Vittore Prison. File pic: High Contrast It has not been possible to reach her lawyer for co...

The French government has collapsed after Prime Minister Michel Barnier lost a vote of no confidence.It follows his decision to use special powers to force a social security budget through the lower house of parliament without a final vote after a last-minute concession was not enough to win support from the far-right National Rally (RN). In the end, far-right and left-wing politicians joined forces to back a no-confidence motion in Mr Barnier and his government. The National Assembly approved the motion by 331 votes. A minimum of 288 were needed.The outcome marks the first time a French government has lost a confidence vote since 1962.Political crisis in France: Follow latest updates Mr Barnier, formerly the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, is expected to tender his resignation and that of h...

A gunman has tried to assassinate a prominent Indian politician at the Golden Temple in the Indian city of Amritsar,The assailant fired at Sukhbir Singh Badal, the former deputy chief minister of Punjab, at one of the holiest shrines in the Sikh religion on Wednesday. No injuries were reported.The suspect, later identified as 68-year-old Narain Singh Chaura, was overpowered by bystanders and was handed to police. Image: The attack happened at one of the holiest Sikh sites. File pic: saiko3p/iStock Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the gunman was "a former terrorist and a criminal". "He has been arrested and the weapon has been recovered," he said.The incident was caught on camera by media filming Mr Badal, who...

A mysterious disease has killed dozens of people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, local authorities have said.The illness is believed to have killed between 67 and 143 people, in the Panzi health zone of Kwango province in the southwest of the country, according to the deputy provincial governor, Remy Saki. A local epidemiologist told the Reuters news agency that women and children were the most seriously affected by the disease.The country's Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene and Social Security said in a post on X that reported symptoms include a fever, headache, cough and runny nose, difficulty breathing and anaemia.It said in order to provide a "rapid and effective response" to the "worrying situation" the ministry has dispatched a "rapid intervention team" to the affected area. Th...

Amnesty International has accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians during its war against Hamas in Gaza.The human rights group said Israel sought to deliberately destroy Palestinians by launching deadly attacks, demolishing vital infrastructure and preventing the delivery of food, medicine and other aid. It said such actions met the legal threshold for the crime of genocide. It is the first time it has made such a determination during an active armed conflict.In a report, Amnesty said Israel's actions could not be justified by Hamas' attack into Israel on 7 October last year which ignited the war, or on the presence of militants in civilian areas.Amnesty said the US and other Israeli allies could be complicit in genocide and called on them to halt arms shipments. Israel h...