Author: SKYNEWS

The family of Hollywood star Diane Keaton have revealed that the Oscar-winning actress died of pneumonia.Keaton, known for her roles in The Godfather and Father Of The Bride, died on 11 October at the age of 79.In a statement issued to US media, Keaton’s family said: “The Keaton family are very grateful for the extraordinary messages of love and support they have received these past few days on behalf of their beloved Diane.”She loved her animals and she was steadfast in her support of the unhoused community, so any donations in her memory to a local food bank or an…

The world’s biggest packaged food company, Nestle, is to cut 16,000 jobs in the next two years, it announced on Thursday.The cuts around the world come as the company said it was “automating” its processes and increasing focus on “operational efficiency”. Losses will primarily be in white-collar, professional parts of the business, with 12,000 roles to go. Around 4,000 manufacturing and supply chain jobs are to be lost, Nestle said.Money blog: New ready meals costing up to £30 launchedThere will be a consultation on the roles to be axed “where applicable”, the announcement read. The company is behind brands such…

Self-driving taxis could be on the streets of London from next year, according to autonomous taxi firm Waymo. The taxis have become a regular feature on San Francisco’s roads and recently launched in Tokyo. London, often associated with the famous black cab, will be the first European city to get the driverless taxis. Image: Black cab drivers in London are known for their extensive knowledge of the city. File pic: AP However, Steve McNamara, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association which represents cab drivers in London, is not worried.”Will I be concerned in 25 years’ time? Maybe. I’m certainly…

Social media star “Big John” Fisher has said he is being deported from Australia after he was detained over visa issues.Fisher, known for reviewing fast food online, arrived in Australia on Tuesday for appearances in Perth and Sydney. In posts on his Instagram, he said he was questioned by border officials for four hours in the city of Perth.He said he was due to head home on Wednesday, his birthday, at 6.30pm local time. “My visa was legal coming in but they are not happy with what I am doing here so they are sending me home,” he said. “To…

Pet owners could be paying twice as much for commonly prescribed medicines from vet practices than they could pay online, a watchdog has found.The Competition and Markets Authority, which has been investigating the sector since 2023, said price caps should be placed on prescriptions provided by vets to stop pet owners from being ripped off. It found customers could be paying “hundreds of pounds more” for commonly prescribed medicines from vet practices than they could pay online.It said vets should have a prescription fee cap of £16 and should be required to tell customers about savings they could make by…

ChatGPT will soon write erotica for verified adults, according to OpenAI’s chief executive, as well as becoming more “human-like”.As part of the company’s policy to “treat adult users like adults”, the chatbot will be able to create sexual content once age verification is fully rolled out across the tool.”In December, as we roll out age-gating more fully and as part of our ‘treat adult users like adults’ principle, we will allow even more, like erotica for verified adults,” said Sam Altman in a post on X.The announcement wasn’t popular with everyone.One X user asked Mr Altman: “Why do age-gates always…

An emergency vote on Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest has been called off following developments in the Middle East, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has said.Contest organisers had scheduled “an extraordinary meeting of [its] general assembly to be held online” in early November after several countries said they would no longer take part in Eurovision if Israel participated. The EBU said in a statement that following “recent developments in the Middle East” the executive board had agreed on Monday that there should be an in-person discussion among members “on the issue of participation in the Eurovision Song Contest…

The leisure venue operator behind Flight Club darts and Electric Shuffleboard will this week announce an expansion of its financing firepower as it seeks to meet growing consumer demand for ‘competitive socialising’.Sky News understands that Red Engine, whose brands occupy dozens of venues in the UK and overseas, has landed an additional £10m in debt financing from a syndicate comprising Barclays, HSBC and Santander UK. Money blog: Big retirement age surprise awaits 14% of BritonsThe funding, which will be announced on Wednesday, augments a £60m lending facility agreed with the trio of banks in April last year.Red Engine’s growth comes…

There seem to be plenty of colds going around at the moment – so here’s a possible aid you might not have considered: peppermints.Newly published research from scientists at Cardiff University says sucking on them can increase alertness in people who are ill with the common cold. They monitored 81 students over 10 weeks, during which time 17 developed a mild illness.Six of them were given peppermints, six were given butterscotch, and five were not given any sweets at all.Of the 64 who remained healthy, 21 sucked peppermint, 22 were given placebo sweets, and 21 did not eat any. All…

Back in 1977, the Beatles became the first act to be honoured for their outstanding contribution to music at a London ceremony that would later become the Brit Awards.Ever since then, for more than 40 years, the show has taken place in the capital; the link was celebrated by Sabrina Carpenter and her dancing beefeaters earlier this year, and Dua Lipa when she arrived on stage in a stylised Tube carriage for her performance in 2021. The annual Mercury Prize, another of the industry’s most significant awards ceremonies, has also taken place in London every year since it launch in…