Author: SKYNEWS

Barbara Taylor Bradford, the bestselling novelist who wrote A Woman Of Substance, has died at the age of 91.The Leeds-born author, who sold more than 90 million books, died peacefully at her home on Sunday after a short illness and was “surrounded by loved ones to the very end”, a spokeswoman said. Taylor Bradford, who was often labelled “the grand dame of blockbusters”, hit the big time when A Woman Of Substance was published in 1979, making her an overnight success.The story sold millions of copies and traced the journey of Emma Harte from life as a servant in rural Yorkshire to…

The UK is in a “new AI arms race” with countries like Russia and North Korea, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster will say on Monday.  Minister Pat McFadden will be speaking at the NATO Cyber Defence Conference at Lancaster House, warning the UK and its allies that “cyber war is now a daily reality”. “Be in no doubt: the United Kingdom and others in this room are watching Russia. We know exactly what they are doing, and we are countering their attacks both publicly and behind the scenes,” he will say.”Putin is a man who wants destruction, not…

Barclays has been fined £40m over capital raising that averted its need for taxpayer aid during the 2008 financial crisis.The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) found that the bank should have disclosed more details to the stock market about the £11.8bn in funding, from Qatari and other sovereign investors, that it had previously described as “reckless” and lacking integrity. The penalty followed a protracted investigation that began in 2013 but was held up by criminal proceedings brought by the Serious Fraud Office that led to the acquittal of all defendants charged, including Barclays.A decision by the bank not to refer the…

Zayn Malik paid tribute to former One Direction bandmate Liam Payne as he kicked off his solo tour.Payne died last month of multiple traumas and “internal and external haemorrhage” after falling from a third-floor balcony in Buenos Aires, according to a post-mortem. Images from Leeds’s O2 Academy on Saturday showed Malik – who delayed his Stairway To The Sky tour due to Payne’s funeral on Wednesday – shared a tribute.A message was displayed with a heart on a large blue screen behind the singer reading: “Liam Payne 1993-2024. Love you bro.” X This content is provided by X, which may…

Routine domestic activities could expose people to a cloud of plastic particles so small that they can be inhaled deep into the lungs, according to research seen exclusively by Sky News.The study at the University of Portsmouth found a fitness workout on a synthetic carpet could result in up to 110 plastic fibres or fragments being breathed in every minute. Folding clothes made from fabrics such as polyester, and even just sitting down on a foam-filled sofa, also produced a plume of microscopic particles in the surrounding air.The researchers say the findings underline the urgency of talks by the United…

The managing director of Jaguar has hit out at what he called “vile hatred and intolerance” after the car company released a new advert.A 30-second clip posted on the luxury car brand’s X account on Tuesday prompted online backlash after it featured a diverse group of models posing in bright clothes but no vehicles or the iconic leaping big cat. The advert was viewed 160 million times and gained over 120,000 comments, including from X owner Elon Musk who said: “Do you sell cars?” Image: Jaguar said it wanted to ‘move away from traditional automotive stereotypes’ in its new ad…

Cillian Murphy and his wife Yvonne McGuinness have bought a cinema the Oscar-winning actor used to visit as a child.The couple will refurbish The Phoenix Cinema in Dingle, County Kerry, south-west Ireland, next year. The venue, which had previously been used as a dance hall, had been in operation for more than 100 years, and on the market for three before Murphy and McGuinness bought the building.Oppenheimer and Peaky Blinders star Murphy, from Cork, said: “I’ve been going to see films at The Phoenix since I was a young boy on summer holidays.”My dad saw movies there when he was…

Instagram is releasing a feature that will let users easily reset their algorithms, as the government strengthens its regulation of online safety.With the new reset feature, users can clear their recommended content from Explore, Reels and their feed, potentially reducing the amount of harmful content they are exposed to. It’s all part of Meta’s push to make the app safer for young people, after announcing more private Teen accounts in September.The feature, which will soon be rolled out globally, was announced as the government outlined its priorities for online safety.Peter Kyle, Labour’s technology secretary, said Ofcom should ensure the concept…

Bosch will cut up to 5,500 jobs as it struggles with slow electric vehicle sales and competition from Chinese imports.It is the latest blow to the European car industry after Volkswagen and Ford announced thousands of job cuts in the last month. Cheaper Chinese-made electric cars have made it trickier for European manufacturers to remain competitive while demand has weakened for the driver assistance and automated driving solutions made by Bosch.The company said a slower-than-expected transition to electric, software-controlled vehicles was partly behind the cuts, which are being made in the car parts division.Demand for new cars has fallen overall…

Ed Sheeran helped Ipswich Town to sign a player over the summer just before getting on stage with Taylor Swift, according to the club’s chief executive.Mark Ashton claims the pop star got on a video call to encourage a prospective new signing to seal his move to the East Anglia outfit. He did not reveal the player’s name, but said he is “certainly scoring a few goals” and is a fan of Sheeran, who is a minor shareholder at his hometown club.”Ed jumped on a Zoom call with him at the training ground, just before he stepped on stage with…