Author: SKYNEWS

A nuclear weapon could potentially be sent into space to deflect an asteroid heading Earth’s way, an astronomer has told Sky News.Dr David Whitehouse said the measure could be taken against a space rock the size of a football pitch which is being monitored by the European Space Agency (ESA) and could strike the planet in a little over seven years. The asteroid, called 2024 YR4 and measuring 100m by 40m, is currently at a distance of around 27 million miles and is edging away.However, its path will cross our orbit on 22 December 2032 and was initially estimated to…

American music producer Irv Gotti has died at the age of 54. The producer, who founded the hip-hop label Murder Inc Records, produced nearly 30 Hot 100 hits in the US charts for artists including Ashanti, Ja Rule, Ye, DMX, Fat Joe, Mary J Blige and Jay-Z. His death was confirmed by his children – Angie, Sonny and JJ – who posted on his official Instagram page to say that he died on 5 February “surrounded by his family and friends”.Describing their father as an “incredible man” and “true visionary”, they said he will “leave behind a legacy that will forever…

Planning rules will be ripped up to make it easier to build new nuclear reactors and create thousands of highly skilled jobs, the government has announced.The reforms are the latest in a series of proposals designed to “get Britain building” to help grow the economy, after powers for environmental quangos to delay infrastructure projects were removed. The UK was the first country in the world to develop a nuclear reactor but the last time a power station was built was in 1995.Ministers have blamed this on “suffocating” red tape, leaving the UK lagging behind in the global race for cleaner…

Dog treats made from lab-grown chicken have gone on sale at a UK pet retailer in what is being claimed as a world first.The food, developed by Meatly, combines plant-based ingredients with cultivated meat – made by growing a single sample of cells from a chicken egg. The firm says the treat, called Chick Bites, contains all the essential amino acids, critical fatty acids, minerals and vitamins needed for pet health and claims it is “just as tasty and nutritious as traditional chicken breast”.Pets at Home believes it is the first company in the world to sell cultivated meat for…

Rock legend Ozzy Osbourne is set to take to the stage for one last performance.The 76-year-old, whose real name is John Michael Osbourne, will reunite with his Black Sabbath bandmates at Aston Villa’s Villa Park for a gig that promises to be the “greatest heavy metal show ever”. The all-day Back To The Beginning show will be the metal band’s first performance together in 20 years, with original stars Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Terence ‘Geezer’ Butler and Bill Ward.The comeback marks the first major show Osbourne has done since he cancelled planned gigs in Europe and the UK back in 2023,…

An arms race for artificial intelligence (AI) supremacy, triggered by recent panic over Chinese chatbot DeepSeek, risks amplifying the existential dangers of superintelligence, according to one of the “godfathers” of AI.Canadian machine learning pioneer Yoshua Bengio, author of the first International AI Safety Report to be presented at an international AI summit in Paris next week, warns unchecked investment in computational power for AI without oversight is dangerous. “The effort is going into who’s going to win the race, rather than how do we make sure we are not going to build something that blows up in our face,” Mr…

Things, generally, “do seem better in the morning” – that is according to scientists who suggest the earlier hours of the day are when most feel at their best.Research using the University College London (UCL) COVID-19 Social Study found people also widely feel happier in the summertime than they do during the winter months. Using survey data from 49,218 adults between March 2020 and March 2022, the researchers found people generally woke up “feeling best” but were “feeling worst” by midnight.Dr Feifei Bu, from UCL’s department of behavioural science and health, said: “Our findings suggest that on average, people’s mental…

The Goonies cast has reunited in Hollywood to celebrate one of their number being immortalised in concrete.Actor Ke Huy Quan was honoured with a hand and footprint ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on Monday. To celebrate, much of his fellow cast from the classic 1985 film turned up, posing in pictures. Image: The Goonies cast members (L-R): Josh Brolin, writer Chris Columbus, Kerri Green, Ke Huy Quan, Corey Feldman and Joe Pantoliano. Pic: Reuters/Mario Anzuoni Image: Pic: Reuters/Mario Anzuoni Cast members Josh Brolin, Joe Pantoliano, Kerri Green, and Corey Feldman as well as writer Chris Columbus…

China has retaliated after the US imposed 10% tariffs on its goods.Not long after the US taxes began at 5am British time, China said it was imposing 10% tariffs on American crude oil, agricultural machinery, large-displacement cars and pickup trucks. There will also be 15% tariffs on coal and liquefied natural gas, as well as an investigation into Google.China also said it is imposing export controls on rare earth metals such as tungsten, tellurium, ruthenium, molybdenum and ruthenium-related items – the country controls much of the world’s supply of such metals, which are critical for the transition to clean energy.They…

A trial using artificial intelligence (AI) in breast cancer screening could lead to a dramatic rise in the number of patients being treated. At present, two radiologists are needed to look at the images from mammograms to ensure accuracy. It is hoped that the AI being trialled will allow one to complete the process on their own, freeing up others to see more patients.Almost 700,000 women are expected to take part in the research, the government has announced.Those already booked in for routine NHS screenings will be invited to join the £11m Early Detection using Information Technology in Health (Edith)…