Author: SKYNEWS

The amount of AI-generated child abuse images found on the internet is increasing at a “chilling” rate, according to a national watchdog.The Internet Watch Foundation deals with child abuse images online, removing hundreds of thousands every year. Now, it says artificial intelligence is making the work much harder.”I find it really chilling as it feels like we are at a tipping point,” said “Jeff”, a senior analyst at the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), who uses a fake name at work to protect his identity.In the last six months, Jeff and his team have dealt with more AI-generated child abuse images…

The health secretary has warned of “difficult and big choices” coming in the budget, as he refused to rule out freezing tax thresholds.Wes Streeting told Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips programme the government “can’t fix 14 years in one budget” and there are lots of choices “we will have to make that we’d prefer not to have to”. Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to prolong the freeze on income tax thresholds by two years to 2030 after the previous Conservative government froze them until 2028.Politics latest: Labour ‘can’t change 14 years in one budget’It means thresholds would not…

Liam Payne’s sister has paid an emotional tribute to her “best friend” as she spoke for the first time about his death.The singer died aged 31 on Wednesday after falling from a balcony on the third floor of the Casa Sur hotel in Argentina.Ruth Gibbins posted on social media: “I don’t believe this is happening. Many times have I poured my heart out publicly with pride about Liam but never much about life as his sister.”Liam is my best friend, no one could ever make me laugh as much as him, doing his impressions always had me creasing and he…

A company was hacked after it hired a North Korean cyber criminal posing as an IT contractor.The unnamed company fell victim to a new North Korean hacking tactic, according to cybersecurity company Secureworks, which investigated the incident. A North Korean cyber criminal posing as an IT contractor was hired for a fixed-term contract by the firm, which is based either in the UK, US or Australia.Secureworks is keeping the company’s location general in order to protect the company.Within days of starting work, the criminal “accessed and exfiltrated company data”, according to Rafe Pilling, who is the director of threat intelligence…

Niall Horan has paid tribute to his former One Direction bandmate Liam Payne, saying he is “absolutely devastated” by his death.The 31-year-old pop star suffered “extremely serious injuries” after landing in the courtyard of the CasaSur Hotel in the Argentinian capital Buenos Aires, police said. Image: Liam Payne in 2023. Pic: AP Payne had flown to Buenos Aires to attend the Horan’s concert at the Movistar Arena earlier this month.Paying tribute to Payne, Horan shared a photo of the pair as teenagers at the start of their One Direction journey, with his bandmate on his back and both smiling for…

A collection of bondholders in Thames Water are mobilising to protect their interests amid an intensifying battle to avert the company’s nationalisation.Sky News has learnt that Class B bondholders were notified on Thursday they would no longer be part of the same group as the Class A noteholders represented by Jefferies, the investment bank, and law firm Akin Gump. One bondholder source said a potential clash of interests between the two groups of lenders was the reason for the split.The Class B bondholders are said to account for hundreds of millions of pounds of Thames Water’s debt – a small…

Jabs used for weight loss and treating type 2 diabetes could help people with alcohol abuse problems, according to a study.The injections led to a 50% lower rate of alcohol intoxication in people taking them compared to those who had not been prescribed them, researchers found. They also found off-label use of the drugs could help people addicted to opioids.In a study published in the journal Addiction, the researchers looked at glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA), which they said included the drug Ozempic, and/or glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) drugs, which they said include brand name Mounjaro.Such drugs may help…

The case of two brothers who were convicted of killing their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989 has been thrust back into the spotlight thanks to a Netflix drama telling their story.Lyle Menendez, 56, and his 53-year-old brother Erik are serving life in prison without parole for the shotgun murders of their father and mother – Jose and Kitty Menendez. But weeks after the release of a Netflix drama about the brothers called Monsters and a new documentary, their family has called for their release.But what is the case for the brothers’ freedom? Is there new evidence, and…

Britain’s new National Wealth Fund has struck a £1bn deal with two of Britain’s biggest high street lenders to retrofit thousands of homes to upgrade their energy-efficiency.Sky News has learnt that the government-backed vehicle has agreed with Barclays and Lloyds Banking Group to provide partial guarantees on loans to housing associations across Britain. An industry source said the deal, one of the first to be unveiled since the National Wealth Fund’s (NWF) creation, would be announced within days.One banking insider said the partnership between the NWF and the two high street lenders would enable a substantial number of homes to…

A new rule that will force businesses to make it easier for customers to cancel unwanted subscriptions and memberships is to be introduced in the US.The “click-to-cancel” rule will ban retailers and businesses from misleading consumers about subscriptions and require them to obtain people’s consent before charging for memberships, auto-renewals, and programmes linked to free trials. In the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) last major rulemaking before the 5 November election, the agency also said that businesses must let customers end subscriptions as easily as they start them. X This content is provided by X, which may be using cookies and…